child restraint on the front passenger's
seat in exceptional situations:
- Whenever a forward or rearward-facing
child restraint is installed on the front
passenger seat, the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light must come on and stay on
whenever the ignition is switched on .
-If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, perform
the checks described
~ page 148, Moni
toring the Advanced Airbag System .
- Take the child restraint off the front pas
senger seat and install it properly at one
of the rear seat positions if the
PASSEN·
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not stay on
whenever the ignition is switched on.
- Improper installation of child restraints
can reduce their effectiveness or even
prevent them from providing any protec
tion.
- An improperly installed child restraint
can interfere with the airbag as it de
ploys and seriously injure or even kill the
<;hild.
- Always carefully follow the manufactur
er's instructions provided with the child
safety seat or carrier.
- Never place additional items on the seat
that can increase the total weight regis
tered by the weight-sensing mat and can cause injury in a crash.
_&. WARNING
Forward-facing child restraints:
- Always make sure the forward-facing
seat has been designed and certified by
its manufacturer for use on a front seat
with a passenger front and side airbag.
- Never put the forward-facing child re·
straint up, against or very near the in
strument panel.
- Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and
aft adjustment range, as far away from
the airbag as possible before installing
the forward-facing child restraint. The
Child Safety 169
backrest must be adjusted to an upright
position.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched
on .
_&. WARNING
"' Rearward-facing child restraints:
-A child in a rearward-facing child safety
seat installed on the front passenger
seat will be seriously injured and can be
killed if the front airbag inflates - even
with an Advanced Airbag System .
- The inflating airbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat
and child against the backrest, center
armrest, door or roof.
-Always be especially careful if you must
install a rearward facing child safety seat
on the front passenger seat in exception
al circumstances.
-A tight tether strap on a rearward-facing
child restraint attached to the front pas
senger seat can put too much pressure
on the weight-mat in the seat and regis
ter a heavier weight in the Advanced Air bag System. The heavier weight regis
tered can make the system work as
though an adult were on the seat and de
ploy the Advanced Airbag when it must
be suppressed causing serious or even
fatal injury to the child.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched
on.
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immedi
ately install the rearward-facing child
safety seat in a rear seating position and
have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Audi dealer. •
•
functions will be available again when you
switch on the ignition and start the engine.
With the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for example, with
the eng ine turned off or use othe r MM I fu nc
tions, the battery is being discha rged.
I f starting capability is jeopardized due to en
e rgy consumpt ion, the fo llow ing warning ap
pears in the MMI disp lay :
Plea se start the eng ine soon or th e sys tem
w ill b e turn ed off .
The warning ind icates that the system will be
turned off automatically after 3 m inutes . If
you wish to cont inue us ing the functions , you
have to start the engine.
With the engine running
Although electrical energy is generated when
the vehicle is be ing driven, the battery can be
come discharged . Th is happens mostly when
little energy is be ing generated and a great
deal consumed and the battery's state of
charge is no t optimal.
To br ing the energy balance back into equili
b rium, consumers which require especially
l arge amounts of energy are tempo rarily cut
back or swit ched off. Heating systems in par
ticular requ ire a g reat dea l o f energy. If you
notice, fo r example, that the heated seats* or
the heated rear window are not heating, they have been temporari ly cut back or switched
off. These systems will be ava ilab le again as
soon as the energy balance has been restored.
You will a lso notice that engine idle speed has
been increased slightly . This is norma l and not
a cause for concern . By increasing engine idle
speed the add itiona l energy required is gener
ated and the battery is charged.
Int ellig ent technolog y 183
•
•
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.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
""Try and keep well below your car's maximum
speed.
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consump
tion, engine wear, and does not disturb the
environment.
Fu el consumption, exhaust emissions and en
g ine noise increase disproportionately at high
speeds. If you drive at approximately three
quarters of top speed, fuel consumption will
be reduced by one half. Never drive faster
than the posted speed limit and weather con
ditions permit .
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel.
""Shut the engine off when you are not driving
the vehicle.
"" Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the
engine run at idle .
It makes sense to shut
off the engine in traff ic
jams, when waiting for trains to pass at ra il
road crossings, or at traffic lights that have
l ong wa its on red. Turning the engine
off for
just
30-40 seconds saves more fue l than is
burned starting the engine again .
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fully when it is running at idle. However, wear
and noxious emissions are especially high
when the engine is warming up. So you should
drive away as soon as you start the engine and
avoid running at high rpms while the engine is
still warming up.
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af
ter starting . If warning lights should come
on to indicate improper operation, they
would go unheeded. Extended idling also
produces heat, which cou ld result in over-
Driving and environment 187
'
heating or othe r damage to the vehicle or
other property.
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a
lot of fuel.
""H ave your veh icle serviced at regular inter-
vals.
By having your vehicle regu larly serviced by an
au thorized Aud i dea ler helps to ensure that it
runs properly and economic all y. The condition
of your veh icle not on ly affects its safety and
ability to hold its va lue, it a lso affects
fuel
consumption .
Check your oil each time you fill your tank.
The amount of o il 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 consumpt ion.
This also app lies to fue l consumption and en
gine output.
(U) 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 .
•
•
If the engine compartment is cleaned at any
time with grease removing solutions
1>, or if
you have the engine washed, the anti-corro
sion treatment is almost always removed as
well. It is therefore essential to have a long
lasting corrosion protection reapplied to all
surfaces , seams, joints and components in the
engine compartment .
