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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
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.,. 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
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Checking and Filling
cooling system is not leakin g, a loss can come
from t he coolant boiling through overheat ing
an d be ing pushed out o f the coo ling system .
A WARNING
-
-The cooling system is under pressure. Do
not open t he coolant expansion tank ca p
when the eng ine is hot. This inc reases the
risk of bu rns .
- The coolant add itive and the coolant can be
dangerous to your health. For this reason,
keep the coolant in the o rigina l container
and away from children. There is a risk of
po isoning .
- When working in the eng ine compartmen t,
r emembe r that the rad iator fan ca n switch
on even if the ign ition is swi tc h ed off, which
in creases the risk of in jury.
(D Note
Do not add coolant if the expansion tank is
empty. Air could enter the cooling system and
damage the engine. If this is the case , do no t
cont inue driv ing. See an authorized Audi deal
er or author ized Audi Se rvice Facility for assis
tance .
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a quick
glance.
F ig. 19 9 En gi ne co mpa rtme nt: cove r on the brak e fluid
r ese rvoi r
N N
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Before you check anyth ing in the eng ine compart
ment,
a lways read and h eed all WARNING S
224
¢.&. in Working in the engine compartment on
page 217.
.,. Read the bra ke fluid level from the brake f lu id
reservoir ¢
fig. 199, ~ page 219, fig. 196. The
brake fluid leve l must be between the "M IN"
and "MAX" markings.
The brake flu id reservoir is located a t the rear
partition of the engine compartment on the left
side
¢ page 219.
The fluid level may drop slightly afte r some t ime
due to t he automatic adjustme nt of the brake
pads. This is not ca use for a larm.
If the brake fluid level falls considerably below
the
" M IN " mark, the bra ke warn ing/ indica tor
li gh t (U.S. models:
11111 . Canadian models: .
will come on ¢
page 15 and¢ page 25. Do not
continue to ope rate the veh icle. The comp lete
brake system shou ld be thoroughly checked by an
a uthor ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop and
the cause corrected. If the brake fluid level is too l ow, the brake warn ing/ indicator light w ill illumi
nate. Contact a n author ized Audi dealer
immedi
ately .
Chang ing 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
bra king pe rformance.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every
two years .
Always use new brake f lu id which con
fo rms to Federa l Moto r Vehicle S tandard " FMVSS
116 DO T 4".
The brake fluid reservoir can be diff icult to reach,
therefore, we recommend that you have the
brake fluid changed by your author ized
Audi
dealer .
Your dealer has the correct tools, the
right brake fluid a nd the know -how to do t his for
you . ..,.
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& 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
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Check ing and F illing
in the luggage compartment, re ad and heed all
W ARNING S~
A .
Hybr id d rive*: you can find important information
about the h igh vo ltage bat tery unde r
c;>poge 100.
Always heed the s afet y warning s, when working
on the vehicle battery or the vehicle electrical
system to prevent injury .
The following WARNINGS are very important
when working on the battery:
A lway s heed the following WARNING SYM-
BOLS and saf ety pr ecautions when working on
the battery.
®
A lway s wear ey e protection .
A
Batter y acid conta ins sulfu ric acid. Al -
w ays wear glo ves and eye p rotection .
.
@
No
- spa rks
- flame s
- smoking.
~
When a battery is charg ed, it produc es
hydrogen gas whi ch is ex pl osi ve and
c o uld cause p ers ona l injury.
®
Alwa ys keep the ba ttery we ll out of rea ch
of child ren.
A WARNING
Whenever work ing on the battery or on the
elect rical system, there is the risk of inju ry,
accident and even fire. Read and heed the fol
lowing WARN INGS:
- Always we ar eye pro tection. Do not let bat
tery acid or any lead particles get on your
skin or clothing. Shield your eyes . Explosive
gases can cause blindness or other injury .
- Battery acid con tains su lfu ric acid . Sulfur ic
acid can cause blindness and severe b urns.
- Always wear gloves and eye protection. Do
not tilt the battery because acid could leak
out of the ventilat ion open ings.
- If you get battery ac id in your eyes or on
your skin, immediately rinse with cold wa
ter for several minutes and get medical at
tention .
226
-If you should ingest any batte ry acid, seek
medical attention immediate ly.
- Do not expose the battery to an open flame,
electric sparks or an open light.
- Do not smoke.
- Do not interchange t he positive and nega -
tive cables .
