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
q ui res little atte ntion .
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 condit ioned water and the ma nufactur
er's glycol-based coolant additive G13 an tifreeze
with ant icor rosion additives
(50% for USA mod
e ls;
60% fo r Canadia n models). This m ix tu re
bo th ass ures the necessa ry fros t prote ction and
protects metal componen ts in the engi ne's coo l
ing system from corrosion and scaling .
It also
raises the boiling point of the coolant.
D o not red uce the con cen trat ion of the coolant in
the summer by adding p lain wa ter.
The propor
tion of coolant additive mu st be at least 50 %
but not more than 60%
to maintain antifreeze
protection and cooling efficiency. If the coolant
frost protection is too low, the coolant could
freeze and damage the vehicle heating and en
g ine cooling system .
For year-round driving, antifreeze is added at the
factory for temperatures down to:
- -3 1 °F ( -3 5 °C) USA
- -4 0 °F ( - 40 °C) Canada.
If yo u m ust add coo lant, use a m ixt ure of water
and coolant addit ive. Mixing the cool ant additive
with d istilled w ater is recommended .
_& WARNING
Before you che ck anythi ng in t he eng ine com
pa rtment, a lways read and heed a ll WARN
INGS
~ .& in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 203 .
(D Note
-Before winter se ts in, have the coo lant
checked to see if the coolant additive in your
vehicle is sufficient to meet the c limate con -
Checking and Filling
ditions. This is especia lly important if you
live in a region whe re the winter is extreme
ly cold. If necessary, increase the propo rtion
of coolant addit ive to
60%.
- Whe n adding coolant additive to your cool
ing system, remember :
- We recommend us ing o nly coola nt addi
tive G 12++ or G13 (c hec k the label) for
y o ur vehi cle. Thi s coo lant ad ditive is av ail
abl e at a uth orized Au di dea le rs. Ot her
types o f ant ifreeze ca n sign ifican tly re
d uce corrosion protection. The resu lting
cor ros ion can cause a loss of coolant and
se rious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiator leak 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 result in damage not cov
ered by your New Veh icle Limited War ra nty .
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a
quick glance .
Fig. 186 E ngine compar tmen t: cover on t he coo lant expan
s io n t ank
Befo re you check anything in the engine compart
me nt,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
~ .&. in Working in the engine compartment on
page 203.
" Park your veh icle on a leve l s u rface.
" Sw itch off the ig nit ion .
.. Read the eng ine coolant leve l from the coo lant
expansion tan k
r=;,fig. 186, r=;,page 205,
fig . 183.
W ith a cold eng ine, the coolant level ..,.
209
Checking and Filling
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
<::> page 205.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must
be switched off.
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped
with an electric coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning
light in the Auto-Check System <::>
page 15 will il
luminate until you add coolant and the level has
been restored to normal. Even though there is an
electric 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
system. 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 coolant is exceeded as a re
sult of overheating.
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 engine and allow itto cool down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from es caping fluid and steam by covering the cap
with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in a counter-clockwise direction while applying
light, downward pressure on the top of the
cap.
- To avoid being burned, do not spill anti
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system or
hot engine parts . Under certain conditions,
the ethylene glycol in engine coolant can
catch fire .
210
(D Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant
to your vehicle'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 anything in the engine compart
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
<::>.& in Working in the engine compartment on
page 203 .
.. Requirement: There must be a residual amount
of coolant in the expansion tank
i:::>Q) .
.. Turn off the engine .
.. Let the engine cool down .
.. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank <::>
page 209, fig. 186 and carefully twist
the cap counter-clockwise
c::> &,.
.. Add coolant mixed in the correct ratio
<::> page 209, Coolant up to the MAX marking.
.. Make sure that the fluid level remains stable.
Add more coolant if necessary.
.. Twist the cap on again
tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to ex
act specifications <::>
page 209, Coolant.
We recommend using only coolant additive G12+
+, G13 or in an emergency G12+ . Do
not use a
different additive. In an emergency use plain wa
ter until you can get the correct additive and can
restore the correct ratio. This should be done as
soon as possible.
If you have lost a considerable amount of cool
ant, then you should add cold antifreeze and cold
water only when the engine is cold.
Always use
new engine 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.
~
,&_ 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 engine and 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.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in a
counter-clockwise direction while applying light, downward pressure on the top of
the cap.
- To avoid being burned, do not spill ant i
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system or
hot engine parts. Under certa in 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 eng ine. 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
i n 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
¢ page 209 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 regulat ions.
