Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh
oil look dark after the engine has been run
n ing for a short time . This is norma l and is not
a reason to change the o il more often than
recommended.
D amage o r m alfu nctions due to lac k of
m ainten ance
It is essen tial that yo u change your oil at the
recommended inte rva ls using only engine oil
that complies with A udi oil standard
VW 502 00 . Your Lim ited New Vehicle War
ranty does not cover damage or malfunctions
due to failure to follow recommended mainte nance and use requ ireme nts as set forth in
the Audi Owner 's Manual and Warranty
&
M aintenance book let . Your dea ler will have to
deny warranty coverage u nless you p resent to
the dea ler proof in the form of Serv ice or Re
pa ir Orde rs that all scheduled maintenance
was performed in a timely manner.
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an ade
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool all
of its moving ports.
I n o rder to prov ide effective l ubr ication and
cooling of internal engine components, a ll in
ternal comb ustion engines consume a certain
amo unt of oi l. Oi l cons umption varies from
engine to engine and may change significantly
over the life of the eng ine . Typ ically, eng ines
with a specified break-in per iod (see
c:> page 205) consume more o il during the
break-in per iod than they consume after oil
consumption has stab ilized .
Under normal conditions, the rate of oil con
sumpt io n depends on the quality and viscosity
of the oil, the RPM (revolutions per m inute) at
which the engine is ope rated, the ambient
temperature and road condi tions. Furt her fac
tors are the amo unt of oil d ilution from wate r
condensation or fuel residue and the oxida
tion level of the oi l. As any engine is subject to
wear as mileage bui lds up, the oil consump
tion may increase over time until rep lacement
of worn components may become necessary.
Checkin g and fillin g 237
With a ll these variab les coming into p lay, no
standard rate of oil consumption can be es
tab lished or spec ified . There is no alte rnative
to regular and frequent check ing of the o il lev
el, see
Note .
If the yellow engine oil leve l warning symbo l
in the instrument cluster
Ill li ghts up, you
sho uld check the oil leve l as soon as possib le
c:> page 238. Top off the oil at your earliest
convenience
c:> poge 238.
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the eng ine
compartment, always read and heed all
WAR NINGS
c:> & in Working in the engine
compor tment on page 233.
(D Note
D riving w it h an insufficient o il level is like
l y to cause severe damage to the engine.
© Tips
- The oil pr essur e warn ing display. i s
not an indicator of th e oil level. Do not
rely on it. Instead, check the oil level in
your engine at regu lar int erval s, pr ef
erably e ach time you refu el, and alway s
before going on a long trip .
-If you have the impression yo ur engi ne
c ons umes excess ive amoun ts of oil , we
recommend that you consu lt an author
ized Audi dea ler to have the cause of
your conce rn properly d iagnosed. Keep in
mind that the accurate measurement of
oil consumption requ ires great care and
may take some t ime . An authorized Aud i
deale r has instructions about how to
measu re oi l consumption accurate ly .
-
•
•
238 Checking and filling
Checking the engine oil level
Fig. 197 Disp lay: Oi l level indicator
Read oil level
• Park your vehicle so that it is horizontally
level.
.. Shut the engine off when it is at operating
temperature.
.. Switch only the ignition back on.
• Wait approx. two minutes.
> Select: ICARI function button> Oil level. Or
> Select: ICARI function button> Car sys-
tems *
control button > Servicing & checks >
Oil level.
• Read the oil leve l in the radio or MMI* Dis
play
r::;:, fig. 197. Add engine oil if the bar of
the oil level indicator is near "Min"
r::;:,page 238.
The oil level needs to be checked at regular in
tervals . The best times to do this are whenev
er you refuel and prior to long trips .
Depending on the way the vehicle is driven
and the operating conditions, oil consumption
can be up to a 1/2 quart per 600 miles (0.5
li
ter per 1,000 km). Consumption may be high
er within the first 3,000 miles (5,000 km).
@ Tips
The oil level indicator in the radio or MMI*
Display is only an information display. If
the oil level is too low, a minimum oil
warning appears in the instrument cluster.
