Driving and th e environment
(D Tips
- Check the depth of the water before driving
through it.
- Do not stop 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 vehicle to dr ive
through safely.
- Avoid driving through sa lt water because it
can cause corrosion.
Catalytic converter
It is very important that your emission control
system (catalytic converter) is functioning prop erly to ensure that your vehicle is running in an
environmentally sound manner .
~ Always use lead-free gasoline c:::;, page 190,
Fuel supply .
~ Never run the tank down a ll the way to empty .
~ Never put too much motor oil in your engine
c:::;, page 199, 9::?1 Adding engine oil .
~ Never try to push- or tow -start your veh icle.
The cata lytic conve rter is an eff icient "clean-up"
dev ice bu ilt into the exhaust system of the vehi
cle. The cataly tic converter burns many of the
pollutants in the exhaust gas before they are re
leased into the atmosphere.
The ex clusive use of u nleaded fuel is critically im
por tant for the life of the catalyt ic converte r and
p roper functioning o f the engine.
A WARNING ,..___ -
- The temperature of the exhaust system is
high, both when driving and after stopping
the engine.
- Never touch the exha ust tail pipes once they
have become hot. This could result in burns.
- Do not park o r operate the vehicle in areas
whe re the hot exhaust system may come in
contact with dry grass, brush, fue l spill or
other mater ial which can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exha ust man i-
178
fold, exha ust pipes, catalytic converter or
heat shields. During driv ing, the substance
used for undercoat ing could overheat and
cause a f ire.
Cl) Note
- Be aware that just one tank fill ing with
le ad·
ed
fue l w ill already ser iously degrade the
performance of the catalytic converter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
c:::;,page 199.
-Do not drive until the fue l tank becomes
completely empty. The engine co uld m isfire.
Unburned fuel could also get into the ex
haust system and this could cause the cata
lyt ic converter to overheat.
- Do not turn
off the ignition while the vehicle
is moving .
- Do not continue to operate your veh icle un
der these conditions, as otherwise fuel can
reach the catalytic converter . This could re
sult in overheating of the conve rter, requ ir
ing its replacement.
- T o assure efficient operation of the Emission
Cont ro l System:
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance with the se rvice recommen
dations in yo ur Warranty
& Maintenance
booklet.
- Lack of proper maintenance as we ll as im
proper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the emission control system
and could lead to damage.
(® For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emiss ion C ontrol System is op
e rat ing proper ly, the exhaust gas can have a
sulfur-like exhaust gas sme ll under some op
erat ing states. This depends on the sulfur
content of the fuel being used. Us ing a d iffe r
ent brand of fue l may he lp, or fi llin g the tank
wi th lead-free s uper grade gaso line.
Shutting down vehicle
If you would like you r vehicle to remai n inope ra
tive for a longer period of time, con tact an Audi
o r other spec ia liz ed dealer. They can adv ise you .,.
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on necessary precautions e.g. corrosion preven
tion, maintenance and storage. Pay attention to
addit ional information concern ing the battery.
Refer to
c> page 204.
Economical and environ
mentally-friendly driving
General
Your personal style of driving will determine the
economy of your vehicle, as well as exhaust and
noise levels.
Fu el economy, environmental impact , and wear
on your engine, brakes and tires largely depend
on three factors:
- your persona l dr iving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitations
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your fuel
consumption by 10-15 percen t. This sec tion will
give you some tips on how you can help the envi
ronment and your pocketbook .
(!) Tips
The consumpt ion estimates as published by
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA)
and Transport Canada may not correspond to
your actual consumption on the road, which
w ill vary depending upon vehicle load and
speed, road and weather conditions, trip
length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler
ating.
" Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler
ating . If you anticipate what is going to happen
next, you will need to brake less and, thus, accel
e rate less. Let the vehicle coast whenever possi
ble - for example when yo u see that the next traf
fic light is red .
Driving and the environment
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and im
proves your mileage .
"Try and keep well below your car's maximum
speed.
Acce lerat ing gently reduces fue l consumption,
engine wear, and does not disturb the environ
ment .
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and engine
noise increase disproportionately at high speeds.
If you drive at approximate ly three quarters of
top speed, fuel consump tion will be reduced by
one half. Never drive faster than the posted
speed l imit and weather cond itions permit .
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is jus t idling it burns up fuel.
" Shut the eng ine off when you are not driving
the vehicle.
" Do not warm up the vehicle by lett ing the en-
gine run at idle.
It makes sense to shut off the engine in traffic
jams, when wa iting for tra ins to pass a t railroad
crossings, or at traffic lights that have long waits
on red . Turning the engine
off for just 30-40 sec
onds saves more fue l than is burned starting the
. . engine again.
