2 70 Chec king and filling
should only be disconnected from the vehicle
e lectrical system when absolutely necessary
for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive your vehicle over a pe riod
of several days or weeks, electrical compo
nents are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and main
tains starting capab ility over a longer period
c;, page225.
Take into consideration that when you un lock
your vehicle, some convenience functions, such as the interior lights or the power seat
adjustment, may not be available. The con
venience functions will be available again
when you turn on the ignition and start the
engine .
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capacity
tends to decrease as temperatures drop . This
is because more power is also consumed while
starting, and the headlights, rear window de
fogger, etc., are used more often .
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, par
ticularly in city traffic or when traveling only
short d istances . Let your authorized Audi
dealer check the capacity of the vehicle bat
tery before w inte r sets in
¢ page 271. A well
cha rged battery w ill not only prevent starting
p rob lems when the weather is cold, but will
a lso last longer.
(D Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for several
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the
vehicle battery should be removed and
stored where it will not freeze . This wi ll
prevent it from being damaged and having
to be replaced.
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
The battery is located under the driver 's seat.
Before you check anyth ing under the driver 's
seat,
read and heed all WARNINGS c:;, _&.
Always heed the safety warnings, when work
ing on the vehicle battery or the vehicle elec
trical system to prevent injury.
The following WARNINGS are very
important when working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYM BOLS and safety precautions when working
on the battery.
@!) Always wear eye protection .
b.. Battery acid contains sulfuric acid . Al
~ ways wear gloves and eye protection.
~ No
\!:51 -sparks
- flames
- smoking.
A. When a battery is charged, it produces
~ hydrogen gas which is explosive and
could cause personal injury.
~ Always keep the battery well out of
~ reach of children.
,&. WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on
the electrical system, there is the risk of
injury, accident and even fire . Read and
heed the following WARNINGS:
- Always wear eye protection. Do not let
battery ac id or any lead particles get on
your skin or clothing. Shield your eyes .
Exp losive gases can cause blindness or
other injury.
- Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Sulfu
ric acid can cause blindness and severe
burns.
- Always wear g loves and eye protection.
-
Do not tilt the battery because acid ~
pressure label lists the recommended cold
tire i nflatio n pressures for the vehicle at its
maximum capacity we ight a nd the tires that
were on your vehicle at the time it was man
ufactured . For recommended t ire pressures
for normal load condit ions, please see chap
ter ~
page 2 78 .
-Turn the valve stem cap counter-clockwise
to remove it from the tire valve .
- Place the air pressure gauge on the valve.
- The tire pressures should only be checked
and adjusted when the tires are cold . The
s light ly raised pressures of warm tires must
not be reduced .
- Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying.
- Re insta ll the va lve stem cap on the valve .
When should I check the tire pressure ?
The correct tire pressure is especially impor
tant at high speeds . The pressure sho uld
therefo re be checked at least once a month
and a lways before start ing a journey. Do not
forget to check the tire pressure for the spare
wheel.
When should I adju st the tire pre ssures?
Ad just the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying. After changing a wheel
or replacing
wheels you have to adjust the tire pressures
on all wheels. In addition, you must then
store the new tire pressures i n the t ire pres
sure mon itor ing system
~ page 294.
A WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or unde rinfla
tion ca n lead sudden tire failure, loss of
cont ro l, col lision, ser ious persona l inju ry
or even death.
- Whe n the wa rning symbo l
RI] appears in
the instrument cl uster, s top an d inspect
the tires.
- Incorre ct tire pressure and/or unde rinfla
t ion can cause inc reased t ire wear and
can affect the handling o f the veh icle and
stopp ing ability.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin
flation can also lead to sud den tire fa il-
Tires an d wheel s 281
ure, including a blowout and sudden de
flation, ca using loss of veh icle contro l.
- The driver is responsib le for the correct
tire pressures for all tires on the veh icle.
The applicable pressure values are locat
ed on a sticker o n the dr iver's s ide B-pil
lar .
