When you are driving at higher speeds wit h
the windshield wipers on, the brake pads will briefly touch the brake d iscs in regular inter
vals so as to improve reaction t ime when brak
ing on wet surfaces. You, the driver, will not
notice anything .
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is driven on a salt-covered
road and the brakes are not used . Here too,
you should clean
off accumulated salt coat ing
from brake discs and pads with a few careful
applications of the brake ¢ & .
Cor ro sion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not dr iven regularly or
only for sho rt trips with little use of the
b rakes .
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if cor rosion has formed on the discs, it is advisable
to clean
off the pads and discs by b rak ing
fi rm ly a few times from a mode rately h igh
speed ¢.& .
Faults in the brake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake peda l travel, t hen one of the two brake
circu its may have failed¢& .
Low brake flu id le vel
Malfunct ions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fl uid level is too low . T he brake fluid
level is monitored electronically .
Brake booste r
The brake booster increases the pressure t hat
you generate w ith the bra ke pedal. It on ly op
erates while the eng ine is running¢ &.
Brake lining wear statu s
Brake lining wea r may be c hecked by vis ual in
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the whee l. If neces
sary, the whee l may be removed for this in
spection ¢
page 297, Changing a wheel.
Intellig ent technolog y 22 7
A WARNING
-You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road conditions permit.
Othe r road use rs must not be put at risk -
you may ca use an accident!
- Before descend ing a steep grade, reduce
speed a nd s hift transmission into a lower
gea r o r l ower dr iving range. Do not ride
the br akes or ho ld t he pedal down too
long o r too often. This could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency .
- Do not " ride the brakes" by rest ing you r
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake. This may ca use the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance .
- Under certain cl imatic and ope rat ing
conditions such as passing thro ugh wa
ter , dr iv ing in heavy rain o r after washing
the vehicle , the effectiveness of the
brakes can be reduced . In winte r, ice can
accumu late on the bra ke pads, lin ings,
d iscs a nd drum s. Carefu lly app ly bra ke s
for a test. Brakes w ill dry and ice co at
ings w ill be cleaned
off after a few care
fu l brake applicat ions.
- Driving for an exten ded period o f time o n
salt -cove red roads without using your
brakes can a lso affect braking efficiency .
C lean
off accum ulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
- I f you damage the front spoiler, o r if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
f low to the front brakes is not obstruct
ed. Otherw ise the brak e system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system.
- Failure of one b rake circuit will impai r
the braking capab ility result ing in an in
creased s topping distance. Avoid driving
the vehicle a nd have it towed to the ne ar
est a uthorized Audi dea le r or qu alified
wo rkshop.
•
•
Catalytic converter
Applies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
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 c::> page 249,
Gasoline .
... Never run the tank down all the way to emp
ty .
... Never put too much motor oil in your engine
c::> page 263, Adding engine oil 't=r..
.,. Never try to push-or tow-start your veh icle.
The catalytic converter is an eff icient "clean
up" device built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle. The catalytic converter burns
many of the pollutants in the exhaust gas be
fore they are released into the atmosphere.
The exclus ive use of unleaded fuel is cr it ically
i mportant for the life of the cata lytic convert
e r and proper functioning of the engine.
& WARNING ,~
T he temperature of the exhaust system is
high, both when driving and after stopping
the engine .
- Never touch the exha ust tail pipes once
they have become hot. This could result
in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fuel spill or other material which can
cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust p ipes, catalytic con
verter or heat shields . During driving, the
substance used for undercoating cou ld
overheat and cause a fire.
(D Note
- Be aware that just one tank f illing with
leaded fuel will already seriously de-
grade the performance of the catalytic
conve rter.
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 233
-Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
c::> page 263.
- Do not drive until the fue l tank becomes
completely empty. The engine cou ld mis
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into
the exhaust system and this cou ld cause
the catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not turn off the ignition while the ve
hicle is mov ing.
- Do not continue to operate your veh icle
under these conditions, as otherwise fuel
can reach the catalyt ic converter. Th is
cou ld result in overheating of the con
verter, requir ing its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis
sion Control System:
- Have you r vehicle main tained properly
and in accordance w ith the se rv ice rec
ommendations in your Warranty & Maintenance book let.
- Lack of proper maintenance as we ll as
improper use of t he vehicle will impair
the function of the emission contro l
system and could lead to damage.
