
Checking and Filling Hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the vehi
cle .
Fig. 194 Drive r's side footwell: e ng ine hood re lease lever
"' Wi th the driver's door open, pu ll th e leve r un
der the instrument panel in the direction of the
arrow ¢fig.194 .
The hood pops up s light ly unde r spri ng p ressure.
Opening the engine hood
Fi g. 19 5 Release lever under t he eng ine hood
Before opening the engine hood, make sure tha t
the w indshield wipe rs are fla t against the w ind
shie ld. Otherwise, they could d amage t he paint
on the hood .
"' Pull up on the release under the hood
~fig . 195. Th is releases the cat ch.
"' Open the hood all the way¢&,, .
a,
~ ,&. WARNING
r--
~ Hot engine coo lant can burn you. 0 0
0:
co
Checking and Filling
- To reduce the r isk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam or
coo lant escaping from the engine compart
ment. Wa it until no steam or coolant can be
seen or hea rd before carefully ope ning t he
hood.
Closing the engine hood
"' Pull the hood down until the press ure from the
s truts is red uced.
"' Le t the hood
drop down and latch in p lace. Do
not try to push it shut ;
it may fail to engage
¢ &,, .
A WARNING
- -
A hood that is not completely latched co uld
f ly up and block your view while dr iv ing.
- When you close the engine hood, c heck it to
make sure the safety catch has prope rly en
gaged . The hood should be flush with the
sur rounding vehicle body parts .
- If you notice while driv ing that the hood is
not secured prope rly , stop at once and close
it .
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the
engine compartment.
Whenever you must pe rfo rm any work in the
eng ine compa rtment , for e xample check ing and
fill ing diffe rent fluids, the re is a ris k of injury,
burns and acciden ts. To pre vent personal injur y
always ob serve the fo llowing WARNINGS . The
eng ine compartment of any vehicle is a hazard
ou s area
~ .&, .
A WARNING
To he lp avoid injury, befo re yo u check any
t h ing u nder the hood:
- Tur n off the engine.
- Remove the ig nitio n key .
- Apply the parking brake.
-
- Move selector lever of automatic t ransm is-
sion to P (Park).
217

CD
CD
.... N ,-... N ..... 0 0 C<'. 00
Cooling system
Coolant
The engine cooling system is filled with a mixture
of purified water and coolant additive at the fac
tory. This coo lant must not be not changed.
The coolant level is monitored through the. in
dicator light
¢page 26. However , we do recom
mend occasionally check ing the coo lant level
manually.
If you must add coolant, use a mixture of water
and coolant addit ive. Mixing the coolant additive
with distilled water is recommended.
Coolant additive
The coolant additive is made of anti-freez ing and
corros ion protection agents. Only use the follow
ing coolant addit ives . These additives may be
mixed with each other.
Coolant additive Specification
G13
TL 774 J
G12++ TL 774 G
The amount of coo lant add itive that needs to be
mixed with water depends on the climate where
the vehicle will be operated.
If the coolant addi
tive percentage is too low, the coolant can freeze
and damage the engine.
Coolant Freeze protec-
additive tion
Warm min. 40% m in. -13 °F
regions max. 45% (-25 °C)
Cold min. 50% max
. -40 °F
regions max. 55% (-40 °C)
(D Note
-Before the start of winter, have your author
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility check if the coolant additive in your
vehicle matches the percentage appropriate
for the climate . Th is is especially important
when driving in colder climates.
- If the appropriate coolant additive is not
available in an emergency, do not add any
other additive . You could damage the en-
Checking and Filling
gine. If this happens, only use water and re
store the correct mixture ratio with the
specified coolant add it ive as soon as possi
ble.
- Only refill with new coolant .
- Radiator sealant must not be mixed with
the coolant.
Adding coolant
Fig. 198 Engine compartment: coolant expansio n ta nk
cover
Checking the engine coolant level
.,. Park your vehicle on a level surface.
.,. Switch the ignit ion off.
-N
-N
"" CD co
.,. Read the coolant level on the coolant expansion
tank
¢ page 219, fig . 196. The coolant level
must be between the MIN and MAX mark ings
when the engine in cold. When the engine is
warm it can be slightly above the MAX marking.
Adding coolant
Requirement: there must be a residual amount of
coolant in the expansion tank
¢(D .
.,. Let the engine cool down.