-
Checking and Filling
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by it
self .
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
with the ignition off. It can even switch on again later by itself ¢&. , 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
certa in temperature and will continue to run
until the coolant temperature drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
Fig. 187 En g in e compar tment: cover on the b rake fluid
rese rvoir
Before you check anything in the engine compart
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
¢ & in Working in the engine compartment on
page 203 . .,.
211
Wheels
Model/ Tire designation Tire pressure
Engine Normal load Maximum load
(up to 2 people)a>
front rear front rear
PSI
RS 7 275/35 ZR20 102Y XL
Sportback: High Performance
36
4.0L 275/30 ZR21 98Y XL
8 cylinders High Performance
44
a) 2 people in the front
A WARNING
Please note the important safe
ty precautions regarding tire
pressure ¢
page 228 and load
limits ¢
page 230.
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of
load or weight that any vehicle
and any tire can carry. A vehicle
that is overloaded will not handle
well and is more difficult to stop. Overloading can not only lead to
loss of vehicle control, but can al
so damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden
tire failure, including a blowout and sudden deflation that can
cause the vehicle to crash.
Your safety and that of your pas sengers also depends on making
sure that load limits are not ex
ceeded . Vehicle load includes ev
erybody and everything in and on
230
kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
25 0 33 230 39 270
39 270
30 0 39 270 45 310 45
310
the vehicle. These load limits are
technically referred to as the vehi
cle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rat
ing
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic vehicle, all factory in
stalled accessories , a full tank of
fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids
plus maximum load. The maxi
mum load includes the number of
passengers that the vehicle is in
tended to carry ("seating capaci
ty") with an assumed weight of 150 lbs. (68 kg) for each passen
ger at a designated seating posi
tion and the total weight of any luggage in the vehicle. If you tow
a trailer, the weight of the trailer hitch and the tongue weight of
the loaded trailer must be includ ed as part of the vehicle load.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating
("GAWR") is the maximum load
Technical data
Vehicle identification
F ig . 2 21 Vehi cle Ident if icatio n Number (VlN) plate : loca·
t ion on dr iver 's side dash pane l
XXXXX XX -X -XX XX X XX XX
CD+ ~t :1 :: xxxxxxxx xx x x x xxx xxx
T VP /fffl XXX XXX
XX XXXXXXX XX X X XX
XXX
K W XXX
®i ~:J ·f lfils~~ XXXX XXX XXX
®-+ ~N:a=i~l xxxx ; xxxx xx x ; xx
II. · AUSS, I OPTIONS
E0 A
7D5 4UB 6
XM 5SG 5R W
2EH J0Z lLB l
A S lB A
3FC SM U 7Xl
F 0 A 9G3 0G7 0YH 0JF
TL 6 3KA 8EH UlA X 98 QZ7
l XW 803 908 824 020
7T6 C V7 7 K0 4 X3 2 K2
3L4 4KC 3Y0 413
502
lS A
7GB 01A 4G0
XX. X XX X XX X xxxx
Fig. 222 Th e ve hicle identifica tion label- inside the lug
gage compartment
Veh icle Identification Number (VlN )
The Vehicle Identific ation N umbe r is locate d in
d if f eren t places:
- u nder the w indshield on the dr iver's side
¢ fig . 22 1.
- in the M MI: Select: Funct ion button ICAR I >
(Car) * systems > Servicing & check s > VIN
;:::J numb er.
(3 -on the vehicle identification label.
'
Technical data
Vehicle identification label
T he veh icle identification label is lo cate d in the
l uggage compa rtment in the spare whee l we ll.
T he labe l¢
fig. 222 shows the fo llowing vehicle
da ta:
(D Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
@ Vehicle type, eng ine ou tput, transm ission
@ Engine and transmission code
@ Paint numbe r and interior
® Optional equipment numbers
T he information of the veh icle identification label
c a n al so be fo und in your Warran ty
& M ainte
nance booklet.
Safety compliance sticker
The safety compliance st icker is yo ur ass urance
that your new vehi cle complies w ith all applicable
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards which
we re in effect at the time the vehicle w as m anu
fac tured. Yo u ca n fi nd this sticker on the door
jamb on the driver 's side. It shows the month and
year of production and t he ve hicle identification
number of your ve hicle (perforation) as well as
the Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ing (GVWR) and the
G ross A xle We ight Rati ng (GAWR).
