Page 177 of 260

-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
•
•
Page 178 of 260

1 76 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
transport fuel to use for your lawn mower,
snow blower, etc., be very careful and al
ways observe local and state laws regard
ing the use, transportation and storage of
such fuel containers. Make certain the con
tainer meets industry standards (ANSI/
ASTM F852 - 86).
(D Note
Never drive your vehicle until the fuel tank
is completely dry. The irregular supply of
fuel can cause misfiring. Gasoline could
enter into the exhaust system and damage
the catalytic converter.
Refuelling
Fig. 132 Driver's door: Un locking fuel filler flap
Fig. 133 Fuel cap hooked on the opened fue l filler flap
When adding fue l, the ignition and any ce llu
lar phones in the vehicle must be switched
off .
Taking the fuel cap off
• To open the fuel filler flap, pull the button
9fig. 132.
• Unscrew fuel filler cap counter-clockwise
and hang it on the fuel filter flap¢
fig. 133 .
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 filter
cap clockwise until you hear a definite click.
• Close the fuel filler flap.
To avoid fuel spilling or evaporating from the
fuel tank always close fuel filler cap properly and completely. An improperly closed fuel fill
er cap may also cause the MIL lamp¢
page 28
to come on.
A WARNING
Improper refueling or handling of fuel can
cause fire, explosion and severe burns.
- Fue l is highly flammable and can cause
severe burns and other injuries.
- Failure to shut the engine off while refu
eling and/or to insert the pump nozzle
fully into the fuel filter neck could cause
fuel to spray out of filler neck or to over
flow. Fuel spray and overflowing fuel can
cause a fire.
- Never use a cellular telephone while re
fueling. The electromagnetic radiation
can cause sparks that can ignite fuel va
pors and cause a fire.
- Never get back into your vehicle while re
fueling.
If in exceptional circumstances
you must get back in your vehicle while
refueling, make certain that you close
the door and touch metal to discharge
static electricity before touching the fill
er nozzle again. Static electricity can
cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors
released during refueling .
- Never smoke or have an open flame any
where in or near your vehicle when refu
eling or filling a portable fuel container.
Page 179 of 260

-For your safety, we strongly recommend
that you do not travel with a portable
fuel container in your vehicle. The con
tainer, full or empty may leak and could
cause a fire, especially in a crash.
- If, under exceptional circumstances, you
must transport 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 compart
ment, or on the trunk) . Static electrici
ty can build up while filling and can ig
nite fuel vapors causing a fire.
- Always place a portable fuel container
on the ground before filling .
-Always keep the filler nozzle complete
ly 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 electricity from dis
charging and cause a fire.
- Never spill fuel inside the vehicle or
luggage compartment. Fuel vapors are
highly flammable.
- Always observe local and state/provin
cial laws regarding the use, storage
and transportation of fuel containers
- Make certain the fuel container meets
industry standards (ANSI/ ASTM
F852-86).
(D Note
If any fuel has spilled onto the car, it
should be removed immediately to prevent
damage to the paint.
@ For the sake of the environment
As soon as the correctly operated nozzle switches off automatically for the first
time, the tank is full. Do not try to add
more fuel because fuel may spill out. In
addition, the expansion space in the fuel
tank will be filled -causing the fuel to
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 177
overflow when it becomes warm and pol
lute the environment.
a) Tips
- Running your engine while refuelling
may cause vapors to escape or even 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 igni
tion switched on. The fuel gauge may
otherwise not indicate the correct fuel
level after refuelling.
Unlocking the fuel filler flap
by hand
You can open the fuel filler flap by hand if the
power locking system should fail .
Fig. 134 Lu ggage compartment: Cover in the right
side interior trim
If the power locking system should fail, you
can still open the flap manually:
.. Open the rear lid.
.. Open the round cover in the right-side interi
or trim .
.. Remove the red plastic knob from its retain
er.
.. Pull the plastic cord in the direction of the
arrow to unlock the fuel filler flap
~fig. 134 .
Page 180 of 260

