Driving and th e en vironm ent
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot
of fuel.
.,. Have your vehicle serviced at regular intervals.
By having your vehicle regu larly serviced by an
author ized Audi dealer he lps to ensure that it
runs properly and econom ically . The condition of
your veh icle not only affects its safety and ability
to hold its value, it also affects
fu el consump
tion .
C he ck your oil e ach t ime you fill you r ta nk .
The amount of oil used is re lated to engine load
and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumpt ion of a new en
g ine to reach its lowest val ue afte r a certa in mile
age has been driven .
You must d rive you r vehicle about 3 ,000 miles
(5,000 k ilome ters) before you can p roperly as
sess o il cons umption .
This a lso applies to fuel consumption and engine
outpu t.
(D Note
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommenda
tions in you r Warranty
& Maintenance book
l et . La ck of p roper main tenance as well as
i mproper use of the vehicle will impa ir the
f u nct ion of the emission control system and
could lead to damage.
- Do not al ter or remove any component of
the Emission Control System unless ap proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not a lter or remove any device, such as
heat shie lds, switches, ignition wires,
valves, which are designed to protect your
vehicle's Emission Control System and other i mportant vehicle components.
178 ·
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively high
on short trips .
.,. Try to avoid driving short distances with a cold
eng ine .
T he eng ine and catalytic converter have to reac h
their opt imal
operating temper atu re to reduce
fuel consumpt ion and noxious emiss ions effec
tively .
Just after start ing, a cold engine in a mid-size car
on ly achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 miles per
gallon (30-40 l/100 km) . After about a half a
mile, fuel economy climbs to 12 mpg (20 l/100
km) . After about
2 .5 m iles (4 km), the engine is
at its proper operating temperatu re and fuel
economy has reached a no rma l level. So you can
see that you should avoid sho rt tr ips wheneve r
possible .
The
out sid e temperatur e is also cr it ica l in th is re
gard. Your car cons umes more fue l in the winter
than in the summer.
Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that
the additional load will affect durability, econo
my and performance.
Trailer towing not only places more stress on the
vehicle, it also calls for more concentration from
the driver.
For this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suitable
for your vehicle and trailer and must be mounted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a technically
sound
location . Use only a trailer hitch with a re
movable ball mount . Always check with the trail
er hitch manufacturer to make sure that you are
using the correct hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it
does not interfere with the impact -absorbing
bumper system . No modifications should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems .
From time to time, check that all hitch mounting
bo lts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer,
remove the
tra iler hitch ball mount . This prevents the hitch
from causing damage shou ld your vehicle be
struck from beh ind ¢
,&. .
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a braking system,
gi check to be sure that it conforms to all regula-......
~ tions . N ...... 0
0
LL 00
Trailer towing
The trailer hydraulic brake system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system ¢.&. .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle
and the trailer.
Trailer lights
T ra iler lights must meet all regulations . Be sure
to check w ith your author ized Audi dealer for cor
rect wiring, switches, and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you us
ing the regular outside mirrors, then you
must in
stall extended mirrors. It is important that you
always have clear vision to the rear.
,8. WARNING
-If a tra iler has electr ical brakes please note
that these bra kes are not activated by the
factory-fitted control unit -risk of accident!
- After removing the trailer hitch, do not
store it in your vehicle. In case of sudden
braking, the hitch could fly forward and in
jure you or your passengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held sec ure ly in
place to prevent it from shifting forward, back
ward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer¢.&.
in Driving instructions on page 180.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder . It
is important that the cooling system's perform
ance is up to the additional load . Make sure that
the cool ing system has enough fluid. .,..
179
Trailer towing
Tire pr essure
When tow ing a tra iler, inflate the tires of yo ur
veh icle to the tire pressure listed under " Fu ll
load" on the label ¢
page 217. Inflate trai ler
tires to trai ler and tire manufacturers' specifica
tions.
Lights
The headlight settings should be chec ked with
the trailer attached before driving off . Check to
make sure both vehicle and trailer lights are
working properly.
Safety chains
Be s ure t railer safety chains are properly connect
ed from the trailer to the hitch on the vehicle .
L eave enough slack in the chains to permit turn
ing corners. When you 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.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration .
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car res ults
in a high ly unstable distribution of weight . If this
cannot be avo ided, drive at very low speeds on ly
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easie r to operate and cont rol.
