lffll __ C_ h_ e_c _k _i _ n _g ~ a_n _d_ f_il _l_in _ g _________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nu ed )
• Protect your f ace, hand s and arms from e scaping fluid and
s team by covering the cap with a larg e, thick rag.
• Turn the cap slowl y and ver y ca refull y in a counter-clockwise
direct ion while applying light, downward pre ssure on the top of
the cap.
• To avoid being burned , do not spill antifreeze or coolant on the
exhaust system or hot engine part s. Under certain conditions, the
ethylene glycol in engine coolant can catch fire.
0 Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to yo ur vehicle's engine
coo lant. Adding radiator repair fluid may adverse ly affect the func
t ion and perfo rmance of your cooling system and could result in
damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty .
[ i J Tips
On vehicles with the 12-cylinder engine, the expansion tank is located
unde r a cover. •
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anything in the eng ine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Working in
t h e e ngine compar tment" on
page 289 .
-Tur n off the eng ine.
- Let t he engi ne cool down. -
Place a t hick rag over the coolant ex pansio n tank
~ page 297, fig . 247 and carefully twis t the ca p counte r
clockw ise
~ & .
- Add coo lant.
- Tw ist t he cap on agai n
tightly.
Replacement eng ine coolant must conform to exact specificat ions
=> p age 2 96, "Coolan t". Even in an emergency, if coolan t ad di tive
Gl2 ++, Gl2+ or Gl2 is not available, do
not use a d ifferent addit ive.
Use plain water instead until you can get the correct additive a nd can
restore the correct ratio . This s hou ld be done as soon as possible .
If you have lost a conside rable amount of coolant , then you sho uld
add co ld a ntifree ze a nd cold water only when t he e ngine is cold .
Always use
new engine coo lant when refilling.
Do not fill coolant above t he "MAX" mark. Excess coo lant wi ll be
forced out t hrough the p ressure relief va lve in the cap w hen 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 exh aust system or hot engine parts. Under certain condi-
tions, the ethylene gly col in engine coolant can catch fire. .,
___ C_ h_e _c_ k_ i_ n ~ g~ a_ n _ d_ f_il _l _in _ g ____________________________________________ _
- Read the brake fluid level from the brake fluid reservoir
=> fig. 248 . T he brake fluid level mus t be between the
" M IN" and "MAX" markings.
The br ake fl uid re se rvoir is loc ated at the rear pa rt iti on of the engine
compartment on the left side~ page 290.
T he f lu id level may drop slightly after some time due to the auto
matic adjus tment of t he b rake pads. This is not caus e for alarm.
If the brake flu id leve l falls considerably below the "MIN" mark, t he
br ak e wa rning/ind ic ator lig ht ( U.S . model s:
BRAKE , Can adi an mod els:
«D> ) will come on~ page 20 and~ page 28. Do not continue to
operate the vehicle . The comple te brake system sho uld be thoro ughly
checked by an author ized A udi dealer or ot her qualified facility and
t he ca use correcte d. If the b rake fl uid leve l is too low, the bra ke
wa rning/in dicator light will illu mi nate . Con tact an au thorized Aud i
dealer
immediately .•
Changing brake fluid
H ave the brake flui d changed by an ex perienc ed techni
cian.
Brake flui d abso rbs mois ture from t he a ir . If t he wa ter con ten t in the
brake fl uid is too hig h, corros io n in the b rake system may res ult afte r
a period of time . The boiling po int o f the bra ke fl uid will also decrease
cons iderab ly and decrease brak ing perfo rmance.
The refore, the brake fl uid m ust be changed
every two years . Always
use new bra ke fluid w hich conforms to Fede ral Motor Veh icle St an
dard "FMVSS 116 DOT 4" .
Th e b rake fl uid reservoi r ca n be diffi cult to rea ch, there fore, we
recommend that you have the bra ke fluid c hanged by your author ized
Audi dealer. Your dea ler has the correct tools, the right b rake fl uid
and the know-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 flu id.
