check engine light AUDI A7 2014 User Guide
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: AUDI, Model Year: 2014, Model line: A7, Model: AUDI A7 2014Pages: 306, PDF Size: 76.83 MB
Page 43 of 306
![AUDI A7 2014 User Guide .. To activate  the  child  safety  lock for  the  left/ 
right  rear  door,  press  the  left/right button 
Ii] 
in the  drivers  door ¢ fig.  30. The light  in the 
button  w ill turn  on. 
..  To AUDI A7 2014 User Guide .. To activate  the  child  safety  lock for  the  left/ 
right  rear  door,  press  the  left/right button 
Ii] 
in the  drivers  door ¢ fig.  30. The light  in the 
button  w ill turn  on. 
..  To](/img/6/57602/w960_57602-42.png)
.. To activate  the  child  safety  lock for  the  left/ 
right  rear  door,  press  the  left/right button 
Ii] 
in the  driver's  door ¢ fig.  30. The light  in the 
button  w ill turn  on. 
..  To deactivate  the  child safety  lock for  the 
left/right  rear  door,  press  the  left/r ight  but
ton 
1±1 in the  driver's  door.  The  light  in the 
button  turns  off. 
The  follow ing  features  are  switched  off: 
- The  interior  door  handles  in the  rear doors, 
- The  power  windows  in the  rear  doors. 
I n order  to  activate  the  child  safety  lock  on 
the  left  and the right  s ide,  press  the  two safe
ty  buttons 
Ii] in succession. 
Power  windows 
Controls 
The  driver can control  all power  windows. 
Fig. 31 Section  of  the driver 's doo r: Cont rols 
l(l 0 0 0 
"' m 
All power  window  switches  are  provided  with 
a two-position  function : 
Opening  the  windows 
.. Press  the  switch  to  the first stop and  hold  it 
until  the window  reaches  the desired  posi
tion. 
.,.  Press  the  switch  br iefly  to  the 
second  stop 
to  automatically  open  the window. 
Closing  the  windows 
.. Pull  the  switch  to  the first stop and hold  it 
until  the window  reaches  the desired  posi
t ion. 
..  Pull  the  switch  briefly  to  the 
second  stop to 
automatically  close  the window . 
Opening  and  closing  41 
Power window  switches 
@ Driver's door 
® Passenger's  door 
© Left rear  door 
@ Right  rear  door 
.,&_ WARNING 
-When  you  leave  your  vehicle  - even  if on
ly briefly  - always  take  the  ignit ion  key 
with  you.  This  applies  particularly  when  children  remain  in the  vehicle.  Otherwise 
the  children  could  start  the engine  or  op
erate  electrical  equipment  (e.g.  power 
windows).  The power  windows  are  func
tional  until  the  driver's  door  or  passeng
er's  doo r has  been  opened. 
- Be careful  when  closing the  w indows. 
Check  to  see  that no  one  is in the way, or 
serio us  injury  could result! 
- When  locking  the vehicle  from outside, 
the  vehicle  must  be  unoccupied  since the 
windows  can  no longer be  opened  in  an 
emergency . 
{D Tips 
-When  you  open  the  doors,  the  windows 
automatically  lower  abo ut 10  mm. 
- When  the  window  in the  driver's  or pas
senger's  door  is complete ly open,  it will 
raise  approximately  25  mm  when the 
door  is opened.  The window  will  lower 
again  when  you  close  the  door. 
- After  the ignition  has  been  switched  off, 
the  windows  can  sti ll be  opened  or 
closed  for about  10  minutes.  The power 
windows  are  not switched  off  until  the 
dr iver's  door  or  passenger's  door  has 
been  opened  . 
What  to  do  after  a  malfunction 
The one-touch  open  and  close  function  must 
be  reactivated  if  the battery  has  been  discon
nected. 
..  Pull and  ho ld  the  power  window  switch  until 
the  window  is  fully  closed.  .- 
Page 84 of 306

82  On  the  road 
Starting/stopping  the  engine 
Applies  to  vehicles:  with  Start-Stop-Syste m 
Fig. 82 Instrument  duster : engine  sw itched  off (stop 
phase) 
..  Slow  the  vehicle  to  a stop  using the brake 
and  keep  pressing  the brake pedal.  The  en
gine w ill switch  off. The 
[IJ indic ator  light 
appears  in the  information  line in the  instru
ment  cluster  display. 
