222 Check ing and filling
• Read the brake fluid leve l from the brake
fluid reservoir ¢
fig. 179, ¢ fig. 175. The
brake f lu id leve l must be between the "MIN"
and "MAX" markings.
The brake fluid reservoir is located at the rear partition of the engine compartment on the
left side ¢
page 214 .
The fluid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the brake pads . This is not cause for alarm .
I f the brake fluid level falls
considerably be
l ow the "MIN" mark, the brake wa rning/indi
cator light (U .S . mode ls:
1111 , Canadian
models :. ) will come on
¢ page 15. Do not
continue to operate the vehicle. The complete brake system should be thoroughly checked
by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop and the cause corrected . If the
brake fluid level is too low, the b rake war ning/
i ndicato r light w ill illuminate . Contact an au
thor ized Audi dealer
imm ediately .
@ Tips
The brake f lu id reservoir is located unde r
neath the cove r.
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi
enced technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the a ir . If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
h igh, corrosion in the brake system may result
after a per iod of t ime . The bo iling po int of the
b rake fluid w ill also decrease considerably and
dec rease braking per formance.
Therefore, the brake flu id must be changed
e ver y two ye ars. A lways use new b rake fluid
which confo rms to Fede ral Motor Vehicle
S tanda rd "FMVSS 116 DO T 4".
The brake flu id reservoir can be difficult to
r each, therefo re , we recommend that yo u
have the brake fl uid changed by yo ur au tho r
i z ed
Audi dealer . Your dealer has the co rrec t tools, the
right brake flu id and t he know -how
to do this for you.
A WARNING
'-
- Brake flu id is poisonous. It must be stor-
ed only in the closed or igina l container
out of the reach of children!
- Brake failure can res ult from o ld or inap
propriate brake f lu id. Observe these pre
cautions:
- Use only brake f luid that meets SA E
spe cifi cat ion
J 17 03 and conforms to
Federa l Motor Vehi cle Standard 1 16.
Always chec k with yo ur authorized A udi
dealer to make sure yo u are using the
correct brake fluid. The cor rect type of
brake flu id is also ind icated on the
brake f lu id reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use
of the brakes can cause a vapor lock if
the brake fluid is left i n the system too
long . This can se riously affect the effi
c iency of the brakes as well as your
safety . T his could result in an accident.
W Note
Brake fluid will damage the pai nt of you r
vehicle .
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal
of brake fluid as well as the spec ial too ls
r equired and the necessary expertise, we
r ecommend that yo u have the brake flu id
changed by yo ur autho rized Aud i dea le r.
Battery
General information
U nder normal operat ing cond itions, the bat
te ry in your Audi does not need any ma inte
nance. With
high outside temperatu res or
long da ily drives we recommend that you have
the e lectrolyte leve l che cked by an autho riz ed
A udi dealer or qu alified workshop. The elec
tro ly t e level should also be checked e ach time
the battery is charged
¢ page 225. ...
224 Checking and filling
-Always wear eye protection. Do not let
battery acid or any lead particles get on
your skin or clothing . Shield your eyes .
Explosive gases can cause blindness or
other injury .
- Battery acid contains sulfuric acid . Sulfu
ric acid can cause blindness and severe
burns .
- Always wear gloves and eye protection.
Do not tilt the battery because acid
could leak out of the ventilation open
ings.
- If you get battery acid in your eyes or
on your skin, immediately rinse with
cold water for several minutes and get
medical attention .
- If you should ingest any battery acid,
seek medical attention immediately.
- Do not expose the battery to an open
flame, electric sparks or an open light.
- Do not smoke.
- Do not interchange the positive and neg-
ative cables.
= When working on the battery , be sure
not to short-circuit the terminals with
tools or other metal objects. This would cause the battery to heat up very quickly,
which could lead to damage or explosion
and personal injury.
- When a battery is charged, it produces hydrogen gas which is explosive and
could cause personal injury .
- Always keep the battery well out of the
reach of children .
- Before work is done on the electrical sys tem, disconnect the negative ground cable.
- Before performing any work on the elec
trical system, switch
off the engine and
ignition as well as any electrical equip
ment . The negative cable on the battery
must be disconnected . If you are just go
ing to replace a light bulb, then it is
enough to switch
off the lights.
- Before disconnecting the battery, switch
off the anti-theft alarm system! Other
wise you will set off the alarm. -
When disconnecting the battery, first
disconnect the negative cable and then
the positive cable.
- Before reconnecting the battery, make
sure all electrical consumers are switch
ed off. Reconnect the positive cable first
and then the negative cable . Never inter
change the cables - this could start a fire!
- Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out
battery .
