
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 •
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216 Cleaning and protec tio n
8_ WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information <=>
page 208.
(D Tips
Open Velcro fasteners on your clothing can
damage the seat cover. Please make sure
that Velcro fasteners are closed.
Plastic parts and instrument panel
Always use a clean cloth moistened in clear
water to clean these areas . For pers istent dirt
use an Audi approved
so lve nt-fr ee plastic
cleane r/protectant.
8_ WARNING
So lvents can change the propert ies of
some plastics and make it harder for the
airbag to dep loy.
-
- Never clean the instr ument pane l or the
surface of airbag modules with cleaning
products that contain solvents.
- Products containing solvents will make the surface of th is part porous.
- Serious injur ies can result if plastic parts
come loose when the airbag is deployed .
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
other information <=>
page 208 .
(J;) Note
Clean ing agents containing solvents will
attac k the mater ial a nd can change the
way it behaves.
Trim and molding
Trim and mo lding in the vehicle interior can
be cleaned w ith a dry microfiber cloth. To pre
vent scratches, do not use any cleaning solu
tions.
Natural leather
Applies to vehicles: wit h natural leather
Audi makes great efforts to maintain the
properties, natural look and feel of interior leather.
General
We offer many d ifferent types of leather on
our vehicles. Most are d ifferent types of nappa
leather, which has a smooth surface and
comes in various colors .
The intensity of the co lor determines the visu
al characterist ics and appearance . If the sur
face of the leather has a typ ica l natural look,
then the leather is a nappa leather that has
been left in a relat ively natura l condit ion. This
leather offe rs particularly good comfort and
breathes we ll. Fine veins, closed grai ns, insect
bites, skin fo lds, and subt le va ria tions in color
remain visible . These characteristics demon
strate that the material is natura l.
Natura l nappa le ather is not covered by a co l
o r finish.
It is therefore more sensit ive to soil
ing and wear, which is something you need to
consider if children, animals or other factors
might prove to be part icu larly hard on the
leather.
By contrast, leather types that are covered by
a colored finish layer are more durable . This
has a positive effect on the leather's resist
ance to wear and soiling in dai ly use. On the
other hand, the typical characteristics of natu
ral leather are barely or not apparent . Howev
er, th is does not mean that the leathe r itself
is of inferior quality .
Care and handling
Because of the exclusive nature of the types of
leather that Audi uses and their unique prop
erties (such as sens it ivity to oils, grease, soil
ing, etc.), you will need to be somewhat care
ful with these leathers, and a ce rtain type of
ca re is req uired. For example, dark clothing
mater ials can disco lor le athe r seats (especia l
ly if such clothing is damp and was not dyed
correct ly). Dust and dirt particles in pores ,
folds, and seams can have an abrasive effect .,..

232 Check ing 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-based coolant additive Gl3 ant ifreeze
with ant icorros ion add itives (50% for USA
models; 60% for Canad ian models). This mix
ture both assu res the necessary frost protec
tion and protects metal components in the
engine's cooling system from corrosion and
scaling. It also raises the boiling point of the
coolant.
Do not reduce the concentration o f the coo l
ant in the summer by adding plain water .
The
propo rtion of coolant add it iv e mu st be at
l eas t 50 % but not mo re than 6 0%
to main
tain antifree ze protection and cooling efficien
cy. If the coolant frost protect ion is too low,
the coolant could freeze and damage the veh i
cle heating and eng ine 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.
A WARNING
Before yo u check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
c:> &. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 225.
- Before winter sets in, have the coolant
checked to see if the coo lant addit ive in
your vehicle is suffic ient to meet the cli
mate cond itions. Th is is especially impor
tant if you live in a region where the w in- ter is extreme
ly cold . If necessary, in
crease the proportion of coo lant additive
to 60%.
- When adding coolant additive to your
cooling system, remember:
- We recommend us ing only coolant ad
d itive Gl2++ or G l3 (check the labe l)
fo r your vehicle. This coolant additive is
ava ilable at a utho rized Aud i dea le rs.
Other types of antifreeze can sign ifi
cantly reduce corros ion protection. The
res ulting corrosion can cause a loss of
coolant and serious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiator leak seal
ant to yo ur vehicle's engine coolant .
Add ing radiator repair flu id may adverse
ly affect the function and performance of
your cooling system and could resu lt in
damage not covered by your New Veh icle
Limited War ranty.
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance .
Fig. 1 87 Engin e compar tmen t: cover on t he coo la nt
expansio n ta nk
Before you check anyth ing in the engine com
partment,
alwa ys read and heed all WARN
I NGS c:> &. in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 225 .
.. Park your vehicle on a level surface .
.. Switch off the ignition.
.. Read the engine coolant level from the
coola nt expansion tank
c:> fig . 187,
c:> fig. 184 . With a cold engine, the coolant
level shou ld be between the "min" and
"max" markings. When the eng ine is wa rm, ..,.

