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 .
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 . •
•
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.
Fuses and bulbs
Electrical fuses
Replacing fuses
Fuses that have blown will have metal strips
that have burned through.
Fig. 161 End face of instrument panel: removing cover
p la te to access fuses
Fig . 162 Left side of eng ine compart ment: fuse cove r
Fuse cover on the left end face of the
instrument panel
.. Switch off the ignition and the electrical
component affected.
.. Carefully pry the fuse cover off the instru
ment panel using the ignition key or a
screwdriver
~ fig. 161 .
.. Check the fuse list ing on the next pages to
find out which f use belongs to the compo
nent which has failed
¢ page 214, Fuse Lo
cation, Instrument Panel left .
.. Remove the blown fuse with the plastic clip
provided. The clip is located on the holder in
t he fuse box .
.. Replace a blown fuse (recognizable by the
melted metal str ip inside) with a fuse of the
same amperage .
.. Firmly snap the cover back onto the instru
ment pane l face .
Fuses and bulbs 213
Fuse cover in engine compartment
.. Switch the ignit ion and the affected con
sumer off .
.. Unlatch the fuse cover, p ush the two slides
forward
~ fig. 162.
.. Fi nd out which fuse belongs to the equip
ment which stopped working
~page 215,
Fuse location, le~ side of engine compart
ment.
.. Remove the plastic from its retainer in the
fuse box cove r (left face end of the instru
ment panel), place it on the f use in question
and pull it out .
.. If the fuse is burned out (recogni zable by
melted strips of metal), replace it with a
new fuse
of the same rating .
.. Replace the fuse cover .
.. Push the two slides to the rear
¢ fig. 162.
Insta ll the fuse cover carefully to prevent
water from enter ing .
The various electrical circuits are protected by
fuses. The fuses are clustered in a centralized
unit. The unit is located behind the face panel
at the end of the instrument panel.
You are well advised to keep a supply of spare
fuses in your vehicle. Fuses with the proper
ampere ratings are available at your author
ized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
-
Do not repair fuses and never replace a
b lown fuse with one that has a higher amp
rating. This can cause damage to the elec
trica l system and a fire.
(D Note
If a new fuse burns out again after short ly
have you have installed it, have the electri
ca l system checked by your authorized
Audi dealer.
Emergency situations
General
This chapter is intended for trained emer
gency crews and working personnel who
have the necessary tools and equipment to
perform these operations.
Starting by pushing or
towing
(D Note
Vehicles with an automatic transmission
cannot be started by pushing or towing .
Starting with jumper
cables
If necessary, the engine can be started by
connecting it to the battery of another vehi
cle.
If the engine should fail to start because of a
discharged or weak battery, the battery can be
connected to the battery of
another vehicle,
using a
pair of jumper cables to start the en
g ine.
Jumper cables
Use only jumper cables of sufficiently
largecross section to safely carry the starter
current. Refer to the manufacturer's specifica
tions.
Use only jumper cables which have
insulated
termina l clamps and are properly marked for
distinction :
plus(+) cable in most cases colored red
minus(-) cable
in most cases colored black.
_& WARNING
Batteries contain electricity, acid, and gas.
Any of these can cause very serious or fatal
injury. Follow the instructions below for
safe handling of your vehicle's battery.
- Always shield you r eyes and avoid lean
ing over the battery whenever possible.
Emergency situations 21 7
-A discharged battery can already freeze
at temperatures just below 32 °F (0 °C).
Before connect ing a jumper cable, the
frozen battery must be thawed com
pletely, otherwise it could explode .
- Do not allow battery acid to contact eyes
or skin . Flush any contacted area with
water immediately .
- Improper use of a booster battery to
start a vehicle may cause an explosion.
- Vehicle batter ies generate explosive gas
es. Keep sparks, flame and lighted c iga
rettes away from batteries.
- Do not try to jump start any veh icle w ith
a low ac id level in the battery.
- The voltage of the booster battery must
also have a 12-Volt rating. The capacity
(Ah) of the booster battery should not be
lower than that of the discharged bat
tery. Use of batteries of diff erent voltage
or substantially different "Ah" rat ing
may cause an exp losion and personal in
jury.
- Never charge a frozen battery. Gas trap
ped in the ice may cause an explosion.
- Never charge or use a battery that has
been frozen . The battery case may have
be weakened.
- Use of batter ies of different voltage or
substantially different capacity (Ah) rat
ing may cause an exp losion and injury .
The ca pa city (Ah) of the booster battery
should not be lower than that of the dis
charged battery.
- Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
c::;,page 165, Working in the
engine compartment.
(D Note
- App lying a higher voltage booster bat
tery will cause expensive damage to sen
sit ive electronic components, such as
control units, relays, rad io, etc .
- There must be no electrical contact be
tween the vehicles as otherwise current
could already start to flow as soon as the
posit ive(+) terminals are connected. ..,. •
•
instructions of the jumper cable
manufacturer. If in doubt, call for road
service.
- Jumper cables must be long enough so
that the vehicles do not touch.
- When connecting jumper cables, make
sure that they cannot get ca ught in any
moving parts in the eng ine compart
ment.
- Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
Q page 165, Working in the
engine compartment.
(D Note
Improper hook-up of jumper cables can ru
in the generator.
-Always connect POSITIVE(+) to POSI TIVE(+), and NEGATIVE( -) to NEGATIVE
( - ) ground post of the battery manager
control unit.
- Check that all screw plugs on the battery
cells are screwed in firmly . If not, tighten
plugs prior to connecting clamp on nega
tive battery terminal.
- Please note t hat the procedure for con
nect ing a jumper cable as described
above applies spec ifically to the case of
your vehicle be ing j ump started. When
you are giv ing a jump start to anothe r ve
hi cle, do
not connect the negat ive (-) ca
ble to the negative(- ) terminal on the
discharged battery ©- Instead, securely
connect the negative (-) cable to either a
solid metal component that is firmly bo lted to the engine block or to the en
gine block itself. If the battery that is be
i ng charged does not vent to the outside,
es caping ba tte ry gas cou ld ig nite and ex
plo de!
Em erg en cy si tuation s 219
Emergency towing
with commercial tow
truck
General hints
Your Audi requires special handling for tow
ing.
T he following information is to be used by
commercial tow truck operators who know
how to operate their equipment safely.
- Never tow your Audi , towing will cause
damage t o the engine a nd transmi ssion.
- Never wrap th e safet y chain s or winch ca
ble s ar ound the brak e lin es.
- To preven t unne cess ary dam age, your Aud i
mu st be transported with a car carrier
(flatbed truck ).
- To load th e vehi cle on to the fl at bed , use
the towing lo op found in the vehicle to o ls
and attach to the front o r rear anchorage
Q poge 220 and Qpoge 221.
A WARNING
A veh icle being towed is not safe for pas
sengers. Never allow anyone to ride in a
vehicle be ing towed, for any reason.
-
•
•
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.
-