check engine light AUDI A8 2016 User Guide

Driving
(D Note
Always switch off the Start-Stop-System
when driving through water
c::> page 87.
Starting/stopping the engine
A pp lies to: ve hicles w ith Sta rt-Sto p-System
Fig. 91 Instrument cluste r: engin e sw itched off (s top
ph ase)
.. Slow the vehicle to a stop using the brake and
keep pressing the brake pedal. The engine will
switch off . The
[I] indicator light appears in the
information line in the instrument cluster dis­
play.
.. When you take your foot off the brake pedal,
the engine restarts. The indicator light turns
off.
Additional information
The engine will switch off in the P, D, N and S po­
sitions as well as in manual mode. In the P posi­
tion , the engine will also remain off if you take
your foot off the brake pedal. The eng ine starts
again when you select another selector lever po­
sition and take your foot off the brake pedal.
If you select the R position during a Stop phase,
the engine will start again.
Shift from D to P quickly to prevent the engine
from starting unintentionally when shifting
through R.
You can determine for yourself if the engine will
stop or not by reducing or increasing the amount
of force you use to press the brake pedal. For ex­
ample , if you only light ly press on the brake ped­
al in stop-and and-go traffic or when turning, the
engine will not switch off when the vehicle is sta-
86
tionary. As soon as you press the brake down
harder, the engine will switch off.
General information
Applies to: vehicles wi th Start-S top-Sys te m
The standard Start-Stop-mode can be cancelled
for different system-related reasons.
Fig. 92 Instrumen t cluster: e ngin e-Stop temporarily un­
ava ilable
Engine will not switch off
Before each stop phase, the system checks if cer­
tain conditions have been met. For example, the
engine will
not be switched off in the following
situations :
- The engine has not reached the minimum re­
quired temperature for Start-Stop-mode.
- The interior temperature selected by the A/C
system has not been reached .
- The outside temperature is extremely high/low.
- The windshield is being defrosted
c::> page 79 .
- The parking system* is switched on.
- The battery charge level is too low.
- The steering wheel is sharply turned or there is
a steering movement .
- After engaging the reverse gear .
- On sharp inclines.
The
llJ indicator light appears in the information
line in the instrument cluster display
c::>fig . 92.
Engine automatically restarts
The stop phase is interrupted in the following sit­
uations, for example . The engine restarts without
any action by the driver .
- The interior temperature varies from the tem-
perature selected in the A/C system. ..,.

Smart Technology
Switching on and off
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine.
Fig. 186 Center console w it h ESC O FF but ton
ESC level s
Sport mode on
The following situations are exceptions where it
may be useful to switch on sport mode to allow
the wheels to spin:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is stuck
- Driving in deep snow or on loose ground
- Dr iving with snow chains
Sport mode off
Behavior
The ESC and ASR stabilization functions The full stabilization function of the ESC
are limited ¢
A:,.. and ASR is ava ilable again .
Operation Press the 00 button. Press
the[!] button again.
Indicator II turns on. II turns off .
lights
Driver mes- Stabilization control (ESC): Sport Warn- Stabilization control (ESC): On
sages ing! Reduced stability
A WARNING
You should only switch sport mode on if your
dr iv ing abilities and road condit ions perm it .
- The stabilization function is limited when
sport mode is sw itched on. The driving
wheels cou ld spin and the vehicle could
swerve, espec ially on s lick o r sli ppery road
s urfac es.
Sport mode cannot be sw itched on if t he
cruise cont rol system* or the adaptive cru ise
cont rol* is switched on.
Braking
What affects braking efficiency?
New brake pads
During the first 250 miles (400 km), new brake
pads do not possess the ir full braking effect, they
have to be "broken in" first ¢
.1:,.. The break-in pe­
riod can be considerably longe r fo r vehicles with
192
ceramic brake rotors*. You can compensate for
this slightly reduced braking power by push ing
harder on the brake pedal. Avoid heavy braking
lo ads during the break-in period.
