engine AUDI Q7 2013 Owner´s Manual
Page 239 of 348
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fu lly when it is running at idle. However , wear
and nox ious em issions are especially high
when the engine is warming up. So you should drive away as soon as you start the engine and
avoid running at high rpms while the engine is
still warming up .
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af
ter starting . If warning lights should come
on to indicate improper operation, they
wou ld go unheeded. Extended idling also
p roduces heat, which cou ld resu lt i n over
heating or other damage to the vehicle or
other property.
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel.
"' Have your vehicle serv iced at regular inter-
vals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
author ized Audi dealer helps to ensure that it
r uns p roper ly and economically. The condition
of your vehicle not only affects its safety and
ab ility to hold its value, it also affects
fuel
c on sumption.
Ch eck your oil each time you fill your tank .
The amount of oil used is related to engine
load and speed .
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reach its lowest v alue after a certain
mileage has been dr iven .
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 miles (5,000 ki lometers) before you can properly
assess o il consumption .
This a lso applies to fuel consumption and en
gin e output.
0 Note
- Have yo ur vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance wit h the service rec
ommendations in your War ranty
& Main-
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 237
tenance book let. Lack of p roper mainte
nance as well as improper use of the ve
hicle will impair the function of the
em ission contro l system and could lead
to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of the Emission Control System unless approved by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such as heat shie lds, switches, ign ition w ires,
valves, which are designed to protect
your vehicle's Emission Control System and other impo rtant vehicle compo
nents.
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively
high on short trips .
"' Try to avoid driv ing short distances w ith a
cold engine .
The eng ine and cataly tic converter have to
reach their opt imal
operat ing temperature t o
reduce fuel consumpt ion and nox ious em is
s ions effect ively .
Just after starting, a co ld eng ine in a mid-s iz e
car only achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 mi les
per gallon (30 -40 l/l00km). After about a
half a mile , fuel economy cl imbs to 12 mpg
(20 l/100 km) . After about
2.5 miles (4 km),
t he engine is at i ts p rope r opera ting tempe ra
tu re and f uel economy has reached a normal
l evel. So you can see that yo u should avo id
short trips whenever possible.
T he
out sid e t emperature is also cr itica l in th is
regard. Your car consumes more fue l in the
winter than in the s ummer.
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Page 240 of 348
238 Driving off road
Driving off road
Driving in difficult road
conditions and offroad
General information
The operation of the E lectronic Stabilization
Control (ESC) is expanded for operation away
from paved roads. In situations where slip or a
differential locking function is required, the ESC offroad mode can be activated
c::> page 225 . Hill descent control is also availa
ble in the ESC offroad mode, which automati
cally brakes the vehicle and thereby keeps
speed constant when diffe rent wheel speeds
a re detected when descending a hill
c::> page 226. Your Audi also has permanent
a ll-wheel drive in addition.
H owever, your Aud i is not a pure off road vehi
cle .
It was not built for d riving unde r extreme
conditions, e.g. fo r trips that are in the nature
of an expedition.
Dri ve only on road s and offroad section s
which mat ch the de sig n of your vehi cle and
y our a biliti es as a driver. Ne ver t ake ris k s!
Before driving offroad
- Check the eng ine oil level, tire pressure,
coolant level , and the fluid level in the w ind
shield washe r reservo ir.
- Stow luggage items and other objects in the
luggage compartment, and secure them
against s lid ing aro und .
After driving offro ad
- After trips offroad, remove any twigs and
other foreign objects from the grill, the underbody and the wheels. Pay spec ia l atten
t ion to fore ign objects (stones) which have
become lodged in the tire tread.
- Clean the body and the veh icle unders ide,
and inspec t the veh icle for poss ible damage.
- Clean dirty w indows , headlamp lenses , rear
l ights, and license plates .
- Perform a brake check (part icularly after
t ravel ling through water) .
A WARNING
-Drive especially attentively and plan
ahead in d iff icu lt road conditions and
when offroad. Excessive speed o r inco r
rect maneuvers can cause injuries and
damage to the vehicle.
-
- Always adapt your speed and driving
style to road, offroad, t raff ic, and weath
er cond itions. Drive especially slowly off
road when you r view is res tricted.
- Please be awa re that in ESC off road
mode, particularly on a smoo th and s lip
pery road, the wheels may have an in
creased tendency to spin and the vehicle may break away -danger of skidding!
- Stability is limited in the ESC off road
mode .
@) For the sake of the environment
Avoid damage to the environment and re
spect nature .
(D Tips
Only drive w here it is permitted and stay
on marked roads and paths.
