fuel container in your vehicle. The con
tainer, full or empty may leak and co uld
cause a fire, especially in a crash.
- If, under exceptional circumstances, yo u
must transport a portable fuel container,
please observe the following:
- Never fi ll a po rtable fue l container
while it is anywhe re in or on the vehicle
(for examp le, in the luggage compar t
ment, or on the tr unk). Static electric i
ty can bui ld up while fi lling and can ig
n ite fue l vapors causing a fire .
- Always p lace a portable fuel container
on the gro und before filling.
- Always keep the fi ller nozzle comp lete
ly inside the po rtable conta iner before
and during filling.
- If filling a portable container made of
metal, the filler nozz le must always be
in contact with the container. Th is w ill
he lp prevent static electricity from dis
charging and cause a fi re .
- Never sp ill fuel inside the vehicle or
luggage compartment. Fue l vapors are
h ighly f lammable .
- Always observe local and state/provin
cial laws regard ing the use, storage
and tra nsporta tion of fuel co ntainers .
- Make certai n the fuel container meets
industry standards (ANSI/ ASTM
F 8 52 -86) .
(D Note
If any f uel has spilled onto t he car, it
should be removed immediate ly to prevent
damage to the paint.
~ For the sake of the environment
As soon as the correctly operated nozzle sw itches off automatically fo r the fi rst
time, the tank is full. Do not try to add more fue l because fue l may spill out . In
add it io n, th e expans io n sp ace in the fuel
t ank will be fi lled -cau sin g the fue l to
over flow whe n it be come s w arm a nd pol
lu te the env iro nment.
Fu el suppl y and filli ng your fuel t ank 205
@ Tips
- Ru nning your eng ine whi le refue lli ng
may cause vapors to escape or even
cause fuel to sp ill out of the tank. T his
would then shut off the fuel nozzle be
f o re the ta nk is f ull.
- Do not refuel you r vehicle with the ign i
tion turned o n. The fuel gauge may oth
erwise not indicate the correct f uel level
after refuelling .
- The fue l filler flap of yo ur vehicle is not
locked when you lock t he ve hicle from
t he insid e.
Unlocking the fuel filler flap
by hand
You can open the fuel filler flap by hand if the
power locking system should fail .
Fig. 173 Lug gage compa rtm ent: ope ning th e side trim
Fig .1 74 Luggage co mpa rtme nt: Eme rgency ope ning
of fue l fil le r flap
The emergency opening mechanism is located
behind the right side trim panel in the lug
gage compartment .
Opening the side trim .,. Insert a tool such as a screwdriver
¢
page 243 or the emergency key into the
r ight side of the upper gap¢
fig. 173. .,.
Checking and filling Engine hood
Releasing and opening the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the
vehicle .
Fig. 175 Dr iver's side footwell: eng ine hood release
lever
F ig . 176 Re lease lever un der the engine hood
Before opening the engine hood, make sure
that the windshield wipers are flat against the
windshield. Otherwise, they could damage the
paint on the hood.
.. Pull the release lever on the left under the
instrument panel in the direction of the ar
row
<::)fig. 175.
.. Raise the hood slightly Q &.
.. Press the rocker switch under the hood up
ward
c::> fig . 176 . This re leases the catch .
.,. Open the hood.
& WARNING
Hot engine coo lant can burn you.
- To redu ce the r isk of being burned, never
open the hood if yo u see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment. Wait until no steam or
Checkin g and fillin g 207
coolant can be seen or heard before care
fully opening the hood.
Closing the engine hood
.. Pull the hood down until the pressure from
the struts is reduced .
.. Let the hood
drop down and latch in place .
Do not try to push it shut; it may fail to en
gage
c::> &, .
_&. WARNING
-
A hood that is not comple tely latched
could fly up and b lock your view while dr iv
ing.
- When you close the engine hood, chec k it
to make sure the safety catch has p rope r
ly engaged . The hood sho uld be flush
with the surrounding vehicle body parts .
-If you notice while driv ing that the hood
is not secured properly, stop at once and
close it.
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the engine compartment .
Whenever yo u mu st p erform an y w or k in th e
eng ine compa rtment, for example checking
and filling differ ent fluid s, there i s a ri sk of
injury , burn s and accide nts. To prevent per
sonal injury al ways obser ve the foll owing
WARNINGS . The eng ine compa rtment of an y
v ehicle is a hazardous are a
QA .
