Audi oil quality standard
Gas oline
VW 502 00 or
engi ne vw 504 00
Die sel vw 507 00
en gin e
Using the prope r engine oil is important for the
functiona lity and service life of the eng ine. Your
engine was factory-filled with a high -quality oil
which can usually be used throughout the entire
year.
@ Note
Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not
cover damage or malfunctions due to failure
to follow recommended maintenance and use
requirements as set forth in the Audi Owner's Manual and Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
- Use only a high quality eng ine oil that ex-
pressly complies with the Aud i oil quality
standard specified for your vehicle's engine.
Using any other oil can cause serious engine
damage .
- Do not mix any lubricants or other additives
into the engine oil. Doing so can cause en
gine damage.
(D Tips
If you need to add oil and there is none availa
ble that meets the Audi o il quality standard
your eng ine requ ires, you may add a total of
no more than 0.5 quart/liter of a h igh-quality
"synthet ic"oil that meets the followi ng speci
fications.
- Vehicles with gasoline eng ine: AC EA A3 o r
API SM wi th a viscosity g rade of SA E OW-30,
SAE SW-30 or SAE SW-40.
- Vehicles wit h diesel eng ine: ACEA C3 o r
API CF with a v iscosi ty grade of SA E OW-30
or SA E SW -30.
- Fo r more information abou t engine o il that
has been approved for your vehi cle, please
contact either you r a utho rized Audi dea ler
or A udi Customer Relations at
~ 1 (800) 822-2834 or visit our web site at co
g:; www.audiusa.com or www.aud icanada.ca.
Ch eck ing and Filling
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on on ade
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool oil of
its moving ports.
In order to provide effect ive lubrication and cool
i ng of internal engine components, all internal
combust ion eng ines consume a certa in amount
of oil. Oil consumption varies from eng ine to en
gine and may change s ign ificantly ove r the life of
the engine. Typ ica lly, engines w ith a specified
break-in period (see
¢ page 197) consume more
oi l during the break -in period than they consume
after oil consumption has stabilized.
Under normal cond itions, the rate of oil con
sumption depends on the q uality and viscosity o f
the oil, the RPM (revol utions per minute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient tem
perature and road condit ions. Further factors are
the amount of oil dilution from water condensa
tion or fuel residue and the oxidation level of the o il. As any engine is subject to wear as mileage
builds up, the oil consumption may increase over
time unt il replacement of worn components may
become necessary.
With all these variables coming into play, no standard rate of o il consumption can be estab
li shed or spec ified . T he re is no alte rnative to reg
u la r and frequent checking of the oi l level , see
Note .
If the yellow engine o il leve l warning symbo l in
the instrument cluster
II lights up, yo u should
c h eck the o il level as soon as possible
¢ page 224. Top off the o il at your earlies t con
venience
¢ page 224.
A WARNING
--=-
Before you check anything in the engine com-
partment, always read and heed all WARN
INGS
¢ &. in Working in the engine comport
ment on page 220.
(D Note
Driving wit h an insufficient oil level is likely to
cause severe damage to the eng ine. ..,.
223
Checking and Filling
@ Tips
-The oil pressure warning display. is not
an indicator of the oil level. Do not rely on
i t. Instead , check the oil level in your en
gine at regular intervals, preferably each
time you refuel, and always before going
on a long trip.
- If you have the impression your engine con
sumes excessive amounts of oil, we recom
mend that you cons ult an autho rized Aud i
dealer to have the cause of your concern
properly diagnosed . Keep in mind that the
accurate measurement of oil consumption
requires great care and may take some
time. An authorized Audi dealer has instruc
tions about how to measure oil consump
tion accurately.
Checking the engine oil level
Fig. 198 D is play: Oil level indicator
Read oil level
• Park yo ur vehicle so that it is hor izonta lly level.
• Shut the engine off when it is at operating tem-
perature.
• Switch only the ignition back on.
• Wait approx . two minutes.
• Se lect:
ICARI function button > Oil level. Or
• Se lect:
ICARI funct ion button> Car systems *
control button > Servicing & checks > Oil level.
• Read the oil level in the radio or MMI* Display
¢
fig. 198. Add engine o il if the bar of the oil
level indicator is near "Min"
Q page 224.
The oil level needs to be checked at regular inter
vals. The best times to do this are whenever you refuel and pr ior to long trips .