.,. Place a cloth over the coolant expansion tank
cap and unscrew the cap counterclockw ise
¢ _& .
.,. Add coo lant mixed in the correct rat io
¢ page 223 up to the MAX marking .
.,. Make sure that the fluid level remains stable.
Add more coolant if necessary .
.,. Close the cap securely.
Coolant loss usually indicates there is a lea k. Im
mediately drive your vehicle to an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility
and have the cooling system inspected.
If the
223

CD
CD
.... N ,-... N ..... 0 0 C<'. 00
& WARNING
-Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored
only in the closed original container out of
the reach of children!
- Brake failure can resu lt from old or inappro
priate brake fluid. Observe these precau
t ions:
- Use only brake flu id that meets SAE speci
fication
J 1 703 and confo rms to Fede ral
Motor Vehicle Standard 116. Always check
with your author ized Audi dealer to make
sure you are using the correct brake fluid.
The correct type of brake fluid is a lso indi
cated on the brake flu id reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use o f
the brakes can cause a vapor lock if the
brake fl uid is left in the system too long.
This can serious ly affect the efficiency of
the brakes as well as your safety. This
could result in an acc ident.
Brake fluid w ill damage the pa int of yo ur vehi
cle.
@) For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal of
brake flu id as we ll as the special tools re
qui red and the necessary expertise, we rec
ommend that you have the brake fluid
changed by your author ized Audi dealer.
Battery
General information
Under normal operating conditions, the battery
in your Audi does not need any maintenance.
W ith
high outside temperatures or long da ily
drives we recommend that you have the electro lyte level checked by an authorized Audi dea ler or
qua lified workshop. The e lectrolyte level should
a lso be checked each t ime the batte ry is charged
¢ page 22 7.
H ave the battery checked when you take your ve
hi cle in for serv ice. You a re well advised to re
p lace a batte ry that is o lde r than 5 years .
Check ing and Filling
Hybrid dr ive *: you can find important in format ion
about the high voltage battery under
¢ page 100.
Disconnecting the battery te rminals
Some vehi cle functions (power window regula
tors, for examp le) are lost if the batte ry te rm i
nals a re disconnected . These functions have to be
re learned after the battery terminals a re con
nected again. To prevent this, the battery should
only be disconnected from the vehicle electrical
system when absolutely necessary for repa irs.
Vehicles not dr iven for long p eriod s
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period of
severa l days or weeks, electrical compone nts are
gradually cut back or switched off. This reduces
energy consumpt ion and maintains starting ca
pability over a longer per iod
¢ page 192.
T ake into consideratio n that when you unlock
your vehicle, some convenience functions, suc h
as the inter ior lights or the power seat adjust
ment, may not be ava ilab le. The conve nience
funct ions will be available again when you turn
on the ignition and sta rt the eng ine.
Winter operation
D uring the winter months, battery capacity tends
to decrease as temperatures drop. This is be
cause more power is also consumed while start
i ng, and the headlights, rear w indow defogger,
etc., are used more ofte n.
Avo id unnecessary power consumption, pa rtic u
larly in city traff ic or when traveling only short
distances . Let your author ized Audi dealer check
the capacity of the veh icle batte ry before winter
sets in
¢ page 22 7. A we ll charged batte ry will
not only p reve nt start ing prob lems when the
wea the r is co ld, but will also last longer.
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
T he battery is loca ted in t he luggage compart
ment unde r the floo r. B efo re yo u check any thing .,..
225

CD
CD
.... N ,-... N ..... 0 0 C<'. 00
and a special procedure. You must not repair or
disassemble them ¢.&. .
A WARNING
Wheel bolts that are tightened or repaired in
correctly can become loose and result in loss
of vehicle control, which increases the risk of
an acc ident. For the correct tightening specifi
cation, see ¢
page 2 56, After changing a
wheel .
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hub clean and free of grease.
- Only use wheel bolts that fit the rim .
- Always have damaged r ims repa ired by an
authorized Audi dealer o r autho rized Aud i
Service Facility . Never repair or d isassemble
rims yourself, because this increases the risk
of an accident.
Winter tires
W inte r ti res s ignificantly improve the vehicle's
h andling when driving in win ter condit ions . Be
cause of the ir constr uction (width, compound,
tread pattern), summer tires provide less trac
tion on ice and snow .
"'U se winter t ires on all fo ur wheels .
