232 Checking and filling
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal
of brake fluid as we ll as the special tools
required and the necessary expertise, we recommend that you have the brake fluid
changed by your author ized Audi dealer.
Battery
General information
Under normal operating conditions, the bat
tery in your Audi does not need any mainte
nance. With
high outside temperatures or
long daily drives we recommend that you have
the electro lyte level checked by a service fa
cility . The electrolyte level should also be
checked each time the battery is charged
¢ page 234.
Have the battery checked when you take your
vehicle in for service . You are well adv ised to
replace a battery that is older than 5 years .
With certain types of airbag deployment, the battery is disconnected from the vehicle elec
tr ical system for safety reasons¢
& in Re
pair, care and disposal of the airbags on
page 161.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle functions (power window regu
lators, for example) are lost if the battery ter
minals are disconnected. These functions have
to be relearned after the battery terminals are
connected again. To prevent this , the battery
should only be disconnected from the vehicle
e lectrica l system when absolutely necessary
for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of severa l days or weeks, electrical compo
nents are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and main
tains starting capabi lity over a longer period
¢page 198. Some of the convenience func
tions may not operate, such as the interior
lights or power seat adjustment. The conven- ience
functions will be available again when
you switch on the ignition and start the en gine.
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capac ity
tends to decrease as temperatures drop. This
is because more power is a lso consumed whi le
starting, and the headlights, rear window de
fogger, etc., are used more often.
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, par
ticu larly in city traffic or when traveling only
short distances. Let your authorized Audi
deale r check the capacity of the vehicle bat
tery before winter sets in¢
page 234 . A well
charged battery will no t only prevent star ting
problems when the weather is cold, but will
also last longer .
@ Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for several
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the
vehicle battery shou ld be removed and
stored where it w ill not freeze. This will
prevent it from be ing damaged and having
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 check any
thing in the luggage compartment,
read and
heed all WARNINGS
¢ .&, .
Always heed the safety warnings , when work
ing on the vehicle battery or the vehicle elec
t rical 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 wear eye protection.
M N
0 <.J 'SI: ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
-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 explosive.
- To reduce the danger of explosion, never
connect or disconnect charger cables
while the charger is operating.
- Fast charging a battery is dangerous and
should only be attempted by a compe
tent technician with the proper equip
ment.
- Battery acid that may spill during charg
ing should be washed
off with a solution
of warm water and baking soda to neu
tralize the acid.
(D Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to
start the engine. This will seriously dam
age sensitive electronic components, such
as control units, relays, radio, etc., as well
as the battery charger.
Battery replacement
The new battery must have the same specifi
cations and dimensions as the original equip
ment battery.
Intelligent energy management in your vehi
cle is responsible for distributing the electri
cal energy throughout your vehicle
qpage 198. The intelligent energy manage
ment system will keep the engine battery
charged better than vehicles without this sys
tem. To make sure the additional electrical en
ergy is available once again after you have
changed the battery, we recommend that you install batteries of the same type and manu
facture only (the same as those installed at
the time your vehicle was delivered). Specifi
cations are listed on the battery housing. Your
authorized dealer must code the battery in
the energy management system to enable you
to use the energy management functions cor
rectly after replacing the battery.
Checking and filling 235
The new battery must have the same capacity,
voltage (12-volts), amperage, construction and plug sealing.
When installing the battery, make sure the ig nition and all electrical consumers are switch
ed off.
(D Note
Make sure the ventilation hose on the side
of the battery is connected, otherwise
fumes or battery acid can leak out.
- Vehicles with the Start-Stop-System* are
equipped with a special cycle-proof AGM
battery. Installing a different type of
battery can cause problems in the vehi
cle electrical system. When replacing the
vehicle battery, always install one with
the same specifications as the original
battery.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal
of a battery, we recommend your author
ized Audi dealer change the battery for
you. Batteries contain sulfuric acid and
lead and must always be disposed of prop
erly in compliance with all environmental
regulations. Disposing of vehicle batteries
improperly is very dangerous to the envi
ronment.
