air condition AUDI Q7 2012 Owner´s Manual

-a car bed has been insta lled on the front
seat, or
- a rearward-facing chi ld restraint has been
installed on the front passenger seat, or
- a forward -facing child restraint has been in­
sta lled on the front passenge r seat, or
- the weight registered on the front passen­
ger seat is equa l to or less than the com­
bined weight of a typical 1 year -old restrain­
ed in one of the rear-fac ing or forward-fac­
ing infant restraints listed in Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard 208 w ith which the
Advanced Airbag System in your veh icle was
certified.
If the front passenger seat is not occupied,
the front airbag will not deploy, and the
P A S­
S ENGER AIR BA G OF F
light w ill stay on. Nev­
er install a rearward -fac ing ch ild restra int on
the front passenger seat, the safest place for
a child in any ki nd of child restraint is at one
of the seating positions on the rear seat
~ page 181, Child restraints on the front seat
- some important things to know
and
~ page 200, Child Safety.
If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light c om es
o n
when one of the conditions listed above is
met, be sure to check the light regularly to
make certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OF F
light stays on continuous ly whenever the
ignition is on. If the
PA SSE NGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not appear on and does not
stay on all the time, stop as soon as it is safe
to do so and
- react ivate the system by turning the ignition
off and then turning it on again;
- remove and reinstall the chi ld restraint .
Make sure that the child restraint is properly
installed and that the safety belt for the
front passenger seat has been correctly routed throug h the child restraint as descri­
bed in the chi ld restraint manufactu rer's in­
structions;
- make sure that the convertible locking fea­
tu re on the safety be lt fo r the front passen­
ger seat has been activated and that the sa fety belt has been pulled tight. The bel t
mus t not be loose o r have loops of slack so
A irbag system 19 1
that the sensor below the sa fety be lt latch
on the seat can do its job
~ page 209.
- make sure that things that may increase the
weight of the child and chi ld safety seat are
not being transported on the front passen­
ger seat;
- make sure t hat the safety belt tension sen­
sor is not blocked. Shake the safety belt
latch on the front passenger seatback and
forth;
- If a strap or tether is be ing used to tie the
child safety seat to the front passenger
seat, make sure that it is not so tight that it
causes the weight -se nsing mat to measure
more weight than is actually on the seat .
If the P ASS ENGER AIR B AG OFF light still
do es not come on
and does not stay on con­
tinuously (whe n the ignition is switched on),
- take the child restraint off the front passen-
ger seat and install it properly at one of the
rear seat positions. Have the airbag system
inspected by your authorized Aud i dealer
immed iate ly.
- move the child to a rear seat position and
make sure t hat the ch ild is properly restra in­
ed in a ch ild restra int that is appropriate for
its size and age.
The
PAS SENG ER A IR BAG OFF light should
NOT come on when the ignit ion is on and an
adult is s itting in a proper seating position on
t h e front passenger seat. If the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light comes on and stays on o r
flashes fo r about 5 seconds wh ile d riving, un ­
der these c ircumstances, make sure that :
- the adult on t he front passenge r seat is
prope rly seated on the cente r of the seat
cushion with his o r he r back up ag ainst the
backrest and the backrest is not reclined
~ page 161, Proper occupant seating posi­
tions,
- the adult is not taking weight off the seat by
holding on to the passenger assist handle
above the front passenger door or support-
ing their weight on the armrest, .,_
•
•

