check engine AUDI TT ROADSTER 2014 Owner's Guide

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 . .,.
•
•

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 .

Charging of battery
Starting the engine requires a well charged battery.
11-Al way s read and heed all WARNING S be­
low¢
A and ¢ A in Working on the bat­
tery on page 177.
11-Switch off the ignit ion and all electrical con­
sumers.
11-Make sure the area is well vent ilated when
you charge the bat tery.
11-Connect charger cables. ALWAY S co nnect
charge r cables POSITI VE
G) to POSITIVE
G) ; NEGATIVE Qto NEGA TIV E Q .
11-Switch on the charger.
11-Turn off the charger¢ &_.
11-Disconnect the charger cables.
11-Connect both battery cables to the battery if
necessary -
first plus, then m inus.
When charging at
low voltages (e.g. with a
trickle charg er), the battery cables do not
h ave to be d isconnected first. Before charging
at
high voltages, i.e. " fas t charging ", you
must disconnect both cables. In e ithe r case,
follow the instru ctions from the man ufactu rer
of the charger .
Fastcharging a battery is
dan gerou s¢ & in
Working on the battery on page 177.
It r e­
q ui res specia l charg ing equipment and the
know ledge to go with it. We recommend hav­
ing your battery fast charged on ly by a quali­
f ied workshop .
A discharged battery can
freeze at tempera ­
tures of on ly 32 °F (0 °C). A llow a frozen bat­
tery to thaw completely befo re attempting to
charge it¢ & . However, we recommend not
using a thawed battery again because the bat­
tery cas ing can be cracked due to ice forma­
tion and can leak battery acid.
Do not open the battery caps when charging
the battery.
A WARNING
-
Charging a battery can be dangerous.
Checkin g and fillin g 179
-Never charge a frozen battery. It may ex­
plode because of gas trapped in the ice.
Allow a frozen battery to thaw out first.
- Do not reuse batteries wh ich were fro­
zen. The battery housing may have
cracked and weakened when the battery
froze.
- Charge the battery in a well ventilated
area. Keep away from open flame or elec­
trical spark. Do not smoke. Hydrogen gas
generated by the battery is explos ive.
- To reduce the danger of explosion, never
connect or d isconnect c harger cab les
while the charger is ope rat ing.
- Fast cha rging a batte ry is dangerous and
should only be attempted by a compe­
tent techn ic ian with the prope r equip­
men t.
- Battery acid that may spi ll dur ing cha rg­
i n g should be washed off wi th a solu tion
of wa rm w ater and baking soda to neu­
trali ze the ac id.
(D Note
Neve r use a fast cha rg er as a boost er to
star t the engi ne. This w ill ser iously dam­
age sens it ive e lectronic componen ts, su ch
as cont ro l units, re lays, radio, etc., as well
as the batte ry charger.
(D Tips
T he vehicle ba tte ry mu st not be charged
wi th a standa rd small charger that plugs
into t he cigarette lighter or outlet . •
•

180 Checking and filling
Windshield/headlight
washer container
M N
Fi g. 137 Fender , left : cover on t he w inds hield a nd
headl ig ht* was her fl uid reservoir
The washer flu id container is marked wi th the
symbol
Q on its cap <=>page 16 7, fig . 130 .
.. Before you check anyth ing in the engine
compartment,
alw ays re ad an d heed all
W ARNING S r=> A in Working in the engine
compartment on page 165 .
.,. Lift the filler cap tongue to add washer flu­
id . You can fill the container to the top .
.,. Press the cap back onto the fi ller neck after
filling the containe r.
You can find the reservoir
ca pacity in the table
i n
r=> page 224 .
Clean water should be used when filling up . If
possible, use soft water to prevent scal ing on
the washer jets . Always add a glass cleaner
solutio n (with frost p rotection in the winter) .
(D Note
-Do not mix engine coolant antifreeze or
any other addi tives to fill up the wind­
shield washer rese rvoi r.
- Do not use glass cleaners contain ing
paint solvent; you r isk damaging the
paint.

