brakes AUDI RS7 SPORTBACK 2015 User Guide

"' N
a:: I.J "". rl I.O
"' rl
"' rl
Automatic Transmission
tiptronic
Introduction
The automatic transmission is controlled elec­
tronically. The transmiss ion upsh ifts or down­
shifts automatically depending on which drive
program is selected.
When a
moderate driving style is used, the
transmission selects the most econom ical
driving mode. It will then change up early and
delay the downshifts to give better fuel econ­
omy.
The transmission switches to a sporty mode
after a kick-down or when the driver uses a
sporty driving style characterized by quick ac­
celerator pedal movements, heavy accelera­
tion, frequent changes in speed and traveling
at the maximum speed .
If desired, the driver can also select the gears
manually (tiptronic mode) ¢ page 107.
In the tiptronic transmission, power is trans­
ferred by a torque converter .
Selector lever positions
Fig. 117 Disp lay in the instrument cluster: selector
lever posit ion
The selector lever position engaged appears
next to the selector lever as well as in the in­
strument cluster display.
P - Park
In this selector lever position the transmis­
sion is mechanically locked. Engage P only
Automatic Transmission 103
when the vehicle is completely stopped ¢ &
in Driving the automatic transmission on
page 105.
To shift in or out of position P, you must first
press and hold the brake pedal and then press
the re lease button in the selector lever handle
whi le moving the selector lever to or from P.
You can shift out of this position only with the
ignition on.
R- Reverse
Select R on ly when the vehicle is at a full stop
and the engine is running at idle speed¢.&. in
Driving the automatic transmission on
page 105.
Before you move the selector lever to R, press
both the button in the hand le of the selector
lever
and the brake pedal at the same time .
When the ignition is on, the backup lights illu­
minate when the selector lever is moved into
R.
N -Neutral
The transmission is in neutral in this position.
Shift to this position for standing w ith the
brakes applied ¢
& in Driving the automatic
transmission on page 105 .
When the vehicle is stationary or at speeds
below 1 mph (2 km/h), you must always apply
the footbrake before and whi le mov ing the
lever out of
N.
D/S -Normal position for driving forward
In the D/S position, the transmission can be
operated either in the norma l mode D or in
the sport mode S. To select the sport mode S,
pull the selector lever back briefly. Pulling the
lever back again will se lect the norma l mode
D. The instrument cluster display shows the
selected driving mode.
In the normal mode D, the transmission auto­
matically selects the suitable gear ratio. It de­
pends on engine load, vehicle speed and driv­
ing style.
Select the sport mode S for sporty driv ing.
The vehicle makes full use of the engine's

106 Automatic Tran sm iss ion
activate the parking brake and move the
selector lever to P.
- Power is sti ll transmitted to the whee ls
when the engine is running at idle. To
prevent the vehicle from "creeping", you
must keep your foot on the brake when
the engine is runn ing and the selector
lever is in D/S or R or "tiptronic" mode is
selected.
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when changing the selector lever pos ition
wh ile the vehicle is stat ionary and the
eng ine is running.
- Never shift into
R or P wh ile driving.
- Before driv ing down a steep slope, re-
duce your speed and shift into a lower
gear with "tip tronic".
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
peda l too often or too long when dr iving
down a hill. Constant braking causes the
brakes to ove rheat and s ubstant ially re­
duces braking per formance, increases
braking distance or causes comp lete fail ­
ure of the brake system.
- To prevent the veh icle from rolling back
when stopping on inclines, a lways hold it
in place with the brake peda l o r parking
brake.
- Never hold the ve hicle on an incl ine with
a slipping clutch . The clutch opens auto­
matically when it becomes too hot from
the overload. An indicator lamp
ml illu­
minates and a dr iver message appears
¢ page 1O7when the clutch is overload­
ed.
- If the engine must remain running, never
hav e any driv ing pos ition engaged when
c heck ing under the hood . M ake sure the
selector lever has securely engaged and
is locke d in P with the parking brake se t
¢page 211. Otherwise, any increase in
engine speed may set the vehicle in mo­
t ion, eve n with the park ing brake ap­
plied.