224
Depending on the way the vehicle is driven and
the operating conditions, oil consumption can be
up to a 1/2 quart per 600 miles (0.5 liter per
1,000 km). Consumption may be higher w it hin
the first 3,000 miles (5,000 km).
(D Tips
The o il level indicator in the radio or MMI*
D isp lay is only an information display. If the
oil level is too low, a m inimum oil warning ap
pears in the instrument cluster. Add oil
¢
page 224. If the hood has been opened,
the current oil level is show n in the instru
ment cluster the next time the ignition is
switched on.
Adding engine oil
er neck
Before yo u check anything in the engine compart
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
¢ .&. in Working in the engine compartment on
page 220.
• Shut the engine off.
• Unscrew the cap
't=r. to the engine oil f illing
hole ¢
fig. 199, ¢ page 222, fig. 197.
• Carefully top off with 0.5 quarts (0.5 liters) of
the appropriate oil¢
page 222.
• Check the oil level again after two minutes
Q page 224, Checking the engine oil level.
• Top off the oil, if necessary .
• Scr ew the cap back on the filling hole.
& WARNING
- While topping off, the oil must not come in
contact with hot engine parts - fire hazard!
,....,
N
co
er::
co
,....,
to prevent oil from be ing sprayed on the hot
engine and exhaust system when the engine
is running -fire hazard!
- If your skin has come in contact with the en
gine oil, you must subsequently cleanse it
thoroughly .
@ Note
-Check the oil level using the radio or the
MM!*. If the message
Ple ase redu ce oil l ev
el
appears, contact your authorized Aud i
dealer or other qualified workshop to have
excess oil extracted if necessary.
- Audi do es not recommend th e use of o il
addit ive s. The y ma y damage the eng ine
and ad verse ly affect your New Vehicle
Wa rranty.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Under no circumstances can the o il come in
contact with the sewage network or the soil.
- Observe and follow legal regulations whe n
dispos ing of empty oil conta iners.
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by an
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified service sta
tion.
Before you check anyth ing in the eng ine compart
ment,
alw ays read and h eed all WARNING S c:> .&.
in Working in the engine compartment on
page 220 .
The engine oil must be changed according to the
intervals specified in your Warranty
& Mainte
nance booklet . This is very important because the
l ubricat ing propert ies of o il d iminish gradually
du ring normal vehicle use.
Under some circumstances the engine o il should
be changed more frequently . Change oil more of
ten if you drive mostly short distances, operate
the veh icle in dusty areas or under predominant ly
stop-and -go traffic condit ions, or have yo ur vehi
cle whe re temperatures remain below freezing
for extended periods.
Ch eck ing and Filling
Detergent additives in the oi l will make fresh oil
look dark after the engine has been running for a
short time . This is normal and is not a reason to
change the oi l more often than recommended.
Because of the problem o f proper disposal, along
with the specia l tools and necessary expertise re
quired, we strongly recommend that yo u have
your o il changed by an authori zed
Audi dealer or
a qual ified service stat ion.
If y ou choo se to chan ge your oil your self , please
note the following important information:
A WARNING "--
To reduce the risk of persona l injury if you
must change the eng ine oil in your vehicle
yourself:
- Wear eye protection.
-
-To reduce the r isk of burns from hot engine
oil, let the engine cool down to the touch.
- When remov ing the oil drain plug w ith your
f ingers, stay as far away as possible. Always
keep your forearm parallel to the ground to
he lp prevent hot oil from running down your
arm.
- Drain the oil into a container designed for
this purpose, one large enough to hold at least the tota l amou nt of oil in your engine.
- Engine oil is poisonous. Keep it well out of
the reach of childre n.
- Continuous contact with used engine o il is
harmful to your skin. Always protect your
skin by washing oil off thoroughly with soap
and water .
«I) Note
Never mix oil additives with your engine oil.
These additives can damage your engine and
adverse ly affect yo ur Audi limited New Vehi
cle Warranty .
@ For the sake of the environment
-Before chang ing yo ur oi l, first make sure
you know where you can properly d ispose of
the used oil.
- Always dispose of used engine o il properly .
Do not dump it on ga rden soil, wooded
225
Checking and Filling
areas, into open streams or down sewage
drains.
- Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a used
engine oil collection facility in your area, or
contact a service station .
