overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the ent ire brake system.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impair
the braking capability resulting in an in
creased stopp ing distance. Avoid driv ing
the vehicle and have it towed to the near est Aud i dealer or qualified workshop .
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop w ith
the engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, for
example when towing your ve hicle, or
because the brake booste r has somehow
been damaged, the brake pedal must be
pressed considerab ly harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance.
Electro-mechanical
power assist
The electro-mechanical power assist helps
the driver when steering.
The degree of power assist is electronically
matched to vehicle speed.
The power steer ing system ass ists the driver
so that he can stee r the veh icle w ith red uced
phys ica l effort.
Power steering w ill not work if the engine is
off. As a result, the steering wheel w ill be hard
to turn.
& WARNING
If the system develops a prob lem, you
must seek qualified professional assis
tance.
(D Note
-
If there is an electronic malfunct ion, ser
votronic
wi ll sti ll function like a conven
tional power steering system, providing a
constant steering support force that is no
longer proportionate to the vehicle speed.
This is most noticeable when turning the
steer ing wheel at low speeds (for example
when parking), -more effort will be re
quired than usual.
Int ellig ent technolog y 155
-Be aware of the different than usual
steering response and adjust your steer
ing force accordingly.
- Have the problem checked and set right
by an authorized Audi dea ler as soon as
possible.
- If a steering malfunction occurs, this is
signaled with the,~ , or .• indicator
lights and a warn ing tone, see.
(D Tips
- If the power steering system sho uld fail,
or if the engine is not running (for exam
ple, while being towed), you will still be
able to steer the vehicle. However, more
effort will be required to do so.
- If the power steering system is not func
tioning properly, contact your authorized
Audi dealer immediately.
Driving with your
quattro ®
Applies to vehicles : wit h all -w hee l d rive
With oil -wheel drive, oil four wheels ore driv
en.
General information
With a ll-wheel drive, power is distr ibuted to
all four wheels. This happens automatically
depend ing on your driving style and the road
conditions at the time. See also
c::> page 1 SO.
The all-whee l dr ive concept is des igned for
high eng ine power. Your veh icle is except ion
ally powerfu l and has excellent driving charac
teristics both under normal driving conditions
and on snow and ice. Always read and follow
safety precautions
c::> &. .
Winter tires
When dr iving in the winter, your vehicle with
all-wheel drive has an advantage, even with
regular tires. In winter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all-sea
son tires) for improved driveability and brak
ing: these tires must be mounted on
all fou r
wheels. See also c::> page 211, Winter tires. ..,_
•
•
than is being generated and ensures an optimal state of charge for the battery.
@ Tips
- But even energy management cannot
negate the limits o f physics. Consider
that the power and life of a battery are
li mited.
- If starting ab ility is threatened, you are
i nformed by a warning
¢ page 157,
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability.
The battery is severely taxed in short-distance
driving, in city traffic and during the co ld time
of year. Abundant e lectrica l energy is re
quired, but only a litt le is generated. It is also
cr itical if the engine is not run ning and electri
cal components are turned on. In th is in
stance energy is being consumed but non e is
be ing gene rated.
It is in precisely these situations that you w ill
notice energy management actively regulat
in g the distribution of energy .
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, electrical compo
nents are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and mai n
tains sta rting capab ility over a longer per iod.
Take into consideration that when you un lock
your ve hicle, some co nvenience functions,
such as the remote key or power seat adjust
ment, may not be available . The convenience
f u nctions w ill be ava ilable again whe n you
turn on the igni tion and star t the eng ine.
With the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for example, with
the eng ine turned off, the battery is being dis
charged .
Intellig ent technolog y 157
If starting capability is jeo pardi zed d ue to en
ergy consumption, a message appears in the
drive r information d isplay .
You have to start t he engine to charge the
batte ry .
With the engine running
Although e lectrical energy is generated when
the ve hicl e is being driven, t he battery can be
c ome disc harged. This happe ns mostly when
li ttle energy is being generated and a g reat
deal consumed and t he battery's sta te of
c h arge is not optimal.