Qd) Note
- When stopping on an incline, do not try to hol d the vehicle in place by pressing the acce
lerator pedal while a d riving gear
is se lected. This can cause the transmis­
sion to ove rheat and can damage it. Acti­
vate the parking brake or press the brake peda l to prevent the vehicle from rolling.
- Allowing the vehicle to ro ll when the en­
gine is stopped and the selector lever is
in N will damage the transmission be­
cause it is not lubricated under those cir­
cumstances .
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re­
leased automatically only when t he driv­
er's safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Hill descent control
The hill descent control system assists the
driver when driving down declines .
Hill descent control is activated when these­
lector lever is in D/S and you press the brake
pedal. The transmission automatically selects
a gear that is suitable fo r the incline . H ill de­
scent cont ro l tries to ma inta in the speed ach­
ieved a t the time o f braking, with in phys ica l
and tec hni cal lim it a tions. If may st ill be nec ­
essary to ad just the speed with the brakes.
Hill descent contro l sw itches off once the de­
cl in e leve ls o ut o r yo u press the a cce le rato r
peda l.
On vehicles with the cru ise cont ro l system*
~ page 79, hill descent control is also activat­
ed whe n the speed is set.
A WARNING
-
Hill desce nt cont ro l cannot overcome
physical lim itations, so it may not be a ble
to maintain a constant speed unde r a ll
conditions. A lways be ready to apply the
brakes .

188 Intelligent technology
Anti-slip regulation (ASR )
ASR reduces engine power when the drive
wheels begin to spin and adapts the force to
the road conditions. This makes it easier to
start, accelerat e and drive up hills .
Electronic differential lock (EDL )
The ED L brakes wheels that are spinn ing and
transfers the drive powe r to the o ther wheels.
This function is not availab le at higher speeds.
I n extreme cases , ED L automat ica lly switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked whee l
from ove rheating. EDL wi ll sw itch on aga in au­
tomatically when conditions have returned to
norma l.
Steering recommendation
The ESC helps to stabilize the ve hicle by
changing the steering to rque.
In vehicles with dynam ic steering*, ESC also
he lps to stabilize the stee ring in critical s itua­
tions.
Selective wheel torque control
Selective wheel torque control is used when
driving on curves . The front wheel on the in­
side of the curve o r both wheels on the inside
of the curve are braked selective ly as needed.
This a llows more prec ise driving in curves. The
appl icable system may no t activ ate when driv­
ing in wet or snowy condi tions .
A WARNING
- The ESC and its integrated systems can­
not overcome the lim its posed by natural
physical laws. This is especia lly impor- tant on slippery or wet roads
. If the sys­
tems beg in acting to stabilize your vehi­
cle, you should immediately change your
speed to match the road and traffic con­
ditions . Do not let the increased safety
provided by these systems tempt you to
take risks. Do ing so will increase the risk
of a loss of veh icle contro l, collision and
serio us pe rsonal inj uries.
- Always ad apt your speed to road, traffic
a nd wea ther conditions. The risk of los­
ing con trol of the vehicle increases when
driving too fast, especially through
curves and on slippe ry or wet roads, and
when dr iv ing too close to vehicles up
ahead . The ESC and its integrated sys­
tems cannot a lways prevent collisions -
there is still a risk of acc idents!
- Always accelerate with special care on
even, smooth su rfaces such as those that
are wet or covered with ice and snow.
The drive wheels can spin even w ith
these assistan ce sys tems that cannot al­
ways he lp to re duce the risk of loss of ve­
h icle control.
(D Tips
- ABS and ASR o nly wo rk correctly when
all four wheel s are equipped with identi­
c al tires . D iffe ren t tire sizes can lead to a
reduction in engine power.
- Yo u may hear noises when the systems
descr ibed are working.
- If the ind icator lig ht
BJ or rJlll (USA
mode ls)/ l§J (Can ada models) appears,
t here may be a malfunction ¢
page 18,
r:!>page 18.

M N
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Operating condi tions and d riv ing hab it s
The brakes on today's automobi les are sti ll
subject to wear, depending largely on operat­
ing conditions and driving habits
c:> A . On
vehicles that are either driven mostly in stop­
and-go city traffic or are driven hard, the brake pads should be checked by your author­
i zed Audi dealer more often than specified in
the
Warr ant y & Maint enan ce bookle t. Failure
to have your b rake pads inspected can res ult
i n red uced brake performance.
On steep slopes, you should use the brak ing
effect of the engine. This way, you prevent un­
necessa ry wea r on the brake system.
If you
must use yo ur brakes, do not ho ld the brakes
down continuously. Pump the brakes at inter ­
va ls.
Moistu re or road salt
Unde r ce rtain conditions, for example, when
driving through wate r or very heavy rain, or
even after washing your vehicle, the braking
effect can be reduced d ue to moisture (or in
freezing conditions ice) on the brake pads . A
few careful brake app lications should dry
off
the brake pads or remove any ice coatings.
When you are driving at higher speeds with
the windshield wipers on, the brake pads will
briefly touch the brake discs in regular inter­
vals so as to improve reaction t ime when brak­
ing on wet surfaces . You the driver w ill not no­
tice anything .
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is driven on a salt-covered
road and the brakes are not used . Here too,
you should clean
off accumulated salt coat ing
from b rake discs and pads with a few careful
applications of the brake
c:> ,&. .
t5 Cor ro sion
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
Int ellig ent technolog y 191
the d iscs if the car is not driven regu larly or
only for short trips with litt le use of the
brakes.
If the brakes a re not used frequently, o r if cor­
rosion has formed on the discs, it is adv isable
to clean
off the pads and discs by braking
firmly a few times from a moderately high
speed
c:> ,&. .
Fault s in the brak e syste m
If you shou ld notice a sudden increase in
brake pedal trave l, then one of the two brake
circuits may have fai led ¢
A.
Low brake fluid lev el
Malfunctions can occu r in the bra ke system if
the brake fluid level is too low. The brake flu id
level is monitored elect ronica lly.
Brake booster
The brake booster works with vacuum pres­
su re which is created only whe n the engine is
runn ing ¢,&. .
Brake lining we ar s tatus
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the open ings in the wheel. If neces­
sary, the wheel may be removed fo r thi s in­
spection ¢
page 263, Changing a wheel.
_& WARNING
-You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake system only if road conditions permit .
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may ca use an accident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gear or lower dr iving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too often . Th is could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency.
- Do not "ride the brakes" by rest ing your
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to b rake. This may cause the brakes to
•
•

192 Intelligent technology
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopp ing distance.
- Under certain climatic and operating
condit ions such as passing through wa­
ter, driving in heavy ra in or after wash ing
the vehicle, the effect iveness of the
brakes can be reduced. In winter, ice ca n
accumulate on the brake pads, linings ,
discs and d rums . Carefully apply brakes
for a test . B rakes wi ll dry a nd ice coat­
ings will be cleaned off after a few c are­
f ul brake app lications .
- Dr iv ing fo r an ex tende d pe riod of time on
salt-covere d roads w ithout us ing yo ur
brakes can also affect braking efficiency.
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
bra ke discs and pads w ith a few caref ul
brake applicat ions.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
flow to the front brakes is not obstruct­ ed. Otherwise the brake system could
over heat reducing the effectiveness of
the ent ire brake system .
- Failure of one brake c ircuit will impair
the braking capability res ulting in an in­
creased stopp ing distance. Avoid driv ing
the vehicle and have it towed to t he near­
est Aud i dea le r o r q ualified w ork sho p.
- Never let the vehicle ro ll to a stop w ith
the e ngine shu t off.
- If the brake booster is not working, the
brake pedal must be p ressed conside ra­
bly harder to make up for the la ck of
booster assistance.
Electromechanical
power assist, dynamic
steering
The electromechanical power assist helps the
driver when steering .
Power stee ring adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed .
Indicator lights and messages
• Steer ing defective! Stop the vehicle
If this indicato r light turns on and stays on
and this message appears, the power steering
may have failed.
Do
not con tinue dr iv ing . See your author ized
Audi dealer or other qualified repair facility
for assistance .
l;r-ij Steering: System fault You can continue
driving
If the indicato r light turns on and the mes­
sage appea rs, the stee ring may be more diffi­
cul t to move o r more sensi tive th an usua l. The
steering wheel may a lso be at an ang le when
driving straight .
Drive slowly to you r authorized Aud i dea le r o r
qualified wo rks hop to have the ma lf u nct ion
corre cted.
l;r,ij Dynamic steering: Initializing
If this driver message appears and t he indica­
tor light is f lashing on the instrument panel,
dynam ic steer ing* is being rei nitia lized. Afte r
sta rting the engine, the stee ring wheel will
move s ligh tly. Re- ini tiali zation mig ht be ne c­
e ssa ry if the stee ring wheel was moved h ard
to the left an d right wh ile the vehicle was not
moving . The display goes out as soon as initi ­
alization is complete.
D rive slowly to you r aut horized Audi de aler or
qualified wo rkshop to have the ma lf u nct ion
corrected.
A WARNING
Have t he dynamic stee ring * system mal ­
f u nction repa ired as soon as possib le by an
a uthorized Audi dealer or qua lified wor k­
shop - risk of accident !
(D Tips
If the . or@ indicator light on ly stays
on for a short time, yo u may continue driv­
i ng.
- The dynamic steering * sta bility systems
are not avai lab le in the event of a system
ma lf u nction.
- For add itiona l information on dynamic
steering *, refer t o
c> page 96.

196 Driving and environment
Driving and
environment
The first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km) and
afterwards
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1,500 km).
For the fir st 600 miles (1,000
kilometers ):
.,. Do not use full throttle.
... Do not d rive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the max imum permitted RPM.
... Avoid high engine speeds.
From 600 to 1,000 mile s (1 ,000 to
1,500 kilometers):
... Speeds can gradually be increased to the
max imum pe rm iss ible road or eng ine speed .
During and after break-in period
.,. Do not rev the eng ine up to high speeds
when it is cold. Th is app lies whether the
transm ission is in N (Neutra l) or in gear.
After the break-in period
... Do not exceed maximum engine speed un­
der any circumstances.
.,. Upshift into the next hig her gear
before
reaching the red area at the end of the tach­
ometer scale
c:> page 10.
During the first few hours of driving, the en­
g ine's interna l friction is higher than later
when all the moving parts have been broken
in . How well this break- in process is do ne de­
pends to a conside rable extent on th e way the
ve hicl e is driven during the first 1,0 00 miles
(1, 500 k ilome ters).
0 Note
E xtremely high engi ne speeds are auto­
mat ica lly reduced. However, these rpm
lim its are progr amme d for an engine well
r u n- in, not a new engine .
{® For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with unnecessarily high en­
g ine speeds - upshifting ear ly saves fuel,
reduces no ise and protects the environ­
ment.
, New tires
If your vehicle is runni ng on new tires, drive
part icularly caref ul for the first 350 miles
(500 kilomete rs) afte r fitt ing.
A WARNING
N ew tires tend to be sl ippery and mus t al­
so be "b roken -in" . Be s ure to remember
this dur ing the fi rst 350 mi les ( 500 kilo ­
meters) . Brake gently . Avoid fo llow ing
closely behind other vehicles or other sit­
uations that m ight require sudden, hard
braking .
New brake pads
Remember that new brake pads do not have a
full bra king effect dur ing the fi rst 250 m iles
(400 kilomete rs) afte r they a re insta lled.
New brake pads have to be "burnished in" be­
fo re t hey have optima l grab
c:> A .
During the break- in period, you should avoid
putting severe loads on the brakes. Severe
l oads include, for example, sudden hard brak­
i ng, in particular at very high speeds or, for
example, on mounta in passes .
A WARNING
New b rake pa ds don't have t he bes t stop­
pi ng power and m us t be "broke n-in " dur­
i ng the in itial 1 00 to 150 mi les (15 0 to
2 00 k ilometers) of no rma l city driving . You
can compensate for this by pressing th e
br ake peda l mo re f irm ly . This also applies
l ater when new pads are installed.

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.
T his is especially true for vehicles with low­
slung chassis (sports chassis) * and fully load­
ed veh icles .
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when driving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- T he water must not be any h igher than the
bottom of the veh icle body.
- Do not d rive faster than wa lking speed.
..&, WARNING
After driving through wate r, m ud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because o f wet brake rotors and pads . Dry
the brakes first by braking carefully to re­
store the full braking effect.
(D Note
- Vehicle components such as the eng ine,
transmission, suspension or e lectrical
system can be severely damaged by driv­ ing through water.
- Check the depth o f the water before driv ­
ing through it.
- Do not s top the veh icle, drive in reverse
or switc h the engine off when driving
through water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may create waves that raise the water
level and make it too deep for your vehi­
cle to drive through safely.
- Avoid driving thro ugh sa lt water because
-
~ it can ca use corrosion. ,....,
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 197
Warming up and
cooling down
By carefully warming up and cooling down
your vehicle, you can help ensure that it is not
overstressed unnecessar ily during sporty dr iv­
ing.
When warming up, the vehicle is dr iven at a
maximum engine speed of 6000 RPM in order
to raise the engine o il temperature to a mini­
mum of 140
°F (60 °() . The t ires a lso on ly
reach the ir full road holdi ng capabi lity on ce
they have warmed up.
The cooli ng fan can cont inue to run in your ve­
hicle after the engine is switched off . Howev­
er, driving the veh icle to coo l it down is pa rti c­
ul arly important. Dur ing spo rty driving , the
engine and b rakes, the exhaust system, and
the transmission a ll become extremely hot.
Before you park the vehicle, you should drive
it for a few miles/kilometers at light load in
the low rpm range to allow it to cool down .
Catalytic converter
App lies to vehicles: wi th gaso line e ngi ne
It is very important that your emission con­
trol 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 c:> page 206,
Fuel supply .
"' Never run the tank down all the way to emp­
ty.
"' Never put too much mo to r o il in yo ur eng ine
c:> page 21 S, Adding engine oil "t:::r..
"' Never try to push -or tow -start you r vehicle .
T he catalytic co nve rter is an efficient "clean ­
u p" dev ice bui lt into t he exhaus t system of
the ve hicle . The cata lytic converter bu rns
many of the pollutants in the exha ust gas be ­
fore they are re leased into the atmosphere.
T he exclus ive use of unleaded fuel is c ritical ly
i mportant for the life of the catalyt ic convert -
er and proper functioning of the engine .
Iii>
•
•

198 Driving and en vironm ent
_& WARNING
The temperature o f the exhaust system is
high, both when driving and after stopping
the engine .
- Never touch the exha ust tail p ipes once
they have become hot. This could result in burns .
- 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 ­
verte r or heat shie lds. D uri ng d riving, the
substance used for undercoating cou ld
over heat and cause a fire .
(I) Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
l eaded fuel will already seriously de­
grade the perfo rmance of the cata lytic
conve rter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil leve l
¢page 215.
- Do not d rive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty. The eng ine could mis­
fire. Unburned f uel could a lso ge t in to
t h e exhaus t sys tem and this could cause
the ca talyt ic converte r to ove rheat.
- Do no t switch off the ign ition wh ile the
vehicle is moving.
- Do no t continue to operate yo ur vehicle
u nder these condi tions, as otherw ise fuel
can reac h the catalytic converter . This
could result in overheating of the co n­
verter, req uiring its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis ­
sion Control System :
- Have your veh icle maintained properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Wa rranty
&
Ma intenance booklet.
- Lack of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impa ir the function of the em
ission cont ro l
system and could lead to damage .
~ For the sake of the env ironment
Even when the Emiss ion Con trol Sys tem is
operat ing proper ly, the exha ust gas can
have a sulfur-li ke ex haust gas smell under
some ope rat ing states . This depends on
the sulfur content of the fuel being used .
Using a different brand of fue l may help,
or fil ling the tank with lead -free super
grade gasoline .
Shutting down vehicle
If you would like you r vehicle to remain inop­
erative for a longer per iod of t ime, contact an
Audi o r other spec ia lized dealer. They can ad­
v ise you on ne cessa ry precautions e .g. co rro­
s io n preven tion , maintena nce and s to rage.
Pay a ttent ion to addi tional in fo rmat ion con­
cerning the battery. Refer to
¢ page 2 21.
Operate your vehicle
economically and
minimize pollution
General
Your p ersonal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle , as well as ex ­
haust and nois e le ve ls .