This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded
to the extent possible and permissible, while keeping the trai ler as light as possib le under the
circumstances . Whenever possible, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow vehicle while observ ing tongue load requ ire
ments and vehicle loading considerat ions .
Spe ed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be
comes for the driver to contro l the rig. Do not
drive at the maximum permiss ible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or w ind
180
conditions are unfavorab le -particularly when
going downhi ll.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediate ly if the trailer
shows the slightest sign of sway ing.
Do not try
to st op the swaying by accele rating.
Observe speed limits. In some a reas, speeds fo r
vehicles towing tra ilers are lower tha n for regular
vehicles.
A lways apply brakes ear ly . When driving down
hill, shift into a lower gea r to use the engine
braki ng effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
brakes alone ca n cause them to overheat and fa il.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge¢ page 8 must
be observed carefully. If the needle moves close
to the upper end of the scale, reduce speed im
med iate ly and/or tu rn off the a ir cond itioner .
If the coolant temperatu re warning light . in
the instrument cluster starts flashing, p ull off
the road, stop and let the engine
idle for about
two minu tes to p revent heat build-up .
.&, WARNING
Anyone not properly res trained in a moving
vehicle is at a much greater risk in an acci
dent . Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wear ing the restraints provided
by Aud i.
Trailer towing
information
Important to know
-
Your vehicle handles differently when towing a
trailer because of the addit iona l weight and dif
ferent weight distribution. Safety, performance
and economy will greatly depend on how careful
ly you load your tra iler and operate your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, pract ice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traffic. Keep pract icing u nti l you have be
come completely fam iliar w ith the way your vehi-
cle-tra ile r combination behaves and respo nds . .,.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice.
Backing up with a trailer generally requires steer
ing action oppos ite 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 wi ll need more
room to stop. To compensate for the tra iler, you
will need a larger than normal turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot accel
erate as fast as you normally would because of
the added load. Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for
your trailer before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
@ Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in peri
od of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may require
more frequent maintenance due to the ex
tra load
~ page 246.
Parking on a slope
Do not pork on o slope with o 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.
" With chocks in place, slowly release the brakes
until the wheel chocks absorb the load.
" Turn the wheels towards the curb.
" Apply the parking brake.
" Move the selector lever to P .
When restarting after parking:
" Apply the foot brake.
" Start the engine .
" Move the selector lever to D/S.
" Release the parking brake and slowly pull out
and away from the wheel chocks.
a:,
~ " Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel
~ chocks . N .... 0
0
LL 00
Trailer towing
(D Tips
If you move the selector lever of the automat
ic transmission to P before applying the park
ing brake and before blocking the wheels, you
may have to use more force later to move the
lever out of the P posit ion .
181
Fuel and Refueling
Fuel and Refueling
Fuel
Fuel supply
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 lease go to the official 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 w ill slightly reduce engine per
formance.
Use unleaded gasoline only. Unleaded gasoline
is available 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
r::;, page 190.
Octane rating
Octane rating indicates a gasoline's ability to re
sist engine damaging "knock" caused by prema
ture ignit ion and detonation . Therefore, buy ing
the correct grade of gasoline is very important to
he lp prevent poss ible engine damage and a loss
of engine 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
- Regular Grade: 87 -90 AKI
188
Explanation of the abbreviations:
AKI= Anti Knock Index= (R+M)/2 = (RON +MON)/
2
RON = Research Octane Number
MON= Motor Octane Number.
CJ) Note
- Do not use any fue l with octane ratings low
er than 87 AKI or 91 RON otherwise expen
sive engine damage will 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
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 mixt ure meets the following
criteria:
Blend of gasoline methanol (wood alcohol or
methyl alcohol)
- Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
- 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-knoc k index must be 87 AK I or higher.
- Blend must not contain more than 15% etha-
nol.
- Vehicles with flexib le fue l eng ine: blend must
not contain more than 85% ethanol.
Blend of gasoline and MTBE
-Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
- Blend must contain not more than 15% 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-ove r, 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
-Fu els con taining a high pe rcentage of etha
no l such as ESQ and EBS may only be used in
vehicles with flexible fuel engines. Using high ethanol f uel in veh icles not equ ipped
with flexib le fue l engines can cause severe
engine damage.
