
206 Driving and en vir onm ent
Catalytic converter
It is very important that your emission con
trol system (catalytic converter) is function
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run
ning in an environmentally sound manner .
• Always use lead-free gasoline¢ page 228,
Fuel supply.
• Never run the tank down all the way to
empty .
• Never put too much motor oil in your en-
gine ¢
page 238, Adding engine oil~-
., Never try to push- or tow -start your veh icle.
The catalytic converter is an eff ic ient "clean
up" device built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle. The catalytic converter burns many of the pollutants in the exhaust gas be
fore they are released into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critically
important for the life of the cata lytic conve rt
e r and proper functioning of the engine.
& WARNING
-
- Do not park o r operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fuel spill or other material which can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
man ifold, exhaust p ipes, catalytic con
verter or heat shields . During driving, the
substance used for undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire .
@ Note
-Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will already seriously de
grade the performance of the catalytic
conve rter .
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
¢ page 238.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty. The eng ine could mis
fire . U nburned f uel could a lso get into the exhaust system and this co
uld cause
the cata lytic converter to overheat .
- Do not turn off the ignition while the ve
hicle is moving.
- Do not continue to ope rate your veh icle
under these conditions, as otherwise fuel
can reach the catalytic converter. This
cou ld result in overheating of the con
verter, requir ing its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis
sion Control System:
- H ave your vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance w it h the service rec
ommendat ions in your Warranty &
M ain tenance book let.
- L ack of prope r maintenance as we ll as
improper use of the vehi cle will impair
the function of the em iss ion contro l
system and could lead to damage .
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emiss ion Control System is
operat ing proper ly, the exha ust gas can
have a sul fur -li ke exhaust gas smell under
some operating states . This depends on
the sulfur content of the fuel being used .
Using a different brand of fue l may help,
or f il li ng the tank with lead-free super
grade gasoline .
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are d rivi ng on poor roads, or over
c u rbs, steep ramps, etc., ma ke certai n that
low- ly ing parts s uch as spoilers and exha ust
system parts do not bottom o ut and get dam
aged.
T his is espe cially true for ve hicles with low
s lung chassis (spor ts chassis)* and fully load
ed vehicles .

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 .

216 Cleaning and protection
Cleaning and protect ion
General information
Regular core preserves vehicle value .
Any automobile is exposed to industr ial
fumes, corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after
p ur chase . Reg ular and correct care w ill con
tr ibute to maintain ing the beauty and valu e of
your Aud i.
Furthermore, good care may be a condition
for substantiating a warranty claim should
corrosion damage or paint defects occur.
Your auth orized Audi dealer has a variety of
dedicated vehicle-care products and can ad
v ise wh ich ones to use for cleaning the ext eri
or a nd inte rior o f you r vehi cle.
Whether you use products recommended by
Aud i or other commercially ava ilable clean ing
agen ts, pleas e make sure you apply t hem cor
r ectly .
A WARNING
-Cleani ng agen ts m ay be poi sonous. Kee p
them o ut of t he rea ch of childre n.
- H eed a ll ca ution labels.
- Always read directions on th e co ntai ner
b efore using a ny produc t. Follow the di
rec tions caref ully.
- Most chemical cleaners a re concentrat ed
and have to be diluted.
- Use spot removing flui ds only i n well
ventila ted areas.
- Do not use gasoline, ke rosene, d iesel
fuel, nail pol is h remov er or ot her volati le
fluid s. T hey may be to xic, flammab le or
h azar dou s in other w ays. D o not was h,
w ax or dry the vehicle wi th the ig nit ion
on or the eng ine running .
- D o not cl ean t he under sides of ch assis,
f en ders, wheel cove rs , etc. without pro
tectin g your hands and a rms. You may
c u t yourself on s harp-ed ged metal parts . -
Moisture and ice on b rakes may impair
brak ing eff ic iency
c::> page 200 , Broke sys
tem .
Test the brakes carefully each t ime
you was h the vehicle .
@ For the sake of the environment
Select on ly environ mentally frien dly clean
i ng products. Leftover cleaning pr oducts
s hou ld not d isposed of in the househo ld
waste .
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protec ts the vehicle .
The best p rotection against environmen tal i n
fluences is
frequ ent wash ing and waxing . H ow
often t his is requ ire d d epends o n:
- How much t he ve hicle is used
- W he re the veh icle is parked (garage, i n the
open under trees, etc .)
- The seasona l and weather conditions
- Environmental infl uences
T he longer b ird d roppings, inse cts, tree res in,
r oad and indus trial grime, t ar, soo t, ro ad salt
and other mater ials remain on the veh icle
body, the mo re lasting their destr uctive ef
f ects w ill be . Hig h temperatures ca used by ex
pos ure to intense su nlight i ntens ify the c orro
s ive effect, particular ly when hum id ity is high
as wel l.
U nder certa in circumstances,
weekly washing
may be necessary. Unde r other cond itions, a
monthly washing and waxi ng may be ade
quate .
After the winter, the unders ide of the vehicle
sho uld be thoroughly washed, preferab ly in a
professional ca r wash.
Vehicles with matte finish paint*
¢ page 219.
A WARNING
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other in fo rmation¢
page 216.

