
@ Tips
If you move the selector lever of the auto
mat ic transm ission to P before app lying
the parking brake and before blocking the
wheels, you may have to use more force later to move the lever out of the P posi
tion .
Trailer towin g 207
•
•

Automatic car wash
The vehicle can be washed in almost any
modern automatic car wash .
The vehicle paint is so durable that the vehicle
can normally be washed without problems in
an automatic car wash. However, the effect on
the paint depends to a large extent on the de
sig n of the fac ility, the filte ring of the wash
water, the type of wash and care mater ial , etc.
If the paint has a dull appearance afte r go ing
through the car wash or is scratched, bring
this to the attention of the operator immedi
ately. If necessary, use a different car wash.
Before going through a ca r wash, be s ure to
take the usual precautions such as closing the
windows and power roof. Factory installed an
tennas must not be removed.
If you have installed additional accessories on
the vehicle -such as spoilers, roof rack, etc. -
it is best to ask the car was h operator if these
should be removed .
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 208.
CD Note
- Before washing the vehicle in an auto
matic car wash, please make sure to re
tract the exterior m irrors to prevent
them from being damaged. Power fo ld
i ng exter ior mirrors* must not be folded
i n or out by hand . Always use the electri
ca l power control.
- Compare the width of your vehicle with the width of the tunnel at the fac ility.
Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of water is needed when washing a vehi
cle by hand.
.,. Before you start washing, make sure you
have read and understood the WARNINGS
¢ fr. .
Cleaning and protec tion 209
.,. First soak all dried dirt unti l it is soft, then
rinse it off.
.,. As you clean your vehicle, start w ith the
roof and work your way down to the bottom,
using a sponge, a sponge glove or a clean
brush .
.,. Rinse the sponge or the sponge glove often,
flushing it clean each time.
.,. Use spec ial car shampoo only fo r
very per
sistent d irt.
.,. Rinse the car thoroughly w ith water.
.,. Use a chamois leather to gent ly wipe the ex -
terior dry .
Use a separate sponge for cleaning the
whee ls, door s ills and other regions exposed
to road dirt. In this way, you wi ll not scratch
the paint with coarse particles imbedded in
the sponge the next time you wash the car.
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 208 .
CD Note
-Never try to remove dirt, mud or dust if
the surface of the veh icle is dry. Never
use a dry cloth or sponge, s ince this
could scratch your vehicle's paint or win
dows .
- Never wash your car in bright sunlight.
Drops of wate r act as magn ifying lenses
and may damage yo ur paint .
- When you wash your car in the winter: if you rinse your vehicle with a hose, be careful not to aim the stream of water
directly at locks, or at door or hatch
openings - they can freeze shut.
- Never use sponges designed to remove
insects, or any kitchen scouring sponges
or similar p rod ucts. They can damage
your paint finish .
- Never use a dry cloth or sponge to clean
the headlights . Only use wet cloths o r •
•

when the cleaning solution when cleaning the
display .
The MMI/RS E* contro ls must be cleaned firs t
with a brush so that dirt does no t ente r the
unit or enter between the buttons and the
housing . Then wiping the controls with a cloth
dampened with dish detergent and water is
recommended.
(D Note
- To avoid scratching the disp lay, you
shou ld never clean it dry.
- To prevent damage, make sure fl uids do
not enter the controls .
Head-up Display
Applies to vehicles: with Head-up Display
The Head-up Display may be cleaned with a
damp cloth. The cloth should be free from
dust and lint, like a m icrofiber cloth for exam
ple.
(D Note
- To prevent scratches, do not clean the
display when it is dry.
- To prevent damage, make sure that flu
i ds do not enter the disp lay.
Aluminum trim
Use only n eutral -pH products to remove spots
and depos its from alum inum surfaces .
Chrome ca re produ cts and alkaline cleaners
will a ttac k alum in um s urfaces and can dam
age them over time.
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
~ page 208 .
Fabrics and fabric coverings
Fabrics and fabric coverings (e .g. seats, door
tr im panels, etc.) should be cleaned at reg ular
intervals with a vacuum cleaner. T his removes
surface dirt particles which could become em bedded in the fabr ic through use. Steam
Cleaning and protec tion 215
cleaners sho uld not be used, beca use the
steam tends to p ush the dirt deeper into the
fabric and lock it there .
Normal cleaning
Generally, we recommend using a soft sponge
o r a lint-free microfibe r cloth to the clean fab
ric. Brushes shou ld only be used for carpets
and floor mats, since other fabr ic surfaces
could be harmed by brushes.
Norma l surface stains can be cleaned using a
commercially availab le foam cleaner . Spread
the foam on the s urface of t he fabric with a
soft sponge and work it in gently. Do not satu
rate the fabric. T hen pat the foam dry us ing
absorbent, dry cloths (e.g. m icrofiber cloth)
and vacuum it after it has dried completely.
Cle aning sta in s
Stains caused by beverages (e .g. coffee, fr uit
juice, etc.) can be treated with a mild deter
gent solution. Apply the detergent solution
with a sponge. In the case of stubborn stains,
a detergent paste can be applied directly to
the stain and worked into the fabric. After
wards, use copious amounts of clean water to remove the rema ining de terge nt. App ly the
water wit h a damp cloth or sponge and pat
the fabric dry with an absorbent, dry cloth .
Stai ns from choco late or ma keup should have
de tergent paste (e.g. ox-gall soap) rubbed in
to them. Afterwa rds, remove the soap wi th
wa ter (damp sponge) .
Alcohol can be used to treat stai ns from
grease, o il, lipstick or a ballpoin t pen. Melted
grease o r dye mus t be patted
off using ab
sorbent mater ia l. It may be necessary to re
treat the areas with detergent paste and wa
ter .
In the case of genera l soiling of the upho ls
tery and cover material, we recommend hir ing
a specia list t hat has the eq uipment to clean
the seat covers and other fabric surfaces by
shampooing and spray extraction. •
•