It could explode! If a battery has
frozen, then it must be replaced . A dis
charged battery can freeze over at 32°F
(QOC).
-Make sure the vent hose is always attach
ed to the opening on the side of the bat
tery .
- Never use batteries which are damaged.
There is the danger of an explosion! Al
ways replace a damaged battery.
A WARNING
California Proposition 6S Warning:
- 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 problems. Wash hands after han
dling.
(D Note
- Do not disconnect the vehicle battery
when the ignition is switched on or when the engine is running, otherwise, you will
damage electronic components in the
electrical system.
- If your vehicle is going to stand for a
long period of time without being driven,
protect the battery from "freezing", oth
erwise it will be damaged and will then
have to be replaced .
226 Check ing and filling
Never use a fa st charger as a booster to
start the engine . T his will seriously dam
age sensitive electronic components, such
as control units, relays, rad io, etc ., as well
as the battery charger.
Battery replacement
The new bat tery must have the same specifi
cations and dimensions as the original equip
ment battery .
Intelligent energy man agement in your veh i
cle is respons ible for d istributing the e lectr i
cal energy throughout your vehicle
c::>
page 185. The intell igent energy ma nage
ment system w ill keep the engine battery
cha rged bette r then vehicles w it h out th is sys
tem. To make sure t he addi tional e lectrica l en
e rgy is availab le once again after you have
cha nged t he battery, we recommend that you
install batteries of the same type and ma nu
facture only (the same as those installed at
the time your vehicle was delivered). Specifi
cations are listed on the battery hous ing. Your
author ized Audi dealer must code the battery
in the ene rgy management system to enable
you to use the ene rgy management functions
cor rectly after repla cing t he battery .
If it is not possible to use a battery of this
type, the new battery must have the same ca
pac ity, voltage ( 12-volts), ampe rage, con
s truction and plug sea ling .
When insta lling the battery , make sure the ig
ni tion and all electr ical cons umers are turned
off.
0 Note
Ma ke sure t he vent ilation hose on the s ide
of the batte ry is con nected, ot herwis e
fumes or battery ac id can leak out.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper d isposa l
of a battery , we recommend your au thor
i z ed Audi deale r change the batte ry for you
. Batteries contain sul fur ic acid and
l ead and must a lways be disposed of prop
erly in comp liance with a ll environmental
regulations. Disposing of vehicle batter ies
i mproperly is very dangerous to the envi
ro nment .
Windshield/headlight*
washer container
Fig. 181 En gin e compa rt m en t: Cover o n the wind
s hi eld an d headlig ht• was her fluid conta iner
T he was her fluid co nta iner is mar ked w ith the
symbol
O on its c ap c::> fig. 181, c::> fig . 175.
.,. Before yo u check anything in the engine
compa rtme nt, always read and heed all
WARNINGS c::> &. in Working in the engine
c ompartment on page 212.
.. Lift th e fi ller ca p tongue to ad d washer flu
id . You can f ill the containe r to the top .
.. Press the cap back onto the fi ller neck after
fi lling the container.
You can find the reservo ir
capacity in t he table
in c::>
page 267 .
Clean wa ter should be used when filling up. If
poss ible, use so ft wat er to preven t scaling o n
the washer jets . A lways ad d a glass clea ner
solution (with frost protection in the winter) .
(D Note
Do not m ix eng ine cool ant an tifr eeze o r
any other a ddi tives to fill up the win d
s hi eld washer rese rvoir .
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ribs.
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry for a given inflation pressure. You
may not find this information on all tires be
cause it is no t req uired by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a t ire at the max i
mum permissible inflation pressure for that
tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressure
to which a tire may be inflated. Also called "maximum inflation pressure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the
number of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the total seating capacity of your vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle.
Outer diameter
means the overa ll diamete r of an inflated new
tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteri
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ
in g elevations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated parallel cords.
Tires and wheels 229
Production options weight
means the combined weight of those installed
regular production options we ighing over 5
lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard items
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, heavy duty
battery, and special trim.
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in wh ich the ply cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan
tia lly 90 degrees to the center line of the
tread .
Recommended inflation pressure
see¢ page 228, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire design to operate at higher loads
and at h igher inflation pressures than the cor
re sp onding standard tire. Reinforced tires
may be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD",
or "RF" on the sidewa ll.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a tire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads are
seated.
Rim diameter
means nom inal d iameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you will have to
purchase new tires to match the new rim di
ameter.
Rim size designation
means r im diameter and width .
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges .
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
tread and bead.
•
•
232 Tires and wheels
you have stored. The system does not recog
nize the load condition of your vehicle.
The effectiveness of the tire pressure monito r
ing system* will be impaired if you store nor
mal load pressures but then operate the vehi
cle at its maximum load¢.&. .
