oil AUDI A8 2011 Owner's Manual

-Never smoke or work near heate rs or
open flames. Fluids in the engine com­
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im­
mediately ava ilable.
- To avoid elect rical shock and persona l in­
jury while the engine is running or be ing
started, never touch:
- I gnition cables
- Othe r components of the high voltage
e lectronic ignition system.
- If you must pe rform a check or repair
with the engine running:
- F irst, fully apply the pa rking brake,
move selector lever to "P" (Park) .
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hai r from get­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact­ ing hot parts. T ie back hair before
starting, and do not wear cloth ing that
will ha ng or droop into the eng ine.
- Min imize exposure to emission and
c h emical hazards
c:> &,.
A WARNING
California Propos ition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certai n veh icle components co nta in
or em it chemicals known to the State of
Californ ia to cause cancer a nd b irth d e­
fects a nd rep roduct ive ha rm. In addi tion,
c e rta in fluids cont ained in vehicle s and
c ertain p rod ucts of component wear con­
tain or emit chemicals known to the
State of Ca lifo rnia to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac ­
cessories contain lead and lead com-
Checkin g and fillin g 223
poun ds, c hemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive harms. Wash hands after handling.
([) Note
When adding fluids, always make su re that
they are poured into the p roper conta iner
or fi ller opening, otherwise serious dam­
age to vehicle systems w ill occur .
@ For the sake of the environment
To detect lea ks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regular ly. If
you see spots from oil or other veh icle flu­
i ds, have you r vehicle inspected by an au­
thorized Audi dea ler.
Closing the engine hood
.. Pull the hood down until the pressure from
t he st ruts is reduced.
.. Let the hood
drop down a nd l atc h in pla ce.
Do not try to push it shut; it may fail to en­
gage ~ A_.
A WARNING
-
A hood that is not completely latched
could fly up and block your view while dr iv­
i ng.
- When you close the engine hood, chec k it
to make sure t he safety catch has prope r­
ly engaged. The hood shou ld be flush
with the surround ing vehicle body parts .
- If you notice while driv ing that the hood
is not secured prope rly, stop at once and
close it. •
•

224 Checking and filling
Engine compartment
Engine compartment overview
These are the most important items that you can check.
Fig . 177 Typ ical layout for conta iners a nd eng ine o il filler cap
(D W indshield/head light washer
t . (?::..) con
amer ~ .... ... . ... .. . 236
@ Jump start point(-) with hex
h ead screw, ................
235, 273
@ Jump start point(+) unde r a cov-
e r, . ...... .... ......... .. .
23 5, 273
© Eng ine oi l filler cap ('t::r.) . . . . . 227
® B rak e fluid reservo ir ((0)) . . . . . 232
® Coolant expansion tank (J-) . . . 229
0 Power steering reservoir . . . . . . 194
The engine oil filler neck (item@) may be lo­
cated in a d ifferent area depending on the ver­
sion of the engine .
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WAR NINGS¢
A in Working in the engine
compartment on page 222.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used in your Audi needs the
right kind of oil.
T he eng ine in your Audi is a sophisticated
powerplant that was built to exacting specifi ­
cations . Th is engine needs the right k ind of
engine oil that meets specifications regarding
quality and v iscosity so that it can run
smoothly and reliab ly . Choosing th e right o il
and changi ng oil within the t ime and mileage
in tervals prin ted in you r vehicle's Warr anty
&
Maintenan ce booklet matte rs a lot more to­
day tha n it did years ago . Audi has develope d
a spec ia l quality standard for engine oil that
will help assure that you r vehicle's engine w ill
get the lubr ication it needs for proper opera-
t ion. ..,.

Modern eng ine lubrication has taken a quan ­
tum leap in the last few years . Many synt hetic
oils ava ilable today provide better engine lu­
brication that can outlast traditional petrole­
um-based o ils, making them a smart choice
for use throughout the life of your Audi .
Whether you use synthetic or petroleum­ based engine oil, the oil that you use must
conform to Audi's oil quality standard
VW 502 00 to help keep your veh icle's engine
running smoothly and help prevent the for­
mat ion of harmfu l deposits, sometimes called
"s ludge," that ove r time can lead to expensive
r epairs .