- Onl y when all tires on the vehicle are fil
led to the correct pressure, the t ire pres
sure mon itor ing system can work cor
rectly .
- The use of incorrect tire pressure va lues
can lead to acc idents or other damage .
Therefore it is ess ential that th e drive r
observe t he spec ified t ire p ress ure val ues
for the tires and the cor rect pressures for
the func tion of the t i re p ress ure moni to r
ing system.
- Always in flate tires to the recommen ded
a nd correct t ire p ress ure be fore dr iv ing
off .
- D riving with unde rinf lated tires bend
mo re, letting them get too hot resulting
in tread separation, s udden tire failure
and loss of control.
- Excessive speed and/overloading can
cause heat b uild- up, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
- If the tire pressure is too low or too high,
the t ires will wear prematurely and the
veh icle w ill not handle well.
- If the tire is not flat and you do not have
to change a wheel immediately, d rive at
red uced speed to the nearest service sta
tion to check the t ire press ure and add
air as requ ired .
(D Note
Driving w ithout valve stem caps can cause
damage to the tire valves. To prevent this,
a lways make sure that factory installed
valve s tem caps o n all whee ls are sec urely
mounted o n the valve .
@ For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will also increase the
fuel consumpt ion.
•
•
288 Tire s and whee ls
- All four wheels must be fitted with radia l
t ires of the same type, size (rolling c ir
cumference) and the same tread pattern.
Driv ing with different tires reduces veh i
cle handling and can lead to a loss of
control.
- If the spare tire is not the same as the
t ires that are mounted on the veh icle -
for example with winter tires - on ly use
the spare tire for a short period of time
and dr ive with extra care. Refit the no r
ma l road whee l as soon as safely possi
ble.
- Never drive faster than the maxim um
speed for which the tires on your vehicle
are rated because tires that are driven
faster than their rated speed can fail
sudden ly.
- Overloading ti res cause heat build-up,
sudden tire failure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation and loss of control.
- Temperature grades app ly to tires that
are properly inflated and not over or un
derinflated.
- For technical reasons it is not a lways
poss ible to use wheels from other vehi
cles -in some cases not even whee ls
from the same vehicle model.
- If you install wheel tr im discs on the ve
hicle whee ls, make sure that the air flow
to the brakes is not blocked . Reduced air
flow to the brakes can them to overheat,
increasing stopping d istances and caus
ing a collision.
- Run flat t ires may on ly be used on vehi
cles that were equipped with them a t the
facto ry. The vehicle mus t have a chassis
desig ned for run flat tires. Incorrect use
of run flat tires can lead to vehicle dam
age or accidents. Check with an a uthor
ized Audi dea ler or tire specialist to see if
your vehicle can be equ ipped w ith run
flat tires. If run f lat tires are used, they
must be installed on all four wheels. M ix
ing t ire types is not permitted. (D Note
- For technical reasons, it is not generally
possible to use the wheel rims from oth
er veh icles. T his can hold tr ue for wheels
of the same vehicle type.
- If the spare tire is different from the tires that you have mounted on your ve
hicle (for example winter tires or wide
profi le tires), then use the spare tire for a
short period of time only and drive w ith
extra care. Replace the flat tire w it h the
tire mat ching the othe rs on your vehicle
as soon as possib le.
- Never d rive without the valve stem cap.
The va lves cou ld get damaged.
@ For the sake of the environment
D ispose of o ld tires in accordance w ith the
l ocal requirements.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- Traction AA A B (
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the t ire s ide wall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width
¢ page 285,
fig. 241 .
For e xample: Tread wear 2 00 , Traction AA ,
Temperature A .
All passenger car tires must conform to Feder
al Safety Requirements in addition to these
grades .
Tread w ear
The tread wear g rade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
u nder contro lled conditions on a specified
government test course.
For example, a tire graded 1S0 wo uld wear
one and one ha lf (11/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
What do I do now?
