Checking and Filling
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 222.
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.
_& 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 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.
228
(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 220 .
.. Requirement: There must be a residual amount
of coolant in the expansion tank ¢(D .
.. Turn off the engine .
.. Let the engine cool down .
.. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank ¢
page 22 7, fig. 201 and carefully twist
the cap counter-clockwise ¢&, .
.,. Add coolant mixed in the correct ratio
r::!> page 22 7, 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 22 7, 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 scald ing
from hot coolant by following these steps.
- Turn off the engine and allow it to coo l
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping flu id and steam by cover ing the
cap w ith a la rge, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in a
counter-clockwise d irection while applying
light, downward p ressure on t he top of
the cap.
- T o avoid bei ng bu rned, do not spill anti
free ze or coo la nt on the e xhaust sys tem or
hot engi ne parts. Under certa in cond i
tions, the ethylene glycol in eng ine cool
ant can catch fire .
- An tifreeze is poisonous. Always store anti
freeze in its original con tainer and well ou t
of the reach of children.
- If you dra in the coolant, it m ust be ca ught
and safely stored in a proper conta iner
clearly marked "poison" .
(D Note
-Do no t add coolant if the expa nsion tank is
empty. Air cou ld enter the cooling sys tem
and damage the eng ine. If this is the case,
do not continue driving. Seek professional
ass istance.
- Coolant po llutes the environment and could
ca use an eng ine fire . Excess coolant will be
fo rced o ut through the pressure relief valve
i n the cap when the eng ine becomes hot.
- If, in an emergency, only wate r can be add
ed, the correct ratio between water and an
tifreeze¢
page 22 7 must be restored as
soon as possib le.
@) For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant sho uld not be reused. Always
dispose of used coolant while observing all
,...,
"' environmental regulat io ns. 0 J:
'SI: ,...,
Ch eck ing and Filling
Rad iator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by it
self .
The radiator fan is driven by the engine via the V
belt. The v iscous clutch regulates t he speed of
the fan accord ing to the temperature of the cool
ant .
An auxiliary e lectr ic radiator fan* sw itches on and
off depend ing o n coo lant temperature and other
vehicle operating conditions.
After you switch the engine off, the auxiliary fan
can continue ru nning for up to 10 m inutes -even
with the ignition off. It can even switch on aga in
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 beca use the
veh icle is parked in intense sunlight.
& WARNING
- To reduce the r isk of persona l injury neve r
touch the radia to r fan .
- The auxiliary e lectr ic fan is temperature
controlled and can switch on s uddenly even
when the engine is not ru nning .
- The a uxiliary radiator fan sw itches on auto
mat ically when the eng ine coolant reaches a
certa in temperature a nd will continue to run
until the coolant temperature d rops.
229
Checking and Filling
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a quick
glance.
Fig. 202 Eng ine compartment: cove r o n th e brake flu id
r eservoi r
Before you check anything in the engine compart
ment,
always re ad a nd hee d all W ARNING S
¢ A in Working in the engine compartment on
page 220.
., Read the brake fluid level from the brake fluid
reservoir
<=> fig . 202, ¢page 222. The brake flu
id level must be between the "MIN" and "MAX"
mark ings.
The location of the brake fluid reservoir can be seen in the engine compartment illustration
¢ page 222.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some time
due to the automatic adjustment of the brake
pads . This is not cause for alarm .
If the brake fluid level falls
considerably below
the ' 'MIN" mark, the brake warning/indicator
light
1111 (U.S. models)/ . (Canadian models)
will come on¢
page 14 . Do not continue to oper
ate the vehicle . The complete brake system
should be thoroughly checked by an authorized
Aud i dealer or other q ualified facili ty and the
cause corrected.
If the brake f luid level is too
low, the brake warning/indicator light will i llumi
nate. Contact an authorized Audi dealer
immedi
at ely.
230
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experienced
technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If the
water content in the brake fluid is too high, cor rosion in the brake system may result after ape
riod of time . The boiling po int of the brake fluid
will a lso decrease considerably and decrease
braking performance.
Therefore , the brake fluid must be changed
eve ry
two y ears . Always use new brake fluid which con
forms to Feder-al Motor Vehicle Standard "FMVSS 116 DO T 4".
The brake fluid reservoir can be difficult to reach ,
therefore, we recommend that you have the brake fluid changed by your author ized
Audi
d ea ler . Your dealer has the correct tools, the
right brake fluid and the know -how to do this for
you.
