engine AUDI A4 AVANT 2008 Owners Manual
Page 286 of 368
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Brake f luid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level c an be checked with a quick glance .
Fig. 212 Engin e
co mp artm ent: B rak e
f lu id rese rvoi r
Before you check a nything in the e ngine compartment,
alway s re ad and he ed all WARNINGS ~ & in "Working in
the engi ne com partment" on
page 273.
- Pull the rubber st rip @ up partially and lift the cover @
slightly~ fig. 212 .
- Read the brake fluid level from the brake fluid reservoi r
@. The brake fluid level must be between the "MIN" and
"MAX" markings.
The brake fluid reservoir is located at the rear partition of the engine
compartment on the le ft side
~ page 275.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some time due to the auto
matic adjustment of the brake pads. This is not cause for alarm.
If the brake fluid level fal ls
considerably below the "MIN" mark, the
brake warning/indicator light (U .S . models :
BRAKE, Canadian models:
0) will come on=> page 23 and~ page 31 . Do not continue to
opera te the vehicle. The complete brake system should be thor
oughly checked by an authorized Audi dealer or qua lified workshop
and the cause corrected. If the brake fluid level is too low, the brake
warning/indicator light will illuminate . Contact an authorized Audi
dea ler
immedi atel y.•
Changing brake fluid
H ave the brake fluid changed by an experienced techni
cian.
Brake fluid absorbs mo isture from the air . If the water content in the
brake fluid is too high, corrosion in the brake system may result
after a period of time. The bo iling point of the brake fluid wil l a lso
decrease considerably and decrease braking performance.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
e ver y tw o year s. Always
use new brake fluid which conforms to Federal Motor Vehic le Stan
dard "FMVSS 116 DOT
4".
The brake fluid rese rvo ir can be difficult to reach, therefore, we
recommend that you have the brake fluid changed by your autho
rized
Audi dealer . Your dealer has the correct tools, the right brake
fl uid and the know-how to do this for you.
& WARNING
• Brake fluid is po is o nou s. It m ust be stored only in the clo se d
orig inal container out of the re ach of children!
• Brake f ailure can resu lt from old o r inapp ropriat e brake fluid .
Ob serve the se precaution s:
- Use only brake fl uid that me ets SAE spe cific atio n
J 1703 and
conform s to F ederal Motor Vehicle Standard 11 6. Alway s check
with y our authorized A ud i dealer t o ma ke sure you are u sing
th e c orrect br ake fluid . The correct type of brake fluid i s al so
i ndicated on the brake flu id re ser voir .
..,_
Page 287 of 368
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& WARNING (continued)
-The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use of the brakes can
cause a vapor lock if the brake fluid is left in the system too
long. This can seriously affect the efficiency of the brakes as
well as your safety. This could result in an accident.
0 Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your vehicle.
W For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal of brake fluid as well as
the special tools required and the necessary expertise, we recom
mend that you have the brake fluid changed by your authorized Audi
dealer. •
Battery
General information
Under normal operating conditions, the battery in your Audi does
not need any maintenance. With
high outside temperatures it is
advisable however to check the fluid level at regular intervals
through the transparent battery housing. Also check the fluid level
each time you charge the battery. After charging the battery
~ page 289, you should likewise check the battery acid level.
Have the battery checked when you take your vehicle in for service.
You are well advised to replace a battery that is older than 5 years.
Preserving battery charge on a vehicle not operated
for a long time
Some components of the electrical equipment (for example, the
electronic immobilizer) will keep drawing a low current even when the car is
not running
. This will eventually drain the battery
completely if your vehicle is left sitting for a long period of time
without being driven . To prevent this, either charge the battery
occasionally or disconnect the battery negative (ground) cable.
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capacity tends to decrease as
temperatures drop . This is because more power is also consumed
while starting, and the headlights, rear window defogger, etc., are
used more often.
Avoid unnecessary power consumpt ion, particularly in city traff ic or
when traveling only short distances. Let your authorized Audi dealer
check the capacity of the vehicle battery before winter sets in
~ page 289. A well charged battery will not only prevent starting
problems when the weather is cold, but will also last longer.
[ i] Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for several weeks at extremely low
temperatures, the vehicle battery should be removed and stored
where it will not freeze. This will prevent it from being damaged and
having to be replaced. •
Location of the vehicle battery
The vehicle battery is located in the plenum chamber at the back of
the engine
compartment~ page 275.
