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Operating instructions
6"
~
a
2
. 1/2"
'
-{ I} 1-1/2"
-
Fig. 189 Pe rmi tted ba ll pos it ion of the trailer hitc h
Trailer towing weights
With a factory-installed or an aftermarket trailer
hitch, the maximum permissible trailer weight is
4,400 lbs (2,000 kg) . T he maximum permissible
unbraked trailer weight is 1,650 lbs (750 kg) .
These specifications apply when dr iv ing on roads
having an inclin e of less than 12%.
Permissible tongue load
For best vehicle handling under these changed
conditions, adjust the traile r load so that the
tongue load is at the maximum allowable or
slightly lower. You can get an approximat ion of
the tongue load w ith a bathroom scale or you can
measure the load at a trucking company or
weighing station.
With a
factory-installed or an aftermarket trailer
hitch, the maximum permissible load on the ball
hitch may not exceed 440 lbs (200 kg). It is rec
ommended to use the maximum permissible
l oad.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the tra iler is held securely in
place to prevent it from shifting forward, back
ward or sideways .
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer c::> .&.
in Driving instructions on page 206.
Ball mount
The trailer hitch may only be used with suitable
ball mount and ball
c::> fig. 189 . Installation of
the hitch ball must be carr ied out in accordance
with the manufacturer's instructions .
Trailer mode
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder . It
is important that the cooling system's perform
ance is up to the additional load . Make s ure that
the cooling system has enough fluid .
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your ve
hicle to the cold tire pressure listed under "Full
load" on the tire pressure label. The tire pressure
label is located on the driver's side B·pillar. In·
flate trailer tires to trailer and tire manufactur
ers' specifications.
Lights
T he headlight settings sho uld be checked with
the trai ler attached before driving off. Check to
make sure both vehicle and trailer lights are
working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure 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 w ill not drag on the road when you are
driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the hitch.
Driving instructions
Driving with o trailer always requires extra core
and consideration .
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the fo llowing :
.. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itse lf
is not loaded.
.. Be especially careful when passing other
vehicles .
.. Observe speed lim its .
.. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed.
.. Always apply brakes early .
.. Mon itor the temperature gauge .
205
Trailer mode
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trai ler with an empty car res ults
in a high ly unstable distribution of weight. If this
cannot be avoided , drive at very low speeds only
to avoid the risk of losing steering contro l.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and control.
This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded
to the extent possible and permissible, while
keeping the trailer as light as possible under the
circumstances. Whenever possible, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow vehicle while observing tongue load require
ments and vehicle loading considerations .
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be
comes for the driver to control the rig . Do not
drive at the maximum permiss ible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weathe r or wind
conditions are unfavorable - particularly when
going downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trailer
shows the s lightest sign of swaying .
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for
veh icles towing trailers are lower than for regular
ve hicles .
A lways app ly brakes ear ly. When driving down
hill, shift into a lower gear to use the engine
brak ing effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fa il.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge c::> page 10 must
be observed carefully.
If the need le moves close
to the upper end of the scale, reduce speed im
mediately and/or turn off the a ir condit ioner.
If the coo lant temperature warning light in the
instr ument cluster starts flashing •• pu ll off
the road, stop and let the engine
idle for about
two minutes to prevent heat build-up.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving
vehicle is at a much greater r isk in an acc i-
206
-
dent. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wearing the restraints provided
by Audi.
Trailer mode notes
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when towing a
trai ler because of the additiona l weight and dif
ferent we ight distribution . Safety, performance
and economy will greatly depend on how careful
l y you load your trailer and operate your rig.
Before you actua lly tow your trai ler, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traffic . Keep practicing until you have be
come comp lete ly familiar with the way your vehi
cle-trailer comb inat ion behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice. Back
ing up with a trai ler generally requires steering
action opposite to that when backing up your ve
hicle without a tra iler.
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle
and the one in front of you. Yo u will need more
room to stop. To compensate for the trailer, you
will need a larger than normal turn ing radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot accel
erate as fast as you norma lly wou ld because of
the added load. Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for
your tra iler before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts , sharp t urns or rapid lane
changes.
@ Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in peri
od of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may requi re
more frequent maintenance due to the ex
tra load
c::> page 281.
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Fuel and Refueling
Fuel
Gasoline
Applies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
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 T IER Detergent Gasoline ,
please go to the official website
(www.toptiergas.com).
The recommended gasoline octane rating for
your engine can also be found on a label located
on the inside 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 wi ll slight ly reduce engine 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 215.
Octane rating
Octane rating indicates 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
help prevent possible engine damage and a loss
of eng ine performance.
Gasoline most commonly used in the United
States and Canada has the following octane rat
ings that can usually be found on the filler pump:
- Prem ium Grade : 91- 96 AKI
Fuel and Refueling
- Regular Grade: 87 -90 AKI
Ex planation of the abbreviations:
AKI =
Anti Knock Index = (R +M)/2 = (RON+MON)/
2
RON= Research Octane Number
MON = Motor Octane Number.
(D Note
- Do not use any fuel w ith octane ratings low
er than 87 AKI or 91 RON otherwise expen
sive engine damage wi ll occur.
- Do
not us e leaded gasoline. The use of lead
ed gasoline will severely damage your veh i
cle's catalytic converter and its ability to
contro l exha ust emissions.
Blended gasoline
App lies to vehicles: wit h gasoli ne e ngi ne
Use of gasoline containing alcohol or MTBE
(methyl tertiary butyl ether)
You may use unleaded gasoline blended with al
cohol or MTBE (commonly referred to as oxygen
ates) if the blended mixture meets the following
criteria:
Blend of gasoline methanol (wood alcohol or
methyl alcohol)
-Anti -knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
- 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 higher.
- Blend must not contain more than 15% etha-
nol.
- Vehicles w ith flexible 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 ..,.
213
Fuel and Refu elin g
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform es
pecially we ll for winter or summer driving . Dur
ing seasona l change-over, we suggest that you
fill up at busy gas stations where the seasonal
adjustment is more likely to be made in time.
@) Note
-Fuels containing a high percentage of etha
nol such as ESO and E85 may only be used in
vehicles with flexible fuel* engines. Using
high ethanol fuel in vehicles not equipped
with flexible fuel* engines can cause severe
engine damage.
- Methanol fuels which do not meet these re quirements may cause corros ion 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 fue l blend meets the speci
ficat ions, as k your service station o r its fuel
supplier.
- Do not use fuel for wh ich the contents can
not be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance prob
lems resu lting from the use of fue ls differ
ent from those specified are not the respon
sibility o f Audi and are not covered unde r
the New Vehicle or the Emission Control
System Warranties .
- If you experience a loss of fue l economy or
driveability and performance problems due
to the use of one of these fuel b lends we
'
recommend that you switch to unblended
fuel.
Ethanol fuel (Bio -ethanol)
App lies to vehicles: with flex ible fuel engine
You con recognize vehicles with a flexible fuel
engine by looking at the label on the inside of
the fuel filler flop.
Vehicles with flexible fuel engines may be operat
ed with bio-ethanol fuels such as E85 (85% etha
nol and 15% gasoline) or with unleaded gasoline
(91 AKI/ROZ 95). The vehicle may also be operat
ed w ith a m ixture of these fuels.
214
Your fuel consumption wi ll increase when using
bio -ethano l fue ls due to the lower amount of en
ergy contained per unit volume in ethano l.
Warming up the fle xible fuel engin e in low
t e mperatu res
Due to the chemical composition of bio -ethanol,
a certain amount of fuel 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 war m up e ngi ne .
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 methanol or with a h igher
percentage of bio-ethanol than 85% (E85).
A higher percentage of bio-ethanol in the
fuel can cause damage to the engine or to
the fuel system.
- If you use only E85, it is recommended to
fill the fue l tank comp lete ly with 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 comp letely with unleaded premium
grade gasoline and drive it normally until
the gaso line is used. See your author ized
Audi dealer if the problem persists .
