engine oil AUDI Q7 2014 Owner´s Manual

234 Driving and en vironm ent
,8. WARNING
-Do not park your vehicle over flammable
materials such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel par­
t icu late filter could start a fire .
- Do not apply an underbody protectant in the exhaust system area or a fire could start.
Avoid damaging the vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certain that
low-lying parts such as spoilers and exhaust
system parts do not bottom out and get dam­
aged.
This is especia lly true for vehicles with low­
slung chassis (sports chassis)* and fully load­
ed vehicles.
Shutting down vehicle
If you would like your vehicle to remain inop­
erative for a longer period of time, contact an
Audi or other specialized dealer . They can ad­
vise you on necessary precautions e.g . corro­
sion prevention, maintenance and storage. Pay attention to additional information con ­
cerning the battery. Refer to
c::> page 268.
Operate your vehicle
economically and minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex­
haust and noise levels .
Fuel economy, environmental impact, and
wear on your engine, brakes and tires largely
depend on three factors:
- your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitations
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your
fuel consumption by 10-15 percent . This sec­
tion will give you some tips on how you can help the environment and your pocketbook.
(D 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, which will vary depending upon vehi­
cle load and speed, road and weather con­
dit ions, trip length, etc.
· Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they ore ac­
celerating.
., Avo id unnecessary accelerating and brak ing.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac ­
celerating . If you anticipate what is going to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus, acce lerate less. Let the vehicle coast
whenever possible -for examp le when you see
that the next traffic light is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
., Try and keep well below your car's maximum
speed.
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consump­
tion, engine wear, and does not disturb the environment.
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and en­
gine noise increase disproportionately at high
speeds. If you drive at approximately three
quarters of top speed, fuel consumption w ill
be reduced by one half. Never drive faster
than the posted speed limit and weather con­
ditions permit.

Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel.
11-Shut the engine off when you are not driving
the vehicle.
11-Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the
engine run at idle .
It makes sense to shut
off the engine in traffic
jams, when waiting for trains to pass at rail­
road cross ings, or at traffic lights that have
long waits on red. Turning the engine
off for
just 30-40 seconds saves more fuel than is
burned starting the engine again.
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fully when it is running at idle. However, wear
and noxious emissions 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
produces heat, which cou ld result in over­
heating or other damage to the vehicle or
other property .
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel .
11-Have your vehicle serviced at regular inter-
vals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
authorized Audi dealer helps to ensure that it
runs properly and economically. The condition
of your vehicle not only affects its safe ty and
ab ility to hold its value, it also affects fuel
consumption .
Check your oil each time you fill your tank.
Driving and environment 235
The amount of oil used is re lated to engine
load and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reach its lowest value after a certain
mileage has been driven.
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 miles
(S,000 kilometers) before you can properly
assess oil consumpt ion.
This also app lies to fue l consumption and en­
gine output.
(D Note
- Have your veh icle ma inta ined properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty
& Main­
t enance booklet. Lack of prop er mainte­
nance as well as improper use of the ve­
hicle will impair the function of the
emission cont ro l system and could lead
to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Emission Control System unless ap­
proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such
as heat shields, switches, ignition wires,
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 .
11-Try to avoid driv ing short distances w ith a
cold engine.
T he engine and cata lytic converter have to
reach their optimal operating temperature to
reduce fuel consumpt ion and noxious emis­
s ions effectively .
Just after starting, a co ld engine in a mid-size
car on ly achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 mi les
per gallon (30-40 l/l00km). After about a
half a mile, fuel economy climbs to 12 mpg
(20 l/100 km). After about
2 .5 miles (4 km), liJI,
•
•

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 fuel 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 start ing
and during warm-up . The amount of smoke
depends on the outs ide temperature.
Do not let your Diese l engine id le 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 serious engine damage and per­
sonal injury.
- Never use fuel line anti-freeze offered for
gasoline engines .
0 Note
- Refueling with gasoline when your vehi­
cle has a diesel engine can cause very se­
rious and expens ive engine and fuel sys­
tem damage that is not covered by any
A udi Limited Warranty.