The positive(+) battery terminal is protected by a plastic cover. This cover must be removed to access to the positive(+) terminal when
connecting jumper cables to start the engine .
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always
read and heed all WARNINGS
~ & in "Working in the engine
compartment" on
page 273. •
Vehicle care
Page 288 of 368
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Working on the battery
Be es pecia lly car efu l w he n work ing on or n ear t he battery .
Fig. 213 Engine
compartment :
Removing the battery
Befo re you chec k anythi ng in the e ngine c ompart me nt, al ways read
and heed all
WARNINGS ~ & in " Working in the e ngine compa rt
m ent " o n page
273 .
Alw ays heed the safety warnings , when w orki ng on the v ehicle
batte ry or the vehicle e lectrica l system to preve nt inju ry.
The following WARNINGS are very important when
working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYMBOLS and safety pre cautions when working on the battery .
Always wear eye protection .
Battery acid contains sulfuric acid . Always wear
gloves and eye protection .
@
No
-sparks
- flames
- smoking .
When a battery is charged , it produces hydrogen
gas which is explosive and could cause personal
injury .
Always keep the ba ttery well ou t of reach of chi l
dren .
& WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on the electrical system,
there is the risk of injury, accident and even fire . Read and heed the
following WARNINGS:
• Always wear eye protection . Do not let battery acid or any lead
particles get on your skin or clothing. Shield your eyes . Explosive
gases can cause blindness or other injury .
• Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid can cause
blindness and severe burns .
- Always wear gloves and eye protection. Do not tilt the battery because acid could leak out of the ventilation openings .
- If you get battery acid in your eyes or on your skin , immedi
ately rinse with cold water for several minutes and get medical
attention.
- If you should ingest any battery acid, seek medical attention
immediately.
• Do not expose the battery to an open flame , electric sparks or
an open light.
• Do not smoke.
• Do not interchange the positive and negative cables .
• When working on the battery , be sure not to short -circuit the
term inals with tools or other metal objects . This would cause the
IJJ>
Page 289 of 368
Checking and filling 111111
--------------------------------------------=-----=--------
& WARNING (continued )
battery to heat up very quickly , whi ch could le ad to damage or
explosion and personal injury .
• When a battery is charged , it produces hydrogen gas whi ch is
explosive and could cause personal injury .
• Always keep the battery well out of the reach of children .
• Before work is done on the electrical system , disconnect the
negative ground cable .
• Before performing any work on the electri cal system , switch off
the engine and ignition as well as any electrical equipment. The negative cable on the battery must be disconnected. If you are just
going to replace a light bulb , then it is enough to switch off the
lights.
• Before disconnecting the battery, switch off the anti -theft
alarm system! Otherwise you will set off the alarm .
• When disconnecting the battery , fir st di sconnect the negative
c able and then the positive cable .
• Before reconnecting the battery, make sure all electrical
consumers are switched off . Reconnect the positive cable first and
then the negative cable. Never interchange the cables -this could
start a fire!
• Never charge a frozen or a thawed -out battery . It could
explode! If a battery has frozen, then it must be replaced . A
discharged battery can freeze over at 32 °F (0 °Cl.
• Make sure the vent hose is always attached to the opening on
the side of the battery.
• Never use batteries which are damaged . There is the danger of
an explosion! Always replace a damaged battery.
in. WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning :
• I I • • I
& WARNING (continued )
• Battery posts , terminals and related accessories contain lead
and lead compounds , chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive problems . Wash hands after
handling.
0 Note
• Do not d isconnect th e ve hicle bat tery w hen t he ig ni tio n i s
switched on or when the engine is running , otherwise, you will
da mage e lec troni c c om pon ent s in the e lec trica l syste m.
• When working on the engine, protect t he battery housing from
u ltraviolet (UV) rays by not pa rking the ve hicle i n direct sun lig ht.
• If your vehicle is going to stand fo r a long period of time wit hout
being driven, pro tect the battery from "freezing", ot herwise it w ill
be damaged and wi ll then have to be replaced .•
Vehicle care
Page 291 of 368
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Ap plies to vehi cles: with convent ional batte ries
Checking the battery acid level on
conventional batteries
The acid level of a conventional battery can be checked
visually.
Fig . 215 Engin e
co mp artmen t; Co nve n
tio na l battery w ith acid
l eve l mar ks (cover
re m ove d)
-The level of acid inside the battery is visible through the
case at the font . Acid level should be exactly at t he "max"
mark or very close be low i t.
