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 ..,.
the exhaust system and this could cause
the catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not turn off the ignition while the ve
hicle is moving .
- Do not con tinue to operate yo ur vehicle
under these conditions, as otherwise fuel
can reac h the cata lytic converter . This
could result in overheating of the con
verter, requ iring its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis
sion Control System:
- Have your veh icle ma inta ined properly
and in acco rdance with the service rec
ommendations in your Wa rranty
&
Ma intenance booklet.
- La ck of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impa ir
t he funct ion of the emission control
system and cou ld lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Contro l System is
operating p roperly, t he exhaus t gas can
have a s ulfu r- like exhaust gas smell under
some operating states. This depends on
the s ulfur content o f the fue l being used.
Using a different brand of fuel may help,
or filling the tank w ith lead-free super
grade gasoline .
Operate your vehicle
economically and
minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex
haust and noise levels .
Fuel economy, environmental impact, and
wear on your engine, brakes and t ires largely
depend on three factors :
- your persona l driving style
- operating conditions
- technical lim itations
I f you anticipate w hat you need to do nex t and
d rive economically, you can eas ily cut your
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 159
fuel consumption by 10 -15 percent. This sec
tion w ill give yo u some tips on how you can
help the env ironment and your pocketbook .
(D Tips
The cons umption estimates as publishe d
by ENVIRONME NTAL PROTEC TION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre
spond to your actual consumption on the road, which will vary depending upon vehi
cle load and speed, road and weather con
dit ions, trip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac
celerating.
Avoid unnecessary accelerat ing and braking .
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac
ce lerat ing . If you anticipate what is going to
happe n next, you will need to brake less and,
th us, accele rate less . Let the vehicle coast
whenever possible -for examp le when you see
that the next t raff ic light is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
"' Try and keep well below your car's maximum
speed.
Acce lerat ing gently reduces fue l consump
tion, eng ine wear, and does not disturb the
environment.
Fuel consumpt ion, exhaust emiss ions and en
gine noise increase disproportionately at high
speeds. If you drive at app roximately three
quarte rs of top speed, fuel consumption w ill
be reduced by one half. Nev er drive faster
t h an the posted speed limit and weathe r con
ditions perm it.
•
•
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>
engine no less than two and a half miles
(4 km) of driving to warm up to its proper
operating tempe ratu re and ope rate at an
economic mileage. This explains w hy taking
t h e car for s hort tr ips is a rather wastefu l
convenience .
- The
outs ide temperature is also cr itical in
t hi s regard. Your car consumes more fuel in
the winter than in the summer .
Trailer towing
General information
Your Audi TT Roadster is not designed to tow
a trailer.
Tow ing a tra ile r with you r Audi T T Roadste r is
n ot re commended and can ca use damage to
t he car . D ama ged ca use d by towing a trailer is
not covered by your Aud i Warranty.
Driving and environment 161
•
•
162 Cleaning and protection
Cleaning and
protect ion
General information
Regular care preserves vehicle value .
Any automobile is exposed to industr ial
f umes, corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after pu rchase . Regula r and correct care w ill con
tr ibute to maintain ing the beauty and value of
your Aud i.
Furthermore , good care may be a condition
for substantiating a warranty claim should
corrosion damage or paint de fects occur.
Your authorized Audi dealer has a variety of
dedicated vehicl e-care products and can ad
v ise wh ich ones to use for cleaning the exter i
or and inte rior of your vehicle .
Whether you use produc ts recommended by
Aud i or other commercially ava ilable clean ing
agents, please make sure you apply t hem cor
r ectly .
A WARNING
-Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them o ut of t he rea ch of childre n.
- Heed a ll ca ution labels.
- Always read directions on th e co ntai ner
b efore using a ny product . Follow the di
rec tions caref ully.
- Most chemical cleaners a re concentrat ed
and have to be diluted.
- Use spot removing fluids only in well
ventilated areas.