It takes a long t ime 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 sta rt the engine and avoid
running at high rpms wh ile the engine is st ill
warming up.
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unatt ended afte r
starting .
If warning lights should come on to
indicate improper operation, they would go
un heeded . Extended idling also produces
heat, which could result in overheating or oth
er damage to the vehicle or other property.
179
Driving and th e environment
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot
of fuel .
.,. Have your vehicle serviced at regula r intervals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
authorized Audi dealer he lps to ensure that it
runs properly and economically. The condition of
your vehicle not only affects its safety and ability to hold its value, it also affects
f uel c onsump
tion .
C he ck you r oil e ach t ime you fill you r ta nk .
The amount of oil used is related to engine load
and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new en
g ine to reach its lowes t va lue after a cer tain mile
age has been d riven .
You must d rive you r vehicle about 3,000 miles
(5 ,000 k ilometers) before you can properly as
sess o il cons umption .
This a lso applies to fuel consumption and engine
output.
(D Note
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance w ith the service recommenda
tions in you r Warra nty
& M aintenance book
l et . Lack of p roper m aintenance as well as
i mprope r use of the vehicle will impair the
funct ion of the emission control system and
could lead to damage.
- Do not a lter or remove any component of
the Emission Cont ro l System unless ap
proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not a lter o r remove any dev ice, such as
heat shie lds, switches, ignition wires,
va lves, which are designed to protect your
vehicle's Emiss ion Control System and other
i mportant veh icle components.
180
· Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively high
on short trips .
.,. Try to avoid dr iv ing short distances with a cold
eng ine .
The eng ine and catalytic converter have to reach
their opt imal
oper atin g temperature to reduce
fuel consumpt ion and noxious emissions effec
tively .
Just after starting, a co ld engine in a mid-s ize car
on ly achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 mi les per
gallon (30-40 l/100 km). After about a half a
mile, fuel economy climbs to 12 mpg (20 l/100
km) . After about
2.5 miles (4 km), the eng ine is
at its proper operating temperature and fuel
economy has reached a norma l level. So you can
see that you should avo id short trips whenever
poss ible .
The
out side t emp eratur e is also cr itical in th is re
gard. Your car consumes more fuel in the winter
than in the summer.
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Trailer mode Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation.
If you plan to tow a tra iler, p lease remember that
the additiona l load will affect durability, econo
my and performance .
T railer towing not on ly places more stress on the
vehicle, it also calls for more concentrat ion from
the driver .
F or this reason, a lways fo llow the operating and
d riving instructions provided and use common
sense.
Technical requirements
Traile r hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suitable
for your vehicle and trailer and must be mounted
securely on the veh icle 's chassis at a technically
sound
location . Use on ly a tra iler hitc h with a re
movable ba ll mou nt. Always chec k w ith the t ra il
e r hitch m anu fac tur er to make sure that you a re
using the co rrec t hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch .
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it
does not in terfere with the impact-absorbi ng
bumper system. No mod ificat ions should b e
mad e to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems .
Fr om time to t ime, c hec k t hat a ll h itch mou nti ng
bo lts remain sec urely fastened .
When you are no t tow ing a trailer,
remove the
trai ler hitch ball mount . Th is prevents the hitc h
fr om caus ing damage should you r vehicle be
s truck from behind¢,&. .
Trailer brakes
If yo ur tra iler is equipped w it h a braking system,
check to be s ure that it conforms to all regu la
tions.
Trailer mode
T he trailer hyd raulic brake system must not be di
rect ly connected to the ve hicle's hydraulic b rake
system ¢.&. .
Safety chains
Alw ays use s afety ch ains be tween your ve hicle
and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Tra ile r li ghts must meet all regulations. Be sure
to check w it h your author ized Audi deal er for cor
r e ct w iring, sw itches, and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you us
i ng the regular o uts ide mirrors, then you
must in
sta ll extended mirrors .
It is importa nt that you
always have clea r vision to the rea r.
_&. WARNING
- I f a trai ler has elec trical brake s please note
th at these b ra kes are not acti va ted by the
factory -fitted contro l unit -ris k of acci dent!
- After removing the t railer hi tch, do n ot store
it in your vehicle . In case o f su dden braking,
the hi tch could fly forward and injure you or
your passe ngers.
Operating instructions
Maximum traile r weight
A trai ler for you r vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution
B e sure the load in the t ra iler i s held secure ly in
pla ce to prevent it from sh ifting forw ard , back
war d or sideways .
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer¢.&.
in Driving in struc tion s on page 182.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder . It
is important that the cooling system's pe rform
ance is up to the additional load . Ma ke s ure that
t h e coo ling system has enoug h fluid.