Observe these pre cautions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE specification
J 1703 and
conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 116. Always che ck
with your authorized Audi dealer to make sure you are us ing
the correct brake fluid. The correct type of brake fluid i s also
indicated on the brake fluid reservoir .
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use of the brakes can
cause a vapor lock if the brake fluid is left in the system too
long . Thi s can seriously affect the efficiency of the brakes as
well as your safety . This could result in an accident.
0 Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your ve hicle .
~ For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal of brake fl uid as we ll as
the spec ia l too ls req uired and the necessary expe rtise, we recom
m en d that you have t he brake fl uid changed by your autho rized Audi
dea ler .•
Battery
General information
Under normal operat ing condit ions, the battery in your Aud i does not
nee d any m ain ten ance. Wi th high outs ide temper atures o r long d aily
dr ives we recommend that yo u have the elect rolyte level checked by .,_
_____________________________________________ C_h _ e_ c_ k_in --= g'-- a_n _d_ f_i _ll _i_n -=g ::;__ ____.fflll
a service facility . The electrolyte level should also be checked each
time the battery is charged =>
page 303.
Have the batte ry checked when you take your vehicle in for serv ice .
You are well advised to rep lace a battery that is older than 5 years.
With certa in types of a irbag deployment, the ba ttery is disconnected
from the vehicle electrical system for safety reasons=>
& in "Repair,
care and disposal of the airbags" on
page 220.
Di sconne cting th e bat tery t ermina ls
Some vehicle f unct ions (power window regulators, fo r example) are
lost if the battery termina ls are disconnected . These functions have
to be re learned after the battery termina ls are connected aga in. To
prevent this, t he battery should only be disconnected from the
vehicle e lectr ica l system when absol ute ly necessary for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do no t dr ive your veh icle over a period of severa l days or weeks,
electrical components are gradually cut back or switched off. Th is
red uces e nergy consumption and main tains sta rt ing capabili ty ove r a
longer period=>
page 258.
Be aware that when you unlock your vehicle, some of the convenience
functions may not operate, such as the Convenience key*, the remote
control or the power seat adjustment. The convenience functions will
be availab le aga in whe n you tur n on th e ignition and start the eng ine.
Winter operation
Dur ing the winter months, battery capac ity tends to decrease as
temperatures drop. This is because more power is also consumed
while starting, and the headlights, rear w indow defogger, etc., a re
used more often.
Avoid unnecessa ry power consum ption, part ic ula rly i n city traffic o r
when traveling only short distances. Let your authorized Audi dealer check the capacity of the vehicle battery before w inter sets in
=>
page 303 . A well charged battery will not only prevent start ing
prob lems when the wea ther is cold, but will also las t longe r.
Vehicle OP-eration
(I) Tips
If your vehicle is left standing fo r seve ral weeks at extremely low
temperatures, the vehicle battery should be removed and stored
w here it will not free ze. This will preven t it from being damaged and
having to be replaced. •
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near the
battery.
Vehicle care
Fi g. 2 49 Lugga ge
co mp artme nt: Righ t·
s ide stor age co mpar t·
me nt
Fig. 25 0 Lug gage
comp art me nt: Batt ery ~
Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
Tires and wheels -________________ Effll
& WARNING
• Incorr ect tire pressures and /or underinflation can lead to a
s erious or fatal accident .
• Incor rect tire pressures and /or unde rinflation cause increased
tire wear and can aff ect the handling of the vehicle .
• Incorrect tire pressures and /or underinflation can also lead to
sudden tire failure , including a blowout and sudden deflation,
caus ing loss of vehicle cont rol. •
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires orig in a lly installed
on your vehicle is listed on the tire pressure label located
either on driver 's sid e 8-pillar or inside the fuel filler flap.