and can damage the leather surface as well as
weaken seams .
The leather sho uld be cleaned reg ularly as
needed. After having been used for a re latively
l ong time, your leather seats will acquire a
rich aged finish. This is a characteristic of nat
ura l leather and a sign of true quality .
I n o rder to maintain the va lue of th is natura l
p roduct over the life of your vehicle, you
should follow the recommendations below :
(D Note
-To keep yo ur leather from bleach ing out,
do not a llow it to be exposed to bright
sunlight for long periods of time. If you
have to leave the vehicle parked outside
for long periods, cover the leather to
protect it from d irect exposure to sun
light.
- Sharp objects on clothing, such as zip
pers, rivets or sharp pieces on be lts can
leave permanent scratches or scrape
marks on the surface of the leather .
- After each time you clean the leather and
at regu lar inte rva ls, use a leather preser
vat ive creme that conta ins UV-blockers
and that wor ks into the leather. This
c reme will no urish and moistur ize the
l eather, helping i t to brea the and stay
supple .
It also helps to b uild up a protec
tive coating on the s urface .
- Clean the lea ther every 2 -3 months,
and clean any areas that get soiled.
- Remove fresh mar ks made by ba llpoint
pens, ink, lipstick, shoe polish, e tc. as
soon as possib le .
- Preserve the colo r of the lea ther as need
ed by using a special colored leather care
creme to to uch up areas of uneven co lor.
Cleaning and protec tion 217
Cleaning and caring for leather
upholstery and trim
App lies to vehicles : with natural lea ther
Natural leather requires special care and at
tention .
Normal cleaning
.. Clean so iled areas with a slightly moistened
cotton or woolen cloth .
More stubborn dirt
.. More st ubborn dirt can be removed using a
cloth saturated with a mild soap solut ion (2
tablespoons mild liquid soap).
.. Never allow the soap solution to saturate
the leather, and make certain that no water soaks into the seams.
.,. Wipe off the soap so lution with a soft, dry
cloth.
Cleaning spots
.. Remove fresh wat er-based spots (such as
coffee, tea, juices, blood) with an absorbent
cloth or pape r towel.
.. Remove fresh
greas e or oil-ba sed spot s
(such as bu tte r, mayonnaise, chocola te) with
an absorbent cloth or paper towel, or use
the cleaner from the leather care kit if the
spot has not yet penetrated into the surface
of the leather.
.. Use an oil/grease dissolving spray, if
oil/
grease spot s ha ve dried on.
.. Remove specific k inds of spots (ballpoint
pen, felt marker, fingerna il polish, water
based pa int, shoe po lish, etc.) with a spot
remover specifically fo rmu lated for leather.
Leather care
.. Every half year use an approved leather care
product (available from your Audi dealer) to
care for the leather .
.,. App ly the product very spar ingly.
.. Wipe it off with a damp clot h.
If you have any q uestions about clean ing and
caring for the leather in your vehicle, it is best
to contact you r authorized Audi dea ler, who
will be g lad to help you and tell you abo ut o ur
full range of leather care prod ucts, such as : .,..
•
•

Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en
gine compartment.
A lw ays s witch off the ign ition befor e clean
ing the eng in e
c:> & .
Plenum panel
Remove leaves from the plenum pane l in front
of the windshield under the engine compart
ment. This prevents the water drain ho les
from becoming blocked, and it prevents de
bris from entering the veh icle inter ior through
the heating and ventilation ducts .
Corro sion protecti on
The engine compartment and transmission
have been corrosion-protected at the factory.
Good anti-corrosion treatment is very impor
tant, particular ly in the winter . If the vehicle
is frequent ly driven on salt treated roads, the
entire engine compartment and plenum panel
should be thoroughly cleaned at the end of
winter and retreated to prevent sa lt damage.
At the same time, the underside of the vehicle
should be washed as we ll.
If the engine compartment is cleaned at any
time with grease removing solut ions
1>, or if
you have the engine washed, the anti-corro
sion treatment is a lmost always removed as
well.
It is therefore essential to have a long
lasting co rrosion protection reapp lied to a ll
surfaces, seams, joints and components in the
engine compartment.
A WARNING
Be aware: The engine compa rtment of any
motor vehicle is a potentially hazardous
area.
- Before working in the engine compart
ment, be s ure to read the in format ion
c:> page 225.
- Before reaching into the front pane l, al
ways switch off the ignition. Otherwise,
l ) Use only the correct cleaning sol utions. Never use gas
oline or diesel fuel.
Cleaning and protec tion 219
the windshield wiper system could unin
tentionally be switched on, possibly
causing personal injury from the moving
wiper linkage.
- Never reach into the area around or
touch the radiator fan. The aux iliary fan
is temperature controlled and can sw itch
on suddenly - even when the ignition is
off.
- Do not wash, wax o r dry the eng ine with
the engine running. Moving or hot parts could injure you.
- Do not clean the underside of the chas
sis, fenders, wheel covers, or other ha rd
to reach parts without protect ing your
hands and arms. You may cut yourself on
sharp-edged metal parts .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
o ther info rmation
c:> page 208.
•
•

-Blend must contain not more than 15%
MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform
espec ially we ll 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 .
(D Note
-Methanol fuels which do not meet these
requirements may cause corrosion and
damage to plastic and rubber compo
nents in the fuel system .
- Do not use fue ls that fail to meet the
specified criter ia in this chapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether
or not a particular fue l blend meets the
specifications, ask your service station or
its fuel supp lier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents
cannot be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance
problems resulting from the use of fuels
different from those specified are not
the responsibility 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 driveability and performance prob l ems due to the use of one of these fuel
blends, we recommend that you switch
to unblended fuel.
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 supply and filling your fuel tank 221
fuel systems clean, they are not equally effec
tive .
A udi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline. For more info rmation on TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline, please go to the official
website (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended period of using inadeq uate
fuels, carbon deposit build-ups can rob your
engine of peak performance.
Q) Note
Damage or malf unct ion due to poor fue l
quality is not covered by the Aud i New Ve
hicle Limited Warranty.
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
side panel behind the fuel fille r flap.
If the power locking system should fail, you
can still open the flap manually -for deta iled
instruct ions see¢
page 223 .
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your ve
hicle in
Technical Data ¢ page 282.
The label on the inside of the fuel fi ller flap
tells you the correct fue l for your vehicle. For
more information about fuel specifications,
see ¢
page 220.
Your vehicle fue l tank has an on board refuel
li ng vapor recovery system. This feature helps
to prevent fuel vapors from escaping from the
tank and polluting the environment while you refuel your vehicle . In order to fill the tank
properly while protecting the environment,
please fo llow this refueling procedure careful
ly.
_&. WARNING
Under normal operating conditions, never
carry additional fuel containers in your car.
Gas canisters and other containers used to
transport f uel can be dangero us. Such con
tainers, full or empty, may leak and could
cause a fire in a collision. If you must
•
•

