Intelligent technology
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Repl acing wheel s/tires
Vehicles wi th all wheel drive must a lways have tires of t he same size.
Also avoid tires with different tread depths. For details see page
=> page 307, "New tires and rep lacing tires and wheels".
Off -Road driving?
Your Audi does not have enough ground clearance to be used as an
off-road veh icle . It is therefore best to avo id ro ugh tracks and uneven
terrain as m uch as possible . Also refer to=>
page 251.
& WARNING
Alway s adju st your driving to road and traffi c conditi ons. Do not
let the ex tra safety afforded by all wheel dr ive tempt you into
taking extra risks.
• Although the all wheel dri ve is ve ry effecti ve, always
remember that braking capacity is limited by tire traction. You
should therefore not dri ve at ex cessive speeds on icy or slippery
road surfaces .
• On wet road surfaces , be careful not to drive too fast because
the front wheel s could begin to slide on top of the water (aqua
planing ). If th is should occur, you will have no warning from a
sudden increase in engine speed as with a front-wheel drive
vehicle. Always drive at speeds which are suited to the road cond i
tions -ris k of crash.
n
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
E
nergy management contr ols th e distributi on of elec
tri cal energy and thus optimizes the availabili ty of elec
tri cal energ y for star ting the engin e.
If a vehicle with a conventiona l energy system is not dr iven for a long
per io d of time, t he battery is di sch arged by idling cur rent consume rs
(e .g. immob il izer) . In certain c ircumstances it can result in there
being insuffic ien t energy av a ilab le to start t he eng ine .
Inte lligent energy management in your ve hicle hand les the d istribu
tion of e lectrical energy . Starting ability is ma rkedly improved and
the l if e of the battery is extended.
Bas ically, energy management consists of
battery d iagnos is, idling
current management
a nd dynamic energy management .
Battery diagnosis
Battery d iagnosis con tinuously dete rmines the st ate o f the batte ry.
Sensors determ ine battery vo ltage, battery current and battery
t empe ra ture. This de termine s the cur rent sta te of cha rge and the
power of the battery.
Idling current management
I d ling current management reduces energy consumption wh ile the
vehicle is s tanding. W ith t he igni tion swi tched off, it con trols the
energy supply to the var io us electrical components. Data from
b att ery diag nosis is considered .
Depend ing on the battery 's state of charge, individual consumers a re
gradually t urned off to p revent excessive discha rge of the battery and
thus main tain start ing capab ility.
Dynamic energy management
Whi le the vehicle is being dr iven , dynamic energy management
dis tributes the energy generated a cco rding to the needs o f th e in di-
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for vehicles towing
t railers are lowe r than for regular veh icles.
Always apply brakes early. When dr iv ing downh ill, sh ift in to a lower
gear to use the engine braking effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge~ page 8 must be observed care
fully. If the needle moves close to the upper end of the scale, reduce
speed immediately and/or turn off the air conditione r.
If the coolant temperature warning light in the instrument cluster
star ts flashing
-t- , pull off the road, stop and let the engine idle for
about two minutes to prevent heat bu ild-up.
& WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving vehicle is at a much
greater risk in an accident. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wearing the restraints provided by Audi. u
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
------------
Your vehicle handles differently when tow ing a tra iler because of the
additiona l weight and different weight distribution. Safety, perfor
mance and economy will greatly depend on how carefu lly you load
your trailer and operate your rig .
Before you actua lly tow your trailer, practice turning, stopping and
backing up in an area away from traffic. Keep pract icing until you have
become completely familiar with the way your vehicle-t railer combi
nation behaves and responds.
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Backing up
is d iff icult and requ ires practice . Backing up with a trailer
generally requires steering action opposite to that when backing up
your vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle and the one in front
of you. You will need more room to stop . To compensate fo r the
trailer, you will need a larger than norma l turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot accelerate as fast as you
normally would because of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for you r
trailer before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane changes .
