AUDI TT ROADSTER 2011 Owners Manual

A WARNING
- The limits of physics cannot be suspend­ed by ESP. Even in vehicles w ith ESP, you
should always adapt your driving to road
and traffic conditions. This is particular ly
t rue on a slippery and wet road. Do not
be tempted by the inc reased safety pro­
vided to take ris ks - danger of an acci­
dent!
- Please note tha t when ESP/ASR is deacti ­
vated, the drive whee ls can spin on icy
and slippery roads and the veh icle can
break away - danger of skidding!
Switching on and off
Fi g. 130 Center co nsole wit h ESP switch
The ES P is a utomatically activated when the
engine is star ted, and it performs a self-test.
As soon as the test is completed, the system
is in normal operating mode.
Deactivating
ESP should normally be activated at all times
because this ensures optimum vehicle stabil i­
ty. Only in some cases it does make sense to
deactivate the Electronic Stability P rogram
(ESP) by press ing the button
~fig . 130. Deac­
tivation is ind icated by the ESP lamp
I in the
instr ument cluster f lashes. The message
ESP
OFF
appears in the instrument cluster. Ant i­
Slip Regulation is completely deactivated and
the stabilization effects from the ESP system are lim ited. Th is makes a mo re agile and spor­
ty driv ing style poss ible, but the fu ll exte nt of
t he s tabiliza tion f unct ion is not available .
Intelligent technolog y 149
Activating
Press the@] button again~ fig. 130. T he ind i­
cator light
I goes out . The message ESP ON
appears brief ly in the instrument cluster dis­
play.
&_ WARNING
i=
You shou ld only switch the ESP off if your
driving ab ility and the traff ic situat ion al­
low. Please note that when ESP/ASR is de­
activated, the d rive wheels can spin on icy
a nd slippery roads and th e vehicle can
b reak away- dange r of skidd ing!
a) Tips
- If Aud i magnetic ride* is malfunct io ni ng,
the ESP may not sw itch off or it may
switch off automatically.
- In the event of a defect in the rear spoil­ er sys tem or in Audi magnet ic ride, it can
happen that ASR and ASR/ESP cannot be
deactivated, o r they are ac tiva ted au to­
matically in the deactiva ted st ate.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The electronic differential lock monitors the
rotational speed of the drive wheels.
General notes
The electronic d ifferential lock (EDL) helps the
ca r to start moving, accele rate and climb a
gradient on su rfaces provid ing poor or a lmost
no g rip. Withou t EDL, this would be d iff icul t ,
i f not impossib le.
How the system works
The EDL operates automatica lly. It mon itors
the rotational speed of the dr ive wheels on an
axle with the help of the ABS sensors
c;:> page 153. If a noticeable difference in ro­
tational speed
between the drive wheels on
o ne axle is detected (e.g. on s lippery ground
on one side), the s pinning wheel is braked,
thereby t ransferring power to the other drive
whee l or wheels (a ll-wheel drive). This is done
up to a speed of about 60 mph (100 km/h). ..,_

150 Intelligent te chn olog y
Noises from the b rake system signal that
wheel spin is being controlled.
Driving off
When drivi ng off, a lways be sure to keep road
conditions in mind as you accelerate. If one
d rive wheel spi ns because it is on a surface
with less grip, gradua lly increase the press ure
on the accelerator pedal until the car starts to
move. The wheel less able to transfer power
spins.
O verheating of bra kes
To prevent the disc brake of the braked wheel
from overheating if subjected to excessive
loads, the EDL cuts out temporarily. The vehi­
cle rema ins operationa l and behaves in the
same way as a vehicle without EDL.
As soon as the brake has cooled down, EDL
switches on again automatically .
A WARNING
-When accelerating on slippery surfaces,
such as on ice or snow, always be careful
when depressing the acce lerator pedal.
Even with the EDL working, the drive
wheels can spin and reduce yo ur ability
to contro l your car. -Risk of crash!
- The increased safety afforded by EDL
does not mean that you can ta ke safety
risks. Always adapt your dr iving sty le to
the road conditions and traff ic situa tion.
@ Tips
If a fa ult occurs in the ABS, the EDL is also
not f unct ion ing. This is indicated by the
ABS warning light ¢
page 17.
Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR)
The Anti-Slip Regulation System prevents the
driven wheels from spinning wh en the car is
accelerating.
General notes
The Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR) is inte­
grated in the electronic stabilization program
(ESP). When th e vehicle starts up and acceler- ates, the whee
ls are prevented from spinning
by adjusting the engine power to match the
amount of grip available from the road sur­
face.
How the system works
ASR pe rforms a utomat ica lly, i.e . w ithout t he
driver's intervention. With the aid of the ABS
sensors ¢
page 153, ASR monitors t he speed
of the dr iven whee ls . If the whee ls start to
spin, the engine torq ue is reduced automati­
cally until the tires find enough gr ip to lock
onto the road surface . The system is active
across the ent ire speed range .
The ASR works in conjunction with the ABS. If
a malfunction should occur in the ABS, the
ASR w ill also be out of act io n.
@ Tips
To ensure that the ASR works properly, all
four whee ls must be fitted wit h ident ica l
tires . Any differences in ro lling radius of
the tires can cause the system to reduce
engine power wh en this is not desired. See
a lso
¢ page 205, New tires and repla cing
tires and wheels.
Rear spoiler
The rear spoiler improves vehicle handling
and enhances driver control .
Fig. 131 Switc h fo r rear spo iler
The rear spoiler deploys and retracts. Spoiler
operation can be set for automat ic or manual
operation .

Automatic mod e (normal operat ion)
- Automatic deployment: At a speed of about
75 mph (120 km/h), the rear spoiler deploys
automatically .
- Automatic retraction: When speed drops be­
low abo ut SO mph (80 km/h), the rear spoil­
er retracts automatically.
Manual mode
- Manua l dep loyment: Tapping briefly on the
switch
¢ fig. 131 dep loys the rear spo iler .
- Manual retraction: At speeds up to about 10
mph (20 km/h), retract the rear spoiler by
pressing and holding the switch ¢
fig. 131.
At speeds between 10 mph (20 km/h) and
75 mph (120 km/h), retract the rear spoi ler
by tapping on the switch
¢ fig. 131 .
A WARNING
Driv ing at higher speeds w ithout the rear
spoiler dep loyed can impair handling char­
acteristics, making the vehicle harder to
control.
- Always make sure that the spoiler is de·
ployed whe n driving at speeds over 85
mp h (140 km/h) . If the rea r spo ile r
wa rning/ind icator light in the instru­
ment cluster comes on, the rear spo iler
may not have dep loyed.
- Never drive at speeds hig her than 85
mp h (1 40 km/h) if the spoiler is not de­
ployed. Have the spoi ler inspected as
soon as possible by an authorized A udi
dealer or qualified workshop .
- Always obey speed limits and other traf­
fic laws.
A WARNING
Improper operation of the rear spoiler can
cause crushing injuries .
- Always make sure that nobody, especia lly
children, is in the way when the rear
spoiler is deployed or retracted.
Q) Note
Never push the vehicle o r apply fo rce to
the rear spoiler -it could be damaged.
Int ellig ent technolog y 151
(D Tips
Clean the spoiler compa rtment every 2 to
3 months. The spoiler compartment must
a lways be free of ice, snow, leaves or other
debr is .
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Ope rating condition s and driving h abits
The brakes on today's automobiles are still
subject to wear, depending largely on operat­
ing condit ions and driving habits ¢.&, . On ve ­
hicles that a re either dr iven mostly in stop­
and-go city t raff ic or are dr iven hard, the
brake pads should be chec ked by yo ur author­
ized Audi dea ler mo re often than specified in
the
W arranty & Maintenanc e boo klet. Failure
to have your brake pads inspected can result in reduced brake performance .
On steep slopes, you should use the braking
effect o f the engine . This way, you prevent un ­
necessary wear on the brake system. If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the brakes
down cont in uous ly. Pump the brakes at inter­
vals.
Noises may occur when braking depending on
the speed, braking force and o utside condi­
tions such as temperature and humid ity.
Moisture o r ro ad s alt
U nder certa in conditions, for examp le, when
driving through water or very heavy rain , or
even after washing your vehicle, the b raking
effect can be reduced due to moist ure (or in
freezing cond itions ice) on the brake pads. A
few cautious brake applications should dry off
the brake pads or remove any ice coatings .
