
128 Airbag system
-Even though your vehicle is equipped
with an Advanced Airbag System, make
certain that all children, especially 12
years and younger, always ride on the
back seat properly restrained for their
age and size.
- If you must install a rearward-facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circumstan
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not appear and stay on, imme
diately install the rear-facing child safety
seat in a rear seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your Audi
dealer.
- A tight tether or other strap on a rear
ward-facing child restraint attached to
the front passenger seat can put too
much pressure on the weight-sensing
mat in the seat and register more weight
than is actually on the seat. The heavier
weight registered can make the system
work as though an adult were on the seat
and deploy the Advanced Airbag when it
must be suppressed causing serious or
even fatal injury to the child.
- If, in exceptional circumstances, you
must install a forward-facing child re
straint on the front passenger seat, al
ways move the seat into its rearmost po
sition in the seat's fore and aft adjust
ment range, as far away from the airbag
as possible. The backrest must be adjust
ed to an upright position . Make sure that
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stays on all the time when
ever the ignition is switched on.
A WARNING
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not go out when an adult is sitting
on the front passenger seat after taking
the steps described above, have the air
bag system inspected by your Audi deal
er before transporting anyone on the
front passenger seat.
-
(!) Tips
If the weight-sensing mat in the front pas
senger seat detects an empty seat, the
front airbag on the passenger side will be
turned
off, and PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
will stay on.
Repair , care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are installed at
many different places on your Audi. Installing,
removing, servicing or repairing a part in an
area of the vehicle can damage a part of an
airbag system and prevent that system from
working properly in a collision.
There are some important things you have to
know to make sure that the effectiveness of
the system will not be impaired and that dis
carded components do not cause injury or pol
lute the environment.
A WARNING
-Improper care, servicing and repair proce-
dures can increase the risk of personal in
jury and death by preventing an airbag from deploying when needed or deploying
an airbag unexpectedly:
- Never cover, obstruct, or change the
steering wheel horn pad or airbag cover
or the instrument panel or modify them
in any way.
- Never attach any objects such as cup
holders or telephone mountings to the
surfaces covering the airbag units.
- For cleaning the horn pad or instrument
panel, use only a soft, dry cloth or one
moistened with plain water. Solvents or
cleaners could damage the airbag cover
or change the stiffness or strength of the material so that the airbag cannot de
ploy and protect properly.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts
of the airbag system.
- All work on the steering wheel, instru
ment panel, front seats or electrical sys-
tem (including the installation of audio
II),

(D Note
To avoid scratching the display, you should never clean it dry.
Aluminum trim
Use only neutr al- pH products to remove spots
and depos its from alum inum surfaces.
Chrome care products and alkaline cleaners
will attack alum inum su rfaces and can dam
age them over time.
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
t he information<=>
page 162.
Fabrics and fabric coverings
Fabrics and fabric coverings (e .g. seats, door
trim panels, etc.) should be cleaned at regular
interva ls with a vacuum cleaner. T his removes
surface dirt particles which could become em
bedded in the fabr ic through use. Steam
cleaners should not be used, because the
steam tends to push the dirt deeper into the
fabric and lock it there.
Norm al cleaning
Generally, we recommend using a soft sponge
or a lint-free microfiber cloth to the clean fab
ric. Brushes should only be used for carpets
and floor mats, s ince other fabric surfaces
could be harmed by b rushes .
Normal surface sta ins can be cleaned using a
commercially available foam cleaner . Spread
the foam on the surface of the fabric with a
soft sponge and work it in gently . Do not satu
rate the fabric. Then pat the foam d ry using
absorbent, dry cloths (e.g. microfibe r clo th)
and vacuum it afte r it has dr ied comp lete ly.
Cl eaning stains
Stains caused by beve rages (e .g. coffee, fruit
juice, etc.) can be t reated with a mild deter
gent solution. App ly the dete rgent so lution
wi th a sponge. In the case of s tubbor n stains,
a detergent paste can be applied directly to
Cleaning and protec tion 169
the stain and worked into the fabric. After
wards, use copious amounts of clean water to
remove the rema in ing detergent. Apply the
water with a damp cloth or sponge and pat
the fabric dry with an absorbent, dry cloth.
Stains from choco late or makeup should have
detergent paste (e.g . ox-gall soap) rubbed in
to them. Afterwards, remove the soap with
water (damp sponge).
A lcohol can be used to treat stains from
grease, o il, lipstick or a ballpoint pen. Melted
grease or dye must be patted off using ab
sorbent mater ial. It may be necessary to re
treat the areas with detergent paste and wa
te r.