Jack, tools and
inflatable spare tire
Tools
The tool kit is located in the luggage com
partment under the cargo floor cover.
F ig . 2 4 4 Luggage compa rtme nt: ve hicle tool ki t
The on board tool kit includes:
- Hook for removing wheel covers*
- Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt cove rs*
- Wheel bolt wrench
- Alignment pin for changing wheels
- Screwdriver with reversible blade
- 10 x 13 open ended wrench
- Towing eye
@ Tips
Some of the onboard items listed above
are prov ided on certa in models only or are
optional extras .
What do I do now ? 295
Jack and folding chocks
The jack and the folding chocks are located in
the luggage compartment under the cargo
floor cover.
F ig . 2 4 5 Luggage compar tme nt ve hicle jack and fold·
i ng chocks
--------
F ig. 246 Ope ning fo ldi ng chocks
Vehi cle jack
The jack is located under the tool kit
¢ fig . 245. Before storing the jack, make sure
it is wound back down as far as it will go.
Folding chocks
Two unassembled fo lding c hocks are attached
to the foam section at the front with the jack
¢fig . 245.
Re lease the two hook-and-loop fasteners, and
remove the two chocks. To use the chocks, you
first have to raise the support plate
¢ fig . 246 (D and then insert the locking plate
with the two "tabs" into the elongated ho les
in the base plate @¢.&. .
A WARNING
-The chock cannot fulfil its function and
may lose its stability if the "tabs" on the
support p late are not inse rted co rrectly
into the elong ated holes in the base
2 96 What do I do now ?
plate. If this happens, the vehicle may
start to move while a wheel is being changed.
- Never use the folding chocks if they are
damaged or if they have not been assem
bled correctly.
A WARNING
Improper use of the vehicle jack can cause
ser ious persona l injuries.
- Never use the jack supplied with your Au
di on anothe r vehicle, pa rticularly on a
heavier one. The jack is only suitable for
use on the vehicle it came w ith.
- Us ing a bumper jack to raise the vehicle
will damage the bump er system. The
jack may slip, causing in jury.
- Never support your veh icle on cinder
blocks, b ricks or other objec ts. These
may no t be ab le to suppor t the load and
c ou ld cau se injury whe n they fail.
- Never start o r run the engine while the
vehicle is supported by the j ack.
- If you must wo rk under the vehicle, al
ways use safety stands specifically de
signed for this purpose.
- Always make su re the inf latable spare
ti re and even a flat tire a re se cu red in
pla ce and not loose, otherwise t hey
c ou ld f ly forward, causing personal in jury
to passengers in the veh icle in an acc i
dent o r sudden mane uver.
Removing bass box
Applies to vehicles: with bass box
Before the inflatable spare tire can be taken
out, the bass box must be removed .
Fig. 247 Spare wheel well: Bass box
Removing bass box
" Squee ze the locking tabs ¢ fig. 247 (!) of
the connector .
" Disconnect the connector @and place the
lead to one side.
" Turn t he large screw counter-clockwise.
" Carefully
remove the bass box.
Installing bass bo x
" Carefully place the bass box in the wheel.
The insc ription " FRO NT" on the bass box
m ust face forward .
" Reconnect the connector that was removed.
" Secure the bass box with t he large screw.
· Inflatable spare tire
The inflatable spare tire expands to its full di
ameter when it is inflated.
Fi g. 2 48 In flatable spare t ire w ith compressor
Removing inflatable spare tire
" Lift up the cargo floor us ing the handle .
" Tu rn the large screw¢
fig. 248 co unter-
clockwise.
" Remove the bass box as required
¢page 296.
" Take out the inflatable spare tire .
" Always sto re the vehicle tool kit, the jack
and the replaced tire in the luggage com
partment
¢page 166.
Stowing the inflatable spar e tire
" Release the air by unscrewing the valve
stem.
" Screw the
valve stem back in afterwards .
" Wait a few hours befo re p lacing the wheel
in the spare whee l we ll
r=:, _.&.