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 cooling system is sealed and generally re
qu ires little attention .
The cooling system has been filled at the factory
with a permanent coolant which does not need to
be changed. The coolant consists of
a mixture of
specially conditioned water and the manufactur
er's g lycol-basedcoo lant additive G 13 antifreeze
w ith anticorrosion addi tives (50% for USA mod
e ls· 60% for Canadian mode ls). This m ix ture
'
both ass ures the ne cess ary fros t protection and
p rotects metal com ponents in the engi ne's coo l
ing system from corrosion and scaling .
It also
raises the boiling point of the coolant.
Do not red uce the concent ra tion of the cool ant in
the s ummer by addi ng p la in water.
The propor
tion of coolant additive must be at lea st 50 %
but not more than 60 %
to maintain antifreeze
protection and cooling efficiency. If the coolant
frost protection is too low, the coo lant could
freeze and damage the vehicle heat ing and en
g ine cooling system .
For year -round driving, antifreeze is added at the
factory for temperatures down to:
- -3 1 °F
c -3s0c) usA
- -4 0° F ( -40°C) Canad a.
I f you must add coolant, use a m ixt ure of wa ter
and coolant add it ive. M ixing the coolant additive
with d istilled water is recommen ded.
_& WARNING
B efore you che ck anyt hing i n the engine com
partmen t, a lways read and heed all WARN -
226
INGS ~ & in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 220.
(D Note
- Be fore w inter sets in, have the coolan t
checked to see if the coo lant additive in your
vehicle is suff ic ient to meet the climate con
ditions. This is especially important if you
live in a region where the winter is extreme
ly cold. If necessary, increase the proportion
of coolant addi tive to 60% .
- Whe n adding coolant additive to your cool
ing system, remember:
- We re commend usin g on ly coo lant addi
tive G12++ o r G13 fo r yo ur vehicle. This
coolant ad dit ive is availab le at authorized
Audi dealers. Other types of antifreeze can
significantly reduce corrosion protection.
The resulting corrosion can cause a loss of
coolant and serio us engine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiato r leak sealant
to your vehicle's engine coolant. Adding ra
diator repair fluid may adversely affect the
function and perfo rmance of yo ur cooling
system and cou ld resu lt in damage not cov
ered by your New Ve hicle Li mited War ranty.
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a
quick glance.
Fi g. 20 0 Eng ine compartment: cover on the coo lant expan
s io n tank
Befo re yo u check anything in the engine compart
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
~ ,& in Working in the engine compart,nen t on
page 220. ..,.
.... N
co
er::
co
....
.,. Turn
off the ignition.
.,. Read the engine coolant level from the coolant
expansion tank
c> fig . 200, c> page 222,
fig. 197. With a cold engine, the coolant level
should be between the "MIN" and "MAX" mark
i ngs . When the engine is warm, the level may
be s light ly above the
"MAX " marking .
T he location of the coolant expans ion tank can be
seen in the engine compartment illustrat ion
i=> page 222.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must
be sw itched
off.
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped
with an electric coolant level sensor.
When the coo lant level is too low, the warning
light in the Auto-Check System
c:> page 29 wi ll
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 coolant level from time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling
syst em. In the event of coolant loss, the cooling
system should be inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer. It is not enough merely
to add coolant .
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if the
boiling point of the coo lant is exceeded as a re
sult of overheat ing .
(D Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant
to your veh icle's engine coolant. Adding radia
tor repair fluid may adversely affect the func
tion and performance of your 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,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
Checking and Filling
c> .&. in Working in the engine compartment on
page
220 .
Requirement: The re must be a residual amount
of coolant in the expans io n tank
c>@.
.,. Turn off the engine .
.,. Let the engine cool down.
.,. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
ta nk
c:> page 226 , fig. 200 and carefully turn
the cap counter-clockwise
c> _&. .
.,. Add coo lant mixed in the correct ratio
c:> page 226, Coolant up to the MAX marking .
.,. Make sure that the f luid level remains stable.
Add more coolan t if necessary .
.,. Twist the cap o n again
tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to ex
act specifications
c:> page 226, Coolan t.
We recommend using only coolant addit ive Gl2 +
+ , Gl3
or in an emergency Gl2+. Do not use a
different additive . In an emergency use plain wa
ter until you can get the correct addit ive and can
restore the correct ratio. This should be done as
soon as possible.
