
230 Check ing and filling
We recommend using on ly coo lant addi-
tive
Gl2++, Gl3 or in an emergency Gl2 +. Do
not use a different additive . In an emergency
use plain water unt il you can get the correct
additive and can restore the correct ratio. This
should be done as soon as possible .
If you have lost a cons iderable amount of
coolant, then you should add co ld antifree ze
and cold water only when the engine is co ld.
A lways use
new engine coolant when refilling.
Do not fill coolant above the "MAX" mark. Ex
cess coolan t will be forced out through the
p ressure relie f valve in the cap when the en
gine becomes hot.
A WARNING
- The coo ling system is under press ure 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.
- Protect your face, han ds and arms from
escap ing fl uid and steam by cover ing
the cap with a large, thick rag.
- Tur n the cap slowly and very c arefully
in a counter-clockwise d irect ion while
applying light, downward press 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 well
out of the reach of children.
- If you drain the coolant, it must be
caught and safely stored in a proper con
tainer clear ly marked "poison".
- Do not add coolant if the expansion tank
is empty. A ir could enter the cooling sys
tem and damage the eng ine. If this is the case, do not cont
inue driving . Seek
professiona l assistance .
- Coo lant poll utes the environmen t and
co uld cause an engine fire . Excess cool
ant will be forced out thro ugh the pres
sure relief valve in the cap when the en
gine becomes hot.
- If, in an eme rgency, only wate r can be
added, the correct ratio between water
and antifreeze
c::> page 228 must be re
stored as soon as possible .
@ For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant should not be reused . A l
ways d ispose of used coolant while observ
i ng all environmental regulations .
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by
itself.
An a uxiliary electric radiator fan switches on
and off depending on coolant temperature
and other vehicle operat ing condit ions .
After yo u switch the engine off, the auxi liary
fan can continue r unning for up to 10 minutes
- even w ith the ignition off . It can even switc h
on again later by itself
c::> .& , if
- the temperature of the engine coo la nt rises
due to the heat build- up from the engine in
the engine compartment, or
- the engine compa rtment heats up because
the vehicle is parked in intense sunlight.
A WARNING
- To reduce the risk of personal injury nev
er touch the radiator fan.
- The a uxiliary electric fan is temperat ure
controlled and can sw itch on suddenly
even when the engine is not ru nning .
- The a uxiliary radiator fan sw itches on a u
tomatically when the engine coo lant
reaches a certai n temperature and will
continue to run until the coolant temper
ature drops.

M N
0 I.J "". rl I.O
"' rl
"' rl
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
Fig. 192 Engine co mpa rtment: cove r on the b rake f luid
reservo ir
Before you check anything in the engine com
partment,
al ways r ead and h eed all WARN·
ING S ¢ &. in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 222.
.. Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fl uid reservoir¢
fig. 192, ¢ page 224,
fig. 188 .
The brake f luid level must be be
tween the "MIN" and "MAX" markings .
The location of the brake flu id reservo ir can be
seen in the engine compa rtment illust rat ion
¢ page 224.
The fluid 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
low the "MIN" mark, the brake wa rning/indi
cator ligh t. (U .S. models) . (Canad ian
models) will come on ¢
page 15. Do not con
tinue to operate the vehicle. The comp lete
brake system shou ld be thoroughly checked
by an authorized A udi dealer or other quali
fied facility and the cause corrected.
If the
br ake fluid level is too low, the brake warn ing/
indicator light w ill illuminate. Contact an au·
thor ized Audi dealer
imm ediately .
Checkin g and fillin g 231
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi·
enced technician .
Brake fluid absorbs mois ture from the air. If
the wa ter content in the brake fluid is too
high , corrosion in the brake system may result
after a period of time . The boiling point of the
brake flu id will also dec rease considerably and
decrease braking pe rformance.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
ev ery two years. Always use new brake flu id
which conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle
Standard "F MVSS 116 DOT 4".
The brake fluid reservo ir can be d iff icult to
reach, the refore, we recommend that you
have the brake fluid changed by your author
i zed
Audi d ealer . Your dealer has t he correct
tools, the right brake fl uid and t he know-how
to do this for you .
A WARNING
-.
-Brake fluid is poisonous . It must be stor
ed only in the closed original container
out of the reach of children!
- Brake failure can resu lt from o ld or inap
propriate brake f luid. Observe these pre
cautions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE
spe cificat ion
J 1 7 03 and conforms to
Federa l Moto r Ve hicl e Standard 116.
Always check with yo ur authorized Audi
dealer to make sure yo u are using the
correct bra ke fluid. The correct type of
brake f luid is also indicated on the
brake f luid reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use
of the brakes can cause a vapor lock if
the brake fluid is left in the system too
l ong . This can seriously affect the effi
c iency of the brakes as well as your
safety. Th is cou ld resu lt in an accident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your
vehicle .