[I) Tips
• Do not tow a trai ler during the break-in per iod of your vehicle.
• If you tow a tra iler, your Audi may requi re more frequent mainte
nance due to the extra toad~
page 343. •
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot be
avoided, do so only after doing the following:
When parking:
-Apply the foot brake.
- Have someone place chocks under both the vehicle and the
trailer wheels.
- With chocks in place, slowly release the brakes until the
wheel chocks absorb the load.
- Turn the wheels towards the curb.
- Apply the parking brake .
- Move the se lector lever to
P.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
Trailer towing
"-------------------------------------------------
When rest arting afte r parking:
- Apply the foot brake.
- Start the engine.
- Move the selector lever to
D.
- Release the parking brake and slowly pull out and away
from the wheel chocks .
- Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel chocks.
(I] Tip s
If you move the se lector lever of the automat ic transm ission* to P
before applying the parking brake and before blocking the wheels,
you may have to use mo re force late r to move the lever out of the
P
position.
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Cleaning and protection
General information
Regular care preserves vehicl e val ue.
Any automobile is exposed to industria l fumes, co rrosive road salt,
m ud dy dog fee t, e tc. A well c ared for Audi can look like new many
years after p urchase . Regular and correct care will contribute to
m aint aining the bea uty and val ue of your Audi.
Furthermore, good care may be a condition for substantiating a
warranty claim should corrosion damage or paint defects occur.
Y ou r au thor ized Audi d eale r h as a var iety of dedicated vehicle-care
products
and can advise w hich ones to use for clea ning the exterior
a n d inter io r of your ve hicle.
W het her you use products recommended by Aud i or o ther comme r
cia lly availab le cleaning agents , please ma ke sure yo u appl y them
co rrectly .
& WARNING
• Cleaning agents may be poisonous . Keep them out of the reach
of children.
• Heed all caution labels .
• Always read directions on the container before using any
product. Follow the directions carefully.
• Most chemical cleaners are concentrated and have to be
diluted .
• Use spot removing fluids only in well ventilated areas.
• Do not use gasoline, kero sene , diesel fuel , nail polish remover
or other volatile fluids . They may be toxic, flammable or
hazardous in other ways. Do not wash, wax or dry the vehicle with
the ign ition on or the engine running.
& WARNING (co ntinued)
• Do not clean the under sides of chassi s, fenders , wheel covers,
etc. without protecting your hands and arms. You may cut your
self on sharp-edged metal parts.
• Moisture and ice on brakes may impair braking efficiency
~ page 243, "General information ". Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle .
'£> For the sake of the environment
Select only envir onmenta lly fr iendly clea ning produc ts . Leftover
cleaning pro ducts sho uld not dis posed of i n the household waste .•
Care of exterior
Washing
F re qu ent w ashin g protec ts th e vehicl e.
T he best protection aga inst env ironmental influences is frequent
w ashi ng and w ax ing. How o ften t his is requ ired depen ds on:
• How m uch the vehicle is use d
• Whe re the ve hicle is parke d (gar age, in the o pen un der tr ees, e tc.)
• The seasona l and weather conditions
• E nviron mental influences
T he longer bi rd droppings , insects , tree resin, road and industria l
gr ime, t ar, soo t, road sa lt and o ther ma ter ia ls remain on the veh icle
body, the more lasti ng their destructive effects w ill be. H igh temper
atu res cause d by ex pos ure to intense s unlight int ensify the co rrosive
effect, part icu larly when humid ity is high as we ll.
~
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Under certain circumstances, weekly washing may be necessary .
Under other conditions, a monthly washing and waxing may be
adequate.
After the winter, the underside of the vehicle shou ld be thoroughly
washed preferably in a professional car wash.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 260. •
Automatic car wash
The vehicle can be washed in almost any modern auto
matic car wash.
