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.
Warming up and cooling down
By carefully warming up and cooling down your
veh icle, you can help ensure that it is not over
stressed unnecessar ily du ring sporty dr iv ing.
When warming up, the vehicle is driven at a max imum engine speed of 6000 RPM in order to ra ise
the engine oil temperature to a m inimum of
140 °F (60 °C). T he tires also only reach their full
road holding capab ility once they have wa rmed
up.
The cooling fan can continue to run in your vehi
cle after the eng ine is switched
off. However,
d riving the vehicle to cool it dow n is part icu larly
important. During sporty d riving, the engine and
brakes , the exhaust system, and the transmission
all become extremely hot. Before you park the
vehicle, you should drive it for a few mi les/kilo
meters at light load in the low rpm range to al
low it to cool down.
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 on
environmentally sound manner .
.. Always use lead -free gasoline c::> page 183,
Fuel supply.
.. Never ru n the tank down a ll the way to empty.
.. Neve r pu t too m uch motor oil in your engine
c::> page 191, 't:::?: Adding engine oil .
178
.. Never try to push -or tow-start your vehicle .
The catalytic converte r is an effi cient "clean-up"
device b uilt into the exha ust system of the veh i
cle. The cata lytic conve rter burns many o f the
po llutants in the exhaust gas before they are re
l eased into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fue l is c ritically im
po rtant for the life of the catalytic conver ter and
proper functioning of the engine .
A WARNING
-The temperature of the exhaust system is
high, both when driving and after stopping
the engine.
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once they
have become hot. Th is could resu lt in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in areas
where the hot exha ust system may come in
contact with dry grass, brush, fuel spill or
other material which can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or rustproof ing on or near the exhaust mani
fold, exhaust pipes, catalytic converter or
heat shields. During dr iving, the substance
used for unde rcoat ing could overheat and
cau se a fire.
@ Note
- Be aware that just one tank fill ing with lead
ed
fuel w ill al ready ser iously degrade the
performance of the catalytic converter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
c::>poge 191.
-Do not drive until the fue l tank becomes
completely empty . T he engine cou ld m isfire .
Unburned fu el could also get into the ex
haus t sys tem a nd this could cause the cata
lyt ic converte r to overheat.
- Do not turn
off the ignition while the vehicle
is
moving.
- Do not continue to operate your veh icle un
der these condi tions, as otherwise f uel can
re ach the cat aly tic converter. This could re
s u lt in ove rheat ing of the c onve rter, requ ir
ing its replacement .
- T o assure efficient oper ation of the Emission
~
Cont ro l System: ..,_
Driving and th e environment
It makes sense to shut off the engine in traffic
jams, when waiting for trains to pass at rai lroad
crossings, or at traff ic lights that have long waits
on red. Turning the eng ine off for just 30-40 sec
onds saves more fuel than is burned starting the
engine again .
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fully when it is running at idle. However, wear
and nox ious em issions are especially h igh when
the engine is warm ing up. So you should dr ive
away as soon as you start the engine and avoid running at high rpms while the engine is still
warming up.
{[) Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after
starting. If warning lights should come on to
indicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended id ling a lso produces
heat, wh ich co uld resu lt in overheating or ot h
er damage to the vehicle or other property .
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot
of fuel.
~ Have you r vehicle se rv iced at regular i nte rva ls.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
author ized Audi dealer helps to ensure that it
r u ns p roperly and economically. The condition of
your veh icle not only affe cts its safety and ability
to hold its va lue, i t also affects
fue l con sump
tion.
Ch eck your oil each tim e you fill your tank .
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 lowest value after a certain mile
age has been driven.
You must drive yo ur vehicle about 3,000 miles
(5,000 ki lometers) before you can properly as
sess o il consumption .
This a lso applies to fuel consumption and engine
output .
180
(D Note
-Have your veh icle ma intained properly and
in accordance with the service recommenda
tions in your Warranty
& Maintenance book
let. Lack of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the emission control system and cou ld lead to damage .
- Do not alter or remove any component of the Emission Control System unless ap
proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such as
heat shields, sw itches, ignit ion wires,
valves, which a re des igned to p rotect your
vehicle's Emission Control System and other
impo rtant vehicle components.
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively high
on short trips.
~ Tr y to avoid dr iv ing sho rt distances w ith a co ld
eng ine .
The eng ine and cata lytic converter have to reach
their opt imal
op erat ing temperature to reduce
fuel consumpt io n and noxious em issions effec
tive ly.