250 Tires and wheels
amount of luggage into ac-Never exceed the maximum in-
count when adjusting tire pres-flation pressure listed on the
sure for a trip -even one that tire sidewall for any reason.
you would not consider to be
Remember that the vehicle
"long." See
q page 2 52, Tires manufacturer, not the tire man-
and vehicle load limits for more ufacturer, determines the car-
important information. rect tire pressure for the tires
Always use an accurate tire on your vehicle.
pressure gauge when checking It is important to check the tire
and adjusting inflation pres- pressure when the tires are
sures. Check all of the tires and cold.
be sure not to forget the spare -Read the required tire pres-
tire. If the pressure in any tire is
sure from the tire pressure la-
too high when the tire is "cold,"
bel. The tire pressure label is
let air out of the tire slowly
located on the driver's side B-
with the edge of the tire gauge
pillar.
and keep checking the pressure
-Turn the valve stem cap coun-
until you reach the pressure
ter-clockwise to remove it
that is correct for the load (pas-
from the tire valve.
sengers and luggage) and kind
-Place the air pressure gauge
of driving you plan to do .
on the valve.
If the pressure in any tire is too -The tire pressures should only
low, note the difference be-
be checked and adjusted when
tween the pressure in the cold the tires are cold. The slightly
tire and the pressure you need
raised pressures of warm tires
and add the air that you need to must not be reduced.
reach the correct pressure for -Adjust the tire pressure to the
the vehicle load (passengers load you are carrying.
and luggage) for the tires on
-Reinstall the valve stem cap
your vehicle as listed on the on on the valve.
...
your vehicle and in this manual
and the kind of driving you plan
to do.

262 Tires and wheels
sure of their "previous histo-
and sudden deflation and
ry." Old used tires may have loss of control.
been damaged even though -Temperature grades apply
the damage cannot be seen to tires that are properly in-
that can lead to sudden tire flated and not over or un-
failure and loss of vehicle derinflated.
control. -For technical reasons it is
-All four wheels must be fit- not always possible to use
ted with radial tires of the wheels from other vehicles -
same type, size (rolling cir- in some cases not even
cumference) and the same wheels from the same vehi-
tread pattern. Driving with cle model.
different tires reduces vehi- -If you install wheel trim
cle handling and can lead to discs on the vehicle wheels,
a loss of control. make sure that the air flow
-If the spare tire is not the to the brakes is not blocked.
same as the tires that are Reduced airflow to the
mounted on the vehicle -for
brakes can them to over-
example with winter tires -
heat, increasing stopping
only use the spare tire for a distances and causing a col-
short period of time and lision.
drive with extra care. Refit -Run flat tires may only be
the normal road wheel as used on vehicles that were
soon as safely possible. equipped with them at the
- Never drive faster than the
factory. The vehicle must
maximum speed for which have a chassis designed for
the tires on your vehicle are run flat tires. Incorrect use rated because tires that are of run flat tires can lead to
driven faster than their rat- vehicle damage or acci-
ed speed can fail suddenly. dents. Check with an au-
-Overloading tires cause heat thorized Audi dealer or tire build-up, sudden tire fail -specialist to see if your vehi -
ure, including a blowout cle can be equipped with
..

