Page 177 of 262

you have the engine washed, the anti-corrosion treatment is a lmost always removed as
wel l. It is therefore essential to have a long
lasting corrosion protection reapplied to all
surfaces, seams, joints and components in the
engine compartment .
A WARNING
Be aware: The engine compartment of any
motor vehicle is a potentially hazardous
area.
- Before working in the engine compart
ment, be sure to read the informat ion
c::.>page 174.
- Before reaching into the front plenum
pane l, always remove the ignition key.
O therw ise, the windshield wipe r 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 injure you .
- Do not clean the underside of the chas sis, fenders, wheel covers, or other hard
to reach parts w ithout protecting your
hands and arms. You may cut yourse lf on
sharp-edged metal parts .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c::.> page 164.
Cleaning and protec tion 17 5
•
•
Page 178 of 262

176 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Fuel supply and filling
your fuel tank
Gasoline
Fuel supply
Using the right fuel helps keep the environ
ment clean and prevents engine damage .
Fuel recommendation
The fuel recommended for your vehicle is un
lead ed premium
grade gasoline . See also
¢
page 240, Data . Audi recommends using
TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline with a minimum
octane rating of 91 AK I (95 RON). For more
information on TOP TI ER Detergent Gasoline,
p lease go to the officia l website (www.toptier
gas.com).
The recommended gasoline octane rating for
your engine can also be found on a label locat
ed on the inside of the fuel filler flap. This rat
ing may be specified as AKI or RON.
Your veh icle may also be operated using un
l eaded regular gasoline with a minimum oc
tane rating of 87 AKI/91 RON. However, using
87 AKI/91 RON octane fuel wi ll slightly re
duce engine performance.
Use unleaded gasoline only. Unleaded gaso
line is available throughout the USA, Canada ,
and in most European countries . We recom
mend that you do not take your vehicle to
areas or countries where unleaded gasoline
may not be available.
F or more information on refueling your vehi
cle, see¢
page 177.
Octane rating
Octane rating ind icates a gasoline's ability to
resist engine damaging "knock" caused by
premature ign ition and detonation. Therefore,
buying the correct grade of gasoline is very
important to help prevent possible engine
damage and a loss of engine performance.
Gasoline most commonly used in the United
States and Canada has the following octane r
atings that can usually be found on the fi ller
pump:
- Premium Grade: 91 -96 AKI
- Regular Grade: 87 -90 AKI
Explanation of the abbreviations:
AKI = Anti Knock Index= (R+M)/2 = (RON
+MON )/2
RON= Research Octane Number
MON = Motor Octane Number .
(D Note
-Do not use any fuel w ith octane ratings
lower than 87 AKI or 91 RON otherwise
expensive engine damage will occur.
- Do
not use leaded gasoline! The use of
leaded gasoline w ill severely damage
your vehicle's catalytic converter and its
ability to control exhaust emissions.
Blended gasoline
Use of gasoline containing alcohol or
MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether)
You may use unleaded gasoline blended with
alcohol or MTBE (commonly referred to as
oxygenates) if the blended mixture meets the
following criteria:
Blend of gasoline methanol (wood alcohol or
methyl alcohol)
-Anti -knoc k index must be 87 A KI or higher.
- Blend must contain no more than 3% meth-
anol.
- Blend must contain more than 2% co-sol-
vents .
Blend of gasoline and ethanol (grain alcohol
or ethyl alcohol)
-Anti -knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
- Blend must not contain more than 10%
ethanol.
Blend of gasoline and MTBE
-Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or higher. ll-
Page 179 of 262

-Blend must contain not more than 15%
MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform
espec ially we ll for winter or summer driving.
During seasonal change-over, we suggest that
you fill up at busy gas stat ions where the sea
sonal adjustment is more likely to be made in
time .
(D Note
-Methanol fuels which do not meet these
requirements may cause corrosion and
damage to plastic and rubber compo
nents in the fuel system .
- Do not use fue ls that fail to meet the
specified criter ia in this chapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether
or not a particular fue l blend meets the
specifications, ask your service station or
its fuel supp lier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents
cannot be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance
problems resulting from the use of fuels
different from those specified are not
the responsibility of Audi and are not
covered under the New Vehicle or the Emission Control System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fuel economy
or driveability and performance prob l ems due to the use of one of these fuel
blends, we recommend that you switch
to unblended fuel.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufac
turers is carbon deposit build- up caused by
the type of gasoline you use.
Although gasoline grades differ from one manufacturer to another , they have certain
things in common. All gasoline grades contain
substances that can cause deposits to collect
on vital engine parts, such as fuel injectors
and intake valves. Although most gasoline brands include additives to keep engine and
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 177
fuel systems clean, they are not equally effec
tive .
A udi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline. For more info rmation on TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline, please go to the official
website (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended period of using inadeq uate
fuels, built-up carbon deposits can rob yo ur
engine of peak performance.
Q) Note
Damage or malf unct ion due to poor fue l
quality is not covered by the Aud i New Ve
hicle Limited Warranty.
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
side panel behind the fuel fille r flap.
If the unlocking system should fail, you can
still open the flap manually -for detailed in
structions see
¢ page 179.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your ve hicle in
Technical Data ¢ page 240.
The label on the inside of the fuel fi ller flap
tells you the correct fue l for your vehicle. For
more information about fuel specifications,
see
¢ page 176.
Your vehicle fue l tank has an on -board refue l
li ng vapor recovery system. This feature helps
to prevent fuel vapors from escaping from the
tank and polluting the environment while you refuel your vehicle . In order to fill the tank
properly while protecting the environment,
please fo llow this refueling procedure careful
ly.
_&. WARNING
Under normal operating conditions, never
carry additional fuel containers in your car.
Gas canisters and other containers used to
transport f uel can be dangero us. Such con
tainers, full or empty, may leak and could
cause a fire in a collision. If you must
•
•
Page 180 of 262

