the exhaust system and this could cause
the catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not turn off the ignition while the ve
hicle is moving .
- Do not con tinue to operate yo ur vehicle
under these conditions, as otherwise fuel
can reach the cata lytic converter . This
could result in overheating of the con
verter, requ iring its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis
sion Control System:
- Have your veh icle ma inta ined properly
and in acco rdance with the service rec
ommendations in your Wa rranty
&
Ma intenan ce booklet.
- Lac k of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impa ir
t he funct ion of the emission control
system and cou ld lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Contro l System is
operating p roperly, the exhaus t gas can
have a s ulfu r- like exhaust gas smell under
some operating states. This depends on
the s ulfur content o f the fue l being used.
Using a different brand of fuel may help,
or filling the tank w ith lead-free super
grade gasoline .
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 .
Fuel economy, environmental impact, and
wear on your engine, brakes and t ires largely
depend on three factors :
- your persona l driving style
- operating conditions
- technical lim itations
I f you anticipate w hat you need to do nex t and
d rive economically, you can eas ily cut your
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 161
fuel consumption by 10 -15 percent. Th is sec
tion w ill give yo u some tips on how you can
help the env ironment and your pocketbook .
(D Tips
The cons umption estimates as published
by ENVIRONME NTAL PROTEC TION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre
spond to your actual consumption on the road, which will vary 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 are ac
celerating.
Avoid unnecessary accelerat ing and braking .
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac
ce lerat ing . If you anticipate what is going to
happe n next, you will need to brake less and,
th us, accele rate less. Let the vehicle coast
whenever possible -for examp le when you see
that the next t raff 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 maxi -
mum speed.
Acce lerat ing gently reduces fue l consump
tion, eng ine wear, and does not disturb the
environment.
Fuel consumpt ion, exhaust emiss ions and en
gine noise increase disproportionately at high
speeds. If you drive at approximately three
quarte rs of top speed, fuel consumption w il l
be reduced by one half. Never drive faster
t h an the posted speed limit and weathe r con
ditions perm it.
•
•
164 Cleaning and protection
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 . Regular and correct care w ill con
tr ibute to maintaining the beauty and value of
your Aud i.
Furth erm ore, goo d car e m ay be a c onditi on
for substantiat ing a warrant y claim shou ld
c orrosion dam age or paint d efe ct s occ ur.
Your author ized Audi dealer has a variety of
d ed ica ted vehicl e-ca re product s and can ad
vise which ones to use for cleaning the exter i
or and inte rior of your vehicle .
Whether you use products recommended by
Aud i or other commercially ava ilable 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 pol ish remover or other volati le
fluids. They may be toxic, flammab le or
hazardous in other ways. Do not wash,
wax or dry the vehicle with the ignit ion
on or the engine running.
- Do not clean the undersides of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, etc. without pro
tecting your hands and arms. You may
c u t yourself on sharp-edged metal parts . -
Moisture and ice on brakes may impair
brak ing eff ic iency
c::> page 153 , General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle .
@ For the sake of the environment
Select on ly environ mentally friendly clean
i ng products. Leftover cleaning products
should not d isposed of in the househo ld
waste .
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protects the vehicle .
The best protection against environmental in
fluences is
frequent washing and waxing . How
often this 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 seasona l 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 paint, the more lasting their destructive ef
fects wi ll be .
High tempera tures, as from expos ure to in
tense sunlight, intensify the corrosive e ffect
particularly when humidity is high as well.
Under certa in ci rc u mstances,
we ekly washing
may be necessary. Unde r othe r cond it ions, a
monthly washing and waxing may be ade
quate.
After the winter, the unders ide of the vehicle
sho uld be thoro ughly washed p re ferab ly in a
pro fessional ca r wash.
A WARNING ~
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
c::> page 164.
~ Wipe the windows dry with a clean piece of
cloth or kitchen paper towel.
The best way to remove snow from windows
and mirrors is to use a brush. Use a non-abra
sive
plastic ice scraper -better still, a spray
deicer -to remove
ice from windows and mir
rors.
The windows must not be cleaned with insect
remover or wax since these can interfere with
the function of the windshield wiper blades
(chatter).
Oil, grease or silicone residue can be removed
with
glass cleaner or silicone remover. How
ever, wax residue requires the use of a special
ly formulated solvent. Please contact your
Audi dealer for advice on safe products for
wax removal.
Windows should also be cleaned on the inside
at regular intervals.
Never dry windows with the same chamois
that you use to dry painted surfaces. Wax resi
due on the chamois can impair vision through
the windows.