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles are still sub ­
j ect to wear, depending large ly on operating con­
ditions and driving habits¢,& . On vehicles that
are either driven mostly in stop-and-go city traf­
fic or are driven hard, the brake pads should be
checked by your authorized Audi dealer more of ­
ten than specified in the
Warranty & Mainte­
nance booklet .
Failure to have your brake pads
inspected can result in reduced brake perform­
ance.
On steep slopes, you should use the brak ing ef­
fect of the engine. T his way, you prevent unnec­
essary wea r on the brake system. If you mus t use
your brakes, do not hold the brakes down contin-
u ously. Pump th e brakes at intervals. ..,.

Driving and th e en vironm ent
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and im­
proves your mileage .
.,. Try and keep well below your car's maximum
speed .
Accelerating gent ly reduces fue l consumption,
engine wear, and does not disturb the environ­ ment.
Fue l consumption, exhaust emissions and engine
noise increase d isproportionately at high speeds.
If you drive at approximately three quarters of
top speed, fuel consumption will be reduced by
one half. Never drive faster than the posted
speed limit and weather conditions permit.
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up fuel.
.,. Shut the engine off when you are not driv ing
the vehicle.
.,. Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the en-
gine run at idle .
The idling phase is automatically reduced for
veh icles with the Start-Stop-System*. It is effi­
cient to switch off the eng ine in vehicles without
the Start -Stop -System when stopped at ra ilroad
crossings and long red lights . Turning the engine
off for just 30-40 seconds saves more fuel than is bu rned by starting the engine aga in.
It takes a long t ime for the engine to warm up
fu lly when it is running at idle . However, wear
and noxio us em iss ions are espec ially high when
the engine is wa rm ing up. So you sho uld drive
away as soon as you start the engine a nd avoid
running at high rpms while the engine is still
warming up.
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended a fter
starting . If warn ing lights should come on to
indicate improper operation, they wou ld go
unheeded. Extended idling a lso produces
heat, wh ich co uld result in overheat ing or
200
other damage to the vehicle or othe r proper ­
ty.
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel.
.,. Have you r veh icle serviced at regula r interva ls.
By hav ing your veh icle regularly serv iced by an
Audi dealer he lps to ensure that it runs p roperly
and e conomi cally. The cond ition of you r vehicle
not only affects its safety and ab ility to hold its
val ue, it also affects
fuel con sumption .
Check your oil each t ime you fill your tank .
The amount of oi l used is related to engine load
and speed .
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new en­
gine to reach its lowest value after a certain mile­
age has been driven .
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 mi les
(5,000 kilometers) before you can properly as­
sess oil consumpt ion.
This also app lies to fue l consumption and engine
output .
(D Note
-Have your ve hicle ma intained properly and
in accordance with the se rvice recommenda ­
tions in your Warranty
& M aintenance book­
let. Lack of proper maintenance as we ll as
improper use of the veh icle w ill impair the
function of the em ission control system and
cou ld lead to damage .
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Emission Contro l System u nless ap­
proved by the man ufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such as
heat shields, switches, ign ition w ires,
valves, which are designed to protect your
vehicle's Emission Contro l System and other
impo rtant ve hicle compone nts.

Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in
p la ce to prevent it from sh ifting forward, back­
ward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer¢.&.
in Driving instructions on page 204.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder . It
is important that the cool ing system's perform­
ance is up to the addit ional load. Make sure that
the cooling system has enough fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
veh icle to the cold tire pressure listed under "Full
load " on the label located on the driver's side B­
pillar (vis ible when the door is open). Inflate
trailer tires to trailer and tire manufacturers'
specif ications.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working proper ly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly connect­
ed from the trailer to the hitch on the vehicle.
Leave enough slack in the chains to permit turn­
in g corners . When you install safety cha ins, make
sure they wi ll not drag on the road when you are
driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separat ion
from the hitch.
