208 Driving and environment
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 .
The idling phase is automatically reduced for
vehicles with the Start-Stop -System* . It is ef
fic ient to sw itch
off the eng ine in vehicles
without the Start-Stop-System* when stopped
at railroad crossings and long red lights. Turn
ing the eng ine
off for just 30-40 seconds
saves more fuel than is burned by sta rting the
engine again .
It takes a long time for the engine to wa rm up
fu lly when it is running at idle. However , wear
and nox ious 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 could resu lt in over
heat ing 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
author ized Audi dealer helps to ensure that it
runs properly and economically . The condition
of your vehicle not only affects its safety and
ab ility to hold its value, it also affects
fuel
consumption. Check
your oil each time you fill your tank.
The amount of oi l used is re lated to engine
load and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reach its lowest value after a certa in
mileage has been driven .
You must drive your veh icle about 3,000 mi les
(5,000 kilometers) before you can properly
assess oil consumpt ion.
This also app lies to fuel consumption and en
gine output .
(0 Note
- Have your veh icle ma inta ined properly
and in accordance with the service rec
ommendations in your Warranty
& Ma in
tenance booklet. Lack of proper ma inte
nance as well as improper use of the ve
hicle will impair the function of the
em iss ion control system and could lead
t o 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 shie lds , switches, ignition wires,
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 driving sho rt distances w it h a
cold engine .
T he eng ine and catalytic converter have to
reach their optimal
operating temperature to
reduce fuel consumpt ion and nox ious emis
sions effectively.
Jus t after starting, a cold engine in a mid-s ize
car only achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 mi les
per gallon (30 -40 l/100 km). After about a
half a mile, fuel economy climbs to 12 mpg .,..
210 Driving o ff road
Driving off road
Driving in difficult road
conditions and offroad
General information
The operation of the E lectronic Stabilization
Control (ESC) is expanded for operation away
from paved roads. In situations where slip or a
d ifferential locking function is required, the
offroad mode can be activated
c::;, page 197.
Your Audi also has permanent all -wheel drive
in addit ion.
However, your Aud i is not a pure offroad vehi
cle . It was not built for driving under extreme
conditions , e.g . for trips that are in the nature
of an expedition .
D riv e only on roads and off road sections
which match the design of your vehicle and
your abil ities a s a driver . Never take ri sks!
Before driving offro ad
- Check the engine oi l level, tire press ure,
coolant leve l, and the fluid level in the w ind
shield washer reservo ir.
- Stow luggage items and other objects in the
l uggage compartment, and secure them
against slid ing around .
After driving offroad
- After trips offroad, remove any twigs and other foreign objects from the grill, the un
derbody and the wheels. Pay specia l atten
t ion to fore ign ob jects (stones) which have
become lodged in the tire tread.
- Clean the body and the vehicle unders ide,
and inspect the veh icle for possible damage.
- Clean dirty w indows, headlamp lenses, rear
li ghts, and license plates .
- Perform a brake check (part icu larly after
trave lling through water) .
A WARNING
- Drive especially attentively and plan
ahead in difficult road conditions and
w hen offroad . Excess ive speed or incor-
-
rect mane uvers can cause injuries and
damage to the vehicle.
- Always adapt your speed and driving
style to road, offroad, traff ic, and weath
er cond itions. Drive especially slowly off
road when your v iew is restricted.
- Please be aware that in offroad mode,
particularly on a smooth and slippery
road , the whee ls may have an increased
tendency to sp in and the vehicle may
b reak away- dange r of skiddi ng!
- Stability is limited in the offroad mode .
® For the sake of the environment
Avoid damage to the environment and re
spect nature.
(D Tips
Only drive w here it is permitte d and stay
on marked roads and paths.
Explanation of some technical terms
The following data refer to ideal cond it ions .
Depend ing on veh icle load and ground condi
t ions and the environment, the numbers may
vary. It is the d river 's responsib ility to d ecide
whethe r a ve hicl e can overcome a spe cific s it
u ati on
c::;, ,&. .
Gradient angle
The number of meters in alt itude ga ined over
a di sta nce of 109 .4 yards or 100 mete rs
(grade) a re given as a pe rcentage o r degrees .
Info rmation abou t the gra dien t the veh icle
c an climb under i ts own power (depends in
part on t he road surfa ce and engine power).
Maximum pe rm itted gra de : 3 1
°
Lateral angle (slope of vehicle)
Ind icates the angle up to which the vehicle
can be d riven diagona lly or a cross the fall line
o n a s lope wi tho ut the vehicle tip ping over
s ideways (depends on center of gravity) . Maxi -
mum pe rmitted lateral angle: 25°
Ill-
212 Driving o ff road
- Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmission, suspension or e lectr ica l
system can be severe ly damaged by driv
i ng through water .
