change time AUDI S6 2011 User Guide

______________________________________________________ P_a _ r_ k_ a_ s_s _i _ s _t __ _
Sensors in the bumper
Sensors are located in the rear bumpers . If these detect a n obsta cle,
audib le and visual sig nals wa rn you. The range at w hich the sensors
beg in to measure is approximately:
T o the sid e
2 ft (0. 60 m)
Center rear 5 .2 ft (1.60 m)
Distan ce warning when reversing s tarts w hen an obsta cle is detec ted
in the range of the parking ass ist system. As the d ista nce decreases,
t he time in te rval between the audib le tones becomes shorter .
When the dis tance is less tha n 1ft
(0.30 m), the tone becomes
cont inuo us. At th is point yo u should stop back ing up.
If the dis tance to an obs tacle stays the s am e, t he volume o f the
distance signal chime is grad ually reduced after about
4 seconds
(does not affe ct the conti nuous signal tone) . App roac hing an oth er
obs tacle w ill cause the distance sig nal to sound aga in at t he normal
vol ume.
Rear view camera coverage area
Th e MM I display s hows the area covere d by the rea r view c amera
=>
page 16 2, fig. 156 G) . Objects that a re not in the area covered @
are not s hown on the MMI dis play .
W e recommend that you prac tice parking w ith th e rear v iew camera
in a traff ic-free location o r parking lot to become fam iliar with the
system, the or ientat ion lines, a nd their functi on . W hen doing this,
there should be good light and weathe r cond itions.
I n the MMI di spla y, obje cts o r ve hicl es appea r closer or fu rt h er aw ay
if:
• you are dr iv ing in reverse gea r from a level sur face onto an incline,
or a dow nwar d slop e,
• you are drivin g in reverse gear toward protrud ing ob jects,
• t he vehicle is ca rry ing too much load in the rear.
T he accuracy of the orientat ion lines and blue s urfaces d imin ishes if :
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
• t
he rear view camera does not provide a re liable image , fo r
ex am ple, in po or visib ility co ndi tion s or if the lens is dir ty,
• the image on the screen is not visible due to sun g la re and reflec­
t io n.
Caring for the rear view camera lens
The re ar view came ra is locat ed above the r ear license pla te br acket .
For the pa rking ass ist to operate, the lens =>
page 162, fig. 157 m ust
be ke pt clean:
• Dampen the lens wi th a household alcoho l-based glass cleaner,
and clean the lens wi th a d ry cloth => 0.
• Remove snow with a hand br us h and ice preferab ly w it h a de- icing
sp ray =>0.
& WARNING
• The parking aid cannot replace the driver's attention. The
driver alone is responsible for parking and similar driving maneu •
vers.
• Always keep your eyes on the vehicle 's surroundings, using the
rear view mirror as well.
• Do not allow yourself to be distracted from traffic by the rear
view camera pictures.
• If the position and the installation angle of the camera has
changed, for example, after a rear end collision, do not continue
to use the system for safety reasons. Have it checked by a qualified dealership .
0 Note
• Low obstacles a lready s ignaled by a wa rning can disapp ea r from
the system's detection range as they are approached and will not
co ntinu e to be signaled. O bje cts such a s barrier c hains , trailer draw
bars, thin painted vertical po les or fences may not be detected by the
sys te m , pos ing r isk of d amage. _..
Vehicle care Technical data

lffll.___A_ d_ a_,_ p_t _i_ v _e _ A_i_ r_ S_ u_ s ... p,_ e_n_ s_ io_ n __________________________________________ _
Adaptive Air Suspension
Adaptive Air Suspension and
Damping
Ap plies to veh icles: w ith Ad aptive Ai r Suspens ion
Description
Adaptive Air Suspension and damping can be regula ted
and they adapt automatically to a request from the
driver and the driving situation at the time .
Adaptive Air Suspension is an e lectron ically controlled springing and
damping system . This chass is system makes it eas ie r on the driver by
adapting to the particular situation th rough impe rceptible contro l
processes .