M N
0 <.J 'SI: ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
loss of control, crashes and serious per
sonal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediate ly.
- Winter tires have maximum speed rating
that may be lower than your vehicle's
maximum speed.
- Never drive faster than the speed for
which the winter or other tires installed
on your vehicle are rated.
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and
traffic conditions. Never let the good ac
celeration of the winter tires and all-wheel
drive tempt you into taking extra risks. Al
ways remember:
- When braking, an all-wheel drive vehicle
handles in the same way as a front drive
vehicle.
- Drive carefully and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
cannot help under black ice conditions.
@) For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather condi
tions permit. They are quieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumption.
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted only to the front
wheels, and only to certain tire sizes. Ask your
authorized Audi dealer on which tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
If you are going to use snow chains, then you
must install them on the front wheels at
least.
The snow chains must have low-profile links
and must not be thicker than 0.4 inch (10,5 mm), including the lock.
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs
before putting snow chains on your vehicle
q(D _ For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bolts. These are avail
able from authorized Audi dealers.
Tires and wheels 265
A WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi
cle or installing them incorrectly can in
crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different sizes . Always make sure to follow the in
structions provided by the snow chain
manufacturer.
- When driving with snow chains never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations.
([) Note
-Remove snow chains before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into direct con
tact with the wheel rim, can scratch or
damage it. Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered. Check
the position of the snow chains after
driving a few yards and correct if neces
sary. Follow the instructions from the
snow chain manufacturer when doing so.
- If the Adaptive Air Suspension* should
malfunction, do not mount or use snow
chains because the vehicle will be ex
tremely low. If you do drive with snow
chains on while the vehicle is at this lev
el, the snow chains might severely dam
age the wheelhouse and other parts of
the vehicle.
(D Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory oncer
tain roads, this normally also applies to
vehicles with all-wheel drive.
•
•

Vehicle tool kit
Vehicle tool kit and jack
The vehicle tool kit is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor cover.
Fi g. 204 Luggage compa rtme nt: cargo floor cover
folded upward/spare tire
Fig. 205 Trunk lid: Vehicle too l kit
.. Lift the cargo floor by the plastic handle
c:> fig . 204.
.. Hook the handle into the luggage compart
ment weather strip .
.. Turn the handwheel counter-clockwise
c:> fig. 204 and remove the spare tire to
reach the vehicle too l kit.
.,. Unhook the ca rgo floor before clos ing the
rear lid.
The onboard tool kit includes:
- Hooks to remove the wheel covers*
- Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt covers*
- Wheel bolt wrench
- Alignment pin for changing wheels
- Screwdriver w ith reversible blade
- T owing eye
~ -Jack
0
~ Before storing the jack, make sure it is wound rl
:5: back down as far as it will go.
rl l/1 rl
What do I d o now ? 271
A WARNING
Im proper use of the vehicle jack can cause
serious personal injur ies.
- Never use the screw driver hex head to
tighten wheel bolts, since the bolts can
not attain the necessary tighten ing tor
que if you use the hex head, potentially
causing an accident.
- The factory-supplied jack is intended on
ly for yo ur vehicle model. Under no c ir
cumstances should it be used to lift heavy veh icles or other loads; you risk in
ju ring yo urself.
- Never start the engine when the vehicle
is raised, wh ich could cause an acc ident.
- Support the vehicle securely with appro
priate stands if work is to be performed
underneath the vehicle; otherwise, there
is a potentia l risk for injury.
- Never use the jack supplied wit h your
Audi on another vehicle, particularly on a
heavier one. The jack is only s uitable for
use on the vehicle it came with.
(D Tips
- Some of the onboard items listed above
are provided on certain models only or
are optional ext ras .
- Before yo u can raise your vehicle using
the jack, you must activate the jacking
mode
c:!) page 2 75 .
Space-saving spare tire (compact spare
tire )
The spare tire/wheel is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor cover. It
is intended for short-term use only.
Ta king out the spare tire
.. Lift the cargo floor by the p lastic handle
<=) page 271, fig . 204 .
.. Hook the handle into the luggage compart
ment weather strip.
.. Turn the large screw
¢ page 271, fig. 204
counter -clockwise .
.,. Take out the spa re tire .

