Checking and Filling
-To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam or
coolant escaping from the engine compart
ment . Wait until no steam or coolant 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
192
to "P" (Park); put manual transmission in
Neutral.
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get
ting 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
c::> /.1. .
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.
(D 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.
,-1 N
0 1-CX)
,-1 I.Cl U"I
,-1 I.Cl ......
Checking and Filling
Engine compartment
Engine compartment
These are the most important items that you can check.
Fig. 160 Typical layout for containers and e ngin e oil fille r cap
(D Eng ine o il filler cap (
@ Brake fluid reservoir
((0) ...... .
@ Coolant expansion tank (- L) .... .
® Jump start point( -) with hex head
195
202,237
199
198
screw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202, 237
@ Windshield/headlight* washer con-
tainer
(W) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
The position of the engine oil filling hole
c:> fig. 160 (item @) can differ depending on the
engine design .
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine com
partment, always read and heed all WARN
INGS
c:> &. in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 191.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used must conform to exact speci
fications.
T he serv ice interval display in the instrument
cluster of your vehicle will inform you when it is
time for an oi l change . We recommend that you
have your oi l changed by an authorized Audi Serv
ice Advisor.
If you have to top off the oil between oil changes,
use the Audi oil quality standard specified in the
table .
Audi oil quality standard
Gasoline
VW 502 00 or
engine vw 504 00
193
Check ing and F illing
@ For the sake of the environment
- Under no circumstances can the oil come in
contact with the sewage network or the soil.
- Observe and fo llow legal regulations when
disposing of empty oil containers.
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that hove your oil changed by on
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified service sta
tion .
Before you che ck anything in the eng ine compart
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS ¢ A
in Working in the engine comportment on
page 191.
The engine oil must be changed according to the i n tervals specified in your Warranty
& Mainte
nance booklet . This is very important because the
lubricat ing propert ies of oil diminish gradually
during normal vehicle use.
Under some circ umstances the eng ine oi l sho uld
be changed more frequently. Change oil more of
ten if yo u drive most ly short distances, operate
the vehicle in dusty areas or under predominantly
stop-and-go traffic cond it ions , or have your vehi
cle where temperatures remain below freezing
for extended periods.
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh oil
look dark after t he engine has been run ning for a
short t ime . T his is normal and is not a reason to
cha nge the oil mo re often than recommended .
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal, along
with the special tools and necessary expertise re
qu ired, we strongly recommend that you have
your oil c hanged by an aut ho rized
Audi dealer o r
a qualif ied se rvice station .
If you choose to change your o il yourself , please
note the following important informat ion:
A WARNING
To re duce the risk of pe rsonal injury if you
must c hange t he engine oil in your ve hicle
yo urs elf:
- W ear eye protection .
196
-
-To reduce the r is k of burns from hot engine
oil, let the engine cool down to the touch.
- W hen removing the oil drain plug with your
fingers, stay as far away as possible. Always
keep your forearm pa rallel to the ground to
he lp prevent hot oil from run ning down your
arm .
- Drain t he oil into a container designed for
this purpose, one large enough to hold at
leas t the tota l amou nt of oil in you r engine.
- Engi ne oil is poisonous. Keep it well out of
the reach of childre n.
- Continuous contact wit h used engine o il is
ha rmf ul to your skin. Always protect your
skin by washi ng oil
off thoroughly with soap
and wate r.
(D Note
Neve r mix oil additives with yo ur engine oil.
These additives can damage your e ngine and
adverse ly affect your A udi L imi ted New Vehi
cle Warranty .
@ For the sake of the environment
-Be fore chang ing you r oi l, first make sure
you know where you can properly dispose o f
t h e used oil.
- Always dispose of used e ngine o il pro perly .
Do not d ump it on garden so il, wooded
areas, into op en streams o r down sewage
drains.
- Recycle used e ngine o il by tak ing it to a used
eng ine oil collect io n fa cil ity in you r area, o r
c o nta ct a servi ce st ation.