The
Adaptive Air Suspension component regu lates ground clearance
depending on ve hicl e speed, load cond ition and driver input.
W hen the system is in a utomatic mode, accelerat ing to a speed above
a predete rm ined limit will make the vehicle lower itsel f. On t he othe r
hand, driv ing more slowly res ults in the vehicle ra is ing again at
specific speeds.
Th e
damping component provides individua l control of the damping
forces. For example, with damp ing characterist ics set to provide
greater com fort, damp ing is se t somewhat harder for a br ief period
only as required, for example, whe n going around a curve or over
rough road sur faces as we ll as when braking .
Settings
Adaptive Air Suspension prov ides the drive r wi th t he opportu nity to
set the chass is characterist ics also to their individual preference.
W ith the driving modes
Comfort, Automatic an d Dynamic the dr ive r
has three chassis sett ings available, ranging from comfort to sporty.
In addit ion,
Lift p rovides a fourth mode which can be selecting fo r
dr iving over poor stretches of road =>
page 169, "Chass is controls" . The modes are set
in MM I =>
page 169.
& WARNING
The height of the parked vehicle can change due to temperature
fluctuation s or changes in load .
0 Note
• Whenever you park yo ur vehicle, always make sure there is
adeq uate clearance above and below the ve hicle . T he heig ht of the
parked vehicle can change as the res ult of temperature fluctuations,
chang es in load condition and changes in the dr iv ing mode (ground
clearance).
• If the veh icle is be ing transported (e .g. by tow truck, train, ship,
etc.) , mount the tie-down cha ins/cables over the r unning s urface
(c ircumfere nce) of the tir es. Never sec ure the ve hicle by the ax le, the
suspension struts or the front or rea r tow line eye. For technical
reaso ns, the p ressure in t he suspension st ru ts m ay change dur ing the
transport, w hic h could result in the vehicle no longer being secured
pro perly.
• To prevent damage to the vehicle underbody, remember that your
veh icle is no t an off-roa d veh icle, even in the "lift" mo de. Th e ground
clearance is insufficient for this type of operation.
• If you are go ing to tow a trai ler, you mus t activate the trai ler ope r­
ation mode =>
page 170.
[ i ] Tips
Before you raising your vehicle us ing the veh icle jack (for example,
w hen c hanging a flat tire) you must acti va te the j ack ing mode
::::>page170 .•

Airbag system -----------------=--=---
& WARNING (co ntinued )
seating position and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer .
• A tight tether o r other strap on a rearward -facing child
restraint attached to the front pa ssenger seat can put too much
pressure on the weight -sensing mat in the seat and register more
weight than i s actually on the seat . The heavier weight regi stered
can make the system work as though an adult were on the seat
and deploy the Advan ced Airbag when it mu st be suppre ssed
causing serious or even fatal injury to the child .
• If , in exceptional circumstanc es, you must install a forward­
facing child restraint on the front passenger seat, always move
the seat into its rearmost po sition in the seat' s fore and aft adjust­
ment range, as far away from the airbag as possible . The backrest
must be adjusted to an upright position. Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on and stays on all the time
whenever the ignition is switched on.
& WARNING
• If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light doe s not go out when an
adult is sitting on the front passenger seat after taking the steps
described above, make sure the adult is properly seated and
restrained at one of the rear seating positions.
• Have the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer before
transporting anyone on the front passenger seat.
[ i ] Tips
If the we ight-sens ing mat in the front passenger seat detects an
em pty seat , the front airbag on the passenge r side will be t urne d off,
and the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light will stay on .•
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are
insta lled at many different places on
your Audi . Ins tall ing, remov ing, serv icing o r rep airi ng a pa rt in an
area of the vehicle ca n damage a part of a n airbag system and prevent
t ha t sys tem from working prope rly in a coll is io n.
Th ere are some importa nt things you have to know to ma ke sure t hat
the effectiveness of the system will not be impai red and that
dis ca rded compo nents do not cause injury or po llute t he e nvir on­
ment .