_&. WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check any
thing under the hood:
- Turn off the engine.
- Remove the ignition key.
- Apply the parking brake .
- Move selector lever of automatic trans -
mission to "P" (Park).
- Always le t the engine cool down . Hot
components wi ll bur n skin on contact .
Before you check anything in the engine com
partment,
al ways r ead and heed all W ARN
ING S ¢ A in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 207.
The "MIN" und "MAX" markings are found on
the bi-level disc in the interior of the coolant
expansion tank
¢ fig . 181.
.,. Park your vehi cle on a level sur face.
.,. Turn off the ignition .
.,. Let the engine coo l down .
.,. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank and
c a refully turn the cap counter
clockwise ¢
.&,.
.,. Read the engin e coolant le vel inside the
coolant expans ion tank ¢
fig. 180,
¢ page 209, fig . 177. With a cold engine,
the coolant leve l should be between the
" M IN" and "MAX" mark ings
¢ fig. 181
-arrows- . When the eng ine is warm, the lev
el may be slightly above the "MAX" marking.
.,. The MAX marking may be covered with a
maximum of 1 mm of coolant when yo u
fill
coolant .
.,. Twist the cap on again tightly.
The location of the coolant expansion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus
tration
¢ page 209.
To obtain an accurate read ing, the engine
must be switched off .
The expans ion tank in you r vehicle is equipped
with an electric coolant level sensor .
When the coo lant level is too low, the warning
light in the A uto-Check System¢
page 18 wi ll
b lin k until you add coo lant and the level has
been restored to norma l. Even though there is
an electric coolant level sensor, we sti ll rec
ommend you check the coolant leve l from
time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the coo ling
system . In the event of coolant loss, the cool
i n g system should be inspected immediately
by your authorized Audi dealer. It is not
enough merely to add coolant.
Checkin g and fillin g 215
In a sealed system, losses can occur on ly if
the boiling point of the coolant is exceeded as
a resu lt of overheating.
Adding coolant
Rep lacement engine coolant must confo rm to
exact specificat ions¢
page 214, Coolant .
We recommend using only coo lant add itive
Gl2++, Gl3 or i n an emergency Gl 2+ . Do not
use a different add itive. In an emergen cy use
plain water until you can ge t the correct addi
tive and can restore the correct ra tio. This
sho uld be done as soon as possib le .
If you have lost a cons iderab le amount o f
coolant, then you sho uld add cold ant ifreeze
and co ld water on ly when the engine is cold.
A lways use
new engine coo la nt when refilling.
Do not fill coolant above the "MAX" mark. Ex
cess coolant will be fo rced out through the
pressure relief valve in the cap when the en
gine becomes hot.
_& WARNING
- Th e cooling system is un der pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of
scalding from hot coolant by following
these ste ps.
- Turn off the engine and allow it to coo l
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by covering
the cap w ith a large, th ic k rag.
- Turn the cap s lowly and very carefully
i n a counter-clockwise direction while
applying light, downward pressure on
the top of the cap.
- To avoid being bu rned, do not spill an
tifree ze or coolant o n the ex haust sys
tem o r hot engine p arts. Under ce rtain
con ditio ns, the ethy lene glycol in en
gine coolant can catch fire.
- Antifreeze i s poisonous. Always s tore an
tifreeze in its original container an d well
out of the reach of children .
Ill-
•
•
If the brake fluid level falls considerably be
l ow the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/indi
cator light (U.S . mode ls:
1111 . Canad ian
models: .) will come on
¢ page 15. Do not
continue to operate the vehicle. The complete brake system should be thoroughly checked
by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop and the cause co rrected . If the
b rake fluid level is too low, the brake warn ing/
in dicator light w ill illuminate. Contact an a u
thor ized Audi dealer
imm ediatel y.
@ Tips
The brake fluid rese rvoir is located unde r
neath the cover.
Changing brake fluid
Hove the broke fluid changed by on experi
enced technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moistu re from the a ir. If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
hi gh , corrosion in the b rake system may resul t
after a per iod of t ime . The bo iling po int of t he
b rake fluid w ill also decrease considerably and
decrease braking performance.