- When working on t he ba ttery, be sure not to
short -circuit the termina ls with tools or o th
er metal objects. This would cause the bat
tery to heat up very quickly, which could lead to damage or exp losion and personal
injury .
- When a battery is charged, it produces hy
drogen gas which is explosive and could
cause persona l injury.
- Always keep the battery well out of the
reach of children.
- Before wo rk is done on the electrical sys
tem, disconnect the negative ground cable.
- Before performing any work on the e lectri
cal system, sw itch off the engine and ign i
tion as well as any electrical equ ipment. The
negat ive cab le on the battery must be dis
connected . If you a re just going to replace a
light bulb, then it is enough to switch off
the l ights.
- Before d isconnecting the battery, switch off
the anti-theft alarm system ! Otherwise you
will set off the alarm.
- When disconnecting the battery, first dis
connect the negative cable and then the
positive cable.
- Before reconnect ing the battery, make sure
all electr ica l cons umers a re switched off.
Reconnect the positive cable firs t and then
the negative cable . Never in terchange the
cables -this could start a fire !
- Never cha rge a fro zen or a t hawe d-ou t bat
tery . It co uld explode! If a ba tte ry has fro
ze n, then it must be replaced. A discharged
battery can freeze over at 32°F (0°() .
- Ma ke sure the vent hose is always attached
to the opening on the side of the battery .
- Never use bat teries which a re damaged.
There is the danger of an exp losion! Always
replace a damaged battery .
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,&_ WARNING
California P roposition 65 Warn ing :
- B attery posts, termi na ls and re lated acces
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive problems.
Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
- Do no t disconnect the ve hicle bat tery when
t h e ignit ion is switched on or when the en
gine is runni ng, otherwise, you w ill damage
electron ic components in the e lectr ica l sys
tem.
- If your vehicle is going to stan d for a long
period of time without be ing driven, protect
the battery from "freez ing", otherwise it
will be damaged a nd will then have to be re
placed .
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged bat
tery .
Fig. 200 Engin e co mpartme nt: Co nnectors for charger and
j um per ca bles
Always read and heed all WARNINGS below
c> & and <=> & in Working on the battery on
page 226 .
.. Hybrid dr ive*: read the important i nformation
co ncerning a dead high voltage battery under
<=> page 107.
.. Turn off the ignition and all e lectr ica l consum
ers.
.. Make s ure the a rea is well vent ilated w hen you
c harge the b attery.
.. Open the engine hood
c> page 217 .
Checking and Filling
.. Remove the cover@ by pressing on the arrow
<=>fig . 200.
.. Open the cover @on the pos itive terminal.
.. Connect the charger connecto rs according to
the instructions to the
jump start bolts . (Bolts
under the cover = "positive" , Bolts w ith hex
head = "n egative ").
.,. Onl y now plug the mains lead for the cha rgi ng
equ ipme nt in to the wa ll ou tlet and turn it on
<=> & .
.. Make sure the charging rate i s not over
30 amps/14.8 Volt.
.. When the battery is fully charged: Turn the
charging equ ipment off and remove the ma ins
lead from the wall out let .
.,. Now remove the clamps for the charg ing equip
ment .
.,. Close the cover @on the pos it ive termina l and
re- insta ll the cover
(D .
.,. Close the hood c> page 217.
A d ischarged battery can freeze at temperat ures
of on ly 32 °F (0 °C). Allow a frozen batte ry to
t h aw comple tely before attempting to charge it
c> .&, . However, we recommend not using a
t h awe d batt ery ag ain be ca use the bat tery ca sing
can be cracked due to ice formation and ca n leak
batte ry ac id.
Battery charging (Maximum charging rate of
30 amps/14.8 Volt)
W hen charging a t low voltages (e.g . w ith a trick
le charger ),
th e battery cables do not have to be
disconnected first. The battery caps should
not
be opened when cha rging a battery.
It is no t necessary to remove the bat tery from
the luggage compartment .
Fast charging the battery (charging rate
above 14 .8 Volts)
F or technical rea sons do not use a batte ry charg
er that uses vo ltage greater than 14.8 Vo lts to
c h arge your veh icle's battery .
A WARNING
-Charging a battery can be dangerous.
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Checking and Filling
-Always follow the operating instructions
provided by the battery charger manufactur
er when charging your battery.