At the t ime of pri nting, engine o ils available in
the U .S . and Canada that meet the exacting
specifications of Audi oi l standard VW 502 00
are synthetic engine oils. This does no t mean,
however, that every syn thetic engine oi l w ill
meet Audi oil standard VW 502 00. So a lways
be sure that you use an approved oi l.
To help preve nt the format ion of harmful de­
posits use only oi l with the fo llow ing spec ifi­
cations printed on the oil container:
Audi oil standard VW 502 00
O il conta iner labels may carry the specif ica­
tion s ingly o r in comb inat ion w ith other des ig­
nations and oil qua lity standards .
Viscosity
Engine oi ls are graded according to their vis­
cosity. The proper v iscosity grade oi l for your
engine depends on cl imactic or seasonal con­
d itions where you dr ive. You can use oil with a
viscosity grade of SAE SW40 across all tem ­
pe rature ranges for normal d riving conditions .
However, if eng ine oi l viscosity grade SAE
SW40 is not avai lab le, you can also use viscos­
ity grade SAE SW -30 or SAE OW-40 as long as
it meets Audi o il quality standard VW 502 00
specifications.
Because engine oil that meets the A udi oil
standard may not be available everywhere
when you need it, we s trongly recomme nd
that you always carry with you a n ext ra quart
Checkin g and fillin g 225
(li ter) of oil that exp ress ly con forms to the
VW S02 00 specification , in case you have to
top
off the o il while on the road.
Only if the level of the o il is at or be low the
minimum mark on the o il dipstick -and no oi l
that expressly conforms to Audi oi l standard
VW S02 00 specifications is availab le - may
you top
off with a high quality engine o il, pref­
erably synthet ic-based, that meets ACEA A3,
ACEA AS or ACEA BS or API SL spec ificat ions,
but eve n then, only in v iscosity g rades SA E
SW- 40, SA E 5W-30, or SAE OW-40 . Howeve r,
dur ing the entire time between o il change in­
te rv al s, never top
off wi th more than a to ta l
of 0. 5 qt/liter eng ine oil that does not con ­
form to Audi oil specification VW 502 00 .
Fo r more informa tion abo ut eng ine oi l tha t
h as been approved for your veh icle, please
contac t either yo ur autho rized Aud i dea le r or
Audi C ustome r Re lations at 1 (800) 822 -2834
or visit o ur web site at www .a udiusa.com or
www.aud icanada .ca. Here you w ill also find a
current list of oils (manufacturers, brand
names etc.) that conform to Audi oil standard
vw 502 00.
Changing the engine oil
T he eng ine oi l and oil f ilter m ust be changed
according to the mileage (ki lome ters) and
time intervals specified i n your vehicle's War ­
ranty
& Maintenance booklet. Do not exceed
these interva ls - harmful deposits from old
engine oil can reduce engine performance and
can lead to expensive engine repairs.
Changi ng the oil at the recommended inter­
vals is so very important beca use the l ubricat­
ing propert ies of oil decrease gradually during
norma l veh icle use . If you a re not sure when
yo u have your o il cha nged, ask your author­
ized Audi Se rv ice Adv isor.
Under some circumstances the engine oil
shou ld eve n be changed more frequent ly.
Change oil mo re often if you dr ive most ly
sho rt distances, operat e the ve hicle in dusty
areas o r most ly under stop-and -go traff ic con-
d iti ons, o r when you use your vehi cle where .,..
•
•

226 Check ing and filling
temperatures stay below freezing point for
long periods.
Detergent add it ives in the o il w il l make fresh
oil look dark after the eng ine has been run­
ning for a short time . This is norma l and is not
a reason to change the oi l more often than
recommended.