" Install the bass box as required r=:, page 296 . ..,.
2 98 What do I do now?
The compressor must not be connected to
the c igarette lighter socket, as this socket
does not provide the required power.
Changing a wheel
Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your
own and your passenger's safety when chang
ing a wheel.
• After you experience a tire failure, pull the
car well away from moving traffic and try to
reach
level ground before you stop r::::> /.1. .
• All passengers should leave the car and
move to a safe location (for instance, behind
the guardrai l)
r::::> /.1. .
• Engage th e parking brake to prevent your
vehicle from rolling unintentionally
r::::> /.1. .
• Move selector lever to position P r::::> /.1..
• If you are towing a trailer: unhitch the trail
er from your vehicle .
• Block the diagonally opposite wheel with
the fo ld ing chocks or other objects .
• Take the
jack and the inflatable spare tire
out of the luggage compartment
r::::>page 295.
& WARNING
You or your passengers cou ld be injured
while changing a whee l if yo u do not fol
low these safety precautions :
- If you have a flat tire, move a safe dis
tance
off the road. Turn off the engine,
turn the emergency flashers on and use other warning devices to alert other mo
torists .
- Make sure that passengers wait in a safe
place away from the vehicle and well
away from the road and traff ic .
- To help prevent the vehicle from moving
suddenly and possibly slipping off the
jack, always fully set the parking brake
and block the whee l diagonally opposite
the whee l being changed with the fold
ing chocks or other objects. When one front wheel is lifted
off the ground, plac
ing the Automatic Transmission in "P"
(Park) will
not prevent the vehicle from
moving .
- Before you change a wheel, be sure the
ground is level and firm. If necessary,
use a sturdy board under the jack.
- After installing the inflatable spare tire,
make sure that you replace the flat tire/
wheel in its storage area properly and
tighten the knurled retaining screw se
curely.
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel , follow these
quence described below step-by-step and in
exactly that order.
1. Activate the vehicle jack mode (only vehi
cles w ith Adaptive Air Suspens ion)
r::::> page 154.
2. Remove the decorative wheel cover*. For
more details see also
r::::> page 299, Deco
rative wheel covers or r::::> page 299,
Wheels with wheel bolt caps.
3. Loosen the wheel bolts r::::>page 299 .
4. Locate the proper mounting point for the jack and align the jack below that point
r::::>page 300.
S. Lift the car with the jack r::::> page 300.
6. Remove the wheel with the flat tire and
then insta ll the
inflatable spare tire
r::::>page 301.
7. Tighten all wheel bolts lightly.
8.
Lower the vehicle with the jack.
9. Use the wheel bolt wrench and
firmly
tighten all wheel bolts r::::> page 299.
10. Rep lace the decorative wheel cover*.
11. De activate the vehicle jack mode (only ve
hicles wi th Adaptive Air Suspension)
r::::> page 154.
& WARNING
Always read and follow all WARNINGS and
in format ion
c:::> &. in Raising the vehicle on
page 301
and c:::> page 302.
300 What do I do now?
Loosening
.,. Install the wheel bolt wrench over the
wheel bolt and push it down as far as it will
go .
.,. Take tight hold of the
end of the wrench
handle and turn the wheel bolts
counter
clockwise
about one single turn in the direc
tion of arrow
c> fig. 251.
Tightening
.,. Install the wheel bolt wrench over the
wheel bolt and push it down as far as it will
go .
.,. Take tight hold of the
end of the wrench
handle and turn each wheel bolt
clockwise
until it is seated .
A WARNING
- Do not use force or hurry when changing
a wheel - you can cause the vehicle to slip
off the jack and cause serious personal
injuries.
- Do not loosen the wheel bolts more than
one turn
before you raise the vehicle with
the jack. - You risk an injury.
@ Tips
If a wheel bolt is very tight, you may find it
easier to loosen by carefully pushing down
on the end of the wheel bolt wrench with
one foot only. As you do so, hold on to the
car to keep your balance and take care not
to slip.