Windshield/headlight*
washer container
Fig. 194 E ng in e compart ment : cov er on th e w in ds hield
and headl ig ht* washer f luid reservoir
II-
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M N
0 <.J 'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a tire
at the maximum permissible in
flation pressure for that tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle
weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible)
inflation pressure
means the maximum cold infla
tion pressure to which a tire
may be inflated. Also called
"maximum inflation pressure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms)
times the number of occupants seated in the vehicle up to the
total seating capacity of your
vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occu pants in a vehicle.
Outer diameter
means the overall diameter of
an inflated new tire.
Tires and wheels 241
Overall width
means the linear distance be
tween the exteriors of the side
walls of an inflated tire, includ ing elevations due to labeling,
decorations, or protective bands or ribs.
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated
parallel cords.
Production options weight
means the combined weight of
those installed regular produc
tion options weighing over 5 lbs. (2 . 3 kg) in excess of those
standard items which they re
place, not previously consid
ered in curb weight or accessory
weight, including heavy duty
brakes, ride levelers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and special
trim.
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in
which the ply cords that extend
to the beads are laid at sub stantially 90 degrees to the
centerline of the tread.
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M N
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,...., ..,., ,....,
Emergency situations
General
This chapter i s 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
Ve hicles w ith an au tomatic tra nsmission
cannot be started by pus hing o r tow ing.
Starting with jumper
cables
If necessary, the engine can be started by
connecting it to the battery of another vehi
cle.
If the engine shou ld fail to start because of a
discha rged o r wea k battery, the battery can be
connected to the battery o f
another vehicle,
using a
pair of jumper cables to start the en
g ine.
Jumper cables
Use only jumper cables of sufficiently la rge
c ross section to carry the starter c urrent safe
l y. Refer to the man ufacturer's specifications.
Use only jumper cables with
insulated te rm i
na l clamps wh ic h are d istinctly marked:
plus(+) cable i n mos t cases co lore d red
minu s(-) cable
in most cases colored black .
A WARNING
Batterie s contain e lec tricity, ac id, an d gas.
A ny of these can cause ve ry ser io us or fatal
inju ry. Follow the instructions below f or
safe han dling of your veh icle's b attery .
- Alway s shield you r eyes and avoid lean
ing over the bat te ry whenever possib le.
- A dis ch arged battery c an free ze at tem
peratures ju st be low 32 °F ( 0 °C ). Befo re
Emergency situations 283
connecting a jumpe r cab le, you must
thaw the fr ozen battery c omp lete ly, ot h
erwise it could explode.
- Do not allow battery acid to contact eyes
or skin. Fl ush any contacted area with
wate r immediately.
- Improper use of a booster battery to start a vehicle may cause an explosion.
- Vehicle batter ies genera te exp losive gas
es. Keep spar ks, flame and lighted c iga
rettes away from batte ries.
- Do not try to jump start any ve hicle w ith
a low ac id leve l in the battery.
- The vo ltage of the booste r batte ry m ust
a lso have a 12-volt rating. The capacity
(Ah) of the booster battery sho uld not be
lowe r tha n that of the discharged bat
tery . U se of batte rie s of d iffe ren t voltage
or substantially diffe rent "Ah" rat ing
may c au se an exp losion and persona l in
JU ry.
- N ever cha rge a fro zen battery. Gas trap
pe d in the ice may cause a n ex plosion.
- Never cha rge or use a batte ry tha t h as
been fr ozen. T he battery case may have
be weakened.
- Us e of b atter ies of differe nt voltage or
sub stant ia lly diffe ren t ca pa city (Ah) ra t
i ng may c ause an ex plosion an d injury .
Th e capac ity (Ah) of the booster bat tery
should not be lower than that of the dis
charged batte ry .
- Before you chec k any thing in the engine
compa rtment, always read and hee d all
WARNINGS¢
page 222.
(D Note
- App lyin g a higher vo ltage booster ba t
t ery w ill cause expens ive damage to se n
sit ive e lectronic com ponents, such as
cont ro l units, relays, rad io, etc.
- The re must be no electrical contact be
tween the vehicles as ot herwise c urrent
co uld a lready start to f low as soon as the
p o sit ive(+) term inals a re connected. ..,. •
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