Dam age or ma lf u ncti ons du e to lack of
m ainten ance
It
is essential that you change your oil at the
recommended in tervals using only engine o il
that complies with Audi oi l standard
VW 502 00. You r Limited New Vehicle War­
ranty does not cover damage or malfunctions
due to fail ure to fo llow recommended mainte­
nance and use requ irements as set forth in
the Audi Owner's Manual and Warranty&
Maintenance book let . Your dealer will have to
deny warranty coverage unless you present to
the dea ler proof in the form of Service or Re­
pa ir Orders that all scheduled maintenance
was performed in a t imely manner.
Eng ine 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, a ll in­
ternal comb ustion eng ines consume a certa in
amount of oil. O il consumption varies from
engine to engine and may change significantly
over the life of the engine. Typica lly, engines
with a specif ied break-in period (see
¢
page 197) consume more oil during the
break-in period than they consume after oil
consumption has stabilized.
Under norma l conditions, the rate of oil con­
sumpt ion depends on the quality and viscosity
of the oil, the RPM (revolutions per m inute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient
temperature and road condit ions . Further fac­
tors are the amount of oil d ilution from water
condensat ion or fuel residue and the ox ida­
tion level of the oi l. As any engine is subject to wear as mi
leage builds up, the oil consump­
tion may increase over time until replacement
of worn components may become necessary.
With a ll these variab les coming into play, no
standard rate of oil consumption can be es­
tablished or specified. There is no alternative
to regu lar and frequent check ing of the o il lev ­
el, see
Note .
If
the yellow engine oil leve l warning symbo l
in the instrument cluster
m lights up, yo u
shou ld check the oil leve l as soon as possib le
¢
page 22 7. Top off the oil at your earliest
convenience ¢
page 22 7.
A WARNING '"---
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS¢
A in Working in the engine
comportment on page 222.
(D Note
Driving w ith an insufficient o il level is like­
ly to cause severe damage to the engine .
(D Tips
-The oil pressu re warn ing display. is
not an indicator of the oil le vel. Do not
r el y on it . In ste ad, ch eck the oil lev el in
y our engin e at regular inter vals , pref ­
erably ea ch time you r efu el, and alway s
before going on a long trip .
-If you have t he impression yo ur engine
cons umes ex cessive amoun ts of o il, we
recommend that you consu lt your Aud i
dea ler to have the cause of your concern
properly diagnosed. Keep in mind that
the accurate meas urement of oi l con­
sumption requ ires great care and may
take some t ime. Your Audi dea ler has in­
structions about how to measure oil con­
sumption accurately.
-

Checking the engine oil level
Fig . 178 D is p lay: o il level indica tor
Park your vehicle on a level surface.
• Shut the engine off when i t is wa rm.
• Swi tch on ly the ignition back on .
• Wait approximately two minutes .
• Se lect :
I CAR I funct ion button > C ar sys tem s
cont rol button > Se rvicing & c heck s > Oil
le ve l.
• Check the oil level in the display¢ fig. 178 .
Add engine oil if the bar of the oil level indi ­
cator is near "min " ¢
page 22 7.
Depending on the way the veh icle is driven
and the operating conditions, oil consumpt ion
can be up to 1/2 quart per 600 m iles (0 .S liter
per 1 ,000 km) . Consumption may be h igher
within the first 3,000 miles (S,000 km) .
@ Tips
The oil level indicator in the MMI Display is
only an informat ion d isp lay . If the oil leve l
is low, a minimum o il warning appears in
t he ins trumen t cluste r. Add oi l
¢
page 22 7 . If the hood h as been opened,
the current oil level is shown in the instru ­
ment cluster the next time the ignition is
sw itched on.
Checkin g and fillin g 22 7
Adding engine oil 'i=:1:
Fig. 179 Eng in e compa rtm en t: co ve r on the engine oi l
filler n eck
Before you check anything in the eng ine com­
partment ,
alw ays re ad and he ed all WARN­
INGS
c:> &, in Working in the engine compart ­
ment on page 222 .
• Unscrew the cap~ to the eng .i ne o il filling
hole
c:> fig . 179.
• Carefully top off with the appropriate oil in
0.S liter doses .
• Check the oil level again after two minutes
¢ page 22 7.
• Top off the oil aga in, if necessary .
• Screw the cap back on the filling hole .
