checking oil AUDI TT 2013 Owner´s Manual

Monitoring the Advanced Airbag
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Knee airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Child Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Important things to know .. .. .. .. . .
C hi ld safety seats ......... .... .. . .
Instal ling a child safety seat .. .. .. . .
LA TC H Lower anchorages and tethers
for ch ild ren . ................ .. .. .
Addit io n al Information
V ehicle operat ion ........ .. .. .
Intelligent technology .. .. .. . .
N ot ice about da ta recorded by vehi cle
con trol mod ules .......... .. .. .. . .
E lect ronic S tabilization Control (ESC) .
Rear spoiler . .... ..... ... .. .. .. . .
Braking .... .. .... .. .... ... .. .. . .
Electro-mechanical power assist . .. . .
Driving w ith your quattro ® ... .. .. . .
Energy management ...... .. .. .. . .
Dr iving and environment ... ..
The first 1,000 miles (1,500 km) and
afterwards ........... ...... .... .
Avoid damaging the vehicle ........ .
Driving through water on roads . .. . .
Cata lytic conve rter ........ .... .. . .
Opera te you r vehicle econom ic all y and
minim ize po llution ..... ... .. .. .. . .
Trailer towing .. .. ..... ... .. .. .. . .
Vehicle care .. ...... ... .. .. ... .
Cleaning and protection .. .. . .
Gene ral i nformation ... ... .. .. .. . . 130
135
140
1 4 3
1 4 9
150
150
1 50
1 5 0
153
153
155
155
156
159
159
160
160
160
16 1
163
164
164 164
Ca re of exterior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Care of interior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Fuel suppl y and filling your
fuel tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
176
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Fue l tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Checking and filling . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Eng ine hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Eng ine o il . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Table of contents 3
Engine cooling system .. ..... ... .. . 187
B rake fluid . ... .. .. . ... ...... ... . 189
•
Battery ... .. .. .. .. . .. ... .... ... . 190 •
Windsh ie ld/headlight washer
container . .. .. .. .... ........... . 194
Tires and wheels ............. . 196
Tires ..... .. .. .. .. . ............ .
196
Tire pressure mo nitoring system . .. . 214
R un -flat t ires .. .. .. . .. .... .... .. . 217
Do -it-yourself service ........ . 220
What do I do now? .. ...... ... . 220
Vehicle tool kit .... .............. . 220
T ire repa ir . .. .. .. ... .. .. ... ..... . 220
Wha t shou ld I be awa re of when
h . t
· ? c angmg a ire ... .. . ............ . 22 4
Fuses and bulbs ... ........... . 228
El ectr ica l fuses . .. ............... . 228
B ul bs ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... ... . 231
Emergency situations ........ . 232
Gener al ..... .. ...... ........... . 232
Starting by pushing or towing . ... .. . 232
Starting with jumper cables .. ... .. . 232
Use o f ju mpe r cables . ....... ... .. . 233
Emergency towing with commercia l
tow tr uck . .. .. .. ... ............ . 234
Lifting vehicle .. ... .............. . 237
Technical data ................ . 238
General information .... ... .. . 238
Explanation of technical data ... ... . 238
Vehicle identification ............. . 238
We ights .. .... .. .. . ............ . 238
Dimens ions .. .. .. .... ........... . 239

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 19
A WARNING ,~ ~
Driv ing with bad brakes can cause a coll i­
sion and serious personal injury .
- If the warning light
liJ and the warning
light
11111> w ith the message Brak e
pad s!
comes on in the instrument cluster
display, immediately contact your au­
tho rized Aud i dealer or qualified work­
shop to have a ll brake pads chec ked or
replaced if necessary.
EPC Electronic power control
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic power control.
The ~ warn ing/ indicator light (Electron ic
Power Control) illuminates when you switch
on the ignition as a function check .
(D Tips
If this warning/indicator light illuminates
while you are dr iving, then there is a mal­
function in the engine elect ron ics. Have
t he malfunction co rrected as soon as pos­
sible by you r autho rized Aud i dea ler o r
qualif ied workshop .
~ Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) is part
of the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD II) system.
The symbol
l\l lights up when the ignition is
turned on and will turn off after the engine
h as started and has settled at constant idle
speed . Th is ind icates that the MIL is working
properly .
The warning light illuminates when there is a
malfunct ion i n the engine electronic system.
Contact your author ized Audi dealer and have
the ma lfunction corrected.
An imp roperl y closed fuel filler cap ma y also
c au se th e MIL light to illum inat e
<:::>page 178.
For more informat ion c:::> page 30.
1) - : USA mod els only
!'1 Engine speed limitation
App lies to veh icles: w ith eng ine speed limitatio n
(II Do not exc eed max . engin e speed of
XXXX rpm
The Ill symbol illum inates when there is an
engine contro l ma lf u nction . The indicator
li ght ~ in the instrume nt cl uster a lso illumi­
na tes. The engi ne speed is l imited to the
speed displayed in the driver in format ion sys­
tem. Keep in mind that the engine speed wi ll
not exceed the val ue disp layed in the driver in­
format ion system, for example when down­
shifting.
P lease go to an au thorized A udi dealer or oth ­
er qualified wo rkshop to have the malfunctio n
repaired.
'.!2::. Checking the engine oil level
II Please add ma x. 1 qt of engine oil!
If the II symbo l comes on, add 1 quart ( 1 li­
ter) of oil at the next opportunity
<=>page 185.
~~. Engine oil sensor defective
If the II symbol illum inates, contact your
authorized Aud i dea ler and have the oil sensor
inspected .
0 Battery voltage low
(•) Low battery charge : battery will be
c harg ed whil e driving
If the indicator l ight turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there may be limited starting
ability.
If this message turns off afte r a little while,
the battery charged enough while d rivi ng .
If the message does not turn off, have yo ur
authorized Aud i dea ler or qualified workshop
correct the malfunction .

-Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever of automatic trans-
mission to "P" (Park); put manual trans­
mission in Neutral.
- 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
thick 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:
Checking and filling 181
- First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever of automatic trans­
mission to "P" (Park); put manual
transmission in Neutral.
- 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 wear no clothing that will hang or droop into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and
chemical hazards~,& .
.8, 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 w ill 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 veh icle flu­
id s, have your vehicle inspected by an au­
thorized Audi dealer . •
•

182 Checking and filling
Engine compartment
These are the most important items that you can check .
•
Fig. 134 Typ ica l layout for containers and eng ine oil filler cap
CD Coolant expansion tank (-L) .. .
'2' E . 'l d. . k \61 ngIne 0 1 1pst1c .......... .
@ Engine oil filler cap ('1:::r.) .. .. .
@ Brake fluid reservoir((();) .. .. .
® Jump start points(+) under a
cover, (-) bolt head .... ... .. .
® Windshield/headlight washer
t . (
;;p, ) con ainer ,-!,, •••.•••.•.•••.
187
185
185
189
233
194
The pos ition of the engine o il dipstick and the
engine o il fi lling hole
r::> fig. 134 (items @and
@) can differ depending on the engine de­
sign .
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARN INGS
c::> .& in Working in the engine
compartment on page 180.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used in your Audi needs the
right kind of oil.
T he eng ine in your Aud i is a soph ist icated
powerplant that was built to exact ing spec ifi­
cat ions . T his engine needs the right kind of
engine oil that meets specifications regard ing
quality and viscosity so that it can run
smooth ly and reliably . Choosing the right o il
and changing oil within the time and mileage
i ntervals printed in your vehicle's Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet matters a lot more to­
day tha n it did years ago. Audi has developed
a spec ia l quality standard for engine oil that
will help assure that you r vehicle's engine w ill
get the lubr ication it needs fo r proper opera­
t ion.
Modern engine l ubr ication has taken a q uan­
tum leap in the last few years. Many synthet ic
1J.

oils available today provide better engine lu­
brication that can outlast traditional petrole­
um-based oils, making them a smart choice
for use throughout the life of your Audi.