Explanation of some technical terms
T he following data refe r to ideal cond itions.
Depend ing on veh icle load and ground condi
tions and the environment, the numbers may
vary. It is the driver's responsibility to decide
whether a vehicle can overcome a specific s it
uat ion
c::> ,&. .
Gradient angle
The number of meters in alt itude gained over
a distance of 109.4 yards or 100 meters
(grade) are given as a percentage or degrees.
Information about the gradient the vehicle
can climb under its own power (depends in
part on the road surface and engine power) .
Max imum perm itted grade : 3 1
°
Late ral angle (slope of vehicle )
Indicates the angle up to which the vehicle
can be driven diagonally or across the fall line ..,.
Page 242 of 348
240 Driving off road
If the vehicle threatens to tip over when
driving across a slope , you must immediate
ly steer downhill in the di rection of the
slope.
D o not par k your veh icle on steep slopes or
g rades .
T o reduce t he risk of tippi ng over, dr ive o n
slopes in the d irection o f the downwa rd slope
(fa ll line) -
not cros swise .
A WARNING
After drivin g through wate r, m ud, slush ,
etc ., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because of wet b rake roto rs and pads. Dry
the brakes f irst by braking carefully to re
store the full braking effect.
-
(D Note
Vehicle components s uch as the engine,
transmiss io n, suspension or elect rical sys
tem can be severely damaged by drivi ng
through wat er.
(1) Tips
- Check the depth of the wate r before dr iv
i ng th rough it.
- Do not stop the veh icle, dr ive in reverse
or switc h the engine off whe n driving
t hr ough water .
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may create waves that raise t he water
l eve l and make it t oo deep fo r yo ur vehi
cle to dr ive th rough safely.
- Avoid dr iving thro ugh salt water because
i t can ca use corrosion.
Page 244 of 348
242 Trailer towing
Weight Rating will also change the per
formance and handling characterist ics of
your vehicle, which could cause a crash result ing in serious injury or death .
- The Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ing for your
vehicle would be exceeded if your vehicle
is simultaneously equipped with Panor
am ic sliding sunroof; th ird-row seating;
t railer towing equipment (factory or
dealer-installed) , and running boards
(deale r-installed) . UNDER NO CIRCUM
STANCES MAY ALL SUCH ITEMS BE IN
STALLED ON THE SAME VEHICLE.
Operating instructions
MAX 6.9"
MAX175mm
E
Ill E Ill ... Q) m
Fig. 233 Permi tted ba ll pos it ion of t he t ra iler h itc h
Trailer towing weights
With a factory-installed trailer hitch, the
maximum permissible trailer weight is 6,615
l bs (3,000 kg) . Th e maximum permissible un
braked trailer weight is 1,650 lbs (750 kg).
With an
aftermarket trailer hitch, the maxi
m um permissible trailer weight is 5,512 lbs
(2,500 kg) . These specifications apply when
driving on roads having an incline of less than
12%.
Permissible tongue load
F or best vehicle handling under these
changed condit ions, adjust the trailer load so
that the tongue load is at the maximum al
lowable or slightly lower . You can get an ap
prox imation of the tongue load w ith a bath
room scale or you can measure the load at a
trucking company or weighing station .
With a
factory-installed trailer hitch, the
maximum permissible load on the ball h itch may not exceed 662 lbs
(300 kg). With an
af
termarket
trailer hitch, the maximum permis
s ib le load on the ba ll hitch may not exceed
551 lbs (250 kg). It is recommended to use
the maximum permissible load.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held secure ly
in place to prevent it from shifting forward,
backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢&. in Driving instructions on page 243.
Ball mount
The trailer hitch may only be used w ith suita
ble ball mount and ball¢
fig. 233. In stalla
tion of the hitch ball must be carried out in ac
cordance with the manufac turer's instruc
tions. At the height dimension of 1.5 in
(38.5 mm) a tolerance of +/- 0.5 in (12. 7 mm)
is permissib le.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work ha rd
er . It is important that the cooling system's
performance is up to the additional load .
Make sure that the cooling system has enough
fluid .
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, infla te the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressu re listed under
" Full l oad" on the tire pressure label. The tire
pressure label is located on the driver's side B
pillar . Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire
manufacturers' spec ificat ions .
Lights
The headlight settings shou ld be checked with
the trai ler 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 con
nected from the trai ler to the h itch on the ve
hicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to per
mit turning corners. When you install safety
IJ,,
Page 245 of 348
chains, make sure they will not drag on the
road when you are driving.
The cha ins shou ld cross under the trai le r
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separation from the hitch.