H igh vo ltage warning label
T he high voltage warning label is located in the
engine compa rtment next to the engine hood re
lease. The spark ignition system complies with
t h e Canadian standard ICES-002.
Weights
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), and
t h e Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for front
and rear are listed on a sticker on the door jamb
o n the dr iver 's side.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating includes the
weight of the basic vehicle plus fu ll fuel tank, oil
and coolant, p lus maxim um load, which includes
passenger weight (150 lbs/68 kg per des ignated
seat ing pos ition) and luggage weight
c:> .&, . .,.
259
scope of maintenance and repairs which can be
carried out by vehicle owners.
Also, safet y and
en vir onm enta l
concerns place very strict limits
on the nature of repairs and adjustments to en
g ine and transm ission parts wh ich an owner c an
perform .
Maintenance, adjustments and repairs usually re
qu ire special tools, test ing devices and other
equ ipment available to specially trained work
shop perso nnel i n order to assure proper per
forma nce, re liability and safety of the ve hicle and
i ts many systems.
Improper maintenance, adjustments and repairs
can impair the operation and reliability of your
vehicle and even void your veh icle warranty.
Therefore, proof of se rvicing in accordance with
the ma intenance sc hedule may be a condition for
upho ld ing a possib le wa rranty claim made wi thin
the warranty pe riod.
Above all , operational safety can be adversely af
fected, creating unnecessa ry risks fo r you and
your p assengers.
If in doubt about any se rvicing, have it done by
your author ized Audi dealer or any other properly
eq uipped and qua lified workshop. We strongly
urge yo u to g ive your author ized Audi dealer the
opport unity to perform a ll scheduled ma inte
nance and necessary repairs . Your dealer has the
facilities, origina l parts and trained specialists to
keep your veh icle running properly .
Performing limited maintenance yourself
The follow ing pages des cribe a lim ited number of
p rocedures w hich can be per formed o n your veh i
cle with ordinary tools, should the need arise and
trained personnel be unavailable . Before per
forming any of these procedures, always thor
ough ly read a ll of the app licab le text and carefu l
ly follow the instructions g iven . Always rigorously
observe the
WARNING S provided .
Before you check anything in the engine com ·
partment , always read and heed all WARNINGS
c:> &. and c:> &. in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 203.
Con sumer inf ormation
A WARNING
- Ser ious personal in jury may occur as a result
of improperly performed maintenance, ad
justments or re pairs .
- Always be extremely careful when work ing
on the vehicle. Always follow commonly ac
cepted safety practices and general com mo n sense. Never risk pe rsonal injury.
- Do not attempt any of the mai ntenance,
checks or repairs described on t he following
pages if you are not fu lly familiar wi th these
or other proce dures with respect to the ve
h icle, o r are uncerta in how to pro ceed.
- Do not do a ny work withou t the prope r tools
a nd eq uipment. H ave the necessary wo rk
done by your au thorized Audi dealer or an
other proper ly equipped and qualified work
shop.
- The engine compa rtment of any motor ve hi
cle is a potent ially hazardous area . Never
reach into the area around or touch the radi
ator fan.
It is temperature controlled and
can switch o n suddenly - even when the en
g ine is off . The radiato r fan switches on au
tomatically when the coolan t reaches a cer
tain tempe ra ture and w ill cont inue to run
until the coolant temperature d rops.
- Always sw itch off the ignition before anyone
gets under the vehicle .
- Always support your veh icle with safety
s tands if it is necessary to work underneat h
the vehicle . The jack supp lied with t he veh i
cle is no t adequ ate for t his pu rpose and
could collapse ca us ing serious personal in
jury.
- If you m ust wor k unde rne ath the vehicle
with the wheels on the ground, always make
sure the vehicle is on level ground, that the
wheels a re always sec urely blocked and that
the engine cannot be started.
- Always make sure the transmission se lector
lever (automatic t ransmiss ion) is in P (Park
position) and the pa rk brake is applied .
II>
263
Consumer inf orm ation
@ For the sake of the env ironment
- Changing the engine settings wi ll adversely
affect emission levels. Th is is detrimental to
the environment and increases fuel con
sumption.
- A lways observe environmental regu lations
when disposing of old engine o il, used brake
fl ui d, d irty engine coolant, spent batteries
or worn out tires.