Adjusting the Audi drive select
Make sure the vehicle is on a level surface before
hitching up the trailer and before adjusting the
tongue we ight. The vehicle must be in
auto or
comfort driving mode and not ra ised
¢ page 106, 9Q) .
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered. In Info­
tainment, select:
I CARI function button > lower
control button .
Trailer mode
If you must drive under poor road conditions, you
can raise the vehicle
after coupling the trailer or
after adjusting the tongue weight¢ page 108.
(D Note
-Changes in temperature or load can affect
the height of the vehicle.
- Always select auto or comfort mode. Other­
w ise, the tong ue load specified for your ve­
hicle will no longer be applicable .
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration.
T o obtain the best possible handling of veh icle
and trailer, p lease note the following:
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself
is not loaded.
.,. Be especially careful when passing other
vehicles.
.,. Observe speed limits.
.,. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed .
.,. Always apply brakes early.
.,. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded tra iler with an empty car results
in a highly unstab le distribution of weight . If this
cannot be avoided, 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 shou ld be loaded
to the extent possib le and permissib le, while
keeping the trailer as light as possible under the
cir cumstances . Whenever poss ible, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow veh icle while observing tongue load require­
ments and vehicle load ing conside rations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to control the r ig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or wind .,._
203

Checking and Filling
Checking and Filling
Hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the vehi­
cle .
Fig. 194 Driver footwell : release leve r
Fig. 195 Ro cker switc h under the hood
Make sure the wiper arms are not raised up from
the windshield . Otherwise the paint could be
damaged .
.. With the driver's door open, pu ll the lever un ­
der the instrument panel in the direction of the
arrow ¢
fig. 194.
.. Raise the hood slightly Q _A .
.. Press the rocker switch under the hood upward
Q fig. 195. This releases the catch.
.. Open the hood.
A WARNING
Hot engine coo lant can burn you .
- To reduce the risk of be ing burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam or
coolant escaping from the eng ine compart­
ment. Wait unt il no steam or coolant can be
220
seen or heard before carefully open ing the
hood.
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the
engine comportment.
Whenev er yo u mu st perform an y work in the
engin e compartment , for exampl e chec king and
filli ng d iffe rent fl uids , the re is a ri sk of injur y,
bu rn s and accid ent s. T o preven t perso na l injur y
alway s obse rve the foll owing WARNING S. The
en gine compartment o f an y v ehicl e is a haz ard ­
ou s a rea
Q _6 .
A WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check any­
thing under the hood:
- Turn off the engine .
- Switch off the ignit ion.
- Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever to "P" (Park).
-Always let the eng ine cool down. Hot com-
ponents will burn skin on contact .
-
-To redu ce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam or
coo lant escaping from the engine compart­
ment . Wait until no steam or coolant can be
seen or heard before carefully opening the
hood.
- Keep children away from the engine com­
partment .
- Never sp ill fluids on hot engine compo­
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary
electric fan is temperature controlled and
can switch on suddenly.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap when
the engine is sti ll warm. The coolant system
is pressurized and hot coolant could spray
out.
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir .

(!) Windshield/headlight washer con-
tainer
(O) ................. . .
@ Jump start point(-) with hex head
screw . ..................... .
@ Jump start point(+) under a cover
© Engine oil filler cap ("t!:r.) ...... .
® Brake fluid reservoir((();) ...... .
® Coolant expansion tank (-L) .... .
0 Oil dipstick .................. . 234
233,271
233,271 225
230
227
225
The engine oil filler neck (item@) may be locat­
ed in a different area depending on the version of
the engine.
A WARNING
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 220.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used must conform to exact speci­
fications.
The service interval display in the instrument
cluster of your vehicle will inform you when it is
time for an oil change. We recommend that you hav e your oil changed by an authorized Audi Serv­
ice Advisor.
