2014 AUDI TT ROADSTER check engine light

off. These systems will be avai lable again as
soon as the energy ba lance has bee n restored.
You will also notice that engine idle speed has
been increased s lightly. This is normal and not
a cause for concern. By increasing engine idle
speed the additiona l energy required is gener­
ated and the battery is charged .
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display
If battery power drops into the range where it
can lim it the ab ility of the engine to start, th is
i s shown in the inst rument cluster display
with the following driver message:
(•) Low battery charge : battery will be
charged while driving
This notification reminds you that the starting
capability of the engine may be l imited. As
soon as you start driving aga in, the battery
w ill be recharged and the notification will go
out.
Driver notification appears and goes out
again
If th is driver notification appears after the ig­
nition is turned on or while driving and it goes
out again after a wh ile, the battery has been
adequately recharged.
Driver notification appears and does not
go out again
If this driver notification appears after the ig­
n ition is turned on or while driving and does
not go out again, the battery's state of charge
is not in the optimal range. Starting ability is
restr icted. Have the battery checked as soon
as possible by an author ized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop.
Intelligent technology 149
•
•

Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
""Try and keep well below your car's maximum
speed.
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consump­
tion, engine wear, and does not disturb the
environment.
Fu el consumption, exhaust emissions and en ­
g ine noise increase disproportionately at high
speeds. If you drive at approximately three
quarters of top speed, fuel consumption will
be reduced by one half. Never drive faster
than the posted speed limit and weather con­
ditions permit .
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 .
It makes sense to shut
off the engine in traff ic
jams, when waiting for trains to pass at ra il­
road crossings, or at traffic lights that have
l ong wa its on red. Turning the engine
off for
just
30-40 seconds saves more fue l 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 whi le the engine
is sti ll 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 result in over-
Driving and environment 153
'
heating or othe r damage to the vehicle or
other property.
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a
lot of fuel.
""H ave your veh icle serviced at regular inter-
vals.
By having your vehicle regu larly serviced by an
Audi dealer helps to ensu re that it runs prop­
erly and economically. The condition of your
vehicle not only affects its safety and ability to
hold its value, it also affects
fuel consump­
tion.
Check your oil each time you fill your tank.
The amount of o il used is related 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
(5,000 kilometres) before you can properly
assess oil consumpt ion.
This also app lies to fue l consumption and en­
gine output.
(U) Note
- Have your vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty
& Main­
tenance booklet. Lack of proper mainte­
nance as well as improper use of the ve­
hicle will impair the function of the
emission control 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 .
•
•

Checking and filling Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the
vehicle .
Fig. 128 Dr ive r's s ide footwe ll: e ng ine hood relea se
lever
"' Open the driver's door .
"' Pull the release lever on the left under the
instrument panel
i=> fig. 128 in the d irection
of the arrow .
The hood pops up slightly under spring pres­
sure.
Opening the engine hood
F ig . 129 Release lever u nde r the engine hood
Before opening the engi ne hood, make sure
that the windshield wipers are flat against the
windshie ld. Otherwise, they could damage the
paint on the hood.
"' Lift the hood slight ly ¢
_A .
"' Pull up on the release under the hood
¢ fig . 129. This releases the catch.
"' Open the hood all the way .
Checking and fillin g 165
A WARNING
Hot engine coolant can burn you.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the eng ine
compartment . Wait unt il no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fu lly opening the hood.
Closing the engine hood
"' Pull the hood down until the pressure from
the struts is reduced.
"' Let the hood
drop down and latch in p lace.
Do not try to push it shut; it may fail to en­
gage ¢_& .
A WARNING
--
A hood that is not completely latched
could fly up and b lock your view while dr iv­
ing.
- When you close the engine hood, check it
to make sure the safety catch has proper­
ly engaged. The hood shou ld be flush
with the surround ing vehicle body parts.
- If you notice while driv ing that the hood
is not secured properly, stop at once and
close it .
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in
the engine compartment!
Whenever yo u must pe rform any wo rk in the
e n g ine compartment, for e xample ch ecki ng
and filling th e diff erent fluids, there is a risk
of injury, burn s and a ccidents. To prev ent
p ersonal injury always obse rve the foll owing
WARNINGS . The engine compa rtment of an y
vehicle i s a hazardou s area !
¢ &.
A WARNING ~
To help avoid injury, be fo re yo u check any­
thing under the hood:
- Sw itch off the engi ne.
- Remove the ignition key.

