2011 AUDI TT ROADSTER check engine

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.

Checking the engine oil level
Fig . 138 Illust rat ion of principle 1: Ma rkers on o il dip ­
st ick
F ig . 13 9 Illust rat io n of principle 2: Markers o n oil dip·
st ic k
Before you check anything in the engi ne com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN ­
INGS ¢ A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 178.
Determining oil level
• Park your vehicle so that it is horizonta lly
level.
• While at operating state temperature, brief­
ly let the engine run at id le and then shut it
off .
• Wait approx. two minutes.
• Pullout the oil dipstick. Wipe off the oil d ip­
st ick with a clea n cloth, and slide it back in
as fa r as it will go.
• Pu ll it bac k ou t and read o ff th e oil level
¢ fig. 138 or ¢fig. 139. Top off the engine
oi l, if app lica ble
¢ page 183.
Oil level within range~
• Do not add o il.
Oil level within range@
• You can add oil. Afterwards, the o il level
shou ld be w it hi n range
G) .
Checking and filling 183
Oil level within range 0
• Yo u must add oil. Af terwards, the oil leve l
should be wi thin range
G) .
The oil leve l needs to be checked at regu lar in­
terva ls. The best t ime s to do th is are w henev­
er yo u ref uel and p rior to long trips.
Depend ing on the way the vehicle is dr iven
and t he ope rat ing cond it ions, oi l consumption
c a n be up to 1/ 2 quart per 6 00 miles (0. 5 liter
per 1,000 km) . Cons umption m ay be highe r
within the first 3,000 miles (5,000 km) .
Adding engine oil~
Fig . 140 Engine compa rtment: Oil fil ler cap locatio n
Before you che ck anyth ing in the eng ine com­
par tmen t,
alway s read and heed all WARN­
INGS ¢ A in Working in the engine compar t­
ment on page 178.
• Unscrew the cap 'l:::r: to the eng ine o il filling
hole ¢
fig. 140.
• Car efu lly top off with t he appropr iate oil in
0.5 li ter doses .
• Check the oil level again after two mi nutes
¢page 183.
• Top off the o il aga in, if necessary.
• Screw the cap bac k on the filling hole and •
slide the oil dipstick in as far as it w ill go.
A WARNING
- W hile topping off, th e oil m ust not come
i n contact with hot e ngine parts -fi re
h az ard!
- The oi l filler cap mus t be p roperly se­
cured to p reven t oil from being sp rayed
on the hot engine and exhaus t system
when the engine is running -fire h azard!
~

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,-

wooded areas, into open streams or
down sewage drains.
- Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a
used engine oil collection facility in your
area, or contact a service station.
Engine cooling system
Coolant
T he engine coolan t performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro ­
tects the engine from freezing in the winter .
The cooling system is sealed and generally re­
quires little attention .
T he cooling system has been filled at the fac­
tory with a permanent coolant which does not
need to be changed . The coolan t consis ts of a
mixture of water and the manufacturer 's gly ­
col-basedcoolant additive G12 ++ antifreeze
with anticorrosion additives (50% for USA
models; 60% for Canad ian models). This mix­
ture both assures the necessary frost protec­
tion and protects metal components in the
engine 's cooling system from corrosion and
scaling. It also raises th e boiling point of the
c oolant.
Do not reduce the concentration of the coo l­
ant in the summer by adding plain water .
The
proportion of coolant additive must be at
least 50% but not more than 60%
to main­
tain antifree ze protection and cooling efficien­
cy . If the coolant frost protection is too low,
the coolant could freeze and damage the veh i­
cle heating and eng ine cooling system .
For year-round driving, an tifree ze is added at
the factory for temperatures down to:
- -31 ° F ( - 3 5 °C) USA
- -40 °F ( -40 °C) Canada.
You can mix the G12 ++ coolant addit ive with
other additives (G12+ or G12) . Always check
with your authorized Audi dealer.
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
-
Checkin g and fillin g 185
WARNINGS c:::> .& in Working in the engine
compartment on page 178.
(D Note
- Before winter sets in, have the coolant
checked to see if the coolant additive in
your vehicle is sufficient to meet the cli­
mate conditions. This is especially impor­
tant if you live in a region where the win­
ter is extreme ly cold . If necessary, in­
crease the proportion of coo lant add itive
to 60% .
- Whe n adding coolant additive to your
cooling system, remember :
- We recommend using only coo lant ad­
ditive G12++ (check the labe l) for your
vehicle . This coolant additive is avai la­
ble at authorized Audi dealers. Other
types of ant ifreeze can significantly re­
duce corrosion protection . The result­
ing corrosion can cause a loss of cool ­
ant and ser ious eng ine damage.
- Do not add any type of rad iator leak seal ­
ant to yo ur vehicle's engine coolant .
Add ing radiator repair fluid may adverse­
ly affect the function and performance of
your cooling system and could resu lt in
damage not covered by your New Vehicle
Limited Warranty .
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance.
Fig. 141 E ng ine compart men t: coo lant ex pansion t ank Ill>