In the case of genera l soiling of the uphols
tery and cover material, we recommend hir ing
a specia list that has the equipment to clean
t h e seat covers and othe r fabr ic surfaces by
shampooing and spray extraction .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the info rmation
<=> page 162.
@ Tips
Open Velcro fasteners on your clothing can
damage the seat cover. Please make sure
that Ve lcro fasteners are closed.
Plastic parts and instrument panel
A lways use a clean clo th moistened in clea r
water to clean these areas . For pe rsistent d irt
u se an Aud i approved
solvent-free p lastic
clea ner/protectant.
A WARNING
Solvents can change the properties of
some plastics and make it harder for the
a irbag to deploy.
-
- Never clean the instrument panel or the
surface of Airbag modu les with cleaning
products that co nta in solvents .
- Products containing solvents will make
the surface of this part porous. •
•

170 Cleaning and protection
-Serious injuries can result if plastic parts
come loose when the airbag is deployed.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
¢page 162.
(D Note
Cleaning agents containing solvents will
attack the material and can change the
way it behaves.
Instrument cluster glass
~ Clean the glass with a soft, damp cloth .
In order to preserve the anti-glare properties
of the instrument cluster glass, it should only
be cleaned with a soft, damp cloth.
Natural leather
Applies to vehicles: with natural leather
Audi makes great efforts to maintain the
properties , natural look and feel of interior
leather.
General
We offer many different types of leather on
our vehicles. Most are different types of nappa
leather, which has a smooth surface and
comes in various colors .
The intensity of the color determines the visu
al characterist ics and appearance. If the sur
face of the leather has a typical natural look,
then the leather is a nappa leather that has
been left in a relatively natural condition. This
leather offers par ticularly good com fort and
breathes well . Fine veins, closed grains , insect
bites, skin folds , and subtle variations in color
remain visible. These characteristics demon
strate that the material is natural.
Natural nappa leather is not covered by a col
or finish .
It is therefore more sensitive to soil
ing and wear, which is something you need to
consider if children, animals or other factors
might prove to be particularly hard on the
leather.
By contrast, leather types that are covered by
a colored finish layer are more durable. This has a positive effect on the leather's resist
ance to wear and soiling in daily us
e. On the
other hand, the typical characteristics of natu
ral leather are barely or not apparent. Howev
er, this does not mean that the leather itself
is of inferior quality .
Care and handling
Because of the exclusive nature of the types of
leather that Audi uses and their unique prop
erties (such as sensitivity to oils, grease, soil
ing, etc.), you will need to be somewhat care
ful with these leathers, and a certain type of care is required. For example, dark clothing
materials can discolor leather seats (especial
ly if such clothing is damp and was not dyed
correctly) . Dust and dirt particles in pores,
folds, and seams can have an abrasive effect
and can damage the leather surface as well as
weaken seams.
The leather should be cleaned regularly as
needed. After having been used for a relatively
long time, your leather seats will acquire a
rich aged finish. This is a characteristic of nat
ural leather and a sign of true quality .
In order to maintain the value of this natural
product over the life of your vehicle, you
should follow the recommendations below:
(D Note
- To keep your leather from bleaching out,
do not allow it to be exposed to bright
sunlight for long periods of time. If you
have to leave the vehicle parked outside
for long periods, cover the leather to
protect it from direct exposure to sun
light .
- Sharp objects on clothing, such as zip
pers, rivets or sharp pieces on belts can
leave permanent scratches or scrape
marks on the surface of the leather.
(l) Tips
-After each time you clean the leather and
at regular intervals, use a leather preser
vative creme that contains UV-blockers
and that works into the leather. This

-Blend must contain not more than 15%
MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform
espec ially we ll for winter or summer driving.
During seasonal change-over, we suggest that
you fill up at busy gas stat ions where the sea
sonal adjustment is more likely to be made in
time .
(D Note
-Methanol fuels which do not meet these
requirements may cause corrosion and
damage to plastic and rubber compo
nents in the fuel system .
- Do not use fue ls that fail to meet the
specified criter ia in this chapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether
or not a particular fue l blend meets the
specifications, ask your service station or
its fuel supp lier.
- 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 responsibility of Audi and are not
covered under the New Vehicle or the Emission Control System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fuel economy
or driveability and performance prob l ems 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 manufac
turers 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 gasoline grades contain
substances that can cause deposits to collect
on vital engine parts, such as fuel injectors
and intake valves. Although most gasoline brands include additives to keep engine and
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 175
fuel systems clean, they are not equally effec
tive .
