Driving off road
Driving off road
Driving in difficult road conditions
and offroad
General information
T he ope ra ti on of the Ele ctro nic Stabilization P rogr am ( ESP ) is
expanded for operation away from paved roads. In s ituations where
slip or a different ia l lock in g f unct io n is requ ired, t he ESP offroa d
mode can be activated~
page 256. Hill descent control is also avail
able in the ESP offro ad mode, wh ich a utomatically bra kes the vehicle
and thereby keeps speed consta nt when d ifferent whee l speeds are
de te cted when descend ing a hill~
page 257. Your Audi also has
permanent all-wheel drive in add ition.
However , your Audi is not a pure offroad ve hicle.
It was not bui lt for
dr iv ing un der extreme cond it ions, e.g. for t rips that ar e in th e natur e
of an exped it io n.
Drive only on road s and offroad sections which match the design of
your vehicle and your abilities as a driver. Never take risks!
Before driving offroad
• Check the eng ine oi l level, tire pressure, coolant level, and the
fluid level in the w indshiel d wa sher rese rvoir.
• Stow luggage items and other objects in the luggage compart
me nt, and sec ure t hem agains t slid ing ar ound.
After driving offroad
• After tr ips offroad, remove a ny tw igs and other foreign objects
from the gr ill, the underbody an d the whee ls. Pay special attention to
fore ign obje cts (sto nes) wh ich have be come lodge d in the tire tr ead.
• Clean the body and the vehicle unde rside, and ins pect t he vehicle
for possib le dam age. •
Clean dirty w indows, headlamp lenses, rear lights, and lic ense
plates.
• Perform a bra ke check (pa rticul arly afte r travell ing t hrough
wate r).
& WARNING
• Drive especially attentively and plan ahead in difficult road
condit ions and when offroad. E xcessive speed or incorrect maneu
vers can cau se injurie s and damage to the vehicle .
• Always adapt your speed and driving style to road, offroad,
traffic, and weather condition s. Drive especially slowl y offroad
when your view is restricted.
• Please be aware that in ESP offroad mode, particularly on a
smooth and slippery road, the wheels may have an increased
tendency to spin and the vehicle may break away - danger of skid ding!
• Stability i s limited in the ESP offroad mode.
Avoid dama ge to t he e nvir onment and respect nature .
[ i ] Tips
O nly drive where i t is permi tted and st ay on mar ke d roads an d
paths .
Explanation of some technical terms
The follow ing data refer to ideal conditions. Depending on vehicle
load and g round condi tions a nd the enviro nment, t he num bers may ...
-~_C_ le_ a_n_ i_ n_ g=- a_ n_d__. p_ ro_ t_e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
Use a separate sponge for cleaning the w heels, door sills and ot her
reg ions exposed to road dirt. I n th is way, yo u w ill not scr atch the
paint w ith coarse part icles imbedded in the sponge the next t ime you
wash the car.
& WARNING
• Do not clean the under side of the chass is, fende rs, wheel
co ve rs, or other hard to reach parts without p rotecting your hands
and arm s. You m ay cut yourself on sharp -edged metal part s.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=;, page
278.
0 Note
• Never try to remove dirt, mud o r dust if the s urface of the vehicle
is dry . Never use a dry cloth or sponge, s ince this could scratch your
vehicle's paint or windows .
• Never was h your car in bright sunlight. Drops of water act as
m agnifying lenses and may dam age your p aint.
• When you wash yo ur car in the winter: if you rinse your vehicle w ith
a hose, be c are ful no t to aim the s tream of w ate r d ir ect ly at locks, or
at door or hatch openings - they can freeze shut.
• Never use s ponges des igned to remove inse cts, o r any ki tchen
sco uring sponges or similar prod ucts. They can damage your paint
fi ni sh .
• You shou ld remove debris (s uch as insects) from the head light
lenses o n a regu lar bas is, for examp le w hen refue ling your veh icle.
