If the indicator goes all the way to the right side inside the coolant
t empe ra tu re ga uge, the n th e eng ine cool ant tempe rature is too high.
Pull off the road to saf e location , turn off the engine and let it cool
down.
If the warning lig ht comes o n aga in after yo u have driven a
short distance, contact a qualified workshop.
& WARNING
• Always observe the warning in ::::> page 281 , "Engine compart
ment ", before opening the hood and checking the engine coolant
l e vel.
• Never open the engine hood if you see or hear steam, or if you
see engine coolant dripping from the engine compartment. You
c ould burn yourself. Let the engine cool off first so that you cannot
hear or see any steam or engine coolant .
0 Note
• Mounting additiona l lights or accessories in front of the a ir in lets
reduces the cooling effect of the radiator. At high outside tempe ra
tu res o r high engine load, the e ng ine could ove rheat .
• T he front spoi le r has bee n designed to properly distribu te the
cooling air when the vehicle is moving . If the spoiler is damaged, this
co uld reduce the coo ling effect and the eng ine could then overheat.
Ask your author ized A udi deale r for assistance. •
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tac home te r indicates the engine RPM (revoluti ons
pe r minu tes) .
The tachometer @::::> page 10, fig. 2 is the left of t he two large clock
type displays .
Th e eng ine tu rns at a speed
1,000 times t h e si ng le dig it in t he
display, e .g. if the need le is pointing at the "2" the engine is tu rning
at 2, 000 R PM.
Controls and equip
ment Safety first
Instruments and warning
/indicator lights
If e ngine RPM drops below 1,500, you s hould dow nsh ift to t he next
lower ge ar. T he re d area at t he e nd of the s cale i ndic ates m aximum
permissible e ngine RPM after the break-in per iod . Before reaching
this area, move the selector lever to posit ion "D (Drive)" or ease yo ur
foot off the accelerator pedal.
0 Note
The tachome ter needle s houl d not move in to the red range. If it does,
then only fo r a very short period of time . You could damage your
e n g in e by driv ing at h igh RPM .
c£> For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early saves fuel a nd reduces e ngine noise. •
Digital clock with date display
Date and time of day can be set in MMI.
Fig. 3 Instrumen t
cluster with digital
clock
Th e da te, time o f day , an d time and date form at can be se t in MM I.
You can find out more in the MMI manual. ..,.
Vehicle care Technical data
Cleaning and protection -
---------------=---------=----
Under certain circumstances, weekly washing may be necessary.
Under other conditions, a monthly washing and waxing may be
adequate.
After the winter, the underside of the vehicle shou ld be thoroughly
washed, p referably in a profess ional car wash.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 270. •
Automatic car wash
The vehicle can be washed in almost any modern auto
matic car wash.
Th e vehicle paint is so durable that the vehicle can normally be
washed without problems in an automatic car wash . However, the
effect on the paint depends to a lar ge exten t on the design of the
facility, the filtering of the wash water, the type of wash and care material, etc. If the paint has a dull appearance after going through
the car wash or is scratched, bring this to the attention of the oper
ator immediately . If necessary, use a different car wash.
Before going thro ugh a car wash, be sure to take the usual precau
tions such as closing the windows and power roof. Factory installed
antennas must not be removed.
If you have installed additional accessories on the vehicle -such as
spoilers, roof rack, etc. - it is best to ask the car wash operator if these
should be removed.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 270. •
Safety first
Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of water is needed when washing a vehicle by hand.
-Before you star t washing, make sure you have read and
understood the WARNINGS~
& in "General informa
tion" on
page 2 70.
- First soak all dried dirt until it is soft, then rinse it off .
- As you clean your vehicle, start with the roof and work your
way down to the bottom, using a sponge, a sponge glove
or a clean brush.
- Rinse the sponge or the sponge glove often, flush ing it
clean each time .
- Use special car shampoo only for very persistent dirt.
- Rinse the car thoroughly with water.
- Use a chamois leather to gently wipe the exterior dry.
Use a separate sponge for cleaning the wheels, door sills and other
regions exposed to road dirt. In this way, you will not scratch the
paint with coa rse particles imbedded in the sponge the next time you
wash the car.
