Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in place to prevent it
from shifting forward, backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer=>
& in "Driving instruc
tions".
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder. It is important that
the cooling system's performance is up to the additional load. Make
sure that the cooling system has enough fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your vehicle to the cold tire
pressure listed under "Full load" on the label located either on the
driver's side B -pillar (visible when the door is open) or inside the fuel
filler flap. Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire manufacturers' spec
ifications .
Lights
The headlight settings should be checked with the trailer attached
before driving off. Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly connected from the trailer
to the hitch on the vehicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to permit
turning corners . When you install safety chains, make sure they will
not drag on the road when you are driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer tongue to prevent it from
dropping in case of separation from the hitch .
Controls and equip ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Trailer
towingL_,1!:::!:·~-
0 Note
If you are going to tow a trailer, you must activate the trailer opera
tion mode =>
page 179, "Towing a Trailer". •
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care and
consideration .
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle and trailer,
please note the following:
- Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself is not
loaded.
- Be especially careful when passing other vehicles.
- Observe speed limits.
- Do not drive at the maximum permissible speed.
- Always apply brakes early .
- Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car results in a highly unstable
distribution of weight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at very low
speeds only to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and control. This means that the
tow vehicle should be loaded to the extent possible and permissible,
while keeping the trailer as light as possible under the circumstances.
Whenever possible, transfer some cargo to the luggage compart
ment of the tow vehicle while observing tongue load requirements
and vehicle loading considerations.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data
Trailer towing
"---------------------------------------------------
Speed
T he higher the speed, the more difficult it becomes for the driver to
control the rig. Do not dr ive at the max imum permiss ible speed.
Reduce your speed even more if load, weather or wind conditions are
unfavorable -part icu larly when go ing downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the tra iler shows the slightest
sign of swaying.
Do not try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for veh icles towing
trailers are lower than for regu lar vehicles.
Always apply brakes early. When driv ing dow nhill, shift in to a lower
gear to use the eng ine braking effect to slow the veh icle. Use of the
bra kes alone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Coolant temperature
Th e coolant temperature gauge~ page 10 must be observed care
fully. If the needle moves close to the upper end of the scale, reduce
speed immediately and/or turn off the air conditioner.
If the coolant temperature warning light in the instrument cluster
starts flashing
_f_ , pull off the road, stop and let the engine idle for
about two m inutes to prevent heat build-up.
& WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving vehicle is at a much
greater risk in an accident. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wearing the restraints provided by Audi.•
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
------------
Your vehicle handles differently when tow ing a trailer because of the
additiona l weight and different weight distribution. Safety, perfor- mance and economy will greatly depend on how carefully you load
your trailer and operate your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice turning, stopp ing and
backing up in an area away from traffic. Keep practicing until you have
become completely familiar with the way your vehicle-t railer comb i
nation behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice. Backing up with a trailer
generally requires steering action oppos ite to that when backing up
your vehicle without a trai ler.
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle and the one in front
of you. You will need more room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you will need a larger than normal turning radius .
When passing, remember that you cannot accelerate as fast as you normally would because of the added load . Make sure you have
enoug h room to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for your
trai ler before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky sta rts, sharp tur ns or rapid lane changes.
W Tips
• Do not tow a trailer during the break-in per iod of your veh icle.
• If you tow a trai ler, your Audi may require more frequent mainte
nance due to the extra load
~ page 361. •
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot be
avoided, do so only after doing the following:
When parking:
- Apply the foot brake.
- Have someone p lace chocks under both the vehicle and the
trailer wheels . ._
-~_C_ le_ a_n_ i_ n_ g=- a_ n_d___. p_ ro_ t_e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
Cleaning and protection
General information
Regular care preserves vehicl e val ue.
Any automobile is exposed to industria l fumes, co rrosive road salt,
m ud dy dog fee t, e tc. A well c ared for Audi can look like new many
years after p urchase . Regular and correct care will contribute to
m aint aining the bea uty and val ue of your Audi.
Furthermore, good care may be a condition for substantiating a
warranty claim should corrosion damage or paint defects occur.
Y ou r au thor ized Audi d eale r h as a var iety of dedicated vehicle-care
products
and can advise w hich ones to use for clea ning the exterior
a n d inter io r of your ve hicle.
W het her you use products recommended by Aud i or o ther comme r
cia lly availab le cleaning agents , please ma ke sure yo u appl y them
co rrectly .
& WARNING
• Cleaning agents may be poisonous . Keep them out of the reach
of children.
• Heed all caution labels .
