The air recirculation opera tes for a maximum
of 12 minutes. If the windows start to fog up
while the air rec irculat ion is on, press~
Unde r certain operating condi tions (fo r exam
p le, if~ or
1-1 are pressed) the air recircu la
tion automatica lly switches off.
If the air con
d itioner is sw itched off, or if the temperature
is below 18 °F (-8 °C), the air recircu lation wi ll
operate only for 12 seconds.
Switching between Fahrenheit and
Centigrade
You can change the temperature display from
°F (Fahrenheit) to °C (Centigrade) and vice
versa.
.,. Hold the l.,s,! button down c:> page 80,
fig.
96.
.,. Turn the rotary switch (d river 's s ide) @ for
3 seconds +.
G;J Air recirculation
The air recirculation prevents exhaust fumes
or oth er pollution from entering the vehicle .
Switching air recirculation on
.,. Press ~ c:> page 80, fig. 96 c:> A
Switching air recirculat ion off
.,. Press~ again, or
.,. press
IAUTOI, or
.,. press~-
I n the ai r recircula tion mode, the air in the
passenger compa rtment is recirculated to
p revent exhaust fumes and ot her pollution
from entering the vehicle. We recommend
that you use the manual air recircu lation un
der the following conditions:
- when d riving through t unnels
- in a traffic jam.
,8. WARNING
Do not use this setting for extended pe ri
ods of time . The windows could fog up
since no fresh a ir can ente r the vehicle . If
Warm and c old 83
the windows fog u p, press the ai r rec ircula
tion button aga in immed iately to sw itch
off the air rec irculation function or select
defrost.
G IB Adjusting the fan speed
The automatically selected fan speed can be
increased or decreased.
.,. Press the[:] or El buttons in the center of
the control panel
c:> page 80, fig. 96 to ad
just the fan speed to your comfort.
T he air conditioning system automatically
r egulates the fa n speed i n respo nse to the in
terior tempe rat ure. However, you can a lso ad
j ust the fan speed ma nually. A line of small
bars in the center display above the fan con
trol buttons w ill re treat or extend to reflect
you r adjustments to the fan speed .
Air distribution
The automatically controlled air distribution
can be changed manually.
You can use the @J , [fil or~ buttons separate
ly or together in combination. To switch back
to the automatic air d istr ibu tion sett ing, ei
the r switch off the b uttons you prev iously se
lected , or press
IAUTOI.
Each of the three buttons has its own spec ific
funct io n (t he reference numbers refer to the
a ir out lets)
c:> page 84, fig. 97.
~ Air directed to the windows
A ll the air is directed to outlets
Contrary to when~ is pressed, the amount of
a ir remains the same .
~ Air directed to the driver /front
passenger
All the a ir is directed to outlets@,@ and ©
in the instrument panel. Air also is directed
th ro ugh the center console in the rear.
~ Air d irected to the footwells
A ll the air is directed to outlets ® and to the
outlets under the front seats.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced Airbag Sys
tem performs in a crash. For example, us ing
tire-r im combinations not approved by Aud i,
lowering the vehicle, changing the stiffness of
the suspension, including the springs, suspen sion struts, shock absorbers etc. can change
the forces that are measured by the a irbag
se nsors and sent to the electron ic control
u ni t. Some suspens ion changes c an, for exam
p le, increase the force levels measured by the
sensors and make the airbag system deploy in
crashes in w hic h it would not dep loy if the
changes had not been made. Other k inds of
changes may reduce the force levels meas
ured by the sensors and prevent the airbag
from deploying when it shou ld .
The sensors in the safety belt buckle for the
driver and front passenger seat tell the elec
tronic control module if the safety belt is
l atched or not. If the safety belt is being used,
the front airbag will deploy at a slightly high
e r rate of vehicl e deceleration than if the safe
ty belt is not being used. Therefore, in a par
ticular co llision, it is poss ible th at an a irbag
will not deploy at a seating position where the
safety be lt is bei ng used but will inflate at the
position whe re the safety belt is not being
used. It is important that nothing interfere
with the safety belt buckles so t hat the sen
sors can send the correct information about
safety belt use to the electron ic cont rol unit.