..  When  you take  your foot  off  the  brake ped
al, the  engine  restarts. The indicator  light 
turns  off. 
Additional  information 
The engine wi ll switch  off  in the  P, D, N  and S 
positions  as well  as  in manua l mode . In  the  P 
position,  the  engine  wi ll also  remain  off  if  you 
take your  foot  off  the  brake pedal.  The engine 
starts  again when you select  another  se lector 
lever  position  and take your  foot  off the  brake 
pedal. 
If  you  select  the  R pos ition  during  a Stop 
phase, the  engine  will  start  again. 
Shift  from  D to  P quickly  to  prevent  the  engine 
from  start ing  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 example,  if you only  lightly  press 
on the  brake pedal  in stop-and  and-go  traffic 
or when  turni ng,  the  engine  will  not  switch  off 
when  the  vehicle  is stationa ry .  As  soon  as you 
press  the  brake  down harder, the  engine  will 
switch  off. 
General information 
Applies  to vehicles:  with  Start -Stop-System 
The standard  Start-Stop-mode  can be cancel
led for different  system-related  reasons. 
Fig.  83 Instrume nt  cluster:  engine -S top te mporarily 
un ava ilab le 
Engine will  not  switch off 
Before each stop  phase, the  system  checks if 
certain  conditions  have been met.  For exam
ple,  the  eng ine will 
not be switched  off  in the 
following  situations : 
- The engine  has not  reached the  minimum 
requ ired temperature  for  Start-Stop-mode. 
- The  interior  temperat ure se lected  by the  A/C 
system  has not  been  reached. 
- The outside  temperatu re  is extremely  high/ 
low . 
- The windshield  is being defrosted 
i=:> page 71, i=:> page 7 3. 
- The  parking  system*  is switched  on. 
- The battery  charge level  is  too  low. 
- The  steering  wheel is sharply  turned  or 
t here is a  steering  movement. 
- After  engaging  the  reverse gear. 
- On  sharp  incl ines. 
The 
r,J indicator  light  appears  in  the informa
t ion  line  in the  instrument cluster display 
¢fig . 83. 
Engine automatically  restarts 
T he stop  phase  is interrupted  in the  following 
situations,  for  example . The  engine  restarts 
without  any action  by the  driver . 
- The  interior  tempera ture varies  from the 
temperature  selected  in  the  A/C system .  
Page 209 of 306

@ Tips 
The consumption  estimates  as published by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) and Transport  Canada may not  corre
spond  to  your  actual  consumption  on the 
road,  wh ic h  will  vary depend ing  upon  vehi
cle  load  and speed,  road and weather  con
ditions,  tr ip  length,  etc. 
Drive smoothly  and  keep a  lookout 
ahead 
Vehicles  use  the  most  fuel  when  they  are ac
celerating. 
~ Avoid  unnecessary  accelerating  and braking. 
Vehicles use the  most  fuel  when  they  are ac
celerating . If  you  anticipate  what  is go ing to 
h appen  next,  you will  need to  b rake less and, 
thus,  accelerate  less. Let the  vehicle  coast 
wheneve r poss ible  -fo r example  when  you  see 
that  the  nex t tr affic  light  is red. 
Avoid full  throttle 
Driving at  moderate  speeds  saves  fuel  and 
improves  your  mileage. 
~ T ry and  keep well  below  your  car's  max imum 
speed. 
Accelerating  gent ly reduces fuel  consump
tion,  engine wear,  and does  not  dist urb the 
environment. 
Fuel consumption,  exhaust  emissions  and en
g ine no ise increase d ispropo rtionately  at  high 
speeds. If  you  dr ive at  approxima tely three 
q uarters  of  top  speed, fue l consumption  will 
be red uced  by one ha lf.  Never dr ive faste r 
than  the posted  speed  limit  and wea ther con
d itions  permit. 
Reducing unnecessary idling 
E ven  when your  car is just  idling it burns  up 
fuel. 
~ S hu t  the  engine  off  when  you a re not  dr iv ing 
t h e vehi cle. 
Dri vin g and  en vironm ent  207 
~ Do not  warm  up the  vehicle  by lett ing the 
engine  run  at  id le . 