Never use a dry cloth or sponge to clean the headlights. On ly use wet
clot hs or sponges to preven t scr atches.
It is be st to use so apy water.
'00' For the sake of the environment
In the in terest of t he env ironme nt, the ve hicl e shoul d onl y be wa shed
in special wash bays. •
Washing your vehicle with a power washer
Cleaning the ex terior of your c ar with a high-pressure
po wer washer is safe as long as y ou obser ve a few sim ple
rules.
- Before using the power washer, make su re you have read
and unders tood the WA RNINGS=>
& in "General info r
ma tion" on
page 2 78.
- Always fo llow t he operat ing inst ructions fo r the powe r
washer.
- Make sure t hat the jet o n the spray hose produces a "fa n
shaped spray".
- Do
not hold the spr ay nozz le too close t o soft ma ter ials .
When cleani ng the vehicle wi th a p owe r w ashe r always follow the
operat ing instruct ions . T his applies part icu larly to the
operating
pressure
and the spraying distance. M ain tain a suffic ien t distan ce to
so ft mater ia ls such as rubber hoses and sound/vibration deaden ing
materials (particularly on the unde rside o f the engine hood). Do no t
use a jet wh ic h sprays water in a
direct stream or o ne that has a
rotating jet.
W ate r temperatu re s hou ld not ex ceed 140
°F (6 0 °().
& WARNING
Never wash tires with a jet that sprays water in a direct stream .
This could cause 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 c ause accidents
and personal injury .
~
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through use. Steam cleaners should not be used , because the steam
t ends t o push the dirt d eeper into the fa bric and lock it th ere.
Normal cleaning
Genera lly, we re commen d using a soft sponge or a lin t-free
m icrofiber cloth to the clean fabric. Brushes should on ly be used fo r
c arpets and floor m ats, s ince other fabric sur faces could be harmed
by brushes .
N orma l s ur face sta ins can be cleaned using a comme rcially avai lab le
foam cleaner . Spread t he foa m on the surface of the fabr ic w it h a soft
sponge and work it in gently . Do not saturate the fabr ic. T hen pat the
fo am dr y usin g abso rbent, dr y cl oths (e.g. microfibe r cl ot h) a nd
vacuum it afte r it has dr ied comp lete ly.
Cleaning stains
Sta ins caused by beverages (e.g. coffee, fruit ju ice, etc.) can be
treated with a mild detergen t so lutio n. Apply th e det ergent solut io n
w ith a sponge. In the case of stubborn stains, a dete rgent paste can
be applied dire ctly to t he s tain and wor ked in to the fabric . A fter
wa rds , use copious amo unts of clean water to remove the rema ining
deter gent . App ly th e wa ter w ith a damp cloth o r spo nge and pa t the
fabric d ry with an absorbent, dry cloth .
Sta ins from choco late or makeup sho uld have dete rgent paste (e.g .
ox-gall soap) ru bbed into them. Afterwards, remove the soap w ith
water (damp spo nge).
Alcoho l can be used to treat st ains fro m gre ase, oil, lips tick or a ba ll
point pen . Melted g rease o r dye must be patted off us ing absorbe nt
m ate rial. It may be ne cess ary to re tre at th e ar eas wi th deterge nt
paste a nd water .
In the case of genera l soiling of the upholste ry and cover mater ia l, we
reco mmen d hir ing a spec ialist th at has the equ ipment to clean the
seat covers and other fa bric surfaces by shampooing and s pray
ex tra ct io n.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and the informat ion
:=> page 278 .
W Tips
Ope n Velc ro fasteners on yo ur clothin g can damage the seat cover .
Please make sure that Velc ro fasteners are closed. •
Plastic parts and instrument panel
Always use a clean cloth moistened in clear water to clea n these
areas . For persistent dirt use an A udi approve d
solvent-free plastic
cleaner/protectant .
& WARNING
Solvents can change the properties of some plastics and make it
harder for the airbag to deploy.
