check oil AUDI TT ROADSTER 2014 Owners Manual

Knee airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Child Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Important things to know ......... .
Child safety seats ................ .
Instal ling a chi ld safety seat .. .. .. . .
Additional Information ........... .
Vehicle operation ............ .
Intelligent technology .. .. .. . .
Notice about data recorded by vehicle
control modules .............. ... .
Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) .
Rear spoiler ................ ... . .
Braking ........................ .
E lect ro-me chan ical power assis t ... . .
D riving w ith your quattro ......... .
Energy management ............. .
Driving and environment .....
The first 1,000 miles (1,500 km) and
afterwards .............. .. .. .. . .
Avoid damaging the vehicle ........ .
Driving through water on roads ... . .
Catalytic converter ............... .
Shutting down vehicle ............ .
Operate your vehicle economically and
minimize pollution ............... . 130
135
138
141
142
142
142
142
144
145
146
1 47
147
1 5 0
150
151
151 151
152
15 2
Tra iler towