Check ing and F illing
right brake fluid and the know -how to do this for
you.
A WARNING
- Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored
only in the closed orig inal container out of
the reach of chi ldren!
- B rake failure can resu lt from old or inappro
pr iate brake flu id. Observe these precau
t ions:
- Use on ly brake fluid that mee ts SA E speci
fi cation) 17 0 3 and confo rms to Fede ral
Motor Ve hicle Standard 116. Always check
wit h your authorized Audi dealer to make
sure you are using the correct brake fluid.
The cor rect type o f brake fluid is a lso 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 flu id is left in the system too long.
This ca n ser iously affect t he efficiency of
the bra kes as well as your safety. This
could result in an acc ident.
{U) Note
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
quired and the necessary expertise, we rec
ommend tha t you have the brake fluid
changed by your author ized Audi d ealer.
Battery
General information
Unde r normal operating conditions, the battery
i n your Audi does not need any maintenance.
W ith
high outs ide temperat ures o r long da ily
d rives we recommend that you have the electro
lyte leve l checked by an a uth orized Audi dea le r or
qua lified wor kshop. The e lectroly te leve l should
a lso be checked each time the batte ry is ch a rged
¢ page 314.
312
Have t he battery chec ke d when yo u take yo ur ve
hicle in for service . You are we ll advised to re
place a battery that is o lder than 5 yea rs .
With ce rta in types o f airbag deployment, t he
b atte ry is disconnected from the veh icle elect ri
ca l system for safety reasons ¢.&
in Repair, care
and disposal of the airbags on page 268.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some ve hicl e fu nctions (power window regula
tors, for examp le) are lost if the batte ry te rm i
nals a re disconnected . These f unc tions have to be
relearned after the battery term inals are con
nected again . To p revent this, the battery should
o nl y be disconnected from the vehicle electrical
system when absolute ly necessary for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not d rive yo ur vehicle ove r a period of
severa l days o r weeks, electr ica l components are
grad ua lly cut back or switched of f. T his reduces
energy consumpt ion and maintains start ing ca
pability over a longer period ¢
page 138.
Some of the convenience functions may not oper
ate, such as the inter ior lights or the power seat
adjustment . The convenience functions will be
available again w hen you turn on the ignit io n and
start the eng ine .
Winter operation
Dur ing the winte r months, battery capacity tends
to decrease as tempe ratures drop. This is be
ca use more power is also consumed while start
i ng, and t he headlights, rear w indow defogger,
etc ., are used more often.
Avo id unnecessary powe r consumption, partic u
l a rly in city traffic or when traveling o nly short
distances . Let your author ized Audi dealer check
the capacity of the vehicle battery before win ter
sets in ¢
page 314 . A well charged battery will
n ot only p reve nt sta rting prob lems when the
we ather is co ld , but will also last longer.
@ Tips
I f yo ur vehicle is left sta nding for several
weeks at extreme ly low te mpera tures, th e ve-
h icl e b att ery should be re mo ved and store d
II>-
Check ing and F illing
Windshield washer
system
.........
w •
F ig. 252 Engin e comp artm ent : wash er fluid r ese rvoir cap
"' N
0
~ 00 m
The washer fluid reservoir O contains the clean
ing solution for the windshield and the headlight
washer system* c>
page 306, fig. 24 7. The reser
voir capacity can be found inc>
page 362 .
To reduce the risk of lime sca le deposits on the
spray nozzles, use clean water with low amounts
of calci um. Always add window cleaner to the wa
t er. When the outside temper atures are co ld, an
anti-free zing agent should be added to the water
so that it does not freeze .
Cl) Note
-The concentration of anti-free zing agent
must be adjusted to the vehicle operating
conditions in the respective climate. A con
centration that is too high can lead to veh i
cle damage .
- Never add rad iator anti -freeze or other addi
tives to the washer fluid .
- Do not use a glass cleaner that contains
paint solvents, beca use this could damage
the pa int.