1 78 Che cking and filling
Checking and filling
Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the
vehicle .
Fig . 135 Dr iver's side footwe ll: e ngin e hood re lease
lever
.. Open the driver's door .
.. Pull the release lever on the left under the
inst rument panel
c> fig . 135 in the direction
of the arrow .
The hood pops up s light ly under spring pres
sure.
Opening the engine hood
Fi g. 136 Release lever under the eng ine hood
Before opening the engine hood, make s ure
that the windshie ld wipers are flat against the
windshie ld. Otherwise, they co uld damage the
pa in t on the hood.
.. Lift the hood slight ly
c> .&, .
.. Pul l up on the release under the hood
c> fig . 136. This releases the catch .
.. Open the hood all the way.
A WARNING
-Hot eng ine coolant can burn you.
- To reduce the risk of being b urned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coo la nt escaping from the eng ine
compa rtment . Wait unt il no steam or
coo lant can be seen o r heard before care
fu lly openi ng the hood.
Closing the engine hood
.. Pull the hood down until the pressu re from
the struts is reduced .
.. Le t t he hood
drop down and latch in p lace .
Do not try to push it shut; it may fail to en
gage
c> .&, .
A WARNING
--
A hood that is not completely latched
could fly up and b lock your view while dr iv
i ng.
- W hen you close the engine hood, check it
to make sure the safety catch has p roper
ly engaged . The hood sho uld be flush
wit h the surrou nding vehicle body parts.
- If you notice while dr iv ing that the hood
is not s ecured properly, stop at once and
close it .
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in
the engine compartment!
Whenever you must perform an y wo rk in the
eng ine compartment, for example checking
and filling the different fluids, there is a risk
of injury, burns and a ccidents. To prevent
per sonal injury alway s obs erve the following
WARNINGS. The engin e compartm ent of an y
vehicle is a hazardou s area!
c> .&.
A WARNING
To he lp avo id injury, before yo u check any
thing under the hoo d:
- Sw itch off the engi ne .
- Remove the igni tion key.
Page 181 of 260

-Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever to "P" (Park).
- Always let the engine cool down. Hot
components will burn skin on contact.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment. Wa it until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care
fully opening the hood.
- Keep children away from the engine com
partment .
- Never spill fluids on hot engine compo
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxili
ary electric fan is temperature controlled
and can switch on suddenly.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm. The cool
ant system is pressurized and hot cool
ant could spray out .
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir .
- If work on the fuel system or the electri
cal system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or
open flames. Fluids in the engine com
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal in
jury while the engine is running or being
started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
-If you must perform a check or repair
with the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever to "P" (Park).
Checking and filling 179
-Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact ing hot parts . Tie back hair before
starting, and wear no clothing that will
hang or droop into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and
chemical hazards
9 .&, .
&_ WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de
fects and reproductive harm. In addition,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con
tain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac
cessories contain lead and lead com
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc
tive harms. Wash hands after handling .
(D Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container
or filler opening, otherwise serious dam
age to vehicle systems will occur.
@ For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly . If
you see spots from oil or other vehicle flu
ids, have your vehicle inspected by an au
thorized Audi dealer. •
•
Page 182 of 260

18 0 Che cking and filling
Engine compartment
These are the most important items that you can check .
•
Fig. 137 Typ ica l layout fo r containers and eng ine oil filler cap
(D Coolant expansion tank (-L) 185
@ Eng ine o il dipstick (o range) 183
@ Engine oi l filler cap ('1:::r.) . . . . . 183
@ Brake fluid reservoir((();) . . . . . 187
® Jump start points(+) under a
cover,(-) bolt head . . . . . . . . . . 232
® Windshield/headlight washer
t . (
;;p, ) con ainer ,-!,, •••.•••. •.• •• . 192
The position of the engine o il dipstick and the
engine o il filling hole
r::> fig . 137 (items @and
@) can differ depending on the engine de
sign .
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARN INGS
c::> .& in Working in the engine
compartment on page 178.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used in your Audi needs the
right kind of oil.
T he eng ine in your Aud i is a soph ist icated
powerplant that was built to exact ing spec ifi
cat ions . T his engine needs the right kind of
engine oil that meets specifications regarding
quality and viscosity so that it can run
smooth ly and reliab ly . Choosing the right o il
and changing oil within the time and mileage
intervals printed in your vehicle's Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet matters a lot more to
day than it did years ago . Audi has developed
a spec ia l quality standard for engine oil that
will help assure that you r vehicle's engine w ill
get the lubr ication i t needs fo r proper opera
t io n.
Modern engine lubr ication has taken a quan
tum leap in the last few years. Many synthet ic
1J.
Page 183 of 260

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.
•
•
Page 184 of 260

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.