A WARNING
- Brake fluid is po isonous. It must be stored
only in the closed original container out of
the reach of children!
- Brake fai lure can result from o ld or inappro
priate brake fluid . Observe these precau
tions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE speci ficat ion
J 1703 and conforms to Federal
Motor Ve hicle Standard 116. Always check
with your authorized Audi dealer to make
sure you are using the correct brake f luid .
The correct type of brake f luid is also indi
cated on the brake fluid reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new . Heavy use of
the brakes can cause a vapor lock if the
brake fluid is left in the system too long .
This can seriously affect the efficiency of
the brakes as well as your safety. This
could result in an accident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your vehi-
cle .
lilJJ,
Wheels
Snow chains not only improve the driving in win
ter road conditions, but also the broking.
Use of snow cha ins is o nly pe rm itted with certain
r im/t ire combinations due to tec hni cal reasons.
Check with an authorized Audi dealer or author
ized repair faci lity to see if yo u may use snow
cha ins .
The snow c ha ins must have
low-profile lin ks and
m ust not be thicker than 0 .4 inch (10.S mm), in
cluding the lock.
You mus t remove the c hains whe n driving on
roads that are
free of snow. When roads are free
of snow, snow c hains can impair handling and
damage the tires, and the chains wi ll quickly be
destroyed .
_& WARNING
Using inco rrect snow chains or insta lling snow
chains incorrectly can result in loss of vehicle
cont rol, which inc reases the risk of an acc i
dent .
{CT) Note
-Snow cha ins can damage the rims/wheel
covers* if the chains come into d irect con
tact with them . Remove the wheel cove rs*
first. Use coated snow chai ns.
- Using snow chains that add more than 0.4
inch (10.5 mm) of he ight can severely dam
age the wheel hous ings and other vehicle
components.
- Do not i nstall and use snow chai ns if there is
a malfunct ion in the adaptive air suspen
s io n, because the vehicle he igh t will be very
l ow. If you drive wi th snow ch ains anyw ay,
the wheel ho usings and other vehi cle com
ponen ts can be severely damaged .
(D Tips
When using snow chains, it m ay be useful t o
sw itch on sport mo de
¢page 192.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Aud i is factory-equipped with low aspect ra
tio tires . These ti res have been tho roughly tested
252
and been sele cted specifica lly for your mode l for
their superb performance, road fee l and hand ling
u nder a var iety of dr iv ing cond it ions. Ask your au
thori zed Audi dea ler fo r more details.
The low aspect rat io o f these tires is indica ted by
a n umera l of
55 or less in the tire's size designa
t ion . The n umera l represents the ratio of the
tire's sidewall height in relation to its tread width
expressed in percentage. Convent iona l tires have
a height/width ratio of 60 or more .
The performance of low-aspect-ratio tires is par
t ic ularly sensitive to improper inflation pres
sure.
It is the refore important that low aspect
ratio tire s are inflated to the specified pressure
and that the inflation pressur e is regularly
checked and maintained . T ir e pressures should
b e c hec ked at l east on ce a month and alway s
befor e a long trip
¢ page 246.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more eas i
l y by impact with potholes, curbs, gullies or
ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is un
derinflated.
In orde r to mi nimi ze the occur rence of impact
dam age to the tires of yo ur vehicle, we recom
mend tha t you observe the following preca u
tions:
- Always ma intain recommended i nflation pres
sures. Check yo ur tir e pressure eve ry 2,0 00
m iles (3,000 km) and add air if necessary .
- Dr ive ca refully on roads w ith potholes, deep
gullies o r ridges. The impac t from dr iv ing
through or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may a lso ca use
damage to your ti res.
-After any impact, immediate ly inspect you r
tires or have them inspected by the nearest au
thorized A udi dealer. Replace a damaged tire as
soon as possible.
- Inspect your tires every 2,000 mi les (3,000 km)
for damage and wear. Damage is not always
easy to see . Damage can lead to loss of air and
underinflation, wh ich could eventually cause
tire fa ilure . If you be lieve that a tire may have .,.
Emergency assistance
Emergency assistance
Trunk escape handle
In case of an emergency, the rear lid can be
opened from the inside using the trunk escape
handle.
Fig. 210 T runk escape handle: View from inside the closed
tru nk
To open rear lid
.. Pull the handle down towards the bumper
¢ fig. 210.
The trunk escape handle inside the rear lid is
made of fluor escent material to glow in the dark.
A WARNING
The trunk escape handle is to be used only in
an emergency.
