Trailer mod e
Tire pr essure
When tow ing a tra iler, 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.
Light s
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working proper ly.
Safet y chains
Be sure t railer safety chains are properly connect
ed from the trailer to the h itch on the veh icle.
L eave enough slack in the chains to permit turn
ing corners . When yo u install safety chains, make
sure they wi ll 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 .
Adjusting the Audi d rive select
Make sure the vehicle is on a level surface bef ore
hitching up the t railer and bef ore adjust ing the
tongue we ight . The vehicle must be in
auto or
comf ort driving mode and not raised
r::!> page 100, r::!> 0 .
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered. In Info
tainment, select:
ICARI function button > Lower
control button .
I f you m ust dr ive under poor road condit ions, you
can ra ise the vehicle
afte r coup ling the t rai ler or
after adjusting the tongue weight r:!> page 102.
(D Note
-Changes in tempe rature or load can affect
the he ight of the vehicle.
- Always se lect
auto or comfort mode. Othe r
wise, the tongue load spec ified for yo ur ve
hicle w ill no longer be applicable .
200
· Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration .
To obtain the best possible hand ling of veh icle
and trailer, please note the following:
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself
is not loaded .
.,. Be especially careful when passing other
vehicles .
.,. Observe speed limits .
.,. Do not dr ive at the maximum permissible
speed.
.,. Always app ly brakes ea rly.
.,. Monitor the temperat ure gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trai ler with an empty car results
i n a h ighly unstab le distribution of weight . If this
cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds only
to avoid the risk of losing steer ing contro l.
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
k eeping the trailer as l ight as poss ible under the
c ircu mstances . Wheneve r possib le, transfer
some ca rgo to the luggage compartment of the
tow vehicle while observing tongue load require
ments and vehicle loading considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the mo re diff icu lt i t be
comes fo r the driver to con trol the r ig . Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or wind
cond itions are unfavorab le -particularly when
go ing downh ill.
Reduce vehicle speed
i mmed iatel y if the trailer
shows the slightest sign of swaying.
Do not tr y
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits . In some areas, speeds for
vehicles towing trailers are lower than for regular
vehicles .
Always apply bra kes early. Whe n 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.
Air suspension*
When driving with a tra ile r, activate the trailer
mode of the air suspension. Switch the air sus
pension trailer mode on when you are towing a
trailer. This will limit the regulation by the air
suspension while driving. Select in the MMI :
ICARI function button > (Car)* systems control
button>
Vehicle settings> Air susp.: towing>
On.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge¢ page 10 must
be observed carefully . The coolant temperature
can increase if you drive on long inclines in a low
gear at high engine speeds. Reduce your speed immediately if the LEDs in the top part of the dis
play turn on .
For more information about ind icator lights, re
fer to. ¢
page 15.
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 p roperly wearing the restraints p rovided
by Audi.
Trailer mode notes
Important to know -
Your vehicle handles differently when towing a
trailer because of the additional weight and dif
ferent weight distribution. Safety, performance
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 traff ic. Keep practicing until you have be
come comp letely fami liar with the way your vehi
cle-trailer comb inat ion behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice.
Backing up with a trailer generally requires steer-
Trailer mode
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 passing, remember that you cannot accel
erate as fast as you normally wo uld because of
the added load . Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow p lenty of room for
your trailer before changing lanes again .
Avo id jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in peri
od of your veh icle.
-If you tow a trailer, your Audi may require
more frequent maintenance due to the ex
tra load ¢
page 2 73.
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 .
" Have someone place chocks under both the ve
hicle and the trailer wheels.
"W ith chocks in place, slowly release the brakes
until the wheel chocks absorb the load.
" Turn the whee ls towards the curb.
" App ly the parking brake.
" Select the P selector lever position.
When restarting after parking:
"App ly the foot brake.
" Start the engine .
"S elect the D/S se lector lever position.
" Release the parking brake and slowly pull out
and away from the wheel chocks.
" Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel
chocks.
201
Fuel and Refueling
Fuel and Refueling
Gasoline
Fuel supply
Applies to vehicles: with gaso li ne engine
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 lea se go to the offic ial 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 wil l slightly reduce engine per
formance.
Use unleaded gasoline only. Unleaded gasoline
is availab le 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
¢page 210.
Octane rating
Octane rating indicates a gasoline's ability to re
sist engine damaging "knock" caused by prema
ture ignit ion and detonation . Therefore, buying
the correct grade of gasoline is very important to
he lp prevent possible engine damage and a loss
of eng ine 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
208
- Regular Grade: 87 - 90 AKI
Explanation of the abbreviations:
AKI = Anti Knock Index = (R +M)/2 = (RON +MON)/
2
RON = Research Octane Number
MON= Motor Octane Number.