T he id ling  phase  is au toma tic ally  red uced for 
vehicles  with  the  Start/S top  system . It  is eff i
cient  to  switch  off  the  engine  in vehicles with
out  the  Start-Stop-System  when  stopped  at 
railroad  crossings  and  long  red lights.  Turning 
the  engine  off  for  just  30-40  seconds saves  more  fuel  than  is burned  by start ing the  en-
.  . gme  again . 
It  takes  a long  t ime for  the  engine  to  warm  up 
fully  when  it  is run ning  at  id le.  However, wear 
and  noxious  emissions  are especia lly high 
when  the  eng ine  is warm ing  up. So you should 
dr ive away as soon as you start  the  engine  and 
avo id  running  at  high  rpms  whi le the  engine  is 
sti ll warming  up. 
(L} Note 
Do not  leave eng ine idling  unattended  af
ter  start ing. 
If wa rni ng  lights  sho uld  come 
o n t o indi cate  improper  ope rat ion, t hey 
wo uld  go unheeded.  Extended  idlin g also 
produces  heat,  wh ich could  res ult  in ove r
heating  or other  damage  to  the  veh icle  or 
other  p roperty . 
Regular  maintenance 
A badly  tuned  engine  unnecessarily  wastes  a 
lot  of  fuel. 
~ Have your  ve hicle servi ced at  reg ular i nter-
vals . 
By havi ng your  ve hicle regu la rly se rviced by an 
Audi  dealer  he lps  to ensu re  tha t  it  ru ns prop
erly  and economically . The condition  of  your 
vehicle  not  on ly affects  its  safety  and ability  to 
ho ld  its  va lue,  it  a lso affects 
fuel  consump
tion . 
Check  your oil  each  t ime  y ou fill  your  tank. 
The amou nt  of  o il used is re lated  to  engine 
l oad and speed. 
It  is normal  for  the  oil  consumption  of  a new 
engine  to  reac h its  lowest  value  after  a certa in 
mileage  has been d riven.  .,.. 
• 
•  
Page 211 of 306

Trailer  towing Driving  with  a  trailer 
General  information 
Your Audi was  designed  primarily  for passen
ger  transportation . 
If  you  plan  to  tow  a tra iler,  p lease  remember 
that  the  addit ional  load  will  affect  durab ility, 
economy  and  performance . 
Trailer  towing  not  on ly places  more  stress  on 
the  vehicle,  it  also  calls  for  more  concentra
tion  from  the  driver. 
F or  this  reason,  a lways  fo llow  the  operating 
and  driving  instructions  provided  and  use 
common  sense. 
(D Note 
If  you  are  going  to  tow  a trai ler,  you  must 
ac tivate  the  trailer  operation  mode 
c::> page  209,  Operating  instructions. 
Technical requirements 
Traile r hitch 
Use  a weig ht-carrying  hitch  conforming  to  the 
gross  trailer  we ight.  The  hitch  must  be  suita
b le for  your  veh icle  and  trailer  and  must  be 
mounted  securely  on  t he ve hicle's  chassis  at  a 
technically  sound location . Use  only  a  trail er 
hi tch  w ith  a  removab le  ball  moun t. A lways 
check  wi th t he tra ile r hi tch  man ufa ctur er to 
make  sure  that  you  are  using  the  cor rect 
h itch. 
Do not us e a bumper hitch . 
The  hitch m ust  be  installed  in such  a way that 
i t  does  not  interfe re with  the  impac t-absorb
i ng  bumper  syst em.  No mod ificat ions  should 
b e  made  to  the vehi cle  e xhaus t  and br ake  sys
tems . From  t ime  to  time,  check  th at  a ll hitc h 
mo unt ing  bo lts  rem ain  securely  fas tened. 
When  you  are  not  towing  a  trail er, remove  the 
tra ile r hi tch  ball  moun t.  T h is  prevents  the 
hi tch  from  causing  damage  sho uld  your  ve hi
cle  be  str uck  from  behind~ .&. 
Trailer  towin g 209 
Trailer  brakes 
If your  trailer  is equippe d wi th  a  bra king  sys
tem,  check  to  be  s ure  that  i t conforms  to  all 
regulations . 
T he  trailer  hyd ra u lic  bra ke  sys tem  mus t  not  be 
d irec tly connec ted  to  the  vehicle's  hydraulic 
brake  system . 
Safety  chains 
Always  use  safety  chains  be tween  your  ve hicle 
and  t he  tra ile r. 
