-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.
(D Note
- Fuels containing a high percentage of
ethanol such as ESO and E85 may only
be used in veh icles with flex ible fuel* en
gines. Using high ethano l fuel in vehicles
not equipped with flexib le fue l* engines
can cause severe engine damage .
- 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 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 identified.
- 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 Veh icle 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.
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 229
Ethanol fuel (Bio-ethanol)
Applies to veh icles: w it h flex ible fue l en gin 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) . T he vehicle
may also be operated with a mixture of these
fuels.
Your fuel consumption will 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 ve ry
low temperatures. This fuel evaporates again
when the engine is warmed up.
D Please warm up engine.
If the driver message appears in the instru
ment cluster disp lay, drive with a warm en
gine to reduce the oil level.
(D Note
- Never fill with methanol or with a higher
percentage of b io-ethanol than 85%
(E85). A h igher 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 fue l tank complete ly w ith un
leaded premium grade gaso line every
5,000 miles.
- If you experience starting, rough id le or
hesitation driveability problems, fill the
fuel tank comp letely with unleaded pre
mium grade gasoline and dr ive it nor
mally until the gasoline is used. See your
authorized Audi dealer if the problem
pers ists.
•
•
230 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
-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 228.
@ Tips
I t 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 depos its to collect
on vital engine parts, such as fuel injectors
and intake valves. Although most gasoline
b rands include additives to keep eng ine and
fuel systems clean, they are not equally effec
tive.
Aud i recommends using TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline. For more information on TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline, please go to the official
website (www.toptiergas .com).
After an extended period of using inadequate
f u els, b uilt-up carbon deposits can rob your
engine of peak performance.
CJ) Note
-Damage or malfunct ion due to poor fuel
q uality is not covered by the Audi New
Vehicle Limited Warranty.
- Do not add aftermarket fuel additive
products to your fuel tank.
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
side panel behind the fuel filler flap . If the power
locking system should fai l, you
can still open the flap manua lly -for detailed
instructions see ¢
page 232.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your ve
hicle in
Technical Data ¢page 292.
The label on the inside of the fuel filler flap
te lls you the correct fuel for your veh icle. For
more information about fuel specifications,
see ¢
page 228.
Your vehicle fuel tank has an on-board refuel
ling vapor recovery system. This feature helps
to prevent fue l vapors from escaping from the
tank and polluting the environment while you
refuel your vehicle. In order to fi ll the tank
proper ly while protecting the environment,
please fo llow this refueling procedure careful
ly.
A WARNING "'--
Under normal operating cond itions, never
carry addit ional fuel conta iners in your car .
Gas canisters and other conta iners 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
tai ner meets industry standards (ANSI/
ASTM F852 -86).
(D Note
Never drive your veh icle until the fuel tank
i s completely empty. The irregular supply
of fuel can cause misfiring. Gasoline could
enter the exhaust system and damage the
catalytic converter.
Refuelling
Fig. 191 Right rear vehicle sid e: Opening t he fuel filler
flap
Fig. 192 Fu el filler flap with attached fuel cap
When activating the central locking, the fuel
filler flap is automatically unlocked or locked.
Refuel the vehicle with the ignition turned
off.
Taking the fuel cap off
.. Press the left side of the fuel filler flap to
open it
c:> fig. 191 -arrow- .
.. Unscrew fuel cap counter-clockwise and
hang it on the fuel filler flap
c:> fig. 192.
Refuelling procedure
.. Insert the fuel 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 filling your tank, twist the fuel cap
clockwise as far as it will go.
.. Close the fuel filler flap.
To avoid fuel spilling or evaporating from the
fuel tank always close fuel cap properly and completely. An improperly closed fuel filler
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 231
cap may also cause the MIL lamp c:> page 26
to come on.
A WARNING
Improper refueling or handling of fuel can
cause fire, explosion and severe burns.
- Fuel is highly flammable and can cause
severe burns and other injuries.
- Failure to shut the engine off while refu
eling and/or to insert the pump nozzle
fully into the fuel filler 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
fueling. The electromagnetic radiation
can cause sparks that can ignite fuel va
pors and cause a fire .
- Never get back into your vehicle while 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 vehicle 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 could
cause a fire, especially in a crash .
- If, under exceptional circumstances, you
must transport a portable fuel container,
please observe the following:
- Never fill a portable fuel container
while it is anywhere in or on the vehicle
(for example, in the luggage compart
ment, or on the trunk). Static electrici
ty can build up while filling and can ig
nite fuel vapors causing a fire .
- Always place a portable fuel container
on the ground before filling.
232 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
-Always keep the filler nozzle complete
ly inside the portable container before
and during filling.
- If filling a portable container made of
metal, the filler nozzle must always be
in contact with the container. Th is will
help prevent static electricity from dis
charging and cause a fire .