Fuses and bulbs
Electrical fuses
Replacing fuses
Fuses that have blown will have metal strips
that have burned through.
Fig. 161 End face of instrument panel: removing cover
p la te to access fuses
Fig . 162 Left side of eng ine compart ment: fuse cove r
Fuse cover on the left end face of the
instrument panel
.. Switch off the ignition and the electrical
component affected.
.. Carefully pry the fuse cover off the instru ­
ment panel using the ignition key or a
screwdriver
~ fig. 161 .
.. Check the fuse list ing on the next pages to
find out which f use belongs to the compo­
nent which has failed
¢ page 214, Fuse Lo­
cation, Instrument Panel left .
.. Remove the blown fuse with the plastic clip
provided. The clip is located on the holder in
t he fuse box .
.. Replace a blown fuse (recognizable by the
melted metal str ip inside) with a fuse of the
same amperage .
.. Firmly snap the cover back onto the instru­
ment pane l face .
Fuses and bulbs 213
Fuse cover in engine compartment
.. Switch the ignit ion and the affected con­
sumer off .
.. Unlatch the fuse cover, p ush the two slides
forward
~ fig. 162.
.. Fi nd out which fuse belongs to the equip­
ment which stopped working
~page 215,
Fuse location, le~ side of engine compart­
ment.
.. Remove the plastic from its retainer in the
fuse box cove r (left face end of the instru­
ment panel), place it on the f use in question
and pull it out .
.. If the fuse is burned out (recogni zable by
melted strips of metal), replace it with a
new fuse
of the same rating .
.. Replace the fuse cover .
.. Push the two slides to the rear
¢ fig. 162.
Insta ll the fuse cover carefully to prevent
water from enter ing .
The various electrical circuits are protected by
fuses. The fuses are clustered in a centralized
unit. The unit is located behind the face panel
at the end of the instrument panel.
You are well advised to keep a supply of spare
fuses in your vehicle. Fuses with the proper
ampere ratings are available at your author ­
ized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
-
Do not repair fuses and never replace a
b lown fuse with one that has a higher amp
rating. This can cause damage to the elec­
trica l system and a fire.
(D Note
If a new fuse burns out again after short ly
have you have installed it, have the electri­
ca l system checked by your authorized
Audi dealer.

Emergency situations
General
This chapter is intended for trained emer­
gency crews and working personnel who
have the necessary tools and equipment to
perform these operations.
Starting by pushing or
towing
(D Note
Vehicles with an automatic transmission
cannot be started by pushing or towing .
Starting with jumper
cables
If necessary, the engine can be started by
connecting it to the battery of another vehi­
cle.
If the engine should fail to start because of a
discharged or weak battery, the battery can be
connected to the battery of
another vehicle,
using a
pair of jumper cables to start the en­
g ine.
Jumper cables
Use only jumper cables of sufficiently
largecross section to safely carry the starter
current. Refer to the manufacturer's specifica­
tions.
Use only jumper cables which have
insulated
termina l clamps and are properly marked for
distinction :
plus(+) cable in most cases colored red
minus(-) cable
in most cases colored black.
_& WARNING
Batteries contain electricity, acid, and gas.
Any of these can cause very serious or fatal
injury. Follow the instructions below for
safe handling of your vehicle's battery.
- Always shield you r eyes and avoid lean­
ing over the battery whenever possible.
Emergency situations 21 7
-A discharged battery can already freeze
at temperatures just below 32 °F (0 °C).
Before connect ing a jumper cable, the
frozen battery must be thawed com­
pletely, otherwise it could explode .
- Do not allow battery acid to contact eyes
or skin . Flush any contacted area with
water immediately .
- Improper use of a booster battery to
start a vehicle may cause an explosion.
- Vehicle batter ies generate explosive gas­
es. Keep sparks, flame and lighted c iga­
rettes away from batteries.
- Do not try to jump start any veh icle w ith
a low ac id level in the battery.
- The voltage of the booster battery must
also have a 12-Volt rating. The capacity
(Ah) of the booster battery should not be
lower than that of the discharged bat­
tery. Use of batteries of diff erent voltage
or substantially different "Ah" rat ing
may cause an exp losion and personal in­
jury.
- Never charge a frozen battery. Gas trap­
ped in the ice may cause an explosion.
- Never charge or use a battery that has
been frozen . The battery case may have
be weakened.
- Use of batter ies of different voltage or
substantially different capacity (Ah) rat ­
ing may cause an exp losion and injury .
The ca pa city (Ah) of the booster battery
should not be lower than that of the dis­
charged battery.
- Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
c::;,page 165, Working in the
engine compartment.
(D Note
- App lying a higher voltage booster bat­
tery will cause expensive damage to sen­
sit ive electronic components, such as
control units, relays, rad io, etc .
- There must be no electrical contact be­
tween the vehicles as otherwise current
could already start to flow as soon as the
posit ive(+) terminals are connected. ..,. •
•