200 Child Saf ety
Child Safety
Important things to
know
Introduction
The rear seat is generally the safest place in a
collision.
The physical principles of what happens when
your ve hicle is in a crash app ly also to chi ldren
~ page 172, What happens to occupants not
wearing safety belts?.
But unlike adu lts and
teenagers, their muscles and bones are not
fu lly deve loped . In many respects chi ldren are
at greater risk of serious injury in crashes than
ad ults.
Because children's bod ies are not fully deve l­
oped, they require restraint systems especial­
l y designed for their size, weight, and body
structure. Many co untries and all states of the
United States and provinces of Canada have
laws requ iring the use of approved ch ild re­
straint systems for infants and small ch ildren.
In a fronta l crash at a speed of 20 -35 mph
(30-56 km/h) the forces acting on a 13-po und
(6 kg) infant w ill be more than 20 t imes the
weight of the child. This means the weight of
the child would suddenly be more t han
260 pounds ( 120 kg). Unde r these conditions,
only an appropria te ch ild restrai nt properly
used c an reduce the risk of ser ious inju ry.
Chi ld restra ints, like adult safety belts, mus t
be used properly to be effective . Used improp­
e rly, they can increase the risk of serious in ­
jury in an acc ident.
Consul t the child safety seat manufactu re r's
instr uctions in order to be sure the seat is
right fo r you r ch ild's size ~
page 203, Impor­
tant safety instructions for using child safety
seats.
Please be sure to read and heed all of
the important informat ion and WARNINGS
about ch ild safety, Advanced A irbags, and the
i nstallation of child r estraints in this chapter .
There is a lot you need to know about the Ad­
vanced A irbags in your vehicle and how they
wo rk whe n infants and children i n child re- stra
ints are on the front passenger seat . Be­
ca use of the large amount of impo rtant infor­
mation, we cannot repeat it a ll here . We urge
you to read the detai led information in t his
owner 's ma nual about airbags and the Ad­
vanced Airbag System in your vehicle and the
very importa nt information about transport­
ing ch ildr en on the fro nt passenge r seat.
Please be su re to heed the WAR NINGS -they
are extremely import ant for yo ur safe ty and
the safety o f your passenge rs, especially in­
f ants and small children .
A WARNING
-Accident statistics have shown that chil­
dren are generally sa fer in the rear seat
area than in the front seating position.
Always restrain any child age 12 and un­
de r in the rear.
- All vehicle occupants and especially chil­
d ren must be restrai ned properly when­
eve r riding in a vehicle. An unrest rained
or improp erly restrained chi ld co uld be
in jur ed by str iking the i nterior o r by be­
i n g ejected from the vehicle dur ing a
sud den maneuve r o r i mpac t. An un re­
s traine d or improperly restrained ch ild is
also at greater risk of injury o r death
through contact with an inflating airbag.
- A suitable c hild restrai nt properly instal ­
led and used at one of the rear seat ing
positions prov ides the highest degree of
protection for infants and small children
in most accident situations.
A WARNING ,_
Children on the front seat of any car even
wi th Advanced Airbags can be ser iously in­
j u red or even kil led when an airbag in­
flates. A chi ld in a rearwa rd-fac ing c hild
safety seat in sta lled on t he fro nt passen­
ger sea t will be ser iously injure d and ca n
b e killed if t he front airbag inflates .
- T he infla ting air bag will h it the chi ld
safety sea t or infan t carrie r wi th great
force and wi ll smash the child safe ty seat
an d chi ld aga inst the bac krest, center
armrest, or door.
II>-

Intelligent technology Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Da­
ta Recorder (EDR), installed by some manu­
facturers for the express purpose of capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or crash
event. EDRs are sometimes called "crash re­
corders".
Some state laws restrict the retr ieval or down­
loading of data stored by EDRs that were in­
stalled in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash
event without the owner's consent.
Although your vehicle is not equipped with an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of electron­
ic control modules for various vehicle systems
such as, for example, engine function, emis­
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts.
These electronic control modules also record
vehicle-related data during norma l vehicle op­
eration for diagnostic and repair purposes.
The recording capacity of the electronic con­
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re­
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac­
tually recorded over a very limited period of
time and stored when a system fault or other
condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of
the data then stored may relate to vehicle
speed, direction, braking as we ll as restraint
system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only be read and downloaded with special equip­
ment.
Intelligent technology 219
Electronic Stability
Control (ESC)
General information
The ESC improves the vehicle stability.
. ..---------..
------- -
Fig. 218 Center console with ESC sw itch
ESC is designed to help you maintain vehicle
control in situations where the car approaches
the limits of "grip", especially when accelerat­
ing and cornering. ESC reduces the risk of
skidding and improves stability under all road
condit ions .
The system operates across the entire speed range in combination with the ABS system. If
the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) malfunc­
tions, the ESC will also shut down.
How the system works
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic
Differential Lock (EDL) and the Anti-Slip Regu­
lation System (ASR) are integrated in the Elec­
tronic Stability Control. In addition to the da­
ta provided by these functions, the ESC con­
trol unit requires additional measurement da­
ta provided by high performance sensors. The
rotational speed of the vehicle about its verti­
cal axis, vehicle acceleration in the fore-and­
aft and lateral directions, the brake pressure and the steering angle are all measured.
T he direction in wh ich the driver wishes to
travel is determined with the aid of the steer­
ing angle and vehicle speed and is continually
compared with the actua l behavior of the ve­
hicle. If the two do not match, for example,
when the vehicle starts hydroplaning on a wet
road, ESC will automatically brake the appro-
priate wheel to correct the problem. ..,_
•
•