& WARNING
Improper care , serv icing and repair procedures can increase the
risk of personal injury and death by preventing an airbag from
deploying when needed or deploying an airbag unexpectedly:
• Never cover, obstruct, or change the steering wheel horn pad or
airbag cover or the instrument panel or modify them in any way .
• Never attach any objects such as cupholders or telephone
mountings to the surfaces covering the airbag units .
• For cleaning the horn pad or instrument panel, use only a soft ,
dry cloth or one moistened with plain water . Solvent s or cleaners
could damage the airbag cover or change the stiffness or strength
of the material so that the airbag cannot deploy and protect prop ­
erly.
• Never repair, adjust, or change any part s of the airbag system .
• All work on the steering wheel, instrument panel , front seats
or electrical sy stem (including the installation of audio equip­
ment, cellular telephones and CB radios, etc. ) must be performed
by a qualified technician who has the training and special equip­ ment necessary .
• For any work on the airbag system, we strongly recommend
that you see your authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
• Never modify the front bumper or parts of the vehicle body . ..,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

& WARNING
Changing the vehicle's susp ension including use of unapproved
tire -rim combination s can change Advan ced Airbag performance
and increase the risk of serious personal injury in a crash .
• Never install suspension component s that do not have the
same performance characteristics as the components originally
installed on your vehicle.
• Ne ver use tire-rim combinations that have not been approved
by Audi.
& WARNING
Items stored between the safety belt buckle and the center
console can cause the sensors in the buckle to send the wrong
information to the electronic control module and prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from working properly.
• Always make sure that nothing can interfere with the safety
belt buckles and that they a re not obstructed .
<£> For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modu les and pretensioners might be class ified as
P erch lorate Materi al - sp eci al ha ndl ing m ay a pply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlorate. When the vehicle or
parts of t he re st ra int s ystem includ in g air bag modu les and safe ty
belts with pretensioners are scrapped, all applicable laws and regula­
tions m ust be o bserve d. Your authorized Audi dea le r is familiar with
t hese requirements and we recommend that you have yo ur dealer
per form th is service for you. •
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Airbag system
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airb ag sys tem can pro vide su pplemen ta l pro tection
t o pr operly restr ained occ upants .
Fig. 18 5 S ide air bag
loca tion in the d river's
seat
T he side airbags are located in t he sides of t he front seat backrests
~ fig. 185 and the rear backrest * facing the doors. They are ide nti ­
fie d by th e word "AIRBAG" .
The side airbag system basically consists of :
• the ele ctron ic cont rol mod ule and extern al side imp act se nsors
• the two side airbags located in t he sides of the front backrests
• two rear side airbags (as an o rde red
o p tion)
• the airbag wa rni ng light in the instr ument cluster .
Th e air bag sys tem is monitore d ele ct ronically to m ake ce rtain that it
is funct io ning properly at all times. Each t ime you turn on the igni­
tion , the airb ag system indica tor light w ill come on fo r a few seconds
(self d iagnostics).
Th e side airbag sy stem sup plements the safety belts and can he lp to
re du ce the risk of inju ry to the dr ive r's, fron t and rear* passenger 's
upper torso on the side of the ve hicle that is struck in a side coll is ion.
The airbag d eploys o nly in s ide impac ts an d only when the ve hicl e
acce leration reg istered by the contro l un it is high enough. If this rate
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Blend of gasoline and MTBE
• Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
• Blend must contain not more than 15% MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform especially well fo r
winter or summer driving. During seasonal change-over, we suggest
that you fill up at busy gas stat ions where the seasonal adjustment is
more likely to be made in time.
0 Note
• Methano l fuels which do not meet these requirements may cause
corrosion and damage to plastic and rubber components in the fue l
system .
• Do not use fuels that fail to meet the specified criteria in this
chapter .
• If you are unab le to determine whether or not a particu lar fuel
blend meets the spec ifications, ask your serv ice station or its fuel
supplier.