Service interval display
The service interval display detects when your ve
hicle is due for service.
Checking se rv ice intervals
You can check the rema ining distance or time un
til the next oil change or next inspection i n the
I nfotainment system .
316
.. Select in the Infotainment system : the !MENUI
button > V ehicle > left control button > Se rvice
& che cks > Ser vice inte rvals .
Resettin g the indicator
You r authorized Audi dea le r or authorized Audi
Se rvice Facility w ill reset the se rvice interval dis
play after performing service.
If you have changed the oi l yourself, yo u must re
set the o il change interval.
.. Select in the Infotainment system: thel
M ENU !
button > Vehicle > left control button > Ser vic e
& check s > Service int erv al s > Re set oil chang e
int erva l.
If an o il cha nge or inspection is due, you can ac
cess it i n the Infota inment system. The display
works in two stages :
-Se rv ice re mind er: after a certain distance is
dr iven, a message appears in the instrument
cluste r display eve ry t ime the ignition is switch
ed on. The remaining d istance and time is dis
played briefly .
-Serv ic e due : if your vehicle has reached a se rv
ice in terva l, a message appears briefly after
sw itching the ignition on.
(D Note
- Only reset the oil change indicator if the oi l
was changed.
- Following the se rvice interva ls is cr itical to
ma inta ining the se rvice l ife and val ue of
yo ur vehicle, especially the engine. Even if
the mileage on the vehi cle is low, do not ex
ceed the time for the next service .
- Calc ulat ing the time to the next oil change
is interrupted when the vehicle battery is
disconnected.
If the vehicle is not driven for
a long period of time, check the mainte
nance schedule so that you can fo llow the
maintenance intervals .
Wheels
(D Tires for passenger vehicles
(if applicable)
P indicat es a tire for a passenger
vehicle. T indicates a tire desig
nated for temporary use.
@ Nominal width
Nominal width of the tire be
tween the sidewalls in millime
ters. In general: the larger the
number, the wider the tire.
@ Aspect ratio
Height/width ratio expressed as a
percentage.
@ Tire construction
R indicates a radial tire.
® Rim diameter
Size of the rim diameter in inches.
@ Load index and speed rating
The load index indicates the tire's
load-carrying capacity.
The speed rating indicates the maximum permitted speed
¢ & in
W inter tires on page 332 .
"XTRA LOAD", "xl" or "RF" indi
cates that the tire is reinforced or
is an Extra Load tire.
Speed rat- Maximum permitted speed
ing
p
up to 93 mph (1 50 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (160 km/h)
318
Speed rat- Maximum permitted speed
Ing R
up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
s up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
T up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
u up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)al
z above 149 mph (240 km/h)al
w up to 168 mph (270 km/h)al
y up to 186 mph (300 km/h)al
a) For tires above 149 mph (240 km/h),
tire manufact urers sometimes use the
code "ZR".
(j) US DOT number (TIN) and
manufacture date
The manufacture date is listed on
the tire sidewall (it may only ap
pear on the inner side of the tire):
DOT ... 2215 ...
means, for example, that the tire
was produced in the 22nd week of
the year 2015.
@ Audi Original Tires
Audi Original Tires with the desig
nation "AO" or "RO" have been
specifically matched to your Audi.
When u sed correctly, these tires
meet the highest standards for
safety and handling. An author
ized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility will be able
to provide you with more infor
mation.
Wheels
for the number of seating positions. Refer to the table ¢
table
on page 329
for the number of
people that correspond to the ve
hicle normal load.
New tires or wheels
Audi recommends having all work on tires or wheels performed by
an authorized Audi dealer or au
thorized Audi Service Facility.
These facilities have the proper
knowledge and are equipped with
the required tools and replace ment parts.
.. New tires do not yet have the
optimum gripping properties.
Drive carefully and at moderate
speeds for the first 350 miles
(500 km) with new tires.
