180 Driving and en vironm ent
8_ WARNING
After driving through water, mud, slush,
etc ., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because of wet brake rotors and pads. Dry
the brakes first by braking carefully to re
store the full braking effect.
(D Note
Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmiss ion, suspension or electrical sys
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through wate r.
@ Tips
- Check the depth of the water before dr iv
i ng through it.
- Do not stop the veh icle, dr ive in reverse
or switc h the engine off when driving
t hr ough water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles
may c reate waves that raise the water
l evel and make it too deep fo r you r vehi
cle to dr ive through safely.
- Avoid dr iving thro ugh salt water because
i t can ca use corrosion.
Warming up and
cooling down
-
By carefully warming up and cooling down
your ve hicle, you can he lp ensure that it is not
overstressed unnecessarily dur ing sporty driv
ing.
When warming up, the vehicle is d riven at a
maximum engine speed of 6000 RPM in order
to raise the engine oi l temperature to a mini
mum of 140
°F (60 °(). The tires also only
reach their full road holding capability once
they have warmed up .
The cooling fan can contin ue to run in your ve
h icle after the engine is switched off. Howev
er, driving the vehicle to cool it down is part ic
ularly important. During sporty driving, the
engine and brakes, the ex ha ust system, and
the transm ission all become extremely hot.
B efore you park the vehicle, you shou ld drive it for a few miles/kilometers at
light load in
the low rpm range to allow it to cool down.
Catalytic converter
It is very important that your emission con
trol system (catalytic converter) is function
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run
ning in an environmentally sound manner.
.. Always use lead-free gasoline c:> page 190,
Fuel supply.
.. Never run the tank down all the way to emp
ty .
.. Never put too much moto r oil in your engine
c:> page 199, 't::71 Adding engine oil .
.. Never try to p ush- or tow -sta rt yo ur vehicle.
The catalytic converter is an efficient "clean
up" device bu ilt into the exhaust system of
t h e vehi cle. The cata lytic conve rter bu rns
many of the pollu tan ts i n t he exh aust gas be
f ore they are re lease d into the atmosphere.
T he exclusive use of unleaded fue l is critica lly
impor tant for the life of the catalyt ic convert
er and prope r fu nct ion ing of the engi ne.
8_ WARNING
- T he temperature of the exhaus t system
is high, both when driving and after stop
p ing the engine.
- Never touch the exhaus t tail pipes once
they have become hot . This cou ld result
in burns .
- Do not park or operate the vehicle i n
areas where the hot exha ust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fue l spill or other material wh ich can
cause a fire.
- Do not app ly additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con
ver ter or heat shields . Dur ing driv ing, the
substance used for undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
M N
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(D Note
-Be aware that just one tank fi lling with
le ad ed fuel will already seriously de
grade the performance of the catalytic
converter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil leve l
c>page 199.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
complete ly empty. The engine could mis
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into
the exhaust system and this could cause
the catalyt ic converter to overheat.
- Do not turn off the ignition while the ve
hicle is moving .
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle
under these condit ions, as otherwise fuel
can reach the catalytic converter. This
could result in overheat ing of the con
verter, requ iring its replacement.
- To assure efficient operat ion of the Emis
s ion Control System:
- Have your vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance with the service rec
ommendations in your Warranty
&
Ma intenance booklet.
- Lack of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impa ir
the funct ion of the emission control
system and could lead to damage .
@) For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Control System is
operating properly, the exhaust gas can
have a sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under
some operating states. This depends on
the s ulfur content of the fuel being used.
Using a d ifferent brand of fuel may help,
or filling the tank w ith lead-free super
grade gasoline .
Shutting down vehicle
If you would like your veh icle to remain inop
erat ive for a longer period of time, contact an
Audi or other specialized dealer. They can ad
vise you on necessary precautions e .g. corro
sion prevention, maintenance and storage.
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 181
Pay attention to additional information con
cerning the battery . Refer to
c> page 205 .
Operate your vehicle
economically and
minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex
haust and noise levels.
Fuel economy, environmenta l impact, and
wear on your engine, brakes and tires largely depend on three factors:
- your personal d riving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitat ions
If you ant ic ipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your
fuel consumpt ion by 10-15 percent . This sec
tion w ill give you some tips on how you can
help the env ironment and your pocketbook.
(D Tips
The consumption estimates as published
by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTEC TION AGENCY
( E PA) and Transpo rt Canada may not cor re
spond to your actual consump tion on the
road, which will vary depending upon vehi
cle load and speed, road and weather con
dit ions, trip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac
celerating.
.,. Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the most f uel when they a re ac
ce lerat ing. If you ant icipate what is going to
happe n next, you will need to brake less and,
th us, acce lerate less . Let the vehicle coast
whenever possible -for examp le when you see
that the next traff ic light is red.