- If you put any amou nt of incorrect fuel in
the fuel tank, do not start the engine un-
-
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 251
der any circumstances. Immediately con­
tact the nearest authorized Audi dea ler
or authorized Audi Service Fac ility for as­
sistance. These fuels contain substances
that can severely damage the fuel sys­
tem and the engine if the engine is start ­
ed .
- Veh icles with diesel engines must never
be refueled or driven with gasoline, kero­
sene, heating oil, or other non-specified
fuels that have not been expressly ap­ proved for use with the diesel engine.
Other kinds of fuel can cause serious
damage to the fuel system and the en­
gine that is not covered by any Audi Lim­
ited Warranty.
- If Diesel fuel should 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 fai l, you
can still open the flap manually -for detailed
instructions see¢
page 254.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your ve­
hicle inc::>
page 315.
The label on the inside of the fuel filler flap
tells you the correct fuel for your veh icle. For
more information abo ut fuel specifications,
see c::>
page 249.
Your vehicle fuel tank has an on-board refuel­
ling vapor recovery system. This feature helps
to prevent fue l vapors from escaping from the
tank and pollut ing the environment while you
refuel yo ur vehicle. In order to fill the tank
properly while protecting the environment,
please follow this refueling procedure careful-
~-~
•
•

258 Checking and filling
-Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever to P (Park).
- Always let the engine cool down. Hot
components will burn skin on contact.
- To reduce the risk 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.
- Keep children away from the engine com­
partment.
- Never spill fluids on hot engine compo­
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxili­
ary electric fan is temperature controlled
and can switch on suddenly.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm. The cool­
ant system is pressurized and hot cool­
ant could spray out.
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
th ick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir .
- Do not remove the engine cover under
any circumstances. This increases the
risk of burns.
- If work on the fuel system or the electri­
cal system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery .
- Never smoke or work near heaters or
open flames. Fluids in the engine com­
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im­
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal in­
jury while the engine is running or being
started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repair
with the engine running: -
First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever to P (Park).
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact­ ing hot parts. Tie back hair before
starting, and do not wear clothing that
will hang or droop into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and chemical hazards
~ &, .
A WARNING
=
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents, and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de­
fects and reproductive harm. In addition,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con­
tain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories contain lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive harms. Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container
or filler opening, otherwise serious dam­
age to vehicle systems will occur.
@) For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly. If
you see spots from oil or other vehicle flu­ ids, have your vehicle inspected by an au­
thorized Audi dealer.

Checking and fillin g 259
Engine compartment
These are the most important items that you can check .
Fig. 2 41 Typ ical layout for conta iners, e ngin e oi l dipst ick and engine oi l fille r cap
(D Windshield/headlight washer
t .
(~) con ainer ,.,., ....... ... .. .. .
@ Coolant expansion tank (-L) .. .
®
@
®
®
(f)
Eng ine oi l filler cap ("1:::r.) ..... •
Engine oi l dipstick .. .... .... .
Brake fluid reservo ir
(0)) ..... .
Power stee ring reservoir ... .. .
Jump start connector(+) under 272
265
263
262
267
228
a cover, (-) with hex head screw 270, 307
The pos ition of the engine o il filling hole and
the eng ine oil dipstick¢
fig. 241 (position @
and @) can
vary according to the type of en­
g ine.
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARN INGS ¢.&.
in Working in the engine
compartment on page 257.
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 spec ifi­
cations . Th is eng ine needs the right k ind of
engine oil that meets specifications regardi ng
quality and viscosity so that it can run
smooth ly and reliab ly. Choosing the right o il
and changing oil within the time and mileage
intervals printed in your vehicle's Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet matters a lot more to­
day than it did years ago . Audi has deve loped
a spec ia l quality standard for engine oil that
will help assure that your vehicle's engine w ill
get the lubrication it needs for proper opera­
tion.
