Warning light in the instrument cluster display -L
If the _L wa rn ing l ight in the ins trument cluste r display flashes, this
can mean one of two things : either the coolant temperature is too
h igh, or the coolan t level is too low ~ page 30.
If t he needle is we ll in the upper area of the gauge, the coolant
temperature is too high.
Stop the vehicle , swit ch the engine off , and
allow it to cool.
If the war ning light comes on again a fter d riv ing a
short distance, contact an authorized Audi dea ler or other qualified
w orksh op.
& WARNING
• Alway s observe the warning in ~ page 263 , "Engine compart
ment ", before open ing the hood and che cking the engine coolant
level.
• Never open the engine hood if you see or hear steam , or if you
s ee engine coolant dripping from the engine compartment. You
could burn yourself . Let the engine cool off first so that you cannot
hear or see any steam or engine coolant .
0 Note
• Mo unting add itiona l lights or accesso rie s in front o f the ai r inlets
reduces the cooling effect of the radiator . At high outside tempera
t ures or high engi ne load, the engine coul d overheat .
• T he front spoiler has been designed to properly distribute the
cooling air wh en the vehic le is m oving. If the spoi ler is dam age d,
this could reduce the coo ling effect and the engine could then over
heat . Ask your a uth oriz e d Audi deale r for assis tance .•
Con tro ls and eq uip
ment
Instruments and warning /indicator lights
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
T h e ta chometer in dicat es th e engine RPM (r e vo lutio ns per
m in ute s).
If engine RPM drops be low 1,500, you should downshift to the next
low er g ear. The red area at t he end o f the scale indicates ma xim um
permissible engine RPM after the break -in period. Before reaching
this ar ea, move the se lecto r lever to pos ition
D (Drive) or ease y our
foot off the acce lerator peda l.
0 Note
The tachometer needle@~ page 8, fig. 2 should only briefly be in
t he red zone : you c oul d da mage y our engine! The beginning of the
red zone varies depending on the engine .
~ For the sake of the environment
Upshiftin g ear ly saves fu el and reduces engine noise .•
[ S ET ) button
Y o u c an pe rform diffe re n t fu nctio ns w ith this but ton.
Fig . 3 SET button in
the in strument clu ster
The [S ET ] b utto n perfor ms the fo llowi ng fu nc tio ns:
Vehicle care I I irechnical data
With a priority 1 malfunction, a red symbol appears in the upper
center area of the display=:>
page 28, fig. 26. A driver message
appears as well to explain the ma lfunction in more detail. When this
symbo l appears,
three warning tones sound in succession. The
symbol continues to flash until the fault has been corrected.
If
several priority 1 malfunctions are present, the symbols appear in
succession and remain for about 2 seconds .
T he driver warning goes out after about 5 seconds, but it can be
brought up again at any time by pressing the
I SE T]
button.=:>
page 28
LJ Alternator failure =:> page 29
BRAKE
USA model s: =:> page 29
Brake system malfunctio n
--
Ca nad a mod els: =:> page 29
Brake system malfunction
- F-Engine coolant level too =:> page 30
-low/engine coolant temperature
too high
~ Engine oil pressure too low =:> page 31
~,. Refill engin e oil now =:> page 31
~-e Steering ma lfunction =:> page 32
--
©-e Ignition lock malfunction
=:> page 32
Alternator malfunction 0
If the O symbol in the instrument pane l disp lay flashes, then there
is a malfunction in the alternator or the vehicle electronics. A
warning to the driver will appear, too . The driver warning goes out
Controls and equip
ment
•
Dr ive r informat ion di spl ay
after about 5 seconds, but it can be brought up at any time by
pressing the
ISETj button again .
Usually, you can still drive to the next dea lership . Turn off all but the
most necessary electrical consumers, since these drain the vehicle's
battery .