• Never clean the instrument panel or the su rface of airbag
module s with cleaning produ ct s that contain solvents.
• Products containing solvents will make the surface of this part
porous.
• Seriou s injuries can result if plast ic parts come loose when the
airbag is deployed .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=> page 278 .
0 Note
Cleaning agents conta ining solvents will a ttack the material and can
change the way it behaves .•
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Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the engine compa rt
men t.
Always switch off the ignition before cleaning the engine=:>& .
Plenum panel
Remove leaves from the plenum panel in front of the win dshi eld
unde r th e eng ine hood . T hi s prevents the water d rain holes from
becoming b locked, and it prevents debris from entering the vehicle
inter io r th rough the heat ing and vent ilation ducts .
Corrosion protection
The eng ine compartment and transmission have been cor rosion
protected at the factory.
Good ant i-cor rosion treatment is very impo rtant , pa rtic ular ly in the
w inter . If the vehicle is frequently driven on sa lt treated roads, the
en tire eng ine compar tment and plenum p anel sho uld be thoroug hly
cleaned at the end of winter and retreated to prevent salt damage. At
t he same t ime, the underside of the vehi cle should be washed as well.
If the e ng ine compartment is clea ned at any t ime with grease
removing so lutions
2l , or i f you have the engine washed , the anti
co rros io n treatment is a lmost a lways removed as w ell.
It is t herefore
essential to have a long-last ing corrosion p rotect ion reapplied to all
surfa ces, seams, jo ints and compo nents in the engi ne co mpa rt ment .
& WARNING
Be aware: The engine compartment of any motor vehicle is a
potentially hazardous area .
• Before working in the engine compartment, be sur e to read the
information =:>
page 290.
2
l Use on ly th e co rr ect clean ing so lut ions. Never use gaso line or diese l fuel.
& WARNING (c on tinued )
• Before reaching into the front plenum panel , alway s 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
· ev en when the ignition is off.
• Do not wash, wax or dry the engine with th e engine running.
Moving or hot pa rts could injure you.
• Do not clean the underside of the chass is, fenders, wheel
covers, or other hard to reach part s without protecting your hands
and arm s. You may cut yourself on sharp-edged metal parts.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=:> page 2 78. •
labeled ask the station operator what fuel is being dispensed befo re
fi lling up yo ur vehicle.
Service stations offering Diesel f uel are generally loca ted on truck
routes or major hig hways. Directo ries of Diese l fue l stations are
usually availab le at Diese l fuel stations.
Some states in t he USA require permits to purchase Diesel fuel. Check
w ith your State Mo tor Vehicle De partment.
Diesel fuel may not be available outs ide the USA and Canada. Be sure
to check before trave ling to othe r countries .
Winter operation
At t empe ratures below 20° F (- 7° C), Die sel fue l No . 2 l oses its flu idity
due to wax separation, wh ich may clog the fuel filter or tank fi lter and
keep the engine from running .
T o help t he filte r from be ing clogged by wax, the fue l fi lter in your
vehicle is automatically preheated. Preheat ing the fuel f ilter makes
operat io n of yo ur vehicle possib le with Die sel fuel No. 2 dow n to -
10° F (-24° C).
If you expect temperat ures below 5° F (-1S° C) ask yo ur fuel dealer
whether their Diesel fuel No . 2 is suffic iently w interized for the
prevailing and expected temperat ures.
If not winterized or insuff ic ie ntly w inte riz ed Diese l fuel has already
thickened to the extent that the engine w ill not start, warm the
vehicle up by leaving i t in a heated garage.
It is normal that the eng ine noise level (dieseling) is louder during the
warm-up period in winte r. It is also normal when whitish -blue smoke
comes out of t he tailpipe afte r start ing and du ring warm-up. The
amount of smoke depends on the outside temperature .
Do not let your Diesel engine idle unnecessa rily af ter a co ld start.
Dr iv ing off slow ly w ill shorten the warm-up per iod.
