
_______________________________________________ .=_A ::_ i :.:.r ~b ~a:=.; 9!:!...: S~ y[: s~ t~ e:::_ m ~ --""
& WARNING (continued )
• Always make sure that the side airbag can inflate without inter
ference :
- Never install seat 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 or iginal 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 system can be activated only once. After an airbag
has inf lated , it must be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technician who has the technical information , training
and special equipment necessary .
• The airbag system can be deployed only once . After an airbag
has been deployed, it must be replaced with new replacement
parts designed and approved especially 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 you r 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 reasons with a pyrotechnic circuit interrupter.
-Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupter must only be
performed by a qualified dealer -risk of an accident!
- If the vehi cle or the circuit interrupter is scrapped, all appli
c able safety precautions must be followed .
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation
<£' For the sake of the environment
U
ndep loyed airbag modu les a nd p retens ioners mi ght be c lassified
as Perch lorate Mate rial -sp ecia l handling may apply, see
www .dtsc.ca.gov/ haza rdous waste/perc hlorate. W hen the vehicle or
parts of the restraint system including airbag modules safety be lts
w it h pre ten sio ne rs are scrapped, a ll appl ica ble l aws and re gula
tions must be observed. Your authorized Audi dealer is familiar with
t hese re qu irements and we rec om men d th at you h ave yo ur dealer
perform this service for you. •
Other things that can affect Advanced Airbag
performance
Changing the vehicle 's suspension system can change the way that
t he Adva nced Airb ag Sys te m per form s in a crash . For e xamp le,
u sing ti re -rim combinations not approved by Audi, lowering the
ve hicle , c hangi ng th e s tif fness of the sus pension , in cluding the
springs, suspension struts, shock absorbers etc. can change the
forc es that are meas ured by the ai rbag se nso rs a nd se nt to t he ele c
tronic control unit. Some suspension chan ges can, for examp le,
i nc rea se t he for ce le v e ls mea sur ed by the se nso rs and make th e
ai rbag system dep lo y in cras hes in w hich it wou ld not d ep loy if the
changes had not been made . Other kind s of changes may reduce
th e force l eve ls measured by t he sensors and prevent t he airba g
from deploy ing when it should .
Th e sen so rs in the s afet y b elt buckle fo r the driv er and front
passen ger seat tell the electronic control module if the safety belt is
l a tc h e d or n ot. If the safet y b elt i s bei ng use d, th e fr ont ai rb ag will
dep loy at a s lightly hi gher rate of vehic le dece leration than if the
safet y belt is not be ing u sed . The refo re, in a partic ular coll isi on, it i s
poss ible t hat an airbag will not deploy at a s eati ng position where
the safety be lt i s being used b ut wi ll inf late at the pos ition where the
sa fety belt is not being used. I t is im porta nt t hat nothi ng i nterf ere
with the safety belt b uckles so that the sens ors can send the correct
i n fo rm ati on about sa fety belt use to the elect ron ic contro l u nit. .,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

& WARNING (continued)
vehicle. Always drive at speeds which are suited to the road condi
tions -risk of crash. •
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution of electrical
energy and thus optimizes the availability of electrical
energy for starting the engine .
If a vehicle with a conventional energy system is not driven for a
long period of time , the battery is discharged by idling current
consumers (e.g . immobilizer) . In certain circumstances it can result
in there being insufficient energy available to start the engine.
Intelligent energy management in your vehicle handles the distribu
tion of electrical energy. Starting ability is markedly improved and
the life of the battery is extended.
Basically, energy management consists of
battery diagnosis, idling
current management
and dynamic energy management .
Battery diagnosis
Battery diagnosis continuously determines the state of the battery.
Sensors determine battery voltage, battery current and battery
temperature. This determines the current state of charge and the
power of the battery.
Idling current management
Idling current management reduces energy consumption while the
vehicle is standing . With the ignition switched off, it controls the
energy supply to the various electrical components. Data from
battery diagnosis is considered.
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Intelligent technology
Depending
on the battery's state of charge, individual consumers
are gradually turned off to prevent excessive discharge of the
battery and thus maintain starting capability.
Dynamic energy management
While the vehicle is being driven, dynamic energy management
distributes the energy generated according to the needs of the indi
vidual components. It regulates consumption, so that more elec
trical energy is not being used than is being generated and ensures
an optimal state of charge for the battery.
[ i] Tips
• But even energy management cannot negate the limits of
physics. Consider that the power and life of a battery are limited.
• If starting ability is threatened, you are informed by a warning
~ page 242, "Driver notification in the instrument cluster
display". •
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining starting capa
bility.
The battery is severely taxed in short-distance driving, in city traffic
and during the cold time of year. Abundant electrical energy is
required, but only a little is generated. It is also critical if the engine
is not running and electrical components are turned on. In this
instance energy is being consumed but none is being generated.
It is in precisely these situations that you will notice energy manage
ment actively regulating the distribution of energy.
Vehicle stands for an extended period
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.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

