
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 ..,.

thoroughly checked by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop and the cause
corrected .
If the brake fluid level is too low ,
the brake warning/indicator light will i llum i
nate. Con tact an au thori zed Aud i dealer
im ·
mediately .
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi
enced technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moist ure from the a ir. If
the water con tent in the brake fluid is too
h igh, corrosion in the brake system may resul t
after a per iod of t ime . The bo iling po int of the
brake fluid w ill also decrease considerably and
decrease b raking performance .
There fore, the brake flu id must be changed
e very two years . Always use new brake fluid
which conforms to Fede ral Motor Vehicle
Standard "FMVSS 116 DOT 4 ".
The brake flu id reservoir can be difficult to
reac h, therefore , we recommend that you
h ave the brake flu id changed by your author
iz ed
Audi dealer . Your deale r has the co rrect
too ls, the right b rake fluid and the know-how
to do this fo r you.
_& WARNING ,~
- Brake fluid is po isonous. I t must be s to r
ed only in the closed orig inal container
o ut o f the reac h of c hildren!
- Brake fa ilure can resu lt from old o r inap
propriate b rake fluid. Observe these pre
cautions :
- Use o nly bra ke fluid t hat meets SAE
specification
J 1703 and confo rms to
Federal Motor Vehicle Sta ndard 116 .
Always check wi th you r auth orized Audi
deale r to make s ure you are using the
correct brake f luid . The co rrec t type of
brake fluid is a lso indicated on the
brake fluid reservoir .
- The brake f lui d m ust be new. Heavy use
of the b rakes can ca use a vapor lock if
the brake fl uid is left in the system too
long . This can ser io usly affect the effi-
Checkin g and fillin g 243
ciency of the brakes as well as your
safety. Th is co uld resu lt in an accident.
(D Note
B ra ke fluid will damage the pa int o f you r
vehicle .
@ For the sake of the environment
Because o f the p rob lem of proper disposal
of bra ke fluid as well as the spec ia l t oo ls
r equire d an d the necessary expe rtise, we
recommend that yo u have the brake f luid
changed by yo ur authorized Aud i dea ler.
Battery
General information
Under n o rmal ope ra ti ng cond itions , the b at
te ry in yo ur Audi does not need any ma inte
nance . With
high outside temperat ures or
l ong daily drives we recommend that you have
the e lectrolyte leve l checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop. The elec
troly te level should also be checked each t ime
the battery is charged
c:> page 245 .
Have the battery checked when yo u take you r
vehicle in for service. You are well advised to
replace a battery that is older than 5 years .
With certain types of airbag deployment, the battery is disconnected from the veh icle elec
trical system for safety reasons
c:> .&. in Re
pair, care and disposal of the airbags on
page 171 .
Hybrid drive* : you can find important informa
tion about the high voltage battery under
c:> page 97.
Di sconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle functions (power window reg u
lators, for example) are lost if t he battery te r
mina ls are disconnected. These f unctions have
to be relearned after the ba ttery termina ls are
con nected aga in . To prevent th is, the battery
shou ld only be d isconnected from the veh icle
electrica l system when abso lutely necessary
fo r repa irs. ..,_
•
•

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 . ..,.

install batteries of the same type and manu
facture only (the same as those installed at
the t ime your vehicle was delivered) . Specifi
cations are listed on the battery housing. Your
authorized dealer must code the battery in
the energy management system to enable you
to use the energy management functions cor rectly after replacing the battery .
If it is not possible to use a battery of this
type, the new battery must have the same ca
pacity, voltage (12 volts), amperage, con
struction and plug sea ling .
When installing the battery, make sure the ig
nition and all electr ica l consumers are turned
off.
(D Note
- Make sure the ventilation hose on the
s ide of the batte ry is connected, other
wise fumes or battery acid can leak out .
- Vehicles with the Start-Stop-System* are
equipped with a special cycle-proof AGM
battery . Installing a different type of
battery can cause problems in the vehi
cle elec trical system. When replacing the
vehicle battery, always insta ll one with
the same specifications as the original
battery.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal
of a battery, we recommend your author
ized Audi dealer change the battery for
you. Batteries contain su lfuric acid and
lead and must always be disposed of prop
erly in compliance with all environmental
regu lations . D isposing of vehicle batteries
improperly is very dangerous to the envi
ronment .
Checkin g and fillin g 247
Windshield/headlight
washer container
Fig. 202 Eng in e compar tment: cov er on the w inds hield
and headl ight* washe r fl uid reservoir
The washer fluid container is marked with the
symbol
Q on its cap c::> fig. 202, c::> page 235,
fig . 196 .
.., Before you check anything in the engine
compartment,
always read and heed all
WARNINGS c::> &. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 233 .
.., Lift the filler cap tongue to add washer flu
id . You can fill the container to the top.
.., Press the cap back onto the filler neck after
f illing the container.
You can find the reservoir
capacity in the table
in
c::> page 292.
Clean water should be used when filling up. If
possible, use soft water to prevent scaling on
the washer jets. A lways add a glass cleaner
solution (with frost protection in the winter).
(D Note
Do not mix engine coolant antifreeze o r
any other additives to fill up the wind
sh ield washer reservoir.

