Instruments and indicator lights
Instruments and indicator Lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster and controls
The instrument cluster is your central source of information.
Fig. 3 Overview of the instr ume nt cluste r
(D Coolant temperature gauge .. .. .
@ Tachometer .... .. .. ..... .... .
@ Warning/indicator lights ...... .
@ ISETI button ....... ...... .... ·
® Display
- Driver information system .... .
- Time and date display ........ .
- Odometer .... ............ . .
® Reset button for trip odometer
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11
13
11
23
12
12
12
12
-When switching the ignition on, the needles
in the instrument cluster swing upward
briefly.
- The illumination for the instrument cluster
lights up whenever you switch on the igni
tion with the
vehicle headlights off. As the
daylight fades, the instrument cluster illu
mination likewise dims automatically and
will go out completely when the outside
light is very low . This feature is meant to re
mind you to switch on the headlights when
outside light conditions become poor.
10
Engine coolant temperature gauge
The engine coolant gauge¢ page 10, fig. 3@
only works when the ignition is on. To prevent
damage to your engine, please note the follow ing important points:
Engine cold
If the needle is at or close to the bottom of the
gauge, the engine has not yet reached its operat
ing temperature. Avoid high engine speeds,
heavy engine loads, and heavy throttle applica
tions .
Normal temperature
When the engine has reached its operating tem
perature, the needle will move to the middle of
the gauge and remain there. If the engine is
working hard at high outside temperatures, the
needle may move higher on the gauge . This is not
a cause for concern as long as the . warning
li ght i n the inst rument cluster display does not il
luminate . If the . warning light in the instru
ment cluster display flashes, this can mean one
of two things : either the coolant
temperature is
too high, or the coolant
level is too low
¢page 17 ..,.
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A WARNING
-Always observe the warning in ¢ page 191,
before opening t he hood and checking the
engine coolant level.
- Never open the engine hood if you see or
hear steam, or if you see engine coolant
dr ipping from the engine compartment. You
cou ld burn yourself. Let the engine cool off
firstsothatyoucannothearo rseeany
steam or engine coo lant.
0 Note
- Mounting additional lights or accessories in
front of the air inlets reduces the cooling ef
fect of the radiator. At h igh outside temper
atu res or high engine load, the engine could
overheat.
- The front spoiler has been designed to prop
erly distribute the cooling air when the vehi
cle is moving. If the spoiler is damaged, this
could reduce the cooling effect and the en
gine could then overheat. Ask your author
ized Audi dealer for assistance.
Tachometer (engine rev counter )
The tachometer indicates the engine RPM (revo
lutions per minutes).
If engine RPM drops below 1,500, you should
downshift to the next lower gear. The red area at
the end of the scale indicates maximum permis
sible eng ine RPM after the break-in period. Be
fore reaching this area, move the selector lever
to position D/5 or ease your foot off the accelera
tor pedal.
(D Note
The tachometer needle@¢ page 10, fig. 3
should only briefly be in the red zone: you
could damage your eng ine! The beginning of
the red zone varies depending on the engine.
@ For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early saves fuel and reduces en
gine noise.
Instruments and indicator lights
~button
Fig. 4 SET button in the instrument cluster
The !SET I button performs the following func
tions:
Switching on time, date, temperature
display and odometer
The display appears for approximately 30 sec
onds when you press the
ISETI button¢ fig . 4
with the ignition off.
Starting the Auto-Check sequence
The Auto-Check system constantly monitors cer
tain indiv idual functions and components of the
vehicle when the ignition is turned on and when
the vehicle is moving.
With the ignition turned on, you can start the
"Auto-Check sequence" by pressing the
! SETI but
ton. You can perform an Auto-Check sequence
when the vehicle is stat ionary and the ignition is
turned on or when the vehicle is moving slower
than 3 mph (5 km/h).
In addition, the number of keys initialised for
your vehicle is displayed.
L2 3/3 means that
th ree keys have been initialised. This feature e na
bles used car buye rs to make su re they have re
ceived all of the keys.
If you are given only two keys, for instance, you
should take the veh icle and the existing keys to
an authorized Audi dealer to have the missing key
disabled. It is also important to notify your insur
ance company about the loss.
Setting the speed warning
By pressing the ISETI button briefly, you can set
threshold 1 of the speed warning wh ile you are
driv ing
¢page 80. By ma intaining pressure on
11
9:::1: Engine oil pressure
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol re
quires immediate service or repair . Driving with a
low-oil-pressure indication is likely to inflict se
vere damage to the engine.
• Turn off engine! Oil pressure too low
If the indicator lig ht t urns on and the message
appears, the oi l pressu re is too low.
~ P ull off the road.
~ Stop t he vehicle .
~ Turnoff the engine.
~ Check the engine oil level¢ page 195 .
~ If the engine oil leve l is too low, add engine oi l
¢
page 195. Make sure that t he oil pressure
warning symbol. appears no longe r in the
display before you s ta rt driving ag ain.