Trailer  lights 
Trai ler  lights  must  meet  all  reg ulations.  Be 
su re to  c heck  with  your  Audi  dea ler  for  correct 
wir ing,  switches  and  relays . 
Mirrors 
If you  a re  unable  to  see  the  traffic  behind  you 
u sing  the  regula r outside  mirrors,  then  you 
must insta ll extended  mir rors.  It  is  important 
t h at  you 
always have  clea r vis io n  to  the  rear. 
_&. WARNING 
-
Afte r removi ng  the  trailer  hitch , do  no t 
s tor e  i t  in yo ur v ehicl e. In  case  of  sudden 
b raki ng,  the hi tch  co uld  fly forwar d and  in
j ur e you  o r yo ur  pass enge rs. 
Operating  instructions 
Maximum  trailer  weight 
A tra ile r fo r you r vehi cle is  l imited  to a typi cal 
cla ss 1 o r class  2  tr ailer. 
Trailer  load  distribution 
Be sure  the  load  in  the  tra ile r is  held  secure ly 
in  place  to  p revent  it  from  shift ing  fo rward, 
ba ckward  or  sideways. 
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer 
c::> .& in Driving instructions  on page  211 . 
Engine cooling  sy stem 
Towing  a t railer  ma kes  the  engine  wor k hard
er . It  is  impo rtant  that  the  cooling  system's 
performance  is  up  to  the  additional  load. 
• 
•  
Page 229 of 306

Checking  and  filling Engine  hood 
Releasing  the  engine  hood 
The engine  hood  is released  from  inside  the 
vehicle . 
Fig.  191 Dr iver  footwell:  release lever 
Fig. 192 Rocker switch  under  the  hood 
Make sure  the  wiper  arms  are  not  raised  up 
from  the  w indshield.  Otherw ise  the  paint 
could  be  damaged. 
..  Pull  the  lever  under  the  instrument  panel  in 
the  d irect ion  of the  arrow 
~ fig.  191. 
.. Raise  the  hood  slightly~ &-
.. Press  the  rocker  switc h under  the  hood  up
ward 
~ fig.  192. This  re leases  the  catch . 
..  Open  the  hood . 
A WARNING 
Hot  engine  coo lant  can  burn  you. 
- To reduce  the  r isk  of  being  burned,  never 
open  the  hood  if you  see  or  hear  steam 
or coolant  escaping  from  the  engine 
compartment . Wait  until  no  steam  or 
coolant  can  be  seen  or  heard  before  care
fully  opening  the  hood. 
Checkin g and  fillin g 22 7 
Working  in the  engine  compartment 
Be especially  careful whenever  you work in 
the  engine  compartment. 
Wh ene ve r y ou must  p erform  an y  wor k in  the 
e ng ine  com pa rtm ent , for  e xample  checking 
a nd filling  diff ere nt  fluids,  th ere  is  a risk of 
inju ry, burn s and accid ent s.  To  pr eve nt  per
so nal  injury alwa ys  observ e the  foll owing 
WARNING S. The engin e compartment  of an y 
v e hicle i s a h az a rdou s are a 
~ ,&. 
h WARNING 
To help  avoid  injury,  before  yo u check  any 
thing  under  the  hood: 
- Turn  off the  engine. 
- Sw itch  off  the  ignition. 
- Apply the  parki ng  brake. 
- Move selector  leve r to  P (Park). 
- Always  let  the engine  cool  down.  Hot 
components  w ill burn  skin  on  contact . 
- To reduce  the  risk of  being  burned,  never 
open  the  hood  if you  see  or  hear  steam 
or  coo la nt  escaping  from  the  engine 
compa rtment.  Wait  unt il no  steam  or 
coolant  can  be  seen  o r heard  before  care
fu lly opening  the  hood. 
- Keep  ch ildren  away  from  the  engine  com
pa rtment. 
- Never  sp ill fluids  on  hot  engine  compo
nents . They  can  cause  a fire  . 
- Never  touch  the  rad iator  fan.  The  auxili
ary  electric  fan  is temperat ure  controlled 
a nd  can  sw itch  on  suddenly  . 
- Never  open  the  coolant  reservoir  cap 
when  the  engine  is still  warm.  The  cool
a nt  system  is  p ressu rized  and  hot  cool
a nt  cou ld  spray  o ut. 
- Protect  your  face,  hands  and  arm  from 
steam  or  hot  engine  coolant  by plac ing  a 
thick  rag  ove r the  cap  when  you  open  the 
coo lant  rese rvoir. 