When the malfunction indicator is illuminat
ed, the system may not be able to detect or
signal low tire pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety of rea
sons, including the installation of replace
ment or alternate tires or whee ls on the veh i
cle that prevent the TPMS from funct io ni ng
p roperly . Always check the T PMS malfunct ion
tellta le afte r replacing one or more t ires or
wheels on your veh icle to ensure that the re
p lacement or a lternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly .
Tire pressure indicator appears
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction.
Fig. 208 Display : underinflatio n warning
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni
toring system compares the t ire tread circum
ference and vibration characteristics of the in
d iv idual tires . If the pressure decreases in one
or mo re tires, th is is indica ted in the instru
ment clus ter with a
IE warning symbol and a
message ¢
fig. 208. The driver message in the
display goes out after 5 seconds. The driver message can be displayed again by pressing
the
! SET ! button. If only one tire is affected,
the display will indicate its pos ition.
The ti re press ure monitoring system must be
reset via radio or MMI* each time the pres
sures are adjusted (e.g . when switching be
tween partia l and full load pressure) or after
changing or replacing a t ire on your vehicle
¢
page 268 . The TPMS indicator only moni
tors the tire pressure that you have prev iously
Tire s an d wheel s 267
stored . You can find the recommended t ire
pressures for yo ur vehicle on the label on driv
er's side B-pillar ¢
page 252.
Tire tread circum ference and vibration charac
teristics can change and cause a tire pressure
warning if:
- the t ire p ress ure in one or more tires is too
low,
- t he t ire has structural damage,
- the t ire pressure was changed, wheels rotat-
ed or replaced but the TPMS was not reset
¢ page 268.
Warning symbo ls
IE Loss of pressure in at least one tire¢.&,.
Check the tire or tires and replace or repa ir if
necessary. The
IE indicato r light in the inst ru
ment cluster a lso illuminates
c::!;> page 14.
Check/correct the press ures of all fou r tires
and reset TPMS via radio o r MMI*.
119;~, (T ir e Pressure Mon itoring System) Tire
pre ssure: Syst em malfun ction!.
If 11Nlf:1 appears afte r switching the ignition
on or while driving and the
IE indicator light
i n the instrument cluster blinks fo r approx i
mately one minute and then stays on, there is
a system malf unct ion.
Attempt to store the correct tire pressure
¢ page 268 . If the ind icator light does not
tu rn off o r if it turns on sho rtly the reafter, im
med iate ly dr ive your vehicle to a n author ized
Audi dealer or au thorized repair faci lity to
have the malfunc tion corrected .
A WARNING
-=
-If the tire pressure indicator appears in
the instrument cluster display, one or
more of your t ires is significant ly under
inflated. Reduce your speed immediately
and avoid any hard steer ing or braking
maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible and
check the tires and their pressures. In
flate the tire p ressure to the prope r pres
sure as indica ted on the vehicle's tire
pressu re labe l
¢page 252. Driving on a
significantly under-i nflated tire causes
•
•

Performing the repair
Applies to vehicles: with tire repair kit
F ig. 2 15 Perform ing the repa ir
Prep arati ons
.. Park the veh icle as far as possib le from
moving traffic in the event of a flat tire.
.. Set the
park ing bra ke to prevent the vehicle
from roll ing unintentionally .
.. Sh ift the
s e le ctor l ever i nto th e P po sition .
.. Determ ine whether a repair w ith the t ire re
pair kit is possible o r not
9 page 2 72.
.. Let all of the passengers
exi t the vehicle
and move a safe distance away 9 &,. .
.. Take the sealant bottle and the compresso r
out of the luggage compartment
9page 104 , fig. 113.
.. Affix the label "max. 50 mph (80 km/h)",
found on the sealant bottle, to the instru ment cluster where it can be seen by the
driver .
Filling a tire
.. Shake the bottle thorough ly before fi lling.
.. Screw the accompanying filling hose com-
pletely onto the bottle. This breaks through
the foi l seal automatically at the connec
t ion .
.. Remove the valve cap from the tire valve
and unscrew the valve insert using the ac
companying va lve inser t tool
9 fig. 215 .
.. Lay the valve insert on a clean surface.
.. Remove the sealing plug from the filling
hose and connect the hose to the tire va lve .
.. Hold the bottle with the bottom fac ing up
ward and empty the entire contents into the
tire.
.. Then pull out the hose and screw the valve
i nsert t ightly back into the tire valve .
What do I do now ? 273
Inflating a tir e
.. Sc rew the fill ing hose for the compressor
onto the t ire valve and insert the connector
into the cigarette lighter .
.. Inflate the tire to between 29 PSI (200 kPA)
and 36 PSI (250 kPA) and read the pressure
on the gauge .
.. If this t ire pressure is not reached, dr ive
your veh icle approximately 33 ft (10 meters)
forward or backward so that the sealant can be red istributed inside the tire. If at th is
t ime the required a ir pressure st ill canno t be
reached, the tire is too bad ly damaged and
cannot be repaired w ith the t ire sea lant .
Final inspection
... Stop the vehicle aft er driving for about 10
m inutes and check the tire pressure.
... If the tire pressure is lower than 19 PSI
(130 kPA), then the tire is too severely dam
aged. Do not continue driving . Please seek
professiona l assistance .
A WARNING
-Turn on the emergency flashers if you
have a flat tire w hile in mov ing traffic .
This is for your protect ion and the for the
safety of other drivers.
- Take care to move all of the passengers
to a safe place (behind a guard ra il for
examp le) .
- Read and follow the manufacturer's safe
ty precautions on the compresso r and in
the instructions on the bottle of sealant!
- If a tire pressure of 29 PSI (200 kPA)
cannot reached afte r inflat ing for 12 m i
nutes, then the t ire is too severe ly dam
aged. Do not cont inue drivi ng.
- Obta in q ual ified help if it is not possible
to pe rform the repair wit h the tire seal
a nt .
- If the tire pressure is less than 19 PSI
(130 kPA) afte r 10 minutes of driving,
then the tire is too severely d amaged . Do
not continue dr iving. Seek p rofess ional
assistance. ..,.