Catalytic converter
Applies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
It is very important that your emission con­trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in an environmentally sound manner .
... Always use lead-free gasoline¢ page 250,
Gasoline .
... Never run the tank down all the way to
empty .
... Never put too much motor oil in your en-
gine ¢
page 264, Adding engine oil~-
.,. Never try to push- or tow-start your veh icle.
The catalytic converter is an eff icient "clean­
up" device built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle. The catalytic converter burns
many of the poll utants in the exhaust gas be ­
fore they are released into the atmosphe re.
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is cr it ically
i mportant for the life of the cata lytic convert­
e r and proper fu nctioning of the engine.
A WARNING ,~
- Do not park or operate the veh icle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fuel spill or other material which can
cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
man ifold, exhaust p ipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shie lds . During driving, the
substance used for undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
{[) Note
-Be aware that just one tank fi lling with
le aded fuel will already seriously de­
grade the performance of the catalytic
conve rter .
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
¢ page 264.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty. The eng ine could mis­
fire . U nburned fuel could a lso get into
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 229
the exhaust system and this cou ld cause
the catalytic converter to overheat .
- Do not turn off the igni tion while the ve ­
hicle is moving.
- Do not con tinue to ope rate your veh icle
unde r these conditions, as othe rwise fuel
can reach the catalytic converter. This
co uld result in overheating o f the con­
verter, requir ing its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis ­
sion Control System:
- H ave your vehicle maintained prope rly
and in accordance w ith the se rv ice rec­
ommendat ions in you r Warranty &
M ain tenance boo klet.
- L ack of prope r maintenance as we ll as
improper use of the vehi cle w il l impair
the function of the em ission contro l
system and could lead to damage .
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emiss io n Control System is
operat ing properly, the exha ust gas can
have a sul fur -li ke exhaust gas smell under
some operating states . This depends on
the sulfur content of the fuel being used .
Using a different brand of fue l may help,
or f illing the tank with lead-free super
grade gasoline .
Diesel particulate filter
Applies to vehicles : with diese l eng ine
The diesel part ic u late filter filters nearly all of
the soot particles out of the exhaust . The fil­
ter cleans itself automat ica lly under normal
driv ing cond itions . If the filter ca nnot clean it­
self (for example, because you a re o nly dr iving
short distances), the fi lter becomes clogged
with soot and the. symbo l for the diesel
particu late filter ill uminates ¢
page 3 7.
A WARNING
- Do not park your vehicle over flammable
materia ls such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel par-
ticulate fi lter could start a fire. ..,. •
•

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 sumpt ion .
Ch eck your oil each tim e yo u 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 (S,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 231
tenance book let. Lack of proper 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 important 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
op erat 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 miles
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),
the 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 emperat ure is also cr itica l in th is
regard. Your car consumes more fue l in the
winter than in the summer.
•
•

on a slope w ithout the veh icle tipping over
sideways (depends on center of gravity). Maxi­ m um permitted latera l ang le: 35°
Breakover angle
I ndicates the angle up to whi ch the veh icle
can drive ove r a ramp at low speed w it h out
the unde rside of the vehicle hitting the edge
of the ramp.
- Vehicl es with out air spring s: maximum
breakover ang le: 21, 1 °
- Vehicles with adaptive air su spen sion* :
maximum b reakove r angle: 23.8° (at h igh
l evel 2)
Approach /d eparture angle
Transition from the horizontal p lane to a gra­
d ient or from a grade bac k to level ground . In ­
d ic a tes the angle up to which the vehicle can
drive onto or off a slope at low speed wi thout
striking the bumper or the underbody.
- Vehicl es without air spring s: maximum ap­
proach/depart ure angle: 21.0° (front),
23.4 ° (rear)
- Vehicl es with adaptiv e air su sp ension* :
maximum approach/departu re angle at high
l evel 2 : (front) 23,5°, (rear) 25 .4°
Ground clearance
The distance between the road surface and
the lowest po int of the ve hicle underbody .
-Vehicles w ithout air spring s: ground clear­
ance: 8 .1 in (204.8 mm)
- Vehicles w ith adapti ve air suspension *:
maximum ground clearance: 9 .4 i n
(239 .8 mm) at high level 2
A WARNING
Exceeding the stated maximum figures
can result in severe injuries or ve hicle dam­
age.
- All the information was gathered on lev­
el, firm and non-slippery road surfaces,
and unde r dry wea ther conditions.
- Ideal conditions do not p revail offroad.
Never utilize the maximum read ings to
Driving off road 233
their f ullest, always leave a safety re­
serve.
Driving tips
On poor road and offroad, there is always on ­
ly one motto: Plan ahead and drive slowly!
Please obse rve the fo ll ow ing when d riving
away from paved roads :
.,. Drive on ly on roads and offroad sections
which ma tch the design of yo ur vehicle and
your abilities as a driver. Never take r is ks!
.,. Drive slow ly and plan ahead!
.,. Take into consideration the
ground clear­
an ce
of your vehicle .
.,. Act ivate the
ESC off road mode q page 219
as needed.
.,. Use the
hill descent control q page 220
when dr iv ing down steep sections on h ills .
Unpa ved ro ads and offroad
Drive slowly on unfamiliar roads and unknown
offroad section s, and look out for unexpected
obstacles (e .g. po tholes, rocks, tree s tumps,
etc .) .
To prevent the vehicle from bottoming and
avo id damage to the underbody, you should
drive straight across severe bumps in the
ground with only one side of the veh icle so
that only two of your whee ls cross the bumps .
Drive b risk ly through sandy or marshy offroad
sec tions and do not stop, i f at all possible .
Driving throu gh wate r
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when d riving through water, for examp le on
flooded roads:
- The wa ter must not be any higher than the
bottom of the vehicle body .
- Do not dr ive faste r tha n walk ing speed .
Driving on a slope
If you ever find yourself not able to climb a
s lope, do not try to turn around , drive back
down in
r e ver se . Otherwise, you run the r isk
of tipp ing ove r. ..,.
•
•

