Driving and environment
(I] Tip s
The consumption estimates as pub lished by ENV IRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre
spond to your actual consumption on the road, which will vary
depending upon vehicle load and speed, road and weather conditions,
trip length, etc. •
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are accelerating .
-Avo id unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the most fue l when they a re accele rating. If you antici
pate what is going to happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus, accelerate less. Let the vehicle coast whenever possible -for
example when you see that the next traffic l ight is red. •
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and improves your
mileage.
- Try and keep well below your car's maximum speed .
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consumption, engine wear, and does
not disturb the environment.
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and engine noise increase
disproportionately at high speeds . If you drive at approx imately three
qua rters of top speed, fuel consumption will be reduced by one half.
Never drive faster than the posted speed limit and weather condi
tions permit.
a Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up fuel.
-
Shut the engine off when yo u are not driving the vehicle.
- Do not warm up the vehic le by letting the eng ine run at
idle.
It makes sense to shut off the engine in traffic jams, when waiting for
trains to pass at rai lroad crossings, o r at traffic lights that have long
wa its on red . Turn ing the eng ine off for just 30-40 seconds saves
more fuel than is burned starting the engine again.
It takes a long t ime for the engine to warm up fully when it is running
at idle. Howeve r, wear and noxious emissions are espec ially high
when the eng ine is wa rm ing up. So you sho uld d rive away as soon as
you start the engine and avoid running at hig h rpms while the eng ine
is still warming up.
0 Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after starting . If warning
lights should come on to indicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also produces heat, which cou ld result in
overheat ing o r othe r damage to the vehicle or other p roperty. •
Regular maintenanc_e ____________ _
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel .
- Have your vehicle serviced at regular intervals .
By having yo ur vehicle regularly se rviced by an Audi dealer helps to
ensure that it runs properly and economically . T he condition of your
vehicle not only a ffects its safety and ability to ho ld its va lue, it a lso
affects
fu el con sumption .
Check your o il e ach tim e you fill you r tank.
~
Trailer towing
"---------------------------------------------------
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger transpor
tation .
If you p lan to tow a t railer, p lease remember that the additional load
w ill affect durability, economy and performance.
Tr ailer towing not on ly p laces mo re s tress on the vehicle, it also calls
for more concentration from the driver.
For this reason, a lways follow the operating and dr iv ing inst ructions
prov ided and use common sense .
0 Note
If you are going to tow a trailer, you must activate the tra iler ope ra
tion mode =>
page 179, "Towing a Trailer".
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a we igh t-car rying h itch co nform ing to the gross tra iler we ig ht.
The h itch must be suitab le for your vehicle and trailer and must be
mou nted securely o n th e vehi cle's ch assi s at a
techni cally sound loc a
tion . Use only a trailer hitch with a removab le ball mount. Always
check wit h the t railer h itch manufactu rer to make sure that yo u are
using the correct h itch .
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The h itch mus t be installed in such a way t hat it does not in terfe re
w ith t he impact-absorb ing bumper system. No modifications shou ld be made to t
he veh icle exha ust and bra ke systems. From t ime to
time, check that a ll hitch mounting bo lts rema in securely fastened.
W hen you are no t tow in g a tra ile r, remove the t railer hit ch ball
mount. This prevents the hitc h from caus ing damage should your
vehicle be str uck from behind=>& .
Trailer brakes
If your trail er is e quipped w ith a b raking system, che ck to be s ure t hat
it conforms to all regulations.
T he tra ile r hydrau lic brake system m ust not be directly connected to
t he vehicle's hyd raulic b rake sys tem .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your veh icle and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be sure to check w ith your
Audi de aler fo r corr ec t wir ing , sw itches and re lays.
Mirrors
If you are unab le to see t he t raff ic be hind you using t he regular
outs ide mirrors, then you
must install extended mi rrors. It is impor
t an t th at yo u
always ha ve clear vi sion to the re ar.
& WARNING
After removing the trailer hitch, do not store it in your vehicle. In
case of sudden braking , the hitch could fly forward and inju re you
or your passengers. •
___ 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 .,_
Tires and wheels Ill
----------------
sure label lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures for the
vehicle at its maximum capacity weight and tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
If you wish to improve comfort when operating the vehicle at
normal load (up to 3 occupants), you can adjust tire pressures to
those specified for normal vehicle load. Before operating the
vehicle at maximum load, you must increase the tire pressures to
those specified for maximum vehicle load~& .
Bear in mind that the tire pressure monitoring system* can only
mon itor the tire pressures you have stored . The system does not
recognize the load condition of your vehicle.
Th e effectiveness of the tire pressure monitoring system* will be
impaired if you store normal load pressures but then operate the
vehicle at its maximum load~.&, . See the
illustration
~ page 310, fig. 2 52 for the locat ion of the label
either on dr iver's side B-pillar or inside the fuel filler flap (color of the
actual label and exact location on the vehicle will vary slightly) .
