Checking and filling -
-----------------=-----==-----...J
0 Note
Driving with an insufficient oil level is likely to cause severe damage
to the engine.
[ i] Tips
• The oil pressure warning display~ is not an indicator of the oil
level. Do not rely on it. Instead, check the oil level in your engine at
regular intervals, preferably each time you refuel, and always before
going on a long trip.
• If you have the impression your engine consumes excessive
amounts of oil, we recommend that you consult an authorized Audi
dealer to have the cause of your concern properly diagnosed. Keep
in mind that the accurate measurement of oil consumption requires
great care and may take some time. An authorized Audi dealer has
instructions about how to measure oil consumption accurately. •
Checking the engine oil level
Read oil level
Fig. 223 MMI Display;
Oil level indicator
Select: Function button [CARI> Oil level.
- Park your vehicle so that it is horizontally level. Shut
the engine off when it is at operating temperature.
Wait approx. two minutes. Read the oil level in the MMI* Display=> fig. 223. Add
engine oil if the bar of the oil level indicator is near "Min"
=>
page 275
Depending on the way the vehicle is driven and the operating condi
tions, oil consumption can be up to a 1/2 quart per 600 miles (0.5
liter per 1000 kml. Consumption may be higher within the first 3000
miles (5000 kml.
[ i] Tips
The oil level indicator in the MMI* Display is only an information
display. If the oil level is too low, a minimum oil warning appears in
the instrument cluster. Add oil
=> page 275. If the hood has been
opened, the current oil level is shown in the instrument cluster the
next time the ignition is switched on. •
Adding engine oil ~
Fig. 224 Engine
compartment; Oil filler
cap location
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS=> & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 271. .,,_
Vehicle care I I irechnical data
-L-___:C::..:....: h:..:e :...:c :..: k..:..: i..:..n :.;;g~ a::..:n..:.. d~ f:...:. i.:.:.11 .:.:.in ..:..g~ ___________________________________________ _
-Unscrew the cap~ to the engine oil filling hole
=>
page 275, fig. 224.
Carefully top off with the appropriate oil in 0.5 liter doses.
- Screw the cap back on the filling hole and close the
engine hood.
- Check the oil level again after two minutes=>
page 275.
-Top off the oil again, if necessary.
& WARNING
• While topping off, the oil must not come in contact with hot
engine parts -fire hazard!
• The oil filler cap must be properly secured to prevent oil from
being sprayed on the hot engine and exhaust system when the
engine is running -fire hazard!
• If your skin has come in contact with the engine oil, you must
subsequently cleanse it thoroughly.
0 Note
• Check the oil level using the radio or MMI*. If the message Please
reduce oil level appears, contact your authorized Audi dealer or
other qualified workshop to have excess oil extracted if necessary.
• Audi does not recommend the use of oil additives. They may
damage the engine and adversely affect your New Vehicle Warranty.
'i> For the sake of the environment
• Under no circumstances can the oil come in contact with the
sewage network or the soil.
• Observe and follow legal regulations when disposing of empty
oil containers. •
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by an autho
rized Audi dealer or a qualified service station.
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always read
and heed all WARNINGS=>
& in "Working in the engine compart
ment" on
page 271.
The engine oil must be changed according to the intervals specified
in your Warranty
& Maintenance booklet. This is very important
because the lubricating properties of oil diminish gradually during
normal vehicle use.
Under some circumstances the engine oil should be changed more
frequently. Change oil more often if you drive mostly short
distances, operate the vehicle in dusty areas or under predomi
nantly stop-and-go traffic conditions, or have your vehicle where
temperatures remain below freezing for extended periods.
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh oil look dark after the
engine has been running for a short time. This is normal and is not
a reason to change the oil more often than recommended.
Because of the problem of proper disposal, along with the special
tools and necessary expertise required, we strongly recommend
that you have your oil changed by an authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified service station .
If you choose to change your oil yourself, please note the following
important information:
& 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.
~
___________________________________________ C_ h_e _c_ k_ i_n _g _ a_n _d_ f_il _li _n _g __ fflllll
•
& WARNING (continued)
• 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 children.
• 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 mix oil additives with your engine oil. These additives can
damage your engine and adversely affect your Audi Limited New
Vehicle Warranty.
<£> For the sake of the environment
• Before changing your oil, first make sure you know where you
can properly dispose of the used oil.