A WARNING
-Wh ile topping off, the oil must not come
in contact w ith hot engine parts -fi re
hazard!
- The oi l filler cap must be p roperly se­
cured to prevent oil from being sprayed
on the hot engine and exhaust system
when the engine is runni ng -fire ha zard!
- I f your s kin has come in contact with the
engine o il, you must subse quently
cleanse it thoroughly.
(D Note
- Check the oil level using the MMI. If the
message
Please reduce oil level appe ars,
c ontact yo ur a uth ori zed Aud i dea ler o r
ot her qualified workshop to have excess
oil extracted if necessary.
- Audi d oes not re commend the u se of oil
additi ves. The y m ay dama ge the engine
1111-

228 Check ing and filling
and ad versely a ffect yo ur New Vehicl e
W arrant y.
@) For the sake of the environment
- Under no circums tances can the oil come
in contact with the sewage network o r
the soil.
- Observe and follow lega l regu lations
when disposing of empty oil containers .
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by
an authorized Audi dealer or a qualified serv­
ice station.
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
a lw ays rea d an d h eed all WARN­
INGS c::> .& in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 222.
The engine oil must be changed accord ing to
the intervals specified in your Warranty
&
Maintenance book let. This is very important
because the lubricating properties of oil di­
minish gradua lly during normal vehicle use .
Under some ci rcumstances the engine oi l
should be changed more frequently. Change
oil more often if you drive most ly short dis­
tances, operate the vehicle in dusty areas or under predominantly stop-and-go traffic con­
ditions, or have your vehicle where tempera­
tures remain below freezing for extended pe ­
riods .
Detergent addit ives in the oil w ill make fresh
oil look dark after the eng ine has been run­
n ing for a short time. This is normal and is not
a reason to change the oil more often than recommended.
Because of the problem of proper disposal,
along w ith the special tools and necessary ex ­
pertise required , we strongly recommend that
you have your o il changed by an authori zed
A udi de ale r or a q ual ified servi ce station.
If you choo se to c hang e y our oi l your self,
please note the followi ng important informa­
tion :
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal injury if you
must change the eng ine oil in your vehicle
yourself:
- Wear eye protect ion.
- To reduce the risk of burns from hot en- gine oil, let the engine cool down to the
touch.
- When removing the o il dra in plug with
your fingers, stay as far away as possible.
Always keep your forearm parallel to the
ground to help p revent hot oil from run­
n ing down you r arm.
- Dra in the oil into a container designed
for this purpose, one large enough to
hold at least the total amount of oil in
your engine.
- Engine oil is poisonous. Keep it we ll out
of the rea ch of childre n.
- Continuous contact with used eng ine o il
is harmful to your sk in. Always protect
your skin by washing oil off tho roughly
with soap and wate r.
@ Note
Never mix oil additives with your engine
oi l. These additives can damage your en­
g ine and adversely affect you r A ud i Limit­
ed New Veh icle War ranty.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Before changing your oil, first make su re
you know where you can prope rly dispose
o f the used oil.
- Always dispose of used eng ine oi l proper­
ly. Do not dump it on garden soil, wood­
ed areas, into open streams or down
sewage drains.
- Recycle used engi ne oil by taking it to a
used engine oil collection facility in you r
area, or contact a service station.

230 Check ing and filling
th e "min" and "max" markings. When the
engine is wa rm, the level may be slightly
above the "max" marking.
The location of the coolant expansion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment ill us­
tration ¢
page 224 .
To obtain an accurate read ing , the engine
must be switched
off .
The expans io n tank in you r vehicle is equipped
with an e lectric coolant level se nsor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning light in the A uto-Check System ¢
page 15 will
i llum inate u nti l 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 leve l
from time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling
system. In the event of coolan t loss, the cool­
ing system should be inspected immedia tely
by your authorized Audi dealer. It is not
enough mere ly to add coolant.
I n a
se aled system, losses can occur only if
the boiling point of the coolant is exceeded as
a result of overheat ing.
A WARNING
T he cooling system is unde r pressure and
can get ve ry hot . Reduce the risk of sca ld­
ing from hot coolant by following these
steps.