A WARNING
-The windshield must not be treated with
water-repellent materials. They can in
crease glare under poor visibility condi
tions such as wetness, darkness, or when
the sun is low on the horizon. In addi
tion, they can cause the windshield wip
ers to chatter.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢page 164.
(D Note
-Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow and ice from windows and mirrors.
This could cause the glass to crack.
- To prevent damage to the wires of the
rear defogger, do not place any adhesive
stickers on the inside of the rear window
over the wires.
- To help prevent dirt from scratching the
window, always scrape in a forward di-
Cleaning and protection 169
rection -pushing the scraper away from
you -never back and forth.
· Steel wheels
Applies to vehicles : with steel wheels
The wheels also have to be cleaned.
~ Always include the hub caps and wheel rims
when washing your vehicle to remove road
dirt, salt sprays and brake dust.
If necessary, use a commercial wheel cleaner
to remove accumulated brake dust.
The wheel rims are easier to keep clean if they
are regu larly coated with liquid wax.
Paint scratches should be touched up as soon
as possible to prevent corrosion
¢ page 168,
Touch-up paint.
A WARNING
-Moisture and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency -
¢ page 153, General
information.
Test the brakes carefully af
ter each vehicle wash.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
¢page 164.
Cast (light) alloy wheels
Applies to vehicles: with Cast alloy wheels
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care.
~ Wash the wheels with a sponge or hose
brush every other week.
~ For deep cleaning afterwards, use only a
dedicated
acid-free cast alloy wheel cleaner .
~ Rub a coat of liquid wax onto the rims every
three month. Be sure to reach and treat all
parts of the rim.
To preserve the decorative appearance of the
cast alloy wheels, some special care is neces sary. In addition to road dirt and salt, brake
dust is also corrosiv e. If left on for too long,
brake dust can cause pitting.
Use only special
acid-free cleaners formulated
for alloy rims. Safe products are available at
your Audi dealer. Never leave the cleaner on .,..
•
•
170 Cleaning and protection
the rims longer than specified on the label. If
not rinsed off promptly, the acid contained in
some cleaners can attack the threads on the
wheel bolts.
Never use abrasive or metal polishing clean
ing agents. If the protective coating has been
chipped, e.g. by kicked up road dirt, touch it
up as soon as possible.
A WARNING
-Moisture and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency¢
page 153, General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
qpage 164.
Body cavity sealing
The body cavity sealing does not need to be
checked.
-
All body cavities which could be affected by
corrosion have been given thorough protec
tion at the factory.
This sealing does not require any inspection or
additional treatment. If any wax should seep
out of the cav ity when the ambient tempera
ture is high, it can be removed with a plastic
scraper and a suitable solvent.
A WARNING
, -
Solvents can be dangerous.
- Benzine is flammable and toxic. If you use benzine for removing the wax, keep
sparks, flame and lighted cigarettes
away. Never dump benzine on the
ground, into open streams or down sew
age drains.
- Be sure to observe all safety and environ
mental regulations. Follow all instruc
tions on the container.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
¢page 164.
Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time.
The lower body shell of your Audi is also thor
oughly protected against corrosion.
Any damage to the undercoating caused by
road hazards should be repaired promptly.
A WARNING
-Too much undercoating in the wrong pla-
ces can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con
verter or heat shields. While driving, the
substance used for undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information¢
page 164.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road salt and other corrosive materials will
damage the material in the exhaust tail pipes
if they are not cleaned regularly. Do not clean
the tail pipes with wheel cleaner, paint polish, chrome polish or other abrasive cleaners.
Clean the tail pipes with car care products
t h at are suitable for stainle ss steel.
Your authorized Audi dealer can provide clean ing products that have been tested and ap
proved for your vehicle.
Care of interior
Radio-/Navigation* display
.. Clean the display with a soft clean cloth and
an LCD cleaner.
The display can be cleaned with a professio
nally available "LCD cleaner ". The cloth should
be slightly dampened with the cleaning fluid
to clean the display. .,.
-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 . •
•
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.
-To avoid being burned, do not spill an
tifreeze or coolant on the exhaust sys tem or hot engine parts. Under certain
conditions, the ethylene glycol in en
gine coolant can catch fire.
- Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store an
tifreeze in its original container and well out of the reach of children.
- If you drain the coolant, it must be
caught and safely stored in a proper con
tainer clearly marked "poison".
(D Note
- Coolant pollutes the environment and
could cause an engine fire. Excess cool
ant will be forced out through the pres
sure relief valve in the cap when the en
gine becomes hot.
- If, in an emergency, only water can be
added, the correct ratio between water
and antifreeze¢
page 187 must be re
stored as soon as possible.
