Checking and Filling
that the vehicle can still be started, the electrical
equipment will be limited or switched off. Some
convenience functions, such as interior lighting
or power seat adjustment, may not be available
under certain circumstances. The convenience
functions will be available again when you start
the engine.
Even when electrical equipment is switched off,
the equipment can still drain the battery if the
vehicle is not driven for Long periods of time.
Deep draining results in a chemical reaction that
destroys the inside of the battery. The battery
must be charged every month to prevent this
= page 241. Contact an authorized Audi dealer or
authorized Audi Service Facility for more infor-
mation.
Winter operation
Cold weather places an especially high load on
the 12 Volt vehicle battery. Have the battery
checked by an authorized Audi dealer or author-
ized Audi Service Facility before cold weather be-
gins.
so that it will not be destroyed by “freezing”
= page 241, Charging the 12 Volt vehicle
battery.
— There are electrical components under the
cargo floor behind a trim panel that warm
up during operation. To reduce the risk of
the components overheating, do not store
objects such as blankets under the cargo
floor. If the components overheat, they will
switch off temporarily. This will be indicated
by a message that will be displayed in the
instrument cluster until the temperature re-
turns to normal.
12 Volt vehicle battery
Explanation of warnings:
Always wear eye protection.
forbidden.
ZX WARNING
— All work on the battery or electrical system
in your vehicle can result in injuries, chemi-
cal burns, accidents, or burns. Because of
this, all work must be performed only by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility.
— Never connect a charging cable or jump
start cable directly to the 12 Volt vehicle
battery. Only use the connections in the en-
gine compartment > page 241.
Z\ WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
— Battery posts, terminals and related acces-
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms.
Wash hands after handling.
@) Note
— If the vehicle will be parked for long periods
of time, protect the battery against the cold
240
A highly explosive mixture of gases can
form when charging batteries.
Always keep children away from battery
acid and the battery.
Battery acid is highly corrosive. Always
wear protective gloves and eye protection.
® Fire, sparks, open flame, and smoking are
@/ | Always follow the instructions in the oper-
(Q | ating manual.
@) For the sake of the environment
% Lead-acid batteries must be disposed of
using methods that will not harm the environ-
ment. Do not dispose of them in household
trash. They contain harmful substances, such
as sulfuric acid and lead, and also recyclable
raw materials. Contact an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility for
more information.
8W7012721BB
Checking and Filling
Other battery types
Explanation of warnings:
Fire, sparks, open flame, and smoking are
& forbidden.
Always keep children away from battery
@) acid and the battery.
@/ | Always follow the instructions in the oper-
fQ | ating manual.
Z\ WARNING
All work on the batteries must only be per-
formed by an authorized Audi dealer or au-
thorized Audi Service Facility.
— Gases that escape from these different bat-
tery types can be poisonous or flammable.
— The contents of these battery types can be
corrosive. If any battery contents come into
contact with the skin, flush the affected
area for at least 15 minutes with clean wa-
ter. Then wash the affected area with soap.
Have the affected area examined by a medi-
cal professional.
@) Note
Components must not be connected to the
battery terminals and wires on these battery
types because this increases the risk of dam-
age, for example due to overvoltage.
@ For the sake of the environment
“5 J These types of batteries must be dis-
posed of using methods that will not harm
the environment. Do not dispose of them in
household trash. They contain harmful sub-
stances and recyclable raw materials. Contact
an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility for more information.
ing the 12 Volt vehicle battery
Fig. 171 Engine compartment: connectors for a charger or
jump start cables
Observe the safety precautions > page 230, Gen-
eral information, > /\ in Battery general infor-
mation on page 240 and > /A\.
Requirement: only use chargers with a maximum
charging current of 14.8 volts. The battery ca-
bles remain connected.
The charging cable connections are located in the
motor compartment. The ground point ©) is al-
ways located on the vehicle body.
>» Switch off the ignition and all electrical equip-
ment.
> Open the hood > page 231.
> Press the release lever on the positive terminal
and fold the cover upward > fig. 171.