Safety first
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
& WARNING
• Never use "starting as sist flu ids ." Th ey may be potentially
explo sive or cause a "run-away " engine condition . Thi s could
re sult in s eriou s engine damage and per sonal injury .
• Never u se fuel line anti -freeze off ered fo r ga soline engine s.
0 Note
• Your D iesel eng ine has been spec ifically desig ned to ope rate on ly
on Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel fue l. Therefore, never use home heating o il
or reg ular gasoline . The properties of these fuels may cause serious
damage to the fuel injection system and to t he engine . Using these
fue ls can cause expens ive eng ine repairs and will also adversely affect
your New Vehicle Lim ited Wa rranty.
• If Diese l fuel shou ld get on any rubber hose, it must be wiped off
immediately. Then wash the contaminated hose port ion w ith soap
and warm water . Do not allow Diesel fue l to remain on connecting
hoses. They may deve lop leaks and cause se rious damage. •
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
The f ue l fi ller neck is located o n the rig ht rea r side panel behind t he
fue l filler flap.
If the power locking system shou ld fai l, you can st ill open the flap
ma nually -for deta iled instructions see:::::>
page 296.
You can find the fue l tank capacity of your veh icle in
Technical Data
:::::, page 365.
The label on the inside of t he fuel filler flap tells you the correct fuel
for your veh icle. For more informat ion about fuel specifications, see
:::::>
page 291 . _,,
Vehicle care Technical data
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Your vehicle fuel tank has an on-board refuelling vapor recovery
system . This feature helps to prevent fuel vapors from escaping from
the tank and polluting the environment while you refuel your vehicle.
In order to fill the tank properly while protecting the environment,
please follow this refueling procedure carefully.
& WARNING
Under normal operating conditions, never carry additional fuel
containers in your car. Gas canisters and other containers used to
transport fuel can be dangerous. Such containers, full or empty, may leak and could cause a fire in a collision. If you must transport
fuel to use for your lawn mower, snow blower, etc., be very careful and always observe local and state laws regarding the use, trans
portation and storage of such fuel containers. Make certain the
container meets industry standards (ANSI/ASTM F852 -86).
0 Note
Never drive your vehicle until the fuel tank is completely empty. The
ir regular supply of fuel can cause misfiring. Gasoline could enter the
exhaust system and damage the catalytic converter. •
Refuelling
Fig. 224 Right rear
vehicle side: Opening
the fuel filler flap Fig
. 225 Fuel cap
hooked on the opened
fuel filler flap
When adding fuel, the ignition and any cellular phones in the
vehicle must be switched
off. When activating the central
locking, the fuel filler flap is automatically unlocked or
locked. Refuel the vehicle with the ignition turned
off.
Taking the fuel cap off
- To open the fuel filler flap, press on the left side of the
flap ~ fig. 224 -arrow-.
- Unscrew fuel filler cap counter-clockwise and hang it on
the fuel filler flap~ fig. 225.
- Check the label on the inside of the fuel filler flap to deter
mine if the vehicle must be fueled with gasoline or diesel
fuel.
Refuelling procedure
- Insert the fuel nozzle from the gasoline pump into the
fuel filler neck as far as it will go.
- Select a medium refuelling rate so that the nozzle
switches off automatically when the tank is full.
Putting the fuel cap back on
- After filling your tank, twist the fuel fi ller cap c lockwise as
f ar as it w ill go.
- Close t he fue l fi ller flap.
To avoid fuel spi lling or evapo rating from the f uel tank a lways close
fue l filler cap properly and comp lete ly . An impro perly closed fuel
filler cap may also ca use the MIL lamp~
page 30 to come on (only
vehicle s wi th gaso lin e e ngine).
& WARNING
Improper refueling or handling of fuel can cause fire, explosion
and severe burns .
• Fuel i s highly flammable and can cause severe burns and other
injuries.
• Failure to shut the engine off while refueling and /or to insert
the pump nozzle fully into the fuel filler neck could cause fuel to spray out of filler n eck or to overflow. Fuel spray and ov erflowing
fuel can cause a fire.