@) For the sa ke of the env ironment
Even when the Emission Control System is
operating properly, the exhaust gas can have a sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under
some operat ing states. This depends on
the sulfur content of the fuel being used .
Using a different brand of fuel may help,
or filling the tank with lead-free s uper
g rade gasoline.
Diesel particulate filter
App lies to vehicles: wit h diese l eng ine
The diesel part iculate filter filters nearly all of
the soot pa rticles out of the exhaust . T he fil
te r clea ns itself automat ica lly under no rma l
driv ing cond itions. If the filter cannot clean it
self (for example, because you are on ly driving
short distances), the fi lter becomes clogged
with soot and the
Ill symbo l for the diesel
particulate filter i lluminates
c::> page 36. ..,_
•
•
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel.
11-Shut the engine off when you are not driving
the vehicle.
11-Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the
engine run at idle .
It makes sense to shut
off the engine in traffic
jams, when waiting for trains to pass at rail
road cross ings, or at traffic lights that have
long waits on red. Turning the engine
off for
just 30-40 seconds saves more fuel 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
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 .
11-Have your vehicle serviced at regular inter-
vals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
authorized Audi dealer helps to ensure that it
runs properly and economically. The condition
of your vehicle not only affects its safe ty and
ab ility to hold its value, it also affects fuel
consumption .
Check your oil each time you fill your tank.
Driving and environment 235
The amount of oil 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 certain
mileage has been driven.
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 miles
(S,000 kilometers) before you can properly
assess oil consumpt ion.
This also app lies to fue l consumption and en
gine output.
(D Note
- Have your veh icle ma inta ined properly
and in accordance with the service rec
ommendations in your Warranty
& Main
t enance booklet. Lack of prop er mainte
nance as well as improper use of the ve
hicle will impair the function of the
emission cont ro l 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.
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively
high on short trips .
11-Try to avoid driv ing short distances w ith a
cold engine.
T he engine and cata lytic converter have to
reach their optimal operating temperature to
reduce fuel consumpt ion and noxious emis
s ions effectively .
Just after starting, a co ld engine in a mid-size
car on ly achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 mi les
per gallon (30-40 l/l00km). After about a
half a mile, fuel economy climbs to 12 mpg
(20 l/100 km). After about
2 .5 miles (4 km), liJI,
•
•
238 Driving off road
sideways (depends on center o f gravity). Maxi
mum permitted latera l ang le: 35°
Breakover angle
Indicates the angle up to which the veh icle
can drive ove r a ramp at low speed w ithout
the underside of the vehicle hitt ing the edge
of the ramp.
-Vehicles without air springs: maximum
breakover angle: 21, 1
°
-Vehicles with adaptive air suspension*:
maximum breakove r angle: 23.8° (at high
level 2)
Approach/departure angle
Transition from the horizontal plane to a gra
d ient or from a grade back to level ground . In
dicates the angle up to which the vehicle can
drive onto or off a slope at low speed witho ut
str iking the bumper or the underbody.
-Vehicles without air springs: maximum ap
proach/departure angle : 21.0° (front),
23 .4° (rea r)
- Vehicles with adaptive air suspension*:
maximum approach/departure angle at high
level 2: (front) 23,5°, (rear) 25.4°
Ground clearance
The distance between the road surface and
the lowest point of the veh icle underbody .
-Vehicles without air springs: ground clear
ance: 8.1 in (204.8 mm)
- Vehicles with adaptive air suspension*:
maximum ground clearance: 9 .4 in
(239 .8 mm) at high level 2
A WARNING
Exceeding the stated maximum figures
-
can result in severe injuries or vehicle dam
age.
- All the information was gathered on lev
el, firm and non-slippery road surfaces,
and under dry weather conditions.
- Ideal conditions do not prevail offroad.
Never utilize the maximum readings to
their fullest, always leave a safety re
serve.
Driving tips
On poor road and offroad, there is always on
ly one motto: Plan ahead and drive slowly!
Please observe the following when driving
away from paved roads :
.,. Drive on ly on roads and offroad sections
which match the design of your vehicle and
your abilities as a driver. Never take risks!
.,. Dr ive slowly and plan ahead!
.,. Take into consideration the
ground clear
ance
of your vehicle .
.,. Activate the
offroad mode ¢ page 224 as
needed .
.,. Use the
hill des cent control¢ page 226
when driving down steep sections on hills .