1 78 Fuel supply and filling your fuel 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 (A NSI/
AS TM F852 -86) .
(D Note
Never drive your vehicle unti l the fuel tank
is completely d ry. The irreg ular s upply of
fuel can cause misfir ing. Gasoline cou ld
e nte r into the exhaust system and damage
t he cata lytic conve rter.
Refuelling
Fi g. 12 9 Drive r's doo r: Un lo cki ng fuel f ille r flap
Fi g. 130 Fu el cap hooke d on the opened fuel filler flap
When adding fue l, the ignition and any ce llu
lar phones in the vehicle must be sw itched
off .
Tak ing the fuel cap off
• To open the fuel filler flap, pull the button
r:> fig. 129.
• Unscrew fuel filler cap counter-clockwise
and hang it o n the fuel filler flap ¢
fig. 130 .
Refuelling procedure
• Insert the f uel no zz le from the gasoline
pump into the fuel fi ller neck as far as it w ill
go .
• Select a med ium refuelling rate so that the
no zz le sw itches off automatically when the
tank i s full.
Putting the fuel cap back on
• After fi lling your tank, twist the fuel filler
cap clockw ise until you hear a definite click.
• Close the fue l filler flap.
T o avoid fuel s pill ing or evaporating from the
fuel tank always close fuel filler cap properly and completely . An improperly closed fuel fi ll
er cap may also cause the MIL lamp¢
page 30
to come on.
A WARNING
Imp roper 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 .
- Fai lure to shut the engine off while refu
eling and/or to insert the pump nozzle
fu lly into the fuel filter neck could cause
fuel to spray out of filler neck or to ove r
f low. Fuel spray and overflowing fuel can
cause a fire.
- Never use a ce llu lar telephone whil e re
fue ling . Th e e lec tromagnet ic radiat io n
can cause spa rks th at can igni te fuel v a
pors an d cause a fire.
- N ever get back in to your vehicle whi le re
fue ling.
If in excep tio nal cir cumstances
you must get back in your vehi cle while
ref ueling, make ce rtain that you close
the door and touch metal to discharge
static electricity be fore touching the fill
er nozzle again . Static e lectr icity can
cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors
re leased d uring refueling .
- Never smoke or have an open f lame any
where in or near your ve hicle when refu
eling or fi lling a portable fue l conta iner .
Page 181 of 262

-For your safety, we strongly recommend
that you do not trave l w ith a portab le
fuel container in your vehicle. The con
tainer, full or empty may leak and cou ld
cause a fire, especially in a crash.
- If, under except ional circumstances, you
must transpo rt a portable fuel container,
please observe the following:
- Never f ill a portable fue l container
while it is anywhere in or on the vehicle (for examp le, in the luggage compart
ment, or on the tr unk) . Static electric i
ty can bu ild up while f illing and ca n ig
n ite fuel vapors causing a f ire.
- Always place a portable fuel container
on the ground before filling .
-Always keep the fi ller nozzle comp lete
ly inside the portable conta iner before
a nd during filling.
- If filling a portable container made of metal, the filler nozz le must always be
in contact with the containe r. 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. Fuel vapors are
h ighly flammable.
- Always observe local and state/p rov in
cial laws regard ing the us e, storage
and trans po rt ation of fuel con tainers.
- Make certa in the fuel conta iner meets
in du stry standards (ANSI/ ASTM
F8 52-86).
(D Note
If any fuel has spilled onto the ca r, it
should be remov ed immed iate 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 rs t
time, th e tank is full. Do not try to add
more fue l because fuel may spill ou t. In
a dd ition, the exp ansio n sp ace in the fuel
t ank will be f illed -ca using the fue l to
Fu el suppl y and filli ng your fuel t ank 179
ove rf low w hen it becomes warm and pol
l ute the environment .
a) Tips
- Running y our eng ine wh ile ref ue lli ng
may cause va pors to esca pe or even fuel
to spill out of the tank . This would then
shut o ff th e f ue l nozz le before the tank
is f ull.
- Do not refue l you r vehicle with the ig ni
t ion switched on. The fuel ga uge may
ot herwise not ind icate the correct fue l
level after refuel ling.
Unlocking the fuel filler flap
by hand
You can open the fuel filler flap by hand if the
power locking system should fail .
Fig. 1 31 Lu ggage co mpa rtment : Cove r in th e right
side interior trim
If the power locking system shou ld fa il, you
can still open the flap man ua lly:
.. Open the rear lid .
.. Open the round cover in the right-side inte
r ior trim .
.. Remove the red plastic knob from its retain
er.
.. Pull the plastic cord in the d irection of the
arrow to unlock the fuel fi ller flap
~fig. 131 .
Page 182 of 262