Therefore, the brake flu id must be changed
e ver y two year s. Always use new b rake fluid
which conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle
Standard "FMVSS 116 DOT 4".
The brake flu id rese rvoi r ca n be difficult to
r eac h, therefore , we recommend th at yo u
h ave the brake f luid changed by yo ur autho r
ized
Audi dealer . Your deale r has the correct
too ls, the right brake fluid and the know -how
to do th is for you.
A WARNING
- Brake fluid is po isonous . It must be stor
ed only in the closed orig inal container
out of the reac h of children!
- Brake fa ilure can result from old or inap
propr iate brake fluid . Observe these pre
caut ions:
- Use on ly bra ke fluid that meets SAE
specification
J 1 7 03 and conforms to
Checkin g and fillin g 217
Federa l Moto r Ve hicle Standard 1 16 .
Always check with your authorized Audi
dealer to make sure you are using the correct brake fluid . The correct type of
brake flu id is also ind icated on the
brake f luid rese rvoir .
- The brake fluid must be new . Heavy use
of the brakes ca n cause a vapo r lock if
the b rake fluid is left i n the system too
l ong. This can se riou sly affect the effi
c iency of the brakes as well as your
safe ty . T his co uld resu lt in an accident.
(D Note
B ra ke fluid wi ll damage the paint o f you r
vehicle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the p rob lem of proper disposal
of bra ke fluid as well as the spec ial too ls
r equired and the necessary expertise, we
r ecomme nd th at yo u have the br ake fl uid
changed by yo ur autho rized Aud i dea le r.
Battery
General information
Un der normal operating cond itions , the bat
te ry in you r Audi does not need any ma inte
nance . With
high outside temperatures o r
long da ily d rives we recommend that you have
t h e e lectrolyte leve l chec ked by an au thori zed
A udi dealer or qualified workshop . The elec
trolyte leve l should also be checked each time
the batte ry is charged
¢ page 219.
Have the battery checked when yo u take your
vehicle in for se rvice. You are well advised to
replace a battery that is older than 5 years.
Wi th cer tain types of airbag deployment, the
ba ttery is disconnected from the veh icle elec
trical system for safety reasons¢.&
in Re
pair, core and disposal of the airbags on
page 151.
~
•
•
-Read the requir ed tire pressure from the tire
pressure label. The tire pressure label is lo
cated on the driver's side B-pillar. The tire
pressure label lists the recommended cold
t ire inf lation pressures for the vehicle at its
maximum capacity weight and the tires that
were on your vehicle at the time it was man
ufactured . For recommended tire pressures
for normal load conditions, please see chap
ter ~
page 226.
- Turn the valve stem cap counter-clockwise
to remove it from the tire valve.
- Place the air pressure gauge on the valve .
- The tire pressures should only be checked
and adjusted when the tires are cold . The
slightly raised pressures of warm tires must
not be reduced.
- Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carry ing.
- Reinstall the valve stem cap on the valve .
When should I check the tire pressure?
The correct tire pressure is especially impor
tant at high speeds. The pressure should
therefore be checked at least once a month
and always before starting a journey .
When should I adjust the tire pressures?
Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carry ing. After changing a wheel
or replacing
wheels you have to adjust the tire pressures
on all wheels. In addition, you must then initi
alize the new tire pressures in the tire pres
sure monitoring system*~
page 240.
A WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinfla
tion can lead sudden tire failure, loss of
control, collision, serious personal injury
or even death.
- When the
[9] warning symbol appears in
the instrument cluster, stop and inspect
the tires.
- Incorrect tire pressure and/or underinfla
tion can cause increased tire wear and
can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability.
Tires and wheels 229
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin
flation can also lead to sudden tire fail
ure, including a blowout and sudden de
flation, causing loss of vehicle control.
- The driver is responsib le for the correct
tire pressures for all tires on the vehicle.
The applicable pressure values are locat
ed on a sticker on the driver's side B-pil lar.
- Only when all tires on the vehicle are fil
led to the correct pressure, the tire pres
sure monitoring system* can work cor
rectly.
- The use of incorrect tire pressure values
can lead to accidents or other damage.
Therefore it is essential that the driver
observe the specified tire pressure values
for the tires and the correct pressures for
the function of the tire pressure monitor ing system*.
- Always inflate tires to the recommended
and correct tire pressure before driving
off.