- Turn off the engine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect yo ur face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by cove ring the
cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefu lly in
a counter-clockwise direction wh ile ap­
plying light, downward pressure on the
top of the cap .
- To avoid being b urned, do not spill ant i­
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system or hot eng ine parts . Under ce rtai n condi -
'
tions, the ethylene glycol in engine coo l­
ant can catch fire.
@ Note
Do not add any type o f radiato r leak sea l­
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant. Add ­
i ng radiator repa ir fluid may adverse ly af­
fect the funct ion and performance of your
cooling system and could result in damage not covered by your New Veh icle L imited
Warranty .
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anyth ing in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS
c> .&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page
222 .
• Turnoff the engine .
• Let the eng ine cool down.
• Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank
c> page 22 9, fig . 180 and carefully
tw ist t he cap co unter-clockwise c> ,& .
• Add coo lant .
• Twist the cap o n again
tightly.
Replacement engine coo lant must conform to
exact spec ificat ions ¢
page 229, Coolant .
Even in a n emerge ncy, if coo la nt addi-
t ive G 12++ , G12+ or G12 is not ava ilable , do
not use a d iffe ren t addit ive. Use plain water
instead unt il you can get the cor rect add itive
and can restore the correct ratio . This sho uld
be don e as soon as possible.
If you have los t a consider able amount o f
coolant, then you sho uld add cold ant ifreeze
and cold wate r on ly when the engine is cold.
Always use
new engine coo lant when refilling.
Do not f ill coolant above the "MAX" mark. Ex ­
cess coola nt w ill be fo rced o ut through the
pressure relief valve in t he cap when the e n-
gine becomes ho t.
Ill>

232 Checking and filling
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a
quick glance .
Fig. 181 Engine compartme nt: markings on the brake
flu id reservoir
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 222.
.. Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir ¢
fig. 181. The brake fluid
level must be between the "MIN" and
" MAX " markings .
The location of the brake fluid reservoir can be
seen in the engine compartment illustration
c:::,page224 .
The fluid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the
brake pads . T hi s is not cause for alarm.
If the brake fluid level falls
considerably be­
low the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/indi­
cator light. (U.S. models)/ . (Canadian
models) will come on ¢
page 14. Do not con­
tinue to operate the vehicle . The complete
brake system should be thoroughly checked
by an authorized Audi dealer or other quali­
fied facility and the cause corrected.
If the
brake fluid level is too low, the brake warning/
indicator light will illuminate. Contact an au­
thorized Audi dealer
immediately .
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi­
enced technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If
t he water 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 fluid will also decrease considerably and
decrease braking performance.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every two years . Always use new brake fluid
which conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle
Standard "FMVSS 116 DOT 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 dealer. Your dealer has the correct
tools, the right brake fluid 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 result from old or inap­
propriate brake fluid. Observe these pre­
cautions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE
specification
J 1703 and conforms to
Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 116.
Always check with your authorized Audi
dealer to make sure you are using the
correct brake fluid. The correct type of brake fluid 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
long . This can seriously affect the effi­
ciency of the brakes as well as your
safety. This could result in an accident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your
vehicle.

238 Tir es and whee ls
Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle .
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle. Tires are,
however, one of the most important parts of a
vehicle, particularly considering the compara ­
tive ly small patch of rubber on each tire that
assures that a ll-important contact between
you, your vehicle and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, mak ing
sure that your vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry more weight than they can safe ly han­
d le, avoiding damage from road hazards and
reg ularly inspecting t ires for damage includ­
ing cuts, slashes irregu la r wear and ove rall
condition are the most important things that
you can do to he lp avoid sudden tire failure in­
cluding tread separat ion and blowouts.
A voidin g damage
If you have to drive over a curb or similar ob­
stacle, drive very s low ly and as close as possi ­
b le at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chem icals includ ing grease, oil,
gasoline and b rake fluid off the tires.
Inspect the tires regularly for damage (cuts,
cracks or b listers, etc.). Remove any fo reign
bod ies embedded in the treads.