• Do not use fuel for which the contents cannot be identified.
• Fuel system damage and performance problems resulting from
the use of fuels different from those specified are not the responsi­
bility of Aud i and are not covered under the New Vehicle or the Em is­
sion Control System Warranties.
• If you experience a loss of fuel economy or driveab ility and perfor­
mance problems due to the use of one of these fuel blends, we
recommend that you switch to unblended fuel.•
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufacturers is carbon deposit
build-up caused by the type of gasoline you use. Although gasoline grades differ from one manufacturer to another,
they have certain things
in common. All gaso line g rades contain
substances that can cause deposits to collect on v ital engine parts,
such as fuel injectors and intake valves. A lthough most gasoline
brands include additives to keep eng ine and fuel systems clean, they
are not equally effective.
Audi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline. For more
information on TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline, please go to the officia l
webs ite (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended period of using inadequate fuels, carbon deposit
build-ups can rob your engine of peak performance.
0 Note
Damage or malfunction due to poor fuel quality is not covered by the
Audi New Vehicle Limited Warranty. •
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 should fail, you can still open the flap
manually- for detailed instructions see~
page 277.
You can find the fue l tank capacity of your vehicle in
Technical Data
~page 343.
The label on the inside of the fuel filler flap tells you the correct fuel
for your ve hicle. For more information about fuel specifications, see
~page 273.
Your vehicle fuel tank has an on-board refue lling vapor recovery
system. This feature helps to prevent fuel vapors from escaping from
the tank and polluting the environment wh ile you refuel your veh icle . ..,_

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& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment , always
read and heed all WARNINGS~
& in "Working in the engine
compartment " on
page 279. •
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engin e oil used in your Audi needs the right kind of oil.
Th e e ng ine in your Aud i is a sophis ticated powerplant that was bui lt
to exacting spec ificat ions. This engine needs the r ight kind of engine
oil t hat meets spec ifi cat ions regarding qu ality a nd viscosity so t hat it
can run smooth ly and re liably. Choosing the right o il and changing oil
with in the time and mileage intervals pr in ted in your veh icle 's
Warranty
& Maintena nce book let matters a lot more today than it did
years ago . Audi has developed a specia l quality standard for engine oil
that w ill help assure that your veh icle's engine will get t he lubr ication
it needs fo r prope r operation.
M ode rn engine lubr ication has taken a quan tum leap in the last few
years. Many synthet ic oils available today provide better engine lubri­
c at ion th at c an outlast tradit ional petro le u m-based o ils, making
them a smart choice for use throughout the life of your Aud i.
Whethe r you use synthetic or petroleum -based engine oi l, the o il th at
yo u use mus t confo rm to Aud i's oi l quality standa rd VW 502 00 to
help keep your ve hicle's engine runn ing smooth ly and help prevent
the format ion of ha rmfu l deposits, somet imes called "sludge," t hat
over time can lead to expens ive repairs.
A t the time o f pr int ing , engine o ils avai lab le in the U.S . and Can ad a
that meet the exact ing spec ificat io ns of A udi o il standard VW 502 00
are syn the tic engine o ils . Thi s does not mean, however, that every
syn the tic engine o il will meet Aud i o il sta ndard VW 502 00. So a lways
be s ure that you use an app roved o il.
Safety first
To help prevent the format io n of harmfu l deposits use only oi l with
t he follow ing s peci ficati ons p rin ted on the oil con tainer:
Audi oil standard VW 502 00
Oil container labe ls may carry the specification s ingly or in comb ina­
t ion wi th o ther d esigna tions and o il quali ty stand ards.
Viscosity
Engine oils are g raded acco rdi ng to the ir viscosity . The proper
viscos ity grade oi l for your eng ine depends o n climac tic or seasona l
conditions where you drive. Yo u can use oi l with a v iscosity grade o f
SA E SW 40 acros s all t empe rature range s fo r no rma l dr iving con di­
tions.