- Do not  remove  the  engine  cover  under 
any  circumstances.  This  inc reases  the 
ris k of  burns. 
- If  work  on  the  fue l system  o r the  elec tri 
cal  system  is necessary:  
Page 231 of 306

Checking and  fillin g 229 
Engine  compartment 
Engine compartment  overview 
These are  the  most  important  items  that  you  can check. 
Fig.  193 Typical l ayout  for  conta iners  and  engine  o il filler  cap 
@ Jump  start  poin t(-) with  hex 
head screw  .. ....... ... .. .. .  240,  276 
@ Jump  start  point(+)  under  a cov-
® 
© 
® 
© 
er  .. .. ... ..... ...... ......  240,  276 
Brake fl uid  reservo ir 
((0))  . .  . .  . 237 
Engine  oil  filler  cap 
("1:::r.)  . .  .  .  . 232 
Coolant  expansion  tank 
(-L)  .. . 
Windshield/headlight  washer 
t  .  ('"') con  ainer O  ...... .... ... . 
235 
241 
The engine  oil  filler  neck  (item@) may be  lo
cated  in a d ifferent  a rea depend ing  o n the 
ver
sion  of  the  eng ine. 
Before you  check anything  in the  engine 
compartment,  always read and heed all 
WARNINGS 
c::> &. in  Working  in  the  engine 
compartment  on page  227. 
Engine  oil 
Engine  oil  specifications 
The  engine  in your  Audi  needs  the  right kind 
of  oil. 
The  engine  in your  Audi  is a sophisticated 
powerplant  that  was built  to  exacting  specifi
cations.  This eng ine needs the  right  k ind of 
engine  oil  that  meets  specifications  regarding 
quality  and viscosity  so that  it  can r un 
smooth ly and reliably.  Choosing the  right  o il 
and  changing  oil  within  the  t ime and  mileage 
intervals  p rin ted  in you r vehicle's Wa rranty 
& 
Maintenance  booklet  matters  a lot  more  to
day than  it  did years ago . Audi  has deve loped 
a specia l quality  sta ndard  for  engine oil  that 
will  help  assure  that your  vehicle's  engine will 
get  the  lubrication  it  needs for  proper  opera
tion.  
Page 233 of 306

current  list  of  oils  (manufacturers, brand 
names etc.)  that  conform  to  Audi  oil  standard 
VW 502  00  (vehicles with  gasoline  engine)  or 
VW  507  00  (vehicles with  diesel  engine). 
C hanging  the  engine  oil 
The engine  oil  and oil  filter  must  be changed 
according  to  the  mileage  (kilomete rs) and 
time  intervals  specified  in your  vehicle's  War
ranty 
& Maintenance  booklet.  Do not  exceed 
these  intervals  -harmful  deposits  from  old 
engine  oil  can reduce engine  performance  and 
can lead to  expensive engine  repairs . 
Changing  the  oil  at  the  recommended  inter
vals is so very  important  because the  lubricat
ing  properties  of  oil  decrease gradually  during 
normal  vehicle  use. If  you are not  sure when 
you  have your  oil  changed,  ask your  author
ized  Audi  Service Advisor . 
Under  some circumstances  the  engine  oil 
should  even be changed  more  frequently . 
Change oil  more  often  if you  drive  mostly 
short  distances,  operate  the  vehicle  in dusty 
areas or  mostly  under  stop-and-go  traffic  con
ditions,  or  when  you  use your  vehicle  where 
temperatures  stay below  freezing  point  for  long  periods. 
Detergent  addit ives in  the oil  will  make fresh 
oil  look  dark  after  the  eng ine has been  run
ning  for  a short  time.  This is  normal and is not 
a reason to  change the  oil  more  often  than 
recommended. 
Damage  or malfunctions  due to  lack of 
maintenance 
It  is essential  that  you change your  oil  at  the 
recommended  intervals using  only  engine  oil 
that  complies  with  Audi  oil  standard 
VW  502  00  (vehicles with  gasoline  engine)  or 
VW 507  00  (vehicles with  diesel  engine).  Your 
Limited  New Vehicle Warranty  does not  cover 
damage  or  malfunctions  due to  failure  to  fol
low  recommended  maintenance  and use re
quirements  as set  forth in the  Audi  Owner's 
Manual  and Warranty 
& Maintenance  booklet. 