- Methanol fuels which do not meet these re quirements may ca use corros ion and dam
age to plast ic and rubber components in the
fuel system.
- Do not use fuels that fail to meet the spec i
fied criter ia in this chapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether or
not a particular fuel blend meets the spec i
fications, ask your service station o r its fuel
supplier.
- Do not use fue l for wh ich the contents can
not be identif ied.
- Fuel system damage and performance prob
lems result ing from the use of fuels differ
ent from t hose specif ied a re not the respon
s ibility of Audi and are not covered under
t h e New Veh icle o r the Emiss io n Control
System Wa rra nt ies.
- If yo u experience a loss of fue l economy o r
driveability an d pe rform ance prob le m s du e
to t he use of one of these fuel blends we
,
recommend that you switch to unb lended
fuel.
Ethanol fuel (Bio-ethanol)
Applies to: ve hicles with flex ible fuel engine
You can recognize vehicles wi th a flexible fuel
engine by looking at the label on the inside of the fuel filler flap.
Ve hicl es w ith flex ible f uel engines may be oper
ated w ith b io -e thanol fuels such as EBS (85%
ethano l and 15% gasoline) or with un leaded gas
oline (91 AKI/ROZ 95) . The ve hicle may a lso be
a:, operated with a mixture of these fuels. a:, ...... N r--. N ...... 0
0
LL 00
Fuel and R efueling
Your fuel consumpt ion w ill increase when using
bio-ethano l fue ls due to the lower amount of en
ergy conta ined per un it vol ume in ethanol.
Warming up the flexible fuel engine in low
temperature s
Due to the chemica l composition of b io -ethanol,
a certa in amount of fue l ends up in the engine o il
when driving short distances in very low temper
atures. This fuel evaporates again when the en
gine is warmed up.
II Please warm up eng ine .
If the drive r message appears in the instr ume nt
cluster disp lay, drive with a warm engine to re
duce the oil leve l.
(D Note
- N ever fill wi th metha no l o r with a higher
percentage of b io -ethanol than 85% (E85).
A highe r percentage of bio-ethanol in the
fuel can cause damage to the engine or to the fuel system.
- If you use on ly E85, it is recommende d to
fill the fue l tank complete ly w ith unleaded
premium g rade gasoline every 5,000 mi les.
- If you expe rience starting, rough id le or hes
itat ion d riveab ility prob lems, f ill the fuel
tank complete ly w ith unleaded p remium
grade gaso line and drive it norma lly until
t he gaso line is used. See your author ized
Audi dea ler if the problem persists.
- Inform your author ized Audi dealer that you
are ope rating o r have operate d the vehicle
w ith EBS.
- Read and follow the i nformat ion and tips
abou t gasoli ne
r::;, page 188.
(D Tips
It may take longer to start the engine when
the outs ide temperat ure is very cold. If possi
ble, use w inte rize d fue l if tempe ratures are
below free zing.
189
Fuel and R efue li ng
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufactur
ers is carbon deposit build-up ca used by the type
of gasoline you use .
Although gasoline grades d iffer from one manu
facturer to another, they have certain things in
common. All gasoline grades contain substances
that can cause deposits to collect on v ita l engine
parts, such as fue l injectors and intake valves . Al
though most gasoline brands include addit ives to
keep engine and fuel systems clean, they are not
equally effective.
Audi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent Gas
oline. For more information on TOP TIER Deter
gent Gasoline, please go to the official website (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended period of using inadequate
fue ls, built-up carbon deposits can rob your en
g ine of peak performance.
CD Note
- Damage or ma lfunction due to poor fuel
quality is not covered by the Audi New Vehi
cle Limited War ranty.
- Do not add afterma rket fuel add it ive prod
ucts to yo ur fuel tank.
Refueling
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the r ight rear
side panel behind the fuel f iller flap .
If the power locking system should fail, you can
still open the flap manually -for detailed instruc
tions see
c:> page 192 .
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your vehicle
in
c:>page 244 .
The label on the inside of the fuel filler flap tells
you the correct fue l for your vehicle. For more in
formation about fuel specifications , see
c:>page 188 .
Your veh icle fuel tank has an on-board refuelling
vapor recovery system . This feature he lps to pre
vent fuel vapors from escaping from the tank and
190
po lluting the environment whi le you refuel your
veh icle. In order to fill the tank proper ly while
protecting the env ironment, please follow th is
refueling procedure carefully.
