-Make sure that your passengers also buck le up and prop
erly wear the ir safety belts .
- Protect your children with a child restraint system appro-
priat e for the si ze and age of the child ren.
The warn ing light tin the instrument cluster lights up when the igni
tion is switched on as a reminder to fasten the safety belts. In addi
tion, you wi ll hear a war ning sound.
After the ignition is switched on, the warning tone will come on for abou t 6 seconds along with a t warn ing light in the inst rument
cluster if e ither the driver or (on USA models o nly) front seat
passenge r has not fastened their safety bel t. As soon as the driver
and front seat passenger have fastened the safety belt, the warning
tone will stop and the warning light will go out.
If both the driver and front seat passenger have not buckled- up
within about 24 seconds after the warning tone has stopped, the
wa rning tone w ill sound aga in for about 6 seconds. The warn ing tone
w ill sound repeatedly for about 6 seconds at 24 second interva ls unt il
bo th the driver and fron t passenger have bu ckled -up. The safety belt
warning system is active for about 5 minutes and during this time the
warning light in the instrument cluster wi ll stay on.
Fasten your safety b elt now and make sure that your pa ssengers
also properly put on their safety belt s. •
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Safety belts
Why safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very strong forces for people
riding in vehicles .
Fig. 18 7 Unbe lted
occu pant s in a veh icl e
h ea din g for a wall
Fig . 18 8 T he veh icle
cr ash es into t he wall
Th e physical pr incip les are simple. Bot h the vehicle and the passen
gers possess energy which varies with vehicle speed and body weight.
Enginee rs call th is energy "kine tic en ergy ."
The higher the speed of the vehicle and the greater the veh icle's
weight, the more energy that has to be "absorbed" in the crash .
Vehicle speed is the most significant factor.
If the speed doub les
from 15 to 30 mph (25 to SO km/h), the energy increases 4 times!
~
•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
_____________________________________________ A ~i..:_r ,::b :=:a ~g !...:: s'.:!y '..:s~ t~ e ~ m~ --
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Always make sure that the side airbag can inflate without
interference:
-Never install se at covers or replacement upholstery over the
front seatbacks that have not been specifically approved by
Audi .
- Never use additional seat cushions that cover the areas
where the side airbags inflate .
- Damage to the original seat covers or to the seam in the area
of the side airbag module must always be repaired immedi
ately by an authorized Audi dealer.
• The airbag sy stem can be activated only once. After an airbag
has inflated, it must be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technician who has the technical information , training
and special equipment necessary.
• The airbag sy st e m can be deployed only onc e. After an airbag
has been deployed, it must be replaced w ith new replacement
parts de signed and approved es pecially for your Audi model
version . Replacement of complete airbag systems or airbag
components must be performed by qualified workshops only.
Make sure that any airbag service action is entered in your Audi
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD.
• In accidents when an airbag is deployed, the vehicle battery
separates the alternator and the starter from the vehicle electrical
system for safety reason s with a pyrotechnic circuit interrupter.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circu it interrupter must only be
performed by a qualified dealer -risk of an a ccident!
- If the vehicle or the circu it interrupter is scrapped, all appli
cable safety precautions must be followed .
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation
'£' For the sake of the environment
U
ndeployed airbag modules and pretens io ners mig ht be classified as
Perch lorate Material -special handling may app ly, see
www.d ts c. ca.gov/ha za rdouswaste/pe rchlorate . W he n t he vehicle or
parts of the restraint system includi ng a irbag modules safety belts
w ith pretens io ners are s crappe d, all ap plic abl e laws and reg ulat ion s
must be observed. Your author ized Aud i dealer is familiar with these
req uir ements and we recommen d that yo u have yo ur dea le r pe rform
this service for you .•
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Chang ing the ve hicle's suspension system can change the way that
t he Adv anced Airbag System pe rforms in a crash . For example, using
tire-r im combinations not approved by Aud i, lower ing the veh icle,
c hang ing the st iffness o f the suspe nsio n, incl uding the s prings,
s u spension str uts, shoc k absorbe rs etc. can change the forces that
are meas ured by the airb ag sensors and sen t to the ele ctron ic con trol
uni t. Some suspension changes ca n, for examp le, increase the force
levels measu red by t he sensors and ma ke the airbag system dep loy in
crashes in which it wou ld not deploy if the changes had not bee n
made . Other kin ds of changes may re duce the force levels meas ured
by the senso rs and p revent the airbag from dep loyi ng when it should .
