
190 Driving and en vironm ent
(0 Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af
ter starting . If warning lights should come
on to indicate improper operation, they
would go unheeded. Extended idling also
produces heat, which could result in
over
heating or other damage to the vehicle or
other property.
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel .
.,. Have your vehicle serv iced at regular inter-
vals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
author ized Audi dealer he lps to ensure that it
runs properly and economically. The condition
of your vehicle not only affects its safety and
ab il ity to hold its value, it also affects
fu el
con sump tion .
C heck your oil each time you fill your tank.
The amount of oil used is related to engine
l oad and speed.
I t is normal for the oil consumption o f a new
engine to reach its lowest val ue after a certain
mileage has been driven.
You mus t drive yo ur vehicle abo ut 3,000 miles
(5,000 kilometers) be fo re yo u can properly
assess oi l consumption.
This a lso applies to fuel consumption and en
g ine output.
(]) Note
-Have yo ur vehicle maintai ned properly
and in accordance with the service re c
ommendations in your War ran ty
& Mai n
tenance bookle t. Lack of proper mainte
nance as well as imp roper use of the
ve
hicle will impair the function of the
emission control system and could lead
to damage. -
Do not alter or
remove any component of
the Emission Control System unless ap
proved by the manufacturer .
- Do not alter or
remove any device, such
as heat shie lds, switches, ignition w ires,
valves, which are designed to protect
your vehicle's Emission Control System and other important vehicle compo
nents.
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively
high on short trips .
.,. Try to avoid driv ing short distances w ith a
cold engine.
The engine and cata lytic converter have to
reach their opt imal
oper ating temperature to
reduce fuel consumpt ion and nox ious em is
s ions effectively.
Just after starting, a co ld engine in a mid-size
car on ly achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 m iles
per gallon (30-40 l/100 km). After about a
half a mile, fuel economy climbs to 12 mpg
(20 l/100 km) . After about
2 .5 miles (4 km),
the engine is at its prope r operating tempera
tu re and fuel economy has reached a normal
level. So you can see that yo u should avo id
short trips whenever poss ible.
T he
outside temperatur e is also cr it ical in t his
regard. Your car consumes more fue l in the
winter tha n in the s umme r.

194 Cleaning and protection
Cleaning and
protect ion
General information
Regular core preserves vehicle value .
Any automobile is exposed to industrial
fumes, corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after
purchase . Regular and correct care w ill con
tr ibute to maintaining the beauty and value of
your Aud i.
Furth erm ore, goo d car e m ay be a c onditi on
for substantiat ing a warrant y claim shou ld
c orrosion dam age or paint d efe ct s occ ur.
Your author ized Audi dealer has a variety of
d ed ica ted vehicl e-ca re product s and can ad
vise which ones to use for cleaning the exter i
or and inte rior of your vehicle .
Whether you use products recommended by
Aud i or other commercially ava ilable clean ing
agents, please make sure you apply them cor
rectly .
A WARNING
-Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them out of the reach of children.
- Heed all caut ion labels.
- Always read directions on the container
before using any product . Follow the di
rect ions carefu lly.
- Most chemical cleaners are concentrated
and have to be diluted.
- Use spot removing fluids only in well
ventilated areas.
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, d iesel
fuel, nail pol ish remover or other volati le
fluids. They may be toxic, flammab le or
haza rdous in other ways. Do not wash,
wax or dry the vehicle with the ignit ion
on or the engine running.
- Do not clean the undersides of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, etc. without pro
tecting your hands and arms. You may
c u t yourself on sharp-edged metal parts . -
Moisture and ice on brakes may impair
brak ing eff ic iency
c::> page 181. Test the
brakes carefully each time you wash the
veh icle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Select on ly environ mentally friendly clean
i ng products. Leftover cleaning products
should not d isposed of in the househo ld
waste .
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protects the vehicle .
The best protection against environmental in
fluences is
frequent washing and waxing . How
often this is required depends on:
- How much the veh icle is used
- Where the veh icle is parked (garage, in the
open under trees, etc.)
- The seasona l and weather conditions
- Environmental infl uences
T he longer b ird droppings, insects, tree resin,
road and indus tria l gr ime, ta r, soot, road salt
and other materials remain on the vehicle body, the more lasting their destr uctive ef
fects wi ll be . High temperatures caused by ex
pos ure to intense sun light intens ify the corro
s ive effect, particularly when humid ity is high
as well.