A WARNING
Cha nging the vehicle's s uspension inclu d
ing use of u napproved t ire-rim comb ina
ti ons can change Advan ced A irb ag pe r
formance and incre ase the risk of ser io us
personal in jury in a crash.
- Never ins tall suspe nsion compone nts
t h at d o not h ave the same per forman ce
characteristics as the components origi
nally installed on you r vehicle .
- Never use t ire-r im combinat ions that
have not bee n approved by A udi.
A irba g sy stem 13 7
A WARNING
Items stored between the safety be lt
buckle and the center console can cause
the sensors in the b uckle to send the
wrong informa tion to the e lectronic con
trol module a nd prevent t he A dvan ced Air
bag System from wo rking properly.
- Always ma ke sure t ha t nothing can inter
fe re wi th the safety belt buckles and that
t hey are not obs truc te d .
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants.
Fi g. 135 Side a irbag location in t he drive r's seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests~
fig. 135 and the rear
back rest* facing the doors . Th ey are id entified
by the wo rd "AIRBAG".
The side airbag sy stem basically consi st s of :
-the electron ic control modu le and external
side impact sensors
- the two side airbags located in the s ides of
the front backrests
- two rear side airbags (as an ordered
option)
- t he airbag warn ing light in the ins trument
cl uste r.
T he airbag system is mo nitored e lec tronically
t o m ake ce rtain tha t it is fu nction ing p ro perl y
at all times . Each time you turn on the ig ni
tion, the airbag system indicator light will
come on for a few seconds (self diagnostics) . ..,.
Intelligent technology Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Da
ta Recorder (EDR), installed by some manu
facturers for the express purpose of capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or crash
event. EDR's are sometimes called "crash re
corders".
Some state laws restrict the retr ieval or down
loading of data stored by EDR's that were in
stalled in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash
event without the owner's consent.
Although your vehicle is not equipped with an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of electron
ic control modules for various vehicle systems
such as, for examp le, engine function, emis
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts.
These electronic control modules also record
vehicle-related data during norma l vehicle op
eration for diagnostic and repair purposes.
The recording capacity of the electronic con
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac
tually recorded over a very limited period of
time and stored when a system fault or other
condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of
the data then stored may relate to vehicle
speed, direction, braking as we ll as restraint
system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only be read and downloaded with special equip
ment.
Electronic Stabilization
Program (ESP)
Description
ESP helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of
skidding and loss of veh icle control. It works
only when the engine is running. ESP detects
Intelligent technology 161
certain difficult driving situations, including
when the vehicle is beginning to spin (yaw)
out of control and helps you to get the veh icle
back under control by se lectively braking the
wheels, and/or reducing engine power and
providing steering ass istance to help hold the
vehicle on the driver's intended course. The in
dicator light
G] in the instrument cluster
blinks when ESP is taking action to help you
control the vehicle.
ESP has limitations. It is important to remem
ber that ESP cannot overcome the laws of
physics.
It will not always be able to help out
under all conditions you may come up against.
For example, ESP may not always be able to
help you master situations where there is a
sudden change in the coefficient of friction of
the road surface. When there is a section of dry road that is suddenly covered with water,
slush or snow, ESP cannot perform the same
way it would on the dry surface . If the vehicle
hydroplanes (rides on a cushion of water in
stead of the road surface), ESP will not be
able to help you steer the vehicle because con
tact with the pavement has been interrupted
and the vehicle cannot be braked or steered .
During fast cornering, particularly on winding
roads, ESP cannot always deal as effectively
with difficult driving situations as at lower
speeds. When towing a trailer, ESP is not able
to help you regain control as it would if you
were not tow ing a trailer.
