214 Driving and en vironm 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 load
ed veh icles .
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 higher tha n the
bottom o f the vehicle body.
- Do not d rive faster than wa lking speed.
_& WARNING
After d riving through water, m ud, slush,
et c., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because o f wet brake ro tors and pads . Dry
the brakes fi rst 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 o f the water before driv
ing through it.
- Do not stop the veh icle, dr ive 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 232,
Fuel supply .
.,. Never run the tank down all the way to
empty .
.,. Never put too much motor o il in your en-
gine ¢
page 242, ~ Adding engine oil .
.,. Never try to push- or tow-sta rt you r vehicle.
The catalytic converter is an efficient "clean
u p" dev ice built into the exhaust system of
the vehi cle. The cata lytic conve rter bu rns
many of the pollu tan ts in the exha ust gas be
f o re they are re leased into the atmosphere.
T he exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critically
important for the life of the catalyt ic convert
er and prope r fu nct ion ing of the engine.
A WARNING
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot ex haust 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
r u stproofing 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
converte r.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
¢page 242.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty . The engine co uld mis-
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into ..,.
238 Check ing and filling
- Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever of automatic trans- mission to "P" (Park); put manual trans
mission in Neutral.
- Always let the engine coo l down . Hot
components will burn skin on contact.
- To reduce the risk o f being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment. Wait 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 flu ids on hot engine compo
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxili
ary electr ic fan is temperature controlled
and can switch on suddenly.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap when the eng ine is still warm. The cool
ant system is pressur ized and hot coo l
ant could spray out .
-Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot eng ine 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 :
- A lways disconnect the battery.
- Never smo ke or work near heaters or
open flames . Fluids in the engine com
partment co uld start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire ext inguisher im
mediately available.
- T o avoid ele ctrical shock and persona l 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 repa ir
with the engine running:
- Fi rst, fully apply the parking bra ke,
move se lec to r l ever o f automat ic trans- mission to
"P" (Park); put manua l
transmission in Neutra l.
- Always use extreme caution to p revent
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 do not wea r clothing that
will hang o r droop into the engine.
- M inim ize exposure to em iss ion and
chemical hazards
~ &, .
A WARNING
=
Ca lifo rnia Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its const ituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cance r and birt h de
fects and reproductive harm. In addition,
certain fl uids contained in veh icles and
certain products of component wear con
tain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and
b irth defects or other reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac
cessories conta in 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 flu ids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper conta iner
or fil ler opening, otherwise serious dam
age to vehicle systems w ill occur.
@) For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regular ly. If
you see spots from oil or o ther ve hicle flu
i ds, have your vehicle insp ected by a n au
thorized Audi dealer.
242 Checking and filling
Checking the engine oil level
Fig . 204 MMI Display: O il leve l indicator
Read oil level
• Park your vehicle so that it is horizontally
level.
• Shut the engine off when it is at operat ing
temperature.
~ Switch only the ignition back on.
• Wait approx. two minutes.
• Se lect: Function button
,.., IC ,_..,A ,..,R,..., I > Oil level.
• Read the oil leve l in the MMI* Display
¢ fig. 204. Add eng ine oi l if the bar of the
o il level indicator is near "Min" ¢
page 242
Depending on the way the vehicle is driven
and the operating conditions, oil consumption
can be up to a 1/2 quart per 600 mi les (0.5 li
ter per 1,000 km) . Consumption may be high
er within the first 3,000 miles (5,000 km).
@ Tips
The oil level indicator in the MMI* Display
is only an information display. If the oil
level is too low, a min imum oil warning ap
pears in the instrument cluster. Add oil
¢
page 242. If the hood has been opened,
the current oil level is shown in the instru
ment cluster the next time the ignition is
switched on.
~ Adding engine oil
Fig. 205 E ngin e compart ment: O il filler cap locatio n
• Before you check anything in the engine
compartment,
always read and heed all
WARNINGS
¢ &. in Working in the engine
compartment on page
23 7 .
• Unscrew the cap 'l=;r: to the eng ine oi l filling
hole
¢ fig. 205.
• Carefully top off with the appropriate oil in
0.5 liter doses .
• Check the oil level again after two minutes
¢page 242.
• Top off the oil again, if necessary.
• Screw the cap back on the filling hole.
A WARNING ~
-Wh ile topping off, the o il must not come
in contact with hot engine parts -fire
hazard!
- The oil filler cap must be properly se
cured to prevent oil from being sprayed
on the hot engine and exhaust system
when the engine is running -fire hazard!
- If your skin has come in contact with the
engine o il, you must subsequently
cleanse it thoroughly.
(D Note
-Check the oil level using the radio or
MMI*. If the message
Please reduce oil
level
appears, contact your authorized
Audi deale r or other qualified workshop
to have excess oil extrac ted if necessary.
- Audi does not recommend the use of oil
additives. They may damage the engine
and adversely affect your New Vehicle
Warranty.
244 Checking and filling
Engine cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant 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 .