Whether you use synthetic or petroleum­based engine oil, the oil that you use must
conform to Audi's oil quality standard
VW 502 00 to help keep your vehicle's engine running smoothly and help prevent the for­
mation of harmful deposits, sometimes called
" sludge," that over t ime can lead to expensive
repairs .
At the time of printing, engine oils available in the U .S . and Canada that meet the exacting
specifications of Audi oil standard VW 502 00
are synthetic engine oils . This does not mean,
however, that every synthetic engine oil will
meet Audi oil standard VW 502 00 . So always
be sure that you use an approved oil.
To help prevent the formation of harmful de­ posits use only oil with the following specifi­
cations printed on the oil container :
Audi oil standard VW S02 00
Oil container labels may carry the specifica­
tion singly or in combination with other desig­
nations and oil quality standards .
Viscosity
Engine oils are graded according to their vis­
cosity . The proper viscosity grade oil for your
engine depends on climactic or seasonal con­
ditions where you drive. You can use oil with a
viscosity grade of SA E SW40 across all tem­
perature ranges for normal driving conditions.
However, if engine oil viscosity grade SAE
SW40 is not available, you can also use viscos­
ity grade SAE SW-30 or SAE OW-40 as long as
it meets Audi oil quali ty standard VW 502 00
specifications .
Because engine oil that meets the Audi oil
standard may not be available everywhere
when you need it, we strongly recommend
that you always carry with you an extra quart (liter) of oil that expressly conforms to the
Checking and filling 183
VW 502 00 specification, in case you have to
top
off the oil while on the road.
Only if the level of the oil is at or below the
minimum mark on the oil dipstick - and no oil
that expressly conforms to Audi oil standard
VW 502 00 specifications is available - may
you top
off with a high quality engine oil, pref­
erably synthetic-based, that meets ACEA A3
or API SM specifications, but even then, only
in viscosity grades SA E SW-40, SA E 5W -30, or
SAE OW-40. However, during the entire time
between oil change intervals, never top
off
with more than a total of 0.5 qt/liter engine
oil that does not conform to Audi oil specifica­
tion VW 502 00.
For more information about engine oil that
has been approved for your vehicle, please
contact either your autho rized Audi dealer or
Audi Customer Relations at 1 (800) 822-2834
or visit our web site at www.audiusa .com or
www.audicanada.ca . Here you will also find a
current list of oils (manufacturers, brand
names etc.) that conform to Audi oil standard
vw 502 00.
Changing the engine oil
The engine oil and oil filter must be changed
according to the mileage (kilometers) and
time intervals specified in your vehicle's War­
ranty
& Maintenance booklet. Do not exceed
these intervals -harmful deposits from old
engine oil can reduce engine performance and
can lead to expensive engine repairs.
Changing the oil at the recommended inter­
vals is so very important because the lubricat­
ing properties of oil decrease gradually during
normal vehicle use. If you are not sure when
you have your oil changed, ask your author ­
ized Audi Serv ice Adv isor.
Under some circumstances the engine oil
should even be changed more frequently. Change oil more often if you drive mostly
short distances, operate the vehicle in dusty
areas or mostly under stop-and-go traffic con­
ditions, or when you use your vehicle where
temperatures stay below freezing point for
long periods.
•
•

184 Checking and filling
Detergent additives in the o il will make fresh
oil look dark after the engine has been run­
n ing for a short time . This is norma l and is not
a reason to change the oil more often than recommended.
D am ag e o r m alfun ction s due to lack of
m ainten ance
It is essent ial that yo u change your oil at the
recommended intervals using only engine oil
that complies with Audi oi l standard
VW 502 00 . Your Lim ited New Vehicle War­
ranty does not cover damage or malfunctions
due to failure to follow recommended mainte­
nance and use requ irements as set forth in
the Audi Owner's Manual and Warranty
&
M aintenance book let . Your dea ler will have to
deny warranty coverage un less you p resen t to
the dea ler proof in the form of Servi ce or Re­
pa ir Orde rs that all schedu led maintenance
was performed in a timely manner.
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an ade­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool all
of its moving ports.