Fu el economy, environmenta l impact, and
wear on your engine , brakes and tires largely
depend on three factors:
- your personal d riving style
- operati ng conditions
- technical limitat ions
If you an tic ipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your
fuel consumpt io n by 10 -15 percent . This sec ­
t ion w ill give you some tips on how you can
help the e nvir onment and your pocketbook .

202 Vehicle care and cleaning
Rinse the vehicle tho roughly again and let it
air dry . Remove any water residue using a
shammy .
S tu bborn depos its s uch as bird dropp ings or
tree sap are best removed with plenty of wa ­
ter and a microfiber cloth.
A WARNING
- Only wash the vehicle when the ignition
is off and follow the instructions from
the car wash operator to reduce the risk
of accidents .
- To reduce the r isk of cuts, protect your­
self from sharp meta l compone nts whe n
was hing t he underbody or the ins ide of
t h e whee l hous ings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking ef ­
fect may be delayed due to mo isture on
the brake roto rs o r ice in th e winter . The
brakes mus t be dried first with a few
c a refu l br ake appli cat io ns.
(D Note
- If you wash t he veh icle in a n au tomatic
ca r wash, yo u m ust retrac t the r ear spoi l­
er if necessary, and fo ld the exter io r mir­
r o rs in t o reduce the r is k of dam age. P
ower fo lding ex terior mirrors * mus t on ­
ly be folde d in an d out using the powe r
folding function.
- To prevent paint damage, do not wash
the vehicle i n direct sunlight.
- T o reduce the ris k of damage to the sur­
face, do not use insect removi ng spong­
es, kitchen sponges or similar items.
- Matte finish painted vehicle compo ­
nents :
- To reduce the risk of damage to the
surface, do not use polishi ng agen ts or
ha rd wa x.
- N eve r use car wash cycles that apply
p rotectiv e wax .
It can des troy the
ma tte fi nish effect .
- D o not place any st ickers o r magnet ic
signs on v ehicle parts painted w ith
ma tte fi nish paint. The paint cou ld be
d am aged when the stickers o r m agne ts
a re removed.
~ For the sake of the environment
Only wa sh the ve hicl e in facili tie s sp eci ally
d esigne d for th at pu rpose. Thi s will re duce
the r is k of dirty wate r contam inated with
oi l from entering the sewer system.
Cleaning and care information
When clea ning and cari ng fo r individua l vehi­
cle components, refer to the fo llow ing tab le.
The informa tion con tained there is s imply rec­
ommendations. Fo r q uest ions or for compo -nents that are not listed
, refer to a n author­
i z ed Audi dea ler or a qu alified workshop. Also
f o llow the inform ation fo und in ~ .&. .
Cleaning exterior Component Situation Solution
Wiper blades Dirty
~ page 49, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
Headlights / Dirty Soft sponge with a m ild soap solution a>
tail lights
Sensors/ Dirty Sensors: soft cloth w ith a so lvent-free cleaning product
camera lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth with an alcohol-free cleaning
so lution
Snow/ice Hand b rush/so lvent-free de -icing spray
Wheels Road salt Water
Brake d ust Acid-free special cleaning so lution

220 Checking and filling
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
Fig . 192 Engine compar tment: cove r on the brake fl uid
reservo ir
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 211.
,.. Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir¢
fig . 192, ¢ page 213,
fig. 188 .
The brake fluid level must be be­
tween the "MIN" and "MAX" markings.
The location of the brake flu id reservoir can be
seen in the engine compartment illust rat ion
¢ page 213.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the
brake pads. This 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 comp lete
brake system shou ld be thoroughly checked
by an authorized A udi dealer or other quali­
fied facility and the cause corrected.
If the
brake fluid level is too low, the brake warning/
indic ator 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 flu id will also decrease conside rably and
decrease braking pe rformance.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every two years . Always use new brake flu id
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 resu lt from o ld or inap­
propriate brake fluid. Observe these pre­
cautions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SA E
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 f luid is also indicated on the
brake fluid reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use
of the brakes can cause a vapor lock if
the brake fluid is left in the system too
long . This can seriously affect the effi­
c ie ncy of the brakes as well as your
safety. This could resu lt in an accident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your
vehicle .