
(D Note
Never push the vehicle or apply force to
the rear spoiler -it could be damaged.
@ Tips
Clean the spoiler compartment every 2 to
3 months . The spoiler compartment must
always be free of ice, snow, leaves or other
debris.
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Oper ating condit ions and d riving hab it s
T he brakes on today's automobi les are st ill
s ubject to wear, depending largely on opera t
ing conditions and dr iv ing habi ts
c> & . On
vehicles that are e ither driven mostly in stop
and-go city traffic or are d riven hard , the
b rake pads should be checked by you r author
i zed Audi dealer more often than specified i n
the
Warr ant y & Maint enan ce booklet . Failure
to have your brake pads inspected can res ult
in red uced brake performance.
On steep slopes, you shou ld use the brak ing
effect of the eng ine. This way, you p revent un
necessa ry wear on the brake system . If you
must use yo ur brakes, do not hold the brakes
down continuously. Pump th e brakes at inter
vals.
Noises may occur when braking d epending on
the speed, braki ng force and outside condi
tions such as temperature and humidity.
Moistu re or road salt
Unde r certain conditions, for example, w hen
driving through water or ve ry heavy rain, or
even after washing your vehicle, the braking
effect can be reduced d ue to moisture (or in
fre ezing conditions ice) on the brake pads . A
few ca utious brake applicat ions should dry off
the b rake pads or remove any ice coatings.
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when th e vehicle is driven on a salt-covered
Int ellig ent technolog y 145
road and the b rakes are no t used. Likewise ,
you clean off accumulated salt coating from brake d iscs and pads with a few cautious ap
plications of the brake
c> & .
Cor ro sion
T here may be a tendency for dir t to build up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not driven regu larly or
on ly fo r short trips with litt le use of the
brakes.
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 braking
firmly a few times from a moderately high
speed
c> & .
Faults in the brak e syst em
If you shou ld notice a sudden increase in
brake pedal trave l, then one of the two brake
c ircuits may have fai led
c> & .
Low brake fluid lev el
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if
the b rake fluid level is too low. The brake fluid
level is monitored electronica lly.
Brake booster
T he brake booster inc reases the pressure that
you generate with the brake peda l. It works
o nl y when the engine is running
.c> &
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the open ings in the wheel. If neces
sary, the wheel may be removed for t his in
spection
c> page 209, What should I be
aware of when changing a tire? .
A WARNING
--=
-You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road conditions permit.
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an accident!
- Before descend ing a steep grade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
~
•
•

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.
T his 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 higher than the
bottom of the veh icle body.
- Do not d rive faster than wa lking speed.
..&, WARNING
After driving through wate r, m ud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because of wet brake rotors and pads . Dry
the brakes first by braking carefully to re
store the full braking effect.
(D 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 of the water before driv
ing through it.
- Do not s top the veh icle, 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 thro ugh sa lt water because
it can cause corrosion.
-
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 151
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 161 ,
Fuel supply.
.,. Never run the tank down all the way to emp
ty.
.,. Never put too much motor o il in your engine
c:::> page 170, Adding engine oil 9::71 .
.,. Never try to push- or tow-sta rt you r vehicle.
The catalytic converter is an efficient "clean
up" dev ice built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle. The cata lytic conve rter bu rns
many of the pollutants in the exha ust gas be
f ore they are re leased into the atmosphere .
T he exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critically
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 grass, brush,
fue l spill or other materia l wh ich can
cause a fire .
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproof ing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con
verter or heat shields. Dur ing driving, the
substance used for undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire .
(I) Note
-Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel w ill already ser iously de
grade the performance of the catalytic
converte r.
- Do not exceed the correct eng ine oil level
c:::> page 170.
- Do not drive until the fue l tank becomes
completely empty . The engine could m is-
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into
IJ,,
•
•

168 Checking and filling
oils available today provide better engine lu
brication that can outlast traditional petrole
um-based oils, 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 you use must
conform to Audi's oil quality standard
VW 502 00 to help keep your vehicle's engine
running smoothly and help prevent the for
mation of harmful deposits, sometimes called
"sludge," that over t ime can lead to expensive
repairs .