The sensors in the safety belt buckle for the d river and front
p assenger se at tell the e le ct ro nic co ntro l mo dule if the sa fe ty belt is
latc hed or not . If the safety be lt is be ing used, the fron t airbag w ill
dep loy at a s ligh tly hig her ra te o f ve hicl e decelerat io n t han if the
safety belt is not be ing used. T he refo re, in a part icular collis io n, it is
poss ible that an a irbag wi ll not deploy at a seating posit ion where the
safety belt is being used but wi ll inflate at the posi tion whe re the
safety belt is not bei ng used. It is important that not hing interfere
w ith the s afe ty be lt bu ckles so t hat th e sensor s can sen d the correct
information about safety belt use to the electronic contro l unit. ..
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
-Child Safety ---- ~---------------------------
and for the different models of the same kind of child restraint
offered by child restraint manufactu rers .
The weight ranges for the individual types, makes and models of ch ild
restraints that the NHTSA has specified in the Safety Standard
together with the weight ranges of typica l infants and typical 1 year
old child have been stored in the control unit of the Advanced Airbag
System. When a child restraint is being used on the front passenger
seat with a typical 1 year-old chi ld, the Advanced Airbag System
compares the weight measured by the weight sens ing mat with the
information stored in the electronic control unit .
T he electronic control unit also registers the tension on the front
passenger safety be lt . The tension on the safety belt fo r the front
passenger seat will be different for an adult who is properly using the
safety belt as compared to the tension on the be lt when it is used to
attach a child restraint to the seat. The sensor below the latch for the
safety belt for the front seat passenger measures the tension on the
belt. The input from this sensor is then used with the we ight to
"decide", whether there is a child restraint with a typical 1 yea r-old
child on the front passenger seat and whether or not the airbag must
be turned off.•
Child restraints and Advanced Airbags
Regardless of the child restraint that you use, make sure that it has
been certified to meet United States Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards and has been certified by its manufacturer for use with an
airbag . Always be sure that the child restraint is properly installed at
one of the rear seating positions. If in exceptional circumstances you
must use it on the front passenger seat, carefully read all of the infor
mation on chi ld safety and Advanced Airbags and heed a ll of the
applicable WARNINGS. Make certain that the child restraint is
correctly recognized by the weight-sensing mat inside the front
passenger seat, that the front passenger airbag is turned off and that
the airbag status is always correctly signaled by the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light. Many
types and models of child restra ints have been available over
the years, new mode ls are introduced regularly incorporating new
and improved designs and older models are taken out of production .
Chi ld restraints are not standardized. Child restraints of the same
type typically have different weights and sizes and different 'foot
prints,' the size and shape of the bottom of the chi ld restraint that
sits on the seat, whe n they are installed on a vehicle seat. These
differences make it virtually impossible to certify compliance with
the requirements for advanced airbags with each and every child
restraint that has ever been sold in the past or w ill be sold over the
course of the useful lif e of yo ur vehicle.
For this reason, the United States National H ighway Traffic Safety
Administration has published a list of specific type, makes and
mode ls of child restraints that must be used to cert ify comp liance of
the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle with the suppression
requirements of Fede ral Motor Vehicle Safety Standa rd 208. These
child restraints are:
A. Car beds, manufactured on or after September 1,
2004:
• Cosco Dream Ride 02-719
B. Rearward facing child restraint systems,
manufactured on or after September 1, 2004:
(When the restraint system comes equipped with a removable base,
compliance has to be certified w ith or w ithout the base).
• Britax Handle with Care 191
• Century Assura 4553
• Century Smart Fit 4543
• Cosco Arriva 02727
• Evenflo Discovery Adjust Right 212
• Evenflo First Choice 204
• Graco Infant 8457
Intelligent technology
--------------------------------------------------' "---.L==--
The system operates across the entire speed range in combination
with the ABS system. If the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) malfunc
tions, the ESP will also shut down.
How the system works
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Differential Lock (EDL)
and the Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR) are integ rated in the elec
tronic stabilization program . In addition to the data provided by
these functions, the ESP control unit requires additional measure
ment data provided by high performance sensors . The rotational
speed of the vehicle about its vertical axis, vehicle acceleration in the
fore-and-aft and lateral directions, the brake pressure, and the
steering angle are all measured .
Th e direction in which the driver wishes to travel is determined with
the aid of the steering angle and vehicle speed and is con tinually
compared with the actual behavior of the vehicle. If the two do not
match, for example, when the vehicle starts hydroplaning on a wet
road, ESP will automatically brake the appropriate whee l to correct
the problem.