If the acid level has dropped below the "m in" mark, the low cell
should be topped to the
"max" mark with distill ed wa ter.
We recommend you have your authorized Audi dea ler test your
battery.
A battery that is older than five years and has a low acid level should be rep laced.
0 Not e
Do not overfill the battery, otherwise battery acid will overflow
through the vent opening . This can damage the paint and cause
corrosion. •
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged battery.
Always read and he ed all WARNINGS below => & and
=> & in "Working on the battery" on page 286.
-Switch off the ignition and all e lectrica l co nsumers.
-Make sure the area is well ventilated when you cha rge
t h e battery.
-Connec t charger cables . Charger cable s mu st alw ay s be
c onne cte d POSITIVE
G to POSITIVE G and NEGATIVE 8
to NEGATIVE (:).
-Switch on the charger.
-Make sure the charging rate is not over 6 amps.
-T urn off the charger ::::::,& .
-Disconnect the charger cab les .
-Connect both battery cables to the battery if necessary -
first plus, then minus.
It is not nec essary to remove the battery from th e engine compart
ment, and it is also not necessary to disconnect the cables.
Norma lly, a battery should be charged at no more than 10 percent
of its rated capacity . .,.
Ve hic le care irechnical data
Page 292 of 368
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For example, a charging current of 4.5 amps would be used on a
battery rated at 45 Ah. Rated capacity of the battery in your vehicle
is listed on the battery housing .
The battery caps should
not be opened when charging a battery.
& WARNING
Charging a battery can be dangerous.
• Always follow the operating instructions provided by the
battery charger manufacturer when charging your battery.
• Never charge a frozen battery . It may explode because of gas
trapped in the ice. Allow 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 gener
ated 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.
0 Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to start the engine . This will
seriously damage sensitive electronic components, such as control
units, relays, radio, etc ., as well as the battery charger. •
Disconnecting and connecting the battery
When the battery is disconnected some features on the
vehicle will become inoperative and you must reset them
when the battery is reconnected.
When you disconnect the vehicle battery note the following:
• some data stored in the driver information system is erased,
• the clock stops,
• the factory installed radio locks up,
• the engine management system and the one-touch-up and one
touch -down functions of the power windows no longer work .
After you reconnect the battery, you must reset the following
features :
Inoperative because the
battery was discon
nected:
clock
one-touch-up and one-touch
down feature on the power
windows
engine management
seat memory*
radio station coding
Removing battery
To reset after the battery is
reconnected, see:
=> page 14
=> page 67
=> page 135
=> page 100
Sound System Operating Instruc -
tions booklet .
•
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always
read and heed all WARNINGS :::> & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on page
273. ~
Page 293 of 368
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-Switch off the ignition and all electrical consumers.
First disconnect the minus cab le (usual ly black or brown) and then
the plus cable (usual ly red). Then remove the battery mounting
bracket and remove the battery. •
Replacing battery
The new battery must have the same specifications and
dimensions as the old one.
A replacement battery must have the same spec ifications and
dimensions as the o riginal equipment battery. Specifications are
listed on the battery housing.
When installing the battery, make sure the ignition and all electrical
consumers are switched off.
0 Note
Make sure the ventilation hose on the side of the battery is
connected, otherwise fumes or battery acid can leak out.
~ For th e sake of th e environm ent
Because of the problem of proper disposal of a battery, we recom
mend your authorized Audi dealer change the battery for you.
Batteries contain sulfur ic acid and lead and must always be
disposed of properly in compliance with a ll environmenta l regula
t ions . Dispos ing of vehic le batteries improperly is very dangerous to
the environment. •
Windshield/headlight washer
container
Using plain water is not adequate for filling the wind
shield washer system and the headlight washer system*.
i w a, a,
Fig . 21 6 Engin e
co mp artment : Wind
s hiel d and head ligh t
w as her f luid contain er
~-~ The washer flu id container is marked with the symbol W on
its cap.
-Before you check a nything in the engine compartmen t,
always read and heed all WARNINGS :::::, & in "Working
in t he engine compartment" on
page 273.
-Lift t he fi ller c ap tongu e to add wash er fluid. You can fil l
the container to the top .
-Press the ca p bac k onto the filler neck a fter fi lling the
container.
You can find the reservoir c a pac ity in the tab le in=> page 343.