Under certain circumstances,
weekl y washing
may be necessary. Under other cond itions, a
monthly washing and waxing may be ade
quate .
After the winter, the underside of the vehicle
should be thoroughly washed, preferably in a professional car wash.
Vehicles with matte finish paint
c::> poge 197.
A WARNING
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c::> page 194.

196 Cleaning and protection
-Never use sponges designed to remove
insects, or any kitchen scouring sponges
or similar products. They can damage
your paint finish .
- Never use a dry cloth or sponge to clean
the headlights. Only use wet cloths or
sponges to prevent scratches .
It is best
to use soapy water.
- You should remove debris (such as in
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regular basis, for example when refuel
ing your vehicle. Never use a dry cloth or
sponge to clean the headlights . Only use
wet cloths or sponges to prevent
scratches.
It is best to use soapy water.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the vehicle in facilities specially
designed for that purpose. This will reduce
the risk of dirty water contaminated with
oil from entering the sewer system. In
some areas, washing vehicles outside of
these facilities is prohibited.
Washing your vehicle with a power
washer
Cleaning the exterior of your car with a high
pressure power washer is safe as long as you
observe a few simple rules.
.. Before using the power washer, make sure
you have read and understood the WARN
INGS¢
A in General information on
page 194 .
• Always follow the operating instructions for
the power washer .
• Make sure that the jet on the spray hose
produces a "fan shaped spray".
• Do
not hold the spray nozzle too close to
soft materials.
Never use a power washer to clean the power
top itself.
Keep a distance from soft materials such as
rubber hoses or insulating material as well as
sensors and camera lenses. When cleaning the vehicle with a power wash
er
always follow the operating instructions.
This applies particularly to the operating pres
sure and the spraying distance. Do not point
the spr ay directly at the seals around the side
windows, around the doors, on the rear lid or on the power top . Likewise, do not point it di
rectly at tires, rubber hoses, insulation mate
rial or sensors
¢page 198. Hold the spray
nozzle at least 1.3 ft (0 .4 m) away from the
vehicle.
Do not use a high-pressure power washer to
remove snow and ice .
Do not use a jet which sprays water in a direct
stream or one that has a rotating jet.
Water temperature should not exceed 140 °F
(60 °().
A WARNING "'--
Never wash tires with a jet that sprays wa -
ter in a direct stream . This could cause in
visible damage to the tires and weaken
them, even if the spray is from a relatively
long distance and for a short time. Dam
aged and weakened tires can fail and cause
accidents and personal injury.
(D Note
- Never use a power washer to clean the
power top itself.
- To avoid damaging your vehicle, always
make sure that there is sufficient dis
tance between the spray head and soft
materials like rubber hoses, plastic parts
and sound-deadening materials as well
as sensors and camera lenses. Never aim
the spray head at the same point for a
long time . This also applies to cleaning
headlights and painted bumpers. Re
member: the closer the nozzle is to the
surface of the material , the greater the
stress on the material.

Caring for vehicles with matte finish
paint
Applies to vehicles: with matte finish paint
Vehicles with matte finish paint require spe
cial care due to the characteristics of the
paint.
Washing b y hand
To avo id damag ing the pa int when wash ing ,
first remove dust and large particles from
your veh icle. Insects , g rease spots and finge r
p rints a re best removed with a
s pecial cleaner
for matt e fini sh paint .
Apply the product using a microfiber cloth . To
avoid damaging the paint su rface, do not use
too muc h press ure.
R inse the vehicle thoroughly w ith water . Clean
the vehicle starting at the top and working to
ward the bottom using a
neu tral shampoo
and a soft mi cro fiber cloth . Stop freque ntly to
rinse the clot h thorough ly.
Clean the wheels and sill panels last . Use a
clea n
sp o nge on these areas.
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly aga in and let it
air dry . If there are any water spots, they can
be removed us ing a
l e ath er cloth .
Clean again with the special cleaner for matte
finish paint
i f nece ssary.
Rem oving stubb orn dirt
B ird d ropping s or tree sap
are best removed
with p lenty of water and a m icrof ib er cloth.
You sho uld r inse off
ga soline r esidue immedi
ately with plenty of water.
A WARNING
- Wash your vehicle only when the ignition
is switched off to reduce the risk of a
crash .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢page 194.