~ If the engi ne oil leve l is cor rect and t he i ndic a
tor lig ht still tur ns on, turn t he eng ine
off and
do not continue driving . Seek p ro fessional as
s istance .
(D Tips
- The engine oil pressure symbol. is not
an indicator for a low engine oil level. Do
not rely on it. Instead, check the oil level in
your engine at regular intervals, preferably each time you refuel, and always before
going on a long trip.
- The yellow oil level warning indication
Ill
requires oil refill or workshop service with
out delay . Do not wait until the red oil
pressure warning. starts to flash before
you respond to the low oil level warning
Ill . By then , your engine may already have
suffered serious damage .
~ . Engine oil level
• WARNING: Please add oil immediately
If the indicator lig ht and the message ap pear,
a dd engine o il i mm edi ate ly
¢page 193.
;::; Ill Add oil, max XX XX l. You may cont. driv .
0
~ When the symbol II and driver message appea r, ,....,
~ add the amount of oi l appea ring in the display at
:;;: the next opportunity
¢ page 193. ,....,
Instruments and ind icator lights
-L Eng ine cooling system
A malfunction in the engine cooling system must
be repaired as soon as possible .
• Turn off engine and check coolant level
If the indicator light turns on and the message
appea rs, the coo lant tempe rat ure is too high o r
t h e coo lant leve l is too low.
~ Pull off the ro ad.
~ Stop the vehicle.
~ Tur noff th e engine.
~ Check coolant leve l ¢ page 19 7 .
~ Add coo lant if necessary¢ page 198 .
~ Continue dr iv ing only afte r the e ngine coolant
warni ng/ indicator light goes out .
~ Contact your authorized Audi dealer for assis-
t ance if necessa ry.
If the engi ne coo lant level is correct , then t he ra
dia to r f an may be the cause of t he mal func tion .
• Coolant temperature! Let engine run with
vehicle stationary
If the indicator lig ht tur ns on and the messa ge
appea rs, let the engine run a t idle for a few mi
nutes to c ool down.
A WARNING
-- If yo ur vehicle should break down for me
cha nica l o r ot her reasons, park at a safe dis
t ance from mov ing t raff ic, t urn off t he e n
g in e a nd turn on the haz ard warning lights
¢ p age 46, Em ergency fla she rs.
- N ever open t he hood if you see o r hear
s te am or coo lant esca p in g fr om th e engine
co mpartm ent - you ris k being scald ed . W ait
un til yo u can no longe r see or hear steam or
coo lant escapin g.
- T he engi ne compart ment of an y vehicl e is a
d anger ous are a. B efore y ou perfo rm any
wo rk in the eng ine com partment, t urn of
the eng ine a nd a llow it to cool. Follow t he
warn ing stickers
¢page 191.
(D Note
Do not con tinue dr iv in g if the . symbol i llu-
minates. The re is a malf u nction in the engine
IJi,,,
17
Trailer mode
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of you r
veh icle to the cold tire pressure listed under "Fu ll
load" on the label located on the driver's side B
pillar (visib le when the door is open) . Inflate
trai ler tires to trailer and tire manufacturers'
specifications.
Lights
The headlight settings should be checked with
the trailer attached before driving off. Check to
make sure both vehicle and trailer lights are
working properly .
Safety chains
Be sur e trailer safety chains are properly connect
ed from the trai ler to the hitch on the vehicle .
Leave enough slack in the chains to permit turn
ing corners . When you install safety chains, make
sure they w ill not drag on the road when you are
driving.
The chains shou ld cross under the trailer tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the hitch.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the fo llowing :
.. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself
is not load ed .
.. Be especia lly carefu l when passing other
vehicles .
.. Observe speed limits.
.. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed .
.. Always apply brakes early.
.. Monitor the temperature gauge .
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car resu lts
in a high ly unstable distribution of weight. If this
cannot be avo ided, drive at very low speeds only
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
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A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and control.
This means that the tow vehicle shou ld be loaded
to the extent possible and permissib le, wh ile
keeping the trailer as light as poss ible under the
c ir cumstances . Whenever possible, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow veh icle while observing tongue load require
ments and vehicle load ing considerations .
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be
comes for the driver to control the r ig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or wind
cond it ion s are unfavorab le -particularly when
go ing downh ill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trailer
shows the slightest sign of sway ing .
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for
vehicles towing tra ilers are lower than for regular
vehicles.
Always apply brakes early. When driving down
hill, shift into a lower gear to use the engine
braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Coolant tempe rature
The coolant temperature gauge c::> page 10 must
be observed carefully.
If the needle moves close
to the upper end of the scale, reduce speed im
med iately and/or turn off the a ir cond itioner .
If the coolant temperature warning light . in
the instrument cluster starts flashing, pull off
the road, stop and let the engine
idle for about
two m inutes to prevent heat build-up .
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving
vehicle is at a much greater risk in an acci
dent. Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wearing the restraints provided
by Audi.
-
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.
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 .,.
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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
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-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