IIJJ,
181
Trailer mode
Tire pressure
When tow ing a trailer, inflate the tires of your ve
hicle to the cold tire pressure listed under " Full
load" on the label located on the driver's side B
pillar (visible when the door is open). Inflate
trailer tires to trailer and tire manufacturers'
specifications.
Lights
The headlight settings should be checked with
the trailer attached before driving off . Check to
make sure both vehicle and trailer lights are
working properly.
Safety chains
Be su re trailer safety chains are properly connect
ed from the trailer to the hitch on the vehicle.
Leave enough slack in the chains to permit turn
ing corners. When you install safety chains, make
sure they will not drag on the road when you are
driving.
The chains shou ld cross under the trai ler tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the hitch.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trai ler, please note the following:
.. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself
is not loaded .
.. Be especia lly careful when passing other
vehicles.
.. Observe speed limits.
.. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed .
.. Always apply brakes early.
.. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trai ler with an empty car results
in a highly unstable distribution of weight. If this
cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds only
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
182
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and contro l.
This means that the tow vehicle shou ld be loaded
to the extent possible and permissib le, wh ile
keep ing the trailer as light as possible under the
c ir cumstances. Whenever poss ible, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow veh icle while observing tongue load require
ments and vehicle load ing considerat ions .
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be
comes for the driver to control the rig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or w ind
cond it ions are unfavorab le - particularly when
go ing downh ill.
Reduce veh icle speed
immediately if the trailer
shows the slightest sign of swaying.
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for
vehicles towing tra ilers are lower than for regular
vehicles.
Always apply brakes early. When dr iving down
hill, shift into a lower gear to use the engine
braking effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge¢ page 10 must
be observed carefully. If the needle moves close
to the upper end of the scale, reduce speed im
med iately and/or turn off the air conditioner .
If the coolant temperature warning light . in
the instrument cluster starts flashing, pull off
the road, stop and let the engine
idle for about
two m inutes to prevent heat build-up .
&_ WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving
vehicle is at a much greater risk in an acci
dent. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wearing the restraints provided
by Audi.
-
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Trailer mode notes
Important to know
Your vehicle hand les differently when tow ing a
trailer because of the additional weight and dif
ferent weight distribution. Safety, performance
and economy will greatly depend on how careful
ly you load your trailer and operate your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traffic. Keep practicing until you have be
come completely familiar with the way your vehi
cle-trailer combination behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice. Back
ing up with a trailer generally requires steering
action opposite to that when backing up your ve
hicle without a trailer .
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle
and the one in front of you. You wi ll need more
room to stop. To compensate for the trailer, you
will need a larger than normal turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot acce l
erate as fast as you normally would because of
the added load. Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for
your trailer before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in peri
od of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your A udi may require
more frequent maintenance due to the ex
tra load
¢ page 248 .
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot
be avoided, do so only after doing the following:
When parking:
.. Apply the foot brake.
.. Have someone place chocks under both the ve
hicle and the trailer wheels.
Trailer mode
.. With chocks in place, slowly release the brakes
until the wheel chocks absorb the load.
.. Turn the whee ls towards the curb .
.. App ly the parking brake.
.. Move the selector lever to P.
When restarting after parking:
.. App ly the foot brake.
.. Start the engine.
.. Move the selector lever to D/S .
.. Release the parking brake and slowly pull out
and away from the wheel chocks.
.. Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel
chocks .
(D Tips
If you move the selector lever of the automat
ic transmission to P before applying the park
in g brake and before blocking the wheels, you
may have to use more force later to move the
l ever out of the P position.
183
Fuel and Refueling
Fuel and Refueling
Fuel
Fuel supply
Using the right fuel helps keep the environment
clean and prevents engine damage.
Fuel recommendation
The fuel recommended for your vehicle is unlead
ed premium
grade gasoline. Audi recommends
using TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline with a mini mum octane rating of 91 AKI (95 RON). For more
information on TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline,
please go to the official website
(www.toptiergas.com).
The recommended gasoline octane rating for
your eng ine can also be found on a label located
on the ins ide of the fuel filler flap. This rating
may be specified as AKI or RON.
Your vehicle may also be operated using unlead
ed regular gasoline with a minimum octane rat ing of 87 AKl/91 RON . However, using 87 AKl/91
RON octane fue l will s lightly reduce eng ine per
formance.
Use unleaded gasoline only. Unleaded gasoline
is available throughout the USA, Canada, and in
most European countries. We recommend that
you do not take your vehicle to areas or countries
where unleaded gasoline may not be available.
For more informat ion on refueling your vehicle,
see
~page 192.
Octane rating
Octane rating ind icates a gasoline's ability to re
sist engine damaging "knock" caused by prema
ture ignition and detonation. Therefore, buying
the correct grade of gasoline is very important to
he lp prevent possible eng ine damage and a loss
of engine performance.