(D Note
-Do no t treat vehicle parts painted w ith
matte finish paint using polish ing mate -
Cleaning and protec tion 197
ria ls or hard wax. These p rod ucts could
cause damage to the appearance or sur
face that cannot be repaired .
- Never use protective wax . It can destroy
the matte finish effect.
- Do not place any s tickers or magnetic
signs on vehicle pa rts painted with
matte finish paint. The paint could be
damaged when the stickers or magnets
are removed.
- To prevent paint damage, do not wash
the vehicle i n direct sunlight .
- To prevent damage to the paint surface,
do not use insect remova l sponges,
rough kitchen sponges or sim ilar items.
- Yo u should
remove debris (such as in
sects) from t he headlight lenses on a
regu lar bas is, for example when refuel
ing your veh icle. Only clea n the head
lights us ing a wet cloth or sponge,
neve r
a dry one. Cleaning with soapy wate r is
recommended.
(D Tips
Fo r more informat ion on special clean ing
products desig ned fo r matte f inish paint ,
see your Aud i dea le r.
Power top care
The power top requires special care .
Keep ing your top looking great and mak ing
certain that it lasts a long time depend to a
great extent on prope r use a nd care. Remove
bird dropp ings as soon as poss ible , since the
cor ros ive chemicals in them wi ll cause the
rubber imp regna tion in you r top to swell and
poss ibly allow the fabr ic to leak.
With normal soiling, all you need to do is
cl ea r th e top wi th a soft br ush and clea r wa
te r. A lways b ru sh in the di rection of the fabric
from front to rear.
If the top is very dirty and has spotted areas
cl ean it with a brush using a conve rtible top
cl eaner . Always brush in the d irect ion of t he
f abric from front to rea r. R inse wi th p lenty of
clear water, and allow the top to air-dry .
IJI,-
•
•

(D Note
- Never use chemical solvents (e.g . lighter
flu id, turpentine), waxes, shoe polish or
s imilar products on Alcantara ® surfaces.
- To avoid damage, have stubborn stains
removed by a commercia l cleaning spe
cialist.
- Do not use brushes, stiff sponges or sim
ilarly abrasive cleaning aids.
Safety belts
Only well-maintained safety belts work relia
bly when needed.
.. Keep belts clean .
.. For cleaning, use a mi ld soap and water sol
ution . Let be lts dry thoroughly and away
from direct sunlight.
.,. Do not allow inertia reel safety belts to re
tract before they are completely dry.
.,. Check the condition of your safety belts
reg
ularly .
Heavily soiled safety belts may not retract
properly .
A WARNING
Damaged safety belts can break in a crash.
- Anything that might damage your safety
belts could mean that you and your pas
sengers wou ld not be adequately pro
tected in an acc ident.
- Safety belt performance depends on cor
rect installation. Never remove belts
from the vehicle to clean them.
- Do not use chemical cleaning agents,
bleach o r dyes. They have corros ive prop
erties whi ch weaken the webbing.
- When cleaning your safety belts, inspect
them for damage.
If you discover dam
age, see your a uthorized Audi dea ler.
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
other information
Qpage 194.
l) Use o nly the correct cleaning sol utions. Neve r use gas
oline or d iese l fuel.
Cleaning and protec tion
Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en
gine compartment.
A lw ays switch o ff the ign it ion before cle an
i ng the eng ine
c> ,& .
Plenum pan el
Remove leaves from the plenum panel in front
of the windshield under the engine hood. This
prevents the water drain holes from becoming
blocked, and it prevents debris from enter ing
the vehicle interior through the heating and
vent ilat ion ducts.
Co rro sio n protect ion
The engine compartment and transmission
have been corrosion-protected at the factory.
Good anti -corrosion treatment is very impor
tant, partic ularly in the winter.
If the vehicle
is frequently driven on salt treated roads, the
entire engine compartment and p lenum panel
should be thoroughly cleaned at the end of
winter and retreated to prevent salt damage.
At the same time, the underside of the vehicle
shou ld be washed as well.
If the engine compartment is cleaned at any
time with grease remov ing solutions
1> , or if
you have the engine washed, the anti-corro
s ion treatment is almost always removed as
well.
It i s therefo re essentia l to have a long
lasti ng cor rosion pro tect ion reapplied to all
surfaces, seams, joints and components in the
engine compartment .
