AUDI TT ROADSTER 2014 Owners Manual

Detergent additives in the oil 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 o il more often than
recommended.
D amage o r m alfu nctions due to lac k of
m ainten ance
It is essen tial that yo u change your oil at the
recommended inte rva ls using only engine oil
that complies with A udi oil 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 ireme nts as set forth in
the Audi Owner 's Manual and Warranty
&
Maintenance book let . Your dea ler will have to
deny warranty coverage u nless you p resent to
the dea ler proof in the form of Serv ice or Re­
pa ir Orde rs that all scheduled 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 l ubr ication and
cooling of internal engine components, a ll in­
ternal comb ustion engines consume a certain
amo unt of oi l. Oi l cons umption varies from
engine to engine and may change significantly
over the life of the eng ine . Typ ically, eng ines
with a specified break-in per iod (see
¢ page 150) consume more o il during the
break-in per iod than they consume after oil
consumption has stab ilized .
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 ope rated, the ambient
temperature and road condi tions. Furt her fac­
tors are the amo unt of oil d ilution from wate r
condensation or fuel residue and the oxida­
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 time until rep lacement
of worn components may become necessary.
Checkin g and fillin g 169
With 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 instrument cluster
Ill li ghts up, you
sho uld check the oil leve l as soon as possib le
with the oil dipstick¢ page 170. Top off the
o il at your earliest convenience ¢
page 170 .
A WARNING
Before you check anything i n the engine
compartment, always read and heed a ll
WAR NINGS ¢
& in Working in the engine
compor tment on page 165.
(D Note
D riving w it h an insufficient o il level is like­
l y to cause severe damage to the engine.
© Tips
- The oil pr essur e warn ing display. is
not an indicator of th e oil level. Do not
rely on it . Instead, che ck the oil level in
your engine at regu lar int ervals, pr ef­
erably e ach time you r efuel, and always
before going on a long trip .
-If you have the impression yo ur engi ne
cons umes excess ive amoun ts of oil, we
recommend that you consu lt your Aud i
dea ler to have the cause of your concern
properly d iagnosed. Keep in mind that
the accurate meas urement of o il con­
sumption requires great care and may
take some t ime . Your Audi dea ler has in­
st ruct ions about how to measure oil con­
sumption acc urately.
-
•
•

1 70 Checking and filling
Checking the engine oil level
Fig. 131 Illustrat ion of p rinciple 1: Markers on o il dip ­
stick
F ig. 132 Illustration of princip le 2: Markers on oil dip·
stick
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 165.
Determining oil level
• Park your vehicle on a level surface.
• While at operating state temperature, brief­
ly let the engine run at id le and then shut it
off .
• Wait approx . two minutes.
•Pu llout the oil dipstick. Wipe off the oil dip­
stick with a clean cloth, and slide it back in
as far as it will go .
• Pull it back out and read off the oil level
<=?fig . 131 or ¢fig. 132 . Top off the engine
oi l, if applicable ¢
page 170.
Oil level within range~
• Do not add oil.
Oil level within range@
• You can add oil. Afterwards, the oil level
shou ld be within range~-
Oil level within range 0
• Yo u must add oil. Afterwards, the oil level
should be within range~-
T he oil leve l needs to be checked at regular in­
tervals . Th e best times to do this are whenev­
er you refuel and prior to long trips.
Depending on the way the vehicle is dr iven
and the operating conditions, oil consumption
can be up to 1/2 quart per 600 miles (0.5 liter
per 1,000 km). Consumption may be higher
within the first 3,000 miles (5,000 km) .
Adding engine oil "1::7-
0 N ,;;
><
"' IXl
Fig. 133 En g ine compartment: cove r on t he eng ine o il
fille r neck
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS ¢.&. in Working in the engine comport·
ment on page 165 .
• Shut the engine off.
• Unscrew the cap
't::7-to the engine oil filling
hole
¢ page 167, fig . 130.
• Carefully top off with 0.5 quarts (0.5 liters)
of the appropriate oil
r::.>page 167.
• Check the oil level again after two minutes
¢ page 170, Checking the engine oil level.
• Top off the oil again, if necessary.
• Scr ew the cap back on the filling hole and
slide the oil dipstick in as far as it will go.
A WARNING
-While topping off, the oil must not come
in contact with hot engine parts -fire
hazard!