Unpaved roads and offroad
Drive slowly on unfamiliar roads and unknown
offroad sections, and look out for unexpected
obstacles (e.g. potholes, rocks, tree stumps,
etc.).
To prevent the veh icle from bottoming and
avo id damage to the underbody, you should
drive straight across severe bumps in the
ground with only one side o f the vehicle so
that only two of your whee ls cross the bumps.
Drive briskly through sandy or ma rshy offroad
sections and do not stop, if at all possible .
Driving through water
Note the following to avoid veh icle damage
when driving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the
bottom of the vehicle body.
- Do not dr ive faster than walk ing speed .
Driving on a slope
If you ever find yourse lf not able to climb a
s lope, do not try to turn around, drive back
down in
reverse. Otherwise, you run the risk
of tipping over. ..,.
24 2 Trailer towing
chains, make sure they wi ll not drag on the
road when you are driving .
The cha ins shou ld cross under the tra ile r
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separation from the hitch.
0 Note
If you are going to tow a tra ile r, you must
activa te the trailer operation mode
~ page 159, Towing a trailer.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
cor e and consid eration.
To obta in the best poss ible handling of vehicle
and tra ile r, p le ase no te the following:
.. Do not tow a loaded tra iler when your car it
self is not loaded.
.,. Be especia lly careful when pass ing othe r
vehicles .
.. Observe speed limits.
.. Do not driv e at the maximum p ermissible
speed.
.. Always apply brakes early.
.. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight di stributio n
Towing a loaded trai ler with an empty ca r re
sults in a high ly unstable distribution of
weight . If this cannot be avoided, drive at very
l ow speeds only to avoid the risk of los ing
steering control.
A "balanced" rig is eas ier 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
b le under the circumstances. Whenever possi
b le, transfer some cargo to the luggage com
pa rtment of the tow veh icle 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 permiss ible speed . Re- duce your speed even more i
f load, weather or
wind conditions are unfavorable - particularly
when going downhill.
Red uce veh icle speed
immediately if the trail
er shows the slightest s ign of sway ing.
Do not
t ry to stop the swa ying by acceleratin g.
Observe speed limits. In some a reas, speeds
f or vehicles tow ing tra ile rs are lower than for
r egular vehicles.
Always apply brakes early. When driving down hill, shift into a lowe r gear to use the en
gine braking effect to s low the vehicle . U se o f
the brakes alone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
T he coo lant tempe ratu re gauge ~ page 10
must be observed caref ully. If the need le
moves close to the upper end of the scale, re
duce speed immediately and/or turn off the
air conditioner.
If the coolant temperature warn ing light in
the instr ume nt cluster starts flashing., pull
off the road , stop and let the engine
idle for
about two min utes to prevent heat build -up .
A WARNING "--
Anyone not proper ly 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
p rov ided by A udi .
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles d ifferently when towing
-
a trai ler because of the additional weight and
different weight distr ibut ion. Safety, perform
ance and economy will great ly depend on how
ca refully you load your tra iler and operate
yo ur rig .
Before you act ua lly tow your tra iler, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area
away from traffic. Keep pract ic ing unt il you
Vehicle care and cleaning 247
Component Situation Solution
Te xtile s,
Stains adhering to Vacuum cleaner
Vinyl, the surface
Alcantara Water-based stains Absorbent cloth and mild soap
solutional
such as coffee, tea, blood, etc.
Oil-based stains Apply a mild soap solutiona l, blot away the d issolved oil
such as oil, make- or dye, treat afterward w ith water, if necessary
up, etc.
Special stains such Special stain remover, b lot with absorbent material,
as ballpoint pen, treat afterward with mild soap solutiona l, if necessary
na il polish, latex
pa int, shoe polish,
etc.
Natural leather Fresh stains Cotton cloth with a mild soap solutiona l
Water-based stains Fresh sta ins: absorbent cloth
such as coffee, tea, Dried stains: stain remover suitable for leather
blood , etc .
Oil-based stains Fresh stains: absorbent cloth and stain remover suitable
such as oil, make- for leather
up , etc . dried sta ins: Oil cleaning spray
Special stains such Sta in remover suitable for leather
as ballpo int pen,
nai l polish, latex
paint, shoe polish,
etc.
Care Regularly apply conditioning cream that protects from
light and penetrates
into the material. Use specially-col-
ored conditioning cream, if necessary.
