24 6 Vehicle care and cleaning
Component Situ ation Solution
Wheels
Road sa lt Water
Brake dust Acid-free special cleaning solution
Ex haust t ail Road salt Water, cleaning solut ion suitable for stainless steel, if
pipes necessary
Deco ra tiv e Dirty Mild soap
solutional, a cleaning solution su itab le for
parts/ sta inless steel, if necessary
trim
Paint
Paint damage Refer to the paint number on the veh icle data label, re-
pair with touch up paint ~
page 313
Spilled fuel Rinse with water immediately
Rust fi lm Rust film remover, then p rotect with hard wax; fo r ques-
tions, refe r to an a uthorized Audi deale r or a qua lified
workshop
Corrosion Have it removed by an authorized Audi dealer or a quali-
fied workshop
Water no longer Protect with hard wax (at least twice per year)
beads on the surface
of clean paint
No sh ine even Treat with suitable polish; then app ly pa int protectant if
though paint has the po lish that was used does not contain any protec-
been protected/ tant
paint looks poor
Carbon part s Dirty Clean tlhe same way as painted parts~ page 244, Car
washes
a ) M ild soap so lution: m aximu m two ta bles poons neut ral soap in a lite r of wate r
Cleaning int erior
Component Situation Solution
Windo ws
Dirty Glass cleaner, then wipe dry
D
ec orative Dirty Mild soap solutional
parts/
trim
Pla st ic pa rts
Dirty Damp cloth
Heavily soiled Mi ld soap solutional, solvent-free plast ic cleaning solu-
t ion, if necessary
D ispla ys Dirty Soft cloth with LCD cleaner
Co ntr ols Dirty Soft brush, then a soft cloth with a mild soap
solutional
S afet y bel ts Dirty Mild soap solutional, allow to dry before letting them re-
tract
258 Checking and filling
-Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever to P (Park).
- 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
th ick 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: -
First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever to P (Park).
- 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 do not wear clothing that
will hang or droop into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and chemical hazards
~ &, .
A 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 will 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 vehicle flu ids, have your vehicle inspected by an au
thorized Audi dealer.
Checking and fillin g 259
Engine compartment
These are the most important items that you can check .
Fig. 2 41 Typ ical layout for conta iners, e ngin e oi l dipst ick and engine oi l fille r cap
(D Windshield/headlight washer
t .
(~) con ainer ,.,., ....... ... .. .. .
@ Coolant expansion tank (-L) .. .
®
@
®
®
(f)
Eng ine oi l filler cap ("1:::r.) ..... •
Engine oi l dipstick .. .... .... .
Brake fluid reservo ir
(0)) ..... .
Power stee ring reservoir ... .. .
Jump start connector(+) under 272
265
263
262
267
228
a cover, (-) with hex head screw 270, 307
The pos ition of the engine o il filling hole and
the eng ine oil dipstick¢
fig. 241 (position @
and @) can
vary according to the type of en
g ine.
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARN INGS ¢.&.
in Working in the engine
compartment on page 257.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine in your Audi needs the right kind
of oil.
The engine in your Audi is a sophisticated
powerplant that was built to exacting spec ifi
cations . Th is eng ine needs the right k ind of
engine oil that meets specifications regardi ng
quality and viscosity so that it can run
smooth ly and reliab ly. Choosing the right o il
and changing oil within the time and mileage
intervals printed in your vehicle's Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet matters a lot more to
day than it did years ago . Audi has deve loped
a spec ia l quality standard for engine oil that
will help assure that your vehicle's engine w ill
get the lubrication it needs for proper opera
tion.
Modern engine lubrication has taken a quan
tum leap in the last few years. Many synthetic
IIJ>,
-Antifreeze is poisonous . Always store an
t ifreeze in its or iginal 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 coo l
ant will be forced out through the pres
sure re lief va lve 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 264 must be re
stored as soon as possib le.
@ 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 radiator fan is driven by the engine via the
V-belt . The viscous clutch regulates the speed
of the fan accord ing to the temperature of the
coolant .
An auxiliary electric radiator fan* switches on
and off depending on coolant temperature
and other vehicle operating conditions .
After you switch the engine off, the auxilia ry
fan can continue running for up to 10 minutes
- even with the ignition off. It can even switch
on again later by itself¢& , if
- the temperature of the engine coolant rises due to the heat build-up from the engine in
the engine compartment, or
- the engine compartment hea ts up because
the vehicle is parked in intense sunlight .
Checking and fillin g 267
A WARNING
-To reduce the risk of personal injury nev
er touch the rad iator 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 coo lant temper
ature drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brak e fluid lev el can be check ed with a
quick glance.
N
N
-N ,.
