engaged, for example when you notice that the next traffic light is red . This produces an engine
braking effect, which helps to protect the brakes
and tires and reduces the emissions and fuel con
sumpt ion to zero (fuel shut-off dur ing decelera
tion) .
Shift efficiently
Upshifting earlier is an effective way to save fuel.
Staying in a gear too long uses fuel unnecessari
ly.
Applies to: vehicles with manual transmission
Shift as soon as possible from first to second
gear. S hifting to the next highest gear at approxi
mately 2,000 RPMs if poss ible is recommended.
Applies to: vehicles with automatic transmissions
Press down on the acce le rator peda l slowly and
avoid "kick -down".
Avoid full acceleration
You should rarely travel at the maximum vehicle
speed. High speeds cause a disproportionately
high increase in fuel consumption, emissions and
traffic noise. Driving more slowly saves fuel.
Reduce idling time
The Start/Stop system* he lps to reduce the idling
time automatically. In vehicles without the Start/
Stop system*, it is efficient to switch the engine
off when stopped at railroad cross ings and long
r ed lights. Stopping the engine for 30-40 sec
onds already saves more fuel than the amount of
extra fuel needed to restart the eng ine.
It takes a very long time in idle to warm the en
g ine up to operating temperature. Wear and
emissions are especially h igh in the wa rm-up
phase . Therefore, you should begi n driving im
mediately a fter starting the engine . Avoid high
RPMs while do ing this .
Have maintenance performed regularly
By having maintenance performed regu larly on
your veh icle, yo u ca n he lp to reduce f uel con-
<(
~ sumption before yo u even start to drive. The
N ~ maintenance condition of your vehicle not only
8 affects traffic safety and long-term value but a l
'° 3
so impacts fuel consumption . A poorly main
tained engine can lead to fuel consumption that is 10% higher than norma l.
Avoid short trips
The eng ine and exhaust cleaning system must
reach their optimal operat ing temperatu re to ef
f ectively reduce consumption and emissions.
A cold engine uses a disproportionately high
amount of fue l. The engine reaches operating
temperat ure and consumption normalizes on ly
after approximate ly 2.5 miles (4 km).
Check the tire pressure
To save fuel, make sure the tires are always in
flated to the correct press ure
~page 351. The
fuel consumption can increase by 5% if the pres
s u re is only 0.5 bar too low. Due to the increased
rolling resistance, low tire pressures wi ll also
l ead to greater tire wear and will affect driving
behavior.
Do not drive on winter tires year-round, as this
will consume up to 10% more fuel.
Eliminate unnecessary weight
S in ce eve ry po und of ext ra weight increases f uel
consumption, a quick inspection of the luggage
compartment may be worth it to avoid unneces
sary weight .
When not be ing used, a roof rack should be re
moved to decrease the wind resistance of the ve
hicle. This will save you approximately 12% fuel
at speeds from 62 -75 mph (100 - 120 km/h) .
Save energy
The eng ine drives the generator, which generates
electric ity; the fuel consumpt io n also incr eases
with the demand for electr icity. The refore, switch
electrical eq uipment off when you no longer
need it . Examples of equipment that uses a lo t of
energy are air blowers at a high setting, the rear
window defogger and seat heating* .
@ Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after
starting. If warning lights shou ld come on to
indicate improper operation, they would go
87
Driving
-The driver's door must be closed, the driver's
safety belt must be fastened, and the brake peda l (automat ic transmission) or the clutch
pedal (manua l transmission) must be pressed.
Or:
-The driver's door must be closed, the brake
pedal (automat ic transmission) or the clutch
pedal (manua l transmission) must be pressed,
and a gear must be engaged.
(D Note
Always sw itch the Start/Stop system off when
driving through water
q page 91.
@ Tips
The engine stops shortly before the vehicle
comes to a stop
1) .
Stopping/starting the engine
Appl ies to: ve hicl es w ith Sta rt/Stop system
F ig . 99 Instrument cluste r: e ng ine sw itched off (stop
phase)
A ppl ies to: ve hicles w ith manu al transmiss ion
• When the vehicle is stat ionary, shift to neut ral
and release the clutch pedal. The eng ine will
switch off . The
II indicator light appears in the
information line at the bottom of the instru
ment cluster d isp lay. The needle in the tachom
eter also moves into the
R EADY position .