Just after starting, a co ld eng ine in a mid -s ize car
o nly achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 m iles per
gallon (30-40 l/100 km). After about a half a
mile, fuel economy climbs to 12 mpg ( 20 l/100
k m). After about
2.5 mi les ( 4 km) , the eng ine is
at i ts p roper operating tempera ture and fuel
economy has reached a normal level. So you can
see that yo u should avo id short trips whenever
poss ib le.
The
outside temperature is also cr itical in th is re
gard. Your car cons umes more fuel in the winter
than in the summer.
Care and cleaning
General information
Regular, proper care helps to maintain your vehi
cle's value. It can a lso be a req uirement when
submitting warranty claims for corrosion damage
and paint defects on the body.
The necessary care products can be obtained
from your a uthorized Audi dea ler . Read and fol
l ow the instructions for use on the packaging .
A WARNING
- Using cleaning and care products incorrectly
can be dangerous to your health.
- Always store cleaning and care products out of reach of children to reduce the r isk of po i
soning .
@) For the sake of the environment
-Preferably use environmentally-friendly
products when b uying cleaning agents.
- Do not dispose of leftover cleaning and care
products with h ousehold tras h.
Car washes
The longer that deposits remain on the vehicle ,
the more the s urface may be damaged . H igh
temperatures s uch as those caused by s unlight
increase the damaging effect.
Before washing, rinse off heavy deposits with
p lenty of water.
S tu bbor n depos its s uch a s bird dropp ings o r tree
sap are best removed w ith plenty of wa ter and a
microfiber cloth .
A lso, was h the unde rs ide of your vehi cle once
ro ad salt s tops be ing use d fo r t he season .
Pressure washers
When washing your ve hicles w ith a pressure
washer, always follow the operating instructions p rov ided with t he p ress ure washer. This is espe-
"' "' cially importan t in reg ard to the p ress ure and 0::
~ sp ray ing dist ance. Do not aim the spray direc tly
~ at seals on side windows, doors, the hood, the 1.1"1
~ rear lid or the sunroof * or at tires, rubber hoses, ,....,
Care and cleaning
insulat ing mater ia l, sensors * or camera lenses *.
Keep a distance of at least 16 inches (40 cm) .
D o no t remove snow and ice with a pressu re
washe r.
Never use rotary nozzles or high pressure noz
zles.
The water temperature must not be above 140 °F
(60 °C) .
Automat ic car washes
Sp ray off the ve hicle before washing .
Make sure tha t the w indows and roo f* are close d
and the windshield wipers are off . Follow inst ruc
tions from the car wash operator, especially if
there are accessor ies attached to your vehicle.
If possible, use car washes th at do not h ave
brushes.
Only use car washes whe re the vehicle rem ains
stationa ry and the w ashing eq uipmen t moves
aro und the veh icle when w ash ing and dry ing . Car
washes that move the vehicle thro ugh the car
wash using a c hain are n ot recommende d.
Washing by hand
Clean the ve hicl e s tarting fro m the top and work
i ng down using a soft sponge or cleaning b rush .
U se solven t-free cleani ng p ro du cts .
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint by
hand
To avoid d amaging the paint whe n was hing, first
r emove dus t and la rge particles from yo ur vehi
cle . Insects, g rease s pots and finge rprints are
best removed with a spec ial cleaner for matte
finish paint.
Apply t he p rod uct us ing a micro fiber cloth . To
avoi d damaging the paint surface, do not use too
much pressure.
Rinse the ve hicl e thoro ughly with water. Then
clean usi ng a neutra l shampoo and a soft mic ro
fi ber cloth .
Rinse the ve hicle thoro ughly again and le t it air
dry. Remove any wate r residue using a s ham my. .,.
181
Care and cleaning
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 acci
dents.
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect yourse lf
from sharp metal components when wash
ing the underbody or the inside of the wheel
housings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking effect may be delayed due to moisture on the
brake rotors or ice in the winter . The brakes
must be dried first w ith a few careful brake
applications.
@ Note
- If you wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash, you must fold the exterior mirrors in
to reduce the risk of damage to the mirrors.
Power folding exterior mirrors* must only
be fo lded in and out us ing the power folding
funct ion.
- To prevent pa int damage, do not wash the
vehicle in direct sunlight .
- To reduce the risk of damage to the surface,
do not use insect removing sponges, kitchen
sponges or similar items.