A WARNING
Be aware: The engine compartment of any
motor vehicle is a potentially hazardous
area.
- Before work ing in the engine compart
ment, be sure to read the information
c> page 212.
- Before reaching into the front plenum
panel, a lways remove the ignit ion key.
205
•
•

Fuel supply and filling
your f uel tank
Gasoline
Fuel supply
Using the right fuel helps keep the environ
ment clean and prevents engine damage.
Fuel recommendation
The fuel recommended for you r vehicle is un
leaded premium
g rade gasolin e. See also
¢ page 267, Data . Audi recommends usi ng
TO P TI ER Deterge nt Gaso line wi th a minim um
oc ta ne ra ti ng of 9 1 AK I (9 5 RON). For more
in fo rmation on TO P TI ER De tergent Gaso line,
p lease go to the official website (www.toptier
gas.com).
The re commended g asoline octane r ating for
your engine can a lso be fo und o n a label loca t
e d on the ins ide of the fuel filler flap . This rat
ing may be specif ied as A KI or RO N.
Your veh icle m ay also be oper ated using un
l e aded regular gasoline with a minimum oc
tane rating of 87 AKI/91 RON . However, using
87 AKI/9 1 RO N octa ne f ue l w ill sli ghtly re
d uce eng ine perfo rmance .
Use unleaded gasoline only. Unleaded gaso
line is available th rougho ut the USA, Canada,
a nd in most E uropean cou ntries . We recom
mend that you do not ta ke yo ur vehicle to
areas or count ries where unleaded gasoline
may not be ava ilable.
F or mo re informat io n on refue ling your ve hi
cle, see ¢
page 209.
Octane rating
Octane r ati ng in dicates a gaso line's abili ty to
r es ist engine damaging "knock" ca used by
p remature ign ition and detonation. Therefore,
buy ing the correct grade of gaso line is very
i mportant to help prevent possible engine
damage and a loss of engine performance.
Gasoline most common ly used in the Unite d
States and Canada has the followin g octane
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 207
ra tings that can usu a lly be found on the fi ller
p ump :
- Premium Gr ade: 9 1 -9 6 AKI
- Regular Grade : 87 -90 AKI
Explanation of the abbreviations:
AKI = Anti K nock In d ex = (R+M )/2 = (RO N
+M ON)/2
RON= Resear ch O ctane Num ber
MO N= Motor Octane Number.
(D Note
- Do not use a ny fue l w it h octane rat ings
lower than 87 A KI or 9 1 RO N othe rwise
e xpensive engi ne damage w ill occur.
- Do
not use leaded gasoli ne . The use of
leaded gasolin e w ill severely damage
yo ur vehicl e's cata lytic co nve rter and its
ability to control exh aust em iss ions.
Blended gasoline
U se of gasoline containing alcohol or
MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether)
You may use unleaded g asoline blende d with
a lcohol o r MTBE (commonly re fer red to as
oxygenates) if the blende d mixture meets the
fo llow ing criteria:
Blend of gasoline methanol (wood alcohol or
methyl alcohol)
- Anti -kno ck index mus t be 87 A KI or higher.
- Blend must contain no mor e than 3% meth-
anol.
- Blend must co ntain more than 2% co-sol-
vents .
Blend of gasoline and ethanol (grain alcohol
or ethyl alcohol)
- Anti -knoc k index must be 87 A KI or higher.
- Blend must not conta in mo re tha n 10%
ethanol.
- Ve hicl es w ith flex ible f uel engine : blend
m ust not contain more t han 85% ethanol.
Blend of ga soline and MTBE ..,_
•
•

208 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
-Anti -knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
- Blend must contain not more than 15%
MTBE .
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform
especially well for winter or summer driving .
During seasonal change-over, we suggest that
you fill up at busy gas stat ions where the sea
sonal adjustment is more likely to be made in
time.
CD Note
- Fuels containing a high percentage of
ethanol such as ESO and E85 may only
be used in vehicles with flex ible fuel en
gines. Using high ethano l fuel in vehicles
not equipped with flexib le fue l eng ines
can cause severe engine damage.
- Methanol fuels which do not mee t these
requirements may cause corrosion and
damage to plastic and rubber compo
nents in the fuel system.