Th e vehicle paint is so durable that the vehicle can normally be
washed without problems in an automatic car wash . However, the
effect on the paint depends to a lar ge exten t on the design of the
facility, the filtering of the wash water, the type of wash and care material, etc. If the paint has a dull appearance after going through
the car wash or is scratched, bring this to the attention of the oper
ator immediately . If necessary, use a different car wash.
The power top does not require special precautions before passing
through a car wash .
However, the car must not be treated with hot
wax after the wash cycle!
The wax could adverse ly affect the power
top and even damage the fabr ic over a period of time .
The power top does not have to be washed every time you use a car
wash. The power top can be spared if the car wash facility is equ ipped
with manually adjustable roof brushes or rollers.
Before going thro ugh a car wash, be sure to take the usual precau
tions such as closing the windows . Remove antenna if applicable.
If you have installed additional accessories on the vehicle -such as
spoilers, etc. -it is best to ask the car wash operator if these should
be removed.
Safety first
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and the information
~page 260. •
Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of water is needed when washing a vehicle by hand.
-Before you start washing, make sure you have read and
understood the WARNINGS~
& in "General informa
tion" on
page 260.
- First soak all dried dirt until it is soft, then rinse it off .
- As you clean your vehicle, start with the roof and work your
way down to the bottom, using a sponge, a sponge glove
or a clean brush.
- Rinse the sponge or the sponge glove often, flushing it clean each time.
- Use special car shampoo only for very persistent dirt.
- Rinse the car thoroughly with water.
- Use a chamois leather to gently wipe the exterior dry .
Use a separate sponge for cleaning the whee ls, door sills and other
reg ions exposed to road dirt. In this way, you will not scratch the
paint with coarse particles imbedded in the sponge the next time you
wash the ca r.
& WARNING
• Do not clean the underside of the chassis, fenders, wheel
covers, or other hard to reach parts without protecting your hands
and arms . You may cut yourself on sharp-edged metal parts. .,
Vehicle care Technical data
-~_C_ le_ a_n_ i_ n_ g=- a_ n_d___. p_ ro_ t_e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
Never dry windows with the same chamois that you use to dry painted
surfaces. W ax res idue o n the chamois can impair vision t hrough the
w indows .
& WARNING
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=> page 260 .
• The windshield must not be treated with water-repellent
materials. They can increa se glare under poor vi sibility condition s
such as wetness, darkness, o r when the sun is low on the horizon.
In addition, they can cause the wind shield wipers to chatter .
0 Note
• Never use warm or hot water to rem ove snow and ice from
w indows and mirrors . This cou ld cause the glass to crack.
• T o preven t dam age to the wi re s of t he rear defogge r, d o not p lace
any adhesive stickers on the inside of the rear window over the w ires .
• T o help p revent dirt from scr atching the w indow, always scr ape in
a forward direction - pushing t he scraper away from yo u - never back
and fort h.
• Water leaking from the ins ide of the rear windows may damage
sen siti ve e lectr ica l components loc ated ei ther unde r the rea r parce l
shelf or in the rear trunk area. Always ens ure that water never leaks
t hrough the body section o f th e veh icle. Yo u can do th is by usin g
waterproof protection over the vehicle 's electrical components (e.g.,
w hen installing w indow t int ing).
• Damage or ma lfunct ion of elect rical components due to water
damage or any other outs ide infl uen ce is not cove red by t he Aud i New
Vehicle Limited Warranty. See your Warranty
& M aintenance booklet
for addit io nal detai ls about your wa rranty. •
Weatherstrips
Complete car c are include s the weatherstrips as well .
- Apply a suitable rubb er condit ioner to t he weatherst rips
from ti me to ti me.
T o be able se al prope rly, the weathe rst rips a round the hood, doors,
rear lid, etc. must remain pliable . Spray the weatherstr ips w ith sili
c one or coa t them wi th ta lcum powder o r gly cerin to reta in the flex i
bility of the rubber and to protect them against freezing in the
w inte r.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=> page 260 .
[I) Tips
Keep silicone sprays off the w indshield to avo id wiper smear in rain. •
Cast (light} alloy wheels
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care .