(D Note
If you are going to tow a trailer, you must
activate the trailer operation mode
¢page 159, Towing a trailer.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
core and consideration.
To obtain the best poss ible handling of vehicle
and traile r, p lease note the following:
.,. Do not tow a loaded tra iler whe n your car it
self is not loaded.
.,. Be especially careful when passing other
vehicles .
.. Observe speed limits.
.. Do not d rive at the maximum permissible
speed.
.. Always apply brakes early.
.. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Tow ing a loaded trai ler with an empty ca r re
sults in a high ly unstable distribution of
weight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at very
l ow speeds only to avoid the risk of losing
steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and con
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should
be loaded to the extent possible and permiss i
ble, while keeping the trailer as light as possi
ble under the circumstances. Whenever possi
ble, transfer some cargo to the luggage com
partment of the tow vehicle wh ile observing
tongue load requirements and vehicle loading
considerations .
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be
comes for the driver to control the rig . Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Re-
Trailer towing 243
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind conditions are unfavorable - particularly
when going downhill.
Red uce veh icle speed
immediately if the trail
er shows the slightest sign of sway ing.
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds
f or vehicles towing trailers are lower than for
regular vehicles.
Always apply brakes early. When driving
downh ill, shift into a lowe r gear to use the en
gine braking effect to slow the vehicle. Use of
the brakes alone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge¢ page 10
must be observed carefully. If the need le
moves close to the upper end of the scale, re
duce speed immediately and/or turn off the
air conditioner.
If the coolant temperature warning light in
the instrument cluster starts flashing ., pull
off the road, stop and let the engine
idle for
about two minutes to prevent heat build -up .
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident. Never let anyone ride in your car
who is not properly wearing the restraints
prov ided by Audi .
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
-
Your vehicle handles differently when towing
a trai ler because of the additional weight and
different weight distr ibution. Safety, perform
ance and economy will great ly depend on how
carefully you load your trailer and operate
your rig.
Before you actua lly tow your tra iler, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you
•
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Page 246 of 348
244 Trailer towing
have become comp lete ly familiar with the way
your vehicle-trailer combination behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice.
Backing up with a trai ler genera lly requires
steering action opposite to that when backing
up your veh icle without a trailer .
Maintain a greater distance be tween your ve
hicle and the one in front of you. You will need
more room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you will need a larger than normal
turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot ac
celerate as fast as you normally would be
cause of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass . After passing, allow
plenty of room for your trailer before chang
ing lanes again .
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in
period of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may re
quire more freq uent maintenance due to
the extra load
c> page 325.
Parking on a slope
Do not pork on a slope with a trailer. If it can
not be avoided, do so only after doing the fol
lowing:
When parking:
.. Apply the foot brake .
.. Have someone place chocks under both the
vehicle and the trai ler wheels .
.. With chocks in p lace, slowly re lease the
brakes until the wheel chocks absorb the
load .
.. Turn the wheels towards the curb .
.. Apply the parking brake .
.. Move the selector lever to
P.
When restarting after parking:
.. Apply the foot brake. ..
Start the engine.
.. Move the se lector lever to
D.
.. Release the parking brake and s low ly pull
out and away from the wheel chocks.
.. Stop and have someone retr ieve the wheel
chocks .
(D Tips
If you move the selector lever of the auto
matic transmission to
P before applying
the parking brake and before blocking the
wheels, you may have to use more fo rce
l ater to move the lever out of the
P posi
tion.
Page 247 of 348
Cleaning and protect ion
General information
Regular core preserves vehicle value.
Any automobile is exposed to industrial
fumes , corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after purchase . Regu lar and correct care w ill con
tr ibute to maintaining the beauty and value of
your Aud i.
F u rth ermor e, good c are may be a conditi on
for subs tantiati ng a w arrant y claim sho uld
c orrosion d amag e or paint d efects oc cur.
Your authorized Audi dealer has a variety of
dedic ated veh icle-car e products and can ad
vise which ones to use for cleaning the exter i
or and interior of your vehicle.
Whether you use products recommended by
Aud i or other commercially available clean ing
agents, please make sure you apply them cor
rectly .
.&, WARNING
-Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them out of the reach of children.
- Heed all caut ion labels.
- Always read directions on the container
before using any product. Follow the di
rect ions carefu lly.
- Most chemical cleaners are concentrated
and have to be diluted .
- Use spot removing fluids only in well
ventilated areas.
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, d iesel
fuel, nail polish remover or other volatile
fluids. They may be toxic, flammab le or
haza rdous in other ways. Do not wash,
wax or dry the vehicle with the ign it ion
on or the engine running .