- Inform your author ized Audi dealer that you
are operating or have operated the vehicle
with E8S.
- Read and follow the information and t ips
about gasoline~
page 213 .
(D Tips
It may take longer to start the engine when
the outs ide temperature is very cold. If poss i
ble, use winterized fue l if tempe ratures are
below freezi ng.
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Gasoline additives
Appl ies to vehicles: with gaso line engine
A major concern among many auto manufactur
ers is carbon deposit build-up caused by the type
of gasoline yo u use.
Although gasoline grades differ from one manu
facture r to another, they have certa in things in
common. A ll gasoline grades contain substances
that can cause deposits to collect on v ita l engine
parts, such as fue l injectors and intake va lves. A l
though most gasoline brands include additives to
keep engine and fuel systems clean, they are not
equally effective.
Audi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent Gas
oline. For more information on TOP TIER Deter
gent Gasoline, please go to the official website
(www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended period of using inadequate
fuels, built-up carbon deposits can rob your en
gine of peak performance .
CD Note
-Damage or malf u nction due to poor fuel
quality is not covered by the Audi New Vehi
cle Limited Warranty.
- Do not add aftermarket fuel additive prod
ucts to your fuel tank.
Diesel fuel
Applies to veh icles: with d iesel e ng in e
Always use ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel) No. 2.
The ULSD No. 2 meets the ASTM O97S.
Diesel fuel with concentrat ions of biodiesel high
er than S
% such as B11, B2O or B1OO are strictly
prohibited.
Service station fuel pumps are labeled w ith the
correct fuel information for easy recognition by
the user .
If the diesel fuel pump is not labeled
ask the station operator what fuel is being d is
pensed before filling up your vehicle.
ULSD No. 2 may not be ava ilab le outside the USA
and Canada. Be sure to check before traveling to
other countries .
Fuel and Refueling
ULSD No. 2 can become thicker in very cold tem
peratures, and this can impair the engine's start
ing and running. Depend ing on the season, gas
stations provide ULSD No. 2 that flows better in cold temperatures so that you can cont inue oper
ating your vehicle as usual.
CD Note
- Your vehicle's diesel engine was designed
soley for use w ith ULSD No. 2. Therefore,
never use gasoline, heating oil, other fuels
or flow improvers. These contain substances
that will severe ly damage the fuel system
and the engine. Such damage will not be
covered by your New Vehicle Limited War
ranty.
- If you put any amount of incorrect fuel in
the fuel tank, do not start the engine under
any circumstances. Immediately contact the
nearest authorized Audi dealer or author
ized Aud i Service Facility for assistance .
These fuels contain substances that can se
vere ly damage the fuel system and the en
gine if the engine is started.
Refueling
Fuel filler neck
The fue l filler neck is located on the right rear
side panel behind the fuel filler flap .
If the power lock ing system should fail, you can
still open the flap manually -for detailed instruc
tions see
¢ page 217.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your vehicle
in
¢ page 278.
The label on the inside of the fuel f iller flap tells
you the correct fuel for your veh icle. For more in
formation about fuel specifications, see
¢page 213.
Your vehicle fuel tank has an on-board refuelling
vapor recovery system. This feature helps to pre
ven t fu el vapors from escap ing from the tank and
polluting the environment while yo u refuel your
vehicle. In order to fill the tank properly while
protecting the environment, please follow this
refueling procedure carefully .
215
Fuel and R efue lin g
_& WARNING
Under normal operating conditions, never car
ry additional fuel containers in your car. Gas
canisters and other containers used to trans
port fuel can be dangerous. Such containers,
full or empty, may leak and could cause a fire
in a collision. If you must transport fuel to
use for your lawn mower, snow blower, etc.,
be very careful and a lways observe loca l and
state laws rega rding the use, transportation
and sto rage of such fuel containers. Make cer
tain the container meets industry standards
(ANSI/ASTM F852 -86) .