Your dealer  will  have to  deny warranty  cover
age unless you  present  to  the  dealer  proof  in 
Checking  and  filling  231 
the  form  of  Service or  Repair  Orders that  all 
scheduled  maintenance  was performed  in a 
timely  manner. 
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 
cooling  of  internal  engine  components,  all  in
ternal  combustion  engines  consume  a certain 
amount  of  oil.  Oil consumption  varies  from  engine  to  engine  and may change significantly 
over the  life  of  the  engine.  Typically,  engines 
with  a specified  break-in  period  (see  ¢ 
page 204)  consume  more  oil  during  the 
break-in  period  than  they  consume  after  oil 
consumption  has stabilized. 
Under  normal  conditions,  the  rate  of  oil  con
sumption  depends  on the  quality  and viscosity 
of  the  oil , the  RPM (revolutions  per  minute)  at 
which  the engine  is operated,  the  ambient 
temperature  and  road conditions . Further  fac
tors  are  the amount  of  oil  dilution  from  water 
condensation  or fuel  residue  and the  oxida
tion  level  of  the  oil.  As any engine  is subject  to 
wear  as mileage  builds  up, the  oil  consump
tion  may increase over time  until  replacement 
of  worn  components  may become  necessary . 
With  all  these  variables  coming  into  play,  no 
standard  rate  of  oil  consumption  can be es
tablished  or  specified.  There is  no alternative 
to  regular  and frequent  checking  of  the  oil  lev
el,  see 
Note . 
If  the yellow  engine  oil  level warning  symbol 
in the  instrument  cluster 
II! lights  up, you 
should  check the  oil  level as soon  as possible 
¢ 
page  232. Top off the  oil  at  your  earliest 
convenience 
9 page  232. 
.&, WARNING 
Before  you check  anything  in the  engine 
compartment,  always read and heed all 
WARNINGS ¢.&. 
in  Working  in  the  engine 
comportment  on page  22 
7. 
-
• 
•  
Page 237 of 306

Checking the  engine  coolant  level 
The engine  coolant  level can be checked  with 
a quick glance . 
Fig. 196 Eng ine  compartment:  cover on the  coolant 
expansion  tank 
Before  you  check  anything  in the  engine  com
partment, 
alwa ys read and  hee d all W ARN
ING S ¢.&. in Working  in the  engine  compart
ment  on page  22 
7 . 
.,.  Park your  vehicle  on  a  level  surface. 
.,.  Switch  off  the  ignit ion. 
.,.  Read  the  engine  coolant  level  from  the  cool
ant  expansion  tank¢ 
fig. 196, ¢ page  229 , 
fig.  193 . 
With  a cold  engine,  the  coolant 
level  should  be  between  the  "min" and 
"max"  mar kings.  When  the  engine  is warm, 
the  leve l may  be  slightly  above  the  "max" 
marking. 
The  location  of  the  coolant  expansion  tank 
can  be  seen  in the  engine  compartment  illus
tration¢ 
page  229 . 
To obtain an  accurate  read ing,  the  eng ine 
must  be  switched  off. 
The expans ion tank  in you r 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  17 will 
illum inate  u ntil  you  add  coolant  a nd  the  level 
has  been  restored  to  normal.  Even though 
there  is an  electric  coolant  level  sensor,  we 
still  recommend  you  check  the  coolan t  leve l 
from  time  to  time. 
Coolant  loss 
Coolant  loss  may  indicate  a leak in the  cool ing 
system.  In  the  event  of coolant  loss,  the  cool-
Checkin g and  fillin g 235 
ing  system  should  be  inspected  immediately 
by your  authorized  Audi  dealer . It  is not 
enough  merely  to  add  coolant. 
In  a 
s ea led system,  losses  can  occur  on ly if 
the  boiling  point  of the  coo lant  is exceeded  as 
a  result  of  overheating. 
A WARNING 
The  cooling  system  is  under  pressure  and 
can  get  very  hot.  Reduce  the  risk of  scald
ing  from  hot  coolant  by follow ing  these 
steps. 
- Turn  off  the engine  and  allow  it  to cool 
down. 
- Protect  your  face,  hands  and  arms  from 
escap ing  f lu id  and  steam  by cover ing  the 
cap  with  a  la rge,  th ick rag. 
