Trailer mode notes
Important to know
Your vehicle handles different ly when tow ing a
trailer because of the additional weight and d if
ferent weight distr ibution. Safety, perfo rmance
and economy will greatly depend on how careful
ly you load your trailer and operate your rig .
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traffic. Keep practicing until you have be
come completely familiar with the way your vehi
cle-trailer combination behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires pract ice.
Backing up with a trailer generally requires steer
ing action opposite to that when backing up your
vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle
and the one in front of you. You will need more
room to stop. To compensate for the trailer, you
will need a larger than normal turning radius.
When pass ing, remember that you cannot accel
erate as fast as you normally would because of
the added load. Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for
your trai ler before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in peri
od of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may require
more frequent maintenance due to the ex
tra load
c::> page 244.
Parking on a slope
Do not pork on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot
be avoided, do so only ofter doing the following:
When parking:
;::; .. Apply the foot brake.
0 ~ .. Have someone place chocks under both the ve-
~ hicle and the trailer wheels. Lil ,...., v:, ,....,
Trailer mode
.. With chocks in place, slowly release the brakes
until the wheel chocks absorb the load.
.. Turn the wheels towards the curb .
.. Apply the parking brake.
.. Place an automatic transmission* in P, respec
tively a manual transmission in first or reverse
gear .
When restarting after parking:
.. App ly the foot brake.
.. Start the engine .
.. Move the selector lever to D/S, respectively a
manual transmission in first gear .
.. Release the parking brake and slowly pull out
and away from the wheel chocks.
.. Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel
chocks.
(D Tips
If you move the selector leve r of the automat
ic transmission* to P before applying the
parking brake and before blocking the wheels,
you may have to use more force later to move
the lever out of the P position.
183
Fuel and Refueling
Fuel and Refueling
Fuel
Fuel supply
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 TIER Detergent Gasoline,
p lease 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 ins ide 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 AKI/91
RON octane fuel w ill slightly 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 un leaded gaso line may not be available.
For more information on refueling your vehicle,
see r::;,
page 188.
Octane rating
Octane rating indicates a gasoline's ability to re
sist engine damaging "knock" caused by prema
ture ignit ion and detonation . Therefore, buy ing
the correct grade of gasoline is very important to
he lp prevent poss ible engine damage and a loss
of engine performance.
Gasoline most commonly used in the United
States and Canada has the following octane rat
i n gs that can usually be found on the filler pump:
- Premium Grade: 91 - 96 AKI
- Regular Grade: 87 -90 AKI
186
Explanation of the abbreviations:
AKI= Anti Knock Index= (R+M)/2 = (RON +MON)/
2
RON = Research Octane Number
MON = M otor Octane Number.
CJ) Note
- Do not use any fue l with octane ratings low
er than 87 AKI or 91 RON otherwise expen
sive engine damage will occur.
- Do
not use leaded gasoline. The use of lead
ed gasoline will severely damage your vehi
cle's catalytic converter and its ability to
control exhaust emissions.
Blended gasoline
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 mixt ure 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-knoc k index must be 87 AK I or higher.
- Blend must not contain more than 15% etha-
nol.
- Vehicles with flexib le fue l eng ine: 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
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform es
pecially well for winter or summer dr iv ing . Dur-
i ng seasonal change-ove r, we suggest that you .,.
.... N
0 Ico ....
adjustm ent is mor e likely to be made in time .
(D Note
-Fu els con taining a high pe rcentage of etha
no l such as ESQ and EBS may only be used in
vehicles with flexible fuel engines. Using high ethanol f uel in veh icles not equ ipped
with flexib le fue l engines can cause severe
engine damage.
- Methanol fuels which do not meet these re quirements may cause corros ion and dam
age to plast ic and rubber components in the
fuel system.
- Do not use fuels that fail to meet the spec i
fied c riter ia in this chapter .
- If you are unable to determine whether or
not a particular fuel blend meets the spec i
fications, ask your service station o r its fuel
supplier .
- Do not use fue l for wh ich the contents can
not be identif ied .
- Fuel system damage and performance prob
lems result ing from the use of fuels differ
ent from those specif ied a re not the respon
s ibility of Audi and are not covered under
t h e New Veh icle o r the Emiss io n Control
Syste m Wa rra nt ies.
- If yo u experience a loss of fue l economy o r
driveability an d pe rform ance pr oble m s du e
to t he use of one of these fuel blends we
,
recommend that you switch to unb lended
fuel.
Ethanol fuel (Bio-ethanol)
Applies to vehicles: with flex ible fuel engine
You can recognize vehicles wi th a flexible fuel
engine by looking at the lab el on the inside of
the fuel filler flap.