.. Only use winter t ires that are approve d for your
v ehicl e.
"' Please note that the maximum permitted
speed may be lower with winter tires¢.&_ . An
authorized Aud i dealer or au thori zed Aud i Serv
ice Fac ility can inform you about the maximum
permitted speed fo r your tires .
"' Check the tire press ure after installing wheels
¢page 240.
The effectiveness of winter tires is reduced great
l y when the tread is worn down to a depth of
0 .1 57 inch (4 mm). The character ist ics of winter
tires a lso de crease great ly as the tire ages, re
ga rdless of the remain ing tread.
WARNING
- Never drive faster than the maxim um per
mitted speed for your t ires. This cou ld cause
the tires to heat up too much. Th is increases
Wh eel s
the risk of an accident because it can cause
the t ire to burst.
- Always adapt your driving to the road and
traffic cond itions . Drive carefully and reduce
your speed on icy or slippery roads . Even
winter t ires can lose tract io n on black ice.
@ For the sake of the environment
Reinsta ll summer tires at the app ropr iate
time, beca use they prov ide better handling
when roads are free of snow and ice. Summer
tires cause less road no ise, tire wear and fue l
consumpt io n.
(D Tips
You can also use all season tires instead of
winter tires. Please note that in some coun
tries where winter tires are required, on ly
winter tires w ith the
& symbo l may be per
mitted .
Snow chains
Snow chains improve traction in the snow.
"'On ly install snow chains on the rear wheels.
"' Check and correct the seating of the snow
chains if necessary after d rivi ng a few feet. Fol
low the instructions from the manufacturer .
"' Note the maximum pe rmitted spe ed wh en dr iv
ing w it h snow cha ins. Do not excee d
30 mph
( SO km/h) .
S now c ha ins not o nly improve the
driving in win
te r road condit io ns, but also the
broking.
Use of snow chains is only permitted w ith certa in
r im/tire comb inat ions due to technical reasons .
Check with an author ized Audi dealer or author
ized Audi Service Facility to see if you may use
snow chains.
U se
fine-mesh snow chains . They must not add
more than
0 .53 inch (13 .5 mm) in heig ht, incl ud
ing the cha in lock.
You m ust remove the chai ns when driving on
r oads t hat are
free of snow . When roads are free
of snow, snow chai ns can impa ir han dling and .,.
245

Emerg ency assis ta nce
Emergency assistance
Vehicle jack, vehicle tool kit and collapsible spare
tire
Onboard tool kit and vehicle jack
The vehicle tools and vehicle jock* ore stored in
the luggage comportment under the floor cover.
Fig. 207 Luggage compartment: on board tool kit and vehi
cle jack
The vehicle jack* is stored under the onboard tool
kit ¢ fig. 207.
Hybr id d rive*: the storage location of the on
board tool kit varies
r:!) page 107.
The onboard tool k it includes:
- Hook for removing wheel covers*
- Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt covers*
- Alignment pin for changing wheels
- Wheel bolt wrench
- Folding chocks
- Screwdriver with revers ible blade
- Socket (removable Torx socket)*
- 10 x 13 open ended wrench (for disconnecting
the battery cables)
- Towing eye
A WARNING
Improper use of the vehicle jack* can cause
ser ious personal injuries.
- Never use the jack* supplied with your Aud i
on another vehicle, particularly on a heavier
one. The jack* is only su itable for use on the
vehicle it came w ith.
250
- Using a bumper jack to raise the vehicle will
damage the bumper system. The jack may
slip, caus ing injury.
- Never support your vehicle on cinder blocks,
bricks or other objects. These may not be
able to support the load and could cause in
jury when they fail.
- Never start or run the engine while the vehi
cle is supported by the jack* .
- If you must work under the vehicle, always
use safety stands specifically designed for
this purpose.
- Never use the hexagonal socket in the han
dle of the screwdr iver to loosen or tighten
the wheel bolts .
- Always make sure the inflatab le spare tire*
and even a flat tire are secured in place and
not loose, otherwise they could fly forward,
causing personal inj ury to passenge rs in the
vehi cle in an a cc ident or sudden maneuve r.
@ Tips
The vehicle jack in your vehicle is mainte
nance-free.
Folding chocks
The folding chocks ore port of the on board tool
kit .