See the illustration¢
fig. 182 for the location
of the label on driver's side 8-pillar (color of
the actua l label and exact location on the ve
hicle wi ll vary slightly) .
Note that the following table is accurate at
the time of going to press and is subject to
Model Tire designation
change. In the event of discrepancies, the tir e
pressure label is located on the driver's side 8-
pillar always takes precedence.
T he table below lists the recommended cold
ti re inflation pressu res for the Audi mode l
covered by your Owner's Literature at the vehi
cle's capacity weight and the t ire sizes instal
l ed on the respective models as original
equipment, or as a factory option.
Tire pressure
Engine normal load condition full load condition
(up to 2 occupants)
front rear front rear
AS Cab- 225/50 Rl 7 94H
riolet: All Season
2.0 liter 24S/40 R18 93H
4-cylinder All Season
245/45 Rl 7 95H
All Season
255/35 R19 96V High Performance
55 Cabrio- 245/40 R18 97V
let: High Performance
3.0 liter
6-cylinder 255/35 R19 96V
High Performance PSI kPA PSI
33 230
30
35 240 32
32 220 29
32 220 32
39 270
35
39 270 35
kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
210 36 250 39 270
220 38 260 41 280
200 35 240 38 260
'
220 35 240 38 260
I
240 42 290 44
300
.
240 42 290 44 300
I
XL= reinforced or extra load tire. It may also appear as xl, EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire side
wall.
The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel i s
located on a label on the driver's side 8-pillar.
Because technical changes may be made to
ve hicle equipment during the model year, al
ways compare the tire size designation on the
tire pressure labe l on your vehicle w ith the
tires on your vehicle. Make sure that the tire
size information on the veh icle label is the
same as the size of the tires on the vehicle.
This is especially important if the vehicle be
lo ngs to someone else or you bought the veh i- cle
with different rims/tires or you bought the
vehicle as a previously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your pas
sengers also depends on making sure that
l oad lim its are not exceeded. Vehicle load in
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
vehicle. These load limits are techn ically refer
red to as the veh icle's Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating ("GVWR"). The Gross Axle Weight Rat
ing ("GAWR") is the maximum load that can
be applied at eac h of the vehicle's two axles .
T he Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the .,.
246 Tires and wheels
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the re
p lacement or a lternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly.
Tire pressure indicator appears
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction.
Fig. 187 Display: underinflation warning
N :;:; 9 a:
l:l
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni
tor ing system compares the tire tread circum
ference and vibration characteristics of the in
dividual tires.
If the pressure decreases in one
or mo re tires, this is indicated in the instru
ment cluster with a
[I] warning symbol and a
message
r:!> fig. 187 . The driver message in the
display goes out after S seconds. The driver
message can be displayed again by pressing
the
! SET ! button. If only one tire is affected,
the display will indicate its position.
The tire press ure monitoring system must be
reset via radio or MMI* each time the pres
sures are adjusted (e. g . when switching be
tween partial and full load pressure) or after
changing or replacing a tire on your veh icle
r:!> page 247 . The TPMS indicator only moni
tors the tire pressure that you have prev iously
stored . You can find the recommended tire
pressures for your vehicle on the label on driv
er's side 8-pillar
¢page 231.
Tire tread circumference and vibration charac
ter istics can change and cause a tire pressure
warning if:
- the tire pressure in one or more tires is too
low, - the
tire has structural damage,
- the tire pressure was changed, wheels rotat-
ed or replaced but the TPMS was not reset
c;, page 247.
Warning symbols
[I] Loss of pressure in at least one tire c;, .&,..
Check the tire or tires and replace or repa ir if
necessary. The
[I] indicator light in the instru
ment cluster also illuminates
¢page 13.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires
and reset TPMS via radio or MMI*.
11Nl~1 (Tir e Pressure Mon itor ing System) Tire
pressure: System malfunction!.
IfllilB appears after switching the ignition
on or while driving and the
[I] indicator light
in the instrument cluster blinks for approx i
mately one minute and then stays on, there is
a system malfunction .
Attempt to store the correct tire pressu re
c;, page 247. If the indicator light does not
turn off or if it turns on shortly thereafter, im
mediate ly driv e your vehicle to an author ized
Audi dealer or authorized repair facility to
have the malfunct ion corrected.
A WARNING
-
- If the tire pressure ind icator appears in
the instrument cluster display, one or
more of your t ires is sign ificantly under
inflated . Reduce yo ur speed immediately
and avoid any hard steering or braking
maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible and
check the tires and their pressures. In
f la te the tire pressure to the prope r pres
sure as indicated on the vehicle's tire
pressure label
r:!> page 231. Driving on a
significantly under-inflated tire causes
the t ire to overheat and can lead to tire
fa ilure . Under -inflation also is likely to
impair the vehicle's handling and stop ping ability.