A WARNING
Under normal operating conditions, never car
ry additional fuel containers in your car. Gas
can isters and other containers used to trans
port fue l can be dangerous. Such containers,
f ull or empty, may leak and could cause a fi re
in a co llision.
If you mus t transport fuel to
use for your lawn mower , snow blower, etc.,
be very careful and always observe local and
state laws regarding the use, transportation
and storage of such fuel containers. Make cer
tain the container meets industry standards
(ANSI/ASTM F852 -86) .
CD Note
Never drive your vehicle until the fuel tank is
complete ly empty. The irregular supply of
fuel can cause misfiring. Gasoline could enter the exhaust system and damage the catalytic
converte r.
Refuelling
Fig. 165 R ig ht rea r ve hicle side : Ope ning the fuel fil ler fl ap
Fig. 166 Fuel fille r flap w ith att ach ed fuel c ap
a:,
a:,
...... N r--. N ...... 0
0
LL 00
When activating the central locking, the fuel fill
er flap is automatically unlocked or locked. Re
fue l the vehicle with the ignit ion turned
off.
T a king the fuel cap off
.,. Turn off the ignition.
.,. Press the left side of the fue l filler flap to open
it
r=;, fig . 165 -arrow -.
.,. Unscrew fue l cap counter -clockwise and hang it
on the fue l filler flap
c:> fig. 166.
Refuelling proc edure
.,. Inse rt the fue l nozzle from the gasoline pump
into the fuel filler neck as far as it will go .
.,. Se lect a medium refuelling rate so that the
nozzle switches off automatically when the
tank is full.
Putting the fuel cap back on
.,. After filling your tank, tw ist the f uel cap clock-
wise as far as it wi ll go .
.,. Close the fuel filler flap.
To avoid fuel spill ing o r evaporating from the f uel
tank always close fuel cap proper ly and com
pletely.
A WARNING
Improper refueling or handling of fuel can
cause fire, explosion and severe b urns.
-
- Fuel is highly flammable and can cause se
vere burns and other injur ies .
- Failure to shut the engine off wh ile refuel
ing and/or to insert the pump nozz le fully
into the fuel filler neck could ca use fue l to
spray out of filler neck or to ove rflow. Fuel
spray and overflowing fue l can cause a fire.
- Never use a cellular telephone wh ile refuel
ing. The electromagnetic radiation can
cause spa rks that can ignite f uel vapors and
cause a fire .
- Never get back into your vehicle while refu
eling. If in except ional circumstances you
must get back in your vehicle while refuel
ing, make certain that you close the door
and touch meta l to discha rge static ele ctric
ity befo re touching the filler noz zle ag ain.
Fuel and R efueling
Stat ic electricity can cause sparks that can
ignite fue l vapors released during refueling.
- Never smo ke or have an open flame any
where in or near your vehicle when ref ueling
or filling a portable fuel container .
- For your safety, we strongly recommend
that you do not trave l with a po rtable fuel
container in your veh icle. The container, fu ll
or empty may leak and co uld cause a fire,
especially in a crash .
- If, under except ional circumstances, you
m ust transport a portable fuel container,
p lease observe the following:
- Never fill a portab le fue l conta iner while it
is anywhere in or on the vehicle (for exam
ple, in the l uggage compa rtment, o r on
the trunk). Static electricity can build up
while filling and can ignite fuel vapors caus ing a f ire .
-Always place a portab le fue l conta iner on
the ground before fi lling .
-A lways keep the f iller nozzle comp lete ly
inside the portable container before and
during f il li ng.
- If filling a portable conta iner made of
metal, the filler nozz le must always be in
contact with the container . This will he lp
prevent stat ic elec trici ty from discharging
and ca use a fire .
- Never spill fue l inside the vehicle o r lug
gage compartment. F uel vapors a re highly
flammable .
- Always observe loca l and state/prov incial
laws rega rding the use, storage a nd trans
po rtation of fuel contai ners.
- Make ce rtain the f uel con tainer mee ts i n
dust ry standards (A NSI/ AS TM F852 -86) .
(D Note
If any fuel has sp illed onto the car, it should
be removed immed iately to p revent damage
to the pa int.
@) For the sake of the environment
As soon as the correctly operated nozzle
switches off automatically for the first time,
191