{[) Note
-Do not use any fuel with octane ratings low
er than 87 AKI or 91 RON otherwise expen
sive engine damage wi ll 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
Applies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
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 mixture meets the following
criteria:
Blend of gasoline methanol (wood alcohol or
methyl alcohol)
-Anti -knock index must be 87 AKI or h igher.
- 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-knock index must be 87 AKI or h igher .
- Blend must not contain more than 15% etha-
nol.
Blend of gasoline and MTBE
-Anti-knock index must be 87 AK I or higher .
- Blend must contain not mo re than 1S% 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-over, we suggest that you .,..
fill up at busy gas st ations where the season al
adjustment is more likely to be made in time .
(D Note
-Me thanol f uels which do not mee t these re
quirements may ca use corros ion and dam
age to plastic and rubber components in the
fuel system .
- Do not use fuels that fai l to meet the speci
fied criter ia in this chapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether or not a particular fuel blend meets the speci
ficat ions, ask your service station or its fuel
supplier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents can
not be identif ied.
- Fuel system damage and performance prob
lems resulting from the use of fue ls differ
ent from those specified are not the respon
s ibility of Audi and are not covered under
the New Veh icle or the Emiss ion Control
System Wa rrant ies.
- If you experience a loss of fue l economy or
driveability and performance prob lems due
to the use of one of these fuel b lends, we
recommend that you switch to unblended
fuel.
Gasoline additives
A ma jo r concern among many au to manufactur
e rs is carbon deposit build-up caused by the type
of gasoline you use.
A lthough gasoline gr ades d iffer from one manu
facturer to ano ther, they have cer tain things in
common . All gasoline grades contain substances
that can cause deposits to collect on v ita l eng ine
parts, such as f uel injectors and intake valves. Al
though most gasoline brands include additives to
keep engine and fuel systems clean, they are not
equally effective.
Aud i recommends using TOP TIER Detergent Gas
oline. For more informat ion on TOP TIER Deter
gent Gasoline, please go to the official website (www .toptiergas .com) .
Fuel and R efueling
After an extended period o f using inadeq uate
fuels, carbon deposit bui ld-ups can rob your en
gine o f peak performance.
(D Note
Damage or ma lf u nction due to poor fuel qual
ity is not covered by the A udi New Vehicle
Limited Warranty .
Diesel fuel
Applies to vehicles: with diesel engine
Always use ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel) No. 2 .
The ULSD No . 2 meets the ASTM 0975.
Diesel f uel w it h concen tratio ns of b iod iesel h igh
er than 5 % such as Bl 1, B20 or BlOO are strict ly
prohibited .
Se rvice station fuel p umps are labe led with the
correct f uel i nfo rmat ion for e asy recog nition by
the user.
If the d iesel f ue l pump is no t labeled
ask the station operator what fuel is being dis
pensed before fil ling up your vehicle .
UL SD No . 2 m ay not be available ou tside the USA
and Canada . Be su re to check befo re t raveling to
other countries .
UL SD No . 2 c an become thic ke r i n ve ry cold tem
peratures, and this can imp air the engine's s tart
ing and running. Depend ing on the sea son, gas
stations provide ULSD No . 2 that flows better in
cold temperatures so that you can continue oper
at ing your vehicle as usual.
@ Note
- Your vehicle's diese l engine was designed
soley for use w ith ULSD No . 2 . Therefo re,
neve r use gasoline, heating oil, other fuels
or flow improvers. These contain substances
that will severely damage the fuel system
and the engine . Such damage will not be
cove red by your New Vehicle Limited War
r a nty.
- If you put a ny amo unt of incorrect fuel in
the fuel tank, do not sta rt the eng ine under
any circumstances. Imme diately contact the
ne arest a uthor ized A udi dealer or author
ized Aud i Serv ice Facility fo r ass istance .
209
Fuel and Refueling
These fuels contain substances that can se
verely damage the fue l system and the en
gine if the engine is started .
Refueling
Fuel filler neck
The fuel fill er neck is located on the right rear
side panel beh ind the fuel fil ler flap.
If the power locking system should fail , you can
still open the flap manually - for detailed instruc
tions see ¢
page 212.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your vehicle
i n
¢ page 271 .
The label on the inside of the fuel filler flap tells
you the correc t fuel for you r vehicle . For more in
formation about fuel specifications , see
¢ page 208 .
Your vehicle fuel t ank has an onboard refuelling
vapor recovery system . This fea tu re helps to pre
vent fuel vapors from escaping from the tank and
polluting the environment while you refuel your
vehicle. In order to fill the tank properly while
protecting the environment, please fo llow this
refueling procedure carefully.
8_ WARNING
Under normal operating conditions, never car
ry additiona l fuel containers in your car. Gas
canisters and other containers used to trans
port fuel can be dangerous . Such containers,
full or empty , may leak and could cause a fire
in a collision . If you must transport fuel to
use for your lawn mower, snow blower, etc.,
be
very careful and always observe local and
state laws regard ing the use, transportation
and storage of such fuel containers. Make cer
tain the container meets industry standards
(ANSI/ASTM F852 -86).