Gasoline most commonly used in the United
States and Canada has the following octane rat
i n gs that can usually be found on the filler pump:
- Premium Grade : 91 - 96 AKI
- Regular Grade: 87 -90 AKI
190
Explanation of the abbreviations:
AKI= Anti Knock Index= (R+M)/2 = (RON+MON)/
2
RON = Re search Octane Number
MON= Motor Octane Number.
CJ) Note
- Do not use any fuel with octane ratings low
er than 87 AKI or 91 RON otherwise expen
sive engine damage will occur.
- Do
not use leaded gasoline. The use of lead
ed gasoline will severely damage your vehi
cle's catalytic converter and its ability to
control exhaust emissions.
Blended gasoline
Use of gasoline containing alcohol or MTBE
( methyl tertiary butyl ether)
You may use unleaded gasoline blended with a l
cohol or MTBE (commonly referred to as oxygen
ates) if the blended mixture mee ts the following
criteria:
Blend of gasoline methanol (wood alcohol or
methyl alcohol)
- Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or h igher .
- Blend must contain no more than 3% metha-
nol.
- Blend must contain more than 2% co-solvents.
Blend of gasoline and ethanol (grain alcohol or
ethyl alcohol)
-Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or h igher.
- Blend must not contain more than 1S% etha-
nol.
- Veh icles with flex ible fuel engine: blend must
not contain more than 85% ethanol.
Blend of gasoline and MTBE
-Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
- Blend must contain not more than 15% MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform es
pecially well for winter or summer dr iv ing . Dur-
i ng seasonal change-over, we suggest that you ""
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fill up at busy gas stations where the seasonal
adjustment is more likely to be made in time.
(D Note
- Fuels containing a high pe rcentage of etha
no l such as ESQ and E85 may only be used in
vehicles with f lexible fuel engines. Using
high ethanol fuel in veh icles not equ ipped
with flexible fuel engines can cause severe
engine damage.
- Methanol fuels which do not meet these re quirements may cause corrosion and dam
age to plastic and rubber components in the
fuel system.
- Do not use fuels that fail to meet the spec i
fied criter ia in this chapter .
- If you are unable to determine whether or
not a particular fuel blend meets the speci
fications, ask your service station or its fuel
supplier .
- Do not use fuel for wh ich the contents can
not be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance prob
lems resulting from the use of fuels differ
ent from those spec ified are not the respon
s ibility of Audi and are not covered under
the New Vehicle o r the Emission Cont ro l
System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fue l economy o r
driveability and pe rformance problems due
to the use of one of these f uel b lends, we
r ecommend that yo u switch to unb lended
fuel.
Ethanol fuel (Bio-ethanol)
Applies to vehicles: with flexible fuel engine
You can recognize vehicles with a flexible fuel
engine by looking at the label on the inside of the fuel filler flap.
Vehicles w ith f lexible fuel engines may be operat
ed with bio-ethanol fuels such as E85 (85% e tha
nol and 15% gasoline) or with unleaded gasoline
(91 AKI/ROZ 95) . The vehicle may also be operat
ed with a m ixt ure of these fuels.
Fu el and R efu elin g
Your f uel consumption wi ll increase when using
bio-ethano l fue ls due to the lower amount of en
ergy contained per unit vo lume in ethano l.
Warming up the fle xible fuel engine in low
t e mperatu res
Due to the chemical composition of b io-ethanol,
a certain amount of fue l ends up in the engine oil
when driving short distances in
very low temper
atures. This fuel evaporates again when the en
gine is warmed up .
II Please w arm up eng ine .
If the driver message appears in the instrument
cluster disp lay, drive with a warm engine to re
duce the oil leve l.
(D Note
-Never fill with methano l or with a h igher
percentage of b io-ethanol than 85% (E85).
A highe r percentage of bio-ethanol in the
fue l can cause damage to the engine or to
the fuel system.
- If you use on ly E85, it is recommended to
fill the fue l tank complete ly w ith unleaded
premium grade gasoline every 5,000 miles.
- If you experience starting, rough id le or hes
itat ion driveab ility problems, fill the fuel
tank complete ly w ith unleaded premium
grade gasoline and drive it normally unt il
the gaso line is used. See your author ized
Audi dea ler if the problem pe rsists.
- Inform your author ized Audi dealer that you
are operating or have operated the vehicle
w ith E85.
- Read and follow the information and t ips
about gasoline<=:>
page 190 .
(D Tips
It may take longer to start the engine when
the outs ide temperature is
very cold. If possi
ble, use winte rized fue l if tempe ratu res are
below free zin g.
191