Checking and fillin g 167
Eng ine compartment
These are the most important items that you can check .
•
Fig. 130 Typ ical layout for containers and eng ine oil filler cap
(D Coolant expansion tank (-L) . . . 173
@ Eng ine oi l dipstick . . . . . . . . . . . 170
@ Engine oil filler cap ( © Brakefluidreservo ir(O)) . . .. . 174
® Jump start points(+) under a
cover,(-) bolt head . . . . . . . . . . 218
® Windshield/headlight washer
t . (ffi) con amer *
...... ....... . 180
The position of the engine o il dipstick and the
engine oil filling hole
i::> fig. 130 (items @and
@) can differ depending on the engine de­
sign.
_&. WARNING
Before yo u check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARN INGS
i::> &. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 165.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine in your Audi needs the right kind
of oil.
The eng ine in your Aud i is a sophist icated
powerplant that was built to exacti ng spec ifi­
cations . T his eng ine needs t he right k ind of
engine oil that meets specifications regarding
quality and viscosity so that it can run
smoot hly and reliably . 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 developed
a specia l quality standard for engine oil t hat
will help assu re that you r vehicle's engine w ill
get the l ubr ication i t needs fo r proper opera­
tion.
Modern engine lubr ication has taken a q uan­
tum leap in the last few years. Many synt het ic
IJI,,

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 ..,_
•
•

17 4 Che cking and filling
pressure relie f valve in the cap when the
engine becomes hot .
.&_ WARNING
-The coo ling system is under pressure and
can get
very hot. Reduce the risk of
sca lding from hot coolant by following
these steps .
- Turn off the eng ine and a llow it to cool
down.
- Protec t your face, hands and arms from
escap ing fl uid and steam by cover ing
the cap with a large, thick rag.
- Tu rn the cap slowly and
very ca refully
in a counter -clockwise direct ion while
applying light, downward p ress ure on
the top of the cap.
- To avo id being burned, do not sp ill an­
tifreeze or coolant on the exhaust sys­
tem or hot engine parts. Under certain
conditions, the ethylene glyco l in en­
g ine coolant can catch fire.
- Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store an ­
t ifreeze in its or iginal container and we ll
out of the reach of children.
- If you drain the coolant, it must be
caught and safely stored in a proper con­
ta iner clearly marked "poison".
(D Note
- Coolant po llutes the environment and
could cause an engine fire. Excess cool­
ant will be forced out through the pres­
sure re lief
valve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot .
- If, in an emergency, only water can be
added, the correct ratio between wate r
and antifreeze~
page 172 must be re­
stored as soon as possib le.
@) For the sake of the environment
Dra ined coolant should not be reused. Al­
ways dispose of used coolant while obse rv­
ing all environmental regulations .
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by
itself .
The electric radiator fan is controlled by ther­
moswitches that switch on and off depending
on coolant and eng ine compartment tempera­
tures.
An a uxiliary electric radiator fan* sw itches on
and off depending on coolant temperature
and other vehicle operat ion conditions .
After you switch the engine off, the aux iliary
fan can continue running for up to 10 minutes
-even w ith the ignition off. It can even switc h
on aga in later by itself
c> &. , if
- the temperature of the engine coo lant rises
due to the heat build-up from the engine in
the engine compartment, or
- the engine compartment heats up because
the vehicle is parked in intense sunlight.
.&_ WARNING
-
- To reduce the risk of personal inju ry nev-
er touch the radiator fan.
- The auxiliary electric fan is temperature
controlled and can sw itch on suddenly
even when the engine is not ru nning.
- The auxiliary radiator fan sw itches on au­
tomatically when the engine coo lant
reac hes a certain t emperature and w ill
continue to run until the coolant temper­
a ture drop s.
Brake fluid
' Checking brake fluid level
N
N
N
" ~
Fi g. 13S Engine compartment: cover on th e brake fluid
reservoir

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 . .,.
•
•

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 .