The recommended tire pressures a re on the tire p ressure labe l and in
t he table => page 310, "Cold tire infla tion pressure ".This means that
the pressure must be chec ked and adjusted when the tire has not
bee n dr iven for more tha n a coup le of m iles (k ilomete rs) at low
speeds dur ing t he previous three ho urs . Air in t he tires expands when
t he tire hea ts up as a r esu lt of in te rna l fr ic tion as it flexes in use. The
tire pressure is higher when the tire has warmed up than when it is
" ld "
co .
It is the inflation pressu re in a "cold" ti re that counts. Therefore, yo u
sho uld never let air out of a warm tire to matc h "Cold tire inflation
pressure" recommendations=>
page 310. The t ires would then be
underinflated and co uld fail sudden ly.
Th e tire press ure label on your Audi lists the re comme nded cold t ire
inflation pressures at max imum capacity for t he new, origina l equip
ment tire s that were on yo ur vehi cle at t he time it was m anufactu red .
For the location of the label=>
page 310 , fig. 252.
M ost tires lose air nat urally
over time. They can also lose some air if
you d rive
over a potho le or hi t a curb while pa rking. It is usually not
Safety first
poss ible to see whether the radial t ires used today are underinflated
ju st by loo king at th em.
Th erefore, be sure to check t ire pressures a t least once a month and
always before going on a long trip. Make sure to take the n umber of
people a nd t he amount of luggage into account whe n ad justi ng tire
pressure for a tr ip -
even one that you would not consider to be
" long. " See =>
page 314, "Ti res and vehicle load limits" fo r more
important information.
Always use an acc urate t ire pressure ga uge when chec king and
adjust ing inf lation press ures. Check all of the tires and be sure not to
forget the spare tire . If the press ure in any tire is too hig h when the
t ir e is "cold," let air out of the t ire s lowly w it h the edge of the t ire
gauge and keep chec king the pressure u nti l yo u reach the pressure
t ha t is co rre ct for the load (passenge rs an d luggage) a nd kind of
dr iv ing you plan to do.
If the pressure in any ti re is too low, note t he difference betwee n th e
pressure in the co ld tire and the pressure you need and add the a ir
tha t you need to reach the correct p ressu re fo r th e ve hicle load
(passengers a nd luggage) fo r th e tires on yo ur vehicle as listed on the
on your vehicle and in this man ua l and the kind of driving you p lan to
do .
Never e xceed the max imum inflation pressure l isted on the tire
s idewall for any reason.
Remember that the vehicle manufacture r, not the t ire manufacturer,
de termines the correct tire press ure for the t ires on your vehicle.
It is i mport ant to che ck the t ire pressure when t he ti res a re cold.
• Read the required t ire pressure from the t ire pressure label. On
US A veh icles, the tire pressu re labe l is loca ted on the d river's si de B
pillar . On Canada vehicles, the tire pressure label is located either on
t he drive r's side B-pillar or inside the fuel fille r flap.
• Turn the
valve stem cap counter -clockw ise to remove it from the
tire
valve.
• Place the air press ure gauge on the valve. ..,.
Vehicle care Technical data
Tires and wheels Ill
----------------
If you install rims, which do not have the sensors, or have sensors
w hich are not compa tible, then the tire pressure moni toring sys tem *
w ill not wo rk p roperly. I n this case, t he tire pressure monitor ing
system * wo uld not be ab le to monitor the tire pressure or warn yo u if
it is necessary .
• The battery inside of the tire pressure sensor has a limited service
l ife.
• Always dr ive wit h the
valve stem caps securely mo unted. We
recommend using factory ins ta lled
valve stem caps. As k your autho
r ized Audi dea ler to rep lace lost
valve stem caps .
Th e insta llation of repl acement tir es w ith s teel co rd bo dy plies in the
t ire sidewa ll may ca use ma lfunctio n of the tire pressure mo nitoring
system *, and is not recommende d (cord material informat io n i n
molded on the ti re s idewall).