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, d iesel
fuel, nail pol is h remover or ot her volati le
fluids. They may be toxic, flammab le or
h azar dou s in other w ays. Do not was h,
w ax or dry the vehicle wi th the ig nit ion
on or the eng ine running .
- D o not cl ea n the under sides of ch assis,
f en ders, wheel cove rs , etc. without pro
tectin g your hands and a rms. You may
c u t yourself on s harp-ed ged metal parts . -
Moisture and ice on b rakes may impair
brak ing eff ic iency
c::> page 151 , General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash t he vehicle .
@ For the sake of the environment
Select on ly environ mentally friendly clean
i ng products. Leftover cleaning products
s hou ld not d isposed of in the househo ld
waste .
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protects the vehicle .
The best p rotection against environmen tal i n
fluences is
frequent wash ing and waxing . How
often t his is requi red depends o n:
- How much t he ve hicle is used
- Whe re the veh icle is parked (garage, i n the
open under trees, etc.)
- The seasona l and weather conditions
- Environmental infl uences
T he longer b ird d roppings, inse cts, tree res in,
r oad and indus trial grime, ta r, soo t, road salt
and other mater ials remain on the vehicle
paint, the more lasting t heir destr uctive ef
f ects w ill be .
Hig h tempera tures, as from e xpos ure to in
tense sun light, intensify the co rrosive e ffect
part icu lar ly when humidity is high as well.
Un der certa in ci rcumstances,
weekly w ashing
may be ne cessary. Un der othe r cond it ions , a
mon thly washing and waxing may be a de
quate.
After the winter, the unders ide of the vehicle
sho uld be thoro ughly washe d pre ferab ly in a
pro fessional ca r wash.
A WARNING ~
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS a nd
the information
c::> page 162.
164 Cleaning and protection
regular basis, fo r example when
refuelling your vehicle.
- Never use a dry cloth or sponge to clean
the headlights . Only use wet cloths or
sponges to prevent scratches. It is best
to use soapy water.
@J For the sake of the environment
In the interest of the env ironment, the ve
hicle sho uld only be washed in special
wash bays.
Washing your vehicle with a power
washer
Cleaning the exterior of your car with a high
pressure power washer is safe as long as you observe a few simple rules .
.. Before us ing the power washer, make sure
you have read and understood the WARN INGS
c> & in General information on
page 162.
.. Always fo llow the operating instructions for
the power washer .
.. Make sure that the jet on the spray hose pro
duces a "fan shaped spray".
.. Do
not hold the spray nozzle too close to
soft materia ls.
N eve r u se a pow er w asher to clean the power
top itse lf.
When clea ning t he vehicle w it h a powe r wash
e r
always fo llow the operating instructions.
This applies particularly to the
o pera tin g
p re ssu re
and the s p ra yi ng dist ance. Maintain
a sufficient distance to soft materials such as
rubber hoses and so und/vibration deadening
materia ls (part icularly on the underside of the
engine hood). Do not use a jet wh ich sprays
water in a
dire ct st ream or one that has a ro
tat ing
jet .
Water temperature shou ld not exceed 140 °F
(60
°() .
A WARNING
Never wash tires w ith a jet that sprays wa
ter in a d irect stream. This could cause in- visible damage to the tires and weaken
them, even
if the spray is from a relative ly
long distance and for a short time. Dam
aged and weakened tires can fail and cause
accidents and personal inju ry.
(D Note
- Never use a power washer to clean the
power top itself.
- To avoid damaging your veh icle, always
make sure that there is sufficient dis
tance between the spray head and soft
materials like rubber hoses, plast ic parts
and sound-deadening materials. Never
aim the spray head at the same point for
a long time. This also app lies to cleaning
head lights and pa inted b umpe rs. Re
member: the closer the nozz le is to the
surface of the material, the greate r the
stress on the materia l.