• Never use a cellular telephone while refueling. The electromag
netic radiation can cau se sparks that can ignite fuel vapors and
cause a fire.
• Never get back into your vehicle while refueling. If in excep
tional cir cumstan ces you must get ba ck in your v ehicle while refu
eling, make certain that you close the door and touch metal to
discharge static electricity before touching the filler nozzle again .
Static electricity can cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapo rs
released during refueling.
• Never smoke or have an open flame anywhere in o r near your
vehicle when refueling or filling a portable fue l container.
• For your safety , we strongly recommend that you do not travel
with a portable fuel container in your vehicle . The container , full
or empty may leak and could cau se a fire , especially in a crash.
Safety first
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• If, under exceptional circumstances , you must tran sport a
portable fuel container, please observe the following:
-Never fill a portable fuel container while it is anywhere in or
on the vehicle (for example, in the luggage compartment, or
on the trunk ). Static electricity can build up while filling and
can ignite fuel vapors causing a fire .
- Always place a portable fuel container on the ground before
filling .
- Always keep the filler nozzle completel y inside the portable
container before and during filling.
- If filling a portable container made of metal, the filler nozzle must always be in contact with the container. This will help
prevent static ele ctricity from discharging and cause a fire .
- Ne ver spill fuel inside the vehicle or luggage compartment .
Fuel vapor s are highly flammable.
- Always observe local and state /provincial laws regarding the
use, storage and tran sportation of fuel containers .
-Make certain the fuel container meets industry standards
( ANSI / ASTM F852-86 ).
0 Note
If any f uel has spilled o nto the ca r, it should be remove d immed iate ly
to prevent damage to the paint.
As soon as the co rrectly ope rated no zzle switches off a utomat ica lly
f or t he firs t time, the t ank i s full. Do no t try to ad d mo re fuel bec ause
fue l may spill out. In addition, the expansion space in the fuel tank
w ill be fi lled -caus ing the fue l to overf low when it becomes wa rm and
poll ute the enviro nment . .,_
Vehicle care Technical data
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
(I) Tips
• Runn ing your eng ine while refuelling may cause vapors to escape
or even cause fuel to spill out of the tank. This would then shut off the
fuel nozzle before the tank is full.
• Do not refuel your vehicle with the ignition turned on. The fuel
gauge may otherwise not ind icate the correct fuel level after refuel
ling.
• Diesel vehicles* are equipped w ith a mechanism to prevent incor
rect fueling. They can only be fueled with diesel pump nozzles. A
worn, damaged, or improperly specified nozz le may not allow this
mechanism to open, thereby preventing refueling. If you cannot
insert the pump nozzle, rotate it in the tank opening. This should
open the mechanism and allow refueling. •
Unlocking the fuel filler flap by hand
You can open the fuel filler flap by hand if the power
locking system should fail.
•
Fig. 226 Luggage
compartment: Prying
cover open Fig. 227
Luggage
compartment: Emer
gency opening of fuel
fille r flap
- Remove the right -s id e trim panel with the aid of a screw
driver => fig. 226.
- Pull the loop down in the direc tion of the arro w to unlock
the fuel filler flap=> fig . 227. •
TDI clean diesel
App lies to veh icles: w ith diese l eng ine
General information
On TOI clean diesel vehicles, an urea solution (AdBlue®) is injected
into the exhaust system before a specia l catalytic converter to reduce
nitrogen emissions.
The Ad Blue is stored in a separate tank in the vehicle and f illed during
maintenance intervals. Under norma l driving conditions, there will be
enough Ad Blue to last from one maintenance interval to the next.
Because of this, the scheduled maintenance intervals should always
be followed.
The Ad Blue usage accounts for approximately 0.5% to 1 % of the
diesel fuel that is us ed. The Ad Blue tank capacity is approximately 6
gallons (23 liters). ..,_