Always check your tire pressure monito ring system* indicator afte r
re plac ing one or mo re tires on your vehicle. If the tire press ure m oni
to ring system* indicator flashes, or is on, your system is not working
pro perl y. Yo ur repla ceme nt tire might be incomp atible with your t ire
pressure monitoring system*, or some component of the tire pres
sure mon itor ing system * may be damaged.
& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unmatched tires and / or wheels or improper
tire and wheel combinations can lead to loss of cont rol, collision
and seriou s per sonal injury .
• Always use tires, rims and wheel bolts that meet the specifica
tions of original fa ctory-in stalled tires or other combination s that
have been specifically appro ved by the vehicle manufacturer.
• 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 u sed in an emergen cy and then with special care and at
lowe r speeds.
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history." Old used tires may have been damaged
Safety first
& WARNING (co ntinued )
eventhoughthedamagecannotbeseenthatcanleadtosudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
• All four wheels must be fitted with radial tires of the same
type, size (rolling circumference ) and the same tr ead pattern.
Driving with different t ires reduces vehicle handling and can lead
to a lo ss of control.
• If the spare ti re is not the same as the tires that are mounted
on the vehicle - for example with w inter tires - only use the spare
tire fo r a sho rt pe riod of t ime and drive with extra care. Refit the
normal road wheel as soon as safely possible.
• Never drive faster than the ma ximum speed for which the tires
on your vehicle are rated because tires that are driven faster than
their rated speed can fail suddenly .
• Overloading tire s cause heat build-up, sudden tire failure,
including a blowout and sudden deflation and loss of control.
• Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated
and not over or underinflated.
• For technical reasons it is not always possible to use wheels
from other vehicles - in some c ases not even wheel s from the same
vehicle model.
• If you install wheel trim discs on the vehicle wheels , make sure
that the air flow to the brakes is not blocked. Reduced airflow to
the brakes can them to overheat , increasing stopping distance s
and causing a collision.
• Run flat tires may only be u sed on vehicles th at were equipped
with them at the factory. The vehicle must have a chassis designed
fo r run flat tires and a factor y-in stalled tire pres sure monitoring
system* that indicates a loss of tire pre ssure. Incorrect use of run
flat tires can lead to vehicle damage or accident s. Check with an
authorized Audi dealer or tire specialist to see if your vehicle can
be equipped with run flat tires . If run flat tires are used , they must
be installed on all four wheels. Mixing tire types is not permitted . ..,_
Vehicle care Technical data
-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nued)
personal injuries. Have worn or dam aged tires replaced immedi
ately .
• Winter tires have ma ximum speed rat ing that may be lower
than your vehicle' s maximum speed .
• Never drive faster than the speed for which the winter or other
tires installed on your vehicle are rated.
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and traffic condit ions.
Never let the good acceleration of the winter tires and all-wheel
drive tempt you into taking extra risks. Always remember:
• When braking, an all-wheel drive vehicle handles in the same
way as a front drive vehicle.
• Drive carefully and reduce your speed on icy and slippery road s,
even winter tires cannot help under black ice conditions.
<£> For the sake of the environment
Use s ummer tires when weather condit ions permit. They a re quieter,
do not we ar as qu ickly and redu ce fuel consum ptio n. •
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitte d only to the fro nt w heels, and only to
certain tire sizes. Ask your authorized Audi dealer on which tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
If you a re goi ng to use snow c ha ins, then you must insta ll them on the
front wheels at least.
T he snow c hain s m ust have low -profile links and m ust not be thicker
than 0.53 inc h (13 .5 mm), including the lock. Remove wheel center covers a
nd trim d iscs before putting snow
c hains on you r veh icle =>
(D. For sa fe ty reaso ns cove r caps m ust the n
be fitted over the wheel bolts. These are available from a uth orized
Audi dealers.
& WARNING
Using the wrong snow chain s for your vehicle or installing them
incorrectly can increase the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
• Snow chains are available in different sizes. Always make sure
to follow the instru ction s provided by the snow chain manufac
tur er.