•
•
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Vehicl e ca re a nd cl eanin g 18 5
Rinse the vehicle thoroughly with water. Then
clean using a neutral shampoo and a soft mi
crofiber cloth.
Rinse the vehicle tho roughly again and let it
air dry. Remove any water residue using a
shammy .
A WARNING
-Only wash the vehicle when the ignition
is off and follow the instructions from
the car wash operator to reduce the risk of accidents .
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect your
self from sharp metal components when
wash ing the underbody or the inside of
the wheel housings .
- After washing the vehicle, the braking ef
fect may be delayed due to mo isture on
the brake rotors or ice in the winter. The
brakes must be dried first with a few
careful brake applicat ions.
- If you wash the vehicle in an automatic car wash, you must fold the exterior m ir
rors in to reduce the r is k of damage to
the mirrors. Power folding exterior m ir
rors* must only be folded in and out us
i ng the power folding function. -
To prevent paint damage, do not wash
the vehicle in direct sunlight.
- T o reduce the r isk o f damage, do not
wash the power top with a pressure
washer.
- To reduce the risk of damage to the sur
face, do not use insect removing spong
es, kitchen sponges or similar items.
- Matte finish painted vehicle compo nents:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the surface, do not use polishing agents or hard wax.
- Never use car wash cycles that apply
protective wax. It can destroy the
matte fin ish effect.
- Do not place any stickers or magnet ic
signs on vehicle parts painted w ith
matte fin ish paint. The paint cou ld be
damaged when the stickers o r magnets
are removed.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the vehi cle in facilities spec ial ly
designed for that purpose. This will red uce
the risk of dirty water contaminated with
oil from entering the sewer system.
Cleaning and care information
When clean ing and caring for individua l vehi
cle components, refer to the fo llowing tab les.
The information contained there is simply rec ommendations . For questions or for compo- nents that are not listed, re
fer to an author
ized Audi dea ler or qualified workshop . A lso
follow the information found in
Q & .
Cle anin g ext erio r
Component Situation Solution
Wipe r bl ade s
Dirty <=> page 5 7, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
Hea dli ght s/ Dir ty Soft sponge with a m
ild soap solutional
tail li ghts
S en so rs /
Dirty Sensors: soft cloth with a so lvent-free cleaning product
c a mera l ense s Camera lenses: soft cloth with an alcohol -free cleaning
solution
Snow/ice Hand brush/so
lvent-free de-icing spray
•
•
204 Checking and filling
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a
quick glance .
N N ~ N
" (X) (0
Fig. 179 Engine compartme nt: Cover on the brake flu ·
id reservo ir
Before you check anything in the engine com
partment,
a lwa ys re ad and heed all WARN·
ING S ¢.&._ in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 195 .
.. Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir
¢ fig . 179 , ¢page 197,
fig . 174.
The brake fluid level must be be
tween the "MIN" and
"MAX" markings.
The brake fluid reservoir is located at the rear
partition of the engine compartment on the
left side
¢ page 197.
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 warning/indi
cator light (U.S. models:
11111 , Canadian
models :. ) will come on
¢page 15. Do not
continue to operate the vehicle. The complete brake system should be thoroughly checked
by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop and the cause corrected .
If the
brake fluid level is too low, the brake warn ing/
indicator light w ill illuminate. Contact an au
thorized Audi dealer
immedi atel y.
@ Tips
The brake fluid reservoir is located under
neath the cover.
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi
enced technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If
the water 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 decrease conside rably and
decrease braking pe rformance.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every two year s. Always use new brake flu id
which conforms to Federal Motor Veh icle
Standard "F MVSS 116 DOT 4".
The brake fluid reservoir can be diff icult to
reach, therefore, we recommend that you
have the brake fluid changed by your author
ized
Audi d ealer . Your dealer has the correct
tools, the right brake fl uid and the 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 flu id. Observe these pre
cautions:
- Use only brake f luid that meets SA E
specifica tion
J 1 7 03 and conforms to
Federa l Moto r Ve hicle Standard 1 16.
Always check with yo ur authorized Aud i
dealer to make sure yo u are using the
correct brake fluid. The correct type of brake f lu id is also indicated on the
brake fluid 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. This cou ld resu lt in an accident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your
vehicle .
212 Tires and wheels
-If you notice unusual vibra
tion or if the vehicle pulls to
one side when driving, al
ways stop as soon as it is
safe to do so and check the
wheels and tires for dam
age.
0 Note
-Please note that summer and winter tires are de
signed for the conditions
that are typical in those sea
sons. Audi recommends us
ing winter tires during the
winter months. Low tem peratures significantly de
crease the elasticity of
summer tires, which affects
traction and braking ability. If summer tires are used
in
very cold temperatures, cracks can form on the tread
bars, resulting in perma
nent tire damage that can
cause loud driving noise and
unbalanced tires. Audi is not
responsible for this type of
damage.
