Check ing and F illing
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal of
brake fluid as we ll as the special tools re
quired and the necessary expertise, we rec
ommend that you have the b rake fluid
changed by your author ized Audi dealer .
Battery
General information
Under normal operating conditions, the battery
in your Audi does not need any maintenance.
W ith
high outside temperat ures or long da ily
drives we recommend that you have the electro
lyte level checked by a service fac ility . The elec
trolyte level should also be chec ked eac h time
the battery is charged ¢
page 228 .
Have the battery checked when you take your ve
h icle in for service. You a re well advised to re
p lace a battery t hat is o lder than S years .
W ith certain types of a irbag dep loyment, the
battery is disconnected from the vehicle electr i
cal system for safety reasons
¢ &. in Repair, care
and disposal of the airbags on page 157 .
Disconnecting the battery terminal s
Some vehicle functions (power window reg ula
tors, for example) are lost i f th e battery termi
na ls are disconnected. These functions have to be
relearned after the battery termina ls are con
nected aga in. To prevent th is , the batte ry shou ld
only be disconnected from the vehicle e lectr ica l
sys te m when abso lutely ne cessary for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period of
seve ral days or weeks, electrical components a re
gradua lly cut back or sw itched off . T hi s reduces
e n ergy cons umption and ma inta ins starti ng ca
pab il ity over a longer pe riod
¢ page 192. Some
of the conve nience f unct io ns may not o pera te,
such as the inter io r lig hts or powe r seat a dju st
ment . The convenience funct ions wi ll be avai lab le
again when you switch on the ignition and start
the engine.
226
Winter operation
Dur ing the winte r mon ths, ba ttery c apacity tends
to decrease as tempe ra tu res drop . This is be
ca use mo re power is also consume d while start
i ng, and the headlights, rear window defogger,
etc., are used more often.
Avo id unne cessary powe r consum ption, pa rticu
l arly in city traffic or when traveling on ly short
distances . Let your author ized Audi dealer check
t h e capacity of the vehicle battery before winter
sets in~
page 228. A we ll charged battery will
not only p reve nt sta rting prob lems when the
weather is cold, but will also last longer.
(D Tips
If yo ur vehicle is left standing for several
weeks at extreme ly low temperatu res, the ve
hicl e battery should be re m oved a nd stor ed
where it will not freeze. This w ill preven t it
fro m bei ng damaged and hav ing to be re
p lac ed .
Working on the battery
Be e specially car eful when working on or near
t he bat tery.
The battery is loca ted in the luggage com part
ment under the floo r. Befo re yo u check anything
i n the luggage compa rtment,
read and heed all
WARNINGS ¢
.cl·
Always heed the safety warnings , when working
o n the vehicle ba tte ry o r the veh icle elect rical
system to p reve nt injury.
The following WARNINGS are very important
when working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYM·
BOLS and safety precautions when working on
the battery.
®
Always wear eye protection.
A
Battery acid contains sulfuric acid . Al-
ways wear gloves and eye protection.
@
No
• sp ark s
• fl ame s
· sm oki ng .
&
Wh en a battery is charg ed , it produces
h yd rogen ga s which i s ex plosi ve and
c o uld c au se p ers onal injury .
®
Always keep the b atter y well out of
rea ch of child ren.
A WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on the
electrical system, there is the risk of injury,
accident and even fire. Read and heed the fol
lowing WARN INGS:
- Always wear eye protection. Do not let bat
tery a cid or any lead pa rticles get on your
sk in or cloth ing. Sh ield your eyes. Exp losive
gases can cause blindness or other injury .
- Battery acid contains su lf ur ic ac id. Sulfur ic
acid can cause blindness and severe b urns.
-Always wear gloves and eye protection. Do
not tilt the battery because acid could leak
out of the ventilat ion open ings.
- If you get battery ac id in your eyes or on
your skin, immediately rinse with co ld wa
ter for seve ral minutes and get medical at·
tention .
- If you should ingest any battery acid, seek
medical attention immediately .
- Do not expose the battery to an open flame,
electric sparks or an open light.
- Do not smoke.
- Do not interchange the positive and nega -
tive cab les.
- When working on the battery, be sure not to
short-c ircuit the terminals with tools or oth
er meta l objects. Th is wou ld cause the bat
tery to heat up very quickly, which could
lead to damage or explosion and persona l
injury.
- When a battery is charged, it produces hy
drogen gas which is explosive and could
cause pe rsonal injury.
- Always keep the battery well out of the
reac h of ch ildren .
-
Check ing and Filling
-Before work is done on the electrical sys
tem, disconnect the negat ive ground cable.
- Before performing any work on the electri
cal system, switch off the engine and igni
tion as well as any electrical equ ipment. The
negat ive cable on the battery must be dis
connected . If you are just going to replace a
light bulb, then it is enough to switch off
the lights.
- Before d isconnecting the battery, switch off
the anti-theft a larm system! Otherwise you
will set off the alarm.
- When disconnecting the battery, first dis
connect the negat ive cable and then the
positive cable.
- Before reconnect ing the battery, make sure
all electrical consumers a re switched off.