- Always switch off the Start-Stop-System*
when driving through water
c:> page 93.
@ Tips
-Check the depth of the water before driv
i ng through it.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse
or switch the engine off when driving
through water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles
may create waves that raise the water
level and make it too deep for your vehi
cle to drive through safely.
- Avoid driving through salt water because
i t can cause corrosion.
214 Trailer towing
Operating instructions
6"
i ~
I 1,2 ..
{ ~
~
,,
-
2
Fig. 189 Pe rmi tted ball posit ion of the tra iler h itch
T ra ile r tow ing weight s
With a factor y-insta lled or an afte rm arket
trailer h itch, the max imum permissib le trailer
weight is 4,400 lbs (2,000 kg). The maximum perm iss ible unbraked trailer weight is 1,650
lbs (750 kg). These spec ifications apply when
driving on roads hav ing an incl ine of less than
12%.
P erm is s ible tongue load
For best vehicle handling under these
changed condit ions, adjust the trailer load so
that the tongue load is at the maximum al
l owable or slightly lower . You can get an ap
p rox imation of the tongue load w ith a bath
room scale or you can measure the load at a
tr ucking company or weighing sta tion.
W ith a
fact ory -in stall ed or an aftermarket
trailer h itch, the max imum pe rm issible load
on the ball hitch may not exceed 440 lbs (200 kg).
It is recommended to use the maxi
mum permissible load .
Trailer lo ad distribut ion
Be sure the load in the trai ler is held securely
in place to prevent it from shifting fo rward,
backward or s ideways.
N eve r allow a p assenger to rid e in a trail er
¢ .&. in Driving instructions on page 215.
Ball mount
The trailer hitch may only be used with su ita
ble ball mount and ball¢
fig. 189. Installa
tion of the hitch ball must be carr ied out in ac- cordance with the manufacturer's instruc
tions.
Eng ine cooling system
T owing a t railer makes the engine work hard
er . It is important that the cooling system's
performance is up to the additional load .
Make sure that the cooling system has enough
fluid.
Tire pressur e
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressu re listed under
" F u ll load" on the tire pressure label. The tire
pressure label is located on the driver's side B·
pillar. Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire
manufacturers' spec ificat ions.
Lights
T he headlight settings shou ld be checked wi th
the trai ler attached before driving off . Check
to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly con
nected from the tra iler to the hitch on the ve
hicle . Leave enough slack in the chains to per
mit turning corners . When you install safety
chains, make sure they will not drag on the
road when you are driving.
T he chains should cross under the trailer
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of separation from the hitch .
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
core and consideration.
T o obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and t railer, please note the fo llowing :
.,. Do not tow a loaded t railer when you r ca r it
self is not loaded .
.. Be especially caref ul when passing ot her
vehicles.
.. Observe speed limits.
~ Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed.
~ Always apply brakes early.
~ Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded tra iler with an empty ca r re
sults in a high ly unstable distribution of
weight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing
steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and con
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should
be loaded to the extent possible and permiss i
ble, while keeping the trailer as light as possi
ble under the circumstances. Whenever possi
ble, transfer some cargo to the luggage com
partment of the tow vehicle wh ile observing
tongue load requirements and vehicle loading
considerations .
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be
comes for the driver to control the rig . Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Re
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind conditions are unfavorable -part icularly
when going downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trail
er shows the slightest sign of swaying.
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds
for veh icles towing trailers are lower than for
regular vehicles.
Always apply brakes early . When driving
downhill, shift into a lower gear to use the en
g ine braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of
the brakes alone can cause them to ove rheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
T he coolant temperature gauge c:> page 10
must be observed carefully . If the needle
moves close to the upper end of the scale, re
duce speed immed iate ly and/or turn off the
air cond itioner.
Trailertowin g 215
If the coolant temperature warning light in
the instr ument cluster starts flashing., pull
off the road, stop and let the engine
idle for
about two minutes to prevent heat build -up.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident. Never let anyone ride in your car
who is not properly wearing the restraints
prov ided by Audi .
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when towing
-
a trailer because of the additional weight and
different weight distr ibut ion. Safety, perform
ance and economy will greatly depend on how
carefully you load your trailer and operate
your rig.
Before you actually tow your tra iler, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you
have become completely familiar w ith the way
your vehicle-tra ile r combination behaves and
responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice .
Backing up with a trailer generally requires
steering action opposite to that when backing
u p you r vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater d ista nce between your ve
hicle and the one in front of you. You w ill need
more room to stop. To compensate fo r the
trailer, you w ill need a larger than normal
turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot ac
celerate as fast as you normally would be
cause of the added load. Make sure yo u have
enough room to pass. After passing, a llow
plenty of room for your trailer before chang
ing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts , sharp t urns or rapid lane
changes.
•
•
222 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Fuel supply and filling
your fuel tank
Fuel supply
Gasoline
Appl ies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
Using the right fuel helps keep the environ
ment clean and prevents engine damage .
Fuel recommendation
The fuel recommended for yo ur vehicle is un
lead ed premium
grade gasolin e. Audi recom
mends us ing TO P TI ER D ete rgent Gaso line
wi th a m inimum octane ra ting of 91 A KI ( 95
RO N). For more inform ation o n TOP TIER De
tergent Gasoline, p lease go to the off icia l
websi te (www. topt iergas .com) .
T he re commended gasoline octa ne rating for
your engine can also be fo und o n a label loc at
ed on the ins ide of the fue l filler flap . This ra t
in g may be specified as AK I or RO N.
Your veh icle may also be operated u sing un
l eaded regular g asoline with a minimum oc
tane rating of 87 AKI/91 RO N. Howeve r, using
87 AKI/91 RON octa ne fue l wi ll slightly re
d uce eng ine perfo rmance .
Use unleaded ga soline only. Unleaded g aso
li ne is available th rougho ut the USA, Canada,
a nd i n most E uro pean countries . We recom
mend that you do not ta ke yo ur vehicle to
areas or countries where unleaded gasoline
may not be ava ilable.
F or mo re informat io n on refue ling your ve hi
cle, see~
page 225.
Octane rating
Octane rating ind icates a gaso line's ability to
r es ist engine dam ag in g "kno ck" cau sed b y
premature ign ition and detona tion. Therefore,
b uy ing the correct grade of gaso line is very
important to he lp prevent possible engine
damage and a loss o f engine performance.
G asoline mos t commonly used in the Unite d
States and Canada has the following octane r
atings t hat can usu a lly be found on the fi ller
pump:
- Premium Gr ade: 91 -9 6 A KI
- Regular Grade : 87 -90 AKI
Explanation of the abbreviations:
AKI = Anti Knock In d ex = (R+M) /2 = (RO N
+ MON)/2
R ON= Resea rch Octane Number
MON = Motor Octane Num ber.
(D Note
- Do not use a ny fue l w it h octane rat ings
lower tha n 87 A KI or 91 RO N othe rwise
e xpensive engine damage w ill occur.
- Do
not use leaded gasoline. The use of
leaded gasoline w ill severely damage
yo ur v ehicl e's cata lytic co nve rter a nd its
ability to co ntrol exha ust em issions .
Blended gasoline
Applies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
Use of gasoline containing alcohol or
MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether )
You may use unleaded g asoline blende d wi th
alcohol o r MTBE (commonly referred to as
oxygenates) if the blende d mixture meets t he
f o llow ing criteria:
Blend of gasoline methanol (wood alcohol or
methyl alcohol)
- Anti -kno ck index must be 87 A KI or higher.
- Blend must contain no more t han 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 conta in mo re tha n 10%
ethanol.
- Ve hicl es w ith flex ible f uel * engine : blend
m ust not contain more t han 8S% ethano l.
Blend of gasoline and MTBE
-Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
- Blend must contain not more than 15%
MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform
especially well 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
- Fuels containing a high percentage of
ethanol such as ESO and E85 may only
be used in veh icles with flex ible fuel* en
gines. Using high ethano l fuel in vehicles
not equipped with flexib le fue l* engines
can cause severe engine damage .
- 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 fuels that fail to meet the
specified criteria in this chapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether
or not a particular fuel blend meets the
specifications, ask your service station or
its fuel supplier.
- 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 respons ibility of Audi and are not
covered under the New Veh icle 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.
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 223
Ethanol fuel (Bio-ethanol)
Applies to veh icles: w it h flex ible fue l en gin e
You can recognize vehicles with a flexible fuel
engine by looking at the label on the inside of
the fuel filler flap .
Vehicles with flexible fuel engines may be op
erated with bio -ethanol fuels such as E85
(85% ethanol and 15% gasoline) or with un
leaded gasoline (91 AKI/ROZ 95) . T he vehicle
may also be operated with a mixture of these
fuels.