instructions of the jumper cable
manufacturer. If in doubt, call for road
service.
- Jumper cables must be long enough so
that the vehicles do not touch.
- When connecting jumper cables, make
sure that they cannot get ca ught in any
moving parts in the eng ine compart­
ment.
- Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
Q page 165, Working in the
engine compartment.
(D Note
Improper hook-up of jumper cables can ru­
in the generator.
-Always connect POSITIVE(+) to POSI­ TIVE(+), and NEGATIVE( -) to NEGATIVE
( - ) ground post of the battery manager
control unit.
- Check that all screw plugs on the battery
cells are screwed in firmly . If not, tighten
plugs prior to connecting clamp on nega­
tive battery terminal.
- Please note t hat the procedure for con­
nect ing a jumper cable as described
above applies spec ifically to the case of
your vehicle be ing j ump started. When
you are giv ing a jump start to anothe r ve­
hi cle, do
not connect the negat ive (-) ca ­
ble to the negative(- ) terminal on the
discharged battery ©- Instead, securely
connect the negative (-) cable to either a
solid metal component that is firmly bo lted to the engine block or to the en­
gine block itself. If the battery that is be­
i ng charged does not vent to the outside,
es caping ba tte ry gas cou ld ig nite and ex­
plo de!
Em erg en cy si tuation s 219
Emergency towing
with commercial tow
truck
General hints
Your Audi requires special handling for tow­
ing.
T he following information is to be used by
commercial tow truck operators who know
how to operate their equipment safely.
- Never tow your Audi , towing will cause
damage t o the engine a nd transmi ssion.
- Never wrap th e safet y chain s or winch ca­
ble s ar ound the brak e lin es.
- To preven t unne cess ary dam age, your Aud i
mu st be transported with a car carrier
(flatbed truck ).
- To load th e vehi cle on to the fl at bed , use
the towing lo op found in the vehicle to o ls
and attach to the front o r rear anchorage
Q poge 220 and Qpoge 221.
A WARNING
A veh icle being towed is not safe for pas­
sengers. Never allow anyone to ride in a
vehicle be ing towed, for any reason.
-
•
•

222 Emergency situations
Lifting vehicle
Lifting with workshop hoist and with
floor jack
The vehicle may only be lif ted at the lifting
points illustra ted.
F ig. 174 Rear lift in g poin t (ri gh t side)
Fi g. 1 75 Fro nt lift in g po int (r ig ht s ide)
• Read and heed WARNI NG ¢,& .
• Locate lifting points
r=> fig . 174 r=> fig . 1 75 .
• Adjust lift ing arms of wor ks h op hoist or
floor jack to match vehicle lifting points.
• In se rt a rubber pad between the floor jack/
workshop hoist and the lifti ng po ints.
If you must lift your vehicle with a floor jack
to work underneath, be sure the vehicle is safely supported on stands intended for this
purpose.
Front lifting point
The lifting point is locate d on t he floor pan re­
info rcement about at the same level as the
jac k mounting point
r=> fig. 175. Do not lift
the vehicle at the vertical sill reinforcement.
Rear lifting point
The lifting point is locate d on t he vertical rein ­
forceme nt of the lower s ill for t he on boa rd
j ac k
t:!>fig . 174.
Lifting with vehicle jack
Refer to r=>page 210.
/n.. WARNING
-To re duce the risk of ser ious injury and
ve hicl e damage .
- Always lift th e ve hicle o nly at t he spe­
c ia l works hop hoist and floor jac k lift
p o ints illust rated
t:!> fig . 17 4 and
r=> fig. 175.
- Fa il u re to lift th e veh icle at th ese
p oi nts co ul d cau se the vehicle to tilt or
f a ll from a li ft if th ere is a ch an ge in ve­
h icl e weig ht distr ib utio n an d ba lan ce.
T his mi ght happ en, for ex ample, when
h eavy com ponent s such as the engine
b lock o r tra nsmissi on are remove d.
- Wh en removin g heavy c ompone nts like
these , anch or vehicle to hoist or ad d co r­
respon ding we ights to maintain t he cen­
ter of gravity. Ot herwise , th e ve hicle
might tilt or slip off the ho ist, causing
serio us pe rsonal injury.
(D Note
-Be aware o f the followin g points bef ore
liftin g the vehicle:
- The vehicle should never be lifted or
jacked up from underneath the engine
oil pan, the transmission housing, the
front or rear axle or the body side members. This could lead to seriou s
damage.
- To avoid damage to the underbody or
chassis frame, a rubber pad must be inserted between the floor jack and
the lift points.
- Before driving over a workshop hoist,
check that the vehicle weight does not
exceed the permissible lifting capacity
of the hoist .
- Before driving over a workshop hoist,
ensure that there is sufficient clear­
ance between the hoist and low parts
of the vehicle.
-