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Hybrid drive
Introduction
Applies to vehicles: with hybrid drive
General informatio n
The hybrid drive is a combined drive concept that
automatically switches between combustion en
gine and electric drive types or combines them.
All work on high voltage systems is intended only
for high voltage technicians and may only be per
formed by authorized service facilit ies in accord
ance w ith Aud i regulations.
T he high voltage system is composed of the fol
lowing h igh voltage components: the high volt
age battery, the power electronics, the electric
motor, the high voltage A/C compressor and the
orange high voltage wir ing.
Hi gh vo ltag e b att e ry
The high voltage battery is located in the luggage
compartment underneath the cargo floor . You do
not need to perform any maintenance work on
the high voltage battery . Additional informat ion
about the h igh voltage battery can be fo und un
der
~ page 104 .
The high voltage battery service plug is also
found underneath an orange cover under the car
go floor. The serv ice plug is provided only for use
by service personnel and must not be
removed by
others who are not trained to use it.
A WARNING
-The voltage in the high voltage system is life
threatening . Touching a damaged high volt
age component can result in a fatal electric
shock. The components in the high voltage
system are marked with a warning label which
warns against the h igh voltage .
- Never perform work on orange high voltage
cables or on high voltage components . Only
authorized repair fac ilities that are certified
may perform work on the high voltage sys
tem .
Hyb ri d
-Never open or remove the service plug cover
in the center of the cargo floor .
- Never damage, alter or
remove the orange
high voltage cable or disconnect it from the
high voltage system .
- Aud i regulations must be followed during
all work performed on the high voltage sys
tem and high voltage components.
A WARNING ,-
While in electric drive mode, the vehicle pro-
duces considerably less idling, driving and op
erating noise than when the combust ion en
g ine is running . This may make it difficu lt or
i mpossible fo r others such as pedestrians and
chi ldren to hear and notice the vehicle when it
i s in elect rical drive mode. Th is can lead to
collisions and injuries, for example in low
traffic areas, when maneuvering or when driv
ing in
reverse.
A WARNING
--Never leave the vehicle unattended while in
the drive ready mode. The vehicle could begin moving if the accelerator pedal is pressed ,
even if the combustion engine is switched off .
This may cause coll is ions and severe or fatal
i njuries. When the vehicle enters dr ive ready
mode, the status message h~
.Jrid rca yap
pears br iefly in the instrument cluster display
and the needle in the power meter points to
READ Y ~page 98 .
-When exiting the vehicle, make sure these
lecto r lever is in the P position, the ignition
is switched off and the hybrid system is de-
activated.
(D Note
- The h igh vo ltage system can be damaged if
the vehicle underbody comes into contact
w ith the ground . Immediately drive your
ve
hicle to an authorized repair facility and
have it inspected.
- Do not transport fluids in open containers in
the luggage compartment. Spilled fluids
can seep underneath the cargo f loor. This
can damage the high voltage system.
97

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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.
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