Modern engine lubrication has taken a quan ­
tum leap in the last few years. Many synthetic
IIJ>,

260 Check ing and filling
oils available today provide better engine lu ­
brication that can outlast tradit ional 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 yo u use must
conform to Audi's oil q uality standard
VW 502 00 (vehicles with gasoline engine) or
VW 507 00 (veh icles with diesel engine) to
he lp keep you r vehicle's eng ine running
smoothly and help preve nt the formation of
h a rmful depos its , somet imes ca lled "sludge,"
that ove r time can lead to expensive repairs.
At the time of pri nting, engine oi ls available in
the U .S . and Canada that meet the exacti ng
specifications of A udi oi l standard VW 502 00
(vehicles wi th gasol ine engine) or VW 507 00
(vehicles wi th diesel engine) are synthetic en­
g ine oi ls . T his does not mean, however, that
eve ry synthetic engine oil will meet Aud i oil
standard VW 502 00 (vehicles with gaso line
engine) or VW 507 00 (veh icles w ith diese l
engine). So always be sure that you use an ap­
proved oil.
To help preve nt the fo rmation of harmful de ­
posits use only oi l w ith the fo llow ing spec ifi­
cations printed on the oil container :
-Audi oil standard VW 502 00 (ga soline en­
gine )
- Audi oil standard VW 507 00 (die sel en-
gine )
Oil conta iner labe ls may ca rry t he specifi ca­
tion s ingly or in combinat ion wi th o ther des ig­
nations and oil q ua lity standards.
Visco sity
Eng ine oils are graded acco rding to their v is­
cosity . T he proper v iscosity grade o il for your
engine d epends on cl imactic or seasonal con­
d it ions where you dr ive. You can use oi l w ith a
v iscosi ty g rade of SAE SW40 a cross all te m­
pe ra tu re ranges for normal d riving conditions.
H owever, if eng ine o il viscos ity grade SAE
SW40 is not avai lab le, you ca n also use viscos­
ity grade SA E SW-3 0 or SA E OW -40 a s long as
it meets A udi o il quality stan dard VW 5 02 00 (veh
icles w ith gasoline engine) o r VW 50 7 00
(ve hicles w ith diese l engine) specifications .
B ecau se eng ine o il that mee ts the Audi o il
sta ndard may not be availab le everywhere
when you need it, we strong ly recommend
t h at you a lways carry with you an extra quart
( li ter) of oil that express ly con forms to the
VW 502 00 (veh icles with gasoline engine) or
VW 507 00 (vehicles with d iese l eng ine) spec­
ification , in case you have to top off t he oi l
wh ile on the road.
Applies to vehicles with gasoline engine on ­
ly:
Only if the level of the o il is at or below the
min imum ma rk o n the o il dipstick -and no oi l
that expressly conforms to Audi o il standard
VW 502 00 spec ificat ions is available - may
yo u t op off with a high quali ty e ngine o il, pr ef­
er ab ly synthe tic-based, tha t mee ts AC EA A3
o r API SM spec ificat ions, bu t even then, only
in viscosi ty g rades SAE SW -40, SAE SW -30, o r
SAE OW -40 . However, during t he ent ire time
between oil change intervals, never top off
with more than a total of 0.5 qt/liter engine
o il that does not conform to Audi o il specifica­
t ion VW 502 00 .
Applies to vehicles with diesel engine only:
Only if the level of the oil is at or be low the
min imum mark on the o il dipstick - and no oi l
that expressly conforms to Audi o il standard
VW 507 00 spec ificat ions is ava ilable - may
you top off with a h igh quality engine o il, that
mee ts AC EA C3 o r AP I CF spe cifica tions, bu t
even then, on ly in vis cosity gr ades SA E
SW -40, SA E SW -30, or SAE OW- 40. However,
during the entire time between oi l change in­
terva ls , never top off with more than a tota l
of 0 .5 qt/liter engine oil that does not con­
form to Audi oil specification VW 507 00.
F or more information about engine oi l that
has been approved for your vehicle, please
contact e ither yo ur authorized Aud i dea le r or
Audi C ustomer Re lations at 1 (800) 822-2834
or v is it our web si te at www.audiusa.com or
www .aud icanada .ca. Here you w ill also find a
c ur rent list of oi ls (manufacturers, bra nd
names etc.) that conform to Aud i oil standa rd .,.