Your fuel consumption will increase when us
ing bio-ethanol fue ls due to the lower amount
of energy contained per unit volume in etha
nol.
Warming up the flexible fuel engine in
low temperatures
Due to the chemical composition of b io-etha
nol, a certain amount of fuel ends up in the
engine oil when driving short distances in ve ry
low temperatures. This fuel evaporates again
when the engine is warmed up.
D Please warm up engine.
If the driver message appears in the instru
ment cluster disp lay, drive with a warm en
gine to reduce the oil level.
(D Note
- Never fill with methanol or with a higher
percentage of b io-ethanol than 85%
(E85). A h igher percentage of bio-etha
nol in the fuel can cause damage to the
engine or to the fue l system.
- If you use only E85, it is recommended
to fill the fue l tank complete ly w ith un
leaded premium grade gaso line every
5,000 miles.
- If you experience starting, rough id le or
hesitation driveability problems, fill the
fuel tank comp letely with unleaded pre
mium grade gasoline and dr ive it nor
mally until the gasoline is used. See your
authorized Audi dealer if the problem
pers ists.
•
•
224 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
-Inform yo ur au tho riz ed A udi d ealer t hat
you are operating or have operated the
vehicle with E85 .
- Rea d and follow t he informat ion a nd tips
abo ut gasoline
¢ page 222 .
@ Tips
It may take longer to star t the engi ne
w hen t he outside tempe rat ure is very cold.
I f p ossi ble, use wi nterized fue l if tempera
tures are below freez ing.
Gasoline additives
App lies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
A major concern among many auto manufac
turers is carbon deposit build-up caused by
the type of gasoline you use.
A lthough gasoline grades differ from one
manufacturer to another , they have certa in
things in common. All gasoli ne g rades contain
substances that can ca use depos its to co llec t
on vi tal engine parts, suc h as fu el injectors
and inta ke valves . Although most gasoline
b rands include addi tive s to kee p eng ine and
f u e l sys tems clean, they are no t eq ually e ffec
tive.
Au di r eco mmends using TOP TIER Dete rgen t
Ga soline. Fo r more inform ation o n TOP TI ER
D etergen t Gasoline, please go to the off icial
websi te (www. to ptie rgas .com) .
Afte r an ex tended pe riod of usi ng i nadequate
f u els, b uilt-up car bon deposi ts can ro b you r
engine o f peak perform ance .
(D Note
-Damage or malf uncti on due to poor fue l
qu ality i s n ot c overed by the A udi
New
Vehicle Limi ted War ranty .
- Do n ot ad d a fter ma rk e t fu el addit ive
p rodu cts to your fue l tank.
Diesel fuel
Applies to vehicles: wit h diese l eng ine
Always use ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel) sul
fur content 15 ppm or less .
The ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diese l) meets the
ASTM-D-97S (grade 2).
Die sel fuel with a higher con cent ration than
ULSD-Diesel No. 2 ASTM D9 75 and Bio-die
sel with a higher concentrat ion than 5
% like
Bl 1, B20 or B100 are strictly prohib ited.
Se rv ice stat ion fue l pum ps a re labe led with
the correct fuel information for easy recogn i
t ion by t he user. If the d iesel fuel pump is not
l abeled ask the station operator what fuel is
being dispensed before filling up you r vehicle.
Se rv ice stat ions offering Diese l fue l are gener
ally located on t ruck routes or major high
ways. Directories of Diesel f uel stat io ns are
u sua lly available at D iese l fuel stations .
Some states in the USA req uire permits to
purchase Diesel fuel. Check with your State
Motor Vehicle Department .
Diesel f uel may not be ava ila bl e outside t he
U SA and Canada. Be s ure to check before trav
eling to other countries.
Winter operation
At tempe ratu res be low 20° F (- 7° C), Diesel
fuel No. 2 loses its fluidity due to wax sepa ra
t ion, w hich may clog the fue l fi lter or tank fi l
ter and keep the eng ine from runn ing .
T o he lp the filte r from bei ng clogged by wax,
t h e f ue l fi lter in yo ur vehicle is automatically
preheate d. Pre heat ing t he f uel fi lter makes
operation of your vehicle poss ible with D iese l
fuel No. 2 down to -10° F (-24° C) .
If you expect temperatures below 5° F
( - 15° C) ask your fue l dea ler whether thei r
Diesel f uel N o. 2 is s uff icient ly w interized for
the prevailing and expected temperatures.
If not winter ized o r ins uff ic ient ly w interized
Diesel f uel has already thickened to t he extent
t h at the engine wi ll not start, warm the vehi -
cle up by leav ing it in a heated garage.
II>