• The engine will resta rt if you press the clutch
pedal. The ind icator light turns off.
A ppl ies to: ve hicles w ith a uto mat ic t ra nsmi ssio ns
• B rake the vehicle to a stop . The engine stops
shortly before the vehicle comes to a stop or if
the ve hicle is stationary
l). Keep yo ur foot on
l) Ma rket -spe cifi c
92
the brake peda l. The II indica tor light appears
in the status line at the bottom of the instru
ment cluste r display. The need le in the tachom
eter also moves into the
READY position 1>.
• The engine starts again when you take your
foot off the brake pedal. The i ndicator light
turns off .
Additional information for automatic
transmissions
The eng ine stops in the P, N and D selector lever
pos itions.
If you se lect the R posit ion d uring a Stop phase,
the engine will start aga in.
Se lect t he P position qu ickly to prevent the en
gine from starting u nintent ionally when shifting
through R .
You can determine for yourse lf if the engine wi ll
stop or not by red ucing or inc reasing the amount
of force you use to press t he brake peda l. For ex
ample, if yo u only lightly press on the brake ped
al in stop-and-go traffic or when turning, the en
gine w ill not switch off when the vehicle is sta
tiona ry . A s soon as you press the b rake down
harder, the engine wi ll switch off .
(0 Tips
-Press the brake peda l during a Stop phase
to keep the vehicle from rolling.
-The ignit io n wi ll turn off if yo u press the
!START ENGINE STOPI butto n du ring a stop
phase. The needle in the tachomet er moves
into the
OFF position.
General information
App lies to: vehicles wi th Start/S top sys te m
The standard Start/Stop mode can be canceled
for various system-related reasons.
Engine does not switch off
Before and dur ing each stop phase, the system
checks if certain conditions have been met. If the
lilJ.
Trailer towing
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 on ly places more stress on the
ve hicle, it also ca lls for more concentration from
the dr iver.
F or 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 tra iler weight. The hitch must be suitab le
for your veh icle and tra iler and must be mounted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a technically
sound
locat ion . Use on ly a trailer hitch with a re
movable ba ll mount . Always che ck with the t rail
er hitch man ufac tur er to make s ure t hat you are
using the co rrect hi tc h.
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 mod ificat ions should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and b rake systems .
Fr om t ime to t ime, che ck that all hitch mo unti ng
bol ts rem ain securely f aste ned.
W hen you are not tow ing a tra iler, remove the
tra ile r hitc h ba ll mount . This prevents the hit ch
from caus ing damage s hou ld your veh icle be
s truck from be hind
¢ ,&. .
Trailer brakes
If you r trailer is equipped with a brak ing system,
check to be su re that it conforms to all regula
tions .
104
The t rai ler hydraulic bra ke system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
bra ke
system ¢&. .
Safety chains
Always use s afety chains be tween you r vehi cle
and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Traile r lights must meet all regula tions . B e s ure
to check w ith your author ized Audi dealer for cor
r ec t wir ing, swi tches and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see t he traffic behind you us
i ng t he regular outs ide mirrors, then yo u
must in
stall ex tended mirrors . It is impo rtant that you
al ways have clear vision to the rear.
.&_ WARNING
Afte r remov ing the tra ile r hi tc h, do not s tore
it i n y our vehicle. In case o f su dden brak ing,
the hitch could fly fo rward and injure you or
your passengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A tra iler f or yo ur vehicle is lim ite d to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the t rai le r i s he ld se curely in
pla ce to p reve nt i t from shi fting forwar d, bac k
ward or si deways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer ¢ &.
in Driver messages on page 105.
Engine cooling system
Towi ng a tra iler makes the engine work harder. It
is important that the cooling system's perform
ance is up to the additional load . Make sure tha t
the coo ling system has enoug h flu id.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the tire p ressure listed under "Full
load" on the label
c> page 351. Inflate trailer
<( a, .... N ,....