If you have lost a considerable amount of coo l
ant, then you shou ld add cold antifreeze and cold
water only whe n the engine is cold.
Always use
new e ngine coolant when refilling.
Do not fill coolant above the "MAX " mark. Excess
coolant will be forced out through 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 eng ine an d allow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by covering the
cap with a large, thick rag.
- Tu rn the cap slowly and very carefully in a
counter-clockwise direction whil e applying
light, downward pressure on the top o f
the cap .
~
227
Checking and Filling
-To avoid bein g burned, do not spill anti
f reeze 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 dra in the coolant, it must be ca ught
and safely stored in a proper conta iner
clearly marked "poison".
(D Note
- Do not add coolant if the expansion tank is
empty . Air cou ld enter the cooling system
and damage the eng ine .
If this is the case,
do not continue dr iving . Seek professional
ass istance.
- Coolant pollutes the e nvironment a nd could
cause an eng ine fire. Excess coolant will be
fo rced o ut through the pressu re relief valve
i n the cap when the eng ine be comes hot .
- If, in an emergency, o nly wate r can be add
ed, the co rrect ratio between water and an
tifree ze ~
page 226 mus t be resto red as
soon as possib le .
@) For the sake of the environment
Drained cool ant sho uld not be reused. Always
dispose of used coo lant w hile obse rving all
environmenta l regulatio ns.
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by it
self.
The radiator fan is dr iven by the eng ine v ia the V
be lt . The visco us cl utch regula tes the speed of
the fan acco rding to the tempera ture of t he cool
ant.
An aux iliary ele ct ric radiator fan* swit ches on and
off depending on coolant tempera tu re and o ther
ve hicl e operat ing cond itions .
After you switch the engine off , the auxiliary fan
can cont inue runn ing fo r up to 10 minutes - even
228
with the ignition off . It can even switch o n aga in
l ater by itself~.&. , if
- the tempera ture of the engine coolant rises d ue
to the hea t build- up from the engine in the en
gine compartment, or
- the engine compa rtme nt heats up bec ause the
veh icle is parked in intense s unlight.
A WARNING
- To reduce the r isk of personal injury never
touch the radiator fan.
- The a uxiliary e lectric fan is temperat ure
controlled and can switch on suddenly even
when the engine is not runn ing .
-
-The a uxiliary radiator fan switches on a uto
mat ically when the eng ine coolant reaches a
certain temperature and will continue to r un
until the coo lant temperature drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The broke fluid level con be checked with o quick
glance .
Fig. 20 1 En g in e com par tmen t: cov er on t he br ak e fluid
r e servo ir
N
N
-N
"' CIO a,
Befo re you check anything in the engine compart
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
~ .&, in Working in the engine comportment on
page 220 .
.,. Read the brake fluid level from the bra ke f luid
rese rvoir ~
fig. 201, <> page 222, fig . 197. The
brake fl uid leve l must be between the "M IN"
and "MAX " mark ings .
,....,
N
co
er::
co
,....,
partition of the engine compartment on the left
side ¢
page 222.
The fl uid level may drop slightly after some time
due to the automatic adjustment of the brake
pads . This is not cause for alarm.
I f the b rake fl uid level fa lls
considerably be low
the "MIN" mark, the brake wa rning/ind icator
light (U .S. mode ls:
1111 , Canadian models:.)
will come on¢
page 18 and ¢ page 28 . Do not
continue to operate the vehicle. The complete brake system should be thoroughly checked by an
author ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop and
the cause corrected . If the brake fluid level is too
low, the brake warning/ind icator light will illumi
nate. Contact an authorized Audi dealer
immedi
a te ly.
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experienced technician.
Brake fluid absorbs mo isture from the air. If the
water conte nt in the brake fluid is too h igh, cor
ros ion in the brake system may resu lt after ape
riod of time. The boiling poi nt of the brake flu id
will also dec rease cons iderably and decrease
braking pe rformance.
Therefore, the b rake fluid must be changed
e ve ry
two year s.
Always use new b rake fluid wh ich con
forms to Fede ral Motor Veh icle St andard "FMVSS
116 DOT 4".
The brake fluid reservoir can be diff icult to reach,
therefore, we re commend that yo u have the
b rake fl uid changed by yo ur autho rized
Audi
deal er.