- Matte finish painted vehicle components:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the sur-
face, do not use polishing agents or hard
wax.
- Never use protective wax. It can destroy
the matte finish effect.
- Do not place any stickers or magnetic
signs on vehicle parts painted with matte
finish paint. The paint could be damaged
when the stickers or magnets are re moved.
@ For the sake of the environment
On ly wash the vehicle in facilities specially de
signed for that purpose. This will reduce the
risk of dirty water contaminated with oil from
entering the sewer system.
182
-
Placing your vehicle out
of service
If you would like to take your vehicle out of serv
ice for a longer time, contact your authorized
Audi dealer or qualified repair facility. They will
advise you of important measures, such as corro
s ion protec tion , maintenance and storage proce
dures. Also follow the information about the bat
tery
~ page 196.
Fuel and Refu elin g
CJ) Note
-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 speci fied criteria 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 which the contents can
not be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance prob lems resulting from the use of fuels differ
ent from those specified are not the respon
s ibility of Audi and are not covered under
the New Vehicle or the Emission Contro l
System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fuel economy or
driveability and performance problems due
to the use of one of these fuel b lends, we
recommend that you sw itch to unb lended
fuel.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufactur
ers is carbon deposit build-up caused by the type
of gasoline you use .
A lthough gasoline grades differ from one manu
facturer to another, they have certain things in
common. All gasoline grades contain substances
that can cause deposits to collect on vita l engine
parts, such as fuel injectors and intake valves. Al
though most gasoline brands include additives to
keep eng ine and fuel systems clean, they are not
equally effect ive .
Audi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent Gas
oline . For more information on TOP TIER Deter
gent Gasoline, please go to the official webs ite
(www .toptiergas .com).
After an extended period of using inadequate
fuels, built-up carbon deposits can rob your en
g ine of peak performance .
184
(D Note
Damage or malfunction due to poor fuel qual
ity is not covered by the Audi New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
Refueling
Fuel filler neck
The fuel 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
9 page 186.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your vehicle
in 9 page234.
The label on the inside of the fuel filler flap tells
you the correct fuel for your vehicle . For more in
format ion about fuel specifications, see
9 page 183.
Your vehicle fuel tank has an on-board refuelling
vapor recovery system. This feature helps to pre
vent fuel vapors from escap ing from the tank and
po lluting the environment while you refuel your
vehicle. In order to fi ll the tank properly while
protecting the environment , p lease follow this
r efueling procedure carefully .
_& WARNING
Under normal operating conditions, never car
ry additional fuel containers in your car . Gas
can isters 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 co llision .
If you must transport fuel to
use for your lawn mower, snow blower, etc .,
be ve ry careful and always observe local and
state laws regarding the use, transportation
and storage of such fue l conta iners . Make cer
tain the container meets industry standa rds
(ANSI/ASTM F8S2 - 86).
@ Note
Neve r drive your veh icle until the fuel tank is
complete ly empty. The ir regular supply of
f u el can cause misfiring. Gasoline could enter ..,.
"' N
0:: loo
rl I.O
"' N
"' rl
the exhaust system and damage the catalytic
converter.
Refuelling
Fig . 155 Rig ht re ar v ehicl e sid e: Op enin g the fuel fille r flap
Fig. 156 Fuel f ill er fla p with atta ched fuel cap
When activating the central locking, the fuel fi ll
er flap is automatically un locked or locked . Re
fuel the veh icle with the ignition turned
off.
Taking the fuel cap off
~T urnoff the ignition.
~ Press the left side of the fue l filler flap to open
it
q fig. 155 -arrow -.
~ Unscrew fuel cap count er-clockw ise and hang it
on the fuel filler flap~
fig. 156.
Refuelling procedure
~ Insert the fuel nozzle from the gasol ine pump
into the fuel filler neck as far as it will go.
~ Select a medium refuelling rate so that the
nozzle switches off automat ica lly when the
tank is full.
Putting the fuel cap back on
~ After filling your tank, tw ist the f uel cap clock
wise as far as it wi ll go.
~ Close the fuel filler flap.
Fuel and Refueling
To avoid fuel spilling or evaporating from the fuel
tank always close fue l cap proper ly and com
pletely .
A WARNING
--
Improper refueling or handling of fuel can
cause fire, explosion and severe burns.
- Fuel is highly flammable and can cause se
vere burns and other injuries.