186 Checking and filling
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
alwa ys r ea d and heed all WARN­
INGS ¢ A in Working in the engine
comportment on page 178.
• Switch the ignition off .
• Read the coo lant level at the coolant expan­
s ion tank ¢
fig. 141 . With a co ld engine, it
must be above the "min" mark. W ith a hot
engine, it can be a little above the indicated
range.
The location of the coolant expansion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus­
tration .
To obtain an accurate reading , the engine
must be switched
off.
The expansion tank in you r vehicle is equipped
with an e lectric coolant level sensor .
When the coolant level is too low, the warning light in the Auto- Check System ¢
page 31 will
blink until you add coo lant and the level has
been restored to no rma l. Even though there is
an electric coolant level sen sor, we still rec­
ommend you check the coolant leve l from
time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling
system . In the event of coolant loss, the cool­
ing system should be inspected immediately
by your authorized A udi dealer. It is not
enough merely to add coolant .
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if
the boiling point of the coolant is exceeded as
a result of overheating.
@ Note
Do not add any type of ra diator leak seal­
ant to yo ur vehicle's eng ine coolant. Add ­
ing radiator repair f luid may adversely af­
fect the function and performance of your
cooling system and could result in damage
not covered by your New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anyth ing in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS ¢ A in Working in the engine comport­
ment on page 178 .
•Turnoff the engine.
• Let the eng ine cool down.
• Place a thick rag ove r the coolant expansion
tank
¢ page 185, fig . 141 and carefully
tw ist the cap counter-clockwise ¢&_ .
• Add coolant.
• Twis t the cap o n aga in
tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to
exact spec ificat ions
¢ page 185, Coolant.
E ven in a n emerge ncy, if coo lant addi -
t ive G1 2++, G12+ or G12 is not ava ilable , do
not use a d ifferen t addit ive. Use plain water
instead unti l you can get the cor rect additive
and can restore the correct ratio . This sho uld
be done as soon as possible .
If you have los t a considerab le amo unt o f
coolant , then you sho uld add cold ant ifreeze
and co ld wate r on ly w hen the engine is cold.
Always use
new engine coo la nt whe n refilling .
Do not fill coola nt above the "MAX" mark. Ex­
cess coo la nt wi ll be fo rced o ut through the
pressure relief valve in t he cap w hen the en­
gine becomes hot.
,&. WARNING ~ -
- T he cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of
scalding from hot coolant by followi ng
these steps.
- T urn
off the engine and allow it to coo l
down.
- Protect you r face, hands and a rms from
esca ping fluid and steam by covering
the cap w ith a large, t hick rag.
- T urn the cap slowly a nd ve ry carefully
in a counter-clo ckwise direction while
applying light, downward pres sure on
the top o f the cap.