I f you have to top off the oil between oil changes,
use the Audi oi l quality standard specified in the
table.
Audi oil quality standard
Gasoline
VW 502 00 or
engine vw 50400
Diesel vw 507 00
engine
Using the proper engine oil is impo rtant for the
functiona lity and service life of the eng ine. Your
engine was factory-filled with a high-quality oil
;:;:: which can usually be used throughout the entire
0
~ year.
,...., <J:) Lil ,...., <J:) ,....,
Checking and Filling
(D Note
Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not
cover damage or malfunctions due to failure
to follow recommended maintenance and use
requirements as set forth in the Audi Owner's
Manual and Warranty
& Maintenance booklet .
- Use only a high quality engine oil that ex-
pressly complies with the Audi oil quality
standard spec ified for your vehicle's eng ine.
Us ing any other oil can cause ser ious eng ine
damage.
- Do not mix any lubricants or other additives
into the eng ine oi l. Do ing so can cause en­
gine damage.
(D Tips
If you need to add oil and there is none availa­
ble that meets the Aud i oil quality standard
your engine requires, you may add a total of no more than 0.5 quart/liter of a high-quality
"synthetic"oi l that meets the following speci­
fications.
- Vehicles with gasoline engine: ACEA A3 or
API SM with a viscosity grade of SAE OW-30,
SAE SW -30 or SAE 5W-40.
- Vehicles with diesel engine: ACEA C3 or
API C F with a viscosity grade of SAE OW-30
or SAE SW-30.
- For more information about engine oil that
has been approved for your vehicle, please
contact either your authorized Audi dealer
or Audi Customer Relations at
1 (800) 822-2834 or visit our web site at
www.audiusa.com or www.audicanada.ca.
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an ade­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool all of
its moving parts.
In order to provide effective lubrication and cool­
ing of internal engine components, all internal
combust ion engines consume a certain amount
of oil. O il 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 ¢
page 197) consume more ""
223

Check ing and F illing
oil du ring the break -in period than they consume
after oil consumption has stabilized .
Unde r no rmal condi tions, the rate of o il con­
sumpt ion depends on the quality and viscosity of
the oi l, the RPM (revolutions per minute) at
which the engine is operat ed, the ambient tem­
perature and road cond itions . Further factors are
the amount of oil dilut ion from water condensa­
tion or fuel residue and the oxidation level of the
oil. As any eng ine is subject to wear as m ileage
bu ilds up, the oil consumption may increase over
time until rep lacement of worn components may
become necessa ry .
W ith all these variables com ing into play, no
standard rate of oil consumpt ion ca n be estab­
lished or specified . There is no a lternative to reg­
ular and frequent checking of the oil leve l, see
Note .
If the ye llow eng ine oil level war ning symbol in
the instrument cluster
II lights up, you should
check t he oil leve l as soon as possib le
¢
page 224 o r ¢ page 225. Top off the o il at
your ea rliest convenience ¢
page 225.
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine com ­
partment, a lways read and heed a ll WARN­
INGS ¢.&
in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 220.
(D Note
Driving with an insufficient oil level is likely to
cause severe damage to the engine .
@ Tips
-The oil pres sure warning display. i s not
an indicator of the o il level. Do not rely on
i t. Instead , check the oil level in your en­
gine at regular intervals, preferably ea ch
time you refuel , and always befo re going
on a long trip.
- If you have the impression your engine con­
sumes excessive amounts of oil, we recom­
mend that you co nsul t yo ur Audi dealer to
have the cause of your concern p roperly di ­
agnosed . Keep in mind that the acc urat e
224
meas urement of oi l consumption re quires
great care and may take some t ime. Yo ur
Audi dea ler has instructions about how to
meas ure o il consumption acc urately.
Checking the engine oil level
App lies to: vehicles wi th oil level indicato r
Fig. 198 Disp lay : o il leve l ind icato r
.,. Par k your veh icle on a leve l su rface.