(D Note
Never d rive you r vehicle unt il the fuel tank is
comp letely empty. The irreg ular supply of
fue l can cause m isfiring. Gasoline cou ld enter
the exhaust system and damage the catalytic
converter.
Refuelling
Fig . 190 Right rear vehicle s ide: Opening the fuel fill er flap
Fi g. 191 Fuel filler flap with attached fuel cap
When activating the central lock ing, the fue l fill
er flap is automatically un locked or locked. Re
fue l the vehicle with the ignition turned
off.
216
Tak ing the fu el cap off
.. Press the left side of the fuel fi ller flap to open
it
¢ fig . 190 -arrow-.
.. Unscrew fue l cap counter-clockwise and hang it
on the fuel filler f lap
c;, fig. 191.
.. Check the label on the inside of the fuel filler
flap to determine if the vehicle must be fueled
w ith gasoline or diesel fuel.
Re fuelling proce dure
.. Insert the fuel nozzle from the gasoline pump
into the fue l filler neck as far as it will go.
.. Select a medium refuelling rate so that the
nozzle switches off automatically when the
tank is full.
Putting t he fu el cap b ack on
.. After f illing your tank, twist the fuel cap clock-
wise as far as it will go.
.. Close the fuel filler flap.
To avoid fuel spilling or evaporating from the fuel
tank always close fue l cap proper ly and com
plete ly. An improper ly closed fue l filler cap may
also cause the MIL lamp
c;, page 26 to come on
(only vehicles w ith gasoline eng ine) .
_& WARNING
Imp roper refueling or handling of fuel can
cause fire, explosion and severe burns.
- Fue l is highly flammable and can cause se
vere burns and other injur ies.
-
- Failure to shut the engine off while refuel
ing and/or to insert the pump nozzle fully
into the fue l filler neck could cause fuel to
spray out of filler neck or to overflow. Fue l
spray and overflowing fue l can cause a fire.
- Never use a ce llular telephone while refuel
ing. The electromagnetic radiation can
cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors and
cause a fire.
- Never get back into your vehicle wh ile refu
eling. If in except iona l circumstances you
m ust get back in your vehicle whi le refue l
ing, make certain that yo u close the door
and touch metal to discharge static electric-
ity before touching the filler nozz le aga in.
IJJ,,,
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Static electricity can cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors released during refueling.
- Never smoke or have an open flame any
where in or near your vehicle when refueling or filling a portable fuel container.
- For your safety, we strong ly recommend
that you do not travel with a portable fuel
container in your vehicle. The container, full
or empty may leak and could cause a fire,
especially in a crash.
- If, under exceptional circumstances, you
must transport a portable fuel container,
please observe the following:
- Never fill a portable fuel container whi le it
is anywhere in or on the vehicle (for exam
ple, in the luggage compartment, or on
the trunk). Static electricity can bui ld up
while filling and can ignite fuel vapors causing a fire.
- Always place a portable fuel container on
the ground before filling.
-Always keep the fi ller nozzle complete ly
ins ide the portable container before and
during filling.
- If filling a portable container made of
metal, the filler nozz le must always be in
contact w ith the container . Th is will help
prevent static e lectricity from discharg ing
and cause a fire .
- Never sp ill fuel inside the vehicle or lug
gage compartment. Fue l vapors are highly
flammab le.
- Always observe local and state/provincial laws rega rding the use, storage and trans
portat ion of fuel contai ners.
- Make certa in the fuel container meets in
dustry standards (ANSI/ ASTM F852 -86) .
(D Note
If any fuel has spilled onto the car, it shou ld
be removed immediately to prevent damage
to the paint .
@ For the sake of the environment
As soon as the correctly operated nozzle sw itches off automatically for the first time,
the tank is full . Do not try to add more fuel
Fu el a nd R efu elin g
because f uel may spill out. In addition, the
expansion space in the fuel tank will be fi lled -
causing the fue l to overflow when it becomes
warm and pollute the environment.
@ Tips
- Running your engine whi le refue lling may
cause vapors to escape or even cause fue l to
spill out of the tank. This would then sh ut
off the fuel nozzle before the tank is full.