VW 502 00 (vehicles with gasoline engine) or
VW
507 00 (vehicles with diesel engine).
C han gin g the en gin e o il
The engine oil and oil filter must be changed
according to the m ileage (ki lomete rs) and
time inte rva ls specified in your vehicle 's War­
r anty
& M aintenance booklet. Do not ex ceed
t hese intervals -harmf ul depos its from old
engine oi l can reduce engine performance and
can lead to expensive engine repairs.
Changing the o il at the recommended inte r­
va ls is so very important because the lub ric at­
ing p roperties o f oi l decrease grad ually during
norma l vehicle use . If you are not sure when
you have yo ur oi l changed, ask your a uthor­
ized A udi Service Advisor.
Unde r some ci rc u mstances the engine o il
should even be changed more frequently.
Change o il more often if you drive mostly
short distances, operate the vehicle in dusty
areas or mostly under stop-and-go traffic con­
d itions, or when you use your vehicle where
temperatures stay below freezing po int for
l ong periods .
Detergent addit ives in the o il w ill make fresh
oil look dark after the eng ine has been run­
ni ng fo r a short time . This is no rmal and is not
a reason to change the o il mo re often than
r ec om mended.
Damage or malfun ctions due to lack of
maintenance
It is essential that yo u change your oil at the
recommended interva ls using only engine oil
that complies with Audi oi l standard
VW
502 00 (vehicles with gasoli ne engine) or
VW
507 00 (veh icles with diesel engine) . You r
Lim ited New Vehicle Wa rra nty does not cove r
damage or m alfu nct ions due to f ailure to fol­
l ow recommended maintenance and use re­
q uir ements as set forth in the A udi Owner's
M anual and Warranty
& M aintenance book let.
Your dea ler will have to deny warranty cover­
age un less you present to the dea ler proof in
the form of Service or Repa ir Orders that all
Checkin g and fillin g 261
scheduled maintenance was performed in a
timely manner.
· Engine oil consumption
To provide effective l ubr ication and cooling for
interna l eng ine parts, all interna l combustion
engines use some oi l. Oi l consumption varies
from eng ine to engine and may change over
the life of the engine . Engines tend to use
more o il du ring the b reak-in period tha n they
do afterward, when o il cons umption has sta­
bilized. Depend ing on the way the vehicle is
driven and the operating conditions, oil con­
s u mption can be up to
1 quart per 1,200
miles (l liter per 2,000 km) . Consumption
may be higher within the first
3,000 m iles
(5,000 km) .
U nder normal conditions , the rate of oi l con ­
s u mption depends on oi l quality as well as vis­
cosity, engine speed (rpm), outs ide tempera ­
ture, road conditions, the amount of oil dilu­
tion caused by condensed water or fue l resi­
due, and ox idat ion of the o il. Oi l consumption
may increas e with eng ine wear over time, un­
t il rep lacement of worn engine pa rts may be­
come ne cessa ry.
Because of all these var iables, there is no
standard o r "n orma l" rate of o il cons umption .
We urge you to check the engine oil level at
regular interval s, preferably every time y ou
fill the fuel t ank, and always before a long
trip .
The oil pres sure warning light. i s not an
indicator of low engine oil level. If the warn ­
ing light does not go out after starting, or
flashes while dr iving (above 1500 rpm), a
buzzer will sound. It indicate s that the oil
pressure is too low . Stop the engine immedi ­
ately , check the engine oil level and add oil if
necessa ry. If the engine oil level is normal,
but the l ight continues to fla sh, do not keep
driving or let the engine idle, as damage may
occur .
IIJ,
•
•

262 Checking and filling
If you believe your engine uses too much oil,
we recommend that you consult your author­
ized Audi dealer so that the cause of your con ­
cern can be properly diagnosed. Keep in m ind
that accurate measurement of oil consump­
tion requires great care and may take some
time. Your Audi dealer has inst ruct ions for
how to measure oil consumption accurately .