- Do not use fuels that fail to meet the
specified criteria in this chapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether
or not a particular fuel blend meets the
specifications, ask your service station or
its fuel supplier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents
cannot be identif ied.
- Fuel system damage and performance
problems resulting from the use of fuels
different from those specified are 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 fuel economy
or driveab ility and performance prob
le ms due to the use of one of these fuel
blends, we recommend that you switch
to unblended fuel.
Ethanol fuel (B io-ethanol)
App lies to veh icles : w ith flex ible fue l en g in e
You can recognize vehicles with a flexible fuel
engine by looking at the label on the inside of
the fuel filler flap.
Vehicles with flexible fuel engines may be op
erated with bio -ethanol fuels such as E85
(85% ethanol and 15% gasoline) or with un
leaded gasoline (91 AKI/ROZ 95) . The vehicle
may also be operated with a mixture of these
fuels.
Your fuel consumption w ill increase when us
ing bio-ethanol fue ls due to the lower amount
of energy contained per unit volume in etha
nol.
Warming up the flexible fuel engine in
low temperatures
Due to the chemical composition of b io-etha
nol , a certain amount of fuel ends up in the
engine oil when driving short distances in very
low temperatures. This fue l evaporates again
when the engine is warmed up.
II Please warm up engine.
If the driver message appears in the instru
ment cluster display, drive with a warm en
gine to reduce the o il level.
CD Note
- Never fill with methanol o r with a higher
percentage of b io-ethanol than 85%
(E85). A higher percentage of bio-etha
nol in the fuel can cause damage to the
engine or to the fue l system.
- If you use only E85, it is recommended
to fill the fuel tank complete ly with un
leaded premium grade gaso line every
5,000 miles.
- If you experience starting, rough id le or
hesitation driveability problems, fill the
fue l tank comp letely with unleaded pre
m ium grade gasoline and dr ive it nor
mally until the gasoline is used. See your
authorized Audi dealer if the problem
persists .

-Inform your authorized Audi dealer that
you are operating or have operated the vehicle with E85.
- Read and follow the information and tips
about gasoline
¢ page 207.
(D Tips
It may take longer to start the engine
when the outside temperature is very cold.
If possible, use winterized fuel if tempera
tures are below freezing.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufac
turers is carbon deposit build -up caused by
the type of gasoline you use .
Although gasoline grades differ from one manufacturer to another, they have certain
things in common . All gasoline grades contain
substances that can cause deposits to collect
on vital engine parts, such as fuel injectors
and intake valves. Although most gasoline
brands include additives to keep engine and
fuel systems clean, they are not equally effec
tive.
Aud i recommends using TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline . For more information on TOP TIE R
Detergent Gasoline, please go to the official
website (www.toptiergas .com) .
After an extended pe riod of using inadequate
fuels, built-up carbon deposits can rob your
engine of peak performance.
(D Note
- Damage or malfunction due to poor fuel
quality is not covered by the Audi New
Vehicle Limited Warranty.
- Do not add aftermarket fuel addit ive
products to your fuel tank.
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
T he fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
side panel behind the fuel filler flap.
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 209
If the power locking system should fail, you
can still open the flap manually -for detailed
instructions see
¢ page 211.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your ve
hicle in
Technical Data ¢ page 267.
The labe l on the inside of the fuel fi ller flap
tells you the correct fuel for your veh icle. For
more information about fuel specifications,
see¢page207.
Your vehicle fuel tank has an on-board refuel
ling vapor recovery system. This feature helps
to prevent fuel vapors from escaping from the
tank and polluting the environment while you
refue l your vehicle. In order to fi ll the tank
properly while protecting the environment,
please follow this refueling procedure careful
ly.
A WARNING
Under normal operating conditions, never
carry addit ional fuel conta iners in your car .
Gas canisters and other containers used to
transport fuel can be dangerous. Such con
tainers, full or empty, may leak and could
cause a fire in a collision. If you must
transport fuel to use for your lawn mower,
snow b lower, etc., be very careful and al
ways observe loca l and state laws regard
ing the use, transportation and storage of
such fuel containers. Make certain the con
tainer meets industry standards (ANSI/
ASTM F852 -86) .
(D Note
Never drive your vehicle until the fuel tank
is completely empty. The irregular supply
of fuel can cause m isfiring . Gasoline could
enter the exhaust system and damage the
catalytic converter .
•
•