- Do not refuel your vehicle with the ignition turned on. The fuel gauge may otherwise not indicate the correct fuel level after refu
elling .
- Diesel vehicles* are equipped with a diesel
m isfueling protector .
It allows the vehicle to
be fueled only with a d iesel fue l pump noz
zle . A wo rn o r damaged nozzle o r a nozz le
that is too small may not be able to open
the diesel misfueling protector.
If this is the
case , try turning the nozzle before insert ing
it in the fuel filler neck, use a different fuel
pump or see your authorized A udi dealer or
authorized repair facility for assistance.
- The fuel fi ller f lap of your vehicle is not
locked when you lock the vehicle from the
inside.
Unlocking the fuel filler flap
by hand
You can open the fuel filler flap by hand if the
power locking system should fail.
Fig. 192 L u ggage compa rtm en t: Em erge ncy ope ning of
fue l fille r flap
The emergency op ening mechanism is located
behind the right side trim panel in the luggage
compartment.
• Open the right side trim panel.
217
Fuel and Refueling
"' Loosen the strap from its bracket and pull on it
¢
fig. 192 . Now you can open the fuel filler flap
as usual.
Selective catalytic reduction
General information
Applies to vehicles: with selective catalytic reduct ion
In vehicles with selective catalytic reduction, a
urea solution (Ad Blue) is injected into the ex
haust system before
a nitrogen oxide catalytic
converter to reduce nitrogen emissions .
The AdBlue is carried in a separate tank in the ve
hicle. The AdB lue usage accounts for approxi
mately 0.5% to 1.2% of the diesel fuel that is
used.
When a message about refilling the Ad Blue ap
pears in the instrument cluster disp lay, you must
refill the Ad Blue yourself or have it refilled by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility ¢
page 219.
(1) Tips
-The display indicates the distance remaining
that can be driven¢
page 218. If the Ad Bl
ue tank is completely empty, the engine will
not start again after the ignition is switched
off.
-Ad Blue is required by law to operate this ve
hicle .
Messages in the instrument cluster display
Applies to vehicles: with selective catalytic reduct ion
The display indicates if the Ad Blue level is low or
if there is a system malfunction.
AdBlue level low
You will be informed if the Ad Blue in the tank
drops below a certain level.
Ad Blue /9 1500 mi (2400 km) Refill Ad Bl-
ue. See owner's manual
This message appears when there is only enough
Ad Blue left to drive the distance indicated in the
instrument cluster. Fill the Ad Blue.
218
Ad Blue /9 600 mi (1000 km) Refill Ad Blue!
No restart in 600 mi (1000 km)! See owner's
manual
This message appears when there is only enough
Ad Blue left to drive the distance indicated in the
instrument cluster. Fill the AdB lue . Otherwise
the engine will not start again if you stop it once
the distance indicated has been driven.
Refill Ad Blue! No re
start! See owner's manual
This message appears when the Ad Blue tank is
empty. Fill the Ad Blue . Otherwise you will not be
able to start the engine again once you stop it.
The Ad Blue must be refilled when the amount in
the tank has reached the minimum level
¢ page 219, Filling AdBlue .
Incorrect filling/system malfunction
A message appears if the Ad Blue tank was filled
with a flu id other than Ad Blue and the system
has detected that the tank was filled incorrect ly,
or if there is a system malfunction.
AdBlue ./' 600 mi (1000 km) AdBlue:
Fault! No restart in 600 mi (1000 km)! See
owner's manual
This message appears when it is only possible to
drive the distance indicated in the instrument
cluster. Drive to the nearest authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility to have
the malfunction cor rected. Otherwise the engine
will not start again if you stop it once the dis
tance indicated has been driven.
AdBlue: System
fault. No restart! See owner's manual
This message appears if the system has detected
that the tank was fi lled incorrectly or that there
i s a malfunction. Drive immediate ly to the near
est authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility to have the malfunction correct
ed. Otherwise you will not be ab le to start the en
gine again once you stop it .