Use winterized windshield washer solvent during the cold season
even though the ve hic le is equipped with
h eated wash er jets . It _.,
Vehic le care irechnical data
Page 294 of 368
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helps to keep your windshield c lean and prevents the fluid from
free zing in the winter .
Follow the directions on the container for the correct amount to be
used .
0 Note
Do not mix engine coo lant antifreeze or any other additives to fill up
the windshield washer reservoir. •
Page 300 of 368
___ T_ ir_e _ s_ a_ n
_ d_ w_ h_ e_ e_ls _________________________________________________ _
The recommended tire pressures for your Audi depend on the kind
of tires on your vehicle and the number of passengers and/or
amount of luggage you will be transporting.
The tire pressure label located either on driver's side 8-pillar or
inside the fuel filler flap on your Audi lists the recommended cold
tire inflation pressures for the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and tires that were on your vehicle at the time it was manu
fac tured .
If you wish to improve comfort when operating the vehicle at
normal load (up to 3 occupants), you can adjust tire pressures to
those specified for normal vehicle load. Before operating the vehicle at maximum load, you must increase the tire pressures to those
specified for maximum vehicle load
~ & .
If your vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system*,
bear in mind that the system can only monitor the tire pressures you have stored
. The system does not recognize the load condition of
your vehicle.
The effectiveness of the tire pressure monitoring system will be
impaired if you store normal load pressures but then operate the
vehicle at its maximum
load~& .
See the illustration~ page 297, fig . 217 for the location of the label
either on driver's side 8-pillar or inside the fuel filler flap (color of
the actual label and exact location on the vehicle will vary slightly).
Note that the following table is accurate at the time of going to
press and is subject to change . In the event of discrepancies, the tire
pressure label (e ither on driver's side 8 -pillar or inside the fuel filler
flap) always takes precedence.
The table below lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures
for the Audi model covered by your Owner's Literature at the
vehicle's capacity weight and the tire si zes installed on the respec
tive models as original equipment, or as a factory option.
Engine Tire size designation Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear
(displace- normal load normal load
ment in condition (up to full load
condition (up full load
liter) condition
condition
3 occupants) to 3 occupants)
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
4-cylinder 215/55 R16 93H All Season 35 240
36 250 35 240
36 250
2.0
235/45 R17 94H All Season 33 230 35 240 33 230 35 240
235/45 R17 94V High Performance 30 210
32 220 30 210
32 220
235/40 R18 95V XL High Performance 35 240 39 270 35 240 39 270
6-cylinder 215/55 R16 93H All Season 36 250 36 250 35 240 36 250
3.2
235/45 R17 94H All Season 35 240
35 240
33 230 35 240
235/45 R17 94V High Performance 30
210 32 220 30 210 32 220
235/40 R18 95V XL High Performance 38 260 42 290 38 260 42 290
XL = reinforced or extra load tire. It may also appear as xi, EXTRA LOAID, or RF on the tire sidewall.
Page 319 of 368
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/b, WARNING (continued)
• Using a bumper jack to raise the vehicle will damage the
bumper system. The jack may slip, causing injury.
• Never support your vehicle on cinder blocks, bricks or other
objects. These may not be able to support the load and could
cause injury when they fail.
• Never start or run the engine while the vehicle is supported by
the jack.
• If you must work under the vehicle, always use safety stands
specifically designed for this purpose.
• Never try and use the hexagonal socket
in the handle of the
screwdriver to loosen or tighten the wheel bolts.
• Always make sure the spare tire and even a flat tire are secured
in place and not loose, otherwise they could fly forward, causing
personal injury to passengers in the vehicle in an accident or
sudden maneuver.
• Never use the jack supplied with your Audi on another vehicle,
particularly on a heavier one. The jack is only suitable for use on
the vehicle it came with.
•
Spare wheel
The spare wheel is stored in the wheel well underneath
the floor panel in the luggage compartment.
Fig. 224 Luggage
compartment : spare
wheel
Your vehicle is equipped with a regular spare wheel. It is
held in place by an oversize screw.
Taking out the spare wheel
- Raise the floor panel at the plastic handle.
- Securely engage the handle in the luggage compartment
seal as illustrated to keep the floor panel up.
- Unscrew the knurled retainer bolt in the wheel center
=> fig. 224. Turn it counter -clockwise .
- Take out the spare wheel.
- Disengage and lower the floor panel before you close the
luggage compartment lid again.
..,.
Do-it-yourse lf service irechnical data