> Clamp the charger terminal clamps to the jump
start pins according to the instructions. (Hex
head bolt under a cover (), ground point on the
vehicle body ©).
> Insert the power cable for the charging device
into the socket and switch the device on.
>» At the end of the charging process, switch the
charger off and pull the power cable out of the
socket.
> Remove the charging device terminal clamps.
> Close the cover on the positive terminal.
> Close the hood = page 231.
ZA WARNING
— Never connect a charging cable or jump
start cable directly to the 12 Volt vehicle
battery. Only use the connections in the en-
gine compartment > page 241. >
241
Emergency assistance
> Reinstall the caps on the wheel bolts if necessa-
ry.
> Store the vehicle tool kit in its designated
place.
> If the removed wheel does not fit in the spare
wheel well, store it securely in the luggage
compartment > page 92.
> Check the tire pressure on the installed wheel
as soon as possible.
> Correct the tire pressure and store it in the MMI
=> page 263 or > page 265.
> The wheel bolt tightening specification must be
90 ft lbs (120 Nm). Have it checked as soon as
possible with a torque wrench. Drive carefully
until then.
> Have the faulty wheel replaced as quickly as
possible.
Space-saving spare tire
Applies to: vehicles with space-saving spare tire (compact
spare tire)
The spare tire is intended for short-term use only.
Have the damaged tire checked and replaced if
necessary by an authorized Audi dealer or author-
ized Audi Service Facility as soon as possible.
There are some restrictions on the use of the
compact spare tire. The compact spare tire has
been designed specifically for your type of vehi-
cle. Do not replace it with the spare tire from an-
other type of vehicle.
The compact spare tire is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor cover
=> page 274.
The tire pressure must be adjusted to a specified
value listed on the tire pressure sticker
= page 254, fig. 176.
Snow chains
For technical reasons, the use of snow chains on
the compact spare tire is not permitted.
If you have to drive with snow chains and a front
tire fails, mount the spare tire in place of a rear
tire. Install the snow chains on the rear tire that
280
you removed, and install that in place of the
front tire that failed.
ZA\ WARNING
— After installing a spare tire, the tire pressure
must be checked as soon as possible.
—Do not drive faster than 50 mph (80 km/h)
with a compact spare tire. Driving faster
than that increases the risk of an accident.
—To reduce the risk of an accident, avoid hard
acceleration or braking and driving fast
around curves with the compact spare tire.
—To reduce the risk of an accident, never drive
with more than one compact spare tire.
— Normal summer or winter tires must not be
mounted on the compact spare wheel rim.
@) Note
Secure the spare tire in the spare tire well us-
ing
the handwheel in order to reduce the risk
of damage to other components.
Jump starting
You should only perform the steps that follow if
you have the necessary tools and technical ex-
pertise.
If the engine does not start because the vehicle
battery is drained, you can jump start your vehi-
cle using another vehicle. Jump start cables are
needed to do this.
Both vehicle batteries must have 12 V nominal
voltage. The voltage capacity (Ah) of the vehicle
battery that is giving power must not be less
than the capacity of the drained vehicle battery.
Jump start cable
Only use a jump start cable with a large enough
diameter. Note the manufacturer's specifica-
tions.
Only use a jump start cable with insulated termi-
nal clamps.
Positive cable - usually red.
Negative cable - usually black.
8W7012721BB
Emergency assistance
ZA WARNING
— A drained battery can freeze at tempera-
tures around 32 °F (0 °C). If the vehicle bat-
tery is frozen, it must be thawed before con-
necting the jump start cables. If it is not,
the risk of an explosion and chemical burns
increases. After jump starting the vehicle,
drive to an authorized Audi dealer or author-
ized Audi Service Facility immediately to
have the vehicle battery checked.
— Read the warnings when working in the en-
gine compartment > page 230.
— Handling the jump start cables incorrectly
may cause the vehicle battery to explode
and lead to serious injuries.
() Note
Jump start cables can cause considerable
damage to the vehicle electrical system if
they are connected incorrectly.
