2011 AUDI TT ROADSTER check engine

80 On the road
On the road
Steering
Adjusting the steering wheel column
The steering wheel position can be continu­
ously adjusted in height and distance .
Fig. 89 Lever under the steer ing co lu m n
First, adjust the driver's seat correctly .
• Push the lever
c::> fig . 89 -Arrow -c::> ,&.
• Move the steer ing wheel to the desired posi­
t ion.
• Push the lever against the steering column
until it locks.
There must be at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­
tween your chest and the center of the steer­
i ng wheel. If you cannot sit more than 10 in­
ches (25 cm) from the steering whee l, see if
adaptive equipment is available to help you reach the pedals and increase the distance
from the steering whee l.
F or detai led information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
c::> page 68.
A WARNING
Improper use of steeri ng wheel adjust­
ment and improper seating position can
cause serious personal injury.
- Adjust the steer ing whee l co lumn on ly
when the vehicle is not moving to pre­
vent loss of veh icle control.
- Adjust the driver's seat or steering wheel
so that there is a minimum of 10 inches
(25 cm) between your chest and the
steering wheel
¢ page 99 , fig. 107. If
yo u cannot maintain this min imum dis- tance, the airbag system cannot protect
you proper ly.
- If physical limitations prevent you from
sitting 10 inches (25 cm) or more from
the steering wheel, check with your au­
thorized Audi dealer to see if adaptive equ ipment is ava ilable .
- If the steer ing wheel is aligned with your
face, the supplementa l driver's a irbag
cannot provide as much protection in an
accident . Always make sure that the
steer ing wheel is aligned with your
chest.
- Always hold the steering wheel w ith your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
tions to reduce the risk of persona l injury
if the driver's airbag dep loys .
- Never hold the stee ring wheel at the 12
o'clock position or with your hands inside
the steeri ng wheel rim or on the steering
wheel hub . Holding the steering wheel
the wrong way can cause serious injuries
to the hands, arms and head if the driv­
er's airbag deploys.
Ignition lock and
ignition switch
Ignition lock
The ignition key starts or stops the engine.
Fig . 90 Ign iti on lock pos it ions
Igniti on off ©
In pos ition c::> fig . 90 @ both the ignition and
engine are off , and the steering is locked .
T o
loc k th e steering after you have removed
the ignition key, turn the steering whee l in ei ­
ther direction until you hear it lock into place .
1)),-

156 Intelligent technology
If starting capability is jeopa rdized due to en­
ergy consumption, a message appears in the
driver information disp lay.
You have to start the engine to charge the
battery.
With the engine running
A lthough electrical energy is generated when
the vehicle is being driven, the battery can be­
come discharged. This happens most ly when
little energy is being generated and a great
deal consumed and the battery's state o f
charge is not optima l.
To bring the energy balance back into equili­
brium, consumers which require especially
l arge amounts of energy are temporarily cut
back or switched off. Heating systems in par­
ticular require a great dea l of energy. If you
notice, for example, that the heated seats* or
the heated rear window are not heating, they
have been temporar ily cut back or switched
off. These systems will be ava ilable again as
soon as the energy balance has been restored.
You will also notice that engine idle speed has been increased slightly . This is normal and not
a cause for concern . By increas ing engine idle
speed the add itiona l energy required is gener­
ated and the battery is charged.
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display
If battery power drops into the range where it
can limit the ability of the engine to start, th is
is shown in the instrument cluster display
with the following driver message:
(•) Low battery charge : battery will be
charged while driving
This notification reminds you that the starting
capability of the engine may be limited. As
soon as you start driving again, the battery
will be recharged and the notification will go
out.
Driver notification appears and goes out
again
If this driver notification appears after the ig­
nition is turned on or whi le driving and it goes
out again after a while, the battery has been
adequately recharged.
Driver notification appears and does not
go out again
If this driver notif ication appears after the ig­
nition is turned on or while driving and does
not go out again, the battery 's state of charge
is not in the optimal range. Starting ability is
restricted . Have the battery checked as soon
as possible by an autho rized Aud i dea le r o r
qualified wo rkshop.

