____________________________________________ C_l_e _a_ n_ i n--= g=--- a_n_ d----' p,__ r_o _t_ e_ c_ t_ i _o_ n __ _
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
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detergent . Apply the water with a damp cloth or sponge and pat the
fabric dry with an absorbent, dry cloth.
Stains from chocolate or makeup should have detergent paste
rubbed into them. Afterwards, remove the soap with water (damp
sponge).
Alcohol can be used to treat stains from grease, oil, lipstick or a ball
point pen . Melted grease or dye must be patted off using absorbent
material. It may be necessary to retreat the areas with detergent
paste and water.
I n the case of general soiling of the upholstery and cover mater ial, we
recommend hiring a specialist that has the equipment to clean the
seat covers and other fabric surfaces by shampooing and spray
extraction.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and the information
=>page 260.
[ i ] Tips
Open Velcro fasteners on your clothing can damage the seat cover.
Please make sure that Velcro fasteners are closed. •
Plastic parts and instrument panel
Always use a clean cloth moistened in clear water to clean these
areas. For persistent dirt use an Aud i approved
solvent-free plastic
cleaner/protectant.
& WARNING
Solvents can change the properties of some plastics and make it
harder for the airbag to deploy .
Safety first
& WARNING (continued)
• Never clean the instrument panel or the surface of airbag
modules with cleaning products that contain solvents.
• Products containing solvents will make the surface of this part
porous.
• Serious injuries can result if plastic parts come loose when the
a irba g is deployed.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=>page 260.
0 Note
Cleaning agents containing solvents will attack the material and can
change the way it behaves .•
Applies to vehicles: w ith na tur al leather
Natural leather
Audi makes great efforts to maintain the properties,
natural look and feel of interior leather.
General
We offe r many different types of leathe r on our veh icles. Most are
different types of nappa leather, which has a smooth surface and
comes in various colors.
Th e intensity of the colo r determines the visual cha racteristics and
appearance. If the surface of the leather has a typica l natural look,
then the leather is a nap pa leather that has been left in a relatively
natural condition. This leather offers particularly good comfort and
breathes well. Fine veins, closed grains, insect bites, skin folds, and
subtle variations in color remain visible. These characteristics demon
strate that the mater ial is natu ral.
Natural nappa leather is not covered by a color finish. It is therefore
more sensitive to soiling and wear, which is something you need to ..,_
Vehicle care Technical data
-~_C_ le_ a_n_ i_ n_ g=- a_ n_d___. p_ ro_ t_e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
consider if children, animals or other factors might prove to be partic
ularly hard on the leather.
By contrast, leather types that are covered by a colored finish layer
are more durable. This has a positive effect on the leather's resistance
to wear and soiling in daily use . On the other hand, the typical charac
teristics of natural leather are barely or not apparent . However, this
does not mean that the leather itself is of inf erior quality.
Care and handling
Because of the exclusive nature of the types of leather that Audi uses
and the ir un iqu e properties (such as sensitivity to oils, grease, so iling,
etc.), you will need to be somewhat careful with these leathers, and
a certain type of care is required. For example, dark clothing mate
ria ls can disco lor leather seats (especially if such clothing is damp and
was not dyed correctly). Dust and dirt particles in pores, folds, and
seams can have an abrasive effect and can damage the leathe r
surface as well as weaken seams .
Th e leather should be cleaned regu larly as needed. After having been
used for a relatively long time, your leather seats will acquire a rich
aged finish. This is a characteristic of natural leather and a sign of
true quality.
In order to ma intain the value of this natural product over the life of
your vehicle, you should fo llow the recommendations below:
0 Note
• To keep your leather from bleaching out, do not allow it to be
exposed to bright sunlight for long periods of time . If you have to
leave the vehicle parked outside for long periods, cover the leather to
protect it from direct exposure to sunlight.