- Never charge a frozen battery . It may ex
plode because of gas trapped in the ice. Al
low a frozen battery to thaw out first.
- Do not reuse batteries which were frozen .
The battery housing may have cracked and
weakened when the battery froze .
- Charge the battery in a well ventilated area.
Keep away from open flame or electrical
spark . Do not smoke. Hydrogen gas generat
ed by the battery is explosive .
- To reduce the danger of explosion, never
connect or disconnect charger cables while
the charger is operating .
- Fast charging a battery is dangerous and should only be attempted by a competent
technician with the proper equipment .
- Battery acid that may spill during charging should be washed off with a solution of
warm water and baking soda to neutralize
the acid.
(D Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to start
the engine. This will seriously damage sensi
tive electronic components, such as control
units , relays , radio, etc., as well as the battery
charger.
Battery replacement
The new battery must have the same specifica
tions and dimensions as the original equipment
battery.
Intelligent energy management in your vehicle is
responsible for distributing the electrical energy
throughout your vehicle
~ page 192. The intelli
gent energy management system will keep the
engine battery charged better then vehicles with
out this system. To mak e sure the additional
electrical energy is available once again after you
have changed the battery, we recommend that
you install batteries of the same type and manu facture only (the same as those installed at the
time your vehicle was delivered) . Specifications
228
are listed on the battery housing. Your author
ized dealer must cod e the battery in the energy
management system to enable you to use the en
ergy management functions correctly after re
placing the battery.
If it is not possible to use a battery of this type,
the new battery must have the same capacity,
voltage (12 volts), amperage, construction and plug sealing.
When installing the battery, make sure the igni
tion and all electrical consumers are turned off.
([) Note
- Make sure the ventilation hose on the side
of the battery is connected, otherwise
fumes or battery acid can leak out.
- Vehicles with the Start-Stop-System* are
equipped with a special cycle-proof AGM
battery. Installing a different type of bat
tery can cause problems in the vehicle elec
trical system. When replacing the vehicle battery, always install one with the same
specifications as the original battery.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal of
a battery, we recommend your authorized
Audi dealer change the battery for you. Bat
teries contain sulfuric acid and lead and must
always be disposed of properly in compliance
with all environmental regulations. Disposing
of vehicle batteries improperly is
very danger
ous to the environment.
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Windshield/headlight washer container
Fig. 201 Engine co mpartment: cover on t he windshie ld
an d h eadligh t* was her fluid reservo ir
The washer fluid container is marked with the
symbol
Q on its cap ¢ fig. 201, ¢ page 219,
fig . 196.
M N
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• Before you check anything in the engine com
partment ,
always read and heed all WARN
INGS ~&, in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 217.
• Lift the filler cap tongue to add washer fluid.
You can fill the container to the top.
• Press the cap back onto the filler neck after fill -
ing the container.
You can find the reservoir
capacity in the table in
¢page 273.
Clean water should be used when filling up. If
possible, use soft water to prevent scaling on the
washer jets . Always add a glass cleaner solution
(with frost protection in the winter).
(D Note
Do not mix engine coolant antifreeze or any
other additives to fill up the windshield wash
er reservoir.
Checking and Filling
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Wheels
Wheels
Wheels and Ti res
General information
.,. Check your tires regularly for
damage (punctures, cuts, cracks
and bulges). Remove foreign ob
jects from the tire tread.
.,. If driving over curbs or similar
obstacles, drive slowly and ap proach the curb at an angle.
.,.Have faulty tires or rims re
placed immediately.
.,.Protect your tires from oil,
grease and fuel.
.,.Mark tires before removing
them so that the same running
direction can be maintained if
they are reinstalled .
.,. Lay tires flat when storing and
store them in a cool, dry location
with as little exposure to light as
possible.
(D N ote
-Please note that summer and
winter tires are designed for
the conditions that are typical in those seasons . Audi recom
mends using winter tires dur
ing the winter months . Low
temperatures significantly de crease the elasticity of summ
er tires, which affects traction
230
and b raking ability. If summer
tires are used in very cold
temperatures, cracks can form
on the tread bars, resulting in permanent tire damage that
can cause loud driving noise
and unbalanced tires.
-Burnished, polished or chromed rims must not be used in winter driving condi
tions. The surface of the rims
does not have sufficient corro
sion protection for this and
could be permanently dam
aged by road salt or similar
substances.
Tire designations
F ig. 202 Tire des ignat ions on the side-
wall II>