- Driving with underinflated tires bend
more, letting them get too hot resulting
in tread separation, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
- Excessive speed and/overloading can
cause heat build-up, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
- If the tire pressure is too low or too high,
the t ires will wear prematurely and the
vehicle will not handle well.
- If the tire is not flat and you do not have
to change a wheel immediately , drive at
reduced speed to the nearest service sta
tion to check the tire pressure and add
air as required.
(D Note
Driving without valve stem caps can cause
damage to the tire valves. To prevent this,
always make sure that factory installed
valve stem caps on all wheels are securely
mounted on the valve.
•
•
236 Tire s and whee ls
vehicle handling and can lead to a loss of
control.
- If the replacement tire is not the same as
the tires that are mounted on the vehicle
- for example with winter tires - only use
the replacement t ire for a short period of
t ime and dr ive with extra care . Refit the
normal road wheel as soon as safely pos
sible.
- Never drive faste r than the maximum
speed for which the tires on your veh icle
are rated because ti res that are driven
faster than their rated speed can fail
sudden ly.
- Overloading t ires cause heat build-up,
sudden tire failure, including a blowo ut
and sudden deflation and loss of control.
- T emperature grades app ly to tires that
are properly inflated and not over or un
derinflated.
- For technical reasons it is not a lways
possible to use wheels from othe r
vehicles -in some cases not even wheels
from the same vehicle model.
- If you install wheel trim discs on the ve hicle whee ls, make sure that the air f low
to the brakes is not blocked . Reduced air
flow to the brakes can them to overheat, increasing stopping distances and caus
ing a collision .
- Run flat tires may only be used on
vehicles that were equipped w ith them
at the factory . The vehicle must have a
chassis des igned for run flat t ires and a
factory-installed t ire pressure monitor
ing system* that indicates a loss of ti re
pressure. Incorrec t use of run flat tires
can lead to vehicle damage or accidents .
Check with an authorized Audi dea ler or
tire spec ialist to see if your vehicle can be
equipped with run flat tires . If run flat
tires are used, they must be installed on
all four wheels. M ixing tire types is not
permitted .
(D Note
-For technica l reasons, it is not genera lly
possible to use the wheel r ims from oth- er vehicles.
This can hold true for wheels
of the same vehicle type.
- If a rep lacement tire is different from
the tires that you have mounted on your
vehicle (for example winter tires or wide profile tires), then use the rep lacement
tire for a short period of time only and dr ive with extra care. Replace the flat tire
w ith the tire match ing the others on your
vehicle as soon as possible.
- Never drive without the valve stem cap .
The valves could get damaged .
® For the sake of the environment
D ispose of o ld tires in accordance with the
local requirements .
Uniform tire quality grading
-Tread wear
- Traction AA A B C
- Tempe rature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicab le
on the t ire s ide wall between tread shou ld er
and maximum section width c> page 233,
fig. 189 .
For exampl e: Tread wear 200 , Traction AA,
Temperature A.
All passenger car t ires must conform to Feder
al Safety Requirements in addition to these
grades.
Tread wear
T he tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the t ire when tested
u nder controlled conditions on a specified
government test course .
For example, a tire graded 1S0 would wear
one and one ha lf (11/2) times as well on the
gover nment course as a t ire graded 100 .
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual conditions of their use, how
ever, and may depa rt s ignificantly from the
norm due to va ria tions in d riving hab its, serv
ice practices and differences in road character-
istics and climate.
ll-
238 Tire s and whee ls
The speed rating letter code( ¢ page 225) is
on the side wall of the tire¢ page
233.
A WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower than your vehicle's max
imum speed . Always know the maximum
speed before driving off . Never drive faster
than the speed permitted for your specific
w inter t ires. This will cause damage to the
tires leading to an accident and serious
personal inj ury to you and your passen
gers.
A WARNING
t"'----
Driving faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your vehicle
were designed can cause tire fai lure in
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation,
loss of control, crashes and serious per
sonal injuries. Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immed iately .
- Winter tires have maximum speed rat ing
that may be lower than your veh icle's
maximum speed .
- Never drive faster than the speed for
w hich the winter or other tires installed
on your vehicle are rated.
A WARNING
Always adjust your d riving to the road and
traffic conditions. Neve r let the good ac
celeration of the wi nte r t ir es and all whee l
drive temp t you in to taking extr a ris ks. A l
ways remember :
- Whe n bra king, an a ll whee l drive vehicle
hand les in the same way as a front drive
vehicle.