Reconnect the positive cable first and then
the negative cable. Never in terchange the
cables -this could start a fire !
- Never cha rge a froze n or a thawed-out bat
t ery . It co uld explode! If a battery has fro
zen, then it must be replaced. A discharged
battery can freeze over at 32 °F (0 °C).
- Make sure the vent hose is always attached to the opening on the side of the battery.
- Never use batteries which are damaged.
There is the danger of an exp losion! Always
replace a damaged battery .
A WARNING ,_____
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Ba ttery posts, term inals and related acces
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive prob lems.
Was h hands after handling.
(D Note
- Do not disconnect the vehicle battery when
the ignition is on or when the engine is run ning, otherwise, you w ill damage electronic
components in the electrical system.
- If your ve hicle is go ing to stand for a long
period of time w ithout being driven, protect
the battery from "freezing", otherwise it .,..
227
(D Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to start
the engine . This will serious ly damage sensi
tive electronic components, such as control units, relays, radio, etc., as well as the battery
charger.
Battery replacement
The new battery must have the same specifica
tions and dimensions as the original equipment
battery .
Intelligent energy management in your vehicle is
responsible for distributing the electrical energy
throughout your vehicle
¢ page 192 . The intelli
gent energy management system w ill keep the
engine battery charged better than vehicles with
out this system . To make sure the addit ional
e lectrica l energy is available once again after you
have changed the battery, we recommend that
you install batteries of the same type and manu
facture only (the same as those installed at the
time your veh icle was delivered). Specifications
are listed on the battery housing. Your author
ized dealer must code the battery in the energy
management system to enable you to use the en
ergy management functions correctly after re
p lacing the battery .
The new battery must have the same capacity,
voltage (12-volts), amperage, construction and
plug sealing .
When installing the battery, make sure the igni
tion and all electrical consumers are sw itched
off.
(D Note
Make sure the ventilation hose on the side of
the battery is connected, otherw ise fumes or
battery acid can leak out.
- Vehicles with the Start-Stop-System* are
equipped with a special cycle-proof AGM
battery . Install ing a different type of bat
tery can cause prob lems in the vehicle elec
trical system. When replacing the vehicle
battery, always install one with the same
specifications as the original battery.
Checking and Filling
{® For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal of
a battery, we recommend your authorized
Audi dealer change the battery for you. Bat
teries contain sulfur ic acid and lead and must
always be disposed of properly in compliance
with all environmental regulations. Disposing
of veh icle batteries improperly is very danger
ous to the environment .
Windshield/head Light
washer container
Fig. 192 Eng in e compar tment: cover on the windshie ld
and head light * washer fluid reservoir
The washer fluid container is marked with the
symbol~ on its cap
¢fig. 192, c:;,page 218,
fig. 186 .
.. Before you check anything in the engine com
partment,
always read and heed all WARN
INGS c::;, A in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 216.
.. Lift the filler cap tongue to add washer fluid .
You can fill the container to the top .
.. Press the cap back onto the filler neck after fill-
ing the container .
You can find the reservoir
capacity in the table in
¢page 271.
Clean water should be used when filling up. If
possible, use soft water to prevent scaling on
washer jets. Always add a glass cleaner solution
(with frost protection in the winter) . ..,.
229
Wheels
Wheels and Tires
General information
.,.Check your tires regularly for
damage (punctures, cuts, cracks
and bulges). Remove foreign ob
jects from the tire tread.
.,. If driving over curbs or similar
obstacles, drive slowly and ap
proach the curb at an angle.
.,.Have faulty tires or rims re
placed immediately.
"'Protect your tires from oil,
grease and fuel.
.,.M ark tires before removing
them so that the same running
direction can be maintained if
they are reinstalled.
"'Lay tires flat when storing and
store them in a cool, dry location
with as little exposure to light as
possible.
(D Note
-Please note that summer and
winter tires are designed for
the conditions that are typical in those seasons. Audi recom
mends using winter tires dur
ing the winter months. Low
temperatures significantly de crease the elasticity of summ
er tires, which affects traction
Wheels
and braking ability. If summer
tires are used in very cold
temperatures, cracks can form
on the tread bars, resulting in
permanent tire damage that
can cause loud driving noise
and unbalanced tires.
-Burnished, polished or
chromed rims must not be
used in winter driving condi
tions. The surface of the rims
does not have sufficient corro
sion protection for this and
could be permanently dam aged by road salt or similar
substances.
Tire designations
Fig. 193 T ir e designations on the side -
wall ,..
231
Wheels
(D Tires for passenger vehicles
(if applicable)
P indicates a tire for a passenger
vehicle. T indicates a tire desig
nated for temporary use.
@ Nominal width
Nominal width of the tire be
tween the sidewalls in millime
ters. In general: the larger the
number, the wider the tire.
@ Aspect ratio
Height/width ratio expressed as a
percentage.
@ Tire construction
R indicates a radial tire.
® Rim diameter
Size of the rim diameter in inches.
@ Load index and speed rating
The load index indicates the tire's
load-carrying capacity.
The speed rating indicates the maximum permitted speed
¢ & in
Winter tires on page 246.