_& WARNING
Stop! Before working in the engine com­
pa rtment, always read and heed all WARN­
INGS
9 .&. in Working in the engine com­
partment on page 257.
The engine com ­
partme nt of any motor veh icle is a poten ­
tially dangerous area and can cause ser i­
ous personal injury.
(D Note
- The eng ine depends on oi l to Lubricate
and cool a ll of its moving parts . The en­
gine oil must be checked reg ularly and
kept at the required level.
- Make it a habit to have the engine oil Lev­
el checked every time you fill the fuel
tank.
- Too little engine oi l may ca use severe en­
gine damage.
Checking the engine oil level
The dipstick indicates the engine oil level.
F ig. 2 42 Illustrat ion of p rincip le 1: Ma rkers o n oil dip·
st ick
Fig. 243 Illust ratio n of p rinciple 2: Ma rke rs on oil d ip ·
s ti ck
Befo re you check a nyth ing in the engine com ­
partment,
alway s read and heed all WARN­
INGS 9 A in Working in the engine compart ­
ment on page 257 .
Determining oil level
.,. Park your vehicle so tha t it is horizontally
Level.
.,. Whi le at operating state temperature, br ief­
ly let the engine run at idle and then shut it
off.
.,. Wait approx. two minutes .
.,. Pull out the oil d ipst ick . W ipe off the oil dip­
st ick w ith a clean cloth, and slide it back in
as far as it wi ll go.
.,. Pull it back out and read off the o il Level
r=.> fig. 242 or 9 fig. 243. Top off the eng ine
oil, if applicable
9 page 263 .
Oil level within range@
.,. Do not add oil.
Oil le vel within r ange @
.,. You can add oil. Afterwards, the oil leve l
should be within range
G) .
Oil lev el within rang e 0
.,. Yo u must add oil. Afterwards, the oil leve l
should be within range
G) .
The oil leve l needs to be checked at regular in­
terva ls. The best times to do this are whenev-
er you refuel and prior to Long trips .
Depend ing on the way the vehicle is dr iven
and the opera ting cond it ions, oi l cons umption
can be up to 1 quart per 1,200 mi les (1 liter ..,.

per 2,000 km). Consumption may be higher
within the first 3 ,000 mi les (S,000 km).
Adding engine oil "1:::1:
0 N ~ N
" "' "'
F ig . 2 44 Eng in e c omp art m ent: co ver on the eng ine o il
fi ller nec k
Befo re you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
al way s read and heed all WARN ·
INGS ¢&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 257 .
... Sh ut the engine off.
.,. Unscrew the cap~ to the engine oil fill ing
hole ¢
fig. 244, ¢ page 259 , fig . 241.
... Carefully top off with 0 .5 quarts (0 .5 lite rs)
of the appropriate o il ¢ page 259.
.,. Check the oil leve l aga in afte r two minutes
¢ page 262, Checking the engine oil level.
.,. Top off the oil again, if necessary.
... Screw the cap back on the filling hole and
sli de the oil dipst ick in as far as it will go.
A WARNING
Stop! Before work ing in the engine com ­
partment, always read and heed all WARN­
INGS
c> .& in Working in the engine com­
partment on page 257 .
The engine com­
partment of any motor veh icle is a poten­
tially dangerous a rea and can cause ser i­
ous pe rsonal injury.
.&, WARNING
Spilled o il is a fi re ha zard.
- The oil filler cap must be prope rly se­
cur ed to preve nt oil from being sprayed
on the ho t engine and exhaust sys tem
when the eng ine is r unning .
-
Checkin g and fillin g 263
@ Note
-The oil leve l m ust not be above range (v
- danger of converter or engine damage!
Contact an authori zed dealership to draw
off oil, if necessary.
- Audi does not recommend the use of oil
additives. They may damage the engine
and adverse ly affect your New Vehicle
Warranty.
® For the sake of the environment
- Under no circumstances can the oil come
in contact with the sewage network or
the soil.
- Observe and follow legal regulat ions
when dispos ing of empty oil containers.
Changing the engine oil
E ngine oil mus t be changed a t in tervals lis ted
in the Warranty
& Maintenance bookle t.