T o b ring the energy b alance b ack into equili
br ium, consumers which requ ire espe cially
la rge amounts of energy a re temporari ly cut
back or switched off . Heating systems in pa r
ticu lar require a great deal of energy. If yo u
notice, for example, that the heated seats* or
the heated rear window are not heating, they
have been temporarily cut back or sw itched
off . These systems w ill be available again as
soon as the ene rgy balance has been restored.
You w ill also notice that engine id le speed has
been increased slightly . T hi s is normal and not
a cause for conce rn . By i ncreas ing eng ine id le
speed the additional energy r equired is gene r
ated and the battery is charged.
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display
If battery power drops into the range where it
can limit the ability of the engine to start, this
is shown in the instrument cluster display
with the following driver message:
(•) Low battery charge: battery will be
charged while driving
T his no tificat ion reminds yo u that the star ting
capability of the engine may be lim ited . As
soon as you sta rt dr iving again, the battery
will be recharged and the not ificat ion w ill go
out. •
•
160 Driving and en vironm ent
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc ., make certain that
low-lying parts such as spoilers and exhaust
system parts do not bottom out and get dam
aged.
This is especially true for vehicles with low
slung chassis (sports chassis) and fully loaded
vehicles .
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when driving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- T he water must not be any highe r tha n the
bottom of the vehi cle body.
- Do no t drive faster than wa lking speed.
_& WARNING
After d riving through water, m ud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because o f wet brake ro tors and pads . Dry
the brakes fi rst by braking carefully to re
store the full braking effect.
(]) Note
Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmiss ion, suspension or electrical sys
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water.
- Check the depth o f the water before driv
ing through it.
- Do not stop the veh icle, dr ive in reverse
or switch the engine
off when driving
through water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may c reate waves that raise the water
l evel and make it too deep for your vehi
cle to drive through safely.
- Avoid driving thro ugh salt water because
it can ca use corrosion.
-
Catalytic converter
It is very important that your emission con
trol system (catalytic converter) is function
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run
ning in an environmentally sound manner.
.,. Always use lead-free gasoline ¢ page 176,
Fuel supply .
.,. Never run the tank down all the way to
empty .
.,. Never put too much motor o il in your en-
gine ¢
page 185, Adding engine oil 'l::r. .
.,. Never try to push- or tow-sta rt you r vehicle.
The catalyt ic converter is an efficient "clean
u p" dev ice buil t into the exhaust system of
t h e vehi cle. The cata lytic conve rter bu rns
many of t he pollu tan ts in the exha ust gas be
f ore they are re leased into the atmosphere.
T he exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critica lly
important for the life of the catalyt ic convert
er and prope r fu nct ion ing of the engine.
A WARNING
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exha ust system may
come in contact with dry g rass, brush,
fue l spill or other material wh ich can
cause a fire.
- Do not app ly additiona l undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con
verter or heat sh ields. Dur ing driv ing, the
substance used fo r undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
(D Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will already ser iously de-
grade the performance of the catalytic
converte r.
- Do not exceed the correct engi ne oil level
¢page 185.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty . The engine co uld mis-
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into ..,.
162 Driving and en vironm ent
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel .
.,. Shut the engine off when you are not driv
ing 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 traff ic lights that have
l ong wa its on red . Turning the engine off fo r
just 30-40 seconds saves more fue l than is
burned starti ng the eng ine again .
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fully when it is running at idle . However , wear
and nox ious em issions 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 whi le the engine
is sti ll warming up.
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af
ter starting . If warning lights shou ld come
on to indicate improper operation, they
wou ld go unheeded. Extended idling also
produces heat, which cou ld result in over
heating or other damage to the vehicle or
other property .
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a
lot of fuel .
... Have your vehicle serviced at regular inter-
vals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
Audi dealer helps to ensure that it runs prop
erly and economica lly. The cond it ion of yo ur
vehicle not only affects its safety and ab ility to
hold its value, it also affects
fuel con sump
tion .
Check you r oil ea ch time you fill you r tan k.
The amount o f oi l used is re lated to engine
load and speed.
It i s normal fo r the oil consump tion of a new
engine to reach its lowest value after a certa in
mileage has been d riven.