At the time of printing, engine oils available in
the U .S . and Canada that meet the exacting
specifications of Audi oil standard VW 502 00
are synthetic engine oils. This does not mean, however, that every synthetic engine oil will
meet Audi oil standard VW 502 00. So always
be sure that you use an approved oil.
To help prevent the formation of harmful de posits use only oil with the following specifi
cations printed on the oil container:
Audi oil standard VW 502 00
Oil container labels may carry the specifica
tion singly or in combination with other desig
nations and oil quality standards .
Viscosity
Engine oils are graded according to their vis
cosity. The proper viscosity grade oil for your
engine depends on climactic or seasonal con
ditions where you drive. You can use oil with a
viscosity grade of SAE 5W40 across all tem
perature ranges for normal driving conditions.
However, if engine oil viscosity grade SAE
5W40 is not available, you can also use viscos
ity grade SAE 5W-30 or SAE OW-40 as long as
it meets Audi oil quality standard VW 502 00
specifications .
Because engine oil that meets the Audi oil
standard may not be available everywhere
when you need it, we strongly recommend
that you always carry with you an extra quart (liter) of oil that expressly conforms to the VW 502 00 specification, in case you have to
top
off the oil while on the road.
Only if the level of the oil is at or below the
minimum mark on the oil dipstick - and no oi l
that expressly conforms to Audi oil standard
VW 502 00 specifications is available -may
you top
off with a high quality engine oil, pref
erably synthetic-based, that meets ACEA A3
or API SM specifications, but even then, only
in viscosity grades SAE SW-40, SAE 5W-30, or
SAE OW-40 . However, during the entire time
between oil change intervals, never top
off
with more than a total of 0.5 qt/liter engine
oil that does not conform to Audi oil specifica
tion VW 502 00.
For more information about engine oil that
has been approved for your vehicle, please
contact either your authorized Audi dealer o r
Audi Customer Relations at 1 (800) 822-2834
or visit our web site at www.audiusa.com or
www.audicanada.ca . Here you will also find a
current list of oils (manufacturers, brand
names etc.) that conform to Audi oil standard
vw 502 00.
Changing the engine oil
The engine oil and oil filter must be changed
according to the mileage (kilometers) and
time intervals specified in your vehicle's War
ranty
& Maintenance booklet. Do not exceed
these intervals -harmful deposits from old
engine oil can reduce engine performance and
can lead to expensive engine repairs.
Changing the oil at the recommended inter
vals is so very important because the lubricat
ing properties of oil decrease gradually during
normal vehicle use. If you are not sure when
you have your oil changed, ask your author
ized Audi Service Advisor.
Under some circumstances the engine oil
should even be changed more frequently. Change oil more often if you drive mostly
short distances, operate the vehicle in dusty
areas or mostly under stop-and-go traffic con
ditions, or when you use your vehicle where
temperatures stay below freezing point for
long periods.

Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh
oil look dark after the engine has been run
n ing for a short time . This is norma l and is not
a reason to change the o il more often than
recommended.
D amage o r m alfu nctions due to lac k of
m ainten ance
It is essen tial that yo u change your oil at the
recommended inte rva ls using only engine oil
that complies with A udi oil standard
VW 502 00 . Your Lim ited New Vehicle War
ranty does not cover damage or malfunctions
due to failure to follow recommended mainte nance and use requ ireme nts as set forth in
the Audi Owner 's Manual and Warranty
&
Maintenance book let . Your dea ler will have to
deny warranty coverage u nless you p resent to
the dea ler proof in the form of Serv ice or Re
pa ir Orde rs that all scheduled maintenance
was performed in a timely manner.
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an ade
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool all
of its moving ports.