"EXTRA LOAD", "xl" or "RF" indi
cates that the tire is reinforced or
is an Extra Load tire.
Speed rat- Maximum permitted speed
ing
p
up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (160 km/h)
232
Speed rat- Maximum permitted speed
Ing
R
up t o 106 mph (170 km/h)
s up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
T up to 1 18 mph (190 km/h)
u up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)al
z above 149 mph (240 km/h)al
w up to 168 mph (270 km/h)al
y up to 186 mph (300 km/h)al
a) For tires above 149 mph (240 km/h),
tire manufacturers sometimes use the
code "ZR".
(j) US DOT number (TIN) and
manufacture date
The manufacture date is listed on
the tire sidewall (it may only ap
pear on the inner side of the tire):
DOT ... 2214 ...
means, for example, that the tire
was produced in the 22nd week of
the year 2014.
@ Audi Original equipment
tires
Audi Original equipment tires
with the designation "AO" or "RO"
have been specially matched to
your Audi. When used correctly,
these tires meet the highest standards of safety and handling.
Your authorized Audi dealer will
be happy to provide more infor
mation.
® Mud and snow capability
"M/5" or "M+S" indicates the tire
has characteristics that make it
suitable for driving on mud and
snow .
& indicates a winter tire .
@ Composition of the tire cord
and materials
The number of plies indicates the
number of rubber ized fabric lay
ers in the t ire. In general : the
more layers, the more weight a
tire can carry . Tire manufacturers
must also specify the materials
used in the ti re . These incl ude
stee l, nylon, polyester and other
materials .
@Maximum permitted load
This number indicates the maxi
mum load in kilograms and
pounds that the tire can carry .
@ Uniform tire quality grade
standards for treadwear,
traction and temperature resistance
Treadwear , traction and tempera
ture ranges¢
page 248.
@ Running direction
The arrows indicate the running
direction of unidirectional t ires .
You must always follow the speci- fied running direction
¢
page 258.
€3) Maximum permitted
inflation pressure
Wheels
This number indicates the max i
mum pressure to which a tire can
be inflated unde r normal operat
ing conditions.
Glossary of tire and loading
terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined we ight (in
excess of those standard items
wh ich may be replaced) of auto
matic transmission, power steer
ing, power brakes, power win
dows, power seats, radio, and
heater, to the extent that these
items are available as factory-in
stalled equipment (whether in
stalled or not).
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the height to
the w idth of the tire in percent .
Numbers of 55 or lower indicate a
low s idewall for improved steer
ing response and better overall
handling on dry pavement . .,.
233
Wheels
Bead
means the part of the tire that is
made of steel wires, wrapped or
reinforced by ply cords and that is
shaped to fit the rim .
Bead separation
means a breakdown of the bond
between components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the
plies in the tire.
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recom
mended by the vehic le manufac
turer for a tire of a des ignated
size that has not been driven for more than a couple of miles (kilo
meters) at low speeds in the
three hour period before the tire pressure is measured or adj usted.
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor ve
hicle w ith standard equipment in
cluding the maximum capacity of
fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi
tioning and additiona l weight of
op tional equipment.
E x tra load tire
means a tire des igned to operate
at higher loads and at h igher in -
234
flation pressures than t he corre
spond ing standa rd tire. Extra load
tires may be identified as "XL",
"xl" , "EXTRA LOAD" , or "RF" on
the sidewall.
Gross A xle Weight Rating
("GAWR ")
means the load-carrying capacity
of a single axle system , measured
at the ti re-gro und interfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR")
means the max imum total loaded
weight of the vehicle .
Groove
means the space between two ad
jacent tread ribs .
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load tha t a
tire is rated to carry for a given in
flation pressure. You may not find
this informat ion on all ti res be
cause it is not required by law .
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a tire at
the maximum permissible infla
tion p ressure for that ti re .
Maximum loaded vehicle
weight
means the sum of: ...
Wheels
"XL" "xl" "EXTRA LOAD" or "RF" I I I
on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire
or a tire and tube assembly upon
which the tire beads are seated.
Rim diameter
means nominal diameter of the
bead seat . If you change your
wheel size, you w ill have to p ur
chase new tires to match the new rim diameter .
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nomina l distance between
rim flanges.
S idewall
means that portion of a tire be
tween the tread and bead .
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at which a tire is
designed to be driven for extend
ed periods of time. The rat ings
range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
to 186 mph (298 km/h)
¢ table
on page 232.
You may not find
this information on all tires be
cause it is not requ ired by law.
23 6
The speed rating letter code,
where applicable, is molded on
the tire sidewall and ind icates the
maximum permissible road
speeds
¢ .&. in Winter tires on
page 246.
Tire pressure monitoring system*
means a system that detects
when one or mo re of a vehicle's
tires are underinflated and illum i
na tes a low tire pressure warning
te lltale .
Tread
means that portion of a tire that
comes into contact w ith the road .
Tread separation
means pulling away o f the tread
from the t ire carcass .
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the
principal grooves designed to give
a visua l indication of the deg rees
of wear of the tread. Se e
¢ page 240, Treadwear indicator
for more information on measur
ing tire wear.