The vehicle is then stabilized by the forces acting on the whee l during
brak ing.
If the vehicle is oversteering (the vehicle turns too sharply
and the rear wheels slide toward the outside of a curve), the brakes
are mainly applied on the wheel that is on the outside of the curve. In
the case of a vehicle that is
understeering (the vehicle does not turn
sharply enough and pushes out of a curve), the brakes are applied as
needed on the wheel that is on the inside of the curve or additionally
on the other wheels. An acoustic signal indicates when ESP brake
application cuts in=> &.
The system operates across the entire speed range in combination
with the ABS system =>
page 245. If the Anti- Lock Brake System
(ABS) malfunctions, the ESP will be out of action as well.
Activating
When you turn on the engine, ESP will automatically be activated and
w ill perform a self-test. As soon as the test is comp leted, the system
is in normal operating mode.
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
You can activate a
deactivated ESP or deactivated ESP/ ASR if required
by pressing the =>
page 240, fig. 214 => page 240, fig. 213 button.
When they are activated, the message
ESP/ ASR on appears briefly
in the display.
Deactivating
The ESP should normally be activated all the time. If necessary, you
can deactivate Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR) or the Electron ic Stabiliza
tion Program (ESP) by press ing the button =>
page 240, fig. 214 .
• Deactivating ASR: Tap the button . In certain exceptional s itua
t ions (e.g. driving with tire chains), the Anti-Slip Regu lation (ASR) can
be deact ivated =>
page 242. The message ASR off appears in the
display as we ll.
• Deactivating ESP/ASR Press the button for more than 3 seconds .
With the ESP/ASR deactivated, the ESP check light comes on, see
=>
page 14. The message ESP switched off appea rs in the display as
well.
& WARNING
The Electronic Stabilization Program is nevertheless subject to the
laws of physics. It is particularly important to pay attention to
this fact on wet and slippery roads. It is therefore important that
you always adapt your driving to the condition of the road and
traffic conditions . Do not allow the increased safety provided by
the Electronic Stabilization Program system to lull you into
accepting additional safety risks.
u
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
Driving and environm ent
------------------------------------------------'
[I) Tip s
The consumption estimates as published by ENV IRONMEN TA L
PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre
spond to your actual consumption on the road, wh ich w ill vary
depending upon vehicle load and speed, road and weather conditions ,
trip length, etc. •
Drive smoothly :1nd keep a Lookout ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are accelerating .
-Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they a re accelerating. If you antici
pate what is going to happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus, accelerate less. Let the vehicle coast whenever possible -for
example when you see that the next traffic l ight is red. •
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and improves your
mileage.
- Try and keep well below your car's maximum speed .
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consumption, engine wear, and does
not disturb the environment .
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and engine noise increase
disproportionately at high speeds . If you drive at approx imately three
quarters of top speed, fuel consumption will be reduced by one half.
Never dr ive faster t han the posted speed limit and weather condi
tions permit. •
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up fuel.
-
Shut the engine off when you are not driving the vehicle .
- Do not warm up the veh icle by letting the engine run at
idle.
It makes sense to shut off the engine in traffic jams, when wa iting for
trains to pass at railroad crossings, or at traffic lights that have long
wa its on red . Turn ing the engine off for just 30-40 seco nds saves
mor e fuel than is burned starting the engine again .
It takes a long t ime for the engine to wa rm up fully when it is run ning
at idle. However, wear and noxious emissions are espec ia lly high
when the eng ine is wa rming up. So you should dr ive away as soon as
you start the engine and avoid running at hig h rpms while the engine
is still warm ing up.
0 Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after starting . If warning
lights should come on to indicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also produces heat, which could result in
overheat ing or other damage to the vehicle or othe r property.
Regular mai n _t_ e_ n_a_ n_ c_e ___________ _
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel.
-Have your vehicle serviced at regular intervals .
By having you r vehicle regularly serviced by an authorized Audi dealer
helps to ensure that it runs properly and economically . The condit ion
of your vehicle not only affects its safety and ability to ho ld its val ue,
it also affects
fu el con sumpt ion.
C hec k your oil ea ch tim e you fill you r ta nk .
"1>
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
lffl) __ C_ h_ e_c _k _i _ n _g ~ a_n _d_ f_il _l_in _ g _________________________________________ _
in. WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always
read and heed all WARNINGS~
& in "Working in the engine
compartment" on
page 280. •
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used in your Audi needs the right kind of oil.