• Always dispose of used engine oil properly. Do not dump it on
garden soil, wooded areas, into open streams or down sewage
drains.
• Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a used engine oil collec
tion facility in your area, or contact a service station. •
Engine cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it keeps the
engine from overheating and it protects the engine from
freezing in the winter.
The cooling system is sealed and generally requires little attention.
The cooling system has been filled at the factory with a permanent
coolant which does not need to be changed. The coolant consists of
a mixture of water and the manufacturer's glycol -basedcoolant
additive G12++ antifreeze with anti corrosion additives (50% for USA
models; 60% for Canadian models). This mixture both assures the
necessary frost protection and protects metal components in the
engine's cooling system from corrosion and scaling. It also raises
the boiling point of the coolant.
Do not reduce the concentration of the coolant in the summer by
adding plain water.
The proportion of coolant additive must be at
least 50% but not more than 60%
to maintain antifree ze protection
and cooling efficiency. If the coolant frost protection is too low, the
coolant could freeze and damage the vehicle heating and engine
cooling system.
For year-round driving, antifreeze is added at the factory for temper
atures down to:
• -31 °F
! -35 °ci usA
• - 40°F ( - 40°CJ Canada.
You can mix the G12++ coolant additive with other additives (G12 +
or G12) . Always check with your authorized Audi dealer .
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always
read and heed all WARNINGS
~ & in "Working in the engine
compartment" on
page 271.
Vehicle care I t •
___ C_h_ e_ c_k _in --== g'-- a_n _d_ f_il _li _n ..:::g:::..- ___________________________________________ _
0 Note
• Before winter sets in, have the coolant checked to see if the
coolant additive in your vehicle is sufficient to meet the climate
conditions. This is especia lly important if you live in a region where
the winter is extremely cold. If necessary, increase the proportion of
coo lant additive to 60%.
• When adding coolant additive to your coo ling system,
reme mber:
- We recommend using only coolant additive G12+ + (check the
label) for your vehicle. This coolant addit ive is ava ilable at autho
rized Audi dealers . Other types of antifreeze can significantly
reduce corrosion protection . The resulting corrosion can cause a
loss of coolant and serious engine damage.
• Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to your vehicle's
engine coolant . Adding radiator repair fluid may adverse ly affect the
function and performance o f your cooling system and cou ld result
in damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty. •
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checke d with a quick
glance.
Fig . 2 25 Engine
c omp artmen t: Coo la n t
e xpan sion tank
Be fo re y ou c heck anything in the e ngine compar tm en t,
always read and heed all WARNINGS==> & in "Working in
the eng ine compartment" on
page 271.
Tur n off the ignitio n.
- Let the engine coo l down.
P lace a th ick rag ove r the coola nt expans io n tank
==> fig. 225 and carefully twist th e cap counter-c lockwise
==> & .
Read t he e ngin e coola nt level i n the open coo la nt expan
sion tank==> fig. 225. W ith a cold eng ine, the coolant leve l
sho uld be bet ween the "m in" and "max" markings. W hen
t h e eng ine is warm, the level may be slightly above the
"max" marking .
The location of the coolant expansion tank can be seen in the
engine compartment illustration=>
page 272.
To obtain an accurate read ing, the engine must be switched off .
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped with an e lectric
coo lant leve l sensor.
When the coolant leve l is too low, the warning light in the Auto
Check System =>
page 30will blink until you add coolant and the
level has been restored to normal. Even though there is an electric
coo lant level sensor, we still recommend you check the co olant level
from t ime to time.
C oolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a le ak in the cooling system . In the event
of coo lant loss, the co oling system should be inspec ted i mmedi
ately by your authorized Audi dealer. It is not enough mere ly to add
coo lant.
In a
s ealed system, losses can occur on ly if the boi ling point of the
coo lant is exceeded as a result of overheating. ...
___________________________________________ C_ h_e _c_ k_ i_n _g _ a_n _d_ f_il _li _n _g __ ll'I
•
& WARNING
The cooling sy stem i s under pre ssure and can get very hot . Redu ce
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
ste am by cover ing the cap with a large , thick rag .
• Turn the cap slowly and very carefully
in a counter -clockwise
dire ction while applying light , downward pressure on the top of
the cap .