.. use tires of the same construc
tion, size (rolling circumference)
and as close to the same tread pattern as possible on all four
wheels.
11>D0 not replace tires individually.
At least replace both tires on the
same axle at the same time.
11>Audi recommends that you use
Audi Original Tires. If you would like to use different tires, please
note that the tires may perform
324
differently even if they are the
same size ¢
&.-
.,. If you would like to equip your
vehicle with a tire/rim combina
tion that is different from what
was installed at the factory, con
sult with an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility before making a pur
chase¢ &,.
If the spare tire is different from
the regular tires installed on the
vehicle - for example, if winter
tires or wide tires are installed -
then only use the spare tire tem porarily in case of emergency and
drive carefully while it is in use. It
should be replaced with a regular
tire as soon as possible .
On
all wheel drive vehicles , all
four wheels must be equipped
with tires that are the same brand
and have the same construction
and tread pattern so that the
drive system is not damaged by
different tire speeds . For this rea
son, in case of emergency, only
use a spare tire that has the same
circumference as the regular
tires . ""
&_ WARNING . -
-Only use tire/rim combina-tions and suitable wheel bolts
that have been approved by
Audi. Otherwise, damage to
the vehicle and an accident
could result.
-For technical reasons, it is not possible to use tires from oth
er vehicles - in some cases,
you cannot even use tires from
the same vehicle model.
-Make sure that the tires you select have enough clearance
to the vehicle. Replacement
tires should not be chosen simply based on the nominal
size, because tires with a dif
ferent construction can differ
greatly even if they are the
same size. If there is not
enough clearance, the tires or
the vehicle can be damaged
and this can reduce driving
safety and increase the risk of
an accident.
-Only use tires that are more than six years old when abso
lutely necessary and drive
carefully when doing so.
-If you install wheel covers on
the vehicle, make sure they al low enough air circulation to
Wheels
cool the brake system. If they
do not, this could increase the
risk of an accident.
Tire wear/damage
Fig. 254 Tire profile: treadwear indica
tor
Tire wear
Check the tires regularly for wear.
-Inflation pressure that is too low or high can increase tire wear
considerably.
-Driving quickly through curves,
rapid acceleration and heavy
braking increase tire wear.
-Have an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili
ty check the wheel alignment if
there is unusual wear.
-Have the wheels rebalanced if an imbalance is causing noticeable
vibration in the steering wheel.
If you do not, the tires and other
vehicle components could wear more quickly. .,..
325
Wheels
Treadwear indicator
Original equipment tires contain
treadwear indicators in the tread
pattern, which are bars that are 1/16 in (1.6 mm) high and are
spaced evenly around the tire per pendicular to the running direc
tion
c::> fig. 254 . The letters "TWI"
or triangles on the tire sidewall indicate the location of the tread
wear indicators.
The tires have reached the mini
mum tread depth
l) when they
have worn down to the treadwear
indicators. Replace the tires with
new ones
c::> A .
Tire rotation
Rotating the tires regularly is rec
ommended to ensure the tires
wear evenly. To rotate the tries,
install the tires from the rear axle
on the front axle and vice versa.
This will allow the tires to have
approximately the same length of
service life.
For unidirectional tires, make
sure the tires are installed accord
ing to the running direction indi-
1> Obey any applicable regulations in your
country.
326
cated on the tire sidewall
c::> page 348.
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and rims can of
ten occur in locations that are
hidden. Unusual vibrations in the
vehicle or pulling to one side may indicate that there is tire damage .
Reduce your speed immediately.
Check the tires for damage. If no
damage is visible from the out
side, drive slowly and carefully to
the nearest authorized Audi deal
er or authorized Audi Service Fa
cility to have the vehicle inspect
ed.
A WARNING
Tread that has worn too low or different tread depths on the
tires can reduce driving safety.