Cooling system
Coolant '
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro
tects the engine from freezing in the winter.
The coolin g system is sealed and generally re
quires little attention .
The coo lin g sys tem h as been filled a t the fac to ry
wi th a pe rmanent coolan t which does not need to
be changed. The coo lant consists of a mixture of .,.
.... N
0 Ico ....
er's glycol-basedcoo lant additive Gl3 antifreeze
with anticorrosion additives (50% for USA mod
e ls; 60% for Canadian models). This m ixture
both assures the necessary frost protection and
protects metal components in the engine's cool
ing system from corrosion and scaling.
It also
raises the boiling point of the coolant .
Do not reduce the concentration of the coolant in
the summer by adding plain water.
Th e propor
tion of coolant addit ive must be at l eas t 50° /4
but not more th an 60 %
to maintain antifreeze
p rotection and cooling efficiency. If the coolant
frost protec tion is too low, the coolant co uld
freeze and damage the vehicle heating and en
gine cooling system.
F or yea r-round driving, antifreeze is added at the
factory for temperatures down to:
- -31 °F (- 35 °C) USA
- -40 °F ( - 40 °C) Canada.
If you must add coolant, use a mixture of water
and coolant addit ive. Mixing the coolant additive
with distilled water is recommended.
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine com
partment, always read and heed all WARN
INGS
Q &. in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 191.
(D Note
- Before winter sets in, have the coolant
checked to see if the coolant additive in your
vehicle is sufficient to meet the climate con
dit ions. This is especially important if you
li ve in a reg ion where the w inte r is ext reme
l y co ld. If ne cessary, in cre ase the proport io n
of coo lant add itive to 60%.
- When addi ng coolant addit ive to you r cool
i ng system, remember:
- We recommend using only coolant addi
tive Gl2++ or Gl3 for your ve hicle. T his
coolant additive is available at authorized
Audi dea lers. Othe r types of antifreeze can
significant ly reduce cor ros ion p rotection .
Check ing and Filling
The resulting co rrosion can cause a loss of
coolant and serious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiator lea k sealant
to your vehicle's engine coolant. Adding ra
diator repair fluid may adversely affect the
function and performance of your cooling
system and could resu lt in damage not cov
ered by your New Veh icle Limited Warranty.
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a
quick glance.
F ig. 163 Engine compa rtment: Cover on the coolant ex
pans ion tank
.. Before you check anything in the engine com
partment,
al ways read and heed all WARN
INGS
q ..&. in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 191.
.. Park your ve hicle on a leve l sur face .
.. Tu rn off the ignit io n .
.. Read the eng ine coolan t level from the coo la nt
expansion tank
qfig . 163, Qpage 193,
fig. 160 .
With a cold engine, the coolant level
should be between the " MIN" and "MAX" mark
ings. When the engine is warm, the level may
be slightly above the "MAX" marking.
The location of the coolant expansion tank can be
seen in the engine compartment illustration
qpage 193.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must
be switched off.
T he expansion ta nk in your veh icle is eq uipped
with an electric coo lant level senso r.
When the coolant leve l is too low, the warning
light i n the Auto-Check System
Q page 17 will
197
Check ing and F illing
blink until you add coolant and the level has been
restored to normal. Even though there is an e lec
tr ic coolant level sensor, we still recommend you
check the coo lant level from time to time.
Coolant los s
Coolant loss may indicate a l e ak in the cooling
system. In the event of coolant loss, the cooling
syst em should be insp ected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer. It is not enough merely
to add coolant.
I n a
s e aled system, losses can occur only if the
boiling point of the coo lant is exceeded as a re
sult of overheating.
A WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and can get very hot. Reduce the risk of scalding from
hot coolant by following these steps.
- Turn off the eng ine and allow it to cool
down .
- Protect your face, hands and arms from es
caping fluid and steam by covering the cap
with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in a
counter-clockwise direction wh ile apply ing
l ight, downward pressure on the top of the
cap .