~

-The oil fille r cap must be properly se­
cured to preve nt oil from being sprayed
on the hot engine and exhaust system
when the eng ine is running -fire hazard!
- If your skin has come in contact w ith the
engine oil, you must subsequent ly
cleanse it thoroughly.
@ Note
- The oil leve l must not be above range 0
- danger of converter or eng ine damage!
Contact an authorized Audi dealer to
draw
off oil, if necessary.
- Audi does not recommend the use of o il
add itives . They may damage the engine
and adversely affect your New Vehicle
Warranty .
@ For the sake of the environment
-Un der no circ umstances ca n the o il come
i n contact with the sewage network o r
t h e soil.
- Observe and fo llow lega l regu lations
whe n disposing of empty oil con tainers.
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by
an authorized 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 165.
The engine oil must be changed according to
the intervals specified in you r Warra nty
&
Ma intenance boo klet . This is very important
because the l ubr icating prope rties of oil di­
m ini sh gradua lly dur ing no rma l veh icle use.
Unde r some ci rcumstances the engine o il
should b e changed more frequently . Change
oil more often if you drive most ly short dis­
tances, ope rate the vehicle in dusty areas or
u nder predomin antly stop -and-go t ra ffi c con ­
d itions, or have your ve hicle w here tempera-
Checkin g and fillin g 171
tu res remain below freezing for extended pe ­
riods .
Dete rgent additives in the oil will make fres h
o il look dar k after the engine has been run­
ning for a sho rt time. This is normal an d is not
a reaso n to cha nge the oil more often t han
recommended.
Bec ause of t he prob lem o f proper disposal,
along with the specia l tools and necessa ry ex ­
pertise req uired, we st ro ngly recommend that
you have your oil changed by an a uthorized
Audi dealer or a qualified service station.
If you choose to change your oil yourself ,
please note the following important info rma ­
tion:
_& WARNING
To reduce the risk of pe rsonal inj ury if you
must change the eng ine oil in your vehicle
yourself:
- Wear eye protect io n.
- To reduce t he risk of burns from hot en-
gine oil , let the engine c oo l down to the
touch.
- When removing the o il dra in p lug with
your fingers, stay as far away as possible.
Always keep you r forearm parallel to the
grou nd to help p revent hot o il from run­
ning down you r arm.
- Dra in the oil into a container designed
for this purpose, one la rg e enough to
hold at l east the tota l am ou nt of oil in
your engine.
- Engine oil is poisonous. Keep it well o ut
of the rea ch of childre n.
- Con tinuous contact wit h used eng ine o il
is harmful to yo ur ski n. A lways protect
your skin by washi ng oil
off th oroughly
w it h soap and w ater.
(D Note
N eve r mix oil additives wi th you r engine
oil. Th ese additives can damage your en­
g ine and adversely affect your Au di Li m it­
e d N ew Vehicle Warr anty.
•
•

172 Checking and filling
@ For the sake of the environment
- Before changing your oil , first make sure
you know where you can properly dispose
of the used o il.
- 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 dra ins.
- Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a
used engine o il 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
q uir es little attention .
The cooling system has been filled at the fac ­
tory with a pe rmanent coolant which does not
need to be c hanged. The coolant consists of a
mixture of spec ia lly condi tioned water and the
manuf acturer 's glyco l-b asedcoolan t addi -
tive G l3 antifreeze with ant icorros ion addi ­
tives (50% for USA models ; 60% for Canadian
mod els). This mixture both assures the nec es­
sary frost protection and p rotects metal com ­
ponents in the engine's cooling system from
corrosion and scaling . It a lso raises the boil­
ing point of the coo lant .
Do not red uce the concentration o f the coo l­
ant in the summer by adding plain water.
The
proportion of coolant add itive must be at
l e a st 50 % but not more than 60 %
to main­
tain antifreez e protection and cooling efficien­
cy . If the coolant frost prote ct ion is too low,
the coo lant cou ld free ze and damage the veh i­
cle hea ting and eng ine cooling system.
For yea r-round d riving, antifreeze is added at
the fac to ry for temperatures down to:
-- 31°F( -35°C)USA
- -40 °F ( -40 °C) Canada. If
you must add coolant, use a mixture o f wa ­
ter and coolant additive . Mixing the coo lant
additive with distilled water is recommended.
A WARNING
-
Before you c heck anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed a ll
WAR NINGS
c::, & in Working in the engine
compartment on page 165.
