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
creme will nourish and moisturize the
l eather, helping it to b reathe and stay
supple . It also helps to b uild up a protec
tive coat ing on the surface.
- Clean the leather every 2 -3 months,
and clean any areas that get soiled.
- Remove fresh marks made by ba llpoint
pens, ink, lipstick, shoe polish, etc . as
soon as possib le.
- Preserve the color of the leather as need
ed by using a special colored leather care
creme to touch up areas of uneven color.
Cleaning and caring for leather
upholstery and trim
App lies to vehicles: with natural leather
Natural leather requires special care and at
tention .
Normal cleaning
~ Clean soi led areas with a slightly moistened
cotton or woolen cloth.
Mor e stubborn dirt
~ More stubbo rn dirt can be removed using a
cloth saturated with a mi ld soap so lution (2
tablespoons mi ld liquid soap) .
~ Never allow the soap so lution to saturate
the leather, and make certa in that no water
soaks into the seams .
~ Wipe off the soap solution with a soft, dry
cloth .
Cleaning sp ots
~ Remove fresh wa ter-b ase d spots (such as
coffee, tea, ju ices, blood) w ith an absorbent
cloth or paper towel.
~ Remove fresh gr ease or oi l-ba sed spot s
(such as butter, mayonnaise, chocolate) with
an absorbent cloth or paper towe l, or use
the cleane r from the leathe r care kit if the
spot has not yet pene trated into the surface
of the leather .
~ Use an oil/grease dissolving spray, if oil/
grea se spots h ave d ried on.
~ Remove specific kinds of spots (ballpoint
pen, felt marker, fingernail polish, water-
Cleaning and protec tion 17 1
based paint, shoe po lish, etc.) with a spot
remover specifically formu lated for leather .
Le ather car e
~ Every half year use an approved leather care
product (available from your Audi dea ler) to
care for the leathe r.
~ App ly the product very sparingly.
~ Wipe it off with a damp clot h.
If you have any questions about cleaning and
caring for the leather in your vehicle, it is best
to contact your a uthorized Audi dea ler, who
will be g lad to help you and tell you abo ut our
full range of leather care products, such as:
- Leather cleaning and care kit
- Cremes to care fo r colored lea ther
- Spot removers for ballpoint pens, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
- Oil/grease d issolving spray
- New and upcom ing products.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information <=) page 162.
Q) Note
-Never use chemical so lvents (e.g. lighter
fluid, tu rpentine), waxes, shoe polish or
simi lar products on the leather surfaces
in yo ur Audi .
- T o avoid damage, have stubborn sta ins
removed by a comme rcial clean ing spe
cialist.
Cleaning Alcantara ® (synthetic suede)
Applies to vehicles: with Alcantara upholstery
Removing dust and dirt
~ Moisten a cloth, squeeze out excess water
and wipe down the seat surfaces.
Removing stains
~ Moisten a cloth with lukewarm water or
w ith diluted
ethyl (rubbing ) alcohol.
~ Dab at the stain . Start at the outs ide and
work inwards . •
•
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 ..,.
-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.
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!
~