- To avo id being burned, do not sp ill anti
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system or
hot eng ine parts . Under certain conditions,
the ethy lene g lycol i n engine coolant can
catch fire.
{Q) Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak seala nt
to your veh icle's engine coolant . Adding radia
to r repa ir fluid may adversely affec t the func
tion and performance of yo ur cooling system
and could result in damage not covered by
your New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anyth ing in the eng ine compart
ment,
a lwa ys re ad an d heed all WARNINGS
198
¢ A in Working in the engine compartment on
page 191.
Requireme nt: The re must be a res idual amount
of coo lant in the expans ion tank
~CD-
.,,. Turn off the engine .
.,,. Let the engine cool down.
.,,. Place a thick rag over the coolan t expa nsion
tank ¢page 197, fig. 163 and
carefull y turn
the cap counter-clockwise ¢.&_ .
.,,. Add coo lant mixed in the correct ratio
~ page 196, Coolant up to the MAX marking.
.,,. Make sure that the fluid level remains stab le.
Add more coolant if necessary .
.,,. Twist the cap on aga in tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to ex
act specifications ¢ page 196, Coolan t.
We recommend using only coo lant additive
G l2 +
+ , Gl3
or in an emergency Gl2+. Do not use a
different additive . In an emergency use plain wa
ter unt il you can get the correct addit ive and can
restore the correct rat io. Th is should be done as
soon as possible.
If you have lost a considerable amount of cool
ant, then you should add cold antifreeze and cold
water only when the engine is cold.
Always use new engine coo lant when refilling .
Do not fi ll coolant above the "MAX " mark. Excess
coolant will be forced out th rough the pressure
relief valve in the cap when the engine becomes
hot.
A WARNING
- The cooling system is under pressure and can get very hot. Reduce the risk of scalding
from hot coolant by following these steps.
- Turn off the engine and a llow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by covering the
cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap s low ly and very ca refully in a
counter-clo ckwise direction wh ile app ly ing
li ght, downward pressure on the top o f
the cap.
~
,-1 N
0 1-CX)
,-1 I.Cl U"I
,-1 I.Cl ......
-To avoid being burned, do not spill anti
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system or hot engine parts. Under certain condi
tions, the ethylene glycol in engine cool ant can catch fire.
- Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store anti
freeze in its original container and well out
of the reach of children.
- If you drain the coolant, it must be caught
and safely stored in a proper container
clearly marked "poison".
(D Note
-Do not add coolant if the expansion tank is
empty . Air could enter the cooling system
and damage the engine.
If this is the case,
do not continue driving. Seek professional
assistance.
- Coolant pollutes the environment and could
cause an engine fire. Excess coolant will be
forced out through the pressure relief valve
in the cap when the engine becomes hot.
-If, in an emergency, only water can be add
ed, the correct ratio between water and an
tifreeze c::>
page 196 must be restored as
soon as possible.
@) For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant should not be reused. Always
dispose of used coolant while observing all
environmental regulations.
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by it
self.
The radiator fan is driven by the engine via the V
belt . The viscous clutch regulates the speed of
the fan according to the temperature of the cool
ant.
An auxiliary electric radiator fan* switches on and
off depending on coolant temperature and other
vehicle operating conditions.
After you switch the engine off, the auxiliary fan
can continue running for up to 10 minutes -even
Checking and Filling
with the ignition off. It can even switch on again
later by itself c::>
&, if
- the temperature of the engine coolant rises due
to the heat build-up from the engine in the en
gine compartment, or
- the engine compartment heats up because the
vehicle is parked in intense sunlight.
A WARNING
-To reduce the risk of personal injury never
touch the radiator fan.
- The auxiliary electric fan is temperature
controlled and can switch on suddenly even
when the engine is not running.