Convertible top care
The convertible top requires special care.
Keeping you r top looking great and mak ing
certain tha t it lasts a long time depend to a
great extent on proper use and care . Remove
bird droppings as soon as possible, since the
corrosive chemicals in them will cause the
rubber impregnation in your top to swell and
poss ibly allow the fabric to leak .
With
normal soiling, all you need to do is
clea r the top with a soft br ush and clear wa
ter. A lways brush in the direction of the fabric
from front to rear.
If the top is very dirty and has spotted areas
clean it with a brush using a convertible top
cleaner . Always brush in the direction of the
fabric from front to rear. R inse with plenty of
clear water, and allow the top to air-dry.
Chamois are not suitable for drying the top.
Never use gaso line, spot remover, benzene,
paint thinner or solvents to remove spots . We
recommend that you on ly use cleaners espe
cia lly formulated for use on convertib le tops,
and that you fo llow the produce use directions ...
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 ..,.
174 Fuel supply and filli ng your fuel tank
Fuel supply and filling
your fuel tank
Gasoline
Fuel supply
Using the right fuel helps keep the environ
ment clean and prevents engine damage .
Fuel recomm endation
The fuel recommended for your vehicle is un
lead ed pr emium
grade gasoline . See also
¢ page 239, Data . Audi recommends using
TOP TIER Detergent Gasol ine with a minimum
octane rating of 91 AK I (95 RON). For more
information on TOP TI ER Detergent Gasoline,
p lease go to the officia l website (www.toptier
gas.com).
The recommended gasoline octane rating for
your engine can a lso be found on a label locat
ed on the inside of the fuel filler flap . This rat
ing may be specified as AKI or RON.
Your veh icle may also be operated using un
leaded regular gasoline with a minimum oc
tane rating of 87 AKI/91 RON . However, using
87 AKI/91 RON octane fue l wi ll slightly re
duce engine performance.
U se unl ead ed gasolin e onl y. Unleaded gaso
line is available throughout the USA, Canada ,
and in most European countries . We recom
mend that you do not take your vehicle to
areas or countries where unleaded gasoline may not be available.
F or more informat ion on refue ling your vehi
cle, see
¢ page 175.
Octane rat ing
Octane rating ind icates a gasoline's ability to
resist engine damaging "knock" caused by
premature ign ition and detonation. Therefore,
buying the correct grade of gasoline is very
important to help prevent possible engine
damage and a loss of engine performance.
Gasoline most commonly used in the United
States and Canada has the following octane ratings that can us
ually be found on the fi ller
pump:
- Premium Grade: 91 -96 AKI
- Regular Grade: 87 - 90 AKI Explanation of the abbreviations:
AKI = Anti Knock Index = (R+M)/2 = (RON
+ MON)/2
RON= Research Octane Number
MON = Motor Octane Number .
(D Note
-Do not use any fuel w ith octane rat ings
lower than 87 AKI or 91 RON otherwise
expensive engine damage w ill occur.
- Do
not use leaded gasoline! The use of
leaded gasoline w ill severely damage
your vehicle's catalytic converter and its
ability to control exhaust emissions .
Blended gasoline
Use of gaso line co ntainin g alc ohol or
MTBE (m ethyl tertia ry butyl eth er)
You may use unleaded gasoline blended with
alcohol or MTBE (commonly referred to as
oxygenates) if the blended mixture meets the
fo llowing criteria:
Blend of gaso line m ethanol (wood alc ohol or
methyl alcohol )
-Anti -knoc k index must be 87 A KI or h igher.
- Blend must contain no more than 3% meth-
anol.
- Blend must contain more than 2% co-sol-
vents .
Blend of g asoline and etha nol (gra in alcohol
or eth yl alcohol )
-Anti -knock index must be 87 AKI or higher .
- Blend must not contain more than 10% ethanol.
Blend of g asoline a nd MTBE
-Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or h igher . ll-