I n o rder to prov ide effective lubr ication and
cooling of internal engine components, a ll in­
ternal comb ustion engines consume a certain
amount of oil. Oi l consumption varies from
engine to engine and may change significantly
over the life of the eng ine . Typically, eng ines
with a specif ied break-in per iod (see
c::;, page 159) consume more oil during the
break-in per iod than they consume after oil
consumption has stabilized .
Under normal conditions, the rate of oil con­
sumpt io n depends on the quality and viscosity
of the oil, the RPM (revolutions per m inute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient
temperature and road cond it io ns. Furthe r fac­
tors are the amo unt of o il d ilution from wate r
condensation or fuel residue and the ox ida­
tion level of the oi l. As any engine is subject to
wear as mileage bui lds up, the oil consump­
tion may increase over t ime until replacement
of worn components may become necessary. Wi
th a ll these variab les coming into p lay, no
standard rate of oil consumption can be es­
tab lished or spec ified. There is no alte rnative
to regular and frequent check ing of the o il lev­
el, see
Note .
If the yellow engine oil leve l warning symbo l
in the instr ument cluster
II lights up, you
sho uld check the oil leve l as soon as possib le
with the oil dipstick c::;, page 185. Top off the
o il at your earliest conven ience
c::;, page 185 .
A WARNING
-Before you chec k anything in the eng ine
compartment, a lways read and heed a ll
WAR NINGS
c::;, .& in Working in the engine
comportment on page 180.
CI) Note
D riving with an insufficient o il level is like­
l y to cause sever e damage to the engine.
(D Tips
- The oil pressure warn ing display. is
not an indicator of the oil level. Do not
re ly on it . Instead, check the oil level in
your engine at regular intervals, pr ef­
erably ea ch time you refu el, and alway s
before going on a long trip.
- If you have the impression yo ur engine
cons umes excessive amoun ts of oil, we
recommend that you consult your Aud i
dealer to have the cause of your concern
properly diagnosed. Keep in mind that
the accurate meas urement of o il con­
sumption requ ires great care and may
take some t ime . Your Audi dea ler has in­
struct ions about how to measure oil con­
sumption acc urately.

Checking the engine oil level
Fig . 135 Illust rat ion of principle 1: Ma rkers on o il dip ­
st ick
F ig . 13 6 Illust rat io n of principle 2: Markers o n oil dip·
st ic k
Before you check anything in the engi ne com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN ­
INGS ¢ A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 180.
Determining oil level
• Park your vehicle on a leve l surface.
• While at operating state temperature,
briefly let the engine run at idle and then
shut it off.
• Wait approx . two minutes.
• Pull out the o il dipstick . Wipe off the oil
dipstick w ith a clean cloth, and slide it back
i n as far as it will go .
• Pull it back o ut and read off the oil level
¢ fig. 135 or ¢ fig. 136 . Top off the engine
oi l, if app licable ¢
page 185.
Oil level within range~
• Do not add o il.
Oil level with in range @
• You can add o il. Afterwards, the o il level
shou ld be w ith in range @.
Checking and filling 185
Oil level within range 0
• Yo u must add oil. Afterwards, the oil leve l
should be wi thin range @.
T he oil leve l needs to be checked at regu lar in­
terva ls. The best t imes to do th is are w henev­
er yo u ref uel and prior to long t rips.
Depend ing on the way the vehicle is dr iven
and the ope rat ing cond it ions, oi l consumption
can be up to 1/ 2 quart per 6 00 miles (0. 5 lite r
per 1,000 km) . Cons umption m ay be highe r
within the first 3,000 miles (5,000 km) .
Adding engine oil ci::,,.
0 N ;.
>< (D m
Fig. 137 Engine compa rtment: cover on the engi ne oil
filler neck
Before you check anyth ing in the engine com­
partment,
alw ays read and heed all WARN­
INGS ¢ A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 180 .
• Unsc rew the cap 'l::r. to the engine oi l filling
hole
¢ page 182, fig. 134.
• Carefully top off with the appropriate oil in
0.5 liter doses.