@ Tips
The emergency release lever should never be
used as a handle for closing the rear lid.
Equipment
Warning triangle
Applies to: vehicles with warn ing triangle
r ---->
Fig . 211 Luggage compartment lid : warning triangle
256
The warning triangle placed in the vehicle at the
factory is located in the luggage compartment.
.. To remove the warn ing triangle, press the fas-
tener in the direction of the arrow and fold the
holder down.
The luggage compartment lid is only designed to
hold the warning triangle offered by the original
accessories program.
Vehicle tool kit
Applies to: vehicles with vehicle tool kit/tire mobility kit
Fig. 212 Luggage compartment: cargo floor cover folded
upward
Fig. 213 L uggage compartment: examp le of vehicle tool
ki t and vehicle jack
The vehicle tool kit and vehicle jack* are stored in
the luggage compartment under the cargo floor cover .
.. Lift the cargo floor by the plastic handle .
.. Hook the handle in the luggage compartment
weather strip
¢ fig. 212 .
.. Tu rn the large screw counter -clockw ise .
.. Remove the spare tire * to access the vehicle
tool kit¢
fig. 212.
Depending on the equipment, the vehicle tool kit
may be located under the spare tire under an ad
d itional cover or in the too l box. The position of
the vehicle jack* may vary.
A WARNING
Improper use of the vehicle jack can cause se
r ious personal injuries.
- Never use the screw driver hex head to
t ighten wheel bolts, since the bolts cannot
attain the necessary tighten ing torque if you
use the hex head, potentia lly causing an ac
c ident.
- The factory-supplied jack is intended on ly
for your vehicle model. Under no circum
stances should it be used to lift heavy
vehicles or other loads; yo u risk injuring
yo urself.
- Never start the engine whe n the vehicle is
raise d, which could ca use a n accident.
- Support the veh icle secure ly with appropr i
a te stands if wor k is to be perfo rmed u nder
neath the veh icle; otherwise, the re is a po
tential risk for in jury.
- Never use the jack s upplied with your Audi
on another vehicle, particularly o n a heav ier
one. The jack is only suitab le for use on the
vehicle it came wit h.
@ Tips
The vehicle j ack* in your vehicle is mainte
nance -free.
Em ergen cy a ssis tanc e
Space-saving spare tire (compact spare
tire)
Applies to: vehicles with space-saving spare tire
The spare tire/wheel is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor cover . It is
intended for short-term use only.
Fig . 21 4 Spare tire
Ta king out the spare tir e
... Lift the cargo floor by the p lastic handle
q fig. 214.
.,. Hook the handle into the luggage compartment
weather strip.
.,. Turn the large screw
r:=;, fig . 214 cou nter-clock
w ise.
.,. Take ou t the spare tire.
.,. Always s to re the vehicle too l kit, the jac k* and
the rep laced tire i n the luggage compartment
r:::;, page 135.
.,. Unhook the cargo floor before closing the rear
lid.
Using the spare tire (compact spare tire )
The compact spare tire is on ly intended for emer
gencies until you can reach a repair shop . Rep lace
it as quick ly as poss ible with a standard wheel
and tire.
T here are some restr ictions on the use of the
compact spare tire. The compact spa re tire has
been designed specifically for your type of vehi
cle . It must not be swapped with a compact
spare tire from another type of vehicle.
Snow chains
For technical reasons, the use of snow chains on
the compact spare tire is
not permitted. .,..
257
Emerg ency assis ta nce
If you do have to drive with snow chains and a
front tire fails, mount the spare wheel with tire
instead of a rear tire . Install the snow chains on
the rear tire and use it to replace the defective
front tire.
A WARNING
- Never use the spare tire if it is damaged or if
it is worn down to the tread wear indicators.
- If the spare tire is more than 6 years old,
use it only in an emergency and with ex
treme caution and ca refu l dr iving .
- The spare tire is intended only for tempora
ry and short-term use . It should be replaced
as soon as possible with the normal wheel
and t ire.
- After mounti ng the compact spare t ire, the
tire pressure must be checked as soon as possible. The tire pressure of the compac t
spare tire must be 4.2 bar; otherwise, you risk having an accident.
- Do not drive faster than SO mph (80 km/h).
Yo u risk hav ing an accident.
- Avoid full-throttle accelerat ion, heavy brak
ing, and fast cornering. You risk having an
acc ident .
- Never dr ive using more than one spare
wheel and tire. You risk having an acciden t.
