Page 177 of 244

Before you check anything in the engine com
partment,
always r ead and heed all WARN
ING S
~ A in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 165.
.. Read the brake flu id level from the brake
fluid reservoir
9 page 167, fig. 130 . The
brake f lu id leve l must be between the "MIN"
and "MAX" markings.
The brake f luid reservoir is located behind the
rear partition of the engine compartment on
the left side
9 page 167.
The fl uid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the brake pads . This is not cause for alarm .
If the brake fluid level falls considerably be
l ow the "M IN" mark, the brake wa rning/indi
cator light (U .S . mode ls:
1111 , Canadian
models: .) will come on ¢
page 14 . Do not
continue to operate the vehicle. The complete
brake system shou ld be thoroughly checked
by an authorized Audi dealer or other quali
f ied fac ility and the cause corrected . If the
b rake fluid level is too low, the brake warn ing/
i ndicator light w ill illuminate . Co ntact an au
thor ized Audi dealer
immediately .
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi
enced technician .
Brake fluid abso rbs moistu re from the a ir . If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
hi gh, cor ros ion in the b rake system may result
after a per iod of t ime . The bo iling po int of t he
b ra ke fluid w ill also decrease considerab ly and
decrease braking performance.
Therefore, the brake flu id must be changed
e very two year s. Always use new b rake fluid
which confo rms to Fede ral Motor Vehicle
Standard "FMVSS 1 16 DO T 4".
The brake flu id rese rvoi r ca n be difficult to
r each, therefo re , we recommend that yo u
h ave the brake fl uid changed by you r autho r
i zed
Audi dealer . Your deale r has the correct
Checkin g and fillin g 175
tools, the right brake fl uid and t he know -how
to do this for you .
A WARNING
-Brake flu id is poisonous. It must be stor
ed only in the closed or iginal container
out of the reach of children!
- Brake failure can res ult from o ld or inap
propriate brake f lu id. Observe these pre
cautions:
- Use only b rake fluid th at mee ts SA E
spe cificat ion
J 17 03 and conforms to
Federa l Mo to r Ve hicl e Standard 1 16.
Always check with yo ur authorized Au di
dealer to make sure yo u are using the
correct brake fluid. The cor rect type of
brake f luid is also ind icated on the
brake f luid reservoir .
- The bra ke fluid must be new. Heavy use
of the brakes ca n cause a vapor lock if
the brake fluid is left i n the system too
long. This can se riously affect the effi
c iency of the b rakes as well as your
safety , T his could result in an accide nt.
(!) Note
Brake fluid will damage the pai nt of your
vehicle.
@) For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal
of brake fluid as well as the spec ial too ls
r equired and the nec essary expertise, we
r ecommend that yo u have th e brake flu id
c hanged by you r aut ho rized Aud i dea le r.
Battery
General information
Your vehicle is equipped with a specia l bat
tery, an
ACM battery. This battery is located
in the luggage compartment and must be re
placed with an origina l equipment batte ry .
Un der normal ope rat ing condit io ns, t he bat-
te ry is
maintenanc e-free . .,.
•
•
Page 178 of 244