@ For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant should not be reused. Al
ways dispose of used coolant while observ ing all environmental regulations.
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by
itself
The electric radiator fan is controlled by ther
moswitches that switch on and off depending
on coolant and engine compartment tempera
tures.
An auxiliary electric radiator fan* switches on
and off depending on coolant temperature
and other vehicle operation conditions.
After you switch the engine off, the auxiliary
fan can continue running for up to 10 minutes
- even with the ignition off.
It can even switch
on again later by itself
c::> &., , if
- the temperature of the engine coolant rises due to the heat build-up from the engine in
the engine compartment, or
Checking and filling 189
- the engine compartment heats up because
the vehicle is parked in intense sunlight.
A WARNING
-To reduce the risk of personal injury nev
er touch the radiator fan .
- The auxiliary electric fan is temperature
controlled and can switch on suddenly
even when the engine is not running.
- The auxiliary radiator fan switches on au
tomatically when the engine coolant
reaches a certain temperature and will
continue to run until the coolant temper
ature drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a
quick glance.
Fig. 139 Engin e compart ment: cover on th e br ake fluid
re se rvoir
Before you check anything in the engine com
partment,
always read and heed all WARN
INGS c::> .&. in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 180.
~ Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir
c::> page 182, fig. 134 . The
brake fluid level must be between the "MIN"
and "MAX" markings.
The brake fluid reservoir is located behind the
rear partition of the engine compartment on
the left side
c::> page 182.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the brake pads. This is not cause for alarm.
i,,.
190 Checking and filling
If the brake fluid level falls considerably b e
l ow the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/ indi
cator light (U .S . mode ls:
1111 , Canad ian
model s:. ) will come on
c> page 14 . Do not
continue to ope ra te the vehicle. The comple te
brake system shou ld be thoroughly checked
by an author ized Audi dealer or ot her quali
fied fac ility and the cause corrected . If the
b rake fluid level is too low, the b rake war ning/
i ndicator ligh t w ill illuminate. Contact an a u
thor ized A udi dealer
immediatel y.
Changing brake fluid
Hove the broke fluid changed by on experi
enced technician.
Brake fl uid abso rbs moist ure from the a ir. If
the wate r content in the b ra ke fluid is too
h igh, cor ros ion in the br ake sys tem may result
after a per iod of t ime . The bo iling point of the
brake fluid wi ll also decrease considerab ly and
decrease braking performanc e.
Therefore, the brake fl uid mus t be changed
every tw o year s. Always use new b rake fluid
which conforms to Federal Motor Veh icle
Standard "FMVSS 1 16 DOT 4".
The brake flu id rese rvoi r can be difficul t to
r each, therefo re , we recommend that yo u
have the brake f luid changed by yo ur autho r
ized
Audi dealer. Your dea ler has the correct
too ls , the right brake f luid and the know-how
to do this for you.
A WARNING
- Brake fluid is poiso nous . It must be stor
ed only i n the closed orig inal container
o ut o f the reac h of children!
- Brake fa ilure can result from old o r inap
propriate b rake fluid . Observe these pre
caut ions :
- Use only bra ke fluid that meets SAE
specif ication
J 1 703 and co nforms to
Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 116 .
Always check with your a uthori zed Audi
dealer to ma ke sure you are using the
correct brake flu id. The correct type of brake flu
id is also ind icate d on the
brake f lu id rese rvoir.
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use
of the brakes can cause a vapo r lock if
the brake fluid is left in the system too
long. This can seriously affect the effi
c iency of t he brakes as well as your
safety . T his co uld resu lt in a n accide nt.
([) Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your
vehicle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because o f the prob lem of proper disposal
of brake fluid as well as the spec ial too ls
required and the necessary expertise, we
recomme nd that you have the brake flu id
changed by yo ur autho rize d Aud i deale r.
Battery
General information
Your vehicle is equipped with a specia l bat
tery, an
ACM battery. This battery is located
in the luggage compartment and must be re
placed with an origina l equipment battery .
U nder normal opera ting condit ions, the bat
te ry is
maintenance-fr ee .
Have the battery checked when you take your
vehicle in for serv ice . You a re well advised to
replace a battery that is o lde r th an 5 years .
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle functions (power window reg u
lators, for example) are lost if the battery te r
mina ls are disconnected . T hese functions have
to be relearned after the battery termina ls are
connected again . T o p revent t his, t he battery
shou ld only be disconne cted from the veh icle
elect ric a l sys tem when abso lutely ne cessary
f or rep air s.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive your vehicle ove r a period
of seve ral days o r weeks , e lectr ica l compo-
nents a re g radually cut back or switched off.
Ill-