N .... 0 \0
3 a,
tires to trailer and tire manufacturers' specifica
tions.
Lights
The headlight settings should be checked with
the trailer attached before driving off. Check to
make sure both vehicle and trailer lights are
working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer 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 will not drag on the road when you are
driving .
The cha ins shou ld cross under the trailer tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separat ion
from the hitch.
Driver messages
Driving with a trailer requires extra caution.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car results
in a high ly unstable distribution of weight .
If this
cannot be avo ided, drive at very low speeds only
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and control.
This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded to the extent possible and permissible, whi le
keep ing the trailer as light as possible under the
circumstances . Whenever possible, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow vehicle whi le observ ing tongue load require
ments and vehicle loading considerations.
Speed
The highe r the speed, the more difficult it be
comes for the driver to control the rig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or wind conditions are unfavorable
-particularly when
going downhill.
Tra iler towing
Reduce vehicle speed immediately if the trailer
shows the slightest sign of swaying.
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for
vehicles towing trailers are lower than for regular
vehicles .
Always apply brakes early. When driving down
hill, shift into a lower gear to use the engine
braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Coolant temperature
T he coo lant temperature gauge ~ page 11 must
be observed carefully. The coolant temperature
can increase if you drive on long inclines in a low
gear at high engine speeds . Reduce your speed
immediately if the LEDs in the top part of the dis
play turn on.
For more information about indicator lights, re
fer
to . ~page 30 .
A WARNING
=
Anyone not properly restrained 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 wearing the restraints provided
by Aud i.
Trailer towing
information
Important to know
-
Your vehicle handles differently when towing a
trailer because of the addit ional weight and dif
ferent weight distribution . Safety, performance
and economy will greatly depend on how careful
ly you load your trailer and operate you r rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, pract ice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traffic . Keep pract ic ing until you have be
come complete ly familiar w ith the way your vehi
cle-trailer combination behaves and responds.
105
Check ing and F illing
Checking and Filling
Gasoline
Fuel supply
Applies to: vehicles with gaso line engine
Using the right fuel helps keep the environment
clean and prevents engine damage.
F u el r eco mmend ati on
The fuel recommended for your vehicle is unle ad
e d pr em ium
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 offic ial 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 AK I or RON .
Your veh icle 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 il l slightly reduce engine pe r
forma nce.
Us e un leade d gaso lin e onl y. Unleaded gasoline
is availab le throughout the USA , Canada, and in
most European countries . We recommend that
you do not ta ke your vehicle to areas or co unt ries
where un leaded gaso line may not be availab le.
For more information on refueling your vehicle,
see
¢ page 324 .
Octane ra ting
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 eng ine performance.
Gasoline most commonly used in the Un ited
States and Canada has the following octane rat
i n gs that ca n usually be found on the filler pump:
- Premium Grade: 91 - 96 AKI
322
- Regu la r Grade: 87 - 90 AK I
Explanation of the abbreviations:
AKI = Anti Knock Index = (R +M)/2 = (RON +MON)/
2
RON = Research Octane Number
MON = Motor Octane Number.
{[) Note
- Do not use a ny fue l w ith o ctane ratings low
er than 87 AKI or 91 RON othe rw ise expen
sive engine damage wi ll occur .
- Do
not use leaded gasoline. The use of lead
ed gasoline will severely damage your vehi
cle's catalyt ic converter and its ability to
control exhaust emissions .
Blended gasoline
Applies to: vehicles with gasoline engine
Use of gaso lin e conta ining alcoho l or MTBE
(meth yl tertia ry butyl ether )
You may use unleaded gasoline blended with al
cohol or MTB E (commonly referred to as oxygen
ates) if the blended m ixture meets the follow ing
criteria:
Blend of g asoline methanol (wood alcohol o r
m eth yl alcoho l)
-Anti -knock index must be 87 AKI or h igher.
- Blend must contain no more than 3% metha-
nol.
- Blend must contain more than 2% co -solvents.