- Do not clean the undersides of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, e tc. w ithout pro
tecting your hands and arms. You may c u t yourself on sharp -edged metal parts .
Cleaning and protec tion 245
- Moisture and ice on brakes may impair
brak ing effic iency¢
page 228, General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle.
@) For the sake of the environment
Select on ly environmentally friend ly clean
i ng products . Leftover cleaning products
should not d isposed of in the household
waste.
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protects the vehicle .
The best protection against environmental i n
fluences is
frequent washing and waxing . How
often t his is required depends on:
- How much the veh icle is used
- Where the veh icle is parked (garage, in the
open under trees, etc.)
- The seasona l and weather conditions
- Environmental infl uences
T he longer b ird droppings, insects, tree resin,
road and indus tria l gr ime, ta r, soot, road salt
and other materials remain on the vehicle body, the more lasting their destructive ef
fects wi ll be . High temperatures caused by ex
posure to intense sun light intens ify the corro
s ive effect, particularly when humid ity is high
as well.
Under certain circumstances,
weekl y washing
may be necessary. Under other cond itions, a
monthly washing and waxing may be ade
quate .
After the winter, the underside of the vehicle
should be thoroughly washed, preferab ly in a
professional car wash .
.&, WARNING ,_
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 245.
•
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Page 249 of 348
directly at locks, or at door or hatch
openings -they can freeze shut.
- Never use sponges designed to remove
insects , or any kitchen scouring sponges
or similar products. They can damage
your paint finish .
- You should remove debris (such as in
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regular basis, for example when refuel
ing your vehicle. Never use a dry cloth or
sponge to clean the headlights . Only use
wet cloths or sponges to prevent
scratches . It is best to use soapy water .
@) For the sake of the environment
In the interest of the environment, the ve
hicle should only be washed in special
wash bays .
Washing your vehicle with a power
washer
Cleaning the exterior of your car with a high
pressure power washer is safe as long as you observ e a few simple rules.
" Before using the power washer , make sure
you have read and understood the WARN
INGS ~.&.
in General information on
page 245.
" Always follow the operating instructions for
the pow er wash er.
" Make su re that the jet on the spray hose
produces a "fan shaped spr ay" .
" Do
not hold the spray nozzle too close to
soft materials .
When cleaning the vehicle with a power wash
er
always follow the operating ins truc tions.
T his applies particularly to the
operating
pressure
and the spraying distance. Maintain
a sufficient distance to soft materials such as
rubber hoses and sound/vibration deadening
materials (particularly on the underside of the
engine hood). Do not use a jet which sprays
water in a
direct stream or one that has a ro
tating
jet.
Water temperature should not exceed 140 °F
(60 °().
Cleaning and protection 247
A WARNING
Never wash tires with a jet that sprays wa
ter in a direct stream . This could cause in
visible damage to the tires and weaken
them, even if the spray is from a relatively
long distance and for a short time . Dam
aged and weakened tires can fail and cause
accidents and personal injury.
(D Note
To avoid damaging your vehicle, always make sure that there is sufficient distance
between the spray head and soft materials
like rubber hoses, plastic parts and sound
deadening materials. Never aim the spray
head at the same point for a long time.
This also applies to cleaning headlights
and painted bumpers. Remember : the
closer the nozzle is to the surface of the
material, the greater the stress on the ma
terial.
Sensors and camera lenses
- Remove snow with a hand brush and remove
ice with a de-icing spray that does not con
tain solvents.
- Clean the sensors (adaptive cruise control*,
parking system*) with a cleaning solution
that does not contain solvents and a soft
cloth.
- Dampen the camera lens with a household
alcohol-based glass cleaner, and then wipe
the lens clean with a dry cloth.
(D Note
- If you wash your vehicle with a pressure
washer,
- make sure there is enough distance to
sensors in the rear bumper .
- do not clean the camera lenses and the
area around them with the pressure
washer .
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens. This
could cause the lens to crack .
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Page 257 of 348
Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en
gine compartment.
Al ways s witch off the ign ition befor e clean
ing the eng in e
c:> & .
Plenum panel
Remove leaves from the plenum pane l in front
of the windshield under the engine hood. This
prevents the water drain holes from becoming
blocked, and it prevents debris from entering
the vehicle interior through the heating and
ventilation ducts .
Corrosion protecti on
The engine compartment and transmission
have been corrosion-protected at the factory.
Good anti-corrosion treatment is very impor
tant, particular ly in the winter . If the vehicle
is frequent ly driven on salt treated roads, the
entire engine compartment and plenum panel
should be thoroughly cleaned at the end of
winter and retreated to prevent sa lt damage.