However, if engine oil v iscosity grade SAE SW 40 is not ava ilab le, yo u
can a lso use viscos ity grade SAE SW -30 or SAE OW -40 as long as it
meets Audi oi l quality stan dard VW 502 00 specifications .
Be ca use e ngine o il th at mee ts the Aud i oil st andar d m ay not be avail ­
able everywhere when you need it, we strongly recommend that you
alw ays car ry w it h you an ex tra quart (lite r) o f oil that expressly
conforms to the VW 502 00 specification, in case you have to top off
t he o il w hil e on the road.
Only if t he level of the oil is at o r below t he min imum mark on the o il
dipstic k -and no oil that exp ress ly conforms to A udi oi l standar d
VW 50 2 00 sp ec ificat ions i s available -may you top off w it h a high
quality engine o il, preferably synthetic-based, that meets ACEA A3,
ACEA AS or AC EA BS or A PI SL sp eci fi cations, but even t he n, only in
viscos ity grades SAE SW-40, SAE SW-30, or SAE OW-40 . However,
dur ing t he enti re time between o il change intervals, neve r top o ff
with more than a tota l of 0.5 qt/liter engine oil that does not
c on form to A udi o il specif ic a tion VW 5 02 00.
For mo re informa tion about eng ine o il that has been approved fo r
your vehicle, p lease contact either your author ized A ud i deale r or
Audi Cus tomer Relat io ns at 1 (800) 822-2834 or v is it our w eb si te a t
www.audiusa.com or www.audicanada.ca. Here you w ill also f ind a
cu rrent list of oil s (m anu fact ur ers, brand na mes e tc.) tha t co nform to
Audi oil standard VW 502 00. ..,.
Vehicle care Technical data

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Changing the engine oil
The engine oil and oil fi lter must be changed according to the mileage
(kilometers) and t ime intervals specified in your vehicle 's Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet . Do not exceed these interva ls -harmful
deposits from o ld engine oil can reduce engine performance and can
lead to expensive engine repairs .
Changing the oil at the recommended intervals is so very impo rtant
because the lubricating properties of o il decrease gradually during
normal vehicle use. If you are not sure when you have your oil
changed, ask your author ized Audi Service Adv isor .
Under some circumstances the engine oil should even be changed
mo re frequently. Change oil more often if you drive mostly short
distances, operate the vehicle in dusty areas or mostly under stop­
and-go traffic conditions, or when you use your vehicle where temper­
atures stay be low freezing point for long periods.
Detergent addit ives in the oi l wi ll make fresh oil look dark after the
engine has been running for a short t ime. This is normal and is not a
reason to change the oil more often than recommended .
Damage or malfunctions due to lack of maintenance
It is essential that you change your oil at the recommended intervals
using only engine oi l that complies with Audi oil standard
VW 502 00. Your Limited New Vehicle War ranty does not cover
damage or malfunctions due to fai lure to follow recommended main­
tenance and use requirements as set forth in the Audi Owner 's
Manual and Warranty
& Maintenance booklet. Your dealer will have
to deny warranty coverage unless you present to the dealer proof in
the form of Serv ice or Repair Orders that all scheduled maintenance
was performed in a time ly manner. •
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an adequate
amount of oil to lubricate and cool all of its moving parts.
In order to provide effective lubrication and cooling of internal
eng ine components, all inte rnal combustion engines consume a
certain amount of oil. Oil consumption varies from engine to engine
and may change sign ifican tly over the lif e of the engine. Typically,
engines with a specified break- in period (see~
page 251) consume
more oil during the break-in period than they consume after oil
consumption has stab ilized .
Under normal conditions, the rate of oil consumption depends on the
quality and viscosity of the oil, the RPM (revolutions per minute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient temperature and road
conditions. Further factors are the amount of oil dilution from water
condensation or fuel residue and the ox idation level of the oil. As any
eng ine is subject to wear as mileage builds up, the oil consumption
may increase over time until replacement of worn components may
become necessary.