:8
Fi g. 246 En gin e compa rtm en t: cover o n the bra ke fluid
reservoir
Before you check anything in the eng ine com
partment ,
always read and heed all WARN
INGS ¢ A in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 257.
.,. Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir ¢
fig. 246, ¢ page 259,
fig. 241.
The brake fluid level must be be
tween the "MIN" and "MAX" markings .
The brake fluid reservoir is located at the rear
partition of the eng ine compartment on the
left side ¢
page 259.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the
brake pads. This is not cause for alarm. ..,_
268 Check ing and filling
If the brake fluid level falls considerably be
low the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/indi
cator light (U .S . mode ls:
1111 , Canadian
models: .) will come on
<::> page 19 and
<::> page 32. Do not continue to operate the ve
h icle . The complete brake system should be
thoroughly checked by an authorized Aud i
dea ler or qualified workshop and the cause
corrected. If the brake fluid level is too low,
the brake warning/indicator light will illum i
nate . Contact an authorized Aud i dealer
im
m ediatel y.
@ Tips
The brake fluid rese rvoir is located unde r
neath the cove r.
Changing brake fluid
Hove the broke fluid changed by on experi
enced technician.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the a ir . If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
h igh , corrosion in the brake system may result
after a per iod of t ime. The bo iling po int of the
brake fluid wi ll also decrease considerably and
decrease braking performance.
Therefore, the brake flu id must be changed
e ver y tw o year s. Always use new b rake fluid
which conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle
Standard "FMVSS 1 16 DO T 4".
The brake flu id reservo ir can be difficult to
reach, therefore, we recommend that yo u
have the brake f luid changed by you r author
ized
Audi dea ler. Your dea ler has the correct
too ls, the right brake fluid and the know -how
to do this for you.
A WARNING
- Brake fluid is poisonous . It must be stor
ed only i n the closed orig inal container
o ut of the reach of children!
- Brake fa ilure can result from old or inap
propriate b rake fluid. Observe these pre
caut ions: -
Use only brake fluid that meets SAE
specification
J 1703 and conforms to
Federa l Motor Vehicle Standard 116.
Always check with your authorized Audi
dealer to make sure you are using the
correct brake fluid . The correct type of
brake f lu id is also ind icated on the
brake flu id reservoir.
- T he brake fluid must be new. Heavy use
of the bra kes ca n cau se a vapo r lock if
the b rake fluid is left in the system too
l ong . This can seriously affect the effi
c iency of the brakes as well as your
safety. This co uld resu lt in an accident.
(D Note
Bra ke fluid will damage the paint of you r
vehicle .
(® For the sake of the environment
Because of the p rob lem of p roper disposal
of b ra ke fluid as well as the spec ial too ls
r equired and the necessary expertise, we
re commend that yo u have the brake fluid
changed by yo ur authorized Aud i dea ler.
Battery
General information
U nder normal ope rat ing cond itions, the bat
tery in yo ur Audi does not need any ma inte
nance. With
high o utside tempe ra tur es or
l ong dai ly drives we recommend that you have
the e lectrolyte level checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualif ied workshop. The elec
trolyte level should also be checked each time
the battery is charged
<::> page 2 70.
Have the battery checked when yo u take your
vehicle in for service. You are well advised to replace a battery that is o lder than 5 years .
With certain types of airbag deployment, the batte ry is disconnected from the veh icle elec
trical system for safety reasons¢.&
in Re
pair , core and disposal of the airbags on
page 197.
~
Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle .
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle . T ires are,
however, one of the most important parts of a
vehicle, particularly considering the compara
tively small patch of rubber on eac h tire that
assures that a ll- important contact between
you, you r vehicle and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, mak ing
sure that your vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry mo re weight than they can safely han
d le, avoiding damage from road hazards and
r eg ularly inspec ting t ires for damage i nclud
ing cuts, slashes irregu la r wear and ove rall
condition are the most important things that
you can do to he lp avoid sudden tire failure in
cluding tread separat ion and blowouts.
Avoiding damage If you have to d rive over a curb or similar ob
stacle, drive very slow ly and as close as possi
b le at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chemicals includ ing grease, o il ,
gasoline and brake fluid off the t ires .
I nspect the t ires regularly for damage (cuts,
cracks or b listers, etc.). Remove any fo reign
bod ies embedde d in the treads.
Storing tires Mark tires when you remove them to indicate
the direction of rotation . T his ensures you to
be ab le to mount them correctly when you re
i nstall them .
When removed, the whee ls or t ires should be
sto red in a cool, d ry and preferably dark place .
Store tires in a vertical pos ition if they are not
mounted on rims, in a horizontal pos it ion if
they are mounted on rims .