- Failure to shut the engine off while refuel
ing and/or to insert the pump noz zle fully
into the fue l filler neck could cause fuel to
spray out of filler neck or to overflow . Fuel
spray and overflowing fuel can cause a fire.
- Never use a cellular 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 while refu
eling. If in exceptional circumstances you
must get back in your vehicle whi le refuel
ing, make certain that you close the door
and touch metal to discharge static electric
ity before touching the filler nozzle again.
Static electricity can cause sparks that can ignite fue l vapors re leased during refueling.
- Never smoke or have an open f lame any
where in or near your vehicle when refueling
or filling a portable fue l conta iner .
- For your safety, we strongly recommend
that you do not travel with a portable f uel
container in your vehicle. The container, full
or empty may leak and cou ld cause a fire,
especially in a crash.
- If, under exceptional circumstances, you
must transport a portable fuel container,
ple ase observe the following:
- Never fill a portable fuel container while it
is anywhere in or on the veh icle (for exam
ple, in the luggage compartment, or on
the trunk). Static e lectricity can build up
while filling and can ignite fuel vapors
causing a f ire.
- Always place a portab le fue l container on
the ground before filling .
185
"' N
0:: loo
rl I.O
"' N
"' rl
Checking and Filling Hood
Releasing and opening the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the vehi
cle.
Fig. 159 Driver's side footwell: e ng in e hood release lever
Fig. 160 Releas e lev er un der t he e ngin e hood
Before opening the engine hood, make sure that
the windshield wipers are flat against the wind
shield . Otherwise, they could damage the paint
on the hood.
.. With the driver's door open, pu ll the lever un
der the instrument panel in the direction of the
arrow
c::> fig . 159.
.. Ra ise the hood slightly c::> &.
.. Press the rocker switch under the hood upward
c::> fig . 160. This releases the catch .
.. Open the hood.
A WARNING
Hot engine coolant can burn you.
- To reduce the r isk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam or
coolant escaping from the engine compa rt
ment. Wait until no steam or coolant can be
Checking and Filling
seen or heard before carefully opening the
hood .
Closing the engine hood
.. Pull the hood down until the pressure from the
struts is reduced.
"' Let the hood
drop down and latch in place. Do
not try to push it shut;
it may fa il to engage
c::> &. -
A WARNING
A hood that is not comp letely latched could
fly up and block your view while driving.
- When you close the engine hood, check it to
make sure the safety catch has properly en
gaged . The hood should be flush with the
surrounding vehicle body parts.
- If you notice while driv ing that the hood is
not secured properly, stop at once and close
it.
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the
engine compartment.
-
Whenever you must perform any work in the
engine compartment, for example checking and
filling different fluids , there i s a risk of injury ,
burns and accidents. To prevent personal injury
always observe the following WARNINGS . The
engine compartment of any vehicle is a hazard
ous area
c:> .&. .
A WARNING
-
To help avoid injury, before you check any-
thing under the hood:
- Turn off the engine.
- Remove the ignition key .
- Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever of automatic transmis-
sion to "P" (Park) .
-Always let the engine cool down. Hot com
ponents wi ll burn skin on contact .
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam o r
coo lant escaping from the engine
187
Checking and Filling
compartment. Wait until no steam or cool
ant can be seen or heard before carefully
opening the hood.
- Keep children away from the engine com
partment.
- Never spill fluids on hot engine compo
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary
electric fan is temperature controlled and
can switch on suddenly.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap when
the engine is still warm . The coolant system
is pressurized and hot coolant could spray
out .
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the coolant reservoir .
- Do not remove the engine cover under any
circumstances . This increases the risk of
burns .
- If work on the fuel system or the electrical
system is necessary :
= Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open
flames. Fluids in the engine compartment
could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher imme
diately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal injury
while the engine is running or being started,
never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repair with
the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake, move
selector lever of automatic transmission
to "P" (Park) .
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from getting
188
caught in the radiator fan, V-belts or other
moving parts, or from contacting hot
parts. Tie back hair before starting, and do
not wear clothing that will hang or droop
into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and chemi
cal hazards
¢ A .
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of Cali
fornia to cause cancer and birth defects and
reproductive harm. In addition, certain flu
ids contained in vehicles and certain prod
ucts of component wear contain or emit
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related acces
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms.
Wash hands after handling.
([) Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container or
filler opening, otherwise serious damage to
vehicle systems will occur.
@ For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly. If you
see spots from oil or other vehicle fluids, have
your vehicle inspected by an authorized Audi dealer .