
Fa u lts in th e brake sy stem
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake peda l travel, then one of the two brake
circuits may have failed~.&. .
Low brak e flu id level
Malfunct ions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fl uid leve l is too low . T he b rake fluid
l eve l is monito red electronically .
Brake booster
The brake booster increases the pressure that
you generate w ith the brake pedal.
It only op
e rates while the eng ine is running or with the
i gnit ion sw itched on (hybr id dr ive*) ~.&, .
Brake lining wear statu s
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the whee l. If neces
sa ry, the wheel may be removed for this in
spection
~ page 2 74, Changing a wheel.
.&_ WARNING
=
- You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of clean ing the brake
system on ly if road conditions permit.
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an acc ident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmiss ion into a lower
gear or lower driving range . Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too often . This could cause the
brakes to get hot and dimin ish b raking
efficiency .
- Do not "ride the brakes" by resting your
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake . Th is may cause the b rakes to
overheat, premat ure wear and increased
stopping distance .
- Under certain climat ic and operating
condit ions such as passing through wa
ter , driving in heavy rain or after wash ing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced. In winter, ice can
accumulate on the brake pads, linings,
discs and drums . Carefully apply brakes
Int ellig ent technolog y 201
for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coat
ings w ill be cleaned off after a few care
ful brake applicat ions.
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can also affect braking efficiency.
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you install a different spoiler, be sure the air
f low to the front brakes is not obst ruct
ed. Otherw ise the brake system could
overhea t reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system .
- Failure of one brake circuit will impair
the braking capability resulting in an in
creased stopping distance . Avoid driving
the vehicle and have it towed to the near
est a uthori zed Audi dea ler or qualified
workshop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with
the engine shut off .
- If the brake booster is not working, for
examp le when towing your vehicle, or
because the brake booster has somehow
been damaged, the brake pedal must be
pressed considerably harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance .
Electromechanical
power assist, Dynamic
steering
The electromechanical power assist helps the
driver when s teering.
Power ste ering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.
Indicator lights an d m ess age s
• Steeri ng defe ctive ! D o n ot dr ive vehi cle!
If this indicator light turns on and stays on
and this message appears, the power steer ing
may have failed .
Stop the vehicle in a safe location as soon as poss ible . Do
no t continue driving . See your ..,.
•
•

208 Driving and environment
would go unheeded. Extended idling also
produces heat, which could result in over heating or other damage to the vehicle or
other property .
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a
lot of fuel .
• Have your vehicle serviced at regular inter-
vals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
authorized Audi dealer helps to ensure that it
runs properly and economically. The condition
of your vehicle not only affects its safety and
ability to hold its value, it also affects
fuel
consumption.
Check your oil each time you fill your tank.
The amount of oil used is related to engine
load and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reach its lowest value after a certain mileage has been driven .
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 miles (5,000 kilometers) before you can properly
assess oil consumption .
This also applies to fuel consumption and en
gine output .
{Q) Note
-Have your vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance with the service rec
ommendations in your Warranty
& Main
tenance booklet. Lack of proper mainte
nance as well as improper use of the ve
hicle will impair the function of the
emission control system and could lead
to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Emission Control System unless ap
proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such
as heat shields, switches, ignition wires,
valves, which are designed to protect
your vehicle's Emission Control System and
other important vehicle compo
nents.
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively
high on short trips.
• Try to avoid driving short distances with a
cold engine.
The engine and catalytic converter have to
reach their optimal
operating temperature to
reduce fuel consumption and noxious emis
sions effectively.
Just after starting, a cold engine in a mid-size
car only achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 miles
per gallon (30-40 l/100 km). After about a
half a mile , fuel economy climbs to 12 mpg
(20 l/100 km). After about
2.5 miles (4 km),
the engine is at its proper operating tempera
ture and fuel economy has reached a normal level. So you can see that you should avoid
short trips whenever possible .
T he
outside temperature is also critical in this
regard. Your car consumes more fuel in the
winter than in the summer .

226 Cleaning and protec tio n
• Remove specific kinds of spots (ballpoint
pen, felt marker, fingernai l polish, water
based paint, shoe polish, etc .) with a spot
remover specifically formulated for leather .
Leath er care
• Every ha lf year use an approved leather care
product (available from your authorized
Audi dealer) to care for the leather.
• Apply the product very sparing ly.
• Wipe it off with a damp cloth.
If you have any questions about cleaning and
caring for the leather in your vehicle, it is best
to contact your author ized Audi dealer, who
will be glad to help you and tell you about our
full range of leather care products, such as:
- Leather cleaning and care
kit
- Creams to care for colored leather
- Spot removers fo r ballpo int pens, shoe po l-
ish , etc.
- Oil/grease dissolving spray
- New and upcoming products.
_& WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
r::!v page 216.
(D Note
- Neve r use chemical solvents (e.g . lighter
fluid, turpentine), waxes, shoe polish or
s imilar products on the leather surfaces
i n you r A ud i.
- To avoid damage, have stubborn stains
r emoved by a commer cial cleani ng spe
cia list .
Safety belts
Only well-maintained safety belts work relia
bly when needed.
• Keep be lts clean .
• Fo r cl eaning, use a m ild soap and wate r sol
u tio n. Let be lts dry thoro ughly and away
from direct sunlight .
• Do not a llow inertia reel safety be lts to re
tract before they are completely dry . •
Check the condition of your safety be lts
reg
ularly .
Heavi ly so iled s afety bel ts may not ret ract
proper ly .
A WARNING
Damaged safety belts can break in a crash .
- Anyth ing that might damage your sa fety
be lts could mean that you and your pas
sengers would not be adequate ly pro
tected in an accident.
- Safety belt performance depends on cor
rect insta llation. Never remove be lts
from the veh icle to clean them.
- Do not use chemical cleaning agents,
bleach or dyes. They have corrosive prop
erties which weaken the webb ing.
- When cleaning you r safety be lts, inspect
them for damage. If you discover dam
age, see your authorized Audi dealer .
- Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
r::!v page 216.
Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en
gine compartment.
Alway s swit ch off th e ignition before cle an
ing the engine
r::!v .&. .
Plenum panel
Remove leaves from the plenum panel in front
of the w indshield under the eng ine hood. This
preve nts the wa ter dr ain holes from becomi ng
blocked, and it prevents debris from entering
the ve hicle interior t hrough the heating and
ventilat ion ducts .
Corrosion protection
T he eng ine compartmen t and transmission
have been co rrosion-protected a t the f actory.
Good anti-corrosion treatment is very impor
tant, particu larly in the w inte r.
If the vehicle
is frequently d riven on salt t rea ted roads, the
en tire engine compar tment and p lenum panel
shou ld be thoroughly cleaned at the end of
winter and retreated to prevent salt damage. ...

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 .

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 ..,..