(D Note
- Before winter sets in, have the coo lant
checked to see if the coolant additive in
your vehicle is sufficient to meet the cli­ m ate conditions . This is especia lly impor­
tan t if you live in a reg io n wher e the win ­
t er is ex treme ly col d. If ne cessa ry, i n­
crease the proportion of coo lant add itive
t o 60%.
- Whe n adding coolant additive to yo ur
c oolin g sys tem, remembe r:
- We recommend using on ly coolant ad ­
d itive Gl2++ or Gl3 for your vehicle .
This coolant additive is avai lab le at au­
thor ized Audi dealers . Other types of
ant ifre eze can s ignificant ly reduce cor ­
rosion prote ctio n. T he resulti ng cor ro­
sion can ca use a lo ss o f coolan t and se­
rio us en gine d amage.
- Do not add any ty pe of rad iator leak seal­
a n t t o y our vehicle 's engine coolant.
Add ing radiator rep air fl uid may adverse ­
ly affect the function and performance of
yo ur cooling system and co uld resu lt in
damage not covered by yo ur New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
-

Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance .
Fig. 134 Eng ine compartme nt: cover o n the coolant
expansion tank
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
a lway s read and he ed all WARN ­
INGS ¢ A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 165.
.,. Park your vehicle on a level surface.
.,. Switch the ignition
off .
.,. Read the coola nt level at the coolant expan­
s ion tank
¢ page 167, fig . 130. With a cold
engine, it must be above the "min" mark.
With a hot engine, it can be a l ittle above
the indica ted range.
The location of the coolant expans ion tank
can be seen in the engine compar tment illus­
tration
¢page 167.
To obtain an accurate read ing, the eng ine
must be switched
off.
The expans ion tank in your vehicle is equipped
with a n electric coolant level sensor.
When the coo lant level is too low, the warning
light in the Auto-Check System¢
page 17 will
illum inate until you add coolant and the level
has been restored to normal. Even though
there is an electric coolant 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 cool ing
system. In the event of coolant loss, the cool­
i ng system should be inspected immediately
Checkin g and fillin g 173
by your authorized Audi dea ler . It is not
enough merely to add coo lant .
In a
s ealed system, losses can o ccu r on ly if
the boiling point o f the coo lant is exceeded as
a res ult of overheating.
(D Note
Do not ad d any type of radiator leak sea l­
ant to your veh icle's engine coo lant. Add­
ing radiator repa ir flui d may adverse ly af ­
fect the function and performance of yo ur
cooling system and could result in damage
not covered by your New Vehicle Limited
War ranty.
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anyth ing in the engine com ­
partment,
alway s read and heed alt WARN­
INGS ¢ A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 165.
... Tu rn off the engine .
.,. Let the engine cool down.
.,. Place a thick rag ove r the coolant expansion
tank ¢
page 173, fig. 134 and carefully
twist the cap counter-clockwise ¢_& .
.,. Add coo lant m ixed in the correct rat io
¢ page 172, Coolant .
.,. Twist the cap on aga in tightly.
Rep lacement engine coo lant must conform to
exact specificat ions¢
page 172, Coolant.
We recommend using only coolant add itive
Gl2 ++, Gl3 or in an emergency Gl2+. Do not
use a different additive. In an emergency use
plain water until you can get the correct addi­
tive and can resto re the correct ratio . Th is
shou ld be done as soon as possib le.
If you have lost a cons iderab le amount of
coolant, then you should add cold ant ifreeze
and co ld wate r on ly when the engine is cold.
Always use
new engine coolant when refilling.
Do not fill coolant above the "MAX" mark. Ex-
cess coolant will be fo rced o ut through the ..,_
•
•

17 4 Che cking and filling
pressure relie f valve in the cap when the
engine becomes hot .
.&_ WARNING
-The coo ling system is under pressure and
can get
very hot. Reduce the risk of
sca lding from hot coolant by following
these steps .
- Turn off the eng ine and a llow it to cool
down.
- Protec t your face, hands and arms from
escap ing fl uid and steam by cover ing
the cap with a large, thick rag.
- Tu rn the cap slowly and
very ca refully
in a counter -clockwise direct ion while
applying light, downward p ress ure on
the top of the cap.
- To avo id being burned, do not sp ill an­
tifreeze or coolant on the exhaust sys­
tem or hot engine parts. Under certain
conditions, the ethylene glyco l in en­
g ine coolant can catch fire.
- Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store an ­
t ifreeze in its or iginal container and we ll
out of the reach of children.
- If you drain the coolant, it must be
caught and safely stored in a proper con­
ta iner clearly marked "poison".
(D Note
- Coolant po llutes the environment and
could cause an engine fire. Excess cool­
ant will be forced out through the pres­
sure re lief
valve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot .
- If, in an emergency, only water can be
added, the correct ratio between wate r
and antifreeze~
page 172 must be re­
stored as soon as possib le.
@) For the sake of the environment
Dra ined coolant should not be reused. Al­
ways dispose of used coolant while obse rv­
ing all environmental regulations .
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by
itself .
The electric radiator fan is controlled by ther­
moswitches that switch on and off depending
on coolant and eng ine compartment tempera­
tures.
An a uxiliary electric radiator fan* sw itches on
and off depending on coolant temperature
and other vehicle operat ion conditions .
After you switch the engine off, the aux iliary
fan can continue running for up to 10 minutes
-even w ith the ignition off. It can even switc h
on aga in later by itself
c> &. , if
- the temperature of the engine coo lant rises
due to the heat build-up from the engine in
the engine compartment, or
- the engine compartment heats up because
the vehicle is parked in intense sunlight.
.&_ WARNING
-
- To reduce the risk of personal inju ry nev-
er touch the radiator fan.
- The auxiliary electric fan is temperature
controlled and can sw itch on suddenly
even when the engine is not ru nning.
- The auxiliary radiator fan sw itches on au­
tomatically when the engine coo lant
reac hes a certain t emperature and w ill
continue to run until the coolant temper­
a ture drop s.
Brake fluid
' Checking brake fluid level
N
N
N
" ~
Fi g. 13S Engine compartment: cover on th e brake fluid
reservoir

Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
always r ead and heed all WARN­
ING S
~ A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 165.
.. Read the brake flu id level from the brake
fluid reservoir
9 page 167, fig. 130 . The
brake f lu id leve l must be between the "MIN"
and "MAX" markings.
The brake f luid reservoir is located behind the
rear partition of the engine compartment on
the left side
9 page 167.
The fl uid 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
l ow the "M IN" mark, the brake wa rning/indi ­
cator light (U .S . mode ls:
1111 , Canadian
models: .) will come on ¢
page 14 . Do not
continue to operate the vehicle. The complete
brake system shou ld be thoroughly checked
by an authorized Audi dealer or other quali­
f ied fac ility and the cause corrected . If the
b rake fluid level is too low, the brake warn ing/
i ndicator light w ill illuminate . Co ntact an au­
thor ized Audi dealer
immediately .
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi­
enced technician .
Brake fluid abso rbs moistu re from the a ir . If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
hi gh, cor ros ion in the b rake system may result
after a per iod of t ime . The bo iling po int of t he
b ra ke fluid w ill also decrease considerab ly and
decrease braking performance.
Therefore, the brake flu id must be changed
e very two year s. Always use new b rake fluid
which confo rms to Fede ral Motor Vehicle
Standard "FMVSS 1 16 DO T 4".
The brake flu id rese rvoi r ca n be difficult to
r each, therefo re , we recommend that yo u
h ave the brake fl uid changed by you r autho r­
i zed
Audi dealer . Your deale r has the correct
Checkin g and fillin g 175
tools, the right brake fl uid and t he know -how
to do this for you .
A WARNING
-Brake flu id is poisonous. It must be stor­
ed only in the closed or iginal container
out of the reach of children!
- Brake failure can res ult from o ld or inap­
propriate brake f lu id. Observe these pre­
cautions:
- Use only b rake fluid th at mee ts SA E
spe cificat ion
J 17 03 and conforms to
Federa l Mo to r Ve hicl e Standard 1 16.
Always check with yo ur authorized Au di
dealer to make sure yo u are using the
correct brake fluid. The cor rect type of
brake f luid is also ind icated on the
brake f luid reservoir .
- The bra ke fluid must be new. Heavy use
of the brakes ca n cause a vapor lock if
the brake fluid is left i n the system too
long. This can se riously affect the effi­
c iency of the b rakes as well as your
safety , T his could result in an accide nt.
(!) Note
Brake fluid will damage the pai nt of your
vehicle.