& WARNING
• 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. _..
Vehicle care Technical data
-~_C_ le_ a_n_ i_ n_ g=- a_ n_d___. p_ ro_ t_e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
detergent. Apply the water with a damp cloth o r sponge a nd pat the
fabr ic dr y wi th a n ab sorb ent , dr y clot h.
Sta ins from choco late or makeup should have dete rge nt paste (e.g.
ox -gall soap) ru bbed into them . Afterwards, remove t he soap w ith
w at er ( damp s ponge).
Alcoho l can be used to treat sta ins from grease , oil, lipstick or a ba ll
po int p en. Melte d gre ase o r dye mus t be p atted o ff usi ng absorbe nt
material. It may be necessary to ret reat t he areas with detergent
paste a nd water .
In the case of ge nera l soili ng o f th e upholste ry an d cover mater ia l, we
recommend hiring a specialist that has the equ ipment to clean the
sea t cover s and o ther fab ric su rf a ces by sh am poo ing and s pray
extractio n.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and the information
~ page 270 .
(I) Tips
Ope n Velcro fasteners on yo ur clothing can damage the sea t cover.
Please make su re t hat Velc ro fasteners are closed .•
Plastic parts and instrument panel
Always use a clean cloth moistened in clear water to clean t hese
a reas. For pers iste nt dirt use a n Audi appr oved
solvent-free plas tic
cleaner /protectant.
& WARNING
Solvents can change the properties of some plastics and make it harder for the airbag to deploy.
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Never clean the instrument panel or the surface of airbag
modules with cleaning products that contain solvents.
• Products containing solvents will make the surface of this part
porous.
• Serious injuries can result if plastic parts come loose when the
airbag is deployed .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 270.
0 Note
Cleaning agents contai ning solvents will attack the mate rial and can
c hange the w ay it behave s.•
App lies to vehicles: with na tural leather
Natural leather
A udi makes gre at effo rts to main tain the propert ies,
natura l loo k and f eel of inte rio r le a th er .
General
We offe r m any di fferen t types o f lea ther on ou r ve hicl es. Most are
differen t types of nappa leat her, which has a smooth s urface and
comes in va rious co lo rs .
Th e int ensity of the colo r de ter min es th e vi sual cha ra cte ris tic s an d
appea rance. If the s urface o f the leathe r has a typical natu ral look,
t hen the le a the r is a nappa lea ther tha t has bee n left in a relat ively
natura l condition. This leat he r offers partic ularly good comfort a nd
brea thes wel l. Fine veins, closed gr ains, insec t bit e s, sk in fol ds , and
subt le variations i n color rema in v isib le. These character ist ics demon
stra te t hat the ma ter ia l is na tural.
N at ural nappa leat her i s not cov ered by a colo r finish.
It is therefor e
more sensitive to soiling and wea r, which is somethin g you need to ..,
____________________________________________ C_l_e _a_ n_ i n--= g=--- a_n_ d----' p,__ r_o _t_ e_ c_ t_ i _o_ n __ _
consider if childre n, animals or other factors might prove to be partic
ularly hard on the leathe r.
By contrast, leather types that are covered by a colored fin ish layer
are more durable . This has a positive effect on the leath er's resistance
to wear and so iling in daily use. On the othe r hand, the typical charac
teristics of natura l leathe r are barely or not apparent . However, this
does not mean that the leathe r itself is of infer io r quality.
C are and handling
Because of the exclusive nature of the types of leather that Audi uses
and the ir unique p roperties (such as sensitivity to oils, grease, so iling,
etc.), yo u will need to be somewhat ca refu l with these leat he rs , a nd
a certain type of care is required. For example, dark clothing mate
r ials ca n disco lor leather seats (especially if such clothi ng is d amp and
was not dyed correctly) . Dust and dirt particles in pores, folds, and
seams can have an abrasive effect and c an damage the le athe r
surface as well as weaken seams .