This can especially have a nega
tive effect on handling, on the risk aquaplaning when driving
through water, when driving
through curves and when brak ing, which increases the risk of
an accident.
Wheels
bolts and a special procedure. You must never
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 accident. For the correct t ightening specifi
cation, refer to ¢
page 348, Finishing .
-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 rims repaired by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility . Never repair or disassemble
rims yourself, because this increases the risk
of an accident.
Winter tires
W inter tires significantly improve the vehicle's
handling when driving in winter conditions. Be
cause of their construction (width, compound,
tread pattern) , summer tires provide less trac
tion on ice and snow.
.,. Use winter t ires on all four wheels.
.,. Only use winter tires that are approved for your
vehicle.
.,. Please note that the maximum permitted
speed may be lowe r with winter tires
q ,&. . An
authori zed Audi dealer or authori zed Audi Serv
ice Facility can inform you about the maximum
permitted speed for your tires .
.,. Check the tire pressure after installing wheels
¢page 327.
The effectiveness of winter tires is reduced great
ly when the tread is worn down to a depth of
0 .16 in (4 mm) . The characteristics of winter
tires also decrease great ly as the tire ages, re
gardless of the remaining tread .
A WARNING
-Never drive faster than the maximum per
mitted speed for your tires. This could cause
the tires to heat up too much. This increases
332
-
the risk of an accident because it can cause
the tire to burst.
- Always adapt your driving to the road and
traffic conditions . Drive carefully and reduce
your speed on icy or slippery roads . Even
winter tires can lose traction on black ice .
@ For the sake of the environment
Reinstall summer tires at the appropriate
time, because they prov ide better handling
when roads are free of snow and ice. Summer
tires cause less road noise, tire wear and fuel
consumpt ion .
(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, only
winter tires w ith the ~ symbol are permitted .
Snow chains
Snow cha ins not only improve the driving in win
ter road condit ions, but also the braking.
.,. Only install snow chains on the
front wheels .
This applies a lso to vehicles with all wheel
drive* .
.,. Check and correct the seating of the snow
chains after driving a few feet, if necessary. Fol
low the instructions from the manufacturer.
.,. Note the maximum permitted speed when driv
ing with snow chains. Do not exceed 30 mph
(SO km/h) .
Use of snow chains is only permitted with certain
rim/tire combinations due to technical reasons.
Check with an authorized Audi deale r or author
ized Audi Service Facility to see if you may use
snow chains .
Use
fine-mesh snow chains. They must not add
more than 0.53 in (13 .5 mm) in height, including
the chain lock.
You must remove the snow chains on roads with
out snow. Otherwise , you could impair driving
ability and damage the tires .
Wheels
-Traction AA A BC
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire side wall between tread shoulder and maximum section width
~ page 317, fig. 253.
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA, Tem
perature
A .
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal
Safety Requirements in addition to these grades.
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified gov
ernment test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one half
(1 1/2) times as well on the govern
ment course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon
the actual conditions of their use, however , and
may depart significantly from the norm due to
variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are
AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the tire's
ability to stop on wet pavement as measured un
der controlled conditions on specified govern
ment test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance
~ .& .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B,
and C, representing the tire's resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled conditions on
a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the mate rial of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failur e~ ,& .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform
ance which all passenger car tires must meet un-
334
der the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standa rd
No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher levels
of performance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum required by law.
A WARNING
,--
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight -ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cor nering, hydroplaning or peak traction charac
teristics .
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is estab
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or
in combination, can cause heat buildup and
possible tire failure.
A WARNING
Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and not over or underinflat
ed.
Tire pressure monitoring indicator
(l) General notes
-
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and inflat
ed to the inflation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or
tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle has
tires of a different size than the size indicated on
the veh icle placard or tire inflation pressure la
bel, you should determine the proper tire infla
tion pressure for those tires).
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure tell
tale when one or more of your tires is significant ly under-inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure. Driving on a
II>-