A lways adjust your speed and driving style to
road, traffic; and weather conditions. ESP can
not override the vehicle's physical limits, in
crease the available traction, or keep a vehicle
on the road if road departure is a result of
driver inattention. Instead, ESP improves the
poss ibility of keeping the vehicle under con
trol and on the road dur ing extreme maneu
vers by using the driver's steering inputs to
help keep the vehicle going in the intended di
rection. If you are traveling at a speed that
causes you to run off the road before ESP can
provide any assistance, you may not experi
ence the benefits of ESP .
•
•
164 Intelligent technolog y
Faults in the bra ke sys tem
If you should notice a sudden increase in
b rake peda l travel, then one of the two brake
circuits may have failed¢.& .
Low brake flu id le vel
Malfunct ions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fluid level is too low . T he brake fluid
l eve l is moni to red electronica lly .
Bra ke lining w ear st atu s
Brake l ining wear may be checked by visual in
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the whee l. If neces
sa ry, the wheel may be removed for this in
spection
¢page 236, Wheel change.
A WARNING
-You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system on ly if road conditions permit.
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an acc ident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmiss ion into a lower
gear or lower driving range . Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too often. This cou ld cause the
brakes to get hot and dimin ish braking
efficiency.
- Do not "r ide the brakes" by resting your
foot on the pedal when yo u do not intend
to bra ke . This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance .
- Under certain climat ic and operating
condit ions such as passing through wa
ter, driving in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced. In winter, ice can
accumulate on the brake pads, linings,
discs and drums . Carefully apply brakes
for a test . Brakes will dry and ice coat
ings will be cleaned off after a few care
ful brake applications.
- Driv ing for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads w ithout us ing your
brakes can also affect braking efficiency . Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the a ir
flow to the front brakes is not obstruct ed. Otherwise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impa ir
the braking capab ility result ing in an in
creased stopping distance. Avoid driving
the vehicle and have it towed to the near
est a utho rized Audi dea le r or q ualified
wo rkshop.
Brake booster '
The brake booster adds extra broking power.
The brake booster works with vacuum pres
sure which is created only when the eng ine is
run ning ¢.&_ .
_&. WARNING
-Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with
the engine shut off.
- I f the b rake booster is not working, for
examp le when towing yo ur vehicle, or
because the brake booster has somehow
been damaged, the brake pedal must be
pressed conside rably harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance.
Functioning of Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up un der broking.
.
The ABS contributes effectively to vehicle con
trol since it prevents the whee ls from
locking
when the brakes are applied. This means that
the vehicle remains steerable and is less likely
to sk id .
With ABS you do not need to pump th e
brake. Ju st hold the b ra ke pedal down.
190 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
- Blend must contain not more than 1S%
MTBE.
Sea sonally adju sted ga soline
Many gaso line g rades are blended to perform
espec ia lly we ll for winte r or summe r d riv ing .
Du ring seasonal change-ove r, we suggest that
you fill u p at busy gas s tat ions where the sea
sona l adjus tment is more likely to be made in
time .
(CT) Note
-Methanol fuels which do no t mee t these
r equirements may cause co rrosion and
damage to plastic and rubber compo
nents i n the fuel system .
- Do no t use fue ls that fai l to meet the
spec ified criteria in this chapter.
- If yo u are unable to de term ine whether
or not a particular fue l blend meets the
specifications, ask your service station or
i ts fuel s upplier.
- Do not use fue l for which the contents
cannot be identified.
- Fuel sys tem damage and performance
problems resulting from t he use of fuels
different from those specified a re not
the respons ibility of Audi and are not
covered under the New Vehicle or the Emission Control System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fue l economy
or driveability and performance prob l ems due to the use of one of these fuel
blends, we recomme nd that yo u sw itch
to unblended fuel.
Gasoline additives
A majo r concern among ma ny auto manufac
turers is carbon deposit build -up caused by
the type of gasoline you use .
