186 Driving and en vironm ent
-Be aware that just one tank fi lling with
le a ded fuel will already seriously de
grade the performance of the catalytic
converter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil leve l
qpage 212.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty. The eng ine could mis
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into
the exhaust system and this could cause
t h e catalyt ic converte r to overheat.
- Do not turn off the ignition while the ve
hicle is moving.
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle
under these conditions, as otherw ise fuel
can reach the catalytic converter. This
could result in overheat ing of the co n
ve rter, req uiring its repla ceme nt.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis
s ion Control System:
- Have your veh icle maintained properly
and in accordance with the service rec
ommendations in your Warranty
&
Ma intenance booklet.
- Lack o f proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impa ir
the funct ion of the emission control
system and cou ld lead to damage.
@) For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Control System is
operati ng properly, the exhaust gas can
have a sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under
some operating sta tes. This depends on
t he s ulfur content of the fue l being used .
Using a differe nt brand of fuel may help,
or filling the t ank w it h lead-free super
grade gaso line .
Operate your vehicle
economically and
minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex
haust and noise levels.
F uel economy, environmenta l impact, and
wear on your engine, brakes and tires largely
depend on three factors:
- your personal driving s tyle
- oper ating conditions
- technical limitat ions
If you ant ic ipate what you need to do next and
drive economica lly, you can easily cut your
fuel consumpt ion by 10-15 percent . This sec
t ion w ill give you some tips on how you can
help the env ironment and your po cketbook.
@ Tips
The consumption estimates as published
by ENVIRON MENTAL PROTEC TION AG ENCY
( EP A) and Transpo rt Canada may no t corre
s pon d to your actual consump tion on the
r oad, which will va ry depending upon vehi
cle load and speed, road and weather con
dit ions, trip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they ore ac
celerating.
.,. Avoid unnecessary accelerating and brak ing.
Vehicles use the mos t fu el when they are ac
ce le rat ing. If yo u ant icipate what is going to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
t hu s, acce le rate less . Let the vehicle coast
whenever possible -for examp le when you see
t h at the next traff ic light is red.
Cleaning and protect ion
General information
Regular core preserves vehicle value.
Any automobile is exposed to industrial
fumes , corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after
purchase . Regu lar and correct care w ill con
tr ibute to maintaining the beauty and value of
your Aud i.
F u rth ermor e, good c are may be a conditi on
for subs tantiati ng a w arrant y claim sho uld
c orrosion d amag e or paint d efects oc cur.
Your authorized Audi dealer has a variety of
dedic ated veh icle-car e products and can ad
vise which ones to use for cleaning the exter i
or and interior of your vehicle.
Whether you use products recommended by
Aud i or other commercially available clean ing
agents, please make sure you apply them cor
rectly .
A WARNING
-Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them out of the reach of children.
- Heed all caut ion labels.
- Always read directions on the container
before using any product. Follow the di
rect ions carefu lly.
- Most chemical cleaners are concentrated
and have to be diluted .
- Use spot removing fluids only in well
ventilated areas.
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, d iesel
fuel, nail polish remover or other volatile
fluids. They may be toxic, flammab le or
haza rdous in other ways. Do not wash,
wax or dry the vehicle with the ign it ion
on or the engine running.
- Do not clean the undersides of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, e tc. w ithout pro
tecting your hands and arms. You may c u t yourself on sharp -edged metal parts .
Cleaning and protec tion 189
- Moisture and ice on brakes may impair
brak ing effic iency¢
page 178. Test the
brakes carefully each time you wash the
veh icle.
@) For the sake of the environment
Select on ly environmentally friend ly clean
i ng products . Leftover cleaning products
should not d isposed of in the household
waste.
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protects the vehicle .
The best protection against environmental i n
fluences is
frequent washing and waxing . How
often t his is required depends on:
- How much the veh icle is used
- Where the veh icle is parked (garage, in the
open under trees, etc.)
- The seasonal and weather conditions
- Environmental infl uences
T he longer b ird droppings, insects, tree resin,
road and indus tria l gr ime, ta r, soot, road salt
and other materials remain on the vehicle
body, the more lasting their destructive ef
fects wi ll be . High temperatures caused by ex
posure to intense sun light intens ify the corro
s ive effect, particularly when humid ity is high
as well.
Under certain circumstances,
weekl y washing
may be necessary. Under other cond itions, a
monthly washing and waxing may be ade
quate .
After the winter, the underside of the vehicle
should be thoroughly washed, preferab ly in a
professional car wash .
Vehicles with matte finish paint¢
page 192 .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information¢
page 189.
•
•
196 Cleaning and protection
Use only special acid -free cleaners form ulated
for a lloy rims. Safe products are available at
your author ized Audi dealer . Never leave the
cleaner on the rims longer than specified on
the label.
If no t rinsed off promptly, the acid
contained in some cleaners can attack the
threads on the wheel bolts .