- Wash the whe els with a sp ong e or h ose b rush every o th er
w ee k.
- For deep cleaning afterwa rds, use only a ded icate d
acid
free cast alloy wheel c leaner.
- Rub a coat of
liquid wax onto t he rims every three mo nth .
Be sure to reach and treat all parts o f the rim.
To preserve the decorative appearance of the cast alloy wheels, some
special care is necessary. In addi tion t o ro ad dirt and sal t, br ake dust
is a lso corrosive. If left on for too long, brake dust can cause pitting . ..,_
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Use on ly spec ia l acid-free cleane rs form ulated for a lloy rims . Safe
pro duc ts a re availa ble at your auth oriz e d Audi dealer. Neve r leave the
cleaner on t he rims longer than specified on t he label. If not rins ed
off promptly, the acid containe d in some cleaners can attack t he
t hreads on the wheel bo lts .
N ever use abrasiv e or metal polish ing cleaning agents .
If the protec
ti ve coatin g has bee n ch ipp ed, e.g . by kick ed up road dirt, to uch it up
as soon as possible.
& WARNING
• Moisture and ice on brakes may affect braking efficiency
~ page 243, "General information ". Test the brake s carefully
each time you wash the vehicle.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 260. •
Body cavity sealing
The bod y cavi ty sealing does not ne ed to be checked.
All body cav ities which cou ld be affected by corrosion have been thor
oughly pro tected at the factory .
T hi s sealing does not require any inspection or add itiona l treatment .
If any wax shou ld see p ou t of the cavity w hen the ambi ent te mper a
tu re is high, it can be removed with a plastic scraper and a suitable
s o lve nt.
& WARNING
Solvents can be dangerous.
• Benzine is flammable and toxic . If you use benzine fo r
removing the wax, keep sparks, flame and lighted cigarettes
away . Never dump benzine on the ground , into open streams or
down sewage drains.
Safety first
& WARNING (cont inued )
• Be sure to observe all safety and environmental regulations.
Follow all instructions on the container .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 260. •
Chassis
Have t he und erc oat ing checke d for dama ge fr om tim e to
t ime.
The lower body shell of you r Aud i is also thoroug hly protected against
c o rrosion.
Any damage to t he un dercoat ing caused by road haza rds s ho ul d be
repa ired promptly .
& WARNING
Too much undercoating in the wrong places can cause a fire.
• Do not apply additional undercoating or rustproofing on or
near the exhaust manifold, exhau st pipes, catalytic converter or
heat shields. While driv ing, the substance used for undercoating
could overheat and cause a fire.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 260 . •
E x haust tail pipes
Road s alt and o ther corrosive m ater ials w ill damage the ma terial i n
the exha ust ta il pipes if they are not cleaned reg ularly. Do not clean
t he t ail pipe s with w heel cleaner, pai nt polish , chr ome polish o r oth er
abras ive cleaners . Clean the ta il pipes w ith car care produc ts that are
s u itable fo r st ainless stee l.
~
Vehicle care Technical data
Cleaning and protection Ill
---------------=---------=----
& WARNING
Be aware: The engine compartment of any motor vehicle is a
potentially hazardous area.
• Before working in the engine compartment, be sure to read the
information =:>
page 272.
• Before reaching into the front plenum panel, always remove
the ignition key. Otherwise, the windshield wiper system could unintentionally be switched on, possibly causing personal injury
from the moving wiper linkage.
• Never reach into the area around or touch the radiator fan. The
auxiliary fan is temperature controlled and can switch on suddenly
- even when the ignition is off.
• Do not wash, wax or dry the engine with the engine running.
Moving or hot parts could injure you.
• Do not clean the underside of the chassis, fenders, wheel
covers, or other hard to reach parts without protecting your hands
and arms. You may cut yourself on sharp-edged metal parts.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=:>
page 260. •
Safety first Vehicle care Technical data