- Normal summer or winter tires must not be
mounted on the compact spare wheel rim.
- For technical reasons, the use of tire chains
on the spare tire is not pe rm itted. If it is
necessary to drive with tire chains, the spare
wheel m ust be mounted on the front ax le in
the event of a flat in a rear tire. The new ly
available front wheel must then be insta lled
in place of the rear wheel with the flat t ire.
Installing the tire chain before mounting
the wheel and t ire is recommended.
- Loose items in the passenger compartment
can cause ser ious personal injury during
hard braking or in an accident. Never store
the inflatable spare t ire or jack and too ls in
the passenger compartment.
258
Spare wheel
Applies to: vehicles with spare whee l
The spore wheel is stored in the wheel well un
derneath the floor panel in the luggage
com
portment.
Fig . 215 Luggage compartmen t: spare whee l
Taking out th e spar e wh eel
.. Lift the cargo floor by the plastic handle
¢ fig. 215.
.. Hook the handle into the luggage compartment
weather strip.
.. Turn the large screw
¢fig. 215 counter-clock
wise .
.,. Take out the spare tire.
.,. Always store the vehicle tool kit , the jack* and
the rep laced tire in the luggage compartment
¢page 135.
.. Unhook the cargo floo r before clos ing the rear
lid.
A WARNING
Loose items in the passenger compartment
can cause serious personal injury during hard braking or in an acc ident.
- Never store the spare wheel or jack and
too ls in the passenger compartment .
(D Tips
Check the inflation pressure of the spare tire
periodically to keep the tire ready for use.
-
Replacing wheels
Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your own
and your passenger's safety when changing a
wheel.
.,. After you experience a tire failure, pull the car
well away from moving traffic and try to reach
level ground before you stop¢.,&. .
.. All passengers should
leave the car and move
to a safe location (for instance, beh ind the
guardrail) ¢.,&. .
.,. Engage the
parking brake to prevent your vehi
cle from rolling unintentionally ¢.,&. .
.. Move
selector lever to position P ¢ .,&. .
1> lfyou are towing a trailer, unhitch the trailer
from your vehicle.
.,. Take the
jack and the spare tire out of the lug
gage compartment,
¢page 257.
..&, WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured wh ile
changing a wheel if you do not follow these
safety precautions:
- If you have a flat tire, move a safe distance
off the road. Turn off the engine, turn the
emergency flashers on and use other warn
ing devices to alert other motorists.
- Make sure that passengers wa it in a safe
place away from the vehicle and well away
from the road and traffic.
- T o help prevent the vehicle from moving
sudden ly and possibly slipping off the jack,
always fully set the parking brake and block
the wheel diagonally opposite the wheel be
ing changed. When one front wheel is lifted
off the ground, plac ing the Automatic
Transmission in "P" (Park) will
not prevent
the vehicle from moving.
- Before you change a wheel, be sure the
ground is level and firm . If necessary, use a
sturdy board under the jack .
- Always store the vehicle tool k it, the jack
and the replaced tire in the luggage com
partment ¢
page 135.
Emergency assistance
{!) Tips
Before changing the wheel, you must activate
the jacking mode, so that the automat ic con
tro ls for the Adaptive Air Suspension do not
make it more difficult to lift the vehicle with
the jack ¢
page 261 .
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel , follow the sequence
described below step-by-s tep and in exactly tha t
order .
l. Activate the vehicle jack mode ¢ page 261 .
2. Remove the decorative wheel cover*. For
more details see also¢
page 260, Decora
tive wheel covers
or¢ page 260, Wheels
with wheel bolt caps .
3. Loosen the wheel bolts¢ page 260.
4. Locate the proper mounting point for the
jack and align the jack below that point
¢ page 261 or¢ page 262.
5. Raise the car with the jack¢ page 261 or
¢page 262.
6. Remove the wheel with the flat tire and then
install
the spare ¢ page 263.
7. Tighten all wheel bolts lightly .
8.
Lower the vehicle with the jack .
9. Use the wheel bolt wrench and
firmly tighten
all wheel bolts<=>
page 260.
10. Replace the decorative wheel cover*.
11. Deactivate the vehicle jack mode in the MMI :
I CAR! function button > Car systems contro l
button
> Servicing & checks > Air susp.: jack
mode > Off.
The vehicle jack mode switches off automatically
at speeds above 10 km/h .
..&, WARNING
Always read and follow all WARNINGS and in
formation
¢ .&. in AB: Raising the vehicle on
page 262
and ¢ page 264.
259