A lthough gasoline grades differ from one
manuf acturer to anothe r, they h ave certa in
things in common. All gaso line g rades contain
substances that can cause deposits to co llect
on vital engine parts, such as fuel injectors
and intake valves. Although most gasoline
brands incl ude additives to keep engine and fuel systems clean, they a
re not equally effec
tive .
A udi re commends using TOP TI ER De tergent
Gasoline. For mo re info rmat ion on TO P TI ER
Detergent Gasoline, please go to the official
website (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended period of using inadeq uate
f uels, bui lt-up carbon deposi ts can rob yo ur
engine of peak performance.
(D Note
Dam age or ma lf u nction due to poor fuel
quality is not covered by the Au di New Ve
hi cle Limited Warran ty.
Diesel fuel
Applies to veh icles: w ith diesel engine
Always use ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel) sul
fur content 15 ppm or less.
T he ULSD ( Ultra Low Sulfur Diese l) meets the
ASTM-D-97S (grade 2).
Die sel fu el with a higher c oncentration than
ULSD -Die sel No. 2 ASTM 0 975 and Bio-die
sel with a higher c oncentration than S
% like
B11 , B20 or B100 are strictl y prohib ited.
Se rv ice stat io n fue l pumps a re labe led with
the cor rect fuel information fo r easy recogn i
t ion by the use r. If the d iesel fue l pump is no t
l abeled ask the station operator what fue l is
being dispensed before filling up you r vehicle .
Serv ice stat ions offering d iesel fue l are gene r
ally located on truck routes or major high
ways . Directories of diesel fuel stations a re
u su a lly availab le at d iese l fue l stat ions .
Some sta tes in the USA req uire permi ts to
purchase diese l fue l. Check wi th your Sta te
Motor Vehicle Department.
Diesel fue l may no t be ava ilable outside t he
USA and Canada. Be s ure to che ck befo re trav -
eling to othe r countries . .,..
198 Checking and filling
Mo dern engine lubrication has taken a quan
tum leap in the last few years. Many synthetic
oils ava ilable today provide better engine lu
brication that can outlast traditional petrole
um-based o ils, making them a smart choice
for use throughout the life of your Audi .
Whether you use synthetic or petroleum
based engine oil, the oil that yo u use must
conform to Audi 's oil quality standard
VW 502 00 (veh icles with gasoline engine)
and VW 507 00 (vehicle with diesel engine) to he lp keep your vehicle's eng ine runn ing
smoothly and help prevent the fo rmation of
harmf ul depos its , somet imes ca lled "sludge,"
that over t ime can lead to expensive repairs.
At the time of printing , engine oils availab le in
the U .S . and Canada that meet the exa cting
specifi cations o f A ud i oi l st andard VW 502 00
(vehicles wi th gaso line engine) and
VW 507 00 (vehicles with diese l engine) are
synthetic engine oils . This does not mean,
however, that every synthetic engine oil wi ll
meet Audi oil standard VW 502 00 (gasoline
engines) and VW 507 00 (d iesel engines). So
a lway s be sure that you use a n approved o il.
To help prevent the fo rmation of harmful de
posits use only oil w ith the following specifi
c ations printed on the oil conta iner:
- Ga soline engines: Audi oil standard
VWS0200
- Die sel engines: Audi oil standard
vw 50 7 00
Oil container labe ls may carry t he specifica
tion s ingly or in comb inat ion with other des ig
nations and oil qua lity standards.
Vi scosity
Eng ine oi ls are graded according to their v is
cosity . The proper v iscosity grade o il for your
engine depends on cl imactic or seasonal con
d itions w here you dr ive. Yo u can use oi l w ith a
viscosit y grade of SAE 5W-40 a cross all tem
perat ure ranges for normal d riving conditions .
H owever, if eng ine o il viscos ity grade SAE
5W-40 is not ava ilable, you can a lso use vis
cosity g rade SA E 5W-30 or SAE OW-40 as long as it meets A
udi o il quality standard
VW 502 00 (vehicles wit h gasoline engine) or
VW 50 7 00 (vehicles wit h diese l eng ine) spec
ifications.