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is driven on a salt-covered road and t he brakes are not used. L ikewise,
you clean off accumulated salt coating from brake d iscs and pads with a few cautious ap-
plications of the b rake ¢ .&, .
IJJ,
•
•

152 Intelligent technology
Corrosion
There may be a tendency fo r dirt to bu ild up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not driven regularly or
only for short trips with little use of the brakes .
I f the b rakes are not used frequen tly, or if cor ­
rosion has fo rmed on the discs, it is advisab le
to clean
off the pads and discs by b raking
firm ly a few times from a moderate ly high
speed
c> .& .
Fault s in the bra ke sy ste m
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake peda l travel, then one of the two brake
circu its may have failed¢.& .
Low brake fluid level
Malf unc tions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fl uid level is too low. The b rake fluid
l eve l is monitored electronica lly .
Brake lining wear status
Brake lin ing wea r may be c hecked by visual i n­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the whee l. If neces ­
sary, the whee l may be removed for this in­
spection ¢
page 222, What should I be
aware of when changing a tire?.
Brake power assist unit
The brake power assist un it increases the
p ress ure th at yo u genera te with the b rake
pedal. It works on ly when the engine is run­
ning.
& WARNING
- Yo u should perform braking maneuve rs
for the purpose of clean ing the brake
system on ly if road condit ions permit.
Other road users must not be put at r isk -
you may cause an acc ident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmiss io n into a lowe r
gear or lowe r driving position . Do not
ride the brak es or ho ld the pedal down
too long or too ofte n. This cou ld cause the brakes to get hot and dimin
ish b rak­
ing efficiency.
- Do not " ride the brakes" by rest ing you r
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake. This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance .
- Under certain cl imatic and ope rat ing
conditions such as passing through wa­
ter, dr iv ing in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the
b rakes can be reduced . In wi nte r, ice can
a ccumu late on the br ake pads , lin ings,
d iscs and drums. Cautiously app ly bra kes
for a test . Brakes wi ll dry and ice coat ­
ings wi ll be cleaned
off after a few cau­
tious b rake app lications .
- Driving for an exten ded period of t ime on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can a lso affect bra king efficiency.
Clean
off accum ulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few cautious
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a diffe rent spoiler, be sure the a ir
f low to the front b rakes is not obs truc t­
ed. Otherwise the bra ke system could
overhea t redu cing t he effectiveness o f
the entire brake system.
- Fai lure of one b rake circuit will impa ir
the braking capa bility result ing in an in­
cre ase d stopping dist ance. Avoid driving
the vehicle and have it towed to the near ­
est A udi dealer or qualified workshop .
- Never let the vehi cle roll to a s top with
the engine sh ut
off .
- If t he bra ke booste r is no t working, for
examp le when towing yo ur vehicle, or
because the brake booster has somehow
been damaged, the bra ke peda l must be
pressed considerably harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance .

Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking under braking.
The anti-lock brake system (ABS) makes a ma­
jor contribution to increasing active dr iving
safety. You should not expect that braking d is ­
tances will be
shortened under all circumstan­
ces with ABS. Braki ng d istance may even be­
come somewhat
longer, for example, on grav­
e l or in new snow on slippery g round, even if
you are driving care fully and s low ly.
ABS operation
When a vehicle speed of about 10 mph (20
km/h) is reached, an automatic test sequence
is run. Some noise from the pump may be au­
d ible.
I f the speed of a wheel slows down too much
r e lative to veh icle speed and it starts to lock,
brake pressure to this wheel is reduced. This
ad justment process can be felt as a
pul sin g
moti on of the br ake pedal , accompanied by
some noises. You as the driver are intentiona l­
ly being given the information that the whee ls
are tending to lock (ABS control range). In or ­
der for ABS to be able to operate optimally in
this range, you must keep the brake pedal de­ pressed - do not "pump the brakes ".
Brake a ssist ant
The brake power assist unit increases the
pressure that you generate with the brake
pedal. It works only w hen the eng ine is run­
ning .
Automatic full br ak ing
This function allows full brak ing in spite of
high brake pedal forces (e.g. when the brakes
are severely stressed because the vehicle is
fully loaded) . The driver notices th is function
throug h a reduction of pedal force and in ­
creased pedal travel. When the brake pedal is released, fu ll braking assist switches off again
automatically .