• Always read directions on the container before using any
product. Follow the directions carefully.
• Most chemical cleaners are concentrated and have to be
diluted .
• Use spot removing fluids only in well ventilated areas.
• Do not use gasoline, kero sene , diesel fuel , nail polish remover
or other volatile fluids . They may be toxic, flammable or
hazardous in other ways. Do not wash, wax or dry the vehicle with
the ignition on or the engine running.
& WARNING (co ntinued)
• Do not clean the under sides of chassi s, fenders , wheel covers,
etc. without protecting your hands and arms. You may cut your
self on sharp-edged metal parts.
• Moisture and ice on brakes may impair braking efficiency
~ page 254, "General information ". Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle .
'£> For the sake of the environment
Select only envir onmenta lly fr iendly clea ning produc ts . Leftover
cleaning pro ducts sho uld not dis posed of i n the household waste .•
Care of exterior
Washing
F re qu ent w ashin g protec ts th e vehicl e.
T he best protection aga inst env ironmental influences is frequent
w ashi ng and w ax ing. How o ften t his is requ ired depen ds on:
• How m uch the vehicle is use d
• Whe re the ve hicle is parke d (gar age, in the o pen un der tr ees, e tc.)
• The seasona l and weather conditions
• E nviron mental influences
T he longer bi rd droppings , insects , tree resin, road and industria l
gr ime, t ar, soo t, road sa lt and o ther ma ter ia ls remain on the veh icle
body, the more lasti ng their destructive effects w ill be. H igh temper
atu res cause d by ex pos ure to intense s unlight int ensify the co rrosive
effect, part icu larly when humid ity is high as we ll.
~
-Cleaning and protection pn,,._____ _ __,____ ____________ _
0 Note
• Never try to remove dirt, mud o r d ust if the s urface of the vehicle
is dry. Never use a dry cloth or sponge, s ince this could scratch your
veh icle's pai nt o r win dows.
• Never was h your car in bright sunlight . D rops of water act as
magnifyi ng lenses and may damage your p aint.
• When you was h yo ur car in the winter: if you rinse your vehicle w ith
a hose , be careful not to a im the stream of wate r d irect ly at locks, or
at doo r or hatch openings -they can freeze s hut.
• N ever use sponges des igned to remove insects, o r any kitchen
sco uring sponges or s imilar pro ducts. They can damage yo ur paint
fi ni sh.
• N ever use a dry cl oth o r sp on ge to clean t he he adlig hts. Only use
wet cloths or sponges to prevent scratches . It is best to use soapy
water .
• You shou ld remove debr is (s uch as insects) from the head light
lenses o n a regu lar b asis, for examp le w hen re fue ling your veh icle.
N ever clean the headlights w ith a dry clot h or sponge . Use a wet cloth
or sponge. It is best to use soapy water.
c£> For the sake of the environment
In the interest of the environment, the ve hicl e should on ly be washed
in spe cial wash bays .•
Washing your vehicle with a power washer
C le aning the exterior of y our car wit h a hi gh-pressur e
p ower washe r is s afe as long as you observe a few simple
r ul es .
- Before using t he power washer, make su re yo u have read
and und ers tood th e WARNI NGS =:::>
& in "General in for
mation" o n
page 270. -
Always fo llow t he operat ing inst ructio ns for the power
washer .
- Make su re that t he jet o n th e sp ray hose produces a "fan
s ha ped spr ay".
- Do
not hold the spray nozz le too close to soft ma terials.
W hen cleaning the vehicle with a power washer always fo llow the
operat ing in str uctio ns. T his appli es p art icu larly to t he
operating
pressure
and the spraying distance . Maintain a suffic ient distance to
so ft ma ter ia ls s uch as rubbe r hoses an d so und/v ibration deaden ing
materials (part icular ly on the unde rside o f the engine hood) . Do not
use a jet wh ich sprays water in a
direct stream o r o ne that has a
rotating jet .
Water temperature sho uld not exceed 140
°F (60 °().
& WARNING
Never wash tires with a jet that sprays water in a direct stream .
This could cau se invisible damage to the tires and weaken them,
even if the spray i s from a relatively long distance and for a short
time . Damaged and weakened tires can fail and cause accidents
and personal injury.