Carbon parts Dirty Clean the same way as plastic parts
al Mil d soap so lution: m axim um two ta bles poo ns neu tral soa p in a lite r of water
& WARNING
The windshie ld may not be treated with
water-repelling windshie ld coating agents .
Unfavorab le conditions such as wetness,
darkness, or low sun can result in in
creased glare. W iper blade chatter is also
possible.
- Headlights/tail lights
- Never clean headlights or tail lights
w ith a dry cloth or sponge. -
Do not use any cleaning product that
contains alcohol, because they could
cause cracks to form.
-Wheels
-Never use any paint polish or other
abrasive mater ials.
- Damage to the protective layer on the
rims such as stone chips or scratches
must be repaired immediately .
-Sensors/camera lenses
- Never use warm or hot water to re-
move snow or ice from the camera
len s. This could cause the lens to crack .
IJII>
•
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260 Check ing and filling
oils available today provide better engine lu
brication that can outlast tradit ional petrole
um-based o ils, making them a smart choice
for use throughout the life of your Audi.
Whether you use synthetic or petroleum
based engine oil, the oil that yo u use must
conform to Audi's oil q uality standard
VW 502 00 (vehicles with gasoline engine) or
VW 507 00 (veh icles with diesel engine) to
he lp keep you r vehicle's eng ine running
smoothly and help preve nt the formation of
h a rmful depos its , somet imes ca lled "sludge,"
that ove r time can lead to expensive repairs.
At the time of pri nting, engine oi ls available in
the U .S . and Canada that meet the exacti ng
specifications of A udi oi l standard VW 502 00
(vehicles wi th gasol ine engine) or VW 507 00
(vehicles wi th diesel engine) are synthetic en
g ine oi ls . T his does not mean, however, that
eve ry synthetic engine oil will meet Aud i oil
standard VW 502 00 (vehicles with gaso line
engine) or VW 507 00 (veh icles w ith diese l
engine). So always be sure that you use an ap
proved oil.
To help preve nt the fo rmation of harmful de
posits use only oi l w ith the fo llow ing spec ifi
cations printed on the oil container :
-Audi oil standard VW 502 00 (ga soline en
gine )
- Audi oil standard VW 507 00 (die sel en-
gine )
Oil conta iner labe ls may ca rry t he specifi ca
tion s ingly or in combinat ion wi th o ther des ig
nations and oil q ua lity standards.
Visco sity
Eng ine oils are graded acco rding to their v is
cosity . T he proper v iscosity grade o il for your
engine d epends on cl imactic or seasonal con
d it ions where you dr ive. You can use oi l w ith a
v iscosi ty g rade of SAE SW40 a cross all te m
pe ra tu re ranges for normal d riving conditions.
H owever, if eng ine o il viscos ity grade SAE
SW40 is not avai lab le, you ca n also use viscos
ity grade SA E SW-3 0 or SA E OW -40 a s long as
it meets A udi o il quality stan dard VW 5 02 00 (veh
icles w ith gasoline engine) o r VW 50 7 00
(ve hicles w ith diese l engine) specifications .
B ecau se eng ine o il that mee ts the Audi o il
sta ndard may not be availab le everywhere
when you need it, we strong ly recommend
t h at you a lways carry with you an extra quart
( li ter) of oil that express ly con forms to the
VW 502 00 (veh icles with gasoline engine) or
VW 507 00 (vehicles with d iese l eng ine) spec
ification , in case you have to top off t he oi l
wh ile on the road.
Applies to vehicles with gasoline engine on
ly:
Only if the level of the o il is at or below the
min imum ma rk o n the o il dipstick -and no oi l
that expressly conforms to Audi o il standard
VW 502 00 spec ificat ions is available - may
yo u t op off with a high quali ty e ngine o il, pr ef
er ab ly synthe tic-based, tha t mee ts AC EA A3
o r API SM spec ificat ions, bu t even then, only
in viscosi ty g rades SAE SW -40, SAE SW -30, o r
SAE OW -40 . However, during t he ent ire time
between oil change intervals, never top off
with more than a total of 0.5 qt/liter engine
o il that does not conform to Audi o il specifica
t ion VW 502 00 .