A udi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline. For more information on TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline, please go to the official
website (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended period of using inadequate
fuels, built-up carbon deposits can rob yo ur
engine of peak performance.
Q) Note
Damage or malfunction due to poor fue l
quality is not covered by the Aud i New Ve
hicle Limited Warranty.
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
side panel behind the fuel fille r flap.
If the unlocking system should fail, you can
still open the flap manually -for detailed in
structions see ¢
page 177.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your ve
hicle in
Technical Data ¢ page 239.
The label on the inside of the fuel fi ller flap
tells you the correct fue l for your vehicle. For
more information about fuel specifications,
see ¢
page 174.
Your vehicle fue l tank has an on -board refue l
li ng 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 fo llow this refueling procedure careful
ly.
_&. WARNING
Under normal operating conditions, never
carry additional fue l conta iners in yo ur car.
Gas canisters and other containers used to
transport f uel can be dangero us. Such con
tainers, full or empty, may leak and could
cause a fire in a collision. If you must
•
•

oils available today provide better engine lu
brication that can outlast traditional petrole
um-based oils, making them a smart choice
for use throughout the life of your Audi.
Whether you use synthetic or petroleumbased engine oil, the oil that you use must
conform to Audi's oil quality standard
VW 502 00 to help keep your vehicle's engine running smoothly and help prevent the for
mation of harmful deposits, sometimes called
" sludge," that over t ime can lead to expensive
repairs .
At the time of printing, engine oils available in the U .S . and Canada that meet the exacting
specifications of Audi oil standard VW 502 00
are synthetic engine oils . This does not mean,
however, that every synthetic engine oil will
meet Audi oil standard VW 502 00. So always
be sure that you use an approved oil.
To help prevent the formation of harmful de posits use only oil with the following specifi
cations printed on the oil container :
Audi oil standard VW S02 00
Oil container labels may carry the specifica
tion singly or in combination with other desig
nations and oil quality standards .
Viscosity
Engine oils are graded according to their vis
cosity . The proper viscosity grade oil for your
engine depends on climactic or seasonal con
ditions where you drive. You can use oil with a
viscosity grade of SA E SW40 across all tem
perature ranges for normal driving conditions.
However, if engine oil viscosity grade SAE
SW40 is not available, you can also use viscos
ity grade SAE SW-30 or SAE OW-40 as long as
it meets Audi oil quali ty standard VW 502 00
specifications .
Because engine oil that meets the Audi oil
standard may not be available everywhere
when you need it, we strongly recommend
that you always carry with you an extra quart (liter) of oil that expressly conforms to the
Checking and filling 181
VW 502 00 specification, in case you have to
top
off the oil while on the road.
Only if the level of the oil is at or below the
minimum mark on the oil dipstick - and no oil
that expressly conforms to Audi oil standard
VW 502 00 specifications is available - may
you top
off with a high quality engine oil, pref
erably synthetic-based, that meets ACEA A3,
ACEA AS or ACEA BS or AP! SL specifications,
but even then, only in viscosity grades SA E
SW-40, SAE SW-30, or SAE OW-40 . However,
during the entire time between oil change in
tervals , never top
off with more than a total
of 0 .5 qt/liter engine oil that does not con
form to Audi oil specification VW 502 00.
For more information about engine oil that
has been approved for your vehicle, please
contact either your autho rized Audi dealer or
Audi Customer Relations at 1 (800) 822-2834
or visit our web site at www.audiusa .com or
www.audicanada.ca . Here you will also find a
current list of oils (manufacturers, brand
names etc.) that conform to Audi oil standard
vw 502 00.
Changing the engine oil
The engine oil and oil filter must be changed
according to the mileage (kilometers) and
time intervals specified in your vehicle's War
ranty
& Maintenance booklet. Do not exceed
these intervals -harmful deposits from old
engine oil can reduce engine performance and
can lead to expensive engine repairs.
Changing the oil at the recommended inter
vals is so very important because the lubricat
ing properties of oil decrease gradually during
normal vehicle use . If you are not sure when
you have your oil changed, ask your author
ized Audi Serv ice Adv isor .
Under some circumstances the engine oil
should even be changed more frequently. Change oil more often if you drive mostly
short distances, operate the vehicle in dusty
areas or mostly under stop-and-go traffic con
ditions, or when you use your vehicle where
temperatures stay below freezing point for
long periods.
•
•

182 Checking and filling
Deterge nt additives in the o il wi ll make fresh
oil look dark after the engine has been run
n ing for a short time . This is norma l and is not
a reason to change the oil more often than recommended.