158 Driving and en vi ro nm ent
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc ., make certain that
low-lying parts such as spoilers and exhaust
system parts do not bottom out and get dam­
aged.
This is especially true for vehicles with low­
slung chassis (sports chassis) and fully loaded
vehicles .
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when driving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- T he water must not be any highe r tha n the
bottom of the vehicle body.
- Do not d rive faster than wa lking speed.
_& WARNING
After d riving through wate r, m ud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because o f wet brake rotors and pads . Dry
the brakes first by braking carefully to re­
store the full braking effect.
(]) Note
Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmiss ion, suspension or electrical sys ­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water.
- Check the depth of the water before driv ­
ing through it.
- Do not stop the veh icle, drive in reverse
or switch the engine
off when driving
through water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may create waves that raise the water
level and make it too deep for your vehi­
cle to drive through safely.
- Avoid driving thro ugh salt water because
it can ca use corrosion.
-
Catalytic converter
It is very important that your emission con­
trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in an environmentally sound manner.
.. Always use lead-free gasoline ¢ page 17 4,
Fuel supply .
.. Never run the tank down all the way to emp­
ty.
.. Never put too much motor o il in your eng ine
r::;> page 183, Adding engine oil~-
.. Never try to p ush- or tow-sta rt your vehicle.
The catalytic converter is an efficient "clean­
up" dev ice built into the exhaust system of
t h e vehicle. The cata lytic conve rter bu rns
many of the pollutants in the exha ust gas be ­
f ore they are re leased into the atmosphere.
T he exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critically
impor tant for the life of the catalyt ic convert­
er and prope r funct ion ing of the engine.
A WARNING
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exha ust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fue l spill or other material wh ich can
cause a fire.
- Do not app ly additiona l undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat sh ields. Dur ing driv ing, the
substance used fo r undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
(D Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will already ser iously de-
grade the performance of the catalytic
converter .
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
¢page 183.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty . The engine could mis-
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into ..,.

160 Driving and en vi ro nment
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel .
.,. Shut the engine off when you are not dr iving
the vehicle.
.,. Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the
engine run at idle .
It makes sense to shut
off the engine in traffic
jams, when waiting for trains to pass at ra il­
road crossings, or at traff ic l ights that have
l ong wa its on red . Turning the engine
off fo r
just 30-40 seconds saves more fue l than is
burned starting the eng ine again .
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fu lly when it is running at idle . However , wear
and nox ious em issions are especially high
when the engine is warming up. So you should
drive away as soon as you start the engine and
avoid running at high RPMs whi le the engine
is sti ll warming up.
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af­
ter starting . If warning lights should come
on to indicate imp roper operation, they
wou ld go unheeded. Extended idling also
produces heat, which cou ld result in over­
heating or other damage to the vehicle or
other property .
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a
lot of fuel .
... Have your vehicle serv iced at regular inter-
vals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
Audi dea ler helps to ensure that it runs prop­
erly and economica lly. The cond it ion of yo ur
vehicle not only affects its safety and ability to
hold its value, it also affects fuel consump­
tion .
Check you r oil ea ch time you fill you r tank. T
he amount o f oi l used is re lated to engine
load and speed.
It i s normal fo r the oil consump tion of a new
engine to reach its lowest value after a certa in
mileage has been d riven.
You must drive your veh icle about 3,000 m iles
(S,000 kilometres) before yo u can properly
assess oil consumpt ion.
T his also app lies to fue l consumption and en­
gine o utput.
(D Note
- Have your veh icle ma inta ined properly
and in acco rdance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Wa rranty
& Main­
t enance boo klet . Lack of p roper ma inte­
nance as well as improper use of the ve­
hicle will impair the function of the
emission contro l system and cou ld lead
to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Emission Control System unless ap­
proved
by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such
as heat sh ie lds, switches, ign it ion w ires,
valves, which are designed to protect
your vehicle's Emission Control System and other important vehicle compo­
nents.
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively
high on short trips .
.,. Try to avoid driv ing short distances w ith a
cold engine .
T he engine and cata lytic converter have to
reach their opt imal operat ing temperature to
reduce fuel consumption and nox ious emis­
s ions effectively .
- Ju st after starting, a cold engine in a mid­
size car burns the fue l at a poor rate of 6-8
m iles per gallon (30-40 l/l00km). Half a
m ile down the road , the mileage improves
to 12 MPG (20 l/100 km). It w ill take the
ll>