Add oil
r::;:, page 238. If the hood has been
opened, the current oil level is shown in
the instrument cluster the next time the
ignition is switched on.
Adding engin e oil 't:::r.
Fig. 198 En gine compart men t: cover on the engine oil
fille r neck
Before you check anything in the engine com
partment,
always read and heed all WARN
INGS
r::;:, .&. in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 233.
"' Unscrew the cap 't=1'l to the engine oil filling
hole ¢
fig. 198, r::;:, page 235, fig. 196 .
• Carefully top off with the appropriate oil in
0.5 liter doses.
.. Check the oil level again after two minutes
r::;:,page238 .
"'Top off the oil, if necessary.
"' Screw the cap back on the filling hole.
A WARNING
=
-While topping off, the oil must not come
in contact with hot engine parts - fire
hazard!
- The oil filler cap must be properly se
cured to prevent oil from being sprayed
on the hot engine and exhaust system
when the engine is running -fire hazard!
- If your skin has come in contact with the
engine oil, you must subsequently
cleanse it thoroughly.
(D Note
- Check the oil level using the radio or the
MMI*. If the message
Please reduce oil
level
appears, contact your authorized
Audi dealer or other qualified workshop
to have excess oil extrac ted if necessary.
-Audi does not recommend the use of oil
additives. They may damage the engine ..,..
and adve rsely affect you r New Vehicle
Wa rrant y.
@) For the sake of the environment
-Un der no ci rc u mstances can the o il come
in contact with the sewage network or
the soil.
- Observe and follow lega l regu lations
when disposing of empty oil containers .
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by
an authorized Audi dealer or a qualified serv
ice station.
Before you check anything in the engine com
partment,
a lways rea d and he ed all WARN
INGS
~ &. in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 233.
The engine oil must be changed according to
the intervals specified in your Warranty
&
Maintenance book let. This is very important
because the lubricating properties of oil di
minish gradua lly during normal vehicle use.
Under some circumstances the engine oi l
should be changed more frequently. Change
oil more often if you drive most ly short dis
tances, operate the vehicle in dusty areas or under predominantly stop-and-go traff ic con
d itions, or have your veh icle where tempera
tures remain below freezing for extended pe
riods.
Detergent additives in the o il w ill make fresh
oil look dark after the engine has been run n ing for a short time. This is normal and is not
a reason to change the oil more often than recommended.
Because of the problem of proper disposa l,
along w ith the special tools and necessary ex
pertise required, we strongly recommend that
you have you r oi l changed by an authorized
Au di de ale r o r a qual ified servi ce station.
If y ou c hoose to c ha ng e y our o il yo urse lf,
please note the following important informa
tion :
Checkin g and fillin g 239
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal injury if you
must change the eng ine oil in your vehicle
yourself:
- Wear eye protect ion.
- To reduce the risk of burns from hot en- gine oil, let the engine cool down to the
touch.
- When removing the o il dra in p lug with
your fingers, stay as far away as possible. Always keep your forearm parallel to the
ground to help p revent hot oil from run
ning down you r arm.
- Dra in the oil into a container designed
for this purpose, one la rge enough to
hold at least the tota l amount of oi l in
your eng ine .
- Engine oil is poisonous. Keep it well out
of the reach of children.
- Continuous contact wit h used eng ine o il
is harmful to your s kin. A lways protect
your skin by washing oil off tho ro ughly
with soap and water.
@ Note
Neve r mix oil additives with your engine
oil. These additives can damage your en
g ine and adversely affec t you r Aud i Lim it
ed New Vehicle Warranty.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Before changing your oil, first make su re
you know where you c an properly dispose
o f the used oil.
- Always dispose of used eng ine oi l proper
ly. Do not dump it on garden soil, wood
ed areas, into open streams or down
sewage drains .
- Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a
used engine oil collect ion facility in your
area, or contact a service station.
•
•
240 Checking 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 anticorros ion add itives (SO% for USA
models; 60% for Canadian models). This mix
ture both assures 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 of the coo l
ant in the summer by adding plain water .