- Never spill fuel inside the vehicle or
luggage compartment. Fuel vapors are
highly flammable.
-Always observe local and state/provin cial laws regarding the use, storage
and transportation of fuel containers.
- Make certain the fuel container meets
industry standards (ANSI/ ASTM
F 852-86).
(D Note
If any fuel has spilled onto the car, it
should be removed immediately to prevent
damage to the paint .
@ For the sake of the environment
As soon as the correctly operated nozzle sw itches off automatically for the first
time, the tank is full. Do not try to add
more fuel because fuel may spill out. In
addition, the expansion space in the fuel
tank will be filled -causing the fue l to
overflow when it becomes warm and pol
lute the environment.
@ Tips
- Running yo ur engine while refuelling
may cause vapors to escape or even
cause fue l to spill out of the tank . This
would then shut off the fuel nozzle be
fore the tank is full.
- Do not refuel your vehicle with the igni
tion turned on. The fuel gauge may oth
erwise not indicate the correct fuel level
after refuelling.
- The fuel filler flap of your vehicle is not locked when you lock the vehicle from
the inside. Unlocking the fuel filler flap
by hand
You can open the fuel filler flap by hand if the
power locking system should fail.
Fig. 193 Luggage compartment: Emergency opening
o f fue l fille r flap
0 lD
~ rr co .,
The emergency opening mechanism is located
behind the right side trim panel in the lug
gage compartment .
.... Open the right side trim panel.
.,.. Loosen the strap from its bracket and pull
on it
c;, fig. 193. Now you can open the fuel
filler flap as usual.
Checking and filling Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the
vehicle .
Fig. 19 4 Driver's s ide footwell: engine hood release
lever
"' Open the driver's door .
"' Pull the release lever on the left under the
instrument panel
i=:> fig. 194 in the d irection
of the arrow.
The hood pops up slightly under spring pres
sure.
Opening the engine hood
F ig . 195 Re lease lever under the engine hood
Before opening the engine hood, make sure
that the windshield wipers are flat against the
windshie ld. Otherwise, they could damage the
paint on the hood.
"' Pull up on the release under the hood
c;, fig. 195 . This releases the catch.
"' Open the hood all the way
c::> &,.
Checkin g and fillin g 233
A WARNING
Hot engine coolant can burn you.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the eng ine
compartment. Wait unt il no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care
fu lly opening the hood.
Closing the engine hood
"' Pull the hood down un til the pressure from
the struts is reduced.
"' Let the hood
drop down and latch in p lace.
Do not try to push it shut; it may fail to en
gage
c;, &, .
A WARNING
--
A hood that is not completely latched
could fly up and block your view while dr iv
ing.
- When you close the engine hood, check it
to make sure the safety catch has proper
ly engaged. The hood should be flush
with the surround ing vehicle body parts.
- If you notice while driv ing that the hood
is not secured properly, stop at once and
close it .
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in
the engine compartment.
Whenever yo u must pe rform any w ork in the
e n g ine com pa rt ment, for e xample ch e cki ng
and filling differ ent fluids, th ere is a risk of
injury , burn s and accid ent s. T o pr eve nt per
so nal injury alwa ys obs erve the foll owing
WARNINGS . Th e en gine co mpa rtm ent of an y
v e hicl e is a hazardou s ar ea
c;, Lh, .
A WARNING ~
To help avoid injury, be fo re you check any
thing under the hood:
- Turn off the engine.
- Remove the ignition key.
234 Checking and filling
-Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever of automatic trans- mission to P (Park).
- Always let the engine cool down. Hot components will burn skin on contact.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment. Wait until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care
fully opening the hood.
- Keep children away from the engine com partment.
- Never spill fluids on hot engine compo
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxili
ary electric fan is temperature controlled
and can switch on suddenly.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm. The cool
ant system is pressurized and hot cool ant could spray out .
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir .
- Do not remove the engine cover under
any circumstances. This increases the
risk of burns.
- If work on the fuel system or the electri
cal system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or
open flames. Fluids in the engine com
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal in
jury while the engine is running or being
started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repair
with the engine running: -
First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever of automatic trans
mission to P (Park).
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact ing hot parts. Tie back hair before
starting, and do not wear clothing that
will hang or droop into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and
chemical hazards
c:> &, .
&_ WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de
fects and reproductive harm. In addition,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con
tain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm.
- 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 harms. Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container
or filler opening, otherwise serious dam
age to vehicle systems will occur.
@ For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly. If
you see spots from oil or other vehicle flu
ids, have your vehicle inspected by an au
thorized Audi dealer.
Checking and filling 235
Engine compartment
Engine compartment
These are the most important items that you can check.