• Check the oil level aga in after two minutes
¢ page 185.
• Top off the oil aga in, if necessary .
• Scr ew the c ap back on the filling hole and
slide the oi l dipsti ck in as far as it w ill go.
A WARNING ,...__
-Wh ile topping off, the o il m ust not come
in contact with hot e ngine parts -fir e
hazard!
- The oi l filler cap must be pro perly se­
cured to prevent oil from being sprayed

186 Checking and filling
on the hot engine and exhaust system
when the engine is running -fire hazard!
- If your skin has come in contact with the
engine oil, you must subsequently
cleanse it thoroughly .
(D Note
- The oil level must not be above range 0
-danger of converter or engine damage!
Contact an authorized Audi dealer to
draw off oil, if necessary.
- Audi does not recommend the use of oil
additives. They may damage the engine
and adversely 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 regulations
when disposing of empty oil containers.
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by
an authori zed Audi dealer or a qualified serv­
ice station .
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 180 .
The engine oil must be changed according to
the intervals specified in your Warranty &
Maintenance booklet. This is very important
because the lubricating properties of oil di ­
minish gradually during normal vehicle use .
Under some circumstances the engine oil
should be changed more frequently . Change
oil more often if you drive mostly short dis­
tances , operate the vehicle in dusty areas or
under predominantly stop-and-go traffic con­
ditions, or have your vehicle where tempera­
tures remain below freezing for extended pe­ riods. Detergent
additives in the oil will make fresh
oil look dark after the engine has been run­
ning for a short time. This is normal and is not
a reason to change the oil more often than
recommended.
Because of the problem of proper disposal,
along with the special tools and necessary ex­
pertise required, we strongly recommend that
you have your oil changed by an authorized
Audi dealer or a qualified service station .
If you choose to change your oil yourself,
please note the following important informa­
tion:
A WARNING
=
To reduce the risk of personal injury if you
must change the engine oil in your vehicle
yourself:
- Wear eye protection.
- To reduce the risk of burns from hot en-
gine oil, let the engine cool down to the
touch.
- When removing the oil drain plug with
your fingers, stay as far away as possible. Always keep your forearm parallel to the
ground to help prevent hot oil from run­
ning down your arm.
- Drain the oil into a container designed
for this purpose, one large enough to
hold at least the total amount of oil in
your engine.
- Engine oil is poisonous. Keep it well out
of the reach of children.
- Continuous contact with used engine oil
is harmful to your skin. Always protect
your skin by washing oil off thoroughly
with soap and water.
(D Note
Never mix oil additives with your engine
oil. These additives can damage your en­
gine and adversely affect your Audi Limit­
ed New Vehicle Warranty.

@ For the sake of the environment
- Before changing your oil, first make sure
you know where you can properly dispose of the used oil.
- Always dispose of used engine oil proper­
l y. Do not dump it on garden soi l, wood­
ed areas, into open streams or down
sewage drains.
- Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a
used engine oil collection facility in your
area, or contact a service station.
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.
The cooling system is sea led and generally re­
qu ires little at tention.
The cooling system has been filled at the fac ­
tory with a permanent coolant which does not n eed to be changed. The coolant consists of a
mixture of wa ter and the man ufacturer's g ly ­
col-based coolan t addi tive Gl3 ant ifree ze
with ant icorrosion add itives (50% for USA
models; 60% for Canadian models) . This mix­
ture both assures the necessary frost protec ­
tion and protects metal components in the
engine's cooling system from corrosion and
scaling. It also raises the boiling po int of the
coolant.
Do not reduce the concentration of the coo l­
ant in the summer by adding plain water.
The
proportion of coolant add itive must be at
lea st 50°/4 but not more than 60°/4
to ma in­
tain antifreeze protection and cooling efficien­ cy. If the coolant frost pro tect io n is too low,
the coolant cou ld freeze and dam age the veh i­
cle heating and eng ine cooling system.
For year-round driving, antifreeze is added at
the facto ry for temperatures down to:
- -31°F( -35°C)USA
- -40 °F ( -40 °C) Canada.