176 Check ing and filling
Have the battery checked when you take your
vehicle in for service. You are well advised to replace a battery that is older than S years .
Disconn ect ing the battery terminals
Some veh icle functions (power w indow regu
lators, for example) are lost if the battery ter
minals are disconnected . These functions have
to be re learned after the battery terminals are
connected again. To prevent this, the battery
should only be d isconnected from the vehicle
electr ical system when absolutely necessary
for repairs .
V ehicles not dri ven for l ong period s
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 main tains starting capab ility over a longer period
c:::>
page 147. Some of the convenience func
tions may not operate, suc h as the inte rior
l ights or power seat adjustme nt. The conven
i ence functions wi ll be ava ilable aga in whe n
you switch on the ignition and start the en
gine.
Winter operati on
During the winter months, batte ry capacity
tends to decrease as tempe ratu res d rop . This
is because more powe r is also consumed while
start ing , and the headlights, rea r window de
fogger, etc., are used more often.
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, par
ticularly in c ity traffic or when t rave ling on ly
short distances. Let you r authorized Aud i
dea ler check the capacity of the vehicle bat
tery before winter sets inc:::>
page 179 . A we ll
charged battery w ill not only prevent starting
prob lems when the weather is cold, but will
a lso last longer .
Replacing battery
The new battery must have the same capaci
ty, vo ltage (12 volts), amperage, construction
and p lug sealing, as the origina l battery. Spec
if ications are listed on the battery housing.
Batteries specially developed by Audi fulfill the maintenance, outp
ut, and safety require
ments .
When install ing the battery, m ake su re the ig
ni tion and a ll ele ct rical consumers are switch
ed off
c:::> (i) .
We recommend that you use maintenance
free or
cy cle-re si stant /leak -proof b atter ies
accord ing to the s tanda rds TL 825 06 (from
Apri l 2008) and VW 7 SO 73 (from April
2010) .
Rep lac ing the bat tery shou ld be car ried by a
qualified wo rkshop. Please fo llow the instruc
tions on the battery cover .
(D Note
- All wo rk on the ba tte ry req uire s techn i
c al know ledge . Please con ta ct an Aud i
dealership o r another authorized faci lity
for questions abo ut the batte ry -danger
o f ac id burns and exp losion hazard!
- The battery must not be opened! Do not
try to change the battery's liquid level,
otherwise detonating gas will escape
from the battery - explosion hazard!
- The AGM battery in the l uggage com
partment cannot leak, because the elec
tro lyte for this battery is absorbed into a
special glass mat. This leak-proof battery
must not be replace with a convent ional
battery.
- Make sure the ventilation hose on the
side of the battery is connected, other
w ise fumes or battery ac id can leak out .
- Batte ry holder and termina ls always
have to be secured correctly .
- Before all work on the battery follow the
warnings be low c:::> .&. in Working on the
battery on page 177.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal
of a battery, we recommend your author
iz ed Audi dealer change the battery for
you. Batteries contain sulfur ic acid and
l ead and must a lways be disposed o f prop-
erly in compliance wi th al l envi ronmental ..,.
Page 179 of 244

regulations. Disposing of vehicle batteries
improper ly is very dangerous to the envi
ronment . Make sure that the removed bat
tery cannot overbalance, otherwise sulfu
r ic acid might escape!
If your vehicle is left standing for severa l
weeks at extremely low temperat ures, the
veh icle battery should be removed and
stored where it will not freeze . This will
prevent it from being damaged and hav ing
to be replaced.
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery!
The battery is located in the luggage compart
ment under the floor . Before you work on or
n ea r the battery,
re ad and heed all WARN
INGS ~.,&. .
Always heed the safety warning s, when work
i ng on the vehicle battery or the ve hicle elec
tr ica l system to prevent injury .
The following WARNINGS are very
important when working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYM -
BOLS and safety precautions when working on the battery.
®
Always we ar eye prote ction .
~
Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Al-
way s wear g loves and eye prot ection .
@
No
- sparks
- flames
- smoking.
~
When a battery i s ch arged, it produce s
hyd rogen ga s which i s explosi ve and
could cause personal injury.
®
Alway s keep the battery well out of
reach of children .
Checking and fillin g 177
_& WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on
the electrical system, there is the risk of
injury, accident and even fire. Read and
heed the following WARNINGS:
-Always wear eye protection . Do not let
battery ac id or any lead parti cles get on
your skin o r clothing. Shield you r eyes.
Exp lo sive gases can cause blindne ss or
o ther inju ry.
-
- Battery acid conta ins sulfuri c acid. S ulfu
ri c a cid can cau se blindness and severe
bu rns .
- Always wear g loves and eye protection.
Do not tilt the battery because acid
could leak out of the ventilat ion open
i ngs.
- If you get battery acid in your eyes or
on your skin, immediately rinse with
cold water for several minutes and get med ica l attent io n.
- If you should ingest any batte ry acid,
seek medical att ention immediat ely.
- Do not expose the ba tte ry to an open
f lame, e lectr ic sparks or an open l igh t.
- Do not smoke.
- Do not interchange the positive and neg-
ative cables.
- When working on t he battery, be sure
not to short-circuit the termina ls w ith
too ls or other metal objects. This would
cause the battery to heat up ve ry quickly,
which could lead to damage or explosion
an d pe rsonal injury.
- W hen a battery is charged, it produces
hyd rogen gas which is explos ive and
could c ause personal in ju ry.
- Always keep the batt ery well out of the
rea ch of childre n.
- Before work is done on the elect rical sys
tem, disconnect the negative g round ca
ble.
- Before performing any work on t he e lec
trical syste m, switch off the eng ine and
ignit ion as well as any elec tric al equip
men t. The nega tive cable on the b attery •
•
Page 180 of 244