-Burnished, polished or chromed rims must not be used in winter road condi
tions. The surface of the
rims does not have suffi
cient corrosion protection
for this and could be perma
nently damaged by road salt
or similar substances.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weight (in
excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of auto matic transmission, power
steering, power brakes, power
windows, power seats , radio,
and heater, to the extent that
these items are available as fac
tory-installed equipment (whether installed or not).
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the height to
the width of the tire in percent.
Numbers of 55 or lower indi
cate a low sidewall for im
proved steering response and
better overall handling on dry
pavement.
...
214 Tires and whee ls
Ma ximum load r ating Overall width
means the load rating for a tire means the linear distance be-
at the maximum permissible in- tween the exteriors of the side-
flation pressure for that tire. walls of an inflated tire, includ -
Max imum lo ad ed vehicle ing elevations due to labeling,
weight decorations, or protective
means the sum of: bands or ribs
.
(a) Curb weight
Ply
(b) Accessory weight means a layer of rubber
-coated
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and parallel cords
.
(d) Production options weight
Production options weight
Ma ximum (permissible )
means the combined we ight of
inflation pressure those installed regular produc-
means the maximum cold infla- tion options weighing over 5
tion pressure to which a tire lbs
. (2 .3 kg) in excess of those
may be inflated. Also called standard
items which they re-
"maximum inflation pressure." place, no
t previously consid-
Normal occupant weight
ered in curb weight or accessory
weight, including heavy duty
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms) brakes, ride levelers, heavy duty
times the number of occupants battery, and special trim.
seated in the vehicle up to the
Radial ply tire total seating capac ity of your
vehicle . means a pneumatic tire in
Occupant distribution
which the p
ly cords that extend
to the beads are laid at s ub-
means distribution of occu -
stantially 90 degrees to the
pants in a vehicle .
centerline of the tread.
Outer diameter
Recommended inflation
means the overall diameter of pressure
an inflated new tire.
see c::> page 213, Cold tire infla-
tion pressure .
~
220 Tires and wheels
Because technical changes may
be made to vehicle equipment
during the model year, always
compare the tire size designa
tion on the tire pressure label
on your vehicle with the tires on
your vehicle. Make sure that the
tire size information on the ve hicle label is the same as the
size of the tires on the vehicle.
This is especially important if
the vehicle belongs to someone else or you bought the vehicle
with different rims/tires or you
bought the vehicle as a previ
ously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and
that of your passengers also de pends on making sure that load
limits are not exceeded . Vehicle
load includes everybody and ev
erything in and on the vehicle.
These load limits are technical
ly referred to as the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR"). The Gross Axle
Weight Rating ("GAWR") is the
maximum load that can be ap
plied at each of the vehicle's
two axles . The Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating and the Gross
Axle Weight Rating are listed on the safety compliance stick- er label located on the driver's
side B-pillar.
The tire pressure
label on your Audi lists the
maximum combined weight of
all of the occupants and lug
gage or other cargo that the ve
hicle can carry. For the location
of the tire pressure label
¢fig. 182.
&_ WARNING
-
Overloading a vehicle can
cause loss of vehicle control,
a crash or other accident, se rious personal injury, and
even death .
-Carrying more weight than
your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the ve
hicle from handling properly
and increase the risk of a
loss of vehicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may
not be able to stop the vehi
cle within a safe distance.
-Tires on a vehicle that has
been overloaded can fail
suddenly causing loss of
control and a crash.
-Always make sure that the
total load being transported
- including the weight of a
226 Tires and wheels
The tire pressure label on your
Audi also lists the maximum
combined weight of all of the
occupants and luggage or other
cargo that the vehicle can carry. For the location of the label
¢page 217, fig. 182.
A WARNING
-
Overloading a vehicle can
cause loss of vehicle control,
a crash or other accident, se
rious personal injury, and
even death.
-Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the ve
hicle from handling properly
and increase the risk of the
loss of vehicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may
not be able to stop the vehi
cle within a safe distance.
-Tires on a vehicle that has
been overloaded can fail
suddenly, including a blow
out and sudden deflation,
causing loss of control and a
crash .
-Always make sure that the
total load being transported
- including the weight of a trailer hitch and the tongue
weight of a loaded trailer does not make the vehicle
heavier than the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rat
ing.
Determining correct load
limit
Use the example below to cal
culate the total weight of the
passengers and luggage or oth
er things that you plan to trans
port so that you can make sure
that your vehicle will not be
overloaded.
Steps for Determining
Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF OC
CUPANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX LBS"on your vehi
cle's placard (tire inflation
pressure label)
¢page 217,
fig. 182.
2. Determine the combined
weight of the driver and pas
sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
...