The chains should cross under the trai ler
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separation from the hitch.
([) Note
If you are going to tow a trai le r, you must
activate the trailer operation mode
¢ page 154, Towing a trailer.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
care and consideration .
To obtain the best poss ible handling o f vehicle
and trai ler, p lease note the following:
~ Do not tow a loaded trailer whe n your car it­
self is not loaded.
~ Be especially careful when passing other ve­
hicles.
~ Observe speed limits .
~ Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed .
~ Always apply brakes early.
~ Monitor the temperature gauge .
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trai ler with an empty car re­
sults in a highly unstable 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 con­
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded to the extent possible and permissi­
ble, wh ile keeping the trailer as light as poss i­
ble under the circumstances . Whenever possi­
b le, 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 drive r to control the rig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Re­
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
Trailer towing 237
wind conditions are unfavorable -pa rticularly
when going downhill.
Reduce veh icle speed
immediately if the trail­
er shows the slightest s ign of sway ing .
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some a reas, speeds
for vehicles tow ing tra ilers are lower than for
regular veh icles .
Always apply brakes early. When driving
down hill, shift into a lower gear to use the en­
gine braking effect to s low 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 trailer 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
have become completely familiar w ith the way.,.
•
•

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 239
- Moisture and ice on brakes may impair
brak ing effic iency¢
page 222, 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 seasonal 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 239.
•
•

24 6 Cl eaning and protec tio n
8_ WARNING
So lvents can change the properties of
some plastics and make it harder for the
airbag to deploy .
-
-Never clean the instrument panel or the
surface of airbag modules with cleaning
products that contain solvents .
- Products containing solvents w ill make
the surface of th is part porous.
- Serious injur ies can result if plastic parts
come loose when the airbag is deployed.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 239.
(D Note
Cleaning agents containing solvents will
attack the mater ial and can change the
way it behaves.
Natural leather
App lies to vehicles: with natura l leather
Audi makes great efforts to maintain the
properties, natural look and feel of interior
leather.
Gen eral
We offer many different types of leather on
our vehicles. Most are different types of nappa
leather, which has a smooth surface and
comes in various colors.
The intensity of the color determines the visu­ al characteristics and appearance . If the sur­
face of the leather has a typical natural look,
then the leather is a nappa leather that has
been left in a relatively natural condition. This
leather offers particularly good comfort and
breathes well. F ine veins, closed grains, insect
b ites, ski n folds , and subtle var iations in color
remain visible. These characte ristics demon­
strate that the mater ial is natural.
Natural nappa leather is not covered by a col­
or finish.
It is therefore more sensitive to soil­
ing and wear, which is something you need to
consider if chi ld ren, anima ls or othe r factors
might prove to be particular ly hard on the
leather. By cont
rast, leather types that are covered by
a colored finish layer are more durable . This
has a positive effect on the leather's resist­
ance to wear and soiling in dai ly use. On the
other hand, the typical characteristics of natu­
ral leather are barely or not apparent . Howev ­
er, th is does not mean that the leathe r itself
is of inferior quality .
Care and h andling
Because of the exclusive nature of the types of
leather that Aud i uses and their unique prop­
erties (such as sensit ivity to oils, grease, soil ­
ing, etc.), you will need to be somewhat care­
ful with these leathers, and a ce rtain type of
ca re is requ ired . For example , dark clothing
mater ials can disco lor leathe r seats (especia l­
ly if such clothing is damp and was not dyed
correct ly). Dust and dirt particles in pores,
folds, and seams can have an abrasive effect and can damage the leather surface as we ll as
weaken seams.
The leather should be cleaned regularly as
needed . After having been used for a relatively
l ong time, your leather seats will acqu ire a
rich aged fin ish. This is a characteristic of nat­
ural leather and a sign of true quality.
In order to maintain the value of this natural
product over the life of your vehicle, you
should follow the recommendat ions below:
(D Note
- To keep your leather from b leaching out,
do not allow it to be exposed to bright
sunlight for long periods of time. If you
have to leave the veh icle parked outside
for long per iods, cover the leather to
protect it from direct exposure to sun­
light.
- Sharp objects on cloth ing, such as zip­
pers, rivets or sharp pieces on belts can
leave permanent s cratches or s crape
ma rks on the su rface of the leather.
(D Tips
- After each time you clean the leather and
at regular intervals, use a leathe r
1111>