Beca use engine o il that meets the Audi oil
sta ndard may not be availab le everywhere
when you need it, we strong ly recommend
that you a lways carry with you an extra qua rt
( li ter) of oil that express ly conforms to the
VW 502 00 (vehicles wit h gasoline eng ine) o r
VW 507 00 (vehicles w it h diesel eng ine) spec
i fication, i n case you have to top off the oi l
wh ile on the road.
App lies to vehicle s with gasoline engin e on
ly:
Only if the level of the o il is at or below the
min imum ma rk - and no o il that expressly
c onfo rms to Audi oil standa rd VW 50 2 00
specifica tions is available - may you top off
with a high quality engine o il , pre fera bly syn
t h etic-based, that meets ACEA A3 or API SM
specifications, but even then, only in viscosity
grades SAE 5W-40, SA E 5W-30, or SA E
OW-40. However, dur ing the entire time be
tween oil change interva ls, never top off with
more than a total of 0.5 qt/liter engine o il
that does not confo rm to Aud i oil spec ification
vw 502 00 .
Applies to vehicles with diesel engine only:
Only if the level of the oil is at or be low the
min imum ma rk - and no o il tha t expressly
confo rms to Audi oil standa rd VW 507 00
spe cifications is available - may you top off
wi th a high quali ty engine o il, that meets
AC EA C3 o r API CF specifica tions, but even
then , on ly in viscosity grades SAE 5W-40 , SAE
5W-30, or SAE OW-40 . However, during the
entire t ime between oil change intervals, nev
er top off with more than a tota l of 0.5 qt/li
ter engine oil that does no t conform to Aud i
o il specification VW 507 00 .
For more information about eng ine oi l that
has been approved for your veh icle, please
contact e ither your au thorized Aud i dealer or
Audi Custome r Re lations at 1 (800) 822 -2834
o r vis it our web site at www.audiusa .com or
www.aud icanada .ca. He re you w ill also find a
c ur rent l ist of oi ls (manufac turers, brand .,.
names etc.) that conform to Audi oil standard
VW 502 00 (vehicles with gasoline engine) or
VW 507 00 (vehicles with diesel engine).
C hang ing th e engin e oil
The engine oil and oi l filter must be changed
according to the m ileage (kilomete rs) and
time inte rva ls specified in yo ur 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 eng ine repairs.
Changing the o il at the recommended inter
va ls is so very important because the lubricat
ing properties of oi l decrease gradually during
norma l vehicle use . If you are not sure when
you have your oi l changed, ask your author
ized Audi Service Advisor.
Under some circumstances the engine oi l
should even be changed more frequently.
Change o il more often if you drive mostly
short distances, operate the vehicle in dusty
areas or mostly under stop-and-go traffic con
d itions, or when you use your veh icle where
temperatures stay below freezing point for
l ong periods.
Detergent addit ives in the o il w ill make fresh
oil look dark after the eng ine has been run
n ing for a short time. This is norma l and is not
a reason to change the o il mo re often than
r ecommended.
D amage or ma lf u nction s du e to lac k of
ma int enance
It is essential that you change your oil at the
recommended interva ls using only engine oil
that complies with Audi oil standard
VW 502 00 (veh icles with gasolin e engine) or
VW 507 00 (veh icles with diese l engi ne). Yo ur
L im ited New Vehicle Warra nty does not cover
damage or ma lfunctions due to failure to fol
l ow recommended maintenance and use re
quirements as set forth in the A udi Owner's
Manual and Warranty
& Maintenance book let.
Your dealer will have to deny warranty cover age un less you present to the dea ler proof in
the form of Service or Repa ir Orders that a ll
Checking and fillin g 199
scheduled 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 parts.