- Undeployed airbag modules and pretension
ers mig ht be classified as Perchlorate Mate
rial -special handl ing may apply, see
www.dtsc .ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo
r ate. When the vehicle or parts of the re
straint system including airbag modu les
safety be lts wi th pretensioners are scrap
ped, all applicab le laws and regulations
must be observed. Your authorized Audi
dealer is familiar with these requirements
and we recommend that you have your deal er perform this service for you.
Accessories and technical changes
Additional accessories and parts replacement
Always consult an authorized Audi dealer before
purchasing accessories.
Your vehicle incorporates the latest safety design
features ensuring a high standard of active and passive safety.
This safety could be comp romised by non-ap
proved changes to the vehicle . For this reason, if
parts have to be replaced, please observe the fo l
lowing points when insta lling addit ional accesso
ries:
Approved Audi accessories and genuine Audi parts are available from author ized Audi dealers.
These dealers also have the necessary facilities,
too ls and trained specialists to install the parts
and accessories properly.
264
A WARNING
-
Using the wrong spare parts or using non-ap-
proved accessories can cause damage to the
vehicle and serious personal injury.
- Use only accessories expressly approved by
Aud i and genuine Audi spare parts
- These parts and accessor ies have been spe
cially designed to be used on your vehicle.
- Never install accessor ies such as telephone
cradles or beverage holders on airbag covers
or w ith in the airbag deployment zones. Do
ing so will increase the risk of injury if a ir
bags are triggered in an accident!
- Before you check anything in the eng ine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARN INGS
Qpage 203.
(D Note
-If items other than genu ine Audi spare
parts, add-on equipment and accessory
items are used or if repair wor k is not per
formed a ccording to specified methods, this
c an resul t in severe damage to you r vehi
cle's eng ine and body (such as corrosion)
and adve rsely af fect your vehicle's war ranty.
- I f emergency repai rs must be performed
elsewhere, have the vehicle exam ined by an
authorized A udi dealer as soon as possib le .
- T he manuf acture r ca nnot be held liable for
damage which occurs d ue to failure to com
ply with these stipulations.
Technical Modifications '
Our guidelines must be complied with when tech
nical modifications are made .
Always consult an a uthorized Audi de aler bef ore
sta rt ing work on any modifica tions.
This will help ensure that vehicle fu nction, per
fo rmance and safety are not impaired
Q ,& .
Attempting to work on electronic components
and the software used with them can cause mal
funct io ns. Because of the way elect ronic compo
nen ts a re interconnected with each othe r, such
malfunc tions c an also have an adverse affect on
othe r systems that are not d irectl y involved. This ..,.
Index
Numbers and
Symbols
-zone deluxe automatic climate control
Synchronizing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
4-zone deluxe automatic climate control Air vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Basic settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Operating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Recirculation mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Residual heat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
A
A/C (4-zone deluxe automatic climate
control) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59, 264
Active lane assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Adjusting the vibrat ion warn ing . . . . . . . . . 90
Cleaning the camera area . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Driver messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
switching on and off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Adapt ive air suspension/sport . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Adaptive cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Cleaning the sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Request for driver intervention . . . . . . . . . . 84
Stop-and-go traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Adaptive dampers Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Adaptive Light (defective) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Adding Engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Engine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 207
Additives Engine oil 207
Adjusting Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Steering column electrically . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Steer ing column manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Adjusting a ir distribution (4-zone deluxe auto
matic climate contro l) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Adjusting the temperature (4-zone deluxe au
tomatic climate control) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
advanced key
refer to Convenience key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
266
Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Advanced Airbag-System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Advanced Airbag System components . . . 142
Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Child restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Components (front airbags) . . . . . . . . . . . 142
Danger of fitting a child seat on the front
passenger seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139, 140
How do the front airbags work? . . . . . . . . 144
How many air bags does my vehicle have? 142
How the Advanced Airbag System compo-
nents work together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 144
Important information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Knee airbags. .. .. .. .. ............. .. 151
Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
PASSENGER AIR BAG O FF light . . . . . . . . . 147
Repairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Side curta in airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Warning/indicator lights............... 17
Warning/Indicator lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
When must the system be inspected? 146
Aircraft Transporting your vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Alignment pin (changing the wheel) . . . . . . 239
All season tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
All weather lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
All wheel drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 184
Alternator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Ambient lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Anti-freeze Windshield washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
also refer to Engine coolant . . . . . . . . . . . 209
Anti- lock braking system
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Warning/indicator lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Anti -Lock Braking System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Anti-slip regulation Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Anti-Slip Regulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180