The leather s houl d be cleaned regularly as needed . After having been
used for a relatively long time, your leather sea ts w ill acquire a rich
aged finis h. This is a characteristic of natura l leather and a sign of
true quality.
I n order to maintain the value of this natural product over the life of
your vehicle, you sho uld fo llow the recommendations below :
0 Note
• To keep you r leather from b leaching out, do not allow it to be
exposed to bright sunl ight for long periods of time . If you have to
leave t he veh icle parked outside for long pe riods, cover the leather to
protect it from direct exposure to sunlig ht.
• Sharp objects on clothing, such as zippers, rivets or sha rp pieces
on belts can leave permanent scratches or scrape marks on the
s u rface of the leather.
Safety first
(I] Tips
• After each time you clean the leathe r and at regular inte rvals , u se
a leather preservative creme that contains UV-blockers and that
works into the leather. This creme will nou rish and mo istur ize the
leather, helping it to breathe and stay supp le. It also helps to build up
a p ro tect ive coa ting on the surfa ce.
• Clean the leather every 2 -3 months, and clean any areas that get
soiled.
• Remove fresh marks made by ballpoint pens, ink, lipstick, shoe
polish, etc. as soon as poss ible.
• Preserve the color of t he leather as needed by using a specia l
co lored leather ca re creme to touch up areas of uneven color .•
Ap plies to vehi cles : w it h nat ural leat her
Cleaning and caring for leather upholstery
and trim
Natural leather requires special care and attention.
Normal cleaning
- Clean so iled areas wit h a slightly mois tened cotton or
woolen cloth .
More stubborn dirt
-More stubborn d irt can be removed using a clot h satu
rated w ith a mild soap solution (2 ta blespoons m ild liq ui d
soap) .
- Never allow the soap solution to saturate the leather, and
make certa in that no water soaks i nto the seams .
- Wipe off the soap solution w ith a soft, dry c loth. .,,
Vehicle care Technical data
___________________________________________ C_ h _ e_c _k _ i_n -=g .._ a_n _ d_ f_i _ll _i _ n -=g '--- ....... 1!'1
0 Note
• Before winter sets in, have the coolant checked to see if the
coolant additive in your vehicle is sufficient to meet the climate
conditions. This is especially important if you live in a region where
the winter is extremely cold. If necessary, increase the proportion of
coo lant additive to 60% .
• When adding coolant additive to your cooling system, remember:
-We recommend using only coolant additive G12++ (check the
label) for your vehicle. This coolant additive is available at autho
r iz ed Audi dealers. Other types of antifreeze can s ignificantly
reduce corrosion protection. The resulting corrosion can cause a
loss of coolant and serious engine damage.
• Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to your vehicle 's
eng ine coolant. Adding radiator repair fluid may adversely affect the
function and performance of your cooling system and could result in
damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty. •
Checking the engine coo lant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a quick
glance.
.... N
Fig. 247 Engine
compartment: Coolant
expansion tank
Vehicle OP-eration
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS=> & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 289.
- Turn off the ignition.
- Read the engine coolant level from the coolant expansion
tank=> fig. 247 . With a cold engine, the coolant level
should be between the "min" and "max" markings. When
the engine is warm, the level may be slightly above the
"max'' marking .
The locat ion of the coolant expans ion tank can be seen in the engine
compartment illustration=>
page 290.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must be switched off.
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped with an electric coolant level sensor .
When the coolant level is too low, the warn ing light in the Auto-Check
System =>
page 29 will blink until you add coolant and the level has
been restored to normal. Even though there is an electric coolant
level sensor, we still recommend you check the coolant level from
time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling system. In the event of
coolant loss, the cooling system should be inspected immediately by
your authorized Audi dealer .
It is not enough merely to add coolant.
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if the boiling point of the
coo lant is exceeded as a result of overheating.
& WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and can get very hot. Redu ce
the risk of scalding from hot coolant
by following these steps.
• Turn off the engine and allow it to cool down.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data
___ 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 .,_
-~_T_ i_ re _ s_ a_n _ d_ w_ h _e_ e_ ls _________________________________________________ _
Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most abused
parts of a motor vehicle.