172 Cleaning and protection
• Once the stain is no longer visib le, use a soft
dry cloth or tissu e to soak up the moisture .
Do not use leather cleaning produc ts on Al ­
cantara .
You may use a suitable shampoo fo r remov ing
dust and dirt.
Dust and grit in the pores and seams can
scratch and damage the surface . If the car is
l eft stand ing i n the sun fo r long pe riods, the
A lcantara should be p rotected against direc t
sun light to preven t it from f ad ing. Slig ht color
va ria tions will develop in normal use an d are
not an indication of material deterioration .
CI) Note
-Never use chemi cal solven ts (e.g. lighter
fl uid , turpentine), waxes, shoe po lish or
s imilar products on Alcantara ® sur faces.
- To avoid damage, have stubborn stains
r emoved by a commerc ia l cleaning spe ­
cia list.
- Do no t use br ushes, st iff sponges or sim­
ilarly abrasive cleaning a ids.
Safety belts
Only well-maintained safety belts work relia ­
bly when ne eded .
Heavily soiled safety belts may not retr act
p rope rly.
• Keep be lts clean.
• For cleaning, use a m ild soap and wate r sol­
u tio n. Le t be lts d ry thoro ughly and away
from direct s unli gh t.
• Do no t all ow ine rtia reel safety be lts to re­
t ract before they are completely d ry .
• Check the condition of your safety belts
reg­
ularly.
A WARNING
Damaged safety belts can break in a crash.
1l Use o nly th e co rrec t cle anin g so lu ti on s. Ne ver use gas­
oli ne or d ie se l fuel.
- Anyth ing that might damage yo ur sa fety
be lts could mean that you and your pas­
sengers would not be adequate ly pro ­
tected in an accident .
- Safety belt performance depends on co r­
rect insta llation. Never remove be lts
from the veh icle to clean them .
- Do not use chemical clea ning agents,
b leach or dyes . They have corrosive prop­
ert ies which wea ken the webb ing .
- When clean ing your safety be lts, inspect
them for damage . If you discover dam ­
age, see your Audi dea ler .
'
-Always read a nd heed a ll WARNINGS and
the information
<=;> page 162 .
Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en­
gine compar tment.
Always switch off the ignition before clean­
ing the engine<=;>.&, .
Plenum panel
Remove leaves from the plenum panel in front
of the w indshield under the eng ine hood . This
preve nts the water drain holes from becomin g
block ed, and it prevents debris from enter ing
the ve hicle interio r thr ough the heating and
ventilat ion duc ts.
Corrosion protection
T he eng ine compartment and transmission
have been corrosion -protected at the factory .
G ood anti- corrosio n treatmen t is very impor­
tant, par ticul arly in the w inter.
If the vehi cle
is frequently driven on salt t reated roads, the
entire engine compa rtment an d plen um panel
sho uld be thoro ughly cleaned at the end of
winter and retreated to prevent salt damage.
At the same time, the unde rside of the vehicle
shou ld be washed as well.
If the engine compa rtment is cleaned at any
time with grease remov ing solutions
1> , or if ..,.

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.

-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. •
•

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.