Tires an d wheel s 273
New tires
New tir es have to be broken in ¢ & .
The tread depth of new t ires may vary, accord
ing to the type a nd make of t ire and the tread
pa tte rn.
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and r ims is ofte n not readily
visible . If you notice unusual v ib rat io n or the
vehicle p ulls to one s ide, th is may ind icate
that one of the t ires has been damaged . T he
ti res m ust be chec ked immed iate ly by an au
thorized Audi dea le r or q ua lified wor kshop .
Unidirectional tires
A un idirectional tire can be identified by ar
rows on the s idewa ll, that po int in the direc
tion the t ire is designed to rotate. You mus t
f ol low the specified di rection o f rotation . T his
is necessary so that these tires can develop
their optimum characteristics regarding grip, road noise, wear and hydrop laning resistance.
For more information ¢
page 301.
A WARNING
New tires or t ires that are o ld, worn or
damaged cannot provide maximum con
trol and braking ability .
-
-New tires tend to be slippery and must
be broken in. To reduce the r isk of losing
control, a co llision and ser ious personal
in ju ries, d rive with special ca re fo r the
fi rst 350 m iles ( 560 km).
- Driving with worn or damaged tires can
lead to loss of control, sudden tire fail
ure, including a blowout and sudden de
fl ation, c ras hes and se riou s personal in
juries . Have wo rn or damaged t ires re
placed immediate ly.
- Ti res age even if they are not being used
and can fai l sudden ly, especially at hig h
spee ds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith special care and at low
speed.
•
•
274 T ire s and wheel s
-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo
ry." Old used tires may have been dam
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden t ire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- If you notice unusual vibration or if the
vehicle pulls to one side when driving, al
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so
and check the wheels and tires for dam
age.
(D Note
Please note that summer and winter tires
are designed for the cond itions that are
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means t he comb ined we ight (in excess of
those sta ndard items which may be rep laced)
of au toma tic tra nsmission, power steer ing,
power brakes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that th ese
items are availab le as factory -installed equip
ment (whether installed or not) .
Aspect ratio
means t he ratio of the he ight to the w idth of
the tire in percent . Numbers of 55 or lower in
dicate a low sidewall for improved steering re
sponse and better overall handling on dry pavement .
Bead
means the part of the ti re that is made of
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the
tire . typ
ica l in those seasons . Audi recommends
using winter tires during the winter
months . Low temperatures signif icant ly
decrease the e lasticity of summer tires,
which affects tract ion and brak ing ability.
If summer tires are used in very co ld tem
peratures, cracks ca n form on the tread
bars, res ulting in permanent tire damage
that can cause loud driving no ise and un
balan ced t ires. Audi is not responsible for
th is type of damage .
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire p ressu re recommended by t he
vehicle manufacturer fo r a tire of a des igna ted
s iz e that has not bee n driven for more than a
coup le of miles (k ilometers) at low speeds in
t h e three hour period before the tire pressure
is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
mea ns the we ight of a motor ve hicl e w ith
standard equipment including the max imum
capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi
tioning and additional weight of optiona l
equipment.
Extra load tire
me ans a t ire design to operate at higher loads
and at h igher inflation pressures than the cor
responding standard tire . Extra load tires may
be identified as "XL", "x l" , "EXTRA LOAD", or
"RF" on the sidewall.
Gross A xle Weight Rating ("GAWR ")
means the lo ad -c a rry ing c apac ity of a s ingle
axle system , measured a t the tire-ground in
terfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR ")
mea ns the maximum total loaded we ight of
t h e ve hicl e. .,.
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ribs.
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry for a given inflation pressure. You
may not find this information on all tires be
cause it is no t req uired by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a t ire at the max i
mum permissible inflation pressure for that
tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressure
to which a tire may be inflated. Also called "maximum inflation pressure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the
number of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the total seating capacity of your vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle.
Outer diameter
means the overa ll diamete r of an inflated new
tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteri
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ
in g elevations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated parallel cords.
Tires and wheels 275
Production options weight
means the combined weight of those installed
regular production options we ighing over 5
lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard items
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and spec ial tr im .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in which the ply cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan
tia lly 90 degrees to the center line of the
tread .
Recommended inflation pressure
see ¢ page 2 7 4, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire design to operate at higher loads
and at h igher inflation pressures than the cor
re sp onding standard tire. Reinforced tires
may be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD",
or "RF" on the sidewa ll.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a t ire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads are
seated.
Rim diameter
means nom inal diameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you will have to
purchase new tires to match the new rim di
ameter.
Rim size designation
means r im diameter and width .
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges .
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
tread and bead.
•
•