Blend of ga soline and ethanol (grain alcohol or
ethyl alc ohol )
- Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or h igher .
- Blend must not conta in more than 15% etha-
nol.
Blend of gas oline and M TBE
- Anti-knock index must be 87 AK I or h igher .
- Blend must contain not mo re than 1S% MTB E.
S easonall y adjust ed gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform es
pecially well for winter or summer dr iv ing . Dur-
i ng seasonal change-over, we suggest that you
.,..
,&_ WAR NING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of Cali
fornia to cause cancer and birth defects and reproduct ive harm. In addition, certain flu
ids contained in vehicles and certain prod
ucts of component wear contain or emit
chem icals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproduct ive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related acces sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chem icals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproduct ive harms.
Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
When filling flu ids, be sure not to mix the flu
ids up . Otherwise severe ma lf u nctions and en
gine damage w ill occur.
@) For the sake of the environment
You shou ld regularly check the ground under
your vehicle in o rder to detect leaks qu ickly .
If
there a re visible spots from oil or other fluids,
bring your vehicle to an authorized Aud i dea l
er or authorized Audi Service Facility to be
checked.
Opening and closing the hood
The hood is released from inside the vehicle.
Fig. 274 Driver footwell: release leve r
Checki ng an d Fill in g
Fig. 275 Unlocked hood : lever
Make sure the wiper arms are not raised up from
the windshield. Otherwise the paint could be damaged .
Opening the hood
" With the driver's doo r open, pull the lever be
low the instrument panel in the direction of the
arrow
r:;, fig . 2 7 4.
" Ra ise the hood slightly ¢.&_ .
"Press the lever ¢ fig. 275 in the direct ion of the
arrow. This releases the hooks .
"Open the hood .
Closing the hood
" Push the hood down until you override the
force of the str uts.
" Let the hood fall lightly into the latch . Do not
press it
in. ¢ .&_ .
A WARNING ,..___
-Never open the hood when there is steam or
coo lant escaping from the engine compart
ment, because there is a risk that you could
be burned. Wait until no steam or coolant is
escaping.
- For safety reasons, the hood must always be
closed securely while driv ing. Because of
this, always check the hood after closing it
to make sure it is latched correctly . The
hood is latched if the front corners cannot
be lifted.
- I f you notice that the hood is not latched
while you are d riving, s top immed iately and
close it, because driving when the hood is not latched increases the r isk of an accident . .._
331
<( a, .... N ,....
N .... 0 \0
3 a,
If you must add oil between oil changes, use an
oil that matches the Audi oil quality standard listed on the st icker. The sticker is located at the
front of the engine compartment
c> page 332,
fig . 276.
Audi re comm end s
Ocastrot /[g/j;t{E'g Frtw.::<.. ·-:dr,,JA.L
A ud i recommends Longlife h igh perform ance
e ngin e oil from Audi Genui ne Part s
Using the proper engine oil is important for the
functionality and service life of the eng ine. Your
engine was factory -filled with a high-quality oil
which can usua lly be used throughout the entire
yea r.
Note
Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not
cover damage o r malfunctions due to failure
to follow recommended maintenance and use requirements as set fo rth in the Aud i Owner's
Manual and Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
- Use only a high q ual ity eng ine oil that ex-
pressly complies with the Aud i oil q uality
standard specified for your vehi cle's engine .
Using any other oil can cause serious engine
damage .
- Do not mix any l ubricants o r other additives
into the engine oil. Doing so can cause en
gine damage.
(D Tips
If you need to add oil and there is none availa
b le that meets the Audi oil quality standard
your eng ine requires, you may add a total of
no more than 0.5 qt (0.5 l) of a h igh-quality
"synthet ic" o il that meets the following speci
fications .
- Vehicles with gasoline eng ine: ACEA A3 or
API SM with a viscosity grade of SAE OW-30,
SAE 5W -30 or SAE 5W-40 .
- Vehicles with d iesel eng ine : ACEA C3 or
API CF with a v iscosity grade of SAE OW-30
or SAE 5W -30 .