Your dealer has the cor rect too ls, the
right brake fluid and the know -how to do this for
you.
A WARNING
- Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored
only in the closed original container out of
the reach of chi ldren!
- B rake failure can resu lt from old or inappro
pr iate brake flu id. Observe these precau
t io ns:
Ch eck ing and Filling
-Use only brake fluid that meets SAE speci
ficat ion
J 1703 and conforms to Federal
Motor Vehicle Standard 116. Always check
with your authorized Aud i dealer to make
sure you are us ing the correct brake fluid .
The co rrect type of brake flu id is also i ndi
cated on the b rake fluid reservoir.
- The brake flu id must be new. Heavy use of
the b rakes can cause a vapo r lock if the
bra ke fluid is left in the system too long.
T his can se riously affe ct the efficiency of
t h e b rakes as we ll as you r safety . This
could resu lt in an accident.
(D Note
B rake flu id will damage the paint of your ve h i
cle.
@) For the sake of the environment
Because of the p roblem of proper d isposa l of
brake fluid as well as the spec ial too ls re
q uire d and the necessary expertise, we rec
ommend that yo u have the bra ke fluid
c hanged by yo ur authorize d Au di dealer.
Battery
General information
Under normal ope rat ing condit ions, the batte ry
in you r A udi does not need any mainte nance.
Wi th
high o utside temperatures or long daily
drives we recommend that yo u have the elec tro
lyte level checked by an authorized A udi dealer or
qualified workshop . The electro lyte level should
also be checked each time the battery is charged
~ page 231.
Have the batte ry checked when you take your ve
hicle in for service. You are we ll advised to re
place a battery that is older than S years.
Wi th certain types of airbag deployment, the
battery is d isconnected from the veh icle electri
ca l system for safety reasons¢.&.
in Repair, care
and disposal of the airbags on page 164.
Hyb rid dr ive *: yo u can find impo rtant informat ion
about the high voltage battery under ¢
page 97. .,.
229
Checking and Filling
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle functions (power window regula
tors, for example) are lost if the battery termi
na ls are disconnected. These functions have to be
relearned after the battery terminals are con
nected again. To prevent this, the battery should
only be disconnected from the vehicle e lectrical
system when absolutely necessary for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period of
several days or weeks, electrical components are
gradually cut back or sw itched off. This reduces
energy consumption and ma intains starting ca
pab ility over a longer period
c::> page 195 .
Take into consideration that when you unlock
your veh icle, some convenience functions, such
as the interior lights or the power seat adjust
ment, may not be available. The convenience
functions will be available again when you turn
on the ignition and start the engine.
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capacity tends
to decrease as temperatures drop. This is be
cause more power is also consumed while start
ing, and the head lights, rear window defogger,
etc., are used more often.
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, particu
larly in city traffic or when traveling only short
d istances . Let your authorized Audi dealer check
the capacity of the vehicle battery befo re winter
sets inc::>
page 231. A well cha rged battery w ill
not only preven t starting problems when the
weather is cold, but will also last longer.
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
The batte ry is located in the luggage compart
ment under the floor. Before you check anything
in the luggage compartment,
read and heed all
WARNINGS
c::> & .
Hybr id drive*: you can find important information
about the high volta ge battery unde r
c::> page 97.
230
Always heed the safety warnings , when working
on the vehicle battery or the vehicle electrical system to prevent 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
• sparks
• flames
- smoking.
~
When a battery is charged, it produces
hydrogen gas which is explosive and
could cause personal injury.
®
Always keep the battery well out of reach
of children .
.b WARNING
-
Whenever working on the battery or on the
e lectrica l system, there is the risk of injury,
accident and even fire. Read and heed the fol
lowing WARNINGS:
- Always wear eye protection . Do not let bat
tery acid or any lead particles get on your
skin or clothing. Shield your eyes. Explosive
gases can cause blindness or other injury.
- Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Sulfuric
acid can cause blindness and severe burns.
-A lways wear glo ves and eye protection. Do
not tilt the battery because acid could leak
out of the ventilation openings.
- If you get battery acid in yo ur eyes or on
you r skin, immediate ly rinse with cold wa
ter for several minutes and get medical at
tention .
- If you should ingest any battery acid , seek
medical attention immediate ly.
- Do not expose the battery to an open flame,
elec tric sparks or an open light.
- Do not smoke.
~