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 .

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.
~
•
•

Tires an d wheel s 253
you have stored. The system does not recog
nize the load condition of your vehicle.
The effectiveness of the ti re pressu re monitor
ing sys tem* will be impaired if you store nor
mal load pressures but then operate the vehi
cle at its maximum load¢,& .
See the illustration ¢
fig. 203 for the location
of the label on dr iver's side B-pillar (co lor of
the actual labe l and exact location on the ve
hicle wi ll vary slig htly) .
Note that the fo llowing tab le is accurate a t
the t ime o f go ing to press and is subject to
Tire de signation
c h ange. In the event of discrepancies, the ti re
pressure label located o n the driver's side B
pillar always takes precedence .
T he table below lists the recommended cold
ti re inflation pressures for the Audi mode l
covered by your Owner's Literat ure at the vehi
cle's capacity weight and the t ire sizes instal
l ed on the respective models as orig inal
equipment, or as a factory option.
Tire pressure
Model /
Engine normal load condition full load condition
front rear front rear
Q5 :
2.0 liter
4-cylinder
and
Q5:
3.0 liter
6 -cy lind er 235
/60 Rl8 103H
All S eason
235 /55 Rl9 101H
All Season
235 /55 Rl 9101W
High P erforman ce
255 /45 R20 101W
High Performance
255 /40 R21102Y
High Perfo rmance PSI
29
29
29
35
kAA ~I kAA ~I kAA ~I kAA
200 29 200 3
2 220 32 220
210 30 210
33 230
33 230
200 29 200 33 230 33 230
'
200 29 200 33 230 33 230
I
240 36 250 36 250 39 270
X
L= reinforced or extra load tire. It may also appear as xl, EXTRA LOAD , or RF on the tire side
wall.
The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel i s
located on a label on the dr ive r's side B-p illa r.
Because tec hnical changes may be made to
vehicle equ ipment dur ing the model year, al
ways compare the tire size designation on the tire pressure label on your vehicle w it h the
tires on your vehicle . Make su re t hat the tire
size info rmation on the veh icle label is the
same as the s ize of the t ires on the vehicle.
This is especia lly important if the vehicle be
l ongs to someone else or you bought the vehi
cle with different rims/tires or yo u bought the
vehicle as a previous ly owned vehicle.
Remembe r, your safety and that of yo ur pas
sengers also depends on making sure that load lim
its are not exceeded . Veh icle load in
cludes everybody and eve ryth ing in and on the
vehicle . These load limits a re techn ica lly refer
r ed to as the veh icle's Gross Vehicle Weight
Rat ing ("GVWR"). The Gross Axle We igh t Rat
ing ("GAWR") is the maxim um load that can
be applied at each of the vehicle's two ax les.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the Gross Ax le Weight Rating are listed on the
safety comp liance sticker label located on the
driver's side B-pillar . The tire pressure labe l on
your Audi lists the maximum combined
weight of all of the occupants and luggage o r
other ca rgo that the veh icle can ca rry . Fo r the
location of the t ire pressure label ¢
fig. 203. IJI,,
•
•