(D Note
Never drive your vehicle until the fuel tank is
completely empty. T he irregular supply of
fue l can cause m isfiring. Gasoline could enter
the exhaust system and damage the catalytic
converter.
210
Refuelling
Fig. 178 Righ t re ar v ehicl e side : O penin g the fuel fill er flap
Fig. 179 Fuel fille r flap w it h att ach ed fuel c ap
When act iv a ting the central locking, the fuel fill
er flap is automatically unlocked or locked. Re
fuel the veh icle with the ignition switched
off.
Taking the fuel cap off
.. Press the left s ide of the fuel filler flap to open
i t ¢
fig. 178 -arrow-.
.. Unscrew fuel filler cap counter-clockwise and
hang it on the fuel filler flap~
fig. 179.
.. Check the label on the inside of the fuel filler
flap to determine if the vehicle must be fueled
w ith gasoline or diesel fuel.
Refuelling procedure
.. Insert the fuel nozzle from the gasoline pump
into the fuel filler neck as far as it will go .
.. Select a med ium refuelling rate so that the
nozz le switches off automatica lly when the
tank is full.
Putting the fuel cap back on
.. After filling your tank, twist the fuel filler cap
clockw ise as far as it will go .
.. Close the fuel filler flap.
To avoid fuel spilling or evaporating from the fuel
tank always close fuel filler cap properly and
completely. An improperly closed fuel filler cap
may also cause the MIL lamp
c> page 28 to come
on.
A WARNING
Improper refueling or handling of fuel can
cause fire, explosion and severe burns.
- Fuel is highly flammable and can cause se
vere burns and other injuries.
- Failure to shut the engine off while refuel
ing and/or to insert the pump nozzle fully
into the fuel filler neck could cause fuel to
spray out of filler neck or to overflow. Fuel
spray and overflowing fuel can cause a fire.
- Never use a cellular telephone while refuel
ing. The electromagnetic radiation can
cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors and
cause a fire.
-
-Never get back into your vehicle while refu
eling.
If in exceptional circumstances you
must get back in your vehicle while refuel
ing, make certain that you close the door
and touch metal to discharge static electric
ity before touching the filler nozzle again.
Static electricity can cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors released during refueling.
- Never smoke or have an open flame any where in or near your vehicle when refueling or filling a portable fuel container.
- For your safety, we strongly recommend that you do not travel with a portable fuel container in your vehicle. The container, full
or empty may leak and could cause a fire,
especially in a crash.
- If, under exceptional circumstances, you
must transport a portable fuel container,
please observe the following:
- Never fill a portable fuel container while it
is anywhere in or on the vehicle (for exam
ple, in the luggage compartment, or on
the trunk). Static electricity can build up while filling and can ignite fuel vapors
causing a fire.
- Always place a portable fuel container on
the ground before filling.
Fuel and Refueling
- Always keep the filler nozzle completely
inside the portable container before and
during filling.
- If filling a portable container made of
metal, the filler nozzle must always be in
contact with the container. This will help prevent static electricity from discharging
and cause a fire.
- Never spill fuel inside the vehicle or lug
gage compartment. Fuel vapors are highly
flammable .
- Always observe local and state/provincial
laws regarding the use, storage and trans
portation of fuel containers.
- Make certain the fuel container meets in dustry standards (ANSI/ ASTM F852 -86) .
(D Note
If any fuel has spilled onto the car, it should
be removed immediately to prevent damage
to the paint.
@) For the sake of the environment
As soon as the correctly operated nozzle
switches off automatically for the first time,
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
spill 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
switched on. The fuel gauge may otherwise
not indicate the correct fuel level after refu
elling.
- Diesel vehicles* are equipped with a diesel
misfueling protector.
It allows the vehicle
to be fueled only with a diesel fuel pump nozzle. A worn or damaged nozzle or a noz
zle that is too small may not be able to open
the diesel misfueling protector. If this is the .,..
211
Fuel and Refueling
case, try turning the nozzle before inserting
it in the fuel fi ller neck, use a different fue l
pump or see your authorized Audi dea ler or
authorized repair facility for ass istance.
- The fuel filler flap of your vehicle is not
locked when you lock the vehicle from the
inside.
Fuel filler door emergency release
If the central locking system is faulty, the fuel
filler door can be unlocked manually.
F ig. 180 Right side t rim in the luggage compartme nt: re ·
m ov ing the trim
Fig. 181 Luggage co mpa rtment: Fue l filler door emergen
cy release
Removing the side trim
• To remove the right side trim, first remove the
retainer from the mounts @¢
fig. 180.
