
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 .
-
•
•

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.
•
•

-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 . ..,.

250 Tires and wheels
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ribs .
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry for a given inflation pressure. You
may not find this informat ion on all tires be
cause it is not req uired by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a t ire at the max i
mum permissible inflation pressure for that
tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity we ight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressure
to which a tire may be inflated. Also called
"maximum inflation pressure ."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the
number of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the total seating capacity of your vehicle .
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle.
Outer diameter
means the overa ll diameter of an inflated new
tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteri
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ
ing elevations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands o r ribs .
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the combined weight of those insta lled
regular production options weighing over 5
lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard items
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory we ight, including
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and special tr im .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumat ic tire in which the ply cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan
t ia lly 90 degrees to the center line of the
tread .
Recommended inflation pressure
see<=> page 249, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire design to operate at higher loads
and at h igher inflation pressures than the cor
responding standa rd tire. Reinforced tires
may be identified as "XL" "xl" "EXTRA LOAD"
' ' '
or "RF" on the sidewa ll.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a tire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads are
seated.
Rim diameter
means nom inal diameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you will have to
purchase new tires to match the new rim di
ameter.
Rim size designation
means r im diameter and width .
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges.
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
t read and bead.

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
•
•

It has always been Audi's policy to continu
ously improve its products. Aud i, therefore,
reserves the right to make changes in design
a nd specifications, and to make additions or
improvements in its p roducts, without incur
ring any obl igat ion to insta ll t hem on p rod
uc ts p revio usly man ufact ured .
Text , illustrat ions and specif ications in th is
manual are based on the most up-to-date in
formation available at the time of p rinting.
All rights reserved. May not be reproduced or
translated in whole or in part without the wr
itten consent of AUDI AG. Specifications are
subject to change without notice.
"Audi", "q uattro" and the four r ings emblem
are registered trademarks of AUD I AG.
Editor ial de adlin e: 09 /0 7/ 2012
@ For the sake of the environment
Printed on environmentally friendly pape r
(b leached without chlorine, recyclable).
Printed in Germany
© 2012 AUDI AG