.,. Shut the eng ine off when it is warm .
.,. Switch o nly the ignition back on.
.,. Wait approximate ly two minutes.
.,. Select:
!CAR ! function button > Car systems
control button > Servicing & checks > Oil le vel.
.,. Check the oil level in the display c> fig . 198 . Add
eng ine oi l if the ba r of the oil leve l ind icator is
nea r "m in"
¢ page 225 .
Depend ing on the way the vehicle is driven and
the operating cond it ions, oil consumpt io n can be
u p to 1/2 qua rt pe r 600 miles (0 .S liter per
1,000 km). Consumpt ion may be h igher w it hi n
the first 3, 000 mi les (5,00 0 km).
(D Tips
The o il level indicato r in the MMI Display is
o nl y an information display. If t he oi l level is
l ow, a m inimum oil w arn ing appea rs in the in­
str ument clus ter. Ad d oil ¢
page 225. If the
hood has been opened, the curren t oil level is
shown in the instrument cluster the next t ime
the ignition is switched on .

Checking and Filling
the engine is warm, the level may be slightly above the "max" marking.
The location of the coolant expansion tank can be
seen in the engine compartment illustration
¢ page 222.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must
be switched off.
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped
with an electric coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning
light in the Auto-Check System¢
page 15 will il­
luminate until you add coolant and the level has
been restored to normal. Even though there is an
electric coolant level sensor, we still recommend
you check the coolant level from time to time .
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling
system . In the event of coolant loss, the cooling
system should be inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer.
It is not enough merely
to add coolant.
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if the
boiling point of the coolant is exceeded as a re­
sult of overheating.
_& WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and can
get very hot. Reduce the risk of scalding from
hot coolant by following these steps.
- Turn off the engine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from es­
caping fluid and steam by covering the cap
with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in a
counter-clockwise direction while applying
light, downward pressure on the top of the
cap.
- To avoid being burned, do not spill anti­
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system or
hot engine parts. Under certain conditions,
the ethylene glycol in engine coolant can
catch fire.
228
(D Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant
to your vehicle's engine coolant. Adding radia­
tor repair fluid may adversely affect the func­
tion and performance of your cooling system
and could result in damage not covered by
your New Vehicle Limited Warranty .
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anything in the engine compart­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
¢.& in Working in the engine compartment on
page 220 .
.. Requirement: There must be a residual amount
of coolant in the expansion tank ¢(D .
.. Turn off the engine .
.. Let the engine cool down .
.. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank ¢
page 22 7, fig. 201 and carefully twist
the cap counter-clockwise ¢&, .
.,. Add coolant mixed in the correct ratio
r::!> page 22 7, Coolant up to the MAX marking.
.. Make sure that the fluid level remains stable.
Add more coolant if necessary .
.. Twist the cap on again
tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to ex­
act specifications ¢
page 22 7, Coolant.
We recommend using only coolant additive G12+
+, G13 or in an emergency G12+ . Do
not use a
different additive. In an emergency use plain wa­
ter until you can get the correct additive and can
restore the correct ratio. This should be done as
soon as possible.
If you have lost a considerable amount of cool­
ant, then you should add cold antifreeze and cold
water only when the engine is cold.
Always use
new engine coolant when refilling.
Do not fill coolant above the "MAX" mark . Excess
coolant will be forced out through the pressure
relief valve in the cap when the engine becomes
hot.
~

Checking and Filling
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a quick
glance.
Fig. 202 Eng ine compartment: cove r o n th e brake flu id
r eservoi r
Before you check anything in the engine compart­
ment,
always re ad a nd hee d all W ARNING S
¢ A in Working in the engine compartment on
page 220.
., Read the brake fluid level from the brake fluid
reservoir
<=> fig . 202, ¢page 222. The brake flu ­
id level must be between the "MIN" and "MAX"
mark ings.