0 Note
If the the .JL warning symbol (coolant system ma lfunction) also
lights up on the instrument pane l during the trip=:>
page 30, then
you have to stop immediately and turn off the engine . The coolan t
pump is not working anymore --danger of damage to the engine! •
Brake system malfunction
A malfunction in the brake system must be repaired as
soon as possible.
If the warning /indi cator light BRAKE (USA models)/ (©)
(Canada models) in the i nstrument cluster flashes, there is
a brake sys tem mal funct ion . A driver message appears as
well to explain the malfunction i n more detail. T he driver
warning goes o ut after about 5 seco nds, but it ca n be
br ought up a t any time by p ressing the !SET] button aga in .
S top th e Vehi cle and Che ck the Brak e Fluid
- Stop the vehicle.
- Check the brake fluid level=> page
280 .
-Seek professional assistance if necessary .
Cauti on! Brake m alfun ction (ABS ) G et it s ervi ced
- Drive carefully to the nearest authorized Aud i dealer or
other qualified workshop and have the malfunction
corrected =>
&. .,_
I • •
The amount of oil used is related to engine load and speed .
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new engine to reach its
lowest va lue after a certain mileage has been driven.
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 mi les (5,000 kilometers)
before you can properly assess oil consumption.
This also applies to fuel consumption and engine output.
0 Note
• Have your vehicle maintained properly and in accordance with
the service recommendations in your Warranty
& Maintenance
booklet. Lack of proper maintenance as well as improper use of the
vehic le wi ll impair the function of the emission control system and
cou ld lead to damage.
• Do not alter or remove any component of the Emiss ion Contro l
System unless approved by the manufacturer.
• Do not alter or remove any device, such as hea t shields,
switches, ignition wires, valves, which are designed to protect your
vehicle's Emission Control System and other important vehicle
components. •
Fewer short trips
~-----------------
Fu e I consumptio n will always be relat ively high on short
tri ps.
- Try to avo id driving s hor t distan ces wit h a cold engine.
The engine and catalytic converter have to reach their optimal oper
ating t emper ature
to reduce fuel consumption and noxious emis
sions effective ly .
Just after starting, a cold engine in a mid-size car only achieves a
fue l economy of 6 -8 miles per gallon (30 -40 1/100 km). After about a
half a mile, fuel economy climbs to 12 mpg (201/100 kml. After about
2.5 miles (4 km), the engine is at its proper operating temperature
Controls and equip
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Dri
ving and environm ent
and fuel economy has reached a normal level. So you can see that
you sh ould avoid short trips whenever possib le .
The
o ut side t emper atu re is also critical in this regard. Your car
consumes more fuel in the winter than in the summer .•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
Checkin g and fillin g -
--------------~-
•
© Windshield/headlight * washer container (~ l . . . . . . . 286
0 Power steering reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
The position of the engine oi l filling hole=> fig. 222 (item
@l can
differ depending on the engine design .
& WARNING
Befo re you che ck a nythin g in the en gin e com partment , always
read and h eed all WARNING S
=> & in "Workin g in th e e ngine
co mp artm ent " o n
page 271. •
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used in your Audi needs the right kind of
oil.
T he engine in your Audi is a sophisticated power plant that was built
to exacti ng specifications . This engine needs the right kind of
engine oil that meets specifications regarding qua lity 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 spec ial quality standard
for engine oi l that will help assure tha t your vehicle's engine will get
the lubr ication it needs for proper operation .
Modern engine lubrication has taken a quantum leap in the last few
years . Many synthe tic oi ls availab le today provide better engine
lubrication that can outlast traditional pet roleum-based oils ,
making them a smart choice for use throughout the life of your Audi.
Whether you use synthet ic or petroleum -based engine oil, the oi l
that you use must conform to Audi's oi l quality standard VW 502 00
to help keep your veh ic le'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 oi ls avai lable 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
a lways be sure that you use an approved oi l.
To help prevent the formation of harmful deposits use only oil with
the fo llowing specifications printed on the oil container:
Audi oil sta ndard VW 502 0 0
Oil container labels may carry th e specification singly or in combi
nation with o ther designa tions and oil quality standards.