M N
0 <.J 'SI: ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
A WARNING 1=
You or your passengers could be injured
while changing a wheel if you do not fol
low these safety precautions:
- If you have a flat tire, move a safe dis
tance off the road. Turn off the engine,
turn the emergency flashers on and use
other warning devices to alert other mo
torists.
- Make sure that passengers wait in a safe
place away from the vehicle and well
away from the road and traffic.
- To help prevent the vehicle from moving
suddenly and possibly slipping off the
jack, always fully set the parking brake
and block the wheel diagonally opposite
the wheel being changed. When one
front wheel is lifted off the ground, plac
ing the Automatic Transmission in P
(Park) will
not prevent the vehicle from
moving.
- Before you change a wheel, be sure the
ground is level and firm. If necessary,
use a sturdy board under the jack.
- Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack
and the replaced tire in the luggage com
partment
¢ page 132.
{!) Tips
Before changing the wheel, you must acti
vate the jacking mode, so that the auto matic controls for the Adaptive Air Sus
pension* do not make it more difficult to
lift the vehicle with the jack¢
page 2 75.
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow the se
quence described below step-by-step and in
exactly that order .
1. Activate the vehicle jack mode*
c::;. page 275.
-
2. Remove the decorative wheel cover* . For
more details see also
¢page 274, Deco
rative wheel covers
or ¢ page 2 7 4,
Wheels with wheel bolt caps.
3. Loosen the wheel bolts¢ page 274.
What do I do now? 273
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Locate the proper mounting point for the
jack and align the jack below that point
¢page 275.
Raise the car with the jack ¢page 275.
Remove the wheel with the flat tire and
then install
the spare <=> page 2 76.
Tighten all wheel bolts lightly.
Lower the vehicle with the jack .
Use the wheel bolt wrench and
firmly
tighten all wheel bolts¢ page 274 .
10. Replace the decorative wheel cover*.
11. Deactivate the vehicle jack mode* in the
MMI:
ICARI function button > (Car)* sys
tems
control button > Servicing & checks
> Air susp.: jack mode > Off .
The vehicle jack mode* switches off automati
cally at speeds above 6 mph (10 km/h).
A WARNING
Always read and follow all WARNINGS and information<=>
A in Raising the vehicle on
page 275
and <=> page 277.
After changing a wheel
A wheel change is not complete without the
doing the following.
.,. Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack*
and the replaced tire in the luggage com
partment
c::;. page 132.
.,. Check the tire pressure on the spare wheel
immediately after mounting it.
.,. As soon as possible, have the
tightening
torques
on all wheel bolts checked with a
torque wrench. The correct tightening tor
que is
90 ft lb (120 Nm) .
.,. Have the flat tire
replaced as soon as possi
ble.
(D Tips
- If you notice that the wheel bolts are
corroded and difficult to turn while
changing a tire, they should be replaced
before you check the tightening torque.
- Drive at reduced speed until you have the
tightening torques checked.
ll>
•
•

274 What do I do now ?
-After changing a wheel, the tire pressure
i n a ll four ti res must be checked/cor rect
ed and t he tire pressure mo nitor ing indi
cator m ust b e stored in the MMI
¢ page 2 69 .
Decorative wheel covers
Applies to vehicl es: with decorative wheel covers
The decorative wheel covers must be removed
first to access the wheel bolts .
Fig. 206 Chan ging a w hee l: R em ovin g the whee l cove r
Removing
• In se rt the hook (p rov ided with the ve hicle
tool kit) in the hol e in the wheel hub cove r.
• Pull off the
decorat ive wheel cover
¢ fig. 206.
Wheels with wheel bolt caps
Applies to vehicles: with wheel bolts with caps
The caps must be removed first from the
wheel bol ts before the bolts can be u n
s cre wed.
Fig . 207 C hang ing a w hee l: remov ing t he w heel bo lt
caps
Removing
• Pu sh the pla stic clip (p rovided w it h the vehi
cl e too l kit) over the whee l bolt c ap unti l the inner retainers on the clip align w
ith the
edge of the cover .
• Remove t he cap w it h the
plastic clip (ve hicle
too l kit)
¢ fig. 207 .
Refitting
• Place t he caps over the whee l bolts and
push them back o n.
T he cap s are to pro te ct and kee p the w heel
bolts clean .
Loosening and tightening the wheel
bolts
T he wheel bolts must be loosened before rais
ing the vehicle .
Fig. 20 8 Cha ng ing a w heel: loosenin g th e w hee l bolt s
Loosening
• Slide the wheel wrench onto the wheel bo lt
as far as it w ill go.
• Take tight hold of the
end of t he wrench
ha ndle a nd turn the wheel bo lts
c ounter
clockwise
about on e single tu rn in the dire c
tion of ar row ¢
fig. 208.
Tightening
• Slide the wheel wrenc h onto the w heel bolt
as far as it w ill go .
• Tak e tig ht hold of the
end of t he wrench
ha ndle a nd turn each wh eel bo lt
clockwise
until it i s seate d .
.8_ WARNING
- Do n ot u se forc e or hurry whe n ch ang ing
a w heel -yo u can ca use the vehicle to sli p
off the jack and ca use ser io us pe rsona l
in jur ies.