Raising the vehicle
The vehicle must be lifted with the jack first
before the wheel can be removed.
Fig. 252 Sill pane ls: mar kings
Fig. 253 Sill: posit ioning the jack
.,. Activate the vehicle jack mode* (only vehi
cles with Adaptive Air Suspension)
<::> page 154.
.,. Engage the parking brake to prevent your
vehicle from rolling unintentionally
.,. Move the
selector lever to position P .
.,. Find the marking (imprint) on the sill that
is nearest the wheel that will be changed
c> fig. 252. Behind the marking, there is a
lifting point on the sill for the jack.
.,. Turn the
jack located under the lifting point
on the sill to raise the jack until its arm@
c> fig. 253 is located under the designated
plastic mount
c> & c::> (D .
.,. Align the jack so that its arm @ c::> fig. 253
engages in the designated lifting point in
the door sill and the movable base® lies
flat on the ground. The base @ must be
ver
tical
under the lifting point@.
.,. Wind the jack up further until the flat tire
comes off the ground
c> ,& .
Position the jack only under the designated
lifting points on the sill
c>fig . 252. There is
exactly
one location for each wheel. The jack
must not be positioned at any other location
c> .&. c> CD.
An unstable surface under the jack can cause
the vehicle to slip off the jack. Always provide
a firm base for the jack on the ground. If nec
essary place a sturdy board or similar support under the jack . On
hard, slippery surfaces
(such as tiles) use a rubber mat or similar to
prevent the jack from slipping
c> ,&.. liJI,
_& WARNING
-You or your passengers could be injured
while changing a wheel if you do not
follow these safety precautions:
- Position the jack only at the designated
lifting points and align the jack. Other
wise, the jack could slip and cause an
injury if it does not have sufficient hold
on the vehicle.
- A soft or unstable surface under the
jack may cause the vehicle to slip off the jack. Always provide a firm base for
the jack on the ground . If necessary,
use a sturdy board under the jack.
- On hard, slippery surface (such as tiles)
use a rubber mat or similar to prevent
the jack from slipping .
- To help prevent injury to yourself and
your passengers:
- Do not raise the vehicle until you are
sure the jack is securely engaged.
- Passengers must not remain in the ve
hicle when it is jacked up.
- Make sure that passengers wait in a
safe place away from the vehicle and
well away from the road and traffic.
- Make sure jack position is correct, ad
just as necessary and then continue to
raise the jack.
(D Note
Do not lift the vehicle by the sill. Position
the jack only at the designated lifting
points on the sill. Otherwise, your vehicle
will be damaged.
What do I do now? 301
Taking the wheel off/installing the inflatable spare tire
Follow these instructions step-by-step for
changing the wheel
Fig. 254 Chan ging a wh eel : ali gnment p in inside the
t op hole
After you have loosened all wheel bolts and
raised the vehicle off the ground, remove and
replace the wheel as follows :
Removing the wheel
.. Remove the topmost wheel bolt comple tely
and set it aside on a
clean surface .
.. Screw the threaded end of the
alignment
pin from the tool kit hand-tight into the
empty bolt hole
~ fig . 254.
.. Then remove the other wheel bolts as de
scribed above.
.. Take off the wheel leaving the alignment
pin in the bolt hole
~ 0.
Putting on the inflatable spare tire
.. Inflate the inflatable spare tire~ page 297
and push the wheel over the alignment pin.
.,. Screw in and tighten all wheel bolts
slight
ly.
.. Remove the alignment pin and insert and
tighten the remaining wheel bolt slightly
like the rest .
.. Turn the jack handle counter-clockwise to
lower the vehicle until the jack is fully re
leased .
.,. Use the wheel bolt wrench to tighten all
wheel bolts firmly
~page 299 . Tighten
them
crosswise, from one bolt to the (ap
proximately) opposite one, to keep the
wheel centered.