Applies to vehicles with diesel engine only:
Only if the level of the oil is at or be low the
min imum mark on the o il dipstick - and no oi l
that expressly conforms to Audi o il standard
VW 507 00 spec ificat ions is ava ilable - may
you top off with a h igh quality engine o il, that
mee ts AC EA C3 o r AP I CF spe cifica tions, bu t
even then, on ly in vis cosity gr ades SA E
SW -40, SA E SW -30, or SAE OW- 40. However,
during the entire time between oi l change in
terva ls , never top off with more than a tota l
of 0 .5 qt/liter engine oil that does not con
form to Audi oil specification VW 507 00.
F or more information about engine oi l that
has been approved for your vehicle, please
contact e ither yo ur authorized Aud i dea le r or
Audi C ustomer Re lations at 1 (800) 822-2834
or v is it our web si te at www.audiusa.com or
www .aud icanada .ca. Here you w ill also find a
c ur rent list of oi ls (manufacturers, bra nd
names etc.) that conform to Aud i oil standa rd .,.
VW 502 00 (vehicles with gasoline engine) or
VW
507 00 (vehicles with diesel engine).
C han gin g the en gin e o il
The engine oil and oil filter must be changed
according to the m ileage (ki lomete rs) and
time inte rva ls specified in your vehicle 's War
r anty
& M aintenance booklet. Do not ex ceed
t hese intervals -harmf ul depos its from old
engine oi l can reduce engine performance and
can lead to expensive engine repairs.
Changing the o il at the recommended inte r
va ls is so very important because the lub ric at
ing p roperties o f oi l decrease grad ually during
norma l vehicle use . If you are not sure when
you have yo ur oi l changed, ask your a uthor
ized A udi Service Advisor.
Unde r some ci rc u mstances the engine o il
should even be changed more frequently.
Change o il more often if you drive mostly
short distances, operate the vehicle in dusty
areas or mostly under stop-and-go traffic con
d itions, or when you use your vehicle where
temperatures stay below freezing po int for
l ong periods .
Detergent addit ives in the o il w ill make fresh
oil look dark after the eng ine has been run
ni ng fo r a short time . This is no rmal and is not
a reason to change the o il mo re often than
r ec om mended.
Damage or malfun ctions due to lack of
maintenance
It is essential that yo u change your oil at the
recommended interva ls using only engine oil
that complies with Audi oi l standard
VW
502 00 (vehicles with gasoli ne engine) or
VW
507 00 (veh icles with diesel engine) . You r
Lim ited New Vehicle Wa rra nty does not cove r
damage or m alfu nct ions due to f ailure to fol
l ow recommended maintenance and use re
q uir ements as set forth in the A udi Owner's
M anual and Warranty
& M aintenance book let.
Your dea ler will have to deny warranty cover
age un less you present to the dea ler proof in
the form of Service or Repa ir Orders that all
Checkin g and fillin g 261
scheduled maintenance was performed in a
timely manner.
· Engine oil consumption
To provide effective l ubr ication and cooling for
interna l eng ine parts, all interna l combustion
engines use some oi l. Oi l consumption varies
from eng ine to engine and may change over
the life of the engine . Engines tend to use
more o il du ring the b reak-in period tha n they
do afterward, when o il cons umption has sta
bilized. Depend ing on the way the vehicle is
driven and the operating conditions, oil con
s u mption can be up to
1 quart per 1,200
miles (l liter per 2,000 km) . Consumption
may be higher within the first
3,000 m iles
(5,000 km) .
U nder normal conditions , the rate of oi l con
s u mption depends on oi l quality as well as vis
cosity, engine speed (rpm), outs ide tempera
ture, road conditions, the amount of oil dilu
tion caused by condensed water or fue l resi
due, and ox idat ion of the o il. Oi l consumption
may increas e with eng ine wear over time, un
t il rep lacement of worn engine pa rts may be
come ne cessa ry.
Because of all these var iables, there is no
standard o r "n orma l" rate of o il cons umption .
We urge you to check the engine oil level at
regular interval s, preferably every time y ou
fill the fuel t ank, and always before a long
trip .
The oil pres sure warning light. i s not an
indicator of low engine oil level. If the warn
ing light does not go out after starting, or
flashes while dr iving (above 1500 rpm), a
buzzer will sound. It indicate s that the oil
pressure is too low . Stop the engine immedi
ately , check the engine oil level and add oil if
necessa ry. If the engine oil level is normal,
but the l ight continues to fla sh, do not keep
driving or let the engine idle, as damage may
occur .
IIJ,
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