Note that the following tab le is accurate at the time of going to press
and is subject to change. In the event of discrepancies , the tire pres
sure label (On USA vehicles, the tire pressure label is located on the
dr ive r's side B -pillar . On Canada veh icles, the tire pressure label is
located either on the dr iver's s ide B-pillar or inside the fue l f ill er flap)
always takes precedence.
The table below lists the recommended cold t ire inflation pressures
for the Audi model covered by your Owner's Literature at the vehicle's
capacity weight and the tire sizes insta lled on the respective models
as original equipment, or as a factory option .
Engine Tire designation Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear
(displace- normal load full load normal load
full load
ment in conditiona> condition conditiona> condition
liter)
PSI kPA PSI kPA
a -cylinder 255/45 Rla 99H All Season
33 230 36 250 30 210 35 240
4.2
255/40 Rl9 l0OV XL All Season 36 250 39 270 33 38 260
255/40 Rl9 l00Y XL High Performance 33 230 36 250 30 210 35 240
265/35 R20 99V XL High Performance 35 240 38 260 32 220 36 250
275/35 R20 102V XL High Performance 38 260 41 280 35 240 44 300
a-cylinder 255/45 Rla 99H All Season 33 230 36 30 210 35 240
4.2 L
255/40 Rl9 l00V XL All Season 36 250 39 270 33 230 38 260
255/40 R19 l00Y XL High Performance 33 230 36 250 30 35 240
275/35 R20 102V XL High Performance 38 260 41 280 35 240 44 300
Safety first Vehicle care Technical data
________________________________________________ T_i_re _ s_ a _ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ _
0
-
©
®
@
-
@
U.S . DOT tire identification number
Audi Original tire
Sever snow conditions
Tire ply composition and materials used
Treadwear, traction and temperature grades Ma ximum perm issible inflation pressure
The tires and rims are essential parts of the vehicle's design . The tires
and rims approved by Audi are specially matched to the characteris
tics of the vehicle and can make a major contribution to good road
holding and safe handling when in good condition and properly
inflated =>
&.
We recommend that all work on tires and wheels be performed by an
authorized Audi dealer. They are familiar with recommended proce
dures and have the necessary special tools and spare parts as well as
the proper facilities for disposing of the old tires.
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary information about tech
nical requirements for installing or changing tires and rims.
Replacing tires and wheels
Tires should be replaced at least in pairs and not individually (for
example both front tires or both rear tires together).
Be sure to read and heed the information to the tire pressure moni
toring system* =>
page 320.
Always buy replacement radial tires that have the same specifications
as the tires approved for your vehicle by Audi. Replacement tires must
always have the same load rating specification as the original equip
ment or approved optional tires listed in the table=>
page 310.
Audi-approved specification tires are specially matched to your
vehicle and its load limits, and can contribute to the important road-
Safety first
holding, driving characteristics, and safety of the vehicle. The table
(=>
page 310) lists specifications of the tires approved for the Audi
models covered by your Owner's Literature.
The tire pressure label located either on driver's side B-pillar or inside
the fuel filler flap (=>
page 310, fig. 253) lists the specifications of
the original equipment tires installed on your vehicle at the time it
was manufactured.
Federal law requires tire manufacturers to place standardized infor
mation on the sidewall of all tires=>
page 318, fig. 256. This infor
mation identifies and describes the fundamental characteristics, the
quality grade of the tire and also provides a tire identification number
for safety standard certification and in case of a recall.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it easier to choose the correct
tires. Radial tires have the tire specifications marked on the sidewall,
for example:
255/45 R 18 99 H
This contains the following information:
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars (where applicable)
255 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire from sidewall edge to side-
wall edge. In general, the larger the number, the wider the tire
45 Height/width ratio in percent (aspect ratio)
R Tire construction: Radial
18 Rim diameter code (in inches)
99 Load rating code
H Speed rating letter code
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD" or "RF") indicates that the tire is a "Rein
forced" or an "Extra Load" tire
M+S (or "M/5") Indicates that the tire has some mud and snow capa
bility
The tires could also have the information of direction of rotation
=>
page 306 .
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
Tires and wheels -_______________________________ f!:f'II
[I) Tips
Where snow cha ins a re mandatory on certain roads, this no rmally
also applies to vehicles with All W heel Dr ive .•
Wheel bolts
Wheel b olts must al ways be tig hten ed to the correct
torque.
Th e design of whee l bo lts is matc hed to the facto ry installed rims. If
different r ims are fitted, the correct wheel bolts wi th t he r igh t lengt h
and correctly s haped bolt heads must be used . Thi s ensures that
w heels are fi tted secure ly and tha t the br ake system f unc tion s
correctly.