Never use abras ive or metal polishing clean
ing agents. If the protective coating has been
chipped, e .g . by k icked up road dirt, touch it
up as soon as poss ible.
A WARNING
- Moist ure and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency ~
page 178. Test the
br ake s ca refully each time you wash the
vehicle.
- Always read and heed all WARNI NGS and
other informa tion ~
page 189.
Body cavity sealing
-
The body cavity sealing does not need to be
checked.
A ll body cavities wh ich could be affected by
corrosion have been thoroughly protected at
the facto ry.
T his sea ling does not require any inspection or
addit io nal treatment. If any wax should seep
out of the cav ity when the ambient tempera
ture is high, it can be removed w it h a plastic
scrape r and a su itab le so lven t.
A WARNING
So lvents can be dange rous.
- B enzine is flammable and t oxic.
If you
use benzine for removing the w ax, keep
spar ks, flame and lighted cigaret tes
away. Never dump benzine on t he
ground, into open streams or down sew
age drains.
- Be sure to observe all safety and env iron
menta l regulations . Follow all instruc
t ions on the container.
- Always read and heed all WAR NIN GS and
other information
¢ page 189. Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time.
The lower body shell of your Aud i is also thor
oughly protected against cor ros io n.
Any damage to the unde rcoating ca used by
road ha zards should be repaired prompt ly.
A WARNING ....__
Too much undercoating in the wrong p la
ces can cause a fire.
- Do not app ly additional undercoating or
r u stp roof ing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con
ver ter or heat shields. While driving, the
substance used fo r undercoating could
overhea t and cause a fire.
- Always read and heed all WAR NINGS and
o ther info rmation ¢
page 189.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road salt and o ther co rrosive materials w ill
damage the mate ria l in the e xhaus t ta il pipes
i f they are not cleaned regular ly . Do not clean
the tail pipes with w hee l cleaner, pa int polish,
c h rome polish or other ab rasive cleane rs .
Clean the tail pipes with car care products
t h at are suitable for sta inless steel.
Your a uthorized Audi dea ler can prov ide clean
ing products that have been tested and ap
proved for your vehicle .
Care of interior
Infotainment components
The Rad io/MM !* disp lay may be cleaned w ith
a soft cloth and comme rcially-ava ilable "LCD
cl eaner". The clot h should be coated lightly
whe n the cleaning solution w hen clea ning t he
display.
T he M MI* con trols m ust be clean ed first wi th
a b rush so tha t dirt does not en ter the uni t or
enter between the buttons an d the housing.
The n wiping the controls with a cloth ..,.
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.
~
•
•
-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
yo u are not sure of their "previous histo
ry." Old used tires may have been dam
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- If you notice unusual vibration or if the
vehicle pulls to one side when d riving, al
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so
and check the wheels and tires for dam
age .
(D Note
Please note that summe r and wi nte r tires
are designed for the cond itions that are
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight means the comb ined weight (in excess of
those sta ndard items which may be rep laced)
of au toma tic transmission, power steer ing ,
power brakes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that these
items are availab le as factory-installed equip
ment (whether installed or not) .
Aspect ratio
means the rat io o f the height to the w idth of
the tire in percent . Numbers of 55 or lower in
dicate a low sidewall for improved steering re
sponse and better overa ll handling on dry
pavement .
Bead
means the part of the t ire t hat is made o f
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the r im.
Bead separation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
components in the bead .
Cord means the strands forming the plies in the
tire.
Tire s an d wheel s 223
typica l in those seasons . Aud i recommends
using winter tires during the winter
months . Low temperatures signif icant ly
dec rease the e lasticity of summer t ires,
which affects tract ion and brak ing ability.
If summer t ires are used i n very co ld tem
peratures, cracks ca n form o n the tread
bars , res ulting in perma nen t tire damage
that can cause loud driving noise and un
bala nced ti re s. Audi i s not respon sible for
th is type of damage .
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the t ire p ress ure recommended by t he
vehicle manufacture r fo r a tire o f a des ignated
s ize t hat has not bee n driven for more than a
coup le o f miles (k ilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire press ure
is m easured or adjusted.
Curb weight
me ans the we ight of a motor ve hicle with
st andard equipmen t incl ud ing the max imum
capacity of fuel, oi l, and coolant, air condi
tioning and additional weig ht of optiona l
equipment.
Extra load tire
means a t ire design to oper ate a t higher load s
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor
responding standa rd tire . Extra load tires may
be identified as "XL", "x l", "EXTRA LOAD", o r
"RF" on the sidewal l.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR")
me ans the load-ca rry ing capac ity of a single
axle system , measured at the tire -ground in
te rfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ( "GVWR ")
mea ns the maximum total loaded we ight of
the ve hicl e. .,..
•
•
224 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
lb s. (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, heavy duty
battery, and special trim.