At the same time, the underside of the vehicle
should be washed as we ll.
If the engine compartment is cleaned at any
time with grease removing solut ions
1>, or if
you have the engine washed, the anti-corro
sion treatment is a lmost always removed as
well.
It is therefore essential to have a long
lasting co rrosion protection reapp lied to a ll
surfaces, seams, joints and components in the
engine compartment.
A WARNING
Be aware: The engine compa rtment of any
motor vehicle is a potentially hazardous
area.
- Before working in the engine compart
ment, be s ure to read the in format ion
c:> page 264.
- Before reaching into the front plenum
pane l, always remove the ignition key.
l) Use only the correct cleaning sol utions. Never use gas
oline or diesel fuel.
Cleaning and protec tion 255
Otherwise, the windshield wiper system
could un intentionally be switched on,
possibly caus ing personal injury from the
mov ing wiper linkage.
- Never reach into the area around or
touch the radiator fan. The aux iliary fan
is temperature controlled and can sw itch
on suddenly - even when the ignition is
off.
- Do not wash, wax or dry the eng ine with
the engine running. Moving or hot parts could injure you.
- Do not clean the underside of the chas
sis, fenders, wheel covers, or other ha rd
to reach pa rts without protect ing your
hands and arms. You may cut yourself on
sharp-edged metal parts .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
o ther info rmation
c:> page 245.
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Page 258 of 348
256 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Fuel supply and filling
your fuel tank
Fuel supply
Gasoline
Appl ies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
Using the right fuel helps keep the environ
ment clean and prevents engine damage .
Fuel recommendation
The fuel recommended for yo ur vehicle is un
lead ed premium
grade gasolin e. See a lso
¢ pag e 322, Data . Audi recommends usi ng
T OP TIE R Detergent Gaso line wi th a minim um
o ct ane rating of 9 1 AKI (95 RON). For more
i nf ormat ion on TO P TI ER De tergent Gaso line,
p lease go to t he officia l webs ite (www.toptier
gas.com).
T he re commended g asoline octa ne r ating for
your engine can a lso be fo und on a la bel locat
e d on the inside of the fue l filler flap . This ra t
ing may be specif ied as A KI or RO N.
Your veh icle m ay also be oper ated using un
l eaded regular gasoline with a minimum o c
tane rating of 87 AKI/91 RO N. However, using
87 AKI/91 RON octa ne fue l w ill slightly re
d uce engine performance.
Use unleaded gasoline only. Unleaded gaso
line is available th rougho ut the USA, Ca nada ,
and i n most E uropean countries . We recom
mend that you do not ta ke yo ur vehicle to
areas or count ries w here unleaded gasoline
may not be available.
F or mo re informat io n on refue ling your ve hi
cle, see
¢ page 258.
Octane rating
Octa ne r ating ind icates a gaso line's abili ty to
res ist engine damagin g "knoc k" ca use d b y
p remature ign ition and detonation. Therefore,
buy ing the correct grade of gaso line is very
important to help prevent possible engine
damage and a loss of engine performance.
Gasoline most commonly used in the Unite d
States and Canada has t he following octane r
atings t hat can usu a lly be found on the fi ller
p ump:
- Premium Gra de: 91 -9 6 A KI
- Regular Grade : 87 -90 AKI
Explanation of the abbreviations:
AKI = Anti Knock In d ex = (R+M) /2 = (RO N
+ MON)/2
R ON= Resea rch Octane Number
MON = Motor Octane Num ber.
(D Note
- Do not use a ny fue l w it h octane rat ings
lower tha n 87 A KI or 91 RO N othe rwise
e xpensive engine damage w ill occur.
- Do
not use leaded gasoline. The use of
leaded gasoline w ill severely damage
yo ur v ehicl e's cata lytic co nve rter a nd its
abi lity to co ntrol exha ust em issions .
Blended gasoline
Applies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
Use of gasoline containing alcohol or
MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether )
You may use unleaded g asoline blende d wi th
alcohol o r MTBE (commonly referred to as
oxygenates) if the blende d mixture meets t he
f o llow ing criteria:
Blend of gasoline methanol (wood alcohol or
methyl alcohol)
- Anti -kno ck index must be 87 A KI or higher.
- Blend must contain no more t han 3% meth-
anol.
- Blend must contain more than 2% co -sol -
vents.
Blend of gasoline and ethanol (grain alcohol
or ethyl alcohol)
- Anti -knock index must be 87 AKI or higher .
- Blend must not conta in mo re tha n 10%
ethanol.
Blend of ga soline and MTBE
- Anti-knoc k index mus t be 87 AKI or higher. IJll,