Ve hicl es w ith flex ible f uel engines may be oper
ated w ith b io -e thanol fuels such as EBS (85%
ethano l and 15% gasoline) or with un leaded gas
oline (91 AKI/ROZ 95) . The ve hicle may a lso b e
operated with a mixtu re of these fuels.
Fuel and R efueling
Your fuel consumpt ion w ill increase when using
bio-ethano l fue ls due to th e lower amount of en
ergy conta ined per un it vol ume in ethanol.
Warming up the flexible fuel engine in low
temperature s
Due to the chemica l composition of b io -ethanol ,
a certa in amount of fue l ends up in the engine o il
when driving short distances in very low temper
atures . This fuel evaporates again when the en
gine is warmed up.
II Please warm up engine .
If the drive r message appears in the instr ume nt
cluster disp lay, drive with a warm engine to re
duce the oil leve l.
(D Note
- N ever fill wi th metha no l o r with a higher
percentage of b io -ethanol than 85% (E85).
A highe r percentage of bio-ethanol in the
fuel can cause damage to the engine or to the fuel system.
- If you use on ly E85, it is recommende d to
fill the fue l tank complete ly w ith unleaded
premium g rade gasoline every 5,000 mi les.
- If you expe rience starting, rough id le or hes
itat ion d riveab ility prob lems, f ill the fuel
tank complete ly w ith unleaded p remium
grade gaso line and drive it norma lly until
t he gaso line is used. See your author ized
Audi dea ler if the problem persists.
- Inform your author ized Audi dealer that you
are ope rating o r have operate d the vehicle
w ith EBS.
- Read and follow the i nfo rmat ion and tips
abou t gasoli ne
c::> page 186 .
(D Tips
It may take longer to start the engine when
the outs ide temperat ure is very cold . If possi
ble, use w inte rize d fue l if tempe ratures are
below free zing .
187
Fuel and Refueling
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufactur
ers is carbon deposit build-up ca used by the type
of gasoline you use .
Although gasoline grades d iffer from one manu
facturer to another, they have certain things in
common. All gasoline grades contain substances
that can cause deposits to collect on v ital engine
parts, such as fuel injectors and intake valves. Al
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
fue ls, built-up carbon depos its can rob your en
g ine of peak performance.
CD Note
- Damage or malfunction 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 yo ur fuel tank.
Refueling
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
side panel behind the fuel f iller flap .
If the power locking system should fail, you can
still open the flap manually -for detailed instruc
tions see
c> page 190 .
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your vehicle
in
<=>page 242 .
The label on the inside of the fuel filler flap tells
you the correct fue l for your vehicle. For more in
formation about fuel specifications , see
<=> page 186 .
Your veh icle fuel tank has an on-board refuelling
vapor recovery system. This feature he lps to pre
vent fuel vapors from escaping from the tank and
188
polluting the environment whi le you refuel your
veh icle. In order to fill the tank proper ly while
protecting the env ironment, please follow th is
refueling procedure carefully.
A WARNING
Under normal operating conditions, never car
ry additional fuel containers in your car. Gas
can isters and other containers used to trans
port fue l can be dangerous. Such containers,
full or empty, may leak and could cause a fire
in a col lision.
If you must transport fuel to
use for your lawn mower , snow blower , etc.,
be very careful and always observe local and
state laws regarding the use, transportation
and storage of such fuel containers. Make cer
tain the container meets industry standards (ANSI/ASTM F852 -86) .
CD Note
Never drive your vehicle until the fuel tank is
complete ly empty. The irregular supply of
fuel can cause misfiring. Gasoline could enter the exhaust system and damage the catalytic
converte r.
Refuelling
Fig. 154 R ight rea r vehicle side: Ope ning the fuel filler flap
Fig. 155 Fuel fille r flap w ith att ach ed fuel c ap
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0 Ico ....
er flap is automatically unlocked or locked. Re
fue l the vehicle with the ignit ion turned
off.
T a king the fuel cap off
.,. Turn off the ignition.
.,. Press the left side of the fue l filler flap to open
it
c:> fig . 154 -arrow -.
.,. Unscrew fue l cap counter -clockwise and hang it
on the fue l filler flap
c:> fig. 155.
Refuelling proc edure
.,. Inse rt the fue l nozzle from the gasoline pump
into the fuel filler neck as far as it will go .
.,. Se lect a medium refuelling rate so that the
nozzle switches off automatically when the
tank is full.
Putting the fuel cap back on
.,. After filling yo ur tank, tw ist the f uel cap clock-
wise as far as it wi ll go .
.,. Close the fuel filler flap.