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 223, 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.
Tires an d wheel s 22 7
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. 185 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 designation
change. In the event of discrepancies, the ti re
pressure label is located on 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
(up to 2 occupants)
front rear front rear
PSI
kAA ~I kAA ~I kAA ~I kAA
RS 5 Cab- 265 /35 R19 98V X L
riol et: High Performan ce
39 270 35 240 44 300 41
280
4.2 liter 275 /30 R20 97V XL
a -cyl inder
270 35 240 44 300 4 1 280
XL= reinf orc ed or extra lo ad tire. It ma y al so appear a s xl , EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire side
w all .
Because tec hnical changes may be made to
ve hicl e equ ipment dur ing the model yea r, a l
ways compare the tire s ize designation on the
tire pressure label on your vehicle w ith the
tires on your vehicle . Make s ure that the tire
size information on the vehicle label is the
same as the s ize of the t ires on the vehicle.
This is especially important if the vehicle be
longs to someone else or you bought the veh i
cle with different rims/tires or you bought the
veh icle as a previously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your pas
sengers also depends on mak ing sure that
load limits are not exceeded . Vehicle load in
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
ve hicl e. These load limits are technically refer
r ed to as the vehicle's G ross Vehicle We ight
Rating ("GVWR"). The Gross Ax le Weight Rat
ing ("GAWR") is the maximum load that can
be applied at each of the vehicle's two axles .
The Gross Vehicle We ight Rating and the G
ross Ax le Weig ht Rating are listed on the
sa fe ty comp liance sticke r label lo cated on the
dr iver's side B-pillar . The tire pressu re labe l on
your A udi lists the maximum combined
weight of all of the occ upants and luggage o r
other cargo that the veh icle can carry. For the
location of the t ire pressure label ¢
fig. 185.
A WARNING
-Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve-
h icle contro l, a crash or other accide nt, se
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more we ight than your veh icle
was des igned to carry will prevent the
veh icle from handling properly a nd in
crease the risk of a loss of vehicle con
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
veh icle w ith in a safe distance.
•
•
230 Tire s and wheel s
@ For the sa ke of the environment
Underinflated tires will a lso increase the
fue l consumption.
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or
weight that any vehicle and any t ire can carry.
A vehicle that is overloaded w ill not handle
well and is more difficult to stop. Overload ing
can not only lead to loss of vehicle control, but can also damage important pa rts of the
vehicle and can lead to s udden tire failure, in
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation that
can cause the vehicle to crash.
Your safety and that of your passenge rs a lso
depends on making s ure that load limi ts are
not exceeded . Vehicle load includes everybody
and everything in and on the vehicle. These
load limits are technica lly referred to as the
vehicle's
Gross Veh icle We ight R ating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic
vehicle, all factory installed accessories, a full
tank of f uel, oi l, coo lant and other fluids pl us
maximum load. The maximum load includes
the number of passengers that the vehicle is intended to carry ("seating capacity") with an
assumed weight of 150 lbs . (68 kg) for each
passenger at a des ignated seat ing pos ition
and the tota l we ight of any l uggage in the ve
h icle. If you tow a trailer, the weight o f the
trai ler hitch and the tong ue weight of the
loaded trailer must be included as part of the
vehicle load.
The
Gro ss Axl e W eight Rating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be app lied at each
of the vehicle's two axles.
The G ross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weigh t Rating are listed on the
safety compliance sticker labe l located on the
driver's side B-pi llar . Audi has 4 seati ng posi
tions, 2 in the front and 2 in the rear for tota l
seating capacity of 4 . Each seating position
has a seat belt¢
page 129, Safety belts.
T he fact that there is an upper limit to yo ur
vehicle's G ross Vehicle Weight Rating means
that the total weight of whatever is being car ried in the vehicle ( includ ing the weight of a
trailer hitch and the tongue weight of the
loaded tra iler) is lim ited . The more passen
gers in the vehicle or passengers who are
heavier than the standard we ights assumed
mea n tha t less we ight can be carried as lug
gage.
T he t ire pressure label on your Aud i also lists
the max imum combined weig ht of a ll of the
occupants and luggage or other cargo that
the vehi cle can carry . For the location of the
label¢
page 226, fig. 185.
.&, WARNING ~ -
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve
h icle contro l, a crash or other accident, se
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Ca rrying more weight than your vehicle
was des igned to carry wi ll prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in
crease the risk of the loss of vehicle con
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
veh icle w ith in a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload
ed can fail suddenly, including a blowout
and sudden deflation, causing loss of
control and a crash .
- Always make sure that the total load be
ing transported -including the weight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue we ight of a
loaded trailer - does not ma ke the vehi
cle heavier than the vehicle's G ross Vehi
cle Weight Rating.
Determining correct load limit
U se th e exa mple b elow to ca l
c ulat e th e total w eight of the