222 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
transport fuel to use for your lawn mower,
snow blower, etc., be very careful and al
ways observe local and state laws regard
ing the use, transportat ion and storage of
such fuel containers. Make certain the con
tainer meets industry standards (ANSI/
AS TM F852 -86) .
(D Note
Never drive your vehicle until the fuel tank
is completely empty. The irregular supply
of fuel can cause misfiring. Gasoline could
enter the exhaust system and damage the
catalyt ic converter.
Refuelling
Fig. 178 Right rear vehicle side: Opening the fuel filler
flap
Fig . 179 Fuel filler flap with attached fuel cap
When activating the central locking, the fuel
fi ller flap is automatically un locked or locked.
Refuel the vehicle with the ignition switched
off.
Taking the fuel cap off
~ Press the left side of the fue l filler flap to
open it¢
fig. 178 -arrow-.
~ Unscrew fuel filler cap counter-clockwise
and hang it on the fuel filler flap¢
fig. 179.
Refuelling procedure
~ Insert the fu el nozzle from the gasoline
pump into the fuel filler neck as far as it will
go .
~ Select a medium refuelling rate so that the
nozzle switches off automatically when the
tank is full.
Putting the fuel cap back on
~ After fi lling your tank, twist the fuel filter
cap clockwise as far as it w ill go.
~ Close the fue l filler flap.
T o avoid fuel spilling or evaporating from the
fuel tank always close fuel filler cap properly
and completely. An improperly closed fuel fill
er cap may also cause the MIL lamp¢
page 29
to come on.
A WARNING
Improper refue ling or handling of fuel can
cause fire, explosion and severe burns.
- Fuel is highly flammable and can cause
severe burns and other injur ies.
- Failure to shut the engine
off while refu
eling and/or to insert the pump nozzle
fully into the fuel filter neck could cause
fuel to spray out of filler neck or to over
flow. Fuel spray and overflowing fuel can
cause a fire.
- Never use a cellular telephone while re
fue ling. The electromagnet ic rad iat ion
can cause sparks that can igni te fuel va
pors and cause a fire.
- Never get back into your vehicle whi le re
fueling.
If in exceptional circumstances
you must get back in your vehicle while
refueling, make certain that you close
the door and touch metal to discharge
static electricity before touching the fill
er nozzle again. Static electricity can
cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors
released during refueling.
- Never smoke or have an open flame any
where in or near your veh icle when refu
eling or filling a portable fuel container.
- For your safety, we strongly recommend
that you do not travel with a portable

fuel container in your vehicle. The con
tainer, full or empty may leak and co uld
cause a fire, especially in a crash.
- If, under exceptional circumstances, yo u
must transport a portable fuel container,
please observe the following:
- Never fi ll a po rtable fue l container
while it is anywhe re in or on the vehicle
(for examp le, in the luggage compar t
ment, or on the tr unk). Static electric i
ty can bui ld up while fi lling and can ig
n ite fue l vapors causing a fire .
- Always p lace a portable fuel container
on the gro und before filling.
- Always keep the fi ller nozzle comp lete
ly inside the po rtable conta iner before
and during filling.
- If filling a portable container made of
metal, the filler nozz le must always be
i n contact with the container. Th is w ill
he lp prevent static electricity from dis
charging and cause a fi re .
- Never sp ill fuel inside the vehicle or
luggage compartment. Fue l vapors are
h ighly f lammable .
- Always observe local and state/provin
cial laws regard ing the use, storage
and tra nsporta tion of fuel co ntainers .
- Make certai n the fuel container meets
industry standards (ANSI/ ASTM
F 8 52 -86) .
(D Note
If any f uel has spilled onto t he car, it
should be removed immediate ly to prevent
damage to the paint.
~ For the sake of the environment
As soon as the correctly operated nozzle sw itches off automatically fo r the fi rst
time, the tank is full. Do not try to add more fue l because fue l may spill out . In
add it io n, th e expans io n sp ace in the fuel
t ank will be fi lled -cau sin g the fue l to
over flow whe n it be come s w arm a nd pol
lu te the env iro nment.
Fu el suppl y and filli ng your fuel t ank 223
@ Tips
- Ru nning your eng ine whi le refue lli ng
may cause vapors to escape or even
cause fuel to sp ill out of the tank. T his
would then shut off the fuel nozzle be
f o re the ta nk is f ull.
- Do not refuel you r vehicle with the ign i
tion switched on. The fuel gauge may
ot herwise not i nd icate the correct fue l
lev el after r ef u ell ing .
- The fue l filler flap of yo ur vehicle is not
locked when you lock t he ve hicle from
t he insid e.
Fuel filler flap emergency release
You can open the fuel filler flap by hand if the
power locking system should fail .
Fig. 180 Lug gage compa rtm ent: ope ning th e side trim
Fig . 181 Right s ide tri m pane l in th e luggage com part ·
m ent : eme rge ncy re lease mechan is m
Opening the side trim
.. To remove the right side t rim, first remove
the retainer from the mounts
¢ fig. 180.
.. Turn bot h lock ing mechan isms 90° to the
left using a coin or a s imilar object and re-
move the locking mechanisms .
IIJ,,