• To avoid being burned, do not spill antifreeze or coolant on the
e x haust 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 sea lant to your vehicle's engine
coolant. Adding radia to r repa ir flu id may advers ely affect the fu nc
tion and performance of your coo ling system and could res ult in
damage not covered by y our New Vehic le Lim ited War ra nty .•
Adding coolant
B e very care ful when ad ding e ngine cool ant.
Be for e you check a nything in the engine com partmen t,
always read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Work ing in
t h e eng ine compa rtment" on
page 271 .
-Tur n o ff th e en gine.
- Let the e ng in e cool d own.
- Plac e a thi ck rag over the coo la nt expansion tank
~ page 2 78 , fig. 2 25 and carefully tur n t he cap coun te r
cl ockwi se
~ &.
Add coo lan t.
- Twist the cap on aga in
tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to exact specifications
~ page 2 77, "C oolant". Even in an eme rgency, if co olant addi tive
G12+ +, G12 + or G12 is not availab le, do not use a different additive.
U se pla in water ins tead until you can ge t the c orrect add itive and
can res tore the correc t rat io. Th is shou ld be done as soon as
p os sible.
I f y ou hav e los t a co ns ide rab le amou nt of coo la nt, then y ou should
add cold antifreeze and cold water only when the engine is cold .
A lways use
new e ngine c oolant w he n r efil ling .
D o not fill coolant a bove the " MAX" mark. Excess coola nt w il l be
forced out through the pressure relief 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 .
- 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 exhau st system or hot engine parts. Under certain condi
tions, the ethylene glycol in eng ine coolant can catch fire .
• Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store antifreeze in its original
container and well out of the reach of children .
• If you dra in the coolant , it must be caught and safely stored in
a proper container clearly marked "poison ".
~
Vehicle care I t •
•---=C:.:h..:. e=-= c..:.k :..:.in :..:.:= g:.....= a..:.n :.:d::....:. f.:.:il .:.:li ..:.n :..::g~ --------------------------------------------
0 Not e
• Coolant pollutes the environment and cou ld cause an engine
fire. Excess coolant will be forced out through the pressure relief
valve in the cap when the engine becomes hot.
• If, in an emergency, only water can be added, the correct ratio
between water and antifreeze ~
page 277 must be restored as soon
as possible .
ci> For the sake of the environment
Dra ined coolant should not be reused . Always dispose of used
coolant whi le observing all environmental regulations. •
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by itself.
The rad iator fan is driven by the eng ine v ia the V-be lt . The v iscous
clutch regulates the speed of the fan according to the tempera ture
of the coo lant .
An auxiliary electric radiator fan * swi tches on and off depending on
coo lant temperature and other vehicle operating conditions.
After you switch the engine off, the auxiliary fan can continue running for up to 10 minut es -even with th e igni tion o ff. It can even
switch o n again later by itself~ & , if
• the temperature of the engine coo lant rises due to the heat
bui ld -up from the engine in the engine compartment, o r
• the engine compartment heats up because the vehic le is parked
in intense sun light.
& WARNING
• To reduce the ri sk of per sonal injury never tou ch the radiator
f a n.
& W AR N ING (continu ed )
• The auxiliary e le ctri c fan i s temperature controlled and can
s w itch on suddenly even when the engine is not running .
• The auxiliary radiator fan swit ches on automatically when the
engine coolant reache s a ce rtain temperature and will con tinue to
run until the coolant t emperatur e drop s. •
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
Th e brake fluid level c an be checked with a quick glance.
Fig . 22 6 En gin e
co mp art m ent : B ra ke
fl uid re servoir
Befo re yo u c heck anything in th e en gin e compar tme nt,
always read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Working in
the eng ine compartment" on
page 271 .
Read the brake fl uid level from the bra ke fluid reservoir
~ fig . 226. T he b rake fluid leve l must be betwee n the
" M IN " and "MAX" markings.
The brake fluid reservoir is located at the rear partition of the engine
compartment on the left side~
page 272 . .,_
_____________________________________________ C_h_ e_ c_k _in ~ g_ a_n _d_ f_il _li _n ~g __ _
•
The fluid level may drop slightly after some time due to the auto
m atic adjustment of the brake pads. This is not cause for alarm .