- Turn  the cap  slowly  and very  carefully  in 
a  counter-clockwise  d irect ion  while  ap
plyi ng  light,  downward  pressure  on  the 
top  of the  cap  . 
- To avo id  being  burned,  do  not  sp ill anti
freeze  or  coolant  on  the  exhaust  system 
or  hot  engine  parts.  Under  certa in cond i
tions,  the  ethylene  gly col  in  engine  coo l
a nt  can  catch  fire. 
(D Note 
Do not  add  any  type  of  radiator  leak  sea L
ant  to  your  veh icle's  engine  coo lant . Add
i ng  radiato r repa ir flui d  may  adverse ly af
fect  the  funct io n and  performa nce  o f your 
cooling  system  and  could  result  in  damage 
not  covered  by your  New Vehicle  Limited 
War ranty. 
Adding  coolant 
Be very careful  when  adding  engine  coolant . 
Before you  che ck anyth ing  in the  eng ine  com
partmen t, 
alway s read  and  heed all  WARN
INGS ¢.&_ in  Working in the  engine compart
ment  on page 
227 . 
.,. Tur n  off the  engi ne. 
.,.  Let the  engine  cool  down.  
Page 238 of 306

236  Check ing  and  filling 
•  Place a thick  rag ov er the  coolant  expansion 
tank ¢ 
page  235,  fig . 196 and care fully 
twist  the  cap counter-clockwise  ¢ &_. 
• Add coolant  mixed in the  correct  ratio 
¢ page  234,  Coolant. 
• Twist the  cap on again tightly . 
Replacement  engine  coolant  must  conform  to 
exact  specifications  ¢ 
page  234, Coolant . 
We recommend  using on ly coo lant  addi-
tive 
Gl2++,  Gl3 or  in an emergency Gl2 +. Do 
not use a different  additive.  In an emergency 
use plain water  unt il you can get  the  correct 
addit ive and  can  restore  the  correct  ratio . This 
should  be done  as  soon  as  possible . 
If you have lost  a considerable  amount  of 
coolant,  then  you should  add  cold antifree ze 
and  cold water  only when  the  eng ine is co ld. 
A lways use 
new engine  coolant  when  refi lling. 
Do not fill coolant  above the  "MAX" mark.  Ex
cess  coolant  will be forced  out  t hrough the 
press ure relief valve in the  cap when  the  en
gin e becom es hot. 
A WARNING 
- The coo ling system  is under  p ress ure and 
can get  very hot.  Reduce the  risk of 
scalding  from  hot  coolant  by following 
these  steps . 
- Tu rn o ff the  eng ine a nd a llow i t to  cool 
down. 
- Pr otect  your f ace, hands  and  arms from 
escaping  f luid and  steam  by cover ing 
the  cap with  a  large,  thick  rag. 
- Tu rn  the cap slowly and very ca re fully 
in a counte r-clockwise direct ion while 
applying  light,  downwa rd  p ress ure on 
the  top  of the  cap. 
- To avoid being  burned,  do  not spi ll an 
tifreeze  or coolant  on the  exhaust  sys
tem  or hot  engine  parts.  Under certa in 
conditions,  the  ethylene  glyco l in en
g ine coolant  can catch f ire. 
- Antifreeze  is poisonous.  Always store  an
t ifreeze  in its original  container  and well 
out  of the  reach of children.  -
If  you drain the  coo lant,  it  m ust  be 
caught  and safely stored  in a proper  con
tainer  clearly marked  "poison". 
(D Note 
- Coo lant  poll utes  the  environment  and 
cou ld cause  an engine  fire . Excess cool
ant  will be forced  out  through  the  pres
sure  relief valve  in the  cap when  the  en
gine  becomes  hot . 
- If, in an emergency,  only water  can  be 
added,  the  correct  ratio  between  water 
and  antifreeze  ¢ 
page  234 must  be re
stored  as  soon  as  possible . 
® For the  sake of  the  environment 
Drained coolant  should  not  be reused.  Al
ways d ispose  of used  coolant  while observ 
i ng all environmental  regulations . 
Radiator fan 
The radiator  fan  switches  on automatically  by 
itself . 
An auxiliary electric  radiator  fan switches  on 
and  off depending  on coolan t temperature 
and  othe r vehicle operat ing condit ions. 