The cooling system has been filled at the fac tory with a permanent coolant which does not need to be changed. The coolant consists of a
mixture of water and the manufacturer's gly
col-basedcoolant additive G12++ antifreeze
with anticorrosion add itives (SO% for USA
models; 60% for Canadian models). This mix
ture bo th assures the necessary frost protec
tion and protects metal components in the
engine's coo ling system from corrosion and
scaling. It also raises the boiling point of the
coolant.
Do not reduce the concentration of the cool
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 vehi
cle heating and engine cooling system .
For year-round driving, antifree ze is added at
the factory for temperatures down to:
- - 31°F (- 35 °C) USA
- -40°F ( - 40°C) Canada.
You can mix the G12 ++ coolant additive 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
WARNINGS ¢
A in Working in the engine
compartment on page 237.
(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 especia lly impor
tant if you live in a reg ion where the win
ter is extreme ly cold. If necessary, in
crease the proportion of coolant additive
to 60% .
- When adding coolant additive to your
cooling system, remember :
- We recommend using only coolant ad
ditive G12++ (check the label) for your
vehicle . This coolant additive is availa
b le at authorized Audi dealers . Other
types of antifreeze can significant ly re
duce corrosion protection. The result
ing corrosion can cause a loss of cool
ant and serious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiator leak seal
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant.
Add ing radiator repair fluid may adverse
ly affect the function and performance of
your cooling system and cou ld 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. 206 E ngin e compart men t: Coo lant expans ion tank
.,. Before you check anything in the engine
compartment,
always read and heed all
WARNINGS ¢&. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 23
7.
.,. Turn off the ignition .
.,. Read the engine coolant level from the
coo lant expansion tank¢
fig. 206. With a
cold engine, the coolant level should be be-
tween the "MIN" and "MAX" markings . ..,..
When the engine is warm, the level may be
slightly above the
"MAX" marking.
The location of the coolant expansion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus
tration ¢ page 239.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must be switched
off.
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped
with an electric 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 coolant and the level has
been restored to normal. Even though there is
an electric coolant level sensor, we still rec
ommend you check the coolant level 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 Audi 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.
& WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of scald
ing from hot coolant by following these
steps.
- Turn
off the engine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by covering the
cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in
a counter-clockwise direction while ap
plying light, downward pressure on the
top of the cap.
- To avoid being burned, do not spill anti freeze or coolant on the exhaust system or hot engine parts. Under certain condi
tions, the ethylene glycol in engine cool
ant can catch fire.
Checking and filling 245
@ Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak seal
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant. Add
ing radiator repair fluid 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 anything in the engine com
partment,
always read and heed all WARN
INGS ¢ & in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 23
7.
.,. Turn off the engine .
.,. let the engine cool down.
.,. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank ¢ page
244, fig . 206 and carefully turn
the cap counter-clockwise ¢
&_.
.,. Add coolant.
.. Twist the cap on again tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to
exact specifications ¢ page
244, Coolant.
Even in an emergency, if coolant addi-
tive G12++, G12+ or G12 is
not available, do
not use a different additive. Use plain water
instead until you can get the correct additive
and can restore the correct ratio. This should
be done as soon as possible.
If you have lost a considerable amount of
coolant , then you should add cold antifreeze
and cold water only when the engine is cold.
Always use new engine coolant when refilling.
Do not fill coolant above the "MAX" mark. Ex
cess coolant will be forced out through the pressure relief valve in the cap when the en
gine becomes hot.
A WARNING
- The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of ...,
•
•
298 ~l :..:.: nd ~e ~x :._ ______________________________ _
A
A/C mode 83,88
Accessories .. ....... ...... ... ... .. . 295
Adaptive cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Changing speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Driver information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Driver intervention prompt . .. .. .. .. . 111
Driving in traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Driving program . ........... .. .. .. . 111
Error messages .......... .... .... . 109
Open road .. ............. .. .. .. .. . 103
Override ... ................ ..... . 103
Request for driver to assume contro l . . 103
Save speed ............... ... .... . 104
Setting distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Setting time interval .......... .... . 106
Special driving situations ...... .. .. . 112
Status messages ... ...... .. .. .. .. . 109
Switching on and off .... .. .. .. .. ... 104
System limits . ........... .... .... . 112
Temporarily turning off .. .. .. .. .. .. . 105
Warning/indicator lights ............ 108
Adaptive dampers . .......... ... .. .. . 124
Adaptive light ............. .. .. ......
52
defective ................ .... .... .. 36
Adding
Engine coolant ............ ... .... .
245
Engine oi l .. ................ ..... . 242
Windshield washer fluid ... .. .. .... . 251
Addit ional accessories
Addit ives 295
Eng ine oil .. ................ ... .. . 242
Adjusting
Steering column manually . .. .. .... ..
92
Adj usting front seats ....... .. .. .. .. . . 61
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162, 181
Advanced Airbag System ....... .. ... 166
Advanced Airbag System components . 169
Care ... .. ............... .. .. .... . 175
Children . .... ........... .. .. .. .. . 187
Child restraints .............. ..... . 188
Components (front airbags) . ... .... . 169
Danger of fitting a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat . . . . . . . . . . . .
163
Disposal . ................. .. .... . 175
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166, 167
How do the front airbags work? ... ... 171
How many airbags does my vehicle
have? ... ... .. .. .. .............. .
169
How the Advanced Airbag System com-
ponents work together ......... ....
170
Important safety instructions on the
knee airbag system ...... ...... .. ..
179
Important things to know .......... . 162
Indicator light . ... ............ .. .. 173
Knee airbags ..... ... .......... .... 177
Monitoring . ..... ................ . 173
PASSENGER AIR BAG OF F light . . . . . . . 173
Repairs .......................... 175
Safety instructions ............. .... 175
Side airbags ... .. ............. .... 180
Side curtain airbags ............ .... 182
Weight-sensing mat ............... 187
When must the system be inspected? 173
All-wheel drive
Winter tires ... .. ... .......... ....
267
Alloy wheels .. .. . .. ............ .. .. 225
All wheel drive 210
Alternator
Malfunction ... ... ................ .
30
Anti-freeze
refer to Engine coolant system ....... 244
Anti-lock brake system
How the ABS system works ..........
208
Warning/indicator lights ............ . 16
Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR)
How the system works ............. .
206
Anti-theft systems
Electronic immobilizer ...............
39
Ashtray .. .. .. .. .. .... ......... .... . 75
ASR
How the Anti -Slip Regulation System
works
Asterisk
206
What does it mean when something is marked with an asterisk? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Audi braking guard ................. .
113
Error messages .................. . 115
Settings .. .... .. ............. .... 115
Status messages ... ........... .. .. 115
Switching on and off ........... .... 115
302 Index
Efficiency program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Fuel economy messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Memory leve ls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Other equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Shift indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Electrical seat adjustment
refer to Seat adjustment ........... . . 63
E lectromechan ical park ing brake
E mergency braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Malfunction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Parking .... ................ ..... .. 97
Releasing and closing ............. . . 96
Starting assist ........... .. .. .. .. .. 98
Starting from rest .......... .. .... .. 98
Starting off with a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Warning/ indicator lights .... ..... .. .. 17
Electronic differential lock (EDL) How the system works ....... .. .... . 205
Warning/indicator lights ... .. .. .. .. . . 16
Electronic immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Electronic power control
(EPC) warn ing/ indicator light ... .. .. . . 15
Electronic stabili zation program (ESP)
How the sys tem works ....... .. .. .. . 204
Warning/indicator lights ....... .. .. .. 15
Emergency braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
E mergency flasher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Warn ing/ indicator lights ..... .. .. .. . . 16
Emergency key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 7
Start ing engine ........... ... .. ... . 39
Emergency locking of the doors ..... .. .. 44
E mergency release
Selector lever ............ .. .. .... . 132
E mergency starting ......... ... .. .. . 284
Emergency towing .......... ... .... . 286
E mergency unlocking
I gnition key ........... .. .. .. .. .. .. 39
Energy management ..... .. .... .. .. . 211
Battery power ............... .. ... 212
Driver notification . ......... .. .. .. . 212
E ngine
Compartment . ........... .. .. .... . 239
Coolant .. .. ............... .. .... . 244
H ood .. .. .. ................ ... .. . 237
Starting ... ... .... ...... .. .. .. .. .. 92 Starting
with jumper cables ....... .. 284
Stopping . ..... .. .. .............. .. 94
Engine compartment Safety instructions ............. .. .. 23 7
Working the engine compartment .... 237
Engine coolant system ............ ... 244
Adding coolant . .. ................ . 245
Checking coolant level ............ .. 244
Checking the engine coolant level ..... 244
Malfunction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Radiator fan ..... ................ . 246
Engine coolant temperature
T emperature gauge . ........... .. .. . 10
Engine data . .... .. ............. .... 292
Engine hood
Closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 7
How to release the hood . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 7
Engine oil ...... .. ............. .... 239
Adding . .. .. .. .. ............. .. .. 242
Additives . ... .. .. .. .............. . 242
Changing ..... .. .. .............. . 243
Check oil level ... ............. .... 242
Consumption .. .. ............. .. .. 242
Oil consumption .. ... .......... .. .. 241
Oil grades . .... ................... 239
Specification and viscosity ........ ... 239
Engine oil level .... ................ .. 36
Engine oil pressure
Malfunction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Engine oil sensor defective . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Engine speed limitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Environment Break-in period . .. ............. .... 213
Catalytic converter ............. .... 214
Disposing of your vehicle battery ..... 251
Driving at high speeds .............. 215
Driving to minimize pollution and noise 215
Fuel .. .. .. .. .. .. ............. .. .. 234
Fuel economy .. .. ... .......... .. .. 215
Leaks under your vehicle .......... .. 23 7
Letting the vehicle stand and warm up. 216
Proper d isposal of drained brake fluid . 247
Proper disposal of drained engine cool-
ant .. .. .. .... .. ............. .... 245
Proper disposal of drained engine
oi l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242, 243
Recycling used engine oil ............ 242