• Sharp objects on clothing, such as zippers, rivets or sharp pieces
on belts can leave pe rmanent scratches or scrape marks on the
surface of the leather.
W Tips
• After each time you clean the leathe r and at regular intervals, use
a leather preservative cream that contains UV-blockers and that
wor ks into the leather. This cream will nourish and moisturize the
leather, helping it to breathe and s tay supple . It also helps to build up
a protect ive coating on the surface.
• Clean the leather every 2 -3 months, and clean any areas that get
soiled.
• Remove fresh marks made by ballpoint pens, ink, lipstick , shoe
polish, etc. as soon as poss ible.
• Preserve the color of the leather as needed by using a special
colored leather care cream to touch up areas of uneven color .•
Ap plies to veh icles : with nat ural lea ther
Cleaning and caring for leather upholstery
and trim
Natural leather requires special care and attention.
Normal cleaning
-Clean soiled areas with a slightly moistened cotton or
woolen cloth.
More stubborn dirt
- More stubborn dirt can be removed using a cloth satu
rated with a mild soap solution (2 tablespoons mild liquid
soap).
- Never allow the soap solution to satu rate the leather, and
make certain that no water soaks into the seams .
- Wipe off the soap solution with a soft, dry cloth. .,_
-~_C_ h_e _c_ k_ i_ n ....: g:::e._ a_ n _ d_ f_il _l _in _ g =- --------------------------------------------
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped with an electric coolant
level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warn ing light in the Auto-Check
System ~
page 29 will blink until you add coolant and the level has
been restored to normal. Even though there is an electric coolant
level sensor, we still recommend you check the coolant level from
time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling system. In the event of
coo lant loss, the cooling system should be inspected immed iate ly by
your authorized Audi dealer .
It is not enough merely to add coolant.
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if the boiling point of the
coolant is exceeded as a result of overheating.
& WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and can get very hot. Reduce
the risk of scalding from hot coolant by following these steps.
• Turn off the engine and allow it to cool down.
• Protect your face, hands and arms from escaping fluid and
steam by covering the cap with a large, thick rag.
• Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in a counter-clockwise
direction while applying light, downward pressure on the top of
the cap.
• To avoid being burned, do not spill antifreeze or coolant on the
exhaust system or hot engine parts. Under certain conditions, the
ethylene glycol in engine coolant can catch fire.
0 Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to your vehicle's engine
coo lant. Adding radiator repair fluid may adverse ly affect the func
tion and performance of your cooling system and could result in
damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty.•
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS::::::> & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 280.
-Turn off the engine .
- Let the engine cool down.
- Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion tank
=> page 287, fig. 223 and carefully turn the cap counter
clockwise ::::,
&.
- Add coolant .
- Twist the cap on again
tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to exact specifications
~ page 286, "Coolant". Even in an emergency, if coolant additive
G12 ++, G12+ or G12 is not available, do not use a different additive.
Use plain water instead until you can get the correct additive and can
restore the correct ratio. This should be done as soon as possible .
If you have lost a considerable amount of coolant, then you should
add cold antifreeze and cold water only when the engine is cold.
Always use
new engine coolant when refilling.
Do not fill coolant above the ''MAX" mark. Excess coolant will be
forced out through the press ure re lief va lve in the cap when the
eng ine becomes hot .
& WARNING
• The cooling system is under pressure and can get very hot.
Reduce the risk of scalding from hot coolant by following these
steps.
-Turn off the engine and allow it to cool down. _.,
___ 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 . ~
-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most abused
parts of a motor vehicle.
T ir es may be the least apprec iated and most abused pa rts of a moto r
vehicle. Tires are, however, one of the most important parts of a
veh icle, parti cularly conside ring the comparative ly small patch of
rubber on eac h tire that assu res that all- important co ntact between
you , your ve hicle and the road .