I n o rder to prov ide effective l ubr ication and
cooling of internal engine components, a ll in
ternal comb ustion engines consume a certain
amo unt of oi l. Oi l cons umption varies from
engine to engine and may change significantly
over the life of the eng ine . Typ ically, eng ines
with a specified break-in per iod (see
¢ page 150) consume more o il during the
break-in per iod than they consume after oil
consumption has stab ilized .
Under normal conditions, the rate of oil con
sumpt io n depends on the quality and viscosity
of the oil, the RPM (revolutions per m inute) at
which the engine is ope rated, the ambient
temperature and road condi tions. Furt her fac
tors are the amo unt of oil d ilution from wate r
condensation or fuel residue and the oxida
tion level of the oi l. As any engine is subject to
wear as mileage bui lds up, the oil consump
tion may increase over time until rep lacement
of worn components may become necessary.
Checkin g and fillin g 169
With a ll these variab les coming into p lay, no
standard rate of oil consumption can be es
tab lished or spec ified . There is no alte rnative
to regular and frequent check ing of the o il lev
el, see
Note .
If the yellow engine oil leve l warning symbo l
in the instrument cluster
Ill li ghts up, you
sho uld check the oil leve l as soon as possib le
with the oil dipstick¢ page 170. Top off the
o il at your earliest convenience ¢
page 170 .
A WARNING
Before you check anything i n the engine
compartment, always read and heed a ll
WAR NINGS ¢
& in Working in the engine
compor tment on page 165.
(D Note
D riving w it h an insufficient o il level is like
l y to cause severe damage to the engine.
© Tips
- The oil pr essur e warn ing display. is
not an indicator of th e oil level. Do not
rely on it . Instead, che ck the oil level in
your engine at regu lar int ervals, pr ef
erably e ach time you r efuel, and always
before going on a long trip .
-If you have the impression yo ur engi ne
cons umes excess ive amoun ts of oil, we
recommend that you consu lt your Aud i
dea ler to have the cause of your concern
properly d iagnosed. Keep in mind that
the accurate meas urement of o il con
sumption requires great care and may
take some t ime . Your Audi dea ler has in
st ruct ions about how to measure oil con
sumption acc urately.
-
•
•

1 70 Checking and filling
Checking the engine oil level
Fig. 131 Illustrat ion of p rinciple 1: Markers on o il dip
stick
F ig. 132 Illustration of princip le 2: Markers on oil dip·
stick
Before you check anything in the engine com
partment,
always read and heed all WARN·
INGS ¢ .&. in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 165.
Determining oil level
• Park your vehicle on a level surface.
• While at operating state temperature, brief
ly let the engine run at id le and then shut it
off .
• Wait approx . two minutes.
•Pu llout the oil dipstick. Wipe off the oil dip
stick with a clean cloth, and slide it back in
as far as it will go .
• Pull it back out and read off the oil level
<=?fig . 131 or ¢fig. 132 . Top off the engine
oi l, if applicable ¢
page 170.
Oil level within range~
• Do not add oil.
Oil level within range@
• You can add oil. Afterwards, the oil level
shou ld be within range~-
Oil level within range 0
• Yo u must add oil. Afterwards, the oil level
should be within range~-
T he oil leve l needs to be checked at regular in
tervals . Th e best times to do this are whenev
er you refuel and prior to long trips.
Depending on the way the vehicle is dr iven
and the operating conditions, oil consumption
can be up to 1/2 quart per 600 miles (0.5 liter
per 1,000 km). Consumption may be higher
within the first 3,000 miles (5,000 km) .
Adding engine oil "1::7-
0 N ,;;
><
"' IXl
Fig. 133 En g ine compartment: cove r on t he eng ine o il
fille r neck
Before you check anything in the engine com
partment,
always read and heed all WARN
INGS ¢.&. in Working in the engine comport·
ment on page 165 .
• Shut the engine off.
• Unscrew the cap
't::7-to the engine oil filling
hole
¢ page 167, fig . 130.