You must drive your veh icle about 3,000 m iles
(5,000 kilometres) before you can properly
assess oil consumpt ion.
This also app lies to fue l consumption and en
gine o utput.
(D Note
- Have your veh icle ma inta ined properly
and in acco rdance with the service rec
ommendations in your Wa rranty
& Main
t enance boo klet . Lack of p roper ma inte
nance as well as improper use of the ve
hicle will impair the function of the
emission contro l system and cou ld 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 sh ie lds, switches, ignit ion w ires,
valves, which are designed to protect
your vehicle's Emission Control System and other important vehicle compo
nents.
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively
high on short trips .
.,. Try to avoid driv ing short distances w ith a
cold engine .
T he engine and cata lytic converter have to
reach their opt imal
operat ing temperature to
reduce fuel consumpt ion and nox ious emis
s ions effectively .
- Ju st after starting, a cold engine in a mid
size car burns the fue l at a poor rate of 6-8
m iles per gallon (30-40 l/l00km). Half a
m ile down the road, the mileage improves
to 12 MPG (20 l/100 km). It w ill take the
ll>
168 Cleaning and protection
Do not use car wax on
- matte or anodized metal trim
- rubber or rubber-like trim.
Trim strips
Metal trim needs special care.
For environmental reasons , Audi fabricates
the bright trim strips and trim pieces from pure chromium-free aluminum.
Dirt and marks on the trim st rips should be
removed with a
pH-balanced cleaning agent
(do not use a chrome cleaner). Audi dealers
carry cleaning products which have been test
ed for use on your vehicle and are not harmful
to the environment .
To avoid corrosion on the exterior trim strips,
only a pH-balanced solution should be used
for the windshield washer .
.&_ WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c> page 164.
Plastic and vinyl
Plastics needs special care .
Use a clean, damp cloth or sponge to remove
dust and light surface dirt. For other soil, use
a lukewarm all-purpose cleaning solution or a
mild saddle soap for vinyl trim. Remove water
spots and soap traces with a clean, damp
cloth or sponge. Use a clean, soft cloth to rub
dry.
Grease, tar or oil stains can be removed with a
clean cloth or sponge soaked with all-purpose
cleaner or with a solvent designed especially
to clean vinyl.
Occasionally apply a colorless vinyl or leather
preservative to retain the material 's luster
and pliability.
.&_ WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
c> page 164.
Aluminum trim '
Use only neutral-pH products to remove spots
and deposits from aluminum surfaces.
Chrome care products and alkaline cleaners
will attack aluminum surfaces and can dam
age them
over time.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
c> page 164.
Touch-up paint
Minor paint damages should be touched up
immediately.
.. Use either a touch-up paint stick or spray
paint to
cover minor scratches and nicks .
Your Audi dealer has touch-up paint for minor scratches and stone chips . Scratches should
be touched up soon after they occur to pre
vent corrosion.
The number for the original vehicle paint can
be found on the vehicle identification label
.:>page 238.
.&_ WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
c> page 164.
Windows
Clear vision to all sides .
Clean all windows regularly to remove road
film and carwash wax buildup.
.. Remove snow from windows using a brush .
.. Use a plas tic ice scraper to remove ice from
windows and mirrors .
.. Remove other residue on the windows with
a spray-on glass cleaner.
172 Cleaning and protection
-Serious injuries can result if plastic parts
come loos e when the airbag is deployed.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the informat ion
¢ page 164.
(D Note
Clean ing agents containing solvents will
attac k the material and can change the
way it behaves .
Instrument cluster glass
~ Clean the glass with a soft, damp cloth .
I n order to preserve the anti-glare properties
of the inst rument cl uste r glass, it should on ly
be cleaned with a soft, damp cloth.
Natural leather
Applies to vehicles: with natural leather
Audi makes great efforts to maintain the
properties , natural look and feel of interior
leather.
G ener al
We offe r many different types of leather on
our vehicles. Most are different types of nappa
l eather, which has a smooth su rface and
comes in var ious co lo rs .