- For more information about engine o il that
has been approved for your vehicle, please
contact e ither you r authorized Audi dea le r
or A udi C ustome r Relat ions at
Ch eck ing and Filling
1 (800) 822 -2834 or visit our web site at
www.audiusa .com or www .audicanada .ca.
Engine oil consumption
The engin e in your v ehicl e dep ends on an ad e
quat e amount of oil to lubricate and cool all of
its moving parts.
In order to provide effect ive lub rication and cool
ing of inte rnal engine components, all inte rnal
combustion engines consume a certain amount
of oil. Oil consumption varies from eng ine to en
gine and may change significantly over the life of
the engine. Typ ically, engines w ith a specified
break -in period (see
c> page 86) consume more
o il dur ing the break-in per iod than they consume
after oil consumption has stabilized .
Under normal cond itions, the rate of oil con
sumption depends on the qua lity and viscos ity of
the oil, the RPM (revolutions per m inute) at
which the engine is operated, the amb ient tem
perature and road condi tions. Further facto rs a re
the amo unt of oil di lution from water co ndensa
tion or fue l resid ue a nd the oxidation level of the
oi l. As any engine is subject to wear as mileage
builds up, the oi l consumption may increase ove r
time unt il replacement of worn components may
become necessary.
With a ll these variab les coming into play, no
standard rate of oi l consumption can be estab
lished or spec ified . There is no alternative to reg
ular and frequent checking of the oi l level, see
Note .
If the y ellow engine oil leve l warning symbo l Bl
in the instrument cluster lights up, you should
check the o il level as soon as possible
c> page 334. Top off the o il at your earliest con
venience
c> page 334 .
A WARNING
--Before you check anyth ing in the eng ine com-
partment, always read and heed all WARN
I NGS
c> .&. in Working in the engine compart-
ment on
p~e 330. ~
333
Checking and Filling
areas, into open streams or down sewage
drains.
- Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a used
engine oil collection facility in your area, or
contact a service station .
Cooling system
Coolant
The engine cooling system is filled with a mixture
of pur ified water and coolant addit ive at the fa c
tory . T his coolant must not be not changed.
The coolant leve l is monitored through
the . in
d icator
light ~ page 30. Howeve r, we do recom
mend occasionally check ing the coo lant level
manually.
I f you must add coolant , use a m ixt ure of water
a nd coolant addit ive. M ixing the coolant additive
with d istilled water is recommended .
Coolant additive
The coolant addit ive is made of anti-freez ing and
corros ion protection agents . Only use the fo llow
ing coolant add it ives . These additives may be
mixed w ith each other.
Coolant additive Specification
G13
TL 774)
G12++ TL
774 G
The amount of coo lant additive 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 free ze
and damage the eng ine.
Coolant Freeze protec-
tion
additive
Warm m in .40% m in . - 13 °F
reg io ns (-25 °C)
max. 45%
Cold min
. 50% max. -40 °F
reg ions (-40 °C)
max . 55%
336
(D Note
- Before the start of winter, have an a uthor
ized Aud i dea ler or a uthorized Audi Service
Facility check if the coo lant add itive in your
vehicle matches the pe rcentage appropr iate
for the climate. This is especially important
when drivi ng i n colder climates .
- If the appropriate coo lant additive is not
available in an emergency, do not add any
ot her additive. Yo u could damage the en
gine. If this happens, only use wa ter and re
s tore the correct m ix tur e ratio wi th the
specifie d coo lant ad ditive as soon as poss i
ble.
- Onl y refill with new coolan t.
- Radiator sealant must not be mixed with
the coolant.
Adding coolant
Fig. 278 Engine compa rtment: release butto n on coo lant
expansion ta n k
Observe the safety precautions ~ A in Working
in the engine comportment on page 330.
Checking the engine coolant level
.,. Park the vehicle on a level surface .
.,. Switch the ignit io n off.
.,. Read the coolant level on the coolant expansion
tank
¢ fig. 278 .
.,. The coolant leve l must be between the MIN and
MAX markings when the engine in cold. When
the engine is warm it can be slightly above the MAX marking .
Adding coolant
.,. Let the engine cool down.