The
proportion of coolant additive must be at
least 50% but not more than 60%
to main
tain antifreeze protection and cooling efficien
cy. If the coolant frost protection is too low,
the coolant could freeze and damage the veh i
cle heating and engine cooling system .
For year-round driving, antifreeze is added at
the factory for temperatures down to:
- - 31 °F ( - 35°() USA
- - 40°F ( - 40°() Canada .
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
c:> &. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 233.
- Before winter sets in, have the coolant
checked to see if the coolant addit ive in
your vehicle is sufficient to meet the cli
mate cond itions. This 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 coolant additive
to 60%.
- When adding coolant additive to your
cooling system, remember:
- We recommend using only coolant ad
ditive Gl2++ or Gl3 for your vehicle.
This coolant additive is available at au
thorized Audi dealers. Other types of
antifreeze can significantly reduce cor
rosion protection. The resulting corro
sion can ca use a loss of coolant and se
rious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiator leak seal
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant .
Add ing radiator repair fluid may adverse
ly affect the function and performance of
your cooling system and could result in
damage not covered by your New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance .
Fig. 199 Engine compartment : cover on t he coolant
expansion tank
Before you check anyth ing in the engine com
partment,
always read and heed all WARN
INGS c:> &. in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 233 .
.. Park your vehicle on a level surface .
.. Turn off the ignition .
.. Read the engine coolant level from the
coolant expansion tank
c:> fig. 199,
c:> page 235, fig. 196 . With a cold engine,
the coolant level should be between the
"MIN" and "MAX" markings. When the
engine is warm, 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 235.
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 30 will
blink until you add coolant and the level has
been restored to normal. Even though there is
an electric coolant level sensor, we still rec
ommend 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.
(D 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 ¢ A in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 233.
... Turn off the engine .
... Let the engine cool down.
Checking and filling 241
... Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank ¢
page 240, fig. 199 and carefully turn
the cap counter-clockwise ¢
A.
... Add coolant.
... Twist the cap on again
tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to
exact specifications ¢
page 240, Coolant. We
recommend using only coolant additive
Gl2+
+, Gl3
or in an emergency Gl2 +. 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
scalding 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
applying light, downward pressure on
the top of the cap .
- To avoid being burned, do not spill an
tifreeze or coolant on the exhaust sys
tem or hot engine parts. Under certain
conditions, the ethylene glycol in en
gine coolant can catch fire.
-Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store an
tifreeze in its original container and well
out of the reach of children.
~
•
•
24 2 Ch ecking and filling
-If you drain the coolant, it must be
caught and safely stored in a p roper
conta iner clearly marked "poison".
(D Note
- Coolant pollutes the env ironment and
could cause an engine fire . Excess coo l-
ant will be forced out through the pres
sure relief valve in the cap when the en
gine becomes hot.
- If, in an emergency, only water can be
added , the correct ratio between water
and antifreeze¢
page 240 must be re
stored as soon as possible .
@ For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant should not be reused. Al
ways dispose of used coolant while observ ing all environmental regulations.
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by
itself
The radiator fan is driven by the engine via the
V-be lt . The viscous clutch regulates the speed
of the fan accord ing to t he temperature of the
coolant.
An auxiliary electric radiator fan* switches on
a nd off depending on coolant temperature
and other ve hicle operating conditions.
After you switch the engine off, the auxiliary
fan can cont inue running for up to 10 minutes
- even with the ignition off. It can even switch
on again later by itself¢&. , if
- the temperature of the engine coolant rises
due to the heat build-up from the engine in
the engine compartment, or
- the engine compartment heats up because
the veh icle is parked in intense sunlight.
_&. WARNING
- To reduce the r isk of personal injury nev
er to uch the radiator fa n. -
The a uxiliary electric fan is temperat ure
controlled and can switch on suddenly
even when the engine is not running.
- The auxiliary radiator fan switches on a u
tomatically when the engine coolant reaches a certai n temperature and will
continue to ru n until the coolant temper
ature drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a
quick glance.