With all these variab les coming into play, no standard rate of oil
consumption can be established or specified . There is no alternative
to regular and frequent checking of the oil level , see
Note .
If the yellow engine oil leve l warning symbol in the instrument
cl uster lights up, you should chec k the oil level as soon as possible
with the oil dipstick~ page 283. Top off the oil at your earliest
convenience ~
page 284.
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always
read and heed all WARNINGS~
& in "Working in the engine
compartment" on
page 279.

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Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The b rake f lu id l eve l can be checke d wit h a qui ck g lanc e.
Fig . 212 E ngine
compartment : Br ake
fluid re se rv o ir
Before you c heck a nythi ng in the eng ine compartment ,
always read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Working in
the e ngi ne comp art ment" on
page 279.
- Read t he bra ke flu id level from the bra ke fluid reservoir
~ page 289, fig . 212. The brake flu id level must be
between the " MIN" and " MAX" mar kings.
The brake fluid reservoir is locate d at the rear pa rtition of the engine
compartmen t on the left s ide=>
page 280 .
The f luid leve l may drop slightly after some time d ue to the auto ­
m atic a dju stment of t he b rake pads. This is not c ause for ala rm.
If the brake flu id level falls
considerably be low the "M IN" mark, the
brake warni ng/ind icator light (U .S. models :
BRAKE, Canadia n mo dels:
(0) ) will come on=> page 18 and=> page 26. Do not continue to
operate t he vehicle. The complete brake system sho uld be thoroug hly
chec ked by an au thor ized A ud i d eale r or othe r qualified fac ility and
the cause corrected.
If the brake fluid level is too low, the brake
Vehicle OP-eration
warning/ind icator light will illum inate . Contact an au thoriz ed Aud i
de aler
immediately .•
Changing brake fluid
H av e the b rake fluid chang ed by an expe rie nc ed t echni ­
CJ an.
B ra ke flui d abso rb s moi stur e from the air. If the wa te r c on ten t in t he
brake fl uid is too high, corros ion in the b rake system may res ult after
a pe riod of time. The boili ng po int of the brak e flu id will also decrea se
co nsiderab ly and decrease brak ing perfo rmance.
Th erefore, the brake f lui d m ust be c hanged
every two years . Always
use new brake fluid w hich conforms to Fede ral Motor Veh icle Stan ­
dard "F MVSS 1 16 DOT 4" .
Th e br ake f luid reserv oir can be diffi cult to rea ch, there fore, we
recommend that you have the brake fluid changed by your authori zed
Audi dealer . Your deal er h as th e correc t tools, the rig ht bra ke flui d
and the know-how to do th is for you.
& WARNING
• Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored only in the closed
original container out of the rea ch of children!
• Brake
failure can result from old or inappropriate brake fluid .
Observe these precaution s:
- Use only b rake fluid that meets SAE specification
J 1703 and
conforms to Federa l Motor Vehicle Standard 116. Alway s check
with you r authorized Audi dealer to make sure you are using
the correct brake fluid. The corre ct type of brake fluid is also
indicated on the brake fluid rese rvoir.
- The brake fluid must be new . Heavy use of the brakes can
c ause a vapor lo ck if the brake fluid is left in the system too
long . Thi s can seriously affect the efficiency of the brakes as
well as your safety. This could result in an accident .
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service Technical data

-L~C~ h~ e~c ~k :..!_i ~ n ~g ~ a~n ~d~ f~il ~l~in ~ g[_ ________________________________________ _
0 Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your vehicle.
Because of the problem of proper disposal of brake fluid as well as
the special tools required and the necessary expertise, we recom­
mend that you have the brake fluid changed by your authorized Audi
dealer. •
Battery
General information
Under normal operating condit ions, the battery in your Aud i does not
need any maintenance. With
high outside temperatures or long daily
drives we recommend that you have the electrolyte level checked by
a service facility. The electrolyte level should also be checked each
time the battery is charged~
page 292.