---
Fig . 208 Open ing fo lding chocks
To use the chocks, you fi rst have to raise the sup
port plate
¢ fig. 208 (D and then insert the lock
ing plate with the two "tabs" into the elongated
holes in the base plate
@ c> &.. .,,_

a,
a,
..... N
" ('I ..... 0 0
0:
co
_& WARNING
-The chock cannot fulfil its function and may
lose its stability if the "tabs" on the support
plate a re not inserted correctly into the
elongated holes in the base plate. If th is
happens, the vehicle may sta rt to move
wh ile a wheel is being changed.
- Never use the fold ing chocks if they are
damaged or if they have not been assem
bled co rrectly.
Removing bass box
Appl ies to: vehicles wit h bass box
Before the inflatable spare tire* can be token
out, the bass box must be removed.
Fig . 20 9 Spare w heel well: Bass box
Removing ba ss box
"Lift up the cargo floor using the hand le .
" Squeeze the locking tabs¢
fig. 209 © of the
connector.
" Disconnect the connector @and place the lead
to one s ide.
"T urn the large screw counter -clockwise .
" Carefully remove t he bass box .
Installing bas s bo x
"Carefully place the bass box in the whee l. The
inscription "FRONT" on the bass box must face
forward.
" Reconnect the co nnector that was removed.
" Secu re the bass box w ith the la rge screw .
" Fold the cargo floo r bac k down.
Em ergen cy a ssis tanc e
Inflatable spare tire
Applies to: vehicles w ith inflatable spare tire
The inflatable spare tire expands to its full diam
eter when it is inflated .
Fig. 210 In flatable spare tire wit h comp ressor
Removing inflatabl e spare tire
"Lift up the cargo floo r us ing the handle.
" Remove the dirt tr ay .
" Turn the large sc rew ¢ fig .
210 counter -clock-
w ise .
" Remove the bass box as required¢
page 251.
"Take out the inflatab le spare tire.
" Always store the vehicle too l kit, the jack* and
the replaced tire in the luggage compartment
¢ page 136.
Stowing the inflatable spare tire
.. Release the air by unscrewing the valve stem.
" Screw the valve stem back in afterwards.
" Wa it a few hours before plac ing the wheel in
the spare wheel well¢,& .
" Insta ll the bass box as requ ired ¢
page 251 .
" Secure the whee l w ith the la rge sc rew.
" Place t he d irt tray back in .
" Fold t he c argo floor back down .
After using the inflatable spare wheel
The inflatable spare tire can be re-used as long as
it is not damaged and is not worn down to the
tread wea r indicators ¢.&, .
When you let the a ir out of the inf latab le spare
t ir e, it does not assume its folded shape again for
severa l hours . Unt il then, it cannot be placed
back i n the spare wheel well and stowed securely.
IJI>
251

CD
CD
.... N ,-... N ..... 0 0 C<'. 00
(D Note
Special care is required if you are repairing
the tire on a steep incline.
@ Tips
- Do not operate the compressor for more
than 12 minutes continuously, otherwise it
can overheat. Once the compressor has
cooled, you can continue to use it.
- If sealant has spi lled out, let it dry and then
you can remove it by peeling it away like a
foil.
- Remember to obtain a new bott le of sealant
from your authorized Audi dealer after re
pair ing a tire. After this, the functionality of
the tire repair set is restored .
- Obey all laws.
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 traff ic and try to reach
level ground before you stop¢_& .
.. All passengers sho uld
leave the car and move
to a safe location (fo r instance, behind the
guardrai l) ¢ .&_ .
.. Engage the
par king b rake to prevent yo ur vehi
cle from roll ing unintentionally ¢&_ .
.. Move
selecto r le ver to po sitio n P ¢ &_ .
"" If you are towing a trailer: unh itch the trailer
from your veh icle.
"" Block the diagonally opposite wheel with the
folding chocks o r other objects .
""T ake the
jac k* and the inflatable spa re tir e*
out of the luggage compartment¢ page 250 .
A WARNING
You or your passengers cou ld be inj ured while
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
Em ergenc y ass is tanc e
emergency flashers on and use other wa rn
ing dev ices to alert other motorists.
- Make sure that passengers wait in a safe
place away from the vehicle and well away
from the road and traff ic.
- To help prevent the veh icle from moving
suddenly and possib ly slipping off the jack*,
always fully set the parking brake and block
the wheel diagonally opposite the wheel be i n g changed with the fold ing c hocks or oth
er objects . When one front whee l is lifted
off the ground, placing the Automatic
Transmission in P (Park) w ill
not prevent the
veh icle from moving.