@) For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal
of brake fluid as well as the spec ial too ls
r equired and the nec essary expertise, we
r ecommend that yo u have th e brake flu id
c hanged by you r aut ho rized Aud i dea le r.
Battery
General information
Your vehicle is equipped with a specia l bat­
tery, an
ACM battery. This battery is located
in the luggage compartment and must be re­
placed with an origina l equipment batte ry .
Un der normal ope rat ing condit io ns, t he bat-
te ry is
maintenanc e-free . .,.
•
•

176 Check ing and filling
Have the battery checked when you take your
vehicle in for service. You are well advised to replace a battery that is older than S years .
Disconn ect ing the battery terminals
Some veh icle functions (power w indow regu­
lators, for example) are lost if the battery ter ­
minals are disconnected . These functions have
to be re learned after the battery terminals are
connected again. To prevent this, the battery
should only be d isconnected from the vehicle
electr ical system when absolutely necessary
for repairs .
V ehicles not dri ven for l ong period s
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, electrical compo­ nents are gradually cut back or switched off .
This reduces energy consumption and main­ tains starting capab ility over a longer period
c:::>
page 147. Some of the convenience func­
tions may not operate, suc h as the inte rior
l ights or power seat adjustme nt. The conven­
i ence functions wi ll be ava ilable aga in whe n
you switch on the ignition and start the en ­
gine.
Winter operati on
During the winter months, batte ry capacity
tends to decrease as tempe ratu res d rop . This
is because more powe r is also consumed while
start ing , and the headlights, rea r window de ­
fogger, etc., are used more often.
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, par­
ticularly in c ity traffic or when t rave ling on ly
short distances. Let you r authorized Aud i
dea ler check the capacity of the vehicle bat ­
tery before winter sets inc:::>
page 179 . A we ll
charged battery w ill not only prevent starting
prob lems when the weather is cold, but will
a lso last longer .
Replacing battery
The new battery must have the same capaci­
ty, vo ltage (12 volts), amperage, construction
and p lug sealing, as the origina l battery. Spec­
if ications are listed on the battery housing.
Batteries specially developed by Audi fulfill the maintenance, outp
ut, and safety require­
ments .
When install ing the battery, m ake su re the ig­
ni tion and a ll ele ct rical consumers are switch ­
ed off
c:::> (i) .
We recommend that you use maintenance­
free or
cy cle-re si stant /leak -proof b atter ies
accord ing to the s tanda rds TL 825 06 (from
Apri l 2008) and VW 7 SO 73 (from April
2010) .
Rep lac ing the bat tery shou ld be car ried by a
qualified wo rkshop. Please fo llow the instruc­
tions on the battery cover .
(D Note
- All wo rk on the ba tte ry req uire s techn i­
c al know ledge . Please con ta ct an Aud i
dealership o r another authorized faci lity
for questions abo ut the batte ry -danger
o f ac id burns and exp losion hazard!
- The battery must not be opened! Do not
try to change the battery's liquid level,
otherwise detonating gas will escape
from the battery - explosion hazard!
- The AGM battery in the l uggage com­
partment cannot leak, because the elec­
tro lyte for this battery is absorbed into a
special glass mat. This leak-proof battery
must not be replace with a convent ional
battery.
- Make sure the ventilation hose on the
side of the battery is connected, other­
w ise fumes or battery ac id can leak out .
- Batte ry holder and termina ls always
have to be secured correctly .
- Before all work on the battery follow the
warnings be low c:::> .&. in Working on the
battery on page 177.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal
of a battery, we recommend your author­
iz ed Audi dealer change the battery for
you. Batteries contain sulfur ic acid and
l ead and must a lways be disposed o f prop-
erly in compliance wi th al l envi ronmental ..,.

regulations. Disposing of vehicle batteries
improper ly is very dangerous to the envi­
ronment . Make sure that the removed bat­
tery cannot overbalance, otherwise sulfu­
r ic acid might escape!
If your vehicle is left standing for severa l
weeks at extremely low temperat ures, the
veh icle battery should be removed and
stored where it will not freeze . This will
prevent it from being damaged and hav ing
to be replaced.
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery!
The battery is located in the luggage compart­
ment under the floor . Before you work on or
n ea r the battery,
re ad and heed all WARN­
INGS ~.,&. .
Always heed the safety warning s, when work­
i ng on the vehicle battery or the ve hicle elec ­
tr ica l system to prevent injury .