The engin e oi l and oil f ilter m ust be changed
acco rd ing to the mileage and time intervals
specified in yo ur vehicle's Warranty & Mainte·
nance booklet . Do not exceed these intervals -
harmful s ludge and deposits from old engine
o il can reduce engi ne pe rformance and can
l ead to expens ive engine repa irs .
Chang ing oil at regular interval s is so very im­
po rtant because the lubricat ing p roperties of
o il decrease gradually du ring normal veh icle
use. If you are no t su re when to have t he oi l
c h anged, ask your a uthori zed Audi Serv ice Ad­
visor .
U nder some circumstances the engine oil
shou ld eve n be cha nged more often than
spec ified for normal use. Ch ange o il more of­
ten if you often drive short distances , operate
the ve hicle in dusty areas or mostly under
stop -and -go t raffic conditions, or when you
u se you r veh icle where temperatures stay be­
low free zing point for long periods .
Dete rgent additives in the oil will make fres h
oi l look dark afte r the engine has been run-
ning for a short time . Th is is normal and is not
Ill>
•
•

264 Check ing and filling
a reason to change the oil more often than
recommended.
A WARNING
Stop! Before working in the engine com­
partment, a lways read and heed all WARN­
INGS
c> .&. in Working in the engine com­
partment on page 257. The engine com­
partment of any motor veh icle is a poten­
tially dangerous a rea and can cause ser i­
ous personal injury.
A WARNING
If you must change the engine oil in your
vehicle:
- Always wea r eye p rotection.
- T o reduce the r isk of burns from hot en-
gine oil let the engine cool down to the
touch.
- When removing the oil drai n plug with
yo ur finge rs, stay as far away as possible.
Always keep your forea rm pa ra ll el t o the
ground to he lp prevent hot oil from run­
ning down your arm.
- Dr ain the o il into a container designed
for this p urpose, one large enough to
hold at least the total amount of oil in
yo ur engine .
- T o reduce the r is k of po ison ing, never use
empty food or beverage containers that
might mis lead someone into drinking
from them.
- Engine oil is poisono us. Keep it well out
of the reach of children.
- Cont inuo us contact with used engine oil
is harmful to your skin . Always protect
yo ur sk in by washing thoro ughly with
soap and water.
@ Note
Never mix oil ad ditives with your engine
oil. These additives can damage your en­
gine and adverse ly affect your Audi Limit­
ed New Vehicle Warranty.
(® For the sake of the environment
- Before changing the oil, first make sure
you know where you can prope rly dispose
of the old o il.
- Always dispose of used oil p roperly. Nev­
er dump it on garden soil, in wooded
areas, into streams or down sewage
dra ins.
- Recycle used o il by tak ing it to a used en­
gine oil collection facility in your area, or
contact a se rvice station.
- We strongly recommend that yo u have
your oil cha nged by an authorized Audi
dealer or a qualified workshop with the
special tools a nd expert ise required, and
prope r m eans of disposal.
Engine cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro ­
tects the engine from freezing in the winter.
T he cooling sys tem is sealed and genera lly re­
quires little attention.
T he coo lin g sys tem has been fi lled a t the fac­
tory with a permanent coolan t which does not
need to be changed . The coo lant cons ists of a
mixture of specially conditioned water and the
manufacture r's g lycol-basedcoo lant add i-
t ive
Gl3 antifreeze with anticorrosion addi­
t ives (SO% for USA models; 60% for Canadian
models). This mixture both assures the neces­
sa ry frost protection and protects metal com ­
ponents in the eng ine's cooling system from
corros io n and scaling.
It also ra ises the bo il­
i ng po in t of the coolan t.
Do not reduce the concentration of the cool ­
ant in the summer by addi ng p lain water .
The
proportion of coolant additiv e must be at
lea st 50 % but not more than 60°/o
to main ­
t ai n ant ifree ze pro te ct io n and cooling eff ic ien­
cy .
If the coo lant fros t protec tion is too low '
t h e coo lant co uld freeze and damage the vehi-
cle heating and engine cooling system. ..,.