- Drive caref ully and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
cannot he lp under black ice conditions.
@) For the sake of the environment
Use summe r ti res when weathe r cond i
tions perm it. They are quieter, do not wea r
as quickly and red uce fue l consumption.
Snow chains
S now cha ins may be fitted only to the front
whee ls, and o nly to certain ti re sizes . Ask your
authorized Aud i dea ler on which tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
T he snow chains must have low-p rofile links
and mus t not be th icker than 0.41 inch
(10.5 mm), in cl ud ing the lock .
Remove whee l center covers and t rim discs
before putt ing snow chains on your veh icle
¢ Q) . For safety reasons cove r caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bo lts. These are avail
able from authorized Audi dealers .
_& WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi
cle or insta lling them incorrect ly can in
crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different sizes . Always make sure to follow the in
structions prov ided by the snow chain
manufacturer .
- When driving with snow cha ins never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains .
- Always observe local regulations.
(D Note
- Remove snow chains before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessa rily.
- Snow chains, which come into direct con
tact with the whee l rim, can scratch or
damage it . Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered. Check
the pos ition of the snow chains afte r
dr iving a few yards and co rrect if neces
sary. Follow the instruct ions from the
snow chain man ufactu rer when doing so .
(D Tips
Where snow chains are ma nda tory on cer
tain roads, th is normally also applies to
vehicles with a ll whee l drive .
24 6 What do I do no w?
• Engage the par king br ake to prevent your
vehicle from rolling unintentionally
c> _&..
• Move the sel ector le ver to the P po sition.
• Take the jack c> page 243 out of the luggage
compartment.
A WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured
wh ile cha nging a wheel if you do not fol
low these safety precautions:
- If you have a flat t i re, move a safe dis
tance off the road . Turn off the engine,
tu rn the emergen cy flashers on and use
other wa rning dev ices to alert other mo
torists.
- Make su re that passengers wait i n a safe
pla ce away from the vehicle and well
away from the road and traff ic.
- T o help prevent the veh icle from mov ing
sudden ly and possibly slipping off the
jack, a lways fully set the parking brake
and block the whee l diagona lly opposite
the whee l being changed with the fo ld
ing chocks or other objects. When one
front whee l is lifted off the ground, plac
ing the Automat ic Transmiss ion in "P"
(Pa rk) w ill
not prevent the vehicle from
moving.
- Before you change a wheel, be sure the ground is level and firm . If necessary,
use a sturdy board unde r the jack.
- Always store the vehicle tool kit, the
jack* and the replaced tire in the luggage
compartment
c> page 124.
(D Note
If you are chang ing the wheel on a steep
incline, use a rock or similar object to
b loc k the opposite wheel to prevent the
veh icle from mov ing.
Obey all laws.
-
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow these
quence described below step-by-step and in
exactly that order .
l. Remove the wheel bolt caps* . For more
details see also
c> page 247, Wheels with
wheel bolt caps.
2. Loosen the wh eel bolts c>page 247.
3. Locate the p roper mounting point fo r the
ja ck a nd align the jack below that point
c>page248 .
4. Lift the car with the jack c> page 248 .
5. Remove the wheel with the flat tire and
then insta ll the other wheel
c> page 249.
6. Tighten all wheel bolts lightly.
7.
Lower the vehicle with the jack .
8. Use the wheel bolt w rench and
firmly
t ighten all wheel bolts in a crisscross pat
te rn
c> page 247.
9. Replace the wheel bolt cap s*.
A WARNING
Always read and fo llow all WARN INGS and
informat ion c> .&. in Raising the vehicle on
page 248
and c> page 250 .
After changing a wheel
A wheel change is not comple te without the
doing the following .
• Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack*,
and the rep laced tire in the luggage com
partment
c> page 124.
• As soon as possib le, have the t ightening
torque s
on all whee l bolts checked with a
torque wrench. The correct tightening tor
que is 90 ft lbs. (120 Nm).
• Have the flat tire
re plac ed as soon as possi
ble.
(D Tips
- If you not ice that the wheel bolts are
corroded and difficult to turn while
chang ing a tire, they should be replaced
before you check the tightening torque .