- Before you change a wheel, be sure the
gro und is leve l and firm.
If necessary, use a
sturdy board under the jack*.
- Always s tore the vehicle too l kit, the jack*
and the replaced tire in the lugg age com
partment
¢ page 136.
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow the sequence
described below s tep-by -step and in exactly that
order.
1. Remove the de corative wheel cover* . For
more detai ls see also
¢page 256, Decaro-
tive wheel covers
o r r::!> poge 256, Wheels
with wheel bolt cops .
2. Loosen the w
heel bolts¢ page 256 .
3. Locate the proper mounting point for the
jack* and align the jack* below that point
¢ page 257.
4. Li ft the car with the jack*¢ page 257.
s. Remove the wheel with th e flat tire and then
insta ll the
inflatable spar e tire*
¢ page 258.
6. Tighte n all whee l bolts lightly.
7 .
Lo wer the vehicle wi th the jack *.
8 . Use the whee
l bolt wrench and
firml y tighten
all wheel bo lts
r::!> poge 256 .
9. Replace the decorat ive wheel co ver* .
255
...

CD
CD
.... N ,-... N .... 0 0 C<'. 00
~ Use the hexagonal socket in the screwdriver
handle to screw in and tighten all whee l bolts
slightly .
~ Remove the alignment pin and insert and tight
en the remaining wheel bolt slightly like the
rest .
~ Turn the jack handle* counter-clockwise to low
er the vehicle until the jack* is fully released .
~ Use the wheel bolt wrench to tighten all wheel
bolts firmly
Q page 256. Tighten them cross
wise,
from one bolt to the (approximately) op
posite one, to keep the wheel centered .
Q) Note
When removing or installing the whee l, the
rim could hit the brake rotor and damage the
rotor. Work carefu lly and have a second per
son help you.
(D Tips
Never use the hexagonal socket in the handle
of the screwdriver to loosen or tighten the
wheel bolts.
- Pull the reversible blade from the screwdriv
er before you use the hexagonal socket in
the handle to turn the wheel bolts.
- When mounting tires w ith
unidirectional
tread design
make sure the tread pattern is
pointed the right way
Q page 259.
- The wheel bolts should be clean and easy to
turn. Check for d irt and corrosion on the
mating surfaces of both the wheel and the
hub. Remove all dirt from these surfaces be
fore remount ing the wheel.
Tires with unidirectional tread design
Tires with unidirectional tread design must be
mounted with their tread pattern pointed in the
right direction .
Using a spare tire with a tread pattern
intended for use in a specific direction
When using a spare t ire with a tread pattern in
tended for use in a specific direction, please note
the following:
- The direct ion of rotat ion is marked by an arrow
on the side of the tire.
Emergency assistance
- If the spare tire has to be installed in the incor
rect direction, use the spare tire on ly tempora
r il y since the tire will not be able to ac hieve its
optimum performance characterist ics with re
gard to aquap lan ing, no ise and wear.
- We recommend that you pay part icu lar atten
tion to th is fact during wet weather and that
you adjust your speed to match road cond i
tions.
- Rep lace the flat tire w ith a new one and have it
installed on your veh icle as soon as possible to
restore the handling advantages of a un id irec
tional tire .
Notes on wheel changing
Please read the information Qpage 237, New
tires or wheels
if you are going to use a spare tire
which is different from the tir es on your veh icle.
After you change a tire:
- Check the tire pressure on the spare immedi
ately after installation.
- Have the wheel bolt tightening torque
checked with a torque wrench as soon as pos
sible by your authorized Audi dealer or a
qualified workshop.
- With steel and alloy wheel rims, the wheel
bolts are correctly tightened at a torque of
105
ft lb (140 Nm).
- If you notice that the wheel bolts are corroded
and difficult to turn while changing a tire,
they should be replaced before you check the
tightening torque.
- Replace the flat tire with a new one and have
it installed on your vehicle as soon as possi
ble. Remount the wheel cover.
Until then, drive with extra care and at reduced
speeds.
.&_ WARNING
- If you are going to equip your vehicle with
tires or rims which differ from those which
were fac tory installed, then be sure to read
the information
Q page 237, New tires or
wheels .
-
259