252 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Winter operation
At temperatures below 20° F (-7° C), Diesel
fuel No.
2 loses its fluidity due to wax separa­
tion, which may clog the fuel filter or tank fil­
ter and keep the engine from running .
To help the filter from being clogged by wax,
the fue l filter in your vehicle is automatically
preheated. Preheating the fuel filter makes
operation of your vehicle possible with Diesel
fuel No. 2 down to -10° F (-24° C).
If you expect temperatures below
5° F
(-15° C)
ask your fuel dealer whether their
Diese l fuel No.
2 is sufficiently winterized for
the prevailing and expected temperatures.
If not winterized or insufficiently winterized
Diesel fuel has already thickened to the extent
that the engine will not start, warm the vehi­
cle up by leaving it in a heated garage.
It is normal that the engine noise leve l (die­
seling) is louder during the warm-up period in
winter. It is also norma l when whitish-blue
smoke comes out of the tailpipe after starting
and during warm-up . The amount of smoke
depends on the outs ide temperature.
Do not let your Diese l engine idle unnecessari ­
ly after a cold start. Driving off slowly will
shorten the warm-up period.
A WARNING
- Never use "starting assist fluids." They
may be potent ially explosive or cause a
"run-away" engine condition. This could
result in ser ious engine damage and per­
sonal injur y.
- Never use fuel line anti-freeze offered for
gasoline engines.
(D Note
- Your Diesel engine has been specifically designed to operate only on Ultra Low
Sulfur Diesel fuel. Therefore, never use
home heating oil or regular gasoline. The
properties of these fuels may cause seri­
ous damage to the fuel injection system
and to the engine. Using these fuels can
-
cause expensive engine repairs and will
also adversely affect your New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
- If Diesel fuel sho uld get on any rubber
hose, it must be wiped off immediately.
Then wash the contaminated hose por­
tion with soap and warm water. Do not allow D iesel fuel to remain on connect­
ing hoses . They may develop leaks and
cause serious damage.
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
side panel behind the fuel filler flap.
If the power locking system shou ld fail, you
can still open the flap manua lly -for detailed
instructions see
¢page 255.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your ve­
hicle in
Technical Data ¢page 316 .
The label on the inside of the fuel filler flap
te lls you the correct fuel for your vehicle. For
more information about fuel specifications,
see ¢
page 250.
Your vehicle fuel tank has an on-board refuel­
ling vapo r recovery system. This feature helps
to prevent fue l vapors from escaping from the
tank and polluting the environment while you refuel your vehicle. In order to fi ll the tank
proper ly while protecting the environment,
please fo llow this refueling procedure careful­
ly.
A WARNING
-Under normal operating conditions, never
carry addit ional fuel conta iners in your car .
Gas canisters and other conta iners used to
transport fuel can be dangerous. Such con­
tainers, full or empty, may leak and could
cause a fire in a collision .
If you must
transport fuel to use for your lawn mower,
snow b lower, etc., be very careful and al ­
ways observe loca l and state laws regard­
ing the use, transportation and storage of
such fuel containers. Make certain the ..,.