D am ag e o r m alfun ction s due to lack of
m ainten ance
It is essent ial that yo u change your oil at the
recommended intervals using only engine oil
that complies with Audi oi l standard
VW 502 00. Yo ur Limited New Veh icle War
ranty does not cover damage or malfunctions
due to failure to follow recommended mainte
nance and use requ irements as set forth in
the Audi Owner's Manual and Warranty& Maintenance book let . Your dea ler will have to
deny warranty coverage un less you p resen t to
the dea ler proof in the form of Servi ce or Re
pa ir Orde rs that all schedu led maintenance
was performed in a timely manner.
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an ade
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool all
of its moving ports.
I n o rder to prov ide effective lubr ication and
cooling of internal engine components, a ll in
ternal comb ustion engines consume a certain
amount of oil. Oi l consumption varies from
engine to engine and may change significantly
over the life of the eng ine . Typically, eng ines
with a specif ied break-in period (see
c::;, page 157) consume more oil during the
break-in per iod than they consume after oil
consumption has stabilized .
Under normal conditions, the rate of oil con
sumpt io n depends on the quality and viscosity
of the oil, the RPM (revolutions per m inute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient
temperature and road cond it io ns. Furthe r fac
tors are the amo unt of o il d ilution from wate r
condensation or fuel residue and the ox ida
tion level of the oi l. As any engine is s ubject to
wear as mileage bui lds up, the oil consump
tion may increase over t ime until replacement
of worn components may become necessary. Wi
th a ll these variab les coming into p lay, no
standard rate of oil consumption can be es
tab lished or spec ified. There is no alte rnative
to regular and frequent check ing of the o il lev
el, see
Note .
If the yellow engine oil leve l warning symbo l
in the instr ument cluster
m lights up, yo u
sho uld check the oil leve l as soon as possib le
with the oil dipstick c::;, page 183. Top off the
o il at your earliest conve nience
c::;, page 183 .
A WARNING
-Before you chec k anything in the engine
compartment, a lways read and heed a ll
WAR NIN GS
c::;, .& in Working in the engine
comportment on page 178.
CI) Note
D riving with an insufficient o il level is like
l y to cause sever e damage to the engine.
(D Tips
- The oil pressure warn ing display. is
not an indicator of the oil level. Do not
re ly on it . Instead, check the oil level in
your engine at r egular interval s, pr ef
erably e ach time you refu el, and always
before going on a long trip.
- If you have the impressio n yo ur engine
cons umes ex cessive amoun ts of oil, we
recommend that you consult your Aud i
dealer to have the cause of your concern
properly diagnosed. Keep in mind that
the accurate meas urement of o il con
sumption requ ires great care and may
take some t ime . Your Audi dea ler has in
struct ions about how to measure oil con
sumption acc urately.

184 Checking and filling
- If your skin has come in contact with the
engine oil, you must subsequent ly
cleanse it thoroughly.
- The oil level must not be above range
G)
-danger of converter or engine damage!
Contact an a uthorized dea lership to draw
off o il, if necessary.
- Audi does not recommend the use of o il
addit ives. They may damage the engine
and adve rsely affect you r New Vehicle
War ranty .
@i For the sake of the environment
-Under no circumstances can the oil come
i n contact with the sewage network or
the soil.
- Observe and follow lega l regu lations
when disposing of empty oil containers.
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by
an authorized Audi dealer or a qualified serv
ice station .
Before you check anything in the engine com
partment,
always read and heed all WARN·
INGS
¢ .&. in Working in the engine comport·
menton page 178 .
The engine oil must be changed according to
the intervals specified in your Warranty
&
Maintenance book let . T his is very important
because the l ubricating prope rties of oil di
minish gradua lly dur ing no rmal veh icle use .
Under some circumstances the engine o il
should be changed more frequently . Change
oil more often if you drive most ly short dis
tances , ope rate the vehicle in dusty areas or
u nder predominantly stop -and-go t raffi c con
d itions, or have your veh icle w here tempe ra
tures rema in below free zin g fo r ex tended pe
riods .
D ete rge nt add it ives in the o il w ill ma ke fresh
oil look dark after the eng ine has been run
n ing fo r a shor t time. This is no rm al and is not a
reason to change t he oil more often than
recommended.
B ecau se of the p rob lem of p roper dispos al,
along wi th the specia l tools and necessa ry ex
pert ise req uired, we st rongly recommend tha t
yo u have your oil changed by an a uthorized
Audi dealer or a qualified service station.