Intellig ent technolog y 153
If there is an ABS failure, the b rake assistant
and automatic fu ll braking assist are not avail­
able.
A WARNING
- ABS cannot suspend the laws of physics.
You should keep th is in mind in particu­
lar on an icy or wet road . If ABS control
of braking intervenes, you should adjust
your speed immed iately to road and traf­
fic conditions. Do not be tempted by the increased safety provided to take risks -
danger o f an accident .
- Please keep in mind tha t the risk of an
accident is increased by driving too fast,
particularly in bends and on icy or wet
roads, and by driving too close to the ve­
hicle ahead . The increased risk of an acci­
dent cannot be reduced by the brake as­
sistant - danger of an accident.
(D Tips
If a malfunction occurs in the ABS, this is
s ignalled by an indicator light, see
<=:> page 17.
Electro-mechanical
power assist
The electro-mechanical power assist helps
the driver when steering .
The degree of power assist is electronically
matched to vehicle speed.
The power steering system assists the driver
so that he can steer the vehicle with reduced physical effort .
Power steering will not work if the engine is
off . As a result, the steering wheel will be hard
to turn .
A WARNING
If the system develops a problem, you
must seek qualified professiona l assis­
tance.
•
•

154 Intelligent technology
If there is an electronic malfunction, ser­
votronic
w ill st ill function like a conven­
tional power steer ing system, prov iding a
constant steer ing support force that is no
longer proportionate to the ve hicle speed .
This is most noticeable when turning the
steer ing whee l at low speeds (for examp le
when par kin g), -more effo rt will be re­
qui red th an usual.
- Be aware of the different than usual
stee ring response and adjust you r steer­
i ng force a ccord ingly.
- Have the p roblem chec ked and set right
by an authori zed Audi dealer as soo n as
poss ib le.
- If a stee ring malfunct io n occu rs, this is
s ignaled with the
42J or .• indic ator
li ghts and a wa rning tone, see.
(D Tips
- If the power steering system shou ld fa il,
or if the eng ine is no t runn ing (fo r exam ­
ple, while being towed), yo u wi ll st ill be
able to stee r the veh icle. However, more
effort will be req uired to do so .
- If the power steer ing system is not func ­
tioning p roperly , contact your a uthorized
A udi dealer immediate ly .
Driving with your
quattro ®
With All Wheel Drive, all four wheels are driv­
en.
General inform ation
W ith All Whee l Dr ive, power is d istributed to
all four wheels. This happens automatically
depending on your dr iv ing sty le and the road
conditions at the t im e. See also ¢
page 149,
E lectronic differential lock (EDL) .
Winter tires
When driving in the winter, your vehicle w it h
All Wheel Drive has an advantage, even with regular t ires. In winter road co nditions it may
be adv isable to mount winter tires (o r all-sea- son tires) for
improved driveability and brak ­
ing : these tires must be mounted o n
all four
wheel s.
See also ¢ page 209, Winter tires .
Snow chains
Where tire chains a re m andatory o n certa in
roads, this no rma lly also app lies to ve hicles
wi th All Wheel Drive
¢ page 210, Snow
chains.
Replacing wheels /tires
Vehicles wi th A ll Wheel D rive mus t always
have t ires of the same s ize. A lso avoid tires
with different tread depths . For deta ils see
page ¢
page 205, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels .
Off-Road driving?
Your Aud i does not have enough g ro und clea r­
an ce to be used as an off- road vehicle. It is
therefore bes t to avoid rough tracks and un ­
even terrain as much as possib le . Also refer to
¢ page 158.
A WARNING ~
Always ad just your dr iv ing to road and traf-
f ic conditions. Do not let the extra safety
afforded by All Wheel Dr ive tempt you into
taking ext ra ris ks.
- Although the All Wheel Drive is very ef­
fective , always remember that braking
capacity is lim ited by tire t raction . You
should therefore not d rive at excessive
speeds on icy or slippe ry road s urfa ces.