Visc osit y
Engine oils are graded according to their viscosity . The proper
v iscosity grade oi l for your engine depends on c limactic or seasona l
conditions where you drive. You can use oil wi th a viscosi ty grade of
SAE 5W40 across al l temperature ranges for normal driving condi
tions .
Howeve r, if engine oil viscosity grade SAE 5W40 is not available, you
can a lso use viscosity grade SAE 5W-30 or SAE 0W -40 as long as it
meets Audi oil qua lity standard VW 502 00 specifications.
Because engine o il that meets the Audi o il standard may not be
avai lable everywhere when you n eed it, we strongly recommend
that you a lways carry with you an extra quart (liter) of o il that
express ly 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
oi l that expressly conforms to Audi oil standard VW 502 00 specifi
cations is availab le - may you top o ff with a high qua lity engine oil,
preferably synthetic -based, that meets ACEA A3, ACEA A5 or
ACEA 85 or API SL specifications, but even then, on ly in viscosity
grades SAE 5W -40, SAE 5W -30, or SAE 0W -40. However, during the
en tire time between oil change intervals, never top off with more _,.
Vehicle care I t •
-~_C_ h_e _c _ k_ i_n ...:::g::;...._ a_n_ d_ f_ i_ll _in -'g:::;.._ ___________________________________________ _
than a total of 0.5 qt/liter engine oil that does not conform to Audi
oi l specification VW 502 00.
For more information about engine oi l that has been approved for
your vehicle, please contact e ither your authorized Audi dealer or
Aud i Custo mer Relations at 1 (800) 822 -2834 or visit our web site at
www.audiusa.com or www.audicanada.ca. Here you will a lso find a
current list of o ils (manufacture rs, brand names etc.) that con form
to Audi oi l standard VW 502 00.
Changing the engine oil
The engine oil and oil fil ter must be changed according to the
mi leage (kilometers) and time intervals specified in your vehicle's
Warranty & Maintenance booklet. Do not exceed these intervals -
harmful deposits from old engine oil can reduce engine perfor
mance a nd can lead to expens ive eng ine repairs.
Changing the oil at the recommended intervals is so very important because the lubricating properties of oi l decrease gradual ly during
normal vehicle use. If you are not sure when you have your oil
changed, ask your authorized Audi Service Adviso r.
Under some circumstances the engine oil should even be changed more frequently . Change oil more often if you drive mostly short
distances, ope rate the vehicle in dusty areas or m ostly under stop
and -go traffic cond itions, or when you use your vehicle where
temperatu res stay below freezing point for long per iods.
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 oi l more o ften than recommended.
Dam age or malfunctions d ue to la ck of ma inten ance
It is essential that you change your oi l a t the recommended in terva ls
using on ly engine oil that complies with Audi oil standard
VW 502 00. Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not cover
damag e or ma lfunctions due to failure to follow recommended
maintenance and use requirements as set forth in the Audi Owner's
Manual and War ranty & Mai ntenance booklet. Your dealer wi ll have
to deny warranty coverage unless you present to the dealer proof in the form of Service or Repair Orders that all schedu
led maintenance
was performed in a timely manner. •
Engine oil consumption
The e ngine in your vehicle depends on an adequate
amount o f oil to lubricate and cool all of its moving parts.
In order to provide effective lubrica tion and coo ling of in terna l
engine components, all interna l combustion engines consume a
cer tain amoun t of oil. Oi l consump tion varies from e ngine to engine
and may change significantly over the life of the engine. Typical ly,
engi nes w ith a specified break -in p eriod (see =>
page 243) consume
more o il during the break- in period than they consume after oil
consump tion has stabi lized .
Under normal conditions, the ra te of oil consumpt ion depends on
the quality and viscosity of the oil, the R PM (revolutions per minute)
at which the engine is operated, the ambient temperature and road
conditions. Further factors are the amount of oil di lution from water
con densa tion or fue l residue and the oxi dation leve l of t he oi l. As
any engine is subject to wear as mileage builds up, the oil consump
tion may increase over time until replacemen t of wo rn components
may become necessary.