1 78 Che cking and filling
must be disconnected . If you are just go
ing to rep lace a light bu lb, then it is
enough to switch off the lights.
- Before disconnecting the battery, switc h
off the anti-theft alarm system! Other
wise you will set off the alarm.
- When disconnecting the battery, first disconnect the negative cable and then
the positive cable .
- Before reconnect ing the battery, make
sure all electrical consumers are switch
ed off . Reconnect the positive cable first
and then the negative cable. Never inte r
change the cables - th is could start a fire!
- Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out battery.
It could explode! If a battery has
frozen, then it must be replaced. A dis
charged battery ca n freeze over at 32 °F
(0 oc).
- Make sure the vent hose is always attach
ed to the opening on the side of the bat
tery .
- Never use batte ries which are damaged.
Danger of explos ion! Always rep lace a
damaged battery .
8_ WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Battery posts, te rm inals and related ac
cessories contain lead and lead com
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc
tive problems. Wash hands after han dling.
(D Note
- Do not disconnect the vehicle battery when the ignition is switched on
or when
the engine is running, otherwise, you will
damage e lectronic components in the
electrical system.
- If your vehicle is going to stand for a long period of time without being driven,
protect the battery from "freezing", oth
erwise it w ill be damaged and w ill then
have to be replaced .
Checking the battery acid level on magic
eye batteries*
The battery acid level in the battery can be
checked through the clear inspection window .
Fig . 1 36 Lu gga ge compar tment: Battery w ith magic
eye .
On top of the battery, there is a round "win
dow". This window (magic eye) changes co lor
as the battery cha rge and ac id leve l change.
.,. Read and heed all WARNINGS
<=> .&_ in
Working on the battery on page 177
.,. Read the acid level from the window on the
battery <=>
fig. 136.
Air bubbles in the window can cause an inac
curate reading . Carefu lly tap on the s ide of
the window.
- If the window is
green , the battery acid level
is correct.
- If the window has
no colo r or is brigh t y el
lo w,
the battery acid level is too low . Have
the battery tested by your author ized Audi
dea ler or a qualified workshop.
- If the w indow is
black , then the battery is
insufficiently charged . Recharge the battery
as soon as possible¢
page 179 .
(D Note
Do not overfill the battery, otherw ise bat
tery acid will ove rflow through the vent
opening . This can damage the paint and
cause corrosion .
Page 181 of 244

Charging of battery
Starting the engine requires a well charged battery.
11-Al way s read and heed all WARNING S be
low¢
A and ¢ A in Working on the bat
tery on page 177.
11-Switch off the ignit ion and all electrical con
sumers.
11-Make sure the area is well vent ilated when
you charge the bat tery.
11-Connect charger cables. ALWAY S co nnect
charge r cables POSITI VE
G) to POSITIVE
G) ; NEGATIVE Qto NEGA TIV E Q .
11-Switch on the charger.
11-Turn off the charger¢ &_.
11-Disconnect the charger cables.
11-Connect both battery cables to the battery if
necessary -
first plus, then m inus.
When charging at
low voltages (e.g. with a
trickle charg er), the battery cables do not
h ave to be d isconnected first. Before charging
at
high voltages, i.e. " fas t charging ", you
must disconnect both cables. In e ithe r case,
follow the instru ctions from the man ufactu rer
of the charger .
Fastcharging a battery is
dan gerou s¢ & in
Working on the battery on page 177.
It r e
q ui res specia l charg ing equipment and the
know ledge to go with it. We recommend hav
ing your battery fast charged on ly by a quali
f ied workshop .
A discharged battery can
freeze at tempera
tures of on ly 32 °F (0 °C). A llow a frozen bat
tery to thaw completely befo re attempting to
charge it¢ & . However, we recommend not
using a thawed battery again because the bat
tery cas ing can be cracked due to ice forma
tion and can leak battery acid.
Do not open the battery caps when charging
the battery.
A WARNING
-
Charging a battery can be dangerous.
Checkin g and fillin g 179
-Never charge a frozen battery. It may ex
plode because of gas trapped in the ice.
Allow a frozen battery to thaw out first.
- Do not reuse batteries wh ich were fro
zen. The battery housing may have
cracked and weakened when the battery
froze.
- Charge the battery in a well ventilated
area. Keep away from open flame or elec
trical spark. Do not smoke. Hydrogen gas
generated by the battery is explos ive.
- To reduce the danger of explosion, never
connect or d isconnect c harger cab les
while the charger is ope rat ing.
- Fast cha rging a batte ry is dangerous and
should only be attempted by a compe
tent techn ic ian with the prope r equip
men t.
- Battery acid that may spi ll dur ing cha rg
i n g should be washed off wi th a solu tion
of wa rm w ater and baking soda to neu
trali ze the ac id.
(D Note
Neve r use a fast cha rg er as a boost er to
star t the engi ne. This w ill ser iously dam
age sens it ive e lectronic componen ts, su ch
as cont ro l units, re lays, radio, etc., as well
as the batte ry charger.
(D Tips
T he vehicle ba tte ry mu st not be charged
wi th a standa rd small charger that plugs
into t he cigarette lighter or outlet . •
•
Page 182 of 244