T ir es may be the least apprec iated and most abused pa rts of a moto r
vehicle. Tires are, however, one of the most important parts of a
veh icle, parti cularly conside ring the comparative ly small patch of
rubber on eac h tire that assu res that all- important co ntact between
you , your ve hicle and the road .
Ma inta in ing t he correct t ire pressu re, making s ure that your veh icle
and i ts tires do not have to carry more weight than they can safely
hand le, avoid ing damage from road ha za rds and reg ula rly inspect ing
tires for damage incl ud ing c uts, s lashes irregular wea r and overall
condi tion are the mos t important th ings that you can do to help avoi d
sudden tire fa ilure includ ing t read separation and blowouts .
Avoiding damage
If you have to drive over a curb or sim ilar obstacle, drive very s lowly
and as close as poss ible at a right angle to the cu rb .
Always keep chemicals including grease, oil , gasoline and bra ke fl uid
o ff the t ires .
Inspect the ti res regularly for damage (cuts, crac ks o r bl ist ers, e tc .).
Remove any foreign bodies embed ded in the trea ds.
Storing tires
M ar k tires when yo u remove t hem to indica te the d irect ion of rota
tion . This ens ures yo u to be able to mo unt them co rrectly whe n you
re insta ll them.
Wh en r emoved, t he wheels or tires s hould be sto red in a c ool, dry and
preferably da rk p lace. Sto
re tires in a ver tica l pos it ion if they a re not mounted on rims, in a
hor izonta l position if they are mo unted on r ims.
New tires
N ew tires have to be bro ken in~ & .
Th e tread dep th of new tires may v ary, ac cor ding to t he type an d
make of t ire and the tread pattern.
Hidden damage
Dama ge to t ires and rims is often not readi ly visible . If yo u notice
unusu al v ib rat ion o r the veh icle pulls to one sid e, t his may i ndicate
that one of the tires has been damaged. The tires must be c hecke d
i m medi ately by an a uthor ized A udi deale r or quali fied w or ksh op .
Unidirectional tires
A u nidirectional tire can be identified by arrows on the sidewall, that
point in the d irect io n the tire is des igned to rotate. Yo u m ust follow
t he s peci fied dire ction of ro tation . T his is nece ssary so th at t hese
tires can develop the ir optimum c haracter istics regarding gr ip, road
noise, we ar and hy dropl aning res istance. For more informa tion
~page 341 .
& WARNING
New tires or tires that are old , worn or damaged cannot provide
maximum control and braking ability.
• New tires tend to be slippery and must be broken in. To reduce
the risk of losing control, a collision and serious personal injuries, drive with special care for the first 350 miles (560 km) .
• Driving with worn or damaged tires can lead to loss of control,
sudden tire failure , including a blowout and sudden deflation ,
crashes and serious personal injuries. Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately. .,_
___ T_ i_ r _e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e_ l_ s _______________________________________________ _
Inco rrect wheel al ignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can cause excessive tire wear, impairing
the safety of the vehicle . If tires show excessive wear, have the wheel
alignment checked by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified wo rk
shop .
All Wheel Drive
Vehicles with quattro ® must always have tires of the same s ize,
constr uction and tread type . For details see~
page 257.
& WARNING
Sudden tire failure c an lead to loss of control , a cra sh and seriou s
personal injur y!
• Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire i s worn down
to the wear ind icators .
• Worn tire s are a s afety hazard, they do not grip w ell on wet
roads and increa se your risk of "h ydroplaning" and lo ss of control.
• Always keep chemical s that can cause tir e damage, su ch as
grea se , oil , gasoline and brake flu id away from tires .
• Tires age even if they ar e not b eing used and can fail suddenly ,
especially at high speeds. Tires that are more than 6 year s old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at
lower speeds .
• Never mount u sed tir es on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history. " Old used tires m ay have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control. •
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in.
Fig. 256 Tire specifica tion cod es on t he sidewall of a tire
No.
©
@
®
©
©
©
Descript ion
Passenger car tire (where applicable)
Nom inal width of tire in mi llimeters
Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
Radial
Rim diameter code
Load index and speed rating