• Turn both locking mechanisms 90° to the left
usi ng a coin or a similar object and remove the
locking mechanisms.
• Tilt the retainer upward and pull the trim out.
Lay the trim down on its side, because there is
an electrical wire for the socket * on the back.
212
Fuel filler door emergency release
• Loosen the strap from its bracket and pull on it
r:!.>fig. 181 ¢(2) . You can now open the fuel fill
er door as usual ¢
page 210.
(D Note
Only pull on the loop until you feel resistance .
You wi ll not hear it release . Otherwise you
could damage the emergency release mecha nism.
Selective catalytic reduction
General information
Applies to vehicles: with selective catalytic reduction
In vehicles with selective catalytic reduction, a
urea solution (AdBlue) is injected into the ex
haust system before a nitrogen oxide catalytic
converter to reduce nitrogen emissions.
The Ad Blue is carried in a separate tank in the ve
hicle. The AdBlue usage accounts for approxi
mately 0.5% to 2.5% of the diesel fuel that is
used.
When a message about refilling the AdBlue ap
pears in the instrument cluster display, you must
refill the Ad Blue yourself or have it refilled by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility
r:!.>page 213 .
{!) Tips
-The instrument cluster display ind icates the
distance remaining that can be driven
¢ page 213. If the AdBlue tank is com
pletely empty, the engine will not start
again after the ign ition is switched off.
- Ad Blue is required by law to operate th is ve
hicle.
... N
0 CJ '
Messages in the instrument cluster display
Applies to vehicles: with selective catalytic reduction
The display indicates if the Ad Blue level is low or
if there is a system malfunction .
AdBlue le vel low
You will be informed if the Ad Blue in the tank
drops below a certa in level.
Plea se refill Ad Blue. Range 1500 mi (2400 km )
This message appears whe n there is only eno ugh
Ad B lue lef t to d rive the distance indicated in the
d river i nformation system. Fill the AdBl ue.
AdBlue ,0 Refill AdBlue! No re start in 600 mi
( 1000 km )! See owner 's manual
This message appea rs when there is only eno ugh
Ad Blue left to drive the distance indicated in the
driver info rmation system . Fill the Ad Blue . Ot her
wise the eng ine will not sta rt aga in if you s top it
once the d ist anc e in dicate d ha s been d riven. Yo u
can also check t he remai ning dis tan ce in the on
board com puter* .
Refill Ad Blue! No restart! See own-
er's manual
This message appears whe n the AdBlue ta nk is
empty. F ill the AdB lue. Otherwise you will not be
ab le to s tart the engine aga in once yo u stop it.
The AdBlue must be refilled when t he amount in
the tank has reached the minimum level
q page 213, Filling Ad Blue.
Incorrect filling /system malfunction
A message appears if the AdBlue tank was filled
with a fluid other than AdBlue and the system
has detected that the tan k was fi lled incor rect ly,
or if there is a system malfunction .
Ad Blue -I' Ad Blue: System fault! No restart in
600 mi (1000 km ). See owner's manual.
This message appears when it is only poss ible to
drive the d istance indicated in the dr iver informa
tion system. Drive to the nearest authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Serv ice Facility to have
the ma lfunction co rrected. Otherwise the engine
w ill not start agai n if you stop it once the d is
tance ind icated has been driven .
Fuel and Refueling
AdBlue: System fault No re start!
See owner's manual
T his mess age app ea rs if the sy stem ha s detec ted
t h at the t ank was fi lled incor rec tly or tha t there
is a ma lf u nction . Drive immediate ly to the near
est authorized A udi dealer or authorized A udi
Se rvice Facility to have the ma lf u nction co rrect
ed. Ot herwise you wi ll not be able to start the en
gine again once you stop it .
Filling AdBlue
Applies to vehicles: with selective catalytic reduction
Fig. 182 Right rear vehicle side: removing the Ad Bl ue cap
The Ad Blue filler t ube is located near the d iesel
filler t ube. Add at least 1.5 gallons (5.7 lite rs) of
AdBl ue. This is the min imum amount required to
ensure the system detects the refilling and to
sta rt the eng ine . You can add a maxim um of ap
prox imately 4 . 5 gallons ( 17 li ters) .
Requirement: The request to add Ad Blue must
appear in the instrument cluster display.
.. Switch th e ignition off .
.. Open the tank door
q page 210.
.. Tu rn the ta nk cap counterclockw ise w it h the l ug
w rench from the veh icle tool k it to remove it
qfig. 182.
.,. Fill the Ad Blue with the bottle ~ page 214 or
t he ca nister ~
page 21 4.
.&_ WARNING
Ad Bl ue can ir rit a te the s kin, eyes an d respir a
tory sy stem.
If there is co nta ct wi th t he f lu id ,
f lus h imme diate ly w ith plenty of water . Con-
su lt a p hys ician if necessary .
IJII>
213