@ Tips
— There must be no contact between the
vehicles, or else voltage could flow when
connecting the positive terminal and drain
the vehicle battery of the vehicle providing
the jump start.
— The drained vehicle battery must be con-
nected correctly to the electrical system.
— Switch off electrical equipment that is not
needed.
Both jump start cables must be connected in the
correct order.
Fig. 187 Engine compartment: connectors for jump start
cables or a charger
Fig. 188 Engine compartment: connectors for jump start
cables or a charger
The jump start cable connections are located in
the engine compartment.
Follow the information about the vehicle battery
=> page 239.
Connecting the positive cable (red) to the
positive terminal
> Open the cover on the positive terminal
> fig. 187.
1. Attach one end of the positive cable (red) to
the jump-start pin @ © fig. 188 on your vehi-
cle.
2. Attach the other end of the positive cable
(red) to the positive terminal @) on the pow-
er source.
Connecting the negative cable (black) to the
negative terminal
3. Attach one end of the negative cable (black)
to the negative terminal @) on the power
source.
4. Attach the other end of the negative cable
(black) to the jump-start pin @ on the vehi-
cle.
Starting the engine
> Start the engine in the vehicle giving the charge
and let it run at idle.
> Now start the engine in your vehicle, which has
the
drained battery.
> If the engine does not start, stop the starting
procedure after 10 seconds and then repeat it
after approximately 30 seconds.
> Turn on the rear window defogger in your vehi-
cle in order to reduce any voltage peaks that
may occur when disconnecting the jump start
cables. The headlights must be switched off. = >
281
Emergency assistance
> With the engines running, remove the cables in
reverse order of the way they were installed.
> Close the cover on the positive terminal.
ZA WARNING
— Never connect the jump start cable directly
to your vehicle battery. Only use the connec-
tions in the engine compartment.
— Do not touch the non-insulated parts of the
terminal clamps. The cable must also not
come into contact with vehicle components
that conduct electricity when it is connected
to the positive vehicle battery terminal. This
can cause a short circuit.
— The plugs on the battery cells must not be
opened.
— Keep ignition sources (such as open flames,
burning cigarettes, etc.) away from the vehi-
cle batteries to reduce the risk of an explo-
sion.
— Route the jump start cables so they cannot
get caught in the moving parts in the other
vehicle's engine compartment.
@) Note
Please note that the connecting process previ-
ously described for the jump start cables is in-
tended for when your vehicle is being jump
started.
G) Tips
Make sure that the connected jump start ca-
bles have sufficient contact with metal.
Towing
General information
You should only perform the steps that follow if
you have the necessary tools and technical ex-
pertise.
Towing requires a certain amount of practice.
Audi recommends contacting a towing company
to have the vehicle transported.
You should only have your vehicle towed by an-
other vehicle when disabled in exceptional cir-
282
cumstances. Inexperienced drivers should not
tow.
Notes on towing
When the engine is stopped, the transmission
will not be sufficiently lubricated if traveling at
high speeds and long distances:
— The maximum permitted towing speed is 30
mph (50 km/h).
—The maximum permitted towing distance is 30
miles (50 km).
Additional information on towing with a tow
truck
The vehicle may only be towed with the front axle
raised. Do not wrap any chains or cables around
the brake lines.
Tow bar and towing cable
The vehicle can be towed with a tow bar or tow-
ing cable. Both drivers should be familiar with
the special considerations when towing, especial-
ly when using a towing cable.
Always make sure the traction force does not ex-
ceed the permitted level and there are no shock
loading conditions. There is always the risk of the
coupling becoming overloaded when driving off-
road.
For the most safety and security, drive with a tow
bar. You should use a towing cable only if a tow
bar is not available. Use a towing cable made of
synthetic elastic cable similar elastic material.
ZA WARNING
— Towing highly increases the risk of an acci-
dent, for example from colliding with the
towing vehicle.
— To reduce the risk of an accident, do not al-
low anyone to remain inside the vehicle
when it is being transported by a tow truck
or a special transporter.
() Note
—If normal towing is not possible, for exam-
ple if the transmission is faulty or if the
towing distance is greater than 30 miles