-To avoid being burned, do not sp ill an­
tifreeze or coolant on the exhaust sys­ tem or hot engine parts. Under certa in
conditions, the ethylene glyco l in en­
g ine coolant can catc h fire.
- Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store an­
t ifreeze in its or iginal co ntaine r and well
o ut of the reach of children.
- If you drain the coolant, it must be
caught and safely stored in a proper con­
tainer clearly ma rked "poison".
(D Note
- Coolant pollutes the env ironment and
could cause a n engine fire. Excess cool­
ant wi ll be forced out through the pres­
su re re lief va lve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot.
- If, in an emergency, only water can be
added, the cor rect ratio be tw een wate r
and antifreeze
¢page 185 must be re­
store d as soon as possib le.
@ For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant s hould no t be reused. Al­
ways dispose of use d coolan t w hile obse rv ­
ing all envir onmental reg ulations.
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by
i tself
The electric radiator fan is contro lled by ther­
moswitches that switch on and off depend ing
on coolant and eng ine compa rtment tempera­
tures.
An aux iliary electr ic radiator fa n* switches on
and off depen ding on coolant t emperature
and other ve hicl e operation conditions.
After you switch t he engine off, the a uxiliary
fan ca n cont inue runn ing fo r up to 10 minutes
- even with the ignition off .
It can even sw itch
on agai n later by i tself
c::> &., , if
- the temperature of the eng ine coolant rises
due to the heat bui ld-up from the eng ine in
t h e engine compartment, o r
Checking and fillin g 187
- the engine compartment heats up because
the vehicle is parke d in intense sunlight.
A WARNING
-To reduce the risk of persona l in ju ry nev­
er touch the radiator fan .
- The a uxiliary electric fan is tempe rat ure
contro lled and can switch on suddenly
even when the engine is not running.
- The a uxiliary radiator fan sw itches on a u­
tomatically when the engine coo lant
reaches a certa in temperature and w ill
continu e to run until the coo lant temper­
ature drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
T he brake fluid level can be checked wi th a
qui ck gl ance.
Fi g. 142 Engin e compart ment : brake flu id reservoir
Before you check anyth ing in the eng ine com­
partment,
alw ays read and heed all WARN­
INGS c::> A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 178 .
.,. Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir
c::> fig. 142. The brake fluid
level must be between the "MIN" and
"MAX" markings.
The brake fluid reservoir is located behind the
rear partition of the engine compartment on
the left side
c::> page 180.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the
brake pads. This is not cause for alarm.
IJ1'-

still functioning and they will draw energy
from the battery and drain it, for example, the
engine immobilizer . To prevent this, you can
e ither charge the battery occasionally to keep
it in good working condi tion or you can d is­
connect the negat ive cable on the battery .
Winter ope ration
During the winter months, battery capacity
tends to decrease as temperatures drop . This
is because more power is also consumed while
start ing, and the headlights, rear window de­
fogger, etc ., are used more often .
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, par­
ticularly in c ity traffic or when traveling on ly
short distances. Let your authori zed Audi
dealer check the capacity of the vehicle bat ­
tery before winter sets in
¢ page 192. A well
charged battery w ill not only prevent starting
p rob lems when the weathe r is cold, but will
a lso last longer .
Replacing b attery
The new battery m ust have the same capaci ­
ty, voltage (12 volts), amperage, construction
a n d p lug sealing, as the origina l batte ry. Spec­
ifications are listed on the batte ry housing.
Batteries specially developed by A udi f ulfill
the ma intenance, output, and safety require ­
ments.
When insta lling the bat tery , make sure the ig­
n ition and all e lectr ica l cons umers are sw itch­
ed
off ¢ (j) .
We recommend that you use ma intenance­
free or
cy cle-re sis tant /le ak -proof batteries
according to the standards TL 825 06 (from
December 1997) and VW 7 SO 73 (from Au ­
gust 200 1).
Replacing the battery should be ca rried by a
qua lified workshop. Please follow the instruc­
tions on the battery cover.
(D Note
- All work on t he battery requires techni­
ca l knowledge. Please contact an A udi
dealership or anothe r authorized facili ty
Checkin g and fillin g 189
for questions abo ut the batte ry - danger
of acid burns and exp losion hazard!
- T he battery must not be opened! Do not
try to change the battery's liquid level,
otherwise detonating gas will escape
from the battery - explosion hazard!
- The AGM battery in the luggage com­
partment cannot leak, because the elec ­
tro lyte for this battery is absorbed into a
special glass mat. This leak-proof battery
must not be replace with a convent iona l
battery.
- Make sure the ventilation hose on the
side of the battery is connected, other­
w ise fumes or battery ac id can leak out.
- Battery holder and terminals always
have to be secured correctly.
- Before all work on the battery follow the
warnings below ¢.&. in Working on the
battery on page 190.
@) For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal
of a battery, we recommend your author ­
ized Audi dealer change the battery for
you. Batteries contain sulfur ic acid and
l ead and must always be disposed of prop­
erly in compl iance with a ll environmental
regulat ions. Disposing of vehi cle batter ies
improperly is very dangerous to the envi ­
ronment. Make sure that the removed bat­
tery cannot overbalance, otherwise sulfu­ ric acid might escape!
(D Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for several
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the
vehicle battery shou ld be removed and
stored where it w ill not freeze. This will
prevent it from be ing damaged and having
to be replaced . •
•