St oring tire s
Mark tires when you remove them to indicate
the direction of rotation . Th is ensures you to
be ab le to mount them correctly when you re­
install t hem.
When removed, the wheels or t ires should be
stored in a cool, d ry and preferably dark place .
Store tires in a vertical position if they are not mounted on rims, in a horizontal pos it ion if
they are mounted on rims.
N ew tire s
New tires have to be broken in¢&,. .
The tread depth of new t ires may vary, accord­
ing to the type a nd make of t ire and the tread
pattern .
Hidden damag e
Damage to tires and r ims is often not readily
vis ible . If you notice unusual v ibrat ion or the
vehicle pulls to one s ide, th is may ind icate
t h at one of the t ires has been damaged . T he
t ir es must be checked immed iate ly by an au­
thorized Aud i dea le r or q uali fied wor kshop.
Unidirection al t ire s
A un idirectional tire can be identified by ar­
rows on the sidewall, that po int in the direc­
t ion the t ire is designed to rotate. You must
fol low the specified direction of rotation . This
is necessary so that these tires can develop
their optimum characteristics regarding grip,
road noise, wear and hydrop laning resistance.
For more information ¢
page 267.
A WARNING
-New tires or tires that are old, worn or
damaged cannot provide maximum con­
trol and braking ability .
-
-New tires tend to be slippery and must
be broken in . To reduce the risk of losing
control, a co llision and ser ious personal
in ju ries, d rive w ith special ca re for the
fi rst 350 m iles (560 km).
- Driving with worn or damaged tires can
lead to loss of control, sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowou t and sudden de­
flation, c rashes and serious personal in­
juries . Have worn or damaged tires re­
p laced immediate ly .
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fai l sudden ly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith specia l care and at low
speed.

246 Tires and wheels
valve stem caps on all wheels are secure ly
mounted on the valve .
@ For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will also increase the
fue l consumption.
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or
weight that any vehicle and any tire can carry.
A vehicle that is overloaded will not handle
well and is more difficult to stop. Overloading
can not only lead to loss of vehicle control, but can also damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden tire failure, in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation that
can cause the vehicle to crash.
Your safety and that of your passengers also
depends on making sure that load limits are
not exceeded. Vehicle load includes everybody
and everyth ing in and on the vehicle. These
l oad limits are techn ica lly referred to as the
vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the we ight of the basic
vehicle, all factory installed accessories, a full
tank of fuel , oil, coo lant and other fluids plus
maximum load. The maximum load includes
the number of passengers that the vehicle is
intended to carry ("seating capacity") with an
assumed weight of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each
passenger at a des ignated seat ing pos ition
and the tota l we ight of any luggage in the ve­
hicle. If you tow a trailer, the weight of the
trailer hitch and the tongue weight of the
l oaded trailer must be included as part of the
vehicle load.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each
of the vehicle's two axles.
The G ross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance sticker labe l located on the
driver's side B-p illar. You r A udi has 5 seat ing
positions, 2 in the front and 3 in the rear for
total seating capacity of 5. Vehicles with pow- er individual rear seats* have
4 seating posi ­
tions,
2 in the front and 2 in the rear for total
seat ing capac ity of
4. Each seating position
has a safety belt¢
page 137, Safety belts.
The fact that there is an upper limit to your
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating means
that the total weight of whatever is being car­
ried in the vehicle (including the weight of a
trailer hitch and the tongue weight of the
loaded trailer) is lim ited . The more passen­
gers in the vehicle or passengers who are
heavier than the standard we ights assumed
mean that less we ight can be carried as lug­
gage.
The tire pressure label on your Audi also lists
the max imum combined weight of a ll of the
occupants and luggage or other cargo that
the vehicle can carry. For the location of the
label¢
page 242, fig. 184.
A WARNING ,___
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
h icl e contro l, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more weight than your vehicle
was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of the loss of vehicle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
veh icle with in a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly, including a blowout
and sudden deflation, causing loss of
control and a crash.
- Always make sure that the total load be­
ing transported -including the weight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue we ight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehi­
cle heavier than the vehicle's G ross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.