180 Checking and filling
Checking and filling
Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the
vehicle.
Fi g. 132 Dr iver's side footwell: engine hood re lease
lever
.. Open the driver's door.
.. Pull the release lever on the left under the
instrument panel
c> fig. 132 in the direction
of the arrow .
The hood pops up slight ly under spring pres
sure.
Opening the engine hood
Fig . 133 Re lease lever under the engine hood
Before opening the engine hood, make sure
that the windshie ld wipers are flat against the
windshie ld. Otherwise, they cou ld damage the
pa int on the hood.
.. Lift the hood s light ly
c> _& .
.. Pull up on the release under the hood
¢ fig. 133. This releases the catch.
.. Open the hood all the way.
A WARNING
-Hot engine coolant can burn you.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coo lant escaping from the eng ine
compartment. Wait unt il no steam or
coolant can be seen o r heard before care
fu lly 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 p lace.
Do not try to push it shut; it may fail to en
gage
c> _& .
A WARNING
--
A hood that is not completely latched
could fly up and b lock your view while dr iv
i ng.
- When you close the engine hood, check it
to make sure the safety catch has proper
ly engaged . The hood should be flush
with the surrounding vehicle body parts.
- If you notice while dr iv 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!
Wheneve r you must pe rform any wo rk in the
eng ine compartment, for e xample chec king
and filling the different fluids, ther e is a risk
of injury, burns and a ccident s. To prevent
p ers onal injury al ways obs erv e the following
WARNINGS. The eng in e c ompartm ent of an y
vehicl e is a hazardou s area!
c> .&.
A WARNING
To he lp avoid injury, before yo u check any
thing under the hood:
- Sw itch off the engine .
- Remove the ignition key.
Page 183 of 262

-Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever of automatic trans-
mission to "P" (Park); put manual trans
mission in Neutral.
- Always let the engine cool down . Hot
components will burn skin on contact.
- To reduce the risk 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 fluids on hot engine compo
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxili
ary electric fan is temperature controlled
and can switch on suddenly.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm. The cool
ant system is pressurized and hot cool ant could spray out .
-Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir .
- Do not remove the engine cover under
any circumstances. This increases the
risk of burns.
- If work on the fuel system or the electri
cal system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or
open flames. Fluids in the engine com
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal in
jury while the engine is running or being
started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
-If you must perform a check or repair
with the engine running:
Checking and filling 181
- First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever of automatic trans
mission to "P" (Park); put manual
transmission in Neutral.
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, 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 wear no clothing that will hang or droop into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and
chemical hazards~,& .
.8, WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de
fects and reproductive harm. In addition,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con
tain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm.
- 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 harms. Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container
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
id s, have your vehicle inspected by an au
thorized Audi dealer . •
•
Page 184 of 262

182 Checking and filling
Engine compartment
These are the most important items that you can check .
•
Fig. 134 Typ ica l layout for containers and eng ine oil filler cap
CD Coolant expansion tank (-L) .. .
'2' E . 'l d. . k \61 ngIne 0 1 1pst1c .......... .
@ Engine oil filler cap ('1:::r.) .. .. .
@ Brake fluid reservoir((();) .. .. .
® Jump start points(+) under a
cover, (-) bolt head .... ... .. .
® Windshield/headlight washer
t . (
;;p, ) con ainer ,-!,, •••.•••.•.•••.
187
185
185
189
233
194
The pos ition of the engine o il dipstick and the
engine o il fi lling hole
r::> fig. 134 (items @and
@) can differ depending on the engine de
sign .
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARN INGS
c::> .& in Working in the engine
compartment on page 180.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used in your Audi needs the
right kind of oil.
T he eng ine in your Aud i is a soph ist icated
powerplant that was built to exact ing spec ifi
cat ions . T his engine needs the right kind of
engine oil that meets specifications regard ing
quality and viscosity so that it can run
smooth ly and reliably . Choosing the right o il
and changing oil within the time and mileage
i ntervals printed in your vehicle's Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet matters a lot more to
day tha n it did years ago. Audi has developed
a spec ia l quality standard for engine oil that
will help assure that you r vehicle's engine w ill
get the lubr ication it needs fo r proper opera
t ion.
Modern engine l ubr ication has taken a q uan
tum leap in the last few years. Many synthet ic
1J.