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to
drive too fast because the front whee ls
could begin to slide o n top of the wate r
(aquapla ning). If th is should occur, yo u
will have no warning from a s udden in ­
crease in eng ine speed as wit h a front­
wheel drive veh icle. Always drive at
speeds which are su ited to the road con­
d itions. -risk of crash.

Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution
of electrical energy and thus optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting the engine .
If a vehicle with a conventional energy system
is not driven for a long period of time, the bat­
tery is discharged by idling current consumers
(e.g. immobilizer). In ce rtain c ircumstances it
can result in there being insuff icient ene rgy
avai lab le to start the engine .
Intell igent energy management in your vehi­
cle handles the d istribution of electrical ener­
gy. Starting ab il ity is markedly imp roved and
the life of the battery is extended .
Basically, energy management consists of
batt ery diagno sis, idlin g current man ag e­
m ent
and dyn ami c en ergy manag emen t.
Batter y diagnosis
Battery diagnosis continuously determines
the state of the battery . Sensors determ ine
battery vo ltage, battery current and battery
temperature. This determ ines the current
state of charge and the powe r of the battery.
Idling curr ent man agement
Idling current management reduces energy
consumption while the vehicle is stand ing .
W ith the ignition switched off, it cont ro ls the
energy s upply to the various electr ical compo ­
nents . Data from battery diagnosis is consid­
ered.
D epending on the batte ry's state of charge,
i nd ividua l consumers are gradual ly t urned off
to prevent excess ive d ischarge of the battery
and thus maintain starting capability .
Dynam ic en ergy management
While the vehicle is being driven, dynamic en­
e rgy management dist ributes the energy gen­
e rated according to the needs of the individu­
a l components.
It reg ulates cons umption, so
that more electrical energy is not being used
Int ellig ent technolog y 155
than is being generated and ensures an opti ­
mal state of charge for the battery.
(0 Tips
- But even energy management canno t
negate the limits of physics . Consider
that the power and life of a battery are
limited .
- If starting ability is threatened, you are
informed by a warning
r::!)poge 156,
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability.
The battery is severe ly taxed in short -distance
driving, in city traffic and during the cold time
of year. Abundant electrical energy is re­ quired, but only a little is generated .
It is also
critical if the engine is not running and electri­
cal components are turned on . In this in­
stance energy is be ing consumed but none is
being generated.
It is in precisely these situations that you will
notice energy management actively regulat ­
ing the d istribution of energy .
Vehicle stands for an e xtended peri od
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, e lectr ical compo­
nents are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and ma in ­
ta ins start ing capability over a longer period .
Take into considerat ion that when you unlock
your vehicle, some convenience functions, such as the remote key or power seat adjust­
ment, may not be available . The conven ience
funct ions w ill be available again when you
tu rn o n the ignition and start the engine .
With the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for example, w ith
the engine turned off, the battery is being d is-
charged.
~
•
•

156 Intelligent technology
If starting capability is jeopa rdized due to en­
ergy consumption, a message appears in the
driver information disp lay.
You have to start the engine to charge the
battery.
With the engine running
A lthough electrical energy is generated when
the vehicle is being driven, the battery can be­
come discharged. This happens most ly when
little energy is being generated and a great
deal consumed and the battery's state o f
charge is not optima l.
To bring the energy balance back into equili­
brium, consumers which require especially
l arge amounts of energy are temporarily cut
back or switched off. Heating systems in par­
ticular require a great dea l of energy. If you
notice, for example, that the heated seats* or
the heated rear window are not heating, they
have been temporar ily cut back or switched
off. These systems will be ava ilable again as
soon as the energy balance has been restored.
You will also notice that engine idle speed has been increased slightly . This is normal and not
a cause for concern . By increas ing engine idle
speed the add itiona l energy required is gener­
ated and the battery is charged.
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display
If battery power drops into the range where it
can limit the ability of the engine to start, th is
is shown in the instrument cluster display
with the following driver message:
(•) Low battery charge : battery will be
charged while driving
This notification reminds you that the starting
capability of the engine may be limited. As
soon as you start driving again, the battery
will be recharged and the notification will go
out.
Driver notification appears and goes out
again
If this driver notification appears after the ig­
nition is turned on or whi le driving and it goes
out again after a while, the battery has been
adequately recharged.