The engine in your Audi is a sophisticated power plant that was built
to exacting specifications. This engine needs the right kind of engine
oil that meets specifications regarding quality and viscosity so that it
can run smoothly and reliably. Choosing the right oil and changing oil
within the time and mileage intervals printed in your vehicle 's
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet matters a lot more today than it did
years ago. Audi has developed a special quality standard for engine oil
that will help assure that your vehicle 's engine will get the lubrication
it needs for proper operation .
Modern engine lubrication has taken a quantum leap in the last few
years. Many synthetic oils available today provide better engine lubri
cation that can outlast traditional petroleum-based oils, making
them a smart choice for use throughout the life of your Audi.
Whether you use synthetic or petroleum-based engine oil, the oil that
you use must conform to Audi's oil quality standard VW 502 00 to
help keep your vehicle's engine running smoothly and help prevent
the formation of harmful deposits , sometimes called "sludge", that
over time can lead to expensive repairs.
At the time of printing, engine oils available in the U.S. and Canada
that meet the exacting specifications of Audi oil standard VW 502 00
are synthetic engine oils. This does not mean, however, that every
synthetic engine oil will meet Audi oil standard VW 502 00. So always
be sure that you use an approved oil. To help prevent the formation of harmful deposits
use only oil with
the following specifications printed on the oil container:
Audi oil standard VW 502 00
Oil container labels may carry the specification singly or in combina
tion with other designations and oil quality standards.
Viscosity
Engine oils are graded according to their viscosity. The proper
viscosity grade oil for your engine depends on climactic or seasonal
conditions where you drive. You can use oil with a viscosity grade of
SAE 5W40 across all temperature ranges for normal driving condi
tions.
However, if engine oil viscosity grade SAE 5W40 is not available, you
can also use viscosity grade SAE 5W -30 or SAE OW -40 as long as it
meets Audi oil quality standard VW 502 00 specifications.
Because engine oil that meets the Audi oil standard may not be avail
able everywhere when you need it, we strongly recommend that you
always carry with you an extra quart (liter) of oil that expressly
conforms to the VW 502 00 specification, in case you have to top off
the oil while on the road.
Only if the level of the oil is at or below the minimum mark - and no
oil that expressly conforms to Audi oil standard VW 502 00 specifica
tions is available - may you top off with a high quality engine oil, pref
erably synthetic-based, that meets ACEA A3, ACEA AS or ACEA BS or
API SL specifications, but even then, only in viscosity grades SAE 5W-
40, SAE SW-30, or SAE OW-40 . However, during the entire time
between oil change intervals, never top off with more than a total of
0.5 qt/liter engine oil that does not conform to Audi oil specification
vw 502 00.
For more information about engine oil that has been approved for
your vehicle, please contact either your authorized Audi dealer or
Audi Customer Relations at 1 (800) 822-2834 or visit our web site at
www.audiusa.com or www .audicanada.ca. Here you will also find a
current list of oils (manufacturers, brand names etc.) that conform to
Audi oil standard VW 502 00. ._
___ C_ h_ e_c _k _i _ n _g ~ a_n _d_ f_il _l_in _ g _________________________________________ _
Det ergent add it ives in the o il w ill make fres h oil look dark a fter the
e n g in e has bee n ru nning for a s hort time. This is n orma l and is not a
reason to cha nge the oil mo re often t ha n recomme nded .
Beca use of the prob lem of proper disposal, a long w it h the s pec ia l
t o ols and n ecessa ry e xper tise req uire d, we stro ng ly recom men d th at
you have your o il changed by an a utho rize d
Audi dealer or a qualified
s erv ice stat ion.
If you choose to change your oil yourself , please note the following
im portant info rmat io n:
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal injury if you must change the engine
oil in your vehicle yourself:
• Wear eye protection .
• To reduce the risk of burns from hot engine oil, let the engine
cool down to the touch .
• When removing the oil drain plug with your fingers , stay as far
away as possible. Always keep your forearm parallel to the ground
to help prevent hot oil from running down your arm.
• Drain the oil into a container designed for this purpose, one
large enough to hold at least the total amount of oil in your
engine .
• Engine oil is poisonous . Keep it well out of the reach of chil
dren.
• Continuous contact with used engine oil is harmful to your
skin. Always protect your skin by washing oil off thoroughly with
soap and water .
0 Note
Never m ix o il additives w ith your eng ine o il. The se a ddi tives c an
damage your engine and adverse ly affect your Audi Limi ted New
V ehicle Warranty .