In order to prov ide effective lubrication and
cooling o f inte rna l engine components, all in
ternal combustion engines consume a certain amount of oil. Oil consumpt ion varies from
engine to engine and may change sign ificantly
over the life of the engine. Typically, engines
with a spec ified break-in period (see
Q page 169) consume more oil during the
break-in pe riod than they consume after o il
consump tion has stabilized.
Under normal cond itions, the rate of oi l con
sumption depends on the quality and viscos ity
of the oil, the RPM (revolut ions per minute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient
temperature a nd road conditions. Further fac
tors are the amount of oil dilut ion from wa ter
condensation or fue l residue and the oxida
tion level of the oi l. As any engine is subject to
wear as mi leage builds up, the oil consump
tion may increase over time until replacement
of worn components may become necessary.
With a ll these variab les coming into p lay, no
standard rate of oil consumption can be es
tablished or spec ified. There is no alternative
to regular and frequent check ing of the oil lev
el, see
Not e.
If the yellow engine oil level warning symbo l
in the instrument cluster
Ill! lights up, you
shou ld check the oil leve l as soon as possib le
with the oil dipstick q page 200 . Top off the
o il at your earliest conven ience
Q page 200.
&_ WARNING
Before you chec k anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed al l
WARNI NGS
Q .&. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 194 .
•
•
Before you check anything in the engine com
partment,
always r ead and heed all W ARN
ING S
¢ A in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 194.
.. Park your vehicle so that it is horizontally
level.
.. Stopping the eng ine.
.. Unscrew the cap
«t=;,. to the engine oil fill ing
hole
¢fig. 161 .
.. Carefully top off with the appropriate o il in
0 .5 lite r doses.
.,. Check the o il leve l again after two minutes
¢ page 200.
.,. Top off the oil again, if necessary.
.. Screw the cap back on the filling hole and
slide the oil dipstick in as far as it will go.
A WARNING
- While topping off, the oil must not come
in contact with hot engine parts -fire
hazard!
- The oil filler cap must be properly se
c u red to prevent oil from being sprayed
on the hot engine and exhaust system
when the eng ine is running - fire hazard!
- If your skin has come in contact w ith the
engine oil, you must subsequently
cleanse it tho roughly .
(D Note
-The oil leve l must not be above range~
- danger of converter or eng ine damage!
Contact a qualified workshop to draw off
oi l, if necessary .
-Audi does not recommend the use of o il
add iti ve s. They may damag e the engine
and adve rsely affect you r New Vehicle
Limited Warranty .
@) For the sake of the environment
-Under no circumstances can the o il come
i n contact with the sewage network or
the soil.
- Observe and follow legal regu lations
when d isposing of empty oil containers.
Checkin g and fillin g 201
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 anyth ing in the eng ine com
partment,
alw ays read and h eed all WARN
INGS ¢
A in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 194 .
The engine oil mus t be changed according to
the intervals spec ified in your Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet. This is very important
because the lubricat ing properties of o il di
min ish g radually du ring normal vehicle use .
Under some c ircumstances the engine oil
should be changed more frequent ly . Change
o il more ofte n if you drive mostly short d is
tan ces, opera te the veh icle in dus ty a reas or
u nder p redominant ly stop -and-go traffic con
ditions, or have you r vehicle where tempera
tures remain below freezing for extended pe
riods .
Dete rgent additives in the oil will make fres h
o il look dar k after t he engine has been run
ning for a sho rt time. T his is normal a nd is not
a reason to change the oil more often t han
recommended.
Because of the prob lem of p roper disposal,
along with the specia l tools and necessary ex
pertise req uired, we strongly recommend that
you have your oil changed by an authorized
Audi dealer or a qualified service station.
If you choo se to change your oil your self ,
please note the fo llowing important informa
tion:
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal injury if you must change the eng ine oil in your vehicle
yourself:
- Wear eye protect ion.
- To reduce the risk of burns from hot en-
gine oil, let the engine cool down to the
touch.
•
•