260 Tire s and wheel s
contribution to good road ho lding and safe
handling when in good condition and properly
inflated
¢ ,& .
We recommend that all work on tires and
wheels be perfo rmed by an authorized Audi
dea ler. They are familiar with recommended
proced ures and have the necessary spec ial
too ls and spare parts as well as the proper fa
cilities for disposing of the old tires .
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary information about techn ica l requ irements for
installing or changing tires and r ims.
R eplacing t ires and whe els
Tires sho uld be rep laced at least in pairs and
not individua lly (for examp le both front tires
or both rear tires together).
Be sure to read and heed the information to
the tire pressure monitoring system*
¢ page 266.
Always buy rep lacement radial tires that have
the same specifications as the tires approved
for your vehicle by Audi. Replacement t ires
must always have the same load rating speci
fication as the original equipment or approved
optional tires listed in the table
¢ page 252.
Aud i-approved specification ti res are specially
matched to your vehicle and its load lim its,
and can contribute to the important road ho ld
ing, driving characteristics, and safety of the
vehicle. The table
( ¢ page 252) lists spec ifica
t ions of the t ires approved for the Audi mod
els covered by your Owner's Literature .
The tire pressure labe l located on the driver's
side B-pillar
¢ page 252, fig. 204 lists the
specif ications of the or iginal equipment tires
installed on your vehicle at the time it was
manufactured .
Federal law requires t ire manufacturers to
p lace standard ized information on the s ide
wall of all tires
¢ fig . 20 7. This information
i dent ifies and describes the fundamental
characterist ics, the quality grade of the tire
and a lso provides a tire ident ificat ion number f
or sa fety standard ce rtification and in case of
a reca ll.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of ti re specificat ions makes it eas
ier to choose the correct tires. Radial ti res
have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewa ll, for examp le:
P2 35 / 6 0 R 18 10 3 H
This co nta ins the following information :
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars
(where app licab le)
235 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire
from sidewall edge to sidewa ll edge. In
general, the larger the number, the wider
t he tire
60 Height/w idth ratio in percent (aspect ra-
t io)
R Tire construction: Radial
18 Rim diameter code (in inches)
103 Load rating code
H Speed rat ing letter code
X L (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" Indicates
t h at the t ire is a "Reinforced" or an "E xt ra
Load " tir e
M+S (or " M/S") Indicates that the tire has
some mud and snow capabi lity
The tires could also have the information of
direction of rotatio n ¢
page 248 .
Tire manufacturing date
The manufact uring date is also indicated on
the tire sidewall (possibly on ly on the
inner
s ide of the wheel) :
"DOT ... 2212 ... " means , for exampl e, that the
tire was produced in the 22nd week of 2012.
Speed rating (letter cod e)
The speed r ating le tter code on the whee ls in
dicates the maximum permissible road speeds
¢ .&. in Winter tires on poge 264.
P up to 93 mp h (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
S up to 110 mph (180 km/h)

26 2 T ire s and wheel s
-All four wheels must be fitted with radia l
t ires of the same type, size (roll ing c ir
cumference) and the same tread pattern.
Driv ing with different tires reduces veh i
cle handling and can lead to a loss of
control.
- If the spare tire is not the same as the
t ir es that are mounted on the veh icle -
for example with wi nter tires - on ly use
the spare tire for a short period of time
and dr ive with extra care. Refit the no r
ma l road whee l as soon as safely possi
ble.
- Never drive faster than the maxim um
speed for which the tires on your vehicle
are rated because tires that are drive n
faster than their rated speed can fail
sudden ly.
- Overloading ti res cause heat build- up,
sudden tire failure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation and loss of control.
- Temperature grades app ly to tires that
are properly inflated and not over or un
derinflated.
- For technical reasons it is not a lways
poss ible to use wheels from other
vehicles -in some cases not even wheels
from the same vehicle model.
- If you install wheel tr im discs on the ve
hicle whee ls, make sure that the air flow
to the brakes is not blocked . Reduced air
flow to the brakes can them to overheat,
increasing stopping d istances and caus
ing a collision.
- Run flat t ires may on ly be used on
vehicles that we re eq uipped w it h them
at the f acto ry. The vehicle must have a
chassis des igned for r un flat t ires . Incor
rect use of run flat tires can lead to vehi
cle damage or acc idents . Check with an
authorized Audi dealer or t ire specia list
to see if your vehicle can be equipped
with run flat t ires. If run flat tires are
used, they must be installed o n all four
wheels. Mix ing tire types is not permit
ted. (D Note
- For technical reasons, it is not generally
poss ible to use the wheel rims from oth
er veh icles. T his can hold tr ue for wheels
of the same vehicle type.
- If the spare tire is diffe rent from the
tires that you have mounted on your ve
hicle (for example winter tires or wide
profi le tires), then use the spare tire for a
short period of time only and drive w ith
extra care. Replace the flat tire w it h the
ti re mat ching the othe rs on your vehicle
as soon as possi ble.
- Never d rive without the valve stem cap.
T he v alves co uld get damaged.
@ For the sake of the environment
Dispose of o ld tires in accordance w ith the
l ocal requirements.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- Tra ction AA A B (
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicab le
on the tire s ide wall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width
¢ page 259,
fig . 207 .
For example: Tread wear 200 , Traction AA ,
Temperature A .
All passenger car ti res must conform to Feder
al Safety Requirements in add ition to these
grades .
Tread wear
The tread wear g rade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
u nder contro lled conditions o n a specified
government test course.
F o r example, a tire graded
150 wo uld wear
one and one ha lf
(11/2) times as well on the
government course as a ti re graded
100.