Checkin g and fillin g 187
A WARNING
Before you c heck anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
W ARNI NGS~ &.
in Working in the engine
comportment on page 180.
(D Note
- Before winter sets in, have the coolant
checked to see if the coolant additive in
your v ehicle is sufficient to meet the cli­
mate conditions. This is especia lly impo r­
t an t if you live in a region where t he win­
t er is ex treme ly cold. If ne cessary, in­
cr ease t he p ro portion of coo lant add itive
to 60%.
- Whe n adding cool ant additive to yo ur
c ooling sys tem, remember:
- We recommend us ing on ly coolant ad­
d itive Gl2++ or Gl3 (check the labe l)
for your veh icle. This coolant additive is
ava ilable at autho rized Aud i dea le rs.
Othe r types of antifree ze can sig nifi­
cantly reduce cor ros io n protec tion. The
res ulting co rrosion can cause a loss of
coolant an d serio us en gine damage.
- Do not add any type of rad iator le ak seal­
ant to yo ur vehicle 's eng ine coolant .
Adding radiator repair flu id may adverse­
ly affect the function and performance of
your cooling system and co uld resu lt in
damage not covered by you r New Ve hicle
Limited War ranty.
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level con be checked with
a quick glance.
Fig. 138 Eng ine compa rtment : cove r on t he coola nt
expansio n tank

188 Checking and filling
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
alwa ys r ea d and heed all WARN­
INGS ¢ A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 180.
• Park your vehicle on a level surface.
• Switch the ignition off.
• Read the coolant level at the coolant expan­
s ion tank ¢
page 182, fig . 134. With a cold
engine, it must be above the "min" mark .
With a hot engine, it ca n be a little above
the indicated range .
The location of the coolant expans ion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus­
tration
¢ page 182.
To obtain an accurate read ing, the engine
must be switched off.
The expansion tank in yo ur vehicle is equipped
with an e lectric coolant level sensor .
When the coo lant level is too low, the warning
light in the A uto- Check System ¢
page 16 will
illuminate until yo u add coo lant and the level
has been restored to normal. Even though
there is an electric coo lant level sensor, we
still recommend you check the coolant leve l
from time to time .
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling
system . In the event of coolant loss, the cool­
ing system should be inspected immediately
by your author ized Audi dealer. It is not
enough merely to add coolant .
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if
the boiling point of the coolant is exceeded as
a result of overheat ing.
(D Note
Do not add any type of radiator lea k seal­
ant to your vehicle's eng ine coolant. Add­
ing radiator repair f luid may adversely af­
fect the function and performance of your
cooling system and could res ult in damage
not covered by your New Vehicle Limited
Warranty.
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anyth ing in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS ¢ A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 180 .
• Turn off the engine.
• Let the engine cool down.
• Place a thick rag over t he coo lant expansion
tank
¢ page 187, fig . 138 a nd carefully
tw ist the cap counter-clockwise ¢&_ .
• Add coo la nt.
• Twis t the cap on aga in
t ightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to
exact spec ificat ions ¢
page 18 7, Coolant.
Even in a n emerge ncy, if coolant add i-
t ive G1 2++, G12+ or G12 is not ava ilable , do
not use a d iffe ren t addit ive. Use plain water
instead unti l you can get the cor rect additive
and can restore the correct ratio . This sho uld
be done as soon as possible .
If you have los t a considerab le amount o f
coolant , then you sho uld add cold ant ifreeze
and co ld wate r on ly w hen the engine is cold.
Alw ays use
new engine coo la nt whe n refilling .
Do not fill coola nt above the "MAX" mark. Ex­
cess coola nt wi ll be fo rced o ut through the
pressure relief valve in t he cap w hen the en­
gine becomes hot.
,&. WARNING ~ -
- T he cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of
scalding from hot coolant by followi ng
these steps.
- T urn off the engine and allow it to coo l
down.
- Protect yo ur face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by covering
the cap w ith a large, t hick rag.
- T urn the cap s lowly a nd ve ry carefully
in a counter-clo ckwise direction while
applying light, downward pres sure on
the top of the cap.