180 Checking and filling
Windshield/headlight
washer container
M N
Fi g. 137 Fender , left : cover on t he w inds hield a nd
headl ig ht* was her fl uid reservoir
The washer flu id container is marked wi th the
symbol
Q on its cap <=>page 16 7, fig . 130 .
.. Before you check anyth ing in the engine
compartment,
alw ays re ad an d heed all
W ARNING S r=> A in Working in the engine
compartment on page 165 .
.,. Lift the filler cap tongue to add washer flu
id . You can fill the container to the top .
.,. Press the cap back onto the fi ller neck after
filling the containe r.
You can find the reservoir
ca pacity in the table
i n
r=> page 224 .
Clean water should be used when filling up . If
possible, use soft water to prevent scal ing on
the washer jets . Always add a glass cleaner
solutio n (with frost p rotection in the winter) .
(D Note
-Do not mix engine coolant antifreeze or
any other addi tives to fill up the wind
shield washer rese rvoi r.
- Do not use glass cleaners contain ing
paint solvent; you r isk damaging the
paint.
Page 183 of 244

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 . Tires are,
however, one of the most important parts of a
vehicle, particularly considering the compara
tively small patch of rubber on each tire that
assures that a ll- important contact between
you, your vehicle and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, mak ing
sure that your vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry more weight than they can safely han
d le, avoiding damage from road hazards and
r eg ularly inspect ing 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.
A vo idin g damage
If you have to drive 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 embedded in the treads.
Storing tires Mark tires when you remove them to indicate
the direction of rotation . Th is ensures you to
be ab le to mount them correctly when you re
i nstall them .
When removed, the wheels or t ires should be
sto red in a cool, dry 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 181
New tires
New ti res 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
patte rn.
H idden damage
Damage to tires and r ims is often not readily
visible . If you notice unusual v ib rat ion or the
vehicle pulls 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 sidewa ll, that po int in the direc
tion the t ire is designed to rotate. You must
f ol low the specified di rection of 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 212.
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 for 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, cras hes and se riou s personal in
juries . Have worn or damaged t ires re
placed immediate ly.
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fai l sudden ly, especially at hig h
speeds. 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.
•
•
Page 184 of 244

182 Tire s and wheel s
-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
yo u 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 wi nte r 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 s teer ing,
power brakes, power windows, power seats,
ra dio, 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 improve d 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 . Aud i recommends
using winter tires during the winter
months . Low temperatures signif icant ly
decrease the e lasticity of summer tires,
which affects tract ion a nd 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 i s not responsible for
th is type of damage .
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire p ress ure recommended by t he
vehicle manufacture r fo r a tire of a des igna ted
s iz e t hat 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 hicle with
standard equipment in clu din g 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 tire designed to ope rate a t higher
loads and at highe r inflation p ress ures than
the corresponding standard tire. Extra load
tires my be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA
LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR ")
me ans 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 max imum total loaded we ight of
t h e ve hicl e. .,.