• When driving with snow chains never drive fa ster than the
speed permitted for your specific snow chains .
• Always observe local regulations.
0 Note
• Remove snow chains before drivi ng on ro ads not covere d wit h
snow to avoid damag ing t ires and wear ing the snow chains down
unnecess aril y.
• Snow chains, which come into direct contact with the wheel rim,
c an scratch o r damage i t. T herefo re, make sure tha t t he s now chains
are suitably covered . Check the pos ition of the snow cha ins afte r
dr iv ing a few yar ds and correct if ne ccess ary. Fo llow the ins truct ion s
from t he snow chai n manufacturer when doing so.
• If the Ad aptive Air Suspe nsio n sho uld ma lf u nct ion, do n ot moun t
or use snow cha ins because the ve hicle wi ll be extremely low. If you
do drive w it h sn ow ch ain s on while the ve hicle i s at t his level , the
snow cha ins m ight severe ly damage the whee lhouse and other pa rts
of the vehi cle.
~
What do I do now? -_______________ __.EWII
(]] Tips
If you no longer have your or iginal warn ing triangle and need to equip
your vehicle with a new one, contact your authorized Aud i dealer for
a rep lacement. •
Jack, tools and spare wheel
Jack
The jack is stored underneath the floor panel in the
luggage compartment.
Fig. 26 5 Luggag e
c ompart ment vehicl e
jack
Be fore stori ng the jack, ma ke sure it is wound back down as far as it
w ill go .
& WARNING
Improper use of the vehicle jack can cause serious personal inju
ries.
• Never use the jack suppl ied with your Audi on another vehicle ,
particularly on a heavier one . The jack is only suitable for use on
the vehicle it came with .
Vehicle OP-eration
& WARNI NG (continued )
• Using a bumper jack to raise the veh icle will dam age the
bumper system . The ja ck may slip, causing injury .
• Never support your vehicle on cinder blocks , bricks or other
objects . These may not be able to support the load and could cause
injury when they fail.
• Never sta rt or run the engine while the vehicle is suppo rted by
the jack.
• If you must work under the vehicle , always use safety stands
specifically designed for this purpo se.
• Never use the he xagonal so cket in the handle of the screw
driver to loosen or tight en the wheel bolts .
• Always make sure the sp are tire and even a flat tire are secured
in pla ce and not loose, otherwis e they could fly forward, causing
personal injury to passengers in the vehicle in an accident or
sudden maneuver .
(]] Tips
Before you c an raise your vehi cle us ing t he jack, you mus t activate the
jack ing mode~
page 179 . •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service iTechnical data
-What do I do now? ..._ __________________________________________ _
Tools
The vehicle tools are stored in the luggage compartment
lid.
Fig. 266 Trunk lid:
Opening the cover
Fig. 267 Trunk lid:
Vehicle tools
-To open the cover, turn the retainer in the direction of the
arrow and pull the cover down==>
page 334, fig. 266 .
The onboard tool kit includes:
• Hook for removing wheel covers*
• Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt covers
• Wheel bolt wrench
• Alignment pin for changing wheels
• Screwdriver with reversible blade •
10 x 13 open ended wrench
• Towing loop
(I) Tips
Some of the on board items listed above are provided on certain
models only or are optional extras. •
Spare wheel
The spare wheel is stored in the wheel well underneath
the floor panel in the luggage compartment.
Fig. 268 Luggage
compartment spare
wheel
Your vehicle is equipped with a regular spare wheel. It is held
in place by plastic retaining knurled screw.
Taking out the spare wheel
-Raise the floor panel at the plastic handle.
- Securely engage the handle in the luggage compartment
seal as illustrated to keep the floor panel up.
- Unscrew the knurled retainer bolt in the wheel center
==> fig. 268. Turn it counter-clockwise.
- Take out the spare wheel.