llffl __ ln_ t _e_ ll-'"ig ...,_ e_ n_t _t_ e_ c_ h _ n_o _ l_o _,.g= y,_ __________________________________________ _
Take into consideration that when you unlock your vehicle, some
convenience functions, such as the remote key 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.
With the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for example, with the engine turned off or
use other MMI functions, the battery is being discharged .
If starting capability is jeopardized due to energy consumption, the
following warning appears in the MMI display :
Please start engine, otherwise system will switch off in
3 minutes.
The warning indicates that the system will be turned off automati
cally after 3 minutes. If you wish to continue using the functions,
you have to start the engine .
With the engine running
Although electrical energy is generated when the vehicle is being
driven, the battery can become discharged. This happens mostly
when little energy is being generated and a great deal consumed and the battery's state of charge is not optimal.
To bring the energy balance back into equilibrium, consumers
which require especially large amounts of energy are temporarily
cut back or switched off. Heating systems in particular require a
great deal of energy. If you notice, for example, that the heated
seats* or the heated rear window are not heating, they have been
temporarily cut back or switched off. These systems will be available
again as soon as the energy balance has been restored.
You will also notice that engine idle speed has been increased
slightly . This is normal and not a cause for concern. By increasing
engine idle speed the additional energy required is generated and
the battery is charged.
Driver not ification in the instrument cluster
d isplay
If battery power drops into the range where it can limit the ability of
the engine to start, this is shown in the instrument cluster display
with the following driver message:
'-' Low battery charge: battery will be charged while driving
This notification reminds you that the starting capability of the
engine may be limited. As soon as you start driving again, the
battery will be recharged and the notification will go out.
Driver notification appears and goes out again
If this driver notification appears after the ignition is turned on or
while driving and it goes out again after a while, the battery has
been adequately recharged.
Driver notification appears and does not go out again
If this driver notification appears after the ignition is turned on or
while driving and does not go out again, the battery's state of
charge is not in the optimal range . Starting ability is restricted . Have
the battery checked as soon as possible by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop. •

Checking and filling IJI
--------------~-
•
Closing the engine hood
-Pull the hood down until the pressure from the struts is
reduced .
- Let the hood
drop down and latch in place. Do not try to
push it shut;
it may fail to engage => &.
& WARNING
A hood that is not completely latched could fly up and block your
view while driving.
• When you close the engine hood, check it to make sure the
safety catch has properly engaged. The hood should be flush with
the surrounding vehicle body parts.
• If you notice while driving that the hood is not secured prop
erly, stop at once and close it. •
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the engine
compartment.
Whenever you must perform any work in the engine compartment,
for example checking and filling different fluids, there is a risk of injury, burns and accidents. To prevent personal injury always
observe the following WARNINGS. The engine compartment of any
vehicle is a hazardous area
~ & .
& WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check anything under the hood :
• Turn off the engine.
• Remove the ignition key.
• Apply the parking brake .
& WARNING (continued)
• Move selector lever of automatic transmission to "P" (Park);
put manual transmission in Neutral .
• Always let the engine cool down. Hot components will burn
skin on contact.
• To reduce the risk of being burned, never open the hood if you
see or hear steam or coolant escaping from the engine compart
ment. Wait until no steam or coolant can be seen or heard before
carefully opening the hood .
• Keep children away from the engine compartment.
• Never spill fluids on hot engine components . They can cause a
fire.
• Never touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary electric fan is
temperature controlled and can switch on suddenly.
• Never open the coolant reservoir cap when the engine is still
warm. The coolant system is pressurized and hot coolant could
spray out.
• Protect your face, hands and arm from steam or hot engine
coolant by placing a thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir.
• If work on the fuel system or the electrical system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open flames. Fluids in
the engine compartment could start a fire .
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher immediately available.
• To avoid electrical shock and personal injury while the engine
is running or being started, never touch :
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage electronic ignition
system.
• If you must perform a check or repair with the engine running: ..,
Vehicle care
I t •