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 22 7.
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 16will
illuminate until you add coolant and the level
has been restored to normal. Even though
there is an electric coolant level sensor , we
still recommend 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 233
@ 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 225 .
.,. Turn
off the engine .
.,. let the engine cool down.
.,. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank ¢ fig .
187 and carefully twist the cap
counter-clockwise ¢&_ .
.,. Add coolant.
.,. Twist the cap on again tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to
exact specifications ¢ page
2 32, Coolant. We
recommend using only coolant additive G12+
+, G13 or in an emergency G12+. Do
not use a
different additive. In an emergency use plain
water 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
II-
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•

Unbalanced whee ls must be rebalanced to
avoid excessive wea r on steering, suspension
and tires. A wheel must a lso be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed .
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect whee l alignment can cause exces
sive tire wear, impairing the safety o f the vehi
cle. If tires show excess ive wear, have the
wheel alignment checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
All-wheel d rive
Vehicles w ith quattro ® must always have tires
of the same size, construction and tread type .
F or detai ls see
r=!:> page 196 .
A WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of con
trol, a crash and serious persona l injury!
- Never drive a veh icle when the tread on
any tire is worn down to the wear indica
tors.
- Worn tires are a safety hazard, they do not grip well on wet roads and increase
your risk of"hydrop lan ing" and loss of
co ntrol.
- Always keep chemicals that can cause
tire damage, such as grease, oil , gasoline
and brake fluid away from t ires.
- Tires age eve n if they are not be ing used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds. T ires that are more than 6 years
o ld can only be used in an emergency
and then with spe cial care a nd at lower
s peeds.
- Never mount used ti res on yo ur vehicle if
yo u a re not s ure of their "prev ious histo
ry." Old used ti res may have been dam
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to s udden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control. Tires and wheels 251
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in
.
Fig. 19 5 Tir e spec ificat io n codes on t he s idewall o f a
tire
No. De sc ription
CD Passenger car tire (where applicable)
@ Nomina l w idth of t ire in mill imeters
® Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
© Rad ial
® Rim diameter code
® Load index and speed rating
(f) U.S. DOT tire identification number
® Aud i Origina l tire
® Sever snow conditions
@ T ire ply composition and mater ials
used
@ Maximum load rating
@ Treadwear, traction and temperat ure
grades
@ Maximum permissible inflation pres-
sure
T he tires and rims are essential parts o f the
vehicle's design . The ti res and rims app roved
by Audi a re spec ia lly matched to the charac
teris tic s of the ve hicl e and can m ake a major .,.
•

designated seating position) and luggage
weight~&. .
Gros s Axle W eight Rating
The G ross Axle Weight Rating is the maximum
l oad tha t can be applied at each axle of the
vehicle
q .&. .
Vehicle capacit y weight
The vehicle capac ity we ight (max. load) is list
ed either on the dr iver's side B-pillar or inside
the fuel filler flap.
Roof weight
The max imum perm issible roof weight is
220 lb (100 kg ). The roof weight is made up
of the weight of the roof rack system and the
weight of the object be ing transported
q page 60, Loading the roof rack .
.&, WARNING
- T he ac tual Gross Axle Weight Rat ing at
the front and rear axles shou ld not ex
ceed the permiss ible weights, and their
combination must not exceed the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rat ing .
- Exceeding permissib le weight ratings can
result in vehicle damage, accidents and
personal injury.
CD Note
- The vehicle capacity weight figures apply
when the load is distributed evenly in the
vehicle (passengers and luggage). When
transporting a heavy load in the luggage
compartment, carry the load as near to
the rear axle as possib le so that the veh i
cle's handling is not impa ired.
- Do not exceed the maximum permissible
axle loads or the max imum gross vehicle
weight. Always remember that the vehi
cle's handling will be affected by the ex
tra load. Therefore, adjust you r speed ac
cord ingly.
- Always observe loca l regu lations.
-
G ene ral in formation 28 1
Dimensions
The specifications refer to the basic model.
Differences may occur depending on the mod
el type and options ordered, for example, tire
sizes.
CD Note
When driving up steep ramps, on rough roads, over curbs, etc. it is important to re
member that some parts of your vehicle,
such as spoilers or exhaust system compo nents, may be close to the ground . Be
careful not to damage them .
•
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