If you choo se to change your oil your self ,
please note the fo llowing important info rma
tion:
A WARNING
-To reduce the risk of pe rsonal in jury if you
must change the eng ine oil in your vehicle
yourself:
- Wear eye protection.
- To reduce the risk of burns from hot en-
g ine oil, let the engine cool down to the
touch.
- When removing the o il dra in p lug with
your fingers, stay as far away as possib le.
Always keep your forearm parallel to the
ground to help prevent hot oil from run·
n ing down your arm.
- Dra in the oil into a container designed
for this purpose, one la rge enough to
hold a t least the tota l amount of oi l in
your e ng in e.
- Engine oil is poisonous . Keep it we ll out
of the reach of childre n.
- Continu ous contact wit h used eng ine o il
is harmful to yo ur s kin. Always protec t
your skin by washing oil off tho ro ughly
wit h soap an d wate r.
(D Note
Never mix oil additives with your engine
o il. These additives can damage your e n·
gin e and adversely affect your Audi Limit
ed New Veh icle Warranty.
@ For the sake of the environment
-Befo re changi ng your oil, first make s ure
you know where you can prope rly dispose
of t he used oil.
- Always dispose of used eng ine oi l proper -
ly. Do not dump it on garden soil,
IJJ,-

188 Checking and filling
If the brake fluid level falls considerably be
l ow the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/indi
cator light (U .S . mode ls: . , Canadian
models: .) will come on
¢ page 16 and
¢ page 30. Do not continue to operate the ve
h icle . The complete brake system shou ld be
thoroughly checked by an authorized A ud i
dea ler o r othe r qualified facility and t he cause
corrected. If the bra ke fluid level is too low,
the bra ke warning/ind ic a tor ligh t will illum i
nate . Contact an authorized Aud i dea ler
im
mediatel y.
Changing brake fluid
Hove the broke fluid changed by on experi
enced technician.
B rake fl uid abso rbs mois ture from the a ir. If
the water content in the b ra ke fluid i s too
h igh, corros ion in the brake sys tem may result
after a period of t ime . The boi ling point o f the
b rake fluid wi ll also decrease considerab ly and
decrease braking per formance.
T herefore, the brake flu id mus t be changed
every two year s. Always use new b rake fluid
which conforms to Fede ral Motor Vehicle
Standard "FMVSS 116 DOT 4".
T he brake flu id rese rvoi r can be difficul t to
reach, therefo re, we recommend that yo u
have the brake f luid changed by yo ur autho r
ized
Audi dealer . Your dealer has the correct
too ls, the right b rake f luid and the know-how
to do this for you.
A WARNING
- B rake fluid is poiso nous . It mus t be stor
ed only in th e closed orig inal con tainer
o ut of the reac h of children!
- Brake fa ilure can result from old o r inap
propriate b ra ke fluid. Observe these pre
c aut ions:
- Use o nly brake fluid t hat meets SAE
specif ication
J 1703 and confo rms to
Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 116.
Always check with your a uthorized Audi
dealer to make s ure you are using the
correct brake fl uid. T he correct type of brake flu
id is also ind icate d on the
brake f lu id rese rvoir.
- The brake fl uid must be new . Heavy use
of the brakes can cause a vapo r lock if
the brake fluid is left in the system too
long . This can se riously affect the effi
c iency of t he brakes as well as your
safe ty. This co uld resu lt in a n accide nt.
([) Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your
vehicle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because o f the prob lem of prope r disposal
of brake fluid as well as t he spec ial too ls
required and the necessary expertise, we
recomme nd t hat yo u have th e brake flu id
cha nged by yo ur autho rize d Au di dea le r.
Battery
General information
Your ve hicl e is equipped with a specia l bat
tery, an
ACM battery. This battery is located
in t he luggage compartment and must be re
placed with an origina l equipment battery.
U nder normal opera ting condit ions, the bat
te ry is
maintenance-fr ee .
Have the battery checked when you take your
vehicle in for se rv ice . You a re well advised to
replace a battery that is o lde r th an 5 years .
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle functions (power window reg u
lators, for example) are lost if the battery te r
mina ls are disconnected. T hese functions have
to be relearned after the battery termina ls are
connected aga in . T o prevent t his, t he battery
shou ld only b e disconne cted from the ve hicle
ele ct ric al sy stem w hen abso lutely ne cessary
f o r rep air s.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you are go ing to let your vehicle stand for a
long time a nd not drive it, you should remem
ber there are elect rical components which a re
Ill-