-Checking and filling
---=---------------
& W
ARNING (continued )
-First, fully apply the park ing brake, move selector lever of
automatic transmission to "P " (Park ); put manual transmission
in Neutral.
- Alway s use extreme c aution to prevent clothing , jewel ry , or
long hair from gettin g caught in the radiator fan , V-belts or
other moving parts , or from contacting hot parts. Tie back hair
before starting , and do not wear clothing that will hang or
droop into the engine .
• Minimize exposure to emission and chemi cal hazard s
=> &.
& WARNING
Californ ia Proposition 65 Warning :
• Engine exhaust , some of its constituents , and certa in vehicle
component s contain or emit chemicals known to the State of Cali
fornia to cause cancer and birth defe cts and reproductive h arm . In
addition, certain fluid s contained in vehicles and certain products
of component wear contain or emit chem icals known to the State
of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproduc
tive harm.
• Battery posts , terminals and related ac cessories contain lead
and lead compounds , chem icals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms. Wash hand s after
handling .
0 Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that the y are poured into the
proper container or filler opening, otherwise serious damage to
vehicle systems will occur .
<£' For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in t ime, inspect th e ve hicle floor pan from unde r
neath regularly. If you see spots from oil or other vehic le fluids, have
you r ve hicle i nsp ected by a n authori zed Audi dealer .•
Engine compartment
Engine compartment
Thes e are the most impor tant items tha t yo u can check .
Fig. 22 2 Typic al l ayout for containe rs and engine oil filler cap
G) Jump start poin t(+ ) under a cover ..... .... .... ... 28 4, 327
® Brake fluid reservoir I l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
© E ngine oil fi ller cap ("1:::r.l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
0 Coolant expansion tank (-L l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
© Jump sta rt point( -) with hex head screw ........ ... 28 4, 327 ~

_____________________________________________ 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.

Checking and filling 111111
---------------------------=----
•
®
No
-sparks
- flames
- smoking .
When a battery is charged, it produces hydrogen
gas which is explosive and could cause personal
injury .
Always keep the battery well out of reach of chil
dren .
_& WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on the electrical system ,
there is the risk of injury , accident and even fire . Read and heed the
following WARNINGS:
• Always wear eye protection . Do not let battery acid or any lead
particles get on your skin or clothing. Shield your eyes. Explosive
gases can cause blindness or other injury.
• Battery acid contains sulfuric acid . Sulfuric acid can cause
blindness and severe burns .
- Always wear gloves and eye protection . Do not tilt the
battery because acid could leak out of the ventilation openings .
- If you get battery acid in your eyes or on your skin, immedi
ately rinse with cold water for several minutes and get medical
attention.
- If you should ingest any battery acid , seek medical attention
immediately.
• Do not expose the battery to an open flame, electric sparks or
an open light.
• Do not smoke .
• Do not interchange the positive and negative cables .
• When working on the battery , be sure not to short -circuit the
terminals with tools or other metal objects . This would cause the
& WARNING (continued)
battery to heat up very quickly, which could lead to damage or
explosion and personal injury.
• When a battery is charged , it produces hydrogen gas which is
explosive and could cause personal injury .
• Always keep the battery well out of the reach of children. • Before work is done on the electrical system, disconnect the
negative ground cable .
• Before performing any work on the electrical system , switch off
the engine and ignition as well as any electrical equipment. The negative cable on the battery must be disconnected. If you are just
going to replace a light bulb, then it is enough to switch off the
lights.
• Before disconnecting the battery , switch off the anti -theft
alarm system! Otherwise you will set off the alarm .
• When disconnecting the battery , first disconnect the negative
cable and then the positive cable .
• Before reconnecting the battery, make sure all electrical
consumers are switched off . Reconnect the positive cable first and
then the negative cable . Never interchange the cables -this could
start a fire !
• Never charge a frozen or a thawed -out battery. It could
explode! If a battery has frozen, then it must be replaced . A
discharged battery can freeze over at 32 °F (0 °CI.
• Make sure the vent hose is always attached to the opening on
the side of the battery.
• Never use batteries which are damaged . There is the danger of
an explosion! Always replace a damaged battery .
_& WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
Vehicle care
I t •