The following WARNINGS are very
important when working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYM -
BOLS and safety precautions when working on the battery.
®
Always we ar eye prote ction .
~
Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Al-
way s wear g loves and eye prot ection .
@
No
- sparks
- flames
- smoking.
~
When a battery i s ch arged, it produce s
hyd rogen ga s which i s explosi ve and
could cause personal injury.
®
Alway s keep the battery well out of
reach of children .
Checking and fillin g 177
_& WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on
the electrical system, there is the risk of
injury, accident and even fire. Read and
heed the following WARNINGS:
-Always wear eye protection . Do not let
battery ac id or any lead parti cles get on
your skin o r clothing. Shield you r eyes.
Exp lo sive gases can cause blindne ss or
o ther inju ry.
-
- Battery acid conta ins sulfuri c acid. S ulfu­
ri c a cid can cau se blindness and severe
bu rns .
- Always wear g loves and eye protection.
Do not tilt the battery because acid
could leak out of the ventilat ion open­
i ngs.
- If you get battery acid in your eyes or
on your skin, immediately rinse with
cold water for several minutes and get med ica l attent io n.
- If you should ingest any batte ry acid,
seek medical att ention immediat ely.
- Do not expose the ba tte ry to an open
f lame, e lectr ic sparks or an open l igh t.
- Do not smoke.
- Do not interchange the positive and neg-
ative cables.
- When working on t he battery, be sure
not to short-circuit the termina ls w ith
too ls or other metal objects. This would
cause the battery to heat up ve ry quickly,
which could lead to damage or explosion
an d pe rsonal injury.
- W hen a battery is charged, it produces
hyd rogen gas which is explos ive and
could c ause personal in ju ry.
- Always keep the batt ery well out of the
rea ch of childre n.
- Before work is done on the elect rical sys­
tem, disconnect the negative g round ca­
ble.
- Before performing any work on t he e lec­
trical syste m, switch off the eng ine and
ignit ion as well as any elec tric al equip­
men t. The nega tive cable on the b attery •
•

1 78 Che cking and filling
must be disconnected . If you are just go­
ing to rep lace a light bu lb, then it is
enough to switch off the lights.
- Before disconnecting the battery, switc h
off the anti-theft alarm system! Other­
wise you will set off the alarm.
- When disconnecting the battery, first disconnect the negative cable and then
the positive cable .
- Before reconnect ing the battery, make
sure all electrical consumers are switch­
ed off . Reconnect the positive cable first
and then the negative cable. Never inte r­
change the cables - th is could start a fire!
- Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out battery.
It could explode! If a battery has
frozen, then it must be replaced. A dis­
charged battery ca n freeze over at 32 °F
(0 oc).
- Make sure the vent hose is always attach­
ed to the opening on the side of the bat­
tery .
- Never use batte ries which are damaged.
Danger of explos ion! Always rep lace a
damaged battery .
8_ WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Battery posts, te rm inals and related ac­
cessories contain lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive problems. Wash hands after han­ dling.
(D Note
- Do not disconnect the vehicle battery when the ignition is switched on
or when
the engine is running, otherwise, you will
damage e lectronic components in the
electrical system.
- If your vehicle is going to stand for a long period of time without being driven,
protect the battery from "freezing", oth­
erwise it w ill be damaged and w ill then
have to be replaced .
Checking the battery acid level on magic
eye batteries*
The battery acid level in the battery can be
checked through the clear inspection window .
Fig . 1 36 Lu gga ge compar tment: Battery w ith magic
eye .
On top of the battery, there is a round "win­
dow". This window (magic eye) changes co lor
as the battery cha rge and ac id leve l change.
.,. Read and heed all WARNINGS
<=> .&_ in
Working on the battery on page 177
.,. Read the acid level from the window on the
battery <=>
fig. 136.
Air bubbles in the window can cause an inac­
curate reading . Carefu lly tap on the s ide of
the window.
- If the window is
green , the battery acid level
is correct.
- If the window has
no colo r or is brigh t y el­
lo w,
the battery acid level is too low . Have
the battery tested by your author ized Audi
dea ler or a qualified workshop.
- If the w indow is
black , then the battery is
insufficiently charged . Recharge the battery
as soon as possible¢
page 179 .
(D Note
Do not overfill the battery, otherw ise bat­
tery acid will ove rflow through the vent
opening . This can damage the paint and
cause corrosion .