After you switch  the  engine  off, the  aux iliary 
fan  can continue  running  for  up to  10  m inutes 
- even w it h  the  ignition  off. It  can even switc h 
o n  aga in  later  by  itself¢ 
A, if 
- the  temper ature  of the  engine  coo lant  rises 
due  to  the  heat  build-up from  the  engine  in 
the  engine  compartment,  or 
- the  engine  compartment  heats  up because 
the  vehicle  is  parked  in intense  sunlig ht. 
A WARNING 
- To reduce the  risk of personal  injury nev
er touch  t he  rad iator  fan . 
- The auxiliary electric  fan  is temperat ure 
controlled  and  can sw itch  on suddenly 
even when the  engine  is not  ru nning . 
- The auxiliary radiator  fan  sw itches  on a u
tomatically  when  the  engine  coo la nt 
reaches  a certai n temperature  and wi ll  ..,.  
Page 239 of 306

continue to  run  until  the  coolant  temper
ature  drops. 
Brake  fluid 
Checking  brake  fluid  level 
Fig. 197 E ngine  co mpartment : cove r on  the  b rake  fluid 
r ese rvoir 
Before  you  check  anything  i n the  engine  com
partment, 
a lw ays read  and heed all W ARN 
ING S 9 A in Working  in the  engine  compart 
ment  on page 
22  7. 
~ Read  the  brake  fluid  level  from  the  brake 
fluid  reservoir 
9 fig . 197, 9 page  229, 
fig.  193. 
The  brake  fluid  level  must  be  be 
tween  the  "MIN" and "MAX"  markings . 
The  location  of  the  brake  fl uid reservo ir can  be 
seen  in the  engine  compartment  illustrat ion 
9 page229. 
The  fluid  level  may  drop slightly after  some 
time  due  to  the  automatic  adj ustment  of  the 
b rake  pads.  This  is not  cause  for  alarm. 
I f the  brake  fluid  level  falls 
considerably be
l ow  the  "MIN " mark,  the  brake  wa rning/indi
cator  ligh t 
1111 (U.S. models)/ . (Canadia n 
models)  will  come  on~ 
page  15 . Do not  con
tinue  to  operate  the  vehicle.  The  comp lete 
brake  system  shou ld  be  thoroughly  checked 
by an  authorized  Audi  dealer  or  other  quali
f ied  fac ility  and  the  cau se  corrected. 
If the 
brake  fluid  level  is too  low,  the  brake  warning/ 
indicator  light  will  illuminate . Contact  an  au 
thor ized  Audi  dealer 
imm ediat ely . 
Checkin g and  fillin g 237 
Changing  brake  fluid 
Have  the  brake  fluid  changed  by an  experi
enced  technician . 
Brake  fluid  absorbs  mois ture  from  the  air.  If 
the  wa ter  content  in  the  brake  fluid  is  too 
high , corrosion  in the  brake  system  may  result 
after  a  period  of  time . The  boiling  point  of  the 
brake  flu id  will  also  dec rease  considerably  and 
decrease  braking  pe rformance. 
Therefore,  the  brake  fluid  must  be  changed 
ev ery two  years. Always  use  new  brake  flu id 
which  conforms  to  Federal  Motor  Vehicle 
Standard  "F MVSS 116  DOT 4 ". 
The  brake  fluid  reservo ir can  be  d iff icult  to 
reach,  the refore,  we  recommend  that  you 
have  the  brake  fluid  changed  by your  author
i zed 
Audi  dealer . Your dealer  has  t he correct 
tools,  the  right  brake  fl uid and  the  know-how 
to  do  this  for  you. 
A WARNING 
-
- Brake fluid  is  poisonous . It  must  be  stor
ed  only  in the  closed  original  container 
out  of  the  reach  of  children! 
- Brake failure  can  resu lt  from  o ld  or  inap
propriate  brake  f luid.  Observe  these  pre
cautions: 
- Use  only  brake  fluid  that  meets  SAE 
spec ificat ion 
J 1 7 03  and  conforms  to 
Federa l Moto r Ve hicl e  Standard  116. 
Always  check  with  yo ur authorized  Audi 
dealer  to  make  sure  yo u are  using  the 
correct  bra ke fluid.  The  correct  type  of 
brake  f luid  is  also  indicated  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 
l ong . This  can  seriously  affect  the  effi 
c iency  of  the  brakes  as  well  as  your 
safety.  Th is cou ld  resu lt  in an  accident . 
(D Note 
Brake  fluid  will  damage  the  paint  of  your 
vehicle . 
.