F ig. 2 00 Engine compart men t: cover on t he brake fluid
reservoir
Befo re you check anyth ing in the engine com
partment,
alway s read and he ed all WARN
INGS c::> ,&. in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 233.
.,. Read the brake fluid level from the b rake
fluid reservoir
c::> fig. 200, c::> page 235,
fig. 196.
The brake fl uid level m ust be be
tween the "MIN" and "MAX" markings.
T he bra ke fluid reservo ir is located at the rear
part ition o f the e ngine compartment on the
left s ide
c::> page 235.
The fluid level may drop slightly afte r some
t ime due to the a utomatic adjustment of the
brake pads. This is not cause for a larm .
If the brake fl uid level falls
considerably be
low the
"MIN" mar k, the brake war ning/ indi
cator light ( U.S. models:
1111 , Canadian
models :. will come on
c::> page 18 and
c::>page 29. Do not con tinue to operate the ve-
hicle . The comp lete brake system should be ..,.
244 Checking and filling
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive you r vehicle over a pe riod
of severa l days or weeks, electrical compo
nents are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and main
tains starting capability over a longer period
¢page 203.
Take into consideration that when yo u un lock
your vehicle, some convenience functions, such as the interior lights or the power seat
adjustment, may not be available. The con
venience funct ions w ill be available again
when you turn on the ignition and start the
engine .
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capacity
tends to decrease as temperatures drop . This
is because more power is also consumed while
start ing, and the headl ights, rear window de
fogger, etc., are used more often .
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, par
ticularly in city traffic or when traveling only
short distances . Let your authorized Audi
dealer check the capacity of the vehicle bat
tery before winter sets in¢
page 245. A well
cha rged battery w ill not only prevent starting
prob lems when the weather is cold , but will
a lso last longer .
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
The battery is located in the luggage compart
ment under the floor. Before you check any
thing in the luggage compartment,
read and
heed all WARNINGS
¢ _&..
Hybr id drive*: you can find impo rtant informa
tion about the high voltage battery under
¢page 97 .
Always heed the safety warnings , when work
ing on the vehicle battery or the vehicle elec
trical system to prevent injury.
The following WARNINGS are very
important when working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYM BOLS and safety precaution s when working
on the battery.
@) Always wear eye protection .
I>. Battery acid contains sulfuric acid_-Al
~ ways wear gloves and eye protection.
~ No
\!=51 -sparks
-flames
-smoking.
A When a battery is charged, it produces
~ hydrogen gas which is explosive and
could cause personal injury.
/G Always keep the battery well out of
V!!JI reach of children.
A WARNING "--
Whenever working on the battery or on
the electrical system, there is the risk of
in jury, accident and even fi re. Read and
heed the following WARNINGS :
- Always wear eye protection. Do not let
battery ac id or any lead particles get on
your skin or clothing. Shield your eyes .
Exp losive gases can cause blindness or
other injury .
- Ba ttery acid contains sulfuric acid. Sulfu
ric acid can ca use blindness and severe
burns .
- Always wear gloves and eye protection .
Do not tilt the battery because acid
could leak out of the ventilat ion open
i ngs.
- If you get battery ac id in your eyes or
on your skin, immediately rinse with
cold water fo r several minutes and get
med ical attention .
-If you should ingest any battery acid,
seek medical attention immediately.
- Do not expose the battery to an open
flame, electr ic sparks or an open light.
- Do not smoke.
-
1
I
-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 ca
ble .
- 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 fro zen 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
(OOC) .
-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.
Checking and filling 245
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 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.
Q) 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.
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged
battery.
Fig. 201 Engin e compart ment: Co nn ectors for charger
and j umper cab les
Always read and heed all WARNINGS below
¢ .&. and ¢,&. in Working on the battery on
page 244.
~ Hybrid drive*: read the important informa
tion concerning a dead high voltage battery
under
¢ page 105.
~ Turn off the ignition and all electrical con
sumers.
~ Make sur e the area is well ventilated when
you charge the battery . ..,.