- The driver is responsible for maintaining
the co rrect tire pressures. You must
check the tire pressures regularly.
280 Index
Indicator ligh ts ................ .... .. 13
Airbag system . .......... .. .. .... . 151
Dynamic steering .................. 183
PASSENG ER AIR BAG OFF .. .. .. .... . 151
also refer to Warning/indicator lights .. 13
Infant seats .... ........ .. .. .. .... . 167
Install ing ch ild safety seats
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
171
Instruments
Adjusting the lighting ..... .. .. .. .. . .
55
Instruments and controls ... .. .... .. . . 10
General i llustration .. ..... .. .. .. ... .. 8
I nter ior lights
Front .. .. .. .. . .......... .. .. .... ..
55
Rear .. .. .. .. .......... ... .. .... .. 55
Intermittent (windshield wipers) ... .. . . 57
J
Jump-starting 259
Ju mper cables . ........... ... .. .... . 260
K
Key ..... .... ... .......... .. .. .. .. .. 32
Battery replacement .......... .... ..
33
Check light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Emergency key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32, 77
Ignition/engine on/off ..... .. .. .... .. 75
Key replacement ........... .. .. .. .. 32
Mechanical key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32, 33
removing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
unlocking/locking . . . . . . . . . . . 34, 35, 36
Kick-down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Knee airbags ... ........... .. .. .. .. .
155
D escr iptio n .............. .. .. .. .. . 155
How they work ... .......... .. .... . 156
Important safety instructions ..... .. . 157
L
La ne Change Assistant
refer to side assist ............ .... . 103
LA T C H ............ .......... ...... 175
Description . ... .......... .. .. .. .. . 176
Install ing a chi ld restraint .. .. .. .. .. . 177
Locat ion ... .......... ..... .. .... . 176
Mounting and releasing the anchorage
hook .... ... .... ........ .. .. .... .
177
Launch Control Prog ram ......... .. .. . 91
Leather ....... ... ................ .
203
Cleaning ...... .. ............. .... 204
Leav ing home ... .. ............. .... . 53
Left hand drive .... ... .......... .. .. . 54
Lifting jack ..... .. ..... ....... .... . 252
Lifting vehicle ... .. ... .......... .. .. 263
Light
adaptive light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
52
Coming/Leaving home ........ .. .. .. . 53
Daytime running lights . . . . . . . . . . 52, 53
Exterior lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52, 53
Fog lights/rear fog light(s) ........ .. . 52
Interior/reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Low beam ..... .. .......... ...... .. 52
Rear fog lights ... ..... .. ... ..... .. . 52
S ide marker lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Tra vel mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Light/rain sensor
Headlights .. .. .. ..... ....... .... ..
52
Intermittent (w indshield w ipers) ..... . 57
Sensor defective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Lights
Emergen cy flashers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
High beam .... .. ... .... ...... .... . 53
Turn sign als . .. .. .......... ...... .. 53
Locking
Rear lid ... .... ... ................ .
37
Locking/unlocking
at the lock cylinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
36
by remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
with the centra l locking switch ... .. .. . 35
with the conven ience key ........ .... . 35
Low beams ..... .. ............. .... . 52
Lower anchorage locator button ....... 176
Lower universal anchorage bars (Canada) 175
Lower universal anchorages (Canada) 175
Luggage
Stow ing .. .. ... ... ... ..... ... .. ..
127
Luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Enlarging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Lid ..... .. .. .. .. ............... .. . 37
Load ing ... .... .. ... .......... .... 127
Ski sack ... .... ... ................ . 68
Tie-downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68, 128
Luggage compartment lid
Emergency un locking ........... .....
38
It has always been Audi's policy to continu
ously improve its products. Aud i, therefore,
reserves the right to make changes in design
a nd specifications, and to make additions or
improvements in its p roducts, w ithout incur
ring any obl igat ion to insta ll t hem on p rod
uc ts p revio usly man ufac tured.
Text, illustrat ions and specifications in th is
manual a re based on the most up-to-date in
formation available at the time of p rinting.
All rights reserved. May not be reproduced or
translated in whole or in part without the wr
itten consent of AUDI AG. Specifications are
subject to change without notice.
"Audi", "q uattro" and the four r ings emblem
are registered trademarks of AUDI AG.
Editor ial de adlin e: 08 /31 /2012
@ For the sake of the environment
P rinted on environmentally friendly pape r
(b leached without chlorine, recyclable).
Printed in Germany
© 2012 AUDI AG