To avoid fuel spill ing o r evaporating from the f uel
tank always close fuel cap proper ly and com
pletely.
A WARNING
Improper refueling or handling of fuel can
cause fire, explosion and severe b urns.
-
- Fuel is highly flammable an d can cause se
vere burns and other injur ies .
- Failure to shut the engine off wh ile refuel
ing and/or to insert the pump nozz le fully
into the fuel filler neck could ca use fue l to
spray out of filler neck or to ove rflow. Fuel
spray and overflowing fue l can cause a fire.
- Never use a cellular telephone wh ile refuel
ing. The electromagnetic radiation can
cause spa rks that can ignite f uel vapors and
cause a fire.
- Never get back into your vehicle while refu
eling. If in except ional circumstances you
must get back in your vehicle while refuel
ing, make certain that you close the door
and touch meta l to discha rge static ele ctric
ity befo re touching the filler noz zle ag ain.
Fuel and R efueling
Stat ic elect ricity can cause sparks that can
ignite fue l vapors released during refueling.
- Never smo ke or have an open flame any
where in or near your vehicle when ref ueling
or filling a portable fuel container .
- For your safety, we strongly recommend
that you do not trave l with a po rtable fuel
container in your veh icle. The container, fu ll
or empty may leak and co uld cause a fire,
especially in a crash.
- If, under except ional circumstances, you
m ust transport a portable fuel container,
p lease observe the following:
- Never fill a portab le fue l conta iner while it
is anywhere in or on the vehicle (for exam
ple, in the l uggage compa rtment, o r on
the trunk). Static electricity can build up
while filling and can ignite fuel vapors caus ing a f ire .
-Always place a portab le fue l conta iner on
the ground before fi lling .
-A lways keep the f iller nozzle comp lete ly
inside the portable container before and
during f il li ng.
- If filling a portable co nta iner made of
metal, the filler nozz le must always be in
contact with the container . This will he lp
prevent stat ic elec trici ty from discharging
and ca use a fire.
- Never spill fue l inside the vehicle o r lug
gage compartment. F uel vapors a re highly
flammable.
- Always observe loca l and state/prov incial
l aws rega rding the use, storage a nd trans
po rtation of fuel contai ners.
- Make ce rtain the f uel con tainer mee ts i n
dust ry sta ndards (A NSI/ AS TM F852 -86).
(D Note
If any fuel has sp illed onto the car, it should
be removed immed iately to p revent damage
to the pa int.
@) For the sake of the environment
As soon as the correctly operated nozzle
switches off automatically for the first time,
189
Fuel and Refueling
the tank is full . Do not try to add more fuel
because fuel may spill out. In addition, the
expansion space in the fuel tank will be filled -
causing the fuel to overflow when it becomes
warm and pollute the environment.
(D Tips
- Running your engine while refuelling may
cause vapors to escape or even cause fuel to
sp ill out of the tank. This would then shut
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 .
- The fuel filler flap of your vehicle is not
l ocked when you lock the veh icle from the
inside .
Unlocking the fuel filler flap by hand
You con open the fuel filler flop by hand if the
power locking system should fail.
F ig. 156 luggage compartment: opening the side trim
F ig. 157 luggag e compartment: Emergency opening of
fuel filler flap
The emergency opening mechanism is located
behind the right side trim panel in the luggage
compa rtment.
190
"' a, st
-
" co
"'
Opening the side trim
.,. Insert a tool such as a screwdriver¢ page 225
or the eme rgency key into the right side of the
upper gap¢
fig. 156.
.,. Pry upward to release the trim.
Fuel filler door emergency release
.,. Loosen the st rap from its bracket and pull on it
¢
fig. 157. You can now open the fue l filler f lap
as usual
¢page 188.
,-1 N
0 1-CX)
,-1 I.Cl U"I
,-1 I.Cl ......
Checking and Filling Hood
Releasing and opening the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the vehi
cle.
Fig. 158 Driver's side footwell: engine hood re lea se lever
Fig. 159 Release lever under the engine 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, pull the lever un
der the instrument panel in the direction of the
arrow
¢ fig. 158.
.. Raise the hood slightly¢&.
.. Press the rocker switch under the hood upward
¢fig . 159. This releases the catch.
.. Open the hood.
A WARNING
Hot engine coolant can burn you.
- 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
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 .
.,. Le t the hood
drop down and latch in place. Do
not try to push it shut;
it may fail to engage
¢&, .
A WARNING
A hood that is not completely 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 driving 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 is 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
¢ .&. .
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); put manual transmission
in Neutral.
-Always let the engine cool down. Hot com
ponents will burn skin on contact.
191
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.