Fig. 196 Typical layout for contain ers and engine oil filler cap
(D Jump start point( +) under a cov -
er .. .. .. .. .............. .. 245, 285
@ Brake fluid reservoir ((0)) . . . . . . 242
@ Eng ine oil filler cap
("t=:?1) . . . . . . 238
@ Coolant expansion tank (J-) . . . 240
® Jump start point(-) with hex
head screw ........... .... .. 245, 285
® Windshield/headlight washer
container
(0) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247
The pos ition of the engine o il filling hole
¢ fig. 196 (item@) can differ depending on
the engine design.
A WARNING
-
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS ¢&. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 233.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used in your Audi needs the
right kind of oil .
The engine in your Audi is a sophisticated
power plant that was bu ilt to exacting specifi
cations. This eng ine needs the right k ind of
engine oil that meets specifications regarding
quality and viscosity so that it can run
smooth ly and reliab ly. Choosing the right oil
and changing oil within the time and mileage
intervals printed in your vehicle's Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet matters a lot more to
day than it did years ago . Audi has developed
a specia l quality standard for engine oil that
will help assure that your vehicle's engine will
get the lubrication it needs for proper opera-
tion. .,..
236 Check ing and filling
Modern engine lubrication has taken a quan
tum leap in the last few years. Many synthetic
oils ava ilable today provide better engine lu
brication that can outlast traditional petrole
um-based oils, making them a smart choice
for use throughout the life of your Audi .
Whether you use synthetic or petroleum
based engine oil, the oil that you use must
conform to Audi 's oil quality standard
VW 502 00 to he lp keep your vehicle's engine
running smoothly and help prevent the for
mat ion of harmfu l deposits, sometimes called
"sludge ", that ove r time can lead to expensive
repairs .
At the time of pr int ing , engine o ils available in
the U .S . and Canada that meet the exacting
specifi cations of Audi oi l standard VW 502 00
a re synthetic engine oils. This does not mean,
however, that every syn thetic engine oil will
meet Audi oil standard VW 502 00. So always
be sure that you use an approved oil.
To help prevent the format ion of harmful de
posits use only oi l with the fo llowing specifi
cations printed on the oil container :
Audi oil standard VW 502 00
O il container labe ls may carry the specif ica
tion s ingly or in comb inat ion with other des ig
nations and oil qua lity standards .
Viscosity
Engine oi ls are graded according to their vis
cosity. The proper viscosity grade oil for your
engine depends on cl imactic or seasonal con
d itions where you drive. You can use oil with a
viscosity grade of SA E SW40 across all tem
pe ratu re ranges for normal driving conditions .
However, if eng ine o il viscos ity grade SA E
SW40 is not avai lab le, you can also use viscos
ity grade SAE SW -30 or SAE OW-40 as long as
it meets Audi o il quality standard VW 502 00
specif ications .
Because engine oil that meets the Audi oil
standard may not be available everywhere
when you need it, we strongly recommend
that you always carry with you an ext ra quart (
li te r) of oil that exp ress ly con forms to the
VW 502 00 spec ification, in case you have to
top
off the oil while on the road.
Only if the ba r of the o il level indica tor is near
" Mi n" - and no oil that express ly conforms to
Audi o il standard VW 502 00 specifications is
available - may you top
off w ith a high quality
engine oil, preferably synthetic-based, that
meets ACEA A3 or API SM spec ificat ions, but
even then, on ly in viscosity grades SAE
SW-40, SAE SW-30, or SAE OW-40 . Howeve r,
during the entire time between o il change in
te rva ls , never top
off with more than a total
of 0 .5 qt/liter engine oil t hat does not con
f orm to Audi oil specification VW 502 00 .
For more information about eng ine oi l that
has been approved for your ve hicle, please
contac t either yo ur autho riz ed Aud i deale r or
Audi C ustome r Re lations at 1 (800) 822-2834
or v isit our web site at www .audiusa.com or
www.audicanada.ca . Here you wi ll also find a
c u rrent list of oils (manufacturers, brand
names etc.) that conform to Audi oil standard
vw 502 00.
Changing the engine oil
T he eng ine o il and o il fil ter m ust be changed
accord ing to the mileage (k ilometers) and
time intervals specified in your ve hicle's War
ranty
& Maintenance booklet . Do not exceed
these interva ls - harmful deposits from old
engine oil can reduce eng ine performance and
can lead to expensive engine repairs.
Changing the oil at the recommended inter
vals is so very important because the lubricat
ing propert ies of oil decrease gradually d uring
normal veh icle use. If you are not sure when
you have your oil changed, ask your author
ized Audi Se rv ice Adv isor.
Under some circumstances the engine oil
shou ld even be changed more frequent ly.
Change oil more often if you drive most ly
sho rt distances, operate the ve hicle in dusty
areas o r most ly unde r stop-and-go traff ic con
ditions, o r when you use your vehi cle where
temperatu res s tay be low freezing point for
l ong periods .