With all these variables coming into play, no standard rate of oi l
consumptio n can be establ ished o r speci fied. There is no alternat ive
to regular and frequent checking of the oil level, see
Note .
If the yel low engine oil l evel warn ing sy mbol in t he instrumen t
cluster ._ lights up, you should check the oil level as soon as
p ossible :::::>
page 275. Top off the o il at your earliest conven ience
=>
page 275.
& WARNING
Befo re you che ck anything in the engine compartment , always
read and heed all WARNINGS
:::::> & in "Working in the engine
c ompartment " on
page 271 .
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_ o_n_ s_ u_m _ e_ r_ ln_ f_ o _r _m _ a_ t_ i_o _n ______________________________________________ _
reliability. For detailed vehicle maintenance consult your Warranty &
Maintenance book let.
Und er di ffi cult ope rating cond ition s, for example at extremely low
outside temperatures, in very dusty regions, when towing a trailer
very frequen tly, etc., some service work shou ld be performed
between the intervals specified. This applies particularly to:
• oil changes, and
• cleaning or replacing the air filter.
By regularly maintaining your vehicle, you help make sure that emis
sion standards are maintained, thus minimizing adverse effects on
the environment. •
Important considerations for you and your
vehicle
The increasing use of electronics, sophisticated fuel injection and
emission control systems, and the general ly increasing technical
complexity of today's automobi les, have steadi ly reduced the scope
of maintenance and repa irs which can be carried out by vehicle
owners.
Al so, sa fety a nd e nvironment al concerns p lace very strict
limi ts on the na ture of repairs a nd adjustments to engine and trans
mission parts which an owner can perform.
Maintenance, adjustments and repairs usually require special tools,
testing dev ices and other equipment ava ilable to specially trained
workshop personnel in order to assure proper performance, reli
ability and safety of the vehicle and its many systems.
Improper maintenance, adjustments and repairs can impair the
ope ration and re liability of your vehic le and even void your vehic le
warranty. Therefore, proof of servicing in accordance with the main
tenance schedu le may be a condition for upholding a pos sible
warranty claim made within the warranty period. Above all, operational safety can be adversely affected, creating
unnecessary r isks for you and your passengers .
If in doubt about any servicing, have it done by your authorized Audi
dea ler or any other properly equipped and qualified workshop. We
strongly urge you to give your authorized Audi dealer the opportu
nity to perform all scheduled maintenance and necessary repairs.
Your dealer has the fac ilities, origina l parts and trained spec ial ists
to keep your vehicle running proper ly.
P e rforming limited maint ena nce your self
The following pages describe a lim ited number of procedures which
can be performed on your vehicle wi th ordinary too ls, should the
need arise and trained personnel be unavai lab le. Before performing
any of these procedures, a lways thoroughly read all of the appli
cable text and carefu lly follow the instructions given. Always rigor
ously observe the
WARNINGS provide d.
Before you che ck anything in th e eng ine compartment , always read
and heed all WARNINGS~
& and~ & in "Working in the engine
compartment" on
page 271.
& WARNING
• Serio us per sonal injur y may oc cur a s a re sult of improperly
performed maintenan ce , adjustment s or repair s.
• Alway s be e xtremely careful when working on the vehi cle .
Alway s follow commonly accepted s afety pra ctice s and general
c ommon sen se . Ne ver ri sk p ers onal injury .
• Do not attempt any of the maintenan ce , check s or repair s
de scr ibed on the follo wing page s if you are not full y familia r with
the se or other procedure s with respect t o the vehicle , or are uncer
tain ho w to pr oceed .
• Do not do any work without the proper tool s and equ ipment .
Ha ve the ne cessa ry work done by your authorized Audi deale r or
another properly equipped and qu alified work shop .
~