W For the sake of the environment
• Before changi ng yo ur oil, fir st ma ke s ure you know w here you c an
pro perly dis pose of the used oi l.
• Always dispose of used eng ine o il prope rly . Do no t dump it on
garden soi l, wooded areas, into ope n streams o r down sewa ge dr ains.
• Recycle used engin e oil by taking it to a used eng ine oi l collect ion
facility in your area, or contact a serv ice station .•
Engine cooling system
Coolant
The engin e coolan t p erforms two fun ctions: it ke ep s t he
en gine from overheati ng and i t protects the engine fr om
fr eez in g in th e winte r.
Th e cooling system is sea le d and genera lly requ ires lit tle at tention.
Th e cooling system has been f illed at th e factory w it h a p erm anent
coo lant which does not need to be changed. T he coolant cons ists o f a
mix tur e of wa ter a nd the manufacturer's gly co l-basedcoolan t addi
tive
Gl2+ + antifreeze with anticorros ion addit ives (50% for USA
m odels; 60 % fo r C an ad ian models). This mixture both as su re s th e
necessary frost protect ion and protects meta l components in the
eng ine's coolin g sy stem fr om co rrosion and scaling .
It als o ra ises the
boiling point of th e coolant.
Do not re duce the concentration of the coo lant in the summer by
add ing p la in wate r.
The proportion of coolant additive must be at
least 50 % but not more than 60%
to mai ntain antifreeze protection
an d co olin g efficiency . If the co ola nt frost p ro te ct ion i s to o low , the
coo lant co uld freeze and damage the veh icle heating and engine
cooling system.
For year -round drivi ng, antifreeze is added at t he factory for tempe r-
atures down to: .,,
___ C_h_ e_ c _ k_in -= g'--a_ n_d _ f_il _l _in """'g=--- ------------------------------------------
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brak e flu id l evel c an be checke d with a quick gl ance.
F ig . 2 24 Engi ne
comp artme nt: Br ak e
fluid re ser voi r
Before you check anythi ng in the eng ine compart ment ,
always read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Working i n
the e ngine compar tment" on
page 280 .
- Read the bra ke flu id level from the bra ke fluid reservoir
~ page 29 0, fig . 224. The bra ke fluid level must be
between the "MI N" and " MAX" m ark ings.
T he bra ke fluid reservoir is located at the rear partition of the engine
compartmen t on the left side=> page 281 .
The flu id level may drop slightly after some time due to the auto
m atic adjus tment o f th e br ake pad s. This is no t ca use for alarm.
If the b ra ke fl uid leve l falls considerably below the "MIN" mark, t he
brake warn ing/i nd icator light ( U.S. models:
BRAKE , Canadia n models:
«D> ) will come on=> page 17 and=> page 28 . Do not continue to
operate t he vehicle. The complete brake system should be thoro ughly
c hec ked by an au thor ized Aud i deale r or q ualified works hop a nd the
cause corrected.
If the b rake fluid level is too low, the brake wa
rning/ind icator light will illum inate. Contact a n author ized Aud i
de aler
immediately .
W Tips
The b rake fl uid reservo ir is located un derneath the cover .•
Changing brake fluid
Hav e th e b rake fluid chang ed by an experi enc ed techni
c ia n.
Br ake flui d ab sorbs mois ture from the air. If the wate r cont en t in the
brake flu id is too hig h, corros ion in the brake system may result after
a period of time. The boil ing po int of the brak e fl uid w ill also de cre as e
considera bly and d ecrease b raking performance .
T herefo re, the brake f lu id m ust be c hanged
every two years . Always
use new br ake fluid w hich confo rm s to Federal Motor Veh icle Sta n
dard "F MVSS 116 DOT 4".
T he bra ke fl uid r eserv oir ca n be diffi cult t o rea ch, there fore, we
recommend that you have the brake f lu id changed by yo ur autho rized
Audi dealer. Your dealer has the correct tools , the rig ht bra ke fl uid
and the k now -how to do t his for you .
& WARNING
• Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored only in the closed
original container out of the reach of children!
• Brake failure can result from old
or inappropriate brake fluid.
Observe these precautions:
-Use only brake fluid that meets SAE specification
J 1703 and
conform s to Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 116 . Always che ck
with your authorized Audi dealer to make sure you are using
the correct brake fluid. The correct type of brake fluid is also indicated on the brake
fluid reservoir . ~