Driver notification appears and does not
go out again
If this driver notif ication appears after the ig­
nition is turned on or while driving and does
not go out again, the battery 's state of charge
is not in the optimal range. Starting ability is
restricted . Have the battery checked as soon
as possible by an autho rized Aud i dea le r o r
qualified wo rkshop.

Driving and
environment
The first 1
1000
miles
(11500 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 mile s (1,000
kilometre s):
.,. Do not use full throttle .
.,. Do not drive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the max imimum permitted
RPM .
.,. Avoid high engine speeds.
From 600 to 1,000 miles (1 ,000 to
1,500 kilometres):
.. Speeds can gradually be increased to the
maximum pe rm iss ib le road or eng ine speed .
During and after break-in period
.. Do not rev the engine up to high speeds
when it is cold . T hi s applies whether the
transmission is in N (Neutral) o r in gear.
After the break- in period
.. Do not exceed max imum eng ine 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
<::;> page 10.
During the first few hours of driving, the en­
g ine's inter na l friction is higher tha n later
when all the moving pa rts have been broken
i n. How well this break-in p rocess is done de­
pends to a considerable exten t on the way t he
veh icle is driven d uring the first 1,000 miles
(1, 500 kilome tres) .
(D Note
Extremely high engine speeds a re auto­
mat ic al ly reduced. However, t hese RPM-
Driving and environment 157
limits were programmed for an eng ine
well run-in, not a new eng ine.
@ For the sake of the environment
Do not d rive wi th unnecess arily h igh en­
gine speeds -upshifting ear ly saves f uel,
r educes noise and protects the environ­
ment.
New tires
If your vehicle is running on new tires, drive
particularly carefu l for the first 350 miles
(500 ki lometres) after fitting .
A WARNING
-New tires tend to be s lippery and must a l-
so be "b roken-in". Be s ure to remembe r
this dur ing t he firs t 35 0 m iles (500 kilo­
me tres) . Brake gent ly . Avo id following
closely behind other vehicles or other sit­ uations that m ight require sudden, hard
b raking.
New brake pads
Remember that new brake pads do not have a
full brak ing effect during the first 250 m iles
(400 kilometres) after they are installed.
New brake pads have to be "burnished in" be­
fore they have optima l grab¢ .&..
D uring the break-in period, yo u should avoid
putting seve re loads on the brakes . Severe
l oads include, for example, su dden hard brak­
ing, in particular at very h igh speeds or, for
example, on mou nta in passes.
A WARNING
Until t hey develop the maximum "bite" for
best stopping power, the s urfaces on new
b rake pads requ ire some "brea king- in" dur­
in g the initial 10 0 to 150 miles (15 0 to
20 0 kilome tres) of normal c ity dr iv ing. Yo u
can compensate for this by press ing the
b rake peda l more f irm ly . This applies
whenever new pads are installed.
•
•

158 Driving and en vi ro nm ent
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 especially true for vehicles with low­
slung chassis (sports chassis) and fully loaded
vehicles .
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 highe r tha n the
bottom of the vehicle body.
- Do not d rive faster than wa lking speed.
_& WARNING
After d riving 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.
(]) Note
Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmiss ion, suspension or electrical sys ­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water.
- Check the depth of the water before driv ­
ing through it.
- Do not stop the veh icle, drive in reverse
or switch 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 salt water because
it can ca use corrosion.
-
Catalytic converter
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 ¢ page 17 4,
Fuel supply .
.. Never run the tank down all the way to emp­
ty.
.. Never put too much motor o il in your eng ine
r::;> page 183, Adding engine oil~-
.. Never try to p ush- or tow-sta rt your vehicle.
The catalytic converter is an efficient "clean­
up" dev ice built into the exhaust system of
t h e vehicle. The cata lytic conve rter bu rns
many of the pollutants in the exha ust gas be ­
f ore they are re leased into the atmosphere.
T he exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critically
impor tant for the life of the catalyt ic convert­
er and prope r funct ion ing of the engine.
A WARNING
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exha ust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fue l spill or other material wh ich can
cause a fire.
- Do not app ly additiona l undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat sh ields. Dur ing driv ing, the
substance used fo r undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
(D Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will already ser iously de-
grade the performance of the catalytic
converter .
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
¢page 183.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty . The engine could mis-
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into ..,.