.8, WARNING
Be aware: The engine compa rtment of any
motor vehicle is a potentially h azardous
area .
- Before working in the engine compart
ment, be s ure to read the informat ion
r=;, page207 .
-Before reaching into the front plenum
pane l, always remove the ignition key .
Otherwise, the windshield wiper system
cou ld unintentiona lly be switched on,
poss ibly causing personal injury from the
moving wiper linkage.
- Never reach into the area around or
touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary fan
is temperature controlled and can switch
on suddenly- even when the ign it ion is
off .
- Do not wash, wax or dry the engine w ith
the engine running . Moving or hot parts
could inju re you .
- Do not clean the underside of the chas
sis, fenders, wheel covers, or other hard
to reach parts w ithout protecti ng your
hands and arms. You may cut yourse lf on
s harp-edged metal parts .
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
othe r information
r=;, page 189.
l ) Use o nly the co rr ect clean in g s olu tio ns. Ne ve r use ga s
o line or d ie sel fuel.
Cleaning and protec tion 20 1
•
•
204 Fuel suppl y and filli ng your fu el t ank
transport fue l to use for your lawn mower,
snow blower, etc., be very careful and al
ways observe local and state laws regard
ing the use, transportat ion and storage of
such fuel containers . Make certain the con
tainer meets industry standards (ANSI/
AS TM F852 -86) .
(D Note
Never drive your vehicle until the fuel tank
is completely empty. The irregular supply
of fuel can cause misfiring . Gasoline could
e nte r the exhaust system and damage t he
catalyt ic converter.
Refuelling
Fig. 171 Rig ht rea r veh icle s ide: Ope ning the fuel fille r
f lap
Fi g. 1 72 Fuel filler fla p with attached fuel c ap
When activating the central locking, the fuel
fi ller flap is automatically un locked or locked.
Refue l the vehicle with the ignition turned
off .
Taking th e fu el cap off
,.. Turn off the ignit ion.
,.. Press the left side of the fue l filler flap to
open it q fig .171-a rrow -.
"" Unsc rew fuel cap counter -clockwise and
hang it on the fuel filler flap
~ fig. 172 .
Refuell ing proc edur e
,.. Insert the fuel nozzle from the gasoline
pump into the fuel fille r neck as far as it will
go .
,.. Sele ct a med ium r efuelling rate so that the
no zz le switches off automatically when the
tank i s full.
Putting the fu el cap back on
,.. After fi lling your tank, twist the fuel cap
clockwise as far as it will go .
,.. Close the fue l fill er flap.
T o avoid fuel spilling or evaporating from the
fuel tank always close fuel cap properly and complete ly .
A WARNING
-
Improper refue ling or handling of fuel can
cause fire, explosion and severe burns.
- Fue l is highly flammable and can cause
severe burns and other injur ies.
- Failure to shut the engine off while refu
eling and/or to insert the pump nozzle
fully into the fuel filler neck could cause
fuel to spray out of filler neck or to over
flow . Fuel spray and overflowing fuel can
cause a fire .
- Never use a cellular telephone while re
fueling . The electromagnet ic rad iat ion
can cause sparks that can ignite fuel va
pors and cause a fire .
- Never get back into your vehicle white re
fueling .
If in exceptional circumstances
you mu st get back in your vehicle while
ref ueling, make ce rtain that you close
the door and touch metal to discharge static electricity before touching the fill
er nozzle again. Static e lectricity can
cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors
released during ref ueling .
- Never smoke or have an open f lame any
where in or near your veh icle when refu
eling or filling a portab le fuel conta iner.
- For your safety, we strongly recommend
that you do not travel with a portable
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 .
208 Check ing and filling
- To reduce the r isk 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 flu ids on hot engine compo
nents . They can cause a fire.
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxili
ary electr ic fan is temperature controlled
and can switch on suddenly.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the eng ine is still warm . The cool
ant system is pressur ized and hot coo l
ant could spray out.
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam o r hot eng ine coolant by placing a
thi ck rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir .
- Do not remove the engine cover under
any c ircumstances. Th is increases the
risk of burns.
- If wo rk on the fuel system or the electri
c al system is necessa ry:
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or
open flames . Fluids in the engine com
pa rtment cou ld start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im
mediately avai lable.
- To avoid electrical s hock and persona l in
jury while the engine is running or being
started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Othe r components of the high voltage
e lectronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repa ir
with the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking bra ke,
move se lector lever o f automat ic trans
missio n to "P" (Park). -
Always use extreme caution to p revent
clothing, jewel ry, 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 wea r clothing that
will hang o r droop into t he engine.
- Mi nimize exposure to em ission and
chemical hazards~ &.
A WARNING
Ca lifo rnia Proposition 65 Wa rning:
- Eng ine exhaust, some of its const ituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals know n to the State of
California to cause cancer and birt h de
fects and reproduc tive harm. In addition,
certain fl uids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con
tain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and b irth defects or other reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac cessories conta in lead and lead com ·
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc
tive harms. Wash hands afte r handling .
(I) Note
When adding f lu ids, always make sure that
they are poured i nto the proper conta iner
or filler opening, otherwise serious dam
age to vehicle systems w ill 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 veh icle flu
i ds, have yo ur vehicle inspected by a n au
thor ized Audi dea ler.