If the brake fluid level fal ls
considerably below the "MIN" mark , the
brake warning/indicator light (U.S. models :
BRAKE, Canadian models:
{(j))) will come on=> page 16 and => page 29. Do not continue to
operate the vehic le. The complete brake system should be thor
oughly checked by an author ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop
and the cause corrected . If the brake fluid level is too low, the brak e
warning/ind ica tor light will illuminate. Contact an authorized Audi
dea ler
immediatel y.
[ i J Tip s
The brake fluid reservoir is located underneath the cover. •
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experienced techni
cian.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air . If th e water content in the
brake fluid is too h igh, corrosion in the brake system may result
after a period of time. The boi ling point of the brake fluid will also
decrease considerably and decrease braking performance .
Therefore , the brake fluid must be changed
ev ery tw o ye ars. Always
use new brake fluid which conforms to Federa l Motor Veh ic le Stan
dard "FMVSS 116 DOT 4".
T he brake fluid res ervoir can b e difficul t to reach, therefore, we
recommend that you have the brake fluid changed by your autho
rized
Audi de ale r. Your dealer has the correct tools, the right brake
fluid and the know -how to do this fo r you .
& WARNING
• Brake f luid i s poi sonou s. It mu st b e stored on ly in the clo sed
o riginal cont aine r out of the r eac h of childr en!
& WARN ING (c ontinued )
• Brake f ailur e can re sult fr om old or inappropriate bra ke fluid .
Ob se rve these p recauti ons:
- Use on ly brake fl uid that meet s SAE specification
J 17 03 and
c on fo rm s to Feder al Mot or Vehicle Sta ndard 11 6. Always c heck
with your authorized Audi de ale r to m ake sur e you are u sing
th e c orre ct b rake flu id . T he cor re ct t ype of br ake fluid is als o
indi cated on the brake fluid r eservoir.
- The br ake f luid mu st be ne w. H eavy u se of the b rake s can
c au se a vapor lock if the brake fluid i s left in the system to o
long. Thi s c an seriou sly affe ct the effi ciency of the brake s as
well as your safety . This could re sult in an a ccid ent .
0 Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your vehicle .
ffi For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal of brake fluid as well as
the special too ls required and the necessary expertise, we recom
mend that you have the brake fluid changed by your authorized Audi
dea ler .•
Battery
General information
Under normal operat ing conditions, the battery in your Audi does
not need any maintenance. With
high outside temperatures or long
daily drives we recommend that you have the electrolyte level
checked by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop. The
e lectrolyte level should a lso be checked each time the battery is
charged
=> page 284 . ~
Vehicle care I t •
-~_C_ h_e _c _ k_ i_n ...:::g::;...._ a_n_ d_ f_ i_ll _in -'g:::;.._ ___________________________________________ _
Have the battery checked when you take your vehicle in for service.
You are well advised to replace a battery that is older than 5 years.
With certain types of airbag deployment, the battery is discon nected from the vehicle electrical system for safety reasons=>
& in
"Repair, care and disposal of the airbags" on
page 202.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle functions (power window regulators, for example) are
lost if the battery terminals are disconnected. These functions have
to be relearned after the battery terminals are connected again . To
prevent this, the battery should only be disconnected from the
vehic le electr ical system when absolute ly necessary for repairs .
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period of several days or
weeks, electrical components are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and maintains starting capability
over a longer period=>
page 241.
Take into consideration that when you unlock your vehicle, some
convenience functions, such as the master key remote function or power seat adjustment, may not be available. The convenience
functions will be available again when you turn on the ignition and start the engine .
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capacity tends to decrease as
temperatures drop . This is because more power is also consumed
while starting, and the headlights, rear window defogger, etc., are
used more often.
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, particularly in city traffic or
when traveling only short distances . Let your authorized Audi dea ler
check the capacity of the vehicle battery before winter sets in
=>
page 284 . A well charged battery will not only prevent starting
problems when the weather is cold, but will also last longer.
[ i ] Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for several weeks at extremely low
temperatures, the vehicle battery should be removed and stored
where it will not freeze. This will prevent it from being damaged and
having to be replaced. •
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near the battery.
The battery is located in the luggage compartment under
the floor. Before you check anything in the luggage
compartment,
read and heed all WARNINGS =:>& .
Always heed the safety warnings, when working on the vehicle
battery or the vehicle electrical system to prevent injury.
The following WARNINGS are very important when
working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYMBOLS and safety pre
cautions when working on the battery.
Always wear eye protection .
Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Always wear
gloves and eye protection.