Ma inta in ing t he correct t ire pressu re, making s ure that your veh icle
and i ts tires do not have to carry more weight than they can safely
hand le, avoid ing damage from road ha za rds and reg ula rly inspect ing
tires for damage incl ud ing c uts, s lashes irregular wea r and overall
condi tion are the mos t important th ings that you can do to help avoi d
sudden tire fa ilure includ ing t read separation and blowouts .
Avoiding damage
If you have to drive over a curb or sim ilar obstacle, drive very s lowly
and as close as poss ible at a right angle to the cu rb .
Always keep chemicals including grease, oil , gasoline and bra ke fl uid
o ff the t ires .
Inspect the ti res regularly for damage (cuts, crac ks o r bl ist ers, e tc .).
Remove any foreign bodies embed ded in the trea ds.
Storing tires
M ar k tires when yo u remove t hem to indica te the d irect ion of rota
tion . This ens ures yo u to be able to mo unt them co rrectly whe n you
re insta ll them.
Wh en r emoved, t he wheels or tires s hould be sto red in a c ool, dry and
preferably da rk p lace. Sto
re tires in a ver tica l pos it ion if they a re not mounted on rims, in a
hor izonta l position if they are mo unted on r ims.
New tires
N ew tires have to be bro ken in~ & .
Th e tread dep th of new tires may v ary, ac cor ding to t he type an d
make of t ire and the tread pattern.
Hidden damage
Dama ge to t ires and rims is often not readi ly visible . If yo u notice
unusu al v ib ra tion o r the veh icle pulls to one sid e, t his may i ndicate
that one of the tires has been damaged. The tires must be c hecke d
i m medi ately by an a uthor ized A udi deale r or quali fied w or ksh op .
Unidirectional tires
A u nidirectional tire can be identified by arrows on the sidewall, that
point in the d irect io n the tire is des igned to rotate. Yo u m ust follow
t he s peci fied dire ction of ro tation . T his is nece ssary so th at t hese
tires can develop the ir optimum c haracter istics regarding gr ip, road
noise, we ar and hy dropl aning res istance. For more informa tion
~page 326 .
& WARNING
New tires or tires that are old , worn or damaged cannot provide
maximum control and braking ability.
• New tires tend to be slippery and must also be broken-in. To
reduce the risk of losing control, a collision and serious personal
injuries , drive with special care for the first 350 miles (560 km).
• Driving with worn or damaged tires can lead to loss of control,
sudden tire failure , including a blowout and sudden deflation ,
crashes and serious personal injuries. Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately. .,_
________________________________________________ T_ i_ re _ s_ a_ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l _s _ ....... JIII
Unbalanced wh eels must be rebalanced to avoid e xcessive w ear o n
st eeri ng, sus pens ion and tires. A w heel must a lso be re balan ced
w hen a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect whee l alignm ent can ca use excessive ti re wea r, impairing
th e safe ty o f the vehicle. If tir es show excessive we ar, ha ve the w heel
alignment checked by a n authorized A udi dealer or qualif ied wo rk
s hop .
All wheel drive
Vehicle s wi th qu att ro ® mus t alw ay s ha ve tires of the sa m e siz e,
construct ion a nd tread type. For details see~
page 246.
& WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of control , a crash and serious
personal injury!
• Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire is worn down
to the wear indicators.
• Worn tires are a safety hazard, they do not grip well on wet
roads and increase your risk of "hydroplaning " and loss of control.
• Always keep chemicals that can cause tire damage, such as
grease, oil, gasoline and brake fluid away from tires.
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly,
especially at high speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at
lower speeds.
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history ." Old used tires may have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control. •
Vehicle OP-eration
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and w heel s hav e to b e brok en in .
Fig. 231 Tire specificat ion codes on the sidewall of a tire
No.
©
®
®
©
©
©
Description
Passenger car tire (where app licable)
Nom inal width of ti re in mil lim eters
Ratio of hei9ht to width (aspect ratio)
Radial
jj Rim diameter code
L oa d index and speed rating
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data