
206 Care and cleaning
_& 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 meta l components when
wash ing the underbody or the inside of
the wheel housings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking ef
fect may be de layed 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 .
@ Note
- If you wash t he vehicle in an automatic
ca r wash, you must fold the exterior m ir
r o rs in to reduce the r isk of damage to
t h e m irrors. Power foldi ng exterior m ir
r o rs* must on ly be folded in and o ut us
i ng the p ower folding function.
- To prevent pa int damage, do not wash
t h e ve hicle in direc t sunli ght. -
To reduce the ris k of damage to the sur
face, do not use insect removing spong
es, kitchen sponges or similar items.
- Matte finish painted veh icle compo
nents:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the
surface, do not use polishi ng agen ts or
h a rd wax.
- Never use protect ive wax. It can de
stroy the matte fi nish effec t.
- Do not place any stickers o r mag net ic
s igns on vehicle parts painted w ith
matte fi nish pa int. The paint cou ld be
d amaged when the sticke rs o r mag nets
ar e removed. @ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the ve hicl e in facilities spec ia lly
de signed for that purpose. This will red uce
the r is k of dirty w ater contam ina ted with
oi l from entering the sewer sys tem.
Cleaning and care information
When clea ning and ca rin g for individua l vehi
cle components, refer to the fo llow ing tab les.
The informa tion con taine d there is s imp ly rec
ommendations. Fo r quest ions or for compo -nents that ar
e not listed, refer to an author
i z ed Audi dea ler. Also follow the in format io n
f o und in¢ ,&..
Exterior cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Wind shield wip-
Deposi ts ¢ page 51, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
er blade s
H eadlights /
Deposits Soft sponge with a m ild soap solutiona>
Tail lights
Sensors /
Deposits Sensors: soft cloth with a so lvent-free cleaning product
camera lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth with an alcohol-free cleaning
so lution
Snow/ ice Hand brush/solvent -free de -icing spray
Wheels Road sa lt Water
Brake d ust Acid-free special cleaning so lution
E x haust ta il Road sa lt Water, cleaning solut ion sui table fo r sta inless steel, if
pipes necessary

228 Check ing and F illin g
8_ WARNING
-Brake fluid is poiso nous. It must be sto r
ed only in th e closed original container
out o f the reach of children!
- Brake fa ilure can result from old or inap
propriate brake fluid. Observe these pre
caut ions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE specification
J 1703 and conforms to
Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 116.
Always check with your authorized Audi
dealer to make sure you are using the
correct brake flu id. The correct type of
brake fluid is also indicated on the
b rake 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 serious ly affect the effi
ciency of the bra kes as well as yo ur
safety . This could result in an acc ident.
@ Note
Brake flu id will damage the paint of your
veh icle.
@i For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper d isposa l
of brake flu id as we ll as the special tools
requ ired and the ne cessary expert ise, we
recommend that you have the brake fluid
changed by your author ized Audi dealer .
Battery
General information
The battery in your Audi does not need any
maintena nce under
normal operating condi
tions. Aud i recommends having the elect ro
l yte level check by a n author ized Audi dealer
or author ized Audi Se rv ice Facili ty when there
are
high outside temperat ures or when driving
all day. The e lectrolyte level shou ld a lso be
checked each time the battery is charged
¢ page 230.
Have the batte ry checked when yo u bring your
vehicle in for an inspection . It is a good idea
to replace the battery if it is more than 5 years
o ld.
D uring certain types of airbag deployments,
the battery is disconnected from the vehicle electrical system for safety reasons¢
& in
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags on
page 160.
Di sconnecting the battery te rminals
Some vehicle functions (such as power win
dows) are not avai lable when the battery is
disconnected. These functions must be pro
grammed after the battery is reconnected. To
avo id hav ing to do this, only disconnect the
battery from the vehicle electrical system
when that is necessary to perform repairs .
To reprogram the functions, proceed as fol
lows:
Function Reprogramming
Power window one-¢ page 44, Correcting
touch up/down power window ma/-
function functions
Remote control key
If the vehicle does not
or r
eact to the key, it
convenience key must be synchronized
¢ page37
Dig ita l cl ock ¢page 10
ESC indicator light The indicator light
goes out after driving
a few meters
Not running the vehicle for long periods
of time
If you do not drive your vehicle fo r several
days or weeks, electrical components are
gradua lly reduced or switched off. This re
duces e nergy consumption and maintains the
vehicle's ability to start over a long per iod of
time
¢ page 194. Some convenie nce func
tions, such as interior lig hting or power seats *
may not work. These convenience functions
will be ava ilable again once you switch the ig-
nition on and start the engine. .,.

M N
0 > co ...... \!) 1.1'1
M 1.1'1 ......
-If you notice unusual vibration 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.
(D Note
-Please note that summer and winter tires are de
signed for the conditions
that are typical in those sea
sons. Audi recommends using winter tires during the
winter months. Low tem peratures significantly de
crease the elasticity of
summer tires, which affects
traction and braking ability.
Tires and wheels 235
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.
' •

M N
0 > co ,...., \!) 1.1'1
M 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 237
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.
' •
•
' •

244 Tires and wheels
The correct tire pressure for the
spare wheel is located on a la
bel on the driver's side 8-pillar .
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 8-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. 168.
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 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.

250 Tires and wheels
hitch and the tongue weight of
the loaded trailer) is limited.
The more passengers in the ve hicle or passengers who are
heavier than the standard
weights assumed mean that
less weight can be carried as
luggage .
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
q page 240, fig. 168 .
_& 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 vehicle 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 vehicles
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 .,..

Tires and wheels 259
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 ca re. 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
' M • N
0 > co build-up, sudden tire fail- specialist to see if your vehi-
......
ure, including a blowout cle can be equipped with ... \!) 1.1'1
M 1.1'1 ......