Have the battery checked when you take your vehicle in for service.
You are well advised to replace a battery that is older than 5 years.
With certain types of a irbag deployment, the battery is disconnected
from the vehicle electrical system for safety reasons=>
& in "Repair,
care and disposal of the airbags" on
page 211.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle functions (power window regulators, for example) are
lost if the battery terminals are disconnected. These functions have
to be relearned after the battery terminals are connected aga in. To
prevent this, the battery should only be disconnected from the
vehicle electrical system when absolutely necessary for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive your veh icle over a period of severa l days or weeks,
electrical components are gradually cut back or switched off. This
reduces energy consumption and maintains starting capability over a
longer period~
page 249.
Take into consideration that when you unlock your vehicle, some
convenience functions, such as the master key remote function or
power seat adjustment, may not be available. The convenience func­
tions will be available again when you turn on the ign ition and start
the engine.
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capacity tends to decrease as
temperatures drop. This is because more power is also consumed
while starting, and the headlights, rear window defogger, etc., are used more often .
Avoid unnecessary power consumpt ion, particu larly in city traffic or
when traveling only short distances. Let your authorized Audi dealer
check the capacity of the vehicle battery before w inter sets in
=> page 292. A well charged battery will not only prevent starting
problems when the weather is cold, but will also last longe r.
(I] Tips
If your veh icle is left standing for several weeks at extreme ly low
temperatures, the vehicle battery should be removed and stored
where it will not freeze. This will prevent it from being damaged and
having to be replaced.•

--~C:!h ~e~ c~ k~ i~ n ~g~ a~n~ d~ f~il ~l~in ~ g ~ ----------------------------------------
& WARN ING (con tinu ed)
• When working on the batter y, be su re not to short-ci rcuit the
terminal s with tools or other metal object s. This would cau se the
battery to heat up very quickly , which could lead to damage or
e xplo sion and per sonal injury .
• When a battery is charged , it produces hydrogen gas which i s
explo sive and could cau se p ersonal injury .
• Alway s keep the battery well out of the reach of children .
• Before work is done on the electric al system, di sconnect the
negative ground cable.
• Before perfo rming any work on the electrical system , switch
off the engine and ignition a s well as any electrical equipment .
The negative cable on the battery mu st be disconnected. If you are
just g oing to replace a light bulb, then it is enough to switch off
the l ights.
• Before dis conne cting the battery, swit ch off the anti -theft
ala rm system! Otherwise you w ill set off the alarm .
• When d is connecting the battery, first di sconnect the negative
cable and then the positive cable .
• Before reconnecting the battery, make sure all electrical
consumers are switched off. Reconnect the positive cable first and
then the negative cabl e. Never interchange th e cables· this could
start a fire!
• Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out battery . It could
e xplode! If a battery has frozen , then it must be replaced. A
dis charged battery can freeze over at 32 °F (0 °C ).
• Make sure the vent ho se is always atta ched to the opening on
the side of the battery .
• Never use batteries which are damaged. There is the danger of
an e xplosion! Always replace a damaged battery.
& WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
• Battery posts , terminal s and r elated ac cessorie s cont ain lead
and lead compounds, chemi cals known to the State of Cal ifornia
to cause cancer and reproductive problem s. Wash hands after
handling.
0 Note
• Do not disco nnect the vehicle battery when the ign ition is
switched on or whe n the engine is runni ng, otherwise, you wi ll
damage electronic compone nts in the electr ical system .
• If you r ve hicl e is go ing to s ta nd for a long pe riod of time wit ho ut
being driven, protect the battery from "freezi ng", ot herwise it w ill be
damaged and will then have to be replaced .•
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged battery.
Fi g. 2 14 Engin e
c omp artm ent : Connec ­
to rs for charger an d
jumper cables
Always read and heed all WARNINGS be lo w => & and => &
in "Work ing o n the bat tery" on pag e 291.
- Turn o ff the ign it ion and all electrical consumers. ~