The in tensi ty of the color de termines the v is u
a l characterist ics and appearance . If the sur
face of the leathe r has a typical natural look,
then the leather is a nappa leather that has
been left in a relatively natural cond ition. This
leather offers par ticularly good com fort and
breathes well . F ine veins, closed grains , in sect
b ites, ski n folds , and subtle var iations in color
remain visib le. These characte ristics demon
strate that the mater ia l is na tural.
Natural nappa leather is not covered by a col
or finish .
It is therefore more sens itive to soil
ing a nd wear, which is something you need to
consider if ch ild ren, an ima ls o r othe r factors
migh t prove to be particularly hard on the
l eathe r.
B y contrast, leather types that are cove red by
a co lored f inish laye r are more durable. This has a positive effect on the leather's resis
t
ance to wear and soiling in dai ly use. On the
other hand, the typ ica l character istics of natu
ral leather are barely or not apparent. Howev
er, th is does not mean that the leather itse lf
is of inferior quality .
Care and handling
Because of the exclusive nature of the types of
l eather that Aud i uses and their unique prop
erties (such as sensit ivity to oils, grease, soil
ing, etc.) , you will need to be somewhat care
ful with these leathers, and a certain type of ca re is req uired. Fo r example, dark clothing
mater ials can disco lor leather seats (especia l
l y if such clo thing is damp and was not dyed
correct ly) . D ust and dirt pa rticl es i n pores,
f olds, and seams can have an abrasive effect
and can damage the leather surface as we ll as
weaken seams.
T he lea ther should be clea ned regularly as
neede d. After hav ing been used for a relat ive ly
long time, your leather seats will acq uire a
rich aged finish . This is a characteristic of nat
u ral leather and a sign of true quality .
In order to maintain the val ue of this nat ural
product
over the life of your ve hicle, you
sho uld follow t he recommendations be low:
(D Note
- T o keep your lea ther from b leaching o ut,
do not allow it to be exposed to bright
sunlight for long periods of time . If yo u
have to leave the veh icle parked outside
for long per iods, cover the leather to
protect it from direct exposure to sun
light .
- Sharp objects on cloth ing, such as zip
pers, rivets o r sharp pieces on belts can
leave permanent sc ratches or scrape
ma rks on the su rface of the leath er.
(l) Tips
- After each time you clean the leather and
a t regular intervals , use a leathe r preser
vative c reme that con tains UV-b locke rs
and tha t wo rks into the leathe r. T his
creme will nourish and moisturize the
l eather, helping it to b reathe and stay
supple . It also helps to b uild up a protec
tive coat ing on the surface.
- Clean the leather every 2 -3 months,
and clean any areas that get soiled.
- Remove fresh marks made by ba llpoint
pens, ink, lipstick, shoe polish, etc . as
soon as possib le.
- Preserve the color of the leather as need
ed by using a special colored leather care
creme to touch up areas of uneven color.
Cleaning and caring for leather
upholstery and trim
App lies to vehicles: with natural leather
Natural leather requires special care and at
tention .
Normal cleaning
~ Clean soiled areas wit h a slightly moistened
cotton or woolen cloth.
Mor e stubborn dirt
~ More stubbo rn dirt can be removed using a
cloth saturated with a mi ld soap so lution (2
tablespoons mi ld liquid soap) .
~ Never allow the soap solution to saturate
the leather, and make certa in that no water
soaks into the seams .
~ Wipe off the soap solution with a soft, dry
cloth .
Cleaning sp ots
~ Remove fresh w ater -b ased spots (such as
coffee, tea, ju ices, blood) w ith an absorbent
cloth or paper towel.
~ Remove fresh gr ea se or oil -ba sed spot s
(such as butter, mayonnaise, chocolate) with
an absorbent cloth or paper towe l, or use
the cleane r from the leathe r care kit if the
spot has not yet pene trated in to the surface
of the leather .
~ Use an oil/grease dissolving spray , if oil /
grea se spots h ave d ried on.
~ Remove specific kinds of spots (ballpoint
pen, felt marker, fingernail polish, water-
Cleaning and protec tion 173
based paint, shoe po lish, etc.) with a spot
remover specifically formu lated for leather .