• Carefully top off with 0.5 quarts (0.5 liters)
of the appropriate oil
r::.>page 167.
• Check the oil level again after two minutes
¢ page 170, Checking the engine oil level.
• Top off the oil again, if necessary.
• Scr ew the cap back on the filling hole and
slide the oil dipstick in as far as it will go.
A WARNING
-While topping off, the oil must not come
in contact with hot engine parts -fire
hazard!
~

Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance .
Fig. 134 Eng ine compartme nt: cover o n the coolant
expansion tank
Before you check anything in the engine com
partment,
a lway s read and he ed all WARN
INGS ¢ A in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 165.
.,. Park your vehicle on a level surface.
.,. Switch the ignition
off .
.,. Read the coola nt level at the coolant expan
s ion tank
¢ page 167, fig . 130. With a cold
engine, it must be above the "min" mark.
With a hot engine, it can be a l ittle above
the indica ted range.
The location of the coolant expans ion tank
can be seen in the engine compar tment illus
tration
¢page 167.
To obtain an accurate read ing, the eng ine
must be switched
off.
The expans ion tank in your vehicle is equipped
with a n electric coolant level sensor.
When the coo lant level is too low, the warning
light in the Auto-Check System¢
page 17 will
illum inate until you add coolant and the level
has been restored to normal. Even though
there is an electric coolant level sensor, we
still recommend you check the coolant leve l
from time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cool ing
system. In the event of coolant loss, the cool
i ng system should be inspected immediately
Checkin g and fillin g 173
by your authorized Audi dea ler . It is not
enough merely to add coo lant .
In a
s ealed system, losses can o ccu r on ly if
the boiling point o f the coo lant is exceeded as
a res ult of overheating.
(D Note
Do not ad d any type of radiator leak sea l
ant to your veh icle's engine coo lant. Add
ing radiator repa ir flui d may adverse ly af
fect the function and performance of yo ur
cooling system and could result in damage
not covered by your New Vehicle Limited
War ranty.
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anyth ing in the engine com
partment,
alway s read and heed alt WARN
INGS ¢ A in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 165.
... Tu rn off the engine .
.,. Let the engine cool down.
.,. Place a thick rag ove r the coolant expansion
tank ¢
page 173, fig. 134 and carefully
twist the cap counter-clockwise ¢_& .
.,. Add coo lant m ixed in the correct rat io
¢ page 172, Coolant .
.,. Twist the cap on aga in tightly.
Rep lacement engine coo lant must conform to
exact specificat ions¢
page 172, Coolant.
We recommend using only coolant add itive
Gl2 ++, Gl3 or in an emergency Gl2+. Do not
use a different additive. In an emergency use
plain water until you can get the correct addi
tive and can resto re the correct ratio . Th is
shou ld be done as soon as possib le.
If you have lost a cons iderab le amount of
coolant, then you should add cold ant ifreeze
and co ld wate r on ly when the engine is cold.
Always use
new engine coolant when refilling.
Do not fill coolant above the "MAX" mark. Ex-
cess coolant will be fo rced o ut through the ..,_
•
•

214 Fuses and bulbs
Fuse Location, Instrument Panel left
0
Fi g. 163 Fuse carrier behind the instrument panel end
face, cove r removed
Some of the equipment items listed are op
tional or only available on certain model con
figurations .
Note that the following table is accurate at
the time of going to press and is subject to
change. In the event of discrepancies, the la
bel on the inside of the cover always takes
preceden ce .
The power seats are protected by circuit
breaker s,
which automatically reset after a
few seconds after the overload has been rem
ed ied.
No . Equipment Amps
Engine relay, fuel tank control
1
unit, A irbag Off light, light
10 switch (sw itch illumination), d i-
agnos tic connector
2
ABS, ASR, ESC, brake light
5 switch
3 AFS headlight (left) s
No.