The location of the brake fluid reservoir can be seen in the engine compartment illustration
¢ page 222.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some time
due to the automatic adjustment of the brake
pads . This is not cause for alarm .
If the brake fluid level falls
considerably below
the ' 'MIN" mark, the brake warning/indicator
light
1111 (U.S. models)/ . (Canadian models)
will come on¢
page 14 . Do not continue to oper­
ate the vehicle . The complete brake system
should be thoroughly checked by an authorized
Aud i dealer or other q ualified facili ty and the
cause corrected.
If the brake f luid level is too
low, the brake warning/indicator light will i llumi ­
nate. Contact an authorized Audi dealer
immedi­
at ely.
230
Changing 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
braking performance.
Therefore , the brake fluid must be changed
eve ry
two y ears . Always use new brake fluid which con­
forms to Feder-al Motor Vehicle Standard "FMVSS 116 DO T 4".
The brake fluid reservoir can be difficult to reach ,
therefore, we recommend that you have the brake fluid changed by your author ized
Audi
d ea ler . Your dealer has the correct tools, the
right brake fluid and the know -how to do this for
you.
A WARNING
- Brake fluid is po isonous. It must be stored
only in the closed original container out of
the reach of children!
- Brake fai lure can result from o ld or inappro­
priate brake fluid . Observe these precau­
tions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE speci­ ficat ion
J 1703 and conforms to Federal
Motor Ve hicle Standard 116. Always check
with your authorized Audi dealer to make
sure you are using the correct brake f luid .
The correct type of brake f luid is also 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 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.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your vehi-
cle .
lilJJ,

@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal of
brake fluid as we ll as the special toots re­
quired and the necessary expertise, we rec­
ommend 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 maint enance.
With
high outside temperatures or long daily
drives we recommend tha t you have the electro­
lyte level checked by a service facility. The elec­
trolyte level should also be checked each time
the battery is charged ¢
page 233.
Have the battery checked when you take your ve­
hicle in for serv ice. You are well advised to re­
place a battery that is older than 5 years .
With certain types of airbag deployment, the batte ry is disconnected from the vehicle electri­
cal system for safety reasons¢
& in Repair, care
and disposal of the airbags on page 159 .
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle functions (power window regu la­
tors, for example) are lost if the battery te rmi ­
nals are disconnected. These functions have to be
relearned after the battery terminals are con­
nected again. To prevent th is, the battery should
only be disconnected from the vehicle e lectr ica l
system when abso lutely necessary for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period of
several days or weeks, electrical components are
gradually cut back or sw itched off. This reduces
ene rgy consumption and ma inta ins starting ca­
pability over a longer period ¢
page 195. Some
of the convenience functions may not operate,
such as the interior lights or the power seat ad­
justment. The convenience funct ions will be
ava ilable again when you switch on the ignition
and start the engine.
Checking and Filling
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capacity tends
to decrease as temperatures drop . This is be­
cause more power is also consumed while start­
ing, and the headlights, rear window defogger,
etc., are used more often.
Avo id unnecessary power consumption, particu­
larly in city traffic or when traveling only short
distances . Let your authorized Audi dealer check
the capacity of the vehicle battery before winter
sets in ¢
page 233. A well charged battery will
not only prevent starting problems when the
weather is cold, but will also last longer .
(D Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for several
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the ve­
hicle battery should be removed and stored
where it w ill not freeze . This will prevent it
from be ing damaged and having to be re­
placed.
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
The battery is located in the luggage compart­
ment under the floor . Before you check anything
in the luggage compartment,
read and heed all
WARNINGS ¢
&-
Always heed the safety warnings, when working
on the vehicle battery or the veh icle electrical
system to prevent injury.
The following WARNINGS are very important
when working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYM·
BOLS and safety precautions when working on
the battery.
®
Always wear eye protection.
~
Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Al-
ways wear gloves and eye protection.
231