Le ather car e
~ Every half yea r use an approved leather care
product (available from your Audi dea ler) to
care for the leathe r.
~ App ly the product very sparingly .
~ Wipe it off with a damp cloth.
If you have any questions abou t cleaning and
caring for the leather in your vehicle, it is best
to contact your authorized Audi dea ler, who
will be g lad to help you and tell you abo ut our
full range of leather care products, such as:
- Leather cleaning and care kit
- Cremes to care fo r colored lea ther
- Spot removers for ballpoint pens, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
- Oil/grease d issolving spray
- New and upcom ing products.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
the information r=) page 164.
Q) Note
- Never use chemical so lve nts (e.g. lighter
fluid, tu rpentine), waxes, shoe polish or
simi lar products on the leather surfaces
in yo ur Audi .
- To avoid damage, have stubborn sta ins
removed by a comme rcial clean ing spe
cialist.
Cleaning Alcantara ® (synthetic suede)
Applies to vehicles: with Alcantara upholstery
Removing dust and dirt
~ Moisten a cloth, squeeze out excess water
and wipe down the seat surfaces.
Removing stains
~ Moisten a cloth with lukewarm water or
w ith diluted
ethyl (rubbing ) alcohol.
~ Dab at the stain . Start at the outs ide and
work inwards . •
•
174 Cleaning and protection
• Once the stain is no longer visib le, use a
soft dry cloth or tissue to soak up the mois
ture.
Do not use leather cleaning products on Al
cantara .
You may use a suitable shampoo fo r remov ing
d ust and dirt.
Dust and grit in the pores and seams can
scratch and damage the surface. If the ca r is
l eft standing i n the sun fo r long periods, the
A lcantara should be protected against direc t
sunlight to prevent it from fading. Slight co lor
variations will deve lop in normal use and are
not an indication of material deterioration.
{[) Note
-Never use chemical solvents (e.g . lighter
fl uid, turpentine), waxes, shoe polis h or
similar products on Alcantara ® surfaces.
- To avoid damage, have stubborn stains removed by a commercial cleaning spe
cia list.
- Do not use br ushes, stiff sponges or sim
ilarly abrasive cleaning aids.
Safety belts
Only well -maintained safety belts work relia
bly when needed .
Heavily soiled safety belts may no t retr act
p roperly.
• Keep be lts clean.
• Fo r cl eaning, use a m ild soap and wate r sol
u tion. Let be lts dry thoro ughly and away
from direct sunlight .
• Do not a llow inertia reel safety be lts to re
tract before they are completely dry .
• Check the condition of your safety belts
reg
ularly.
.&_ WARNING
Damaged safety belts can break in a crash.
1l Use o nly the co rrect cleaning so lu tions. Never use gas
o line or d iese l fue l.
-Anyth ing that might damage your safety
be lts could mean that you and your pas
sengers would not be adequate ly pro
tected in an accident.
- Safety belt performance depends on cor
rect insta llation. Never remove be lts
from the veh icle to clean them .
- Do not use chemical clean ing agents,
b leach or dyes. They have co rrosive prop
erties which wea ken the webb ing.
- When clean ing your safety be lts, inspect
them for damage . If you discover dam
age, see your Audi dealer.
'
- Always read a nd heed all WARNINGS and
the information
<=;> page 164.
Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en
gine comportment.
Alway s swit ch off the ign ition before clean
ing the engine <=;>.&, .
Plenum panel
Remove leaves from the plenum panel in front
of the w indshield under the eng ine hood . This
prevents the water drain holes from becoming
blocked, and it prevents debris from enter ing
the vehicle interior t hro ugh the heating and
ventilat ion ducts.
Corrosion protection
T he engine compartment and transmission
have been corrosion -protected at the factory .
Good anti- corrosion treatmen t is very impor
tant, particu larly in the w inter.
If the vehicle
is frequently driven on salt treated roads, the
entire engine compartment and p lenum panel
shou ld be thoroughly cleaned at the end of
winter and retreated to prevent salt damage.
At the same time, the underside of the vehicle
shou ld be washed as well.
If the engine compartment is cleaned at any
time with grease removing solutions
1>, or if ..,.