I n cert ain circumst ances, yo u may not us e wheel bolts from a
different veh icle -even if it is the same model=>
page 363.
& WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel bolts can become
loose causing lo ss of control, a collision and serious per sonal
injury .
• Always keep the wheel bolts and the thread s in the wheel hub s
clean so the wheel bolts can turn easily and be properly tightened .
• Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel
hubs. They can become loose while d riving if greased or oiled , even
if tightened to the specified torque.
• Only use wheel bolts that belong to the rim being installed.
• Never use different wheels bolts on your vehicle.
• Always maintain the correct tightening torque for the wheel
bolts to reduce the risk of a wheel loss. If the tightening torque of
the wheel bolts is too low , they can loo sen and come out when the
vehicle is moving. If the tightening torque is too high, th e wheel
Safety first
& WARNING (co ntinued )
bolts and threads can be damaged and the wheel can become
loose .
0 Note
The speci fied tor que f or th e wheel bolts is 90 ft lb (1 2 0 Nm) wi th a
tolerance of ± 7,4 ft lb( ± 10 Nm). Torque wheel bolts diagonally.
After ch anging a wheel, the to rque mu st be checked a s so on as
poss ible with a torque w rench -prefe rab ly by an authorized Aud i
dealer or qualified workshop. •
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is fa cto ry -equ ip ped wi th low aspec t ratio tires. These tire s
have been thorough ly tested and been selected specifically for your
mode l for the ir supe rb perfo rmance, roa d fee l an d han dling un der a
var iety of driv ing cond it ions. Ask your author ized Audi dea ler for
more deta ils.
Th e low a spect rat io of these tires is indica ted by a nu meral of
55 or
less
in the tire's size designation. The numeral represents the ratio of
t he t ire's s idewall heigh t in relat io n t o its t re ad wi dth expressed in
percentage. Conventiona l tires have a height/width ratio of 60 or
more .
The performance of low -aspect -ratio tires is particularly sen sitive to
improper inflation pressure. It is therefore important that low
aspect ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure and that the
inflation pressure is regularly checked and mainta ined. Tire pres
s ure s should be checked at lea st once a month and always before a
long trip =>
page 313, "Checking tire pressure".
What you can do to avoid tire and rim damage
Low aspect ratio ti res can be damaged more easi ly by impact w ith
potholes, curbs, gull ies or ridges on the road, p articular ly if the tire is
underinflated. .,_
Vehicle care Technical data
-What do I do now? ..._ __________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nued)
Tra nsmissi on i n " P" ( Park) wi ll not preve nt th e vehicle from
m ov ing.
• Befor e you chan ge a wh eel, be s ure th e grou nd i s lev el and
firm . If n ece ssa ry , us e a s turdy board under th e j ack .
• Afte r in stalling the sp are whee l, make su re that you r eplace
the flat tire /wh ee l i n it s storage are a properly and t ight en th e
knu rled ret ain in g sc rew s ecu rely .
[ i J Tips
Before changing the wheel, you must activate the jacking mode, so
that the automatic contro ls for the Adaptive A ir Suspension do not
make it more difficult to
lift the vehicle with the jack=> page 179. •
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow the sequence described
below step-by-step and in exactly that order.
1. Activate the vehicle jacking mode==> page 179.
2 . Remove the decorati ve wheel cover* . For more details see
also ==>
page 33 7, "Decorative wheel covers" or
==>
page 337, "Wheels with wheel bolt caps".
3 . Loosen the
wh eel bolts ==> page 338.
4. L ocate the proper mounting point for the jack and align
the jack below that point==>
page 338 .
5. Lift the car with the jack==> page 338.
6. Remove the wheel with the flat tire and then install the
spare ==>
page 340.
7. Tighten all wheel bolts lightly . 8
.
Lower the vehicle with the jack.
9. Use the wheel bolt wrench and
firmly tighten all wheel
bolts==>
page 338.
10. Replace the decorative wheel cov er*.
11. Deactivate the vehicle jacking mode==> page 179.
& WARNING
A lw ays rea d and f ollow all W ARNING S and inf ormation => & in
" Rai sing th e vehicl e" on
page 33 8 and => pag e 341. •
After changing a wheel
A wheel change is not complete without the doing the
following .
-Store and secure the whe el you rep laced in the spare
wheel well.
- Replace the tools and the jack in their proper location.
- Check the
tire pre ssure on the spare wheel immediately
after mounting it .
- As soon as possible, have the
tighten ing torques on all
wheel bolts checked with a torque wrench . The correct
tightening torque is 90 ft lb (120 Nm).
- Have the flat tire
re placed as soon as possible .
[ i J Tips
• If you notice that the wheel bolts are corroded and diff icult to turn
wh ile chang ing a tire, they shou ld be rep laced before you check the
tightening torque. .,_