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
Equipment Amps
Oil level sensor (extended main-
tena nce interval) (WIV), tire
pressure monitoring system,
switch for Electronic Stabiliza-
s tion Control (ESC), AFS head-
lights (control unit), A/C system
(pressure sensor), backup light
sw itch
Automatic headlight range con-
trol, AFS headlight (right) /
5/10
manual headlight range con-
trol, halogen headlights
Control unit for CAN data trans-
fer (gateway), electromechani-
s cal steering, automatic trans-
mission shift gate
Acoustic Park Assist, automatic
dipping interior rear view mir- ror, garage door opener, heata-
s ble windshield washer nozzles,
washer pump, wind deflector
relay (Roadster)
H aldex clutch/Ha ldex clutch
5/10 (T TS)
Control un it Audi magnetic ride
s
Airbag contro l unit s
Mass airflow sensor, crankcase 5/10
heating
Door control unit (central lock-
10 ing driver/passenger)
Diagnostic connector
10
Rain sensor, automatic trans-
s miss ion shift gate
Roof light (interior lighting)
5
A/C system (control unit) 10
Tire pressure monitoring sys-
5 tern (control un it)
Not used
Not used
Not used
Fuel injectors (gasoline engine)
10
Wind deflector (Roadster) 30
Horn 20

222 Emergency situations
Lifting vehicle
Lifting with workshop hoist and with
floor jack
The vehicle may only be lif ted at the lifting
points illustra ted.
F ig. 174 Rear lift in g poin t (ri gh t side)
Fi g. 1 75 Fro nt lift in g po int (r ig ht s ide)
• Read and heed WARNI NG ¢,& .
• Locate lifting points
r=> fig . 174 r=> fig . 1 75 .
• Adjust lift ing arms of wor ks h op hoist or
floor jack to match vehicle lifting points.
• In se rt a rubber pad between the floor jack/
workshop hoist and the lifti ng po ints.
If you must lift your vehicle with a floor jack
to work underneath, be sure the vehicle is safely supported on stands intended for this
purpose.
Front lifting point
The lifting point is locate d on t he floor pan re
info rcement about at the same level as the
jac k mounting point
r=> fig. 175. Do not lift
the vehicle at the vertical sill reinforcement.
Rear lifting point
The lifting point is locate d on t he vertical rein
forceme nt of the lower s ill for t he on boa rd
j ac k
t:!>fig . 174.
Lifting with vehicle jack
Refer to r=>page 210.
/n.. WARNING
-To re duce the risk of ser ious injury and
ve hicl e damage .
- Always lift th e ve hicle o nly at t he spe
c ia l works hop hoist and floor jac k lift
p o ints illust rated
t:!> fig . 17 4 and
r=> fig. 175.
- Fa il u re to lift th e veh icle at th ese
p oi nts co ul d cau se the vehicle to tilt or
f a ll from a li ft if th ere is a ch an ge in ve
h icl e weig ht distr ib utio n an d ba lan ce.
T his mi ght happ en, for ex ample, when
h eavy com ponent s such as the engine
b lock o r tra nsmissi on are remove d.
- Wh en removin g heavy c ompone nts like
these , anch or vehicle to hoist or ad d co r
respon ding we ights to maintain t he cen
ter of gravity. Ot herwise , th e ve hicle
might tilt or slip off the ho ist, causing
serio us pe rsonal injury.
(D Note
-Be aware o f the followin g points bef ore
liftin g the vehicle:
- The vehicle should never be lifted or
jacked up from underneath the engine
oil pan, the transmission housing, the
front or rear axle or the body side members. This could lead to seriou s
damage.
- To avoid damage to the underbody or
chassis frame, a rubber pad must be inserted between the floor jack and
the lift points.
- Before driving over a workshop hoist,
check that the vehicle weight does not
exceed the permissible lifting capacity
of the hoist .
- Before driving over a workshop hoist,
ensure that there is sufficient clear
ance between the hoist and low parts
of the vehicle.
-