- The auxiliary radiator fan switches on auto
matically when the engine coolant reaches a
certain temperature and will continue to run
until the coolant temperature drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The broke fluid level con be checked with o quick
glance .
Fig. 164 Engine compartmen t: Cover on the brake flui d
re servoir
Before you check anything in the engine compart
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
c::> _.& in Working in the engine comportment on
page 191.
.,. Read the brake fluid level from the brake fluid
reservoir c::>fig.164,
c::>poge 193, fig .160 . The
brake fluid level must be between the "MIN"
and "MAX" markings.
199
Checking and Filling
the energy m anag ement functions correctly after
replacing the battery.
I f it is not poss ible to use a battery of th is type,
the new battery must have the same capacity,
voltage (12 -volts), amperage, construction and
p lug sealing .
When insta lling the batte ry, make sure the igni
tion and all elec trical consumers are turned off.
CD Note
Ma ke sure the ventilation hose on the side of
t he batte ry is connected, othe rw ise f umes or
bat tery acid can lea k out.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper dispo sal of
a ba tte ry, we recommen d your author ized
Audi de aler change the battery fo r you . Bat
teries contain su lf u ric acid and lea d and must
always be disposed of properly in compliance
w ith all environmental regu lations. D ispos ing
of vehicle batteries improperly is very danger
ous to the env ironment.
Windshield/headlight*
washer container
F ig. 16 6 Engine co mpar tment : Cove r o n th e w ind shie ld
and head lig ht ' was her fluid conta iner
The washer fl uid containe r is m arked with the
symbo l
O on its cap ~ fig. 166 , ¢ page 193 ,
fig . 160 .
.,. Befo re yo u check anything in the engine com
partment,
alway s read and heed all WARN
INGS ¢,& in Working in the engine compor t
ment on page 191.
204
.,. Lift the filler cap tongue to add washe r fl uid.
You ca n fill the conta iner to the top.
.,. Press the cap back onto the filler neck after fill -
ing the container .
You can find the reservoir
capacit y in the table in
~ page 242.
Clean water should be used when filling up . If
possib le , use soft wate r to prevent scaling on the
washer jets. Always add a glass cleaner solution
(with frost p rotection in the winter) .
CD Note
Do not mix engine coolant antifreeze or any
other additives to fill up the winds hield wash
er reservoir.
.... N
0 Ico ....
Model Tire designation Tire pressure
Engine normal load condition full load condition
(up to 2 occupants)a)
front rear front rear
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
AS Coupe: 225/50 Rl
7 94H
32 220 29 200 33 230 33 230 2.0 liter All Season
4-cylinder 245/45 Rl
7 95H
All Season
32 220 29 200 33 230 33 230
245/40 Rl8 93H 33 230 29 200 35 240 35 240
All Season
255/35 Rl9 96Y
3 2 22 0 32 22 0 33 230 33 230 High Performance
55 Coupe: 245/40 Rl8 93H
36
250 30 210 39 270 36 250 3.0 liter All Season
6-cylinder
245/40 Rl8 93Y
High Performance
38 2
60 3 2 22 0 41 280
38 2
60
255/35 Rl9 96Y
38 260 32 220 41
280 38 260 High Performance
XL= reinforced or extra load tire. It may also appear as xl, EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire sidewall.
a) 2 people in the front
_& WARNING
Please note the important safe
ty precautions regarding tire pressure
¢page 215 and load
limits¢
page 217.
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of
load or weight that any vehicle
and any tire can carry. A vehicle
that is overloaded will not handle
well and is more difficult to stop.
Overloading can not only lead to
loss of vehicle control, but can al
so damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden tire failure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation that can
cause the vehicle to crash.
Your safety and that of your pas
sengers also depends on making
sure that load limits are not ex
ceeded. Vehicle load includes ev
erybody and everything in and on
the vehicle. These load limits are
technically referred to as the vehi cle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rat
ing
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight
of the basic vehicle, all factory in
stalled accessories, a full tank of
fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids ..,
217