0 Note
To avoid damaging your vehicle, always ma ke su re that there is suffi
cien t dista nce between the spr ay head and sof t mate ria ls like r ubber
hoses, p lastic parts and sound-deadening mater ials. Never aim the
spr ay he ad at the s ame po int for a long t ime . This also ap plies to
cleaning headlights and pai nted b umpe rs. Remember : the close r the
noz zle is to the surfa ce of the mate rial, t he greate r the stress on the
material. •
____________________________________________ C_l_e _a_ n_ i n--= g=--- a_n_ d----' p,__ r_o _t_ e_ c_ t_ i _o_ n __ _
0 Note
• N ev er use che mical s olvents (e.g. lig hte r fl uid , turpen tine), waxe s,
sho e polish or sim ila r pr oducts on A lcantara ® surfaces.
• T o avo id damage, have s tubbor n sta ins removed by a co mmerc ia l
cleaning s pecialist .
• Do not use brushes, stiff spo nges or sim ilarly ab rasive cl ea ni ng
aids. •
Safety belts
Only well- maintain ed safe ty b elts wo rk re liably when
n ee ded.
- Kee p belts cle an.
- F or clea nin g, use a mil d soap and w ate r solution. Let belts
dry thor oug hly and aw ay fro m direct s unlig ht.
- D o not a llow i nertia re el sa fety b elt s t o re trac t bef ore the y
are c ompl ete ly dry .
- Che ck th e condi tio n of you r sa fety belts
regu larly.
H eav ily so iled safe ty be lts may not ret rac t proper ly.
& WARNING
Damaged safety belts can break in a crash.
• Anything that might damage your safety belts could mean
that you and your passengers would not be adequately protected
in an accident.
• Safety belt performance depends on correct installation. Never
remove belts from the vehicle to clean them .
• Do not use chemical cleaning agents , bleach or dyes. They have
corrosive properties which weaken the webbing.
Safety first
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• When cleaning your safety belts , inspect them for damage . If
you discover damage, see your Audi dealer .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 270. •
Engine compartment
Be es pec ially care ful w hen clean ing th e engine co mp art
m en t.
Always switch off the ign ition before cleaning the engine~,&. .
Plenum panel
Remove leaves from the plenum pane l in front of the win dshi eld
under the eng ine hoo d. Thi s preven ts the wa ter d rain holes fro m
becoming blocked , and it prevents debris from enter ing t he veh icle
in ter ior thro ugh t he heat ing a nd ve ntilation ducts.
Corrosion protection
The e ng in e co mp artm ent a nd trans missio n have bee n co rros io n
protected at the facto ry .
G ood ant i- corro sion t rea tmen t is very i mporta nt, pa rt icul arly in t he
wi nte r. If the ve hicle is freq uently d riven on sa lt treated roads, the
entire eng ine compartment and plenum pane l sho uld be tho rough ly
clea ned at the end of winter and retreated to preve nt salt damage. At
the same time, t he un derside of the vehi cle should be washed as well.
If the eng ine co mpartme nt is clean ed at any t ime wi th gre ase
remov ing so lutions
2
), or if you have the engine was hed, the anti
cor rosion treat men t is almo st alw ays rem oved as well.
It is the refore
essential to have a long-last ing corrosion protection reapplied to all
s u rfaces, seams, jo ints and com ponents in the engine compartmen t.~
2> Us e on ly the co rrect clean ing so lut ions . Neve r use gaso line or diese l fue l.
Vehicle care Technical data
-~_C_ le_ a_n_ i_ n_ g=- a_ n_d___. p_ ro_ t_e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
in. WARNING
Be aware: The engine compartment of any motor vehicle is a
potentially hazardous area.
• Before working in the engine compartment, be sure to read the information =>
page 281.
• Before reaching into the front plenum panel, always remove
the ignition key . Otherwise, the windshield wiper system could
unintentionally be switched on, possibly causing personal injury
from the moving wiper linkage.
• Never reach into the area around or touch the radiator fan. The
auxiliary fan is temperature controlled and can switch on suddenly
- even when the ignition is off.
• Do not wash, wax or dry the engine with the engine running.
Moving or hot parts could injure you.
• Do not clean the underside of the chassis, fenders, wheel
covers, or other hard to reach parts without protecting your hands
and arms. You may cut yourself on sharp-edged metal parts.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=:> page 270. •
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Gasoline
Fuel supply
Using the right fuel helps keep the environment clean and
prevents engine damage .
Fuel recommendation
The fuel recommended for your vehicle is unleaded premium grade
g asoline . See also :::>
page 360, "D ata ". Aud i recommends using TO P
TIER Detergent Gasoline with a minimum octane ra ting of 91 AKI (95
R O N). For more information on TOP TIE R Detergen t Gasoline, please
go to the official website (www. toptiergas .com) .
Th e recommended gasoline octane rating for your engine can also be
found on a labe l located on the ins ide of t he fue l fille r flap. This rating
may be specified as AKI or RON .
Your vehicle may also be ope rated us ing unleaded reg ular gasoline
with a minim um octane rating of 87 AKI/91 RON. However, us ing 87
AKI/91 RON octane fuel will slig htly reduce engine performance.
Use un leaded ga soline only. U nleaded gaso line is available
throughout the USA, Canada, and in most E uropean co untries. We
recommen d that you do not ta ke your veh icle to areas or co unt ries
where unleaded gasoline may not be available.
F or more in formation on re fueling yo ur vehicle, see:::>
page 284 .
Octane rating
Octane r ati ng indi cat es a gaso line's abi lity to resis t engi ne damag ing
"knock" caused by premature ignition and detonat ion. Therefore,
buying the correc t g rade o f gasol ine is very impo rtan t to help preve nt
possible engine damage and a loss of engine performance .
Gaso line most common ly used in the United States and Canada has
the following octa ne rat ings tha t ca n usually be fou nd on the filler
pump :
Safety first
• Premium Grade: 91 - 96 AKI
• Regular Grade: 87 - 90 AKI
Explanation of t he abb reviations :
AKI= Anti Knock Index= (R +M)/2 = (RON+ MON)/2
RO N= Research Octane Number
M ON= M otor Octane Num ber.
0 Note
• Do not use any fue l with octane rat ings lower than 87 AKI o r 91
RO N otherwise expens ive engine damage will occ ur.
• Do
not use leaded gasoline. The use of lea ded gasoline w ill
severely damage your veh icle 's cata lytic converter and its abi lity to
cont rol exhaust emissions .•
Blended gasoline
Use of gasoline containing alcohol or MTBE (methyl
tertiary butyl ether)
Yo u may use unleaded gasoline blended w ith alcoho l or MTBE
( c ommon ly referred to as oxygenates) if the blended mix ture meets
the following criteria:
Blend of ga soline methanol (wood alcohol or methyl alcohol)
• Anti -k nock index m ust be 87 AKI or h igher .
• Bl end must con tain no mo re t han 3% methanol.
• Blend must contain more than 2% co-solvents.
Blend of ga soline and ethanol (grain alcohol or ethyl alcohol)
• Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI o r higher.
• Bl end must no t contain more th an 10% ethanol.
Vehicle care Technical data
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Blend of gasoline and MTBE
• Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
• Blend must contain not more than 15% MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform especially well fo r
winter or summer driving. During seasonal change-over, we suggest
that you fill up at busy gas stat ions where the seasonal adjustment is
more likely to be made in time.
0 Note
• Methano l fuels which do not meet these requirements may cause
corrosion and damage to plastic and rubber components in the fue l
system .
• Do not use fuels that fail to meet the specified criteria in this
chapter .
• If you are unab le to determine whether or not a particu lar fuel
blend meets the spec ifications, ask your serv ice station or its fuel
supplier.
• Do not use fuel for which the contents cannot be identified.
• Fuel system damage and performance problems resulting from
the use of fuels different from those specified are not the responsi
bility of Aud i and are not covered under the New Vehicle or the Em is
sion Control System Warranties.
• If you experience a loss of fuel economy or driveab ility and perfor
mance problems due to the use of one of these fuel blends, we
recommend that you switch to unblended fuel.•
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufacturers is carbon deposit
build-up caused by the type of gasoline you use. Although gasoline grades differ from one manufacturer to another,
they have certain things
in common. All gaso line g rades contain
substances that can cause deposits to collect on v ital engine parts,
such as fuel injectors and intake valves. A lthough most gasoline
brands include additives to keep eng ine and fuel systems clean, they
are not equally effective.
Audi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline. For more
information on TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline, please go to the officia l
webs ite (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended period of using inadequate fuels, carbon deposit
build-ups can rob your engine of peak performance.
0 Note
Damage or malfunction due to poor fuel quality is not covered by the
Audi New Vehicle Limited Warranty. •
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear side panel behind the
fuel filler flap .
If the power locking system should fail, you can still open the flap
manually -for detailed instructions see~
page 287.
You can find the fue l tank capacity of your vehicle in Technical Data
~page 360.
The label on the inside of the fuel filler flap tells you the correct fuel
for your ve hicle. For more information about fuel specifications, see
~page 283.
Your vehicle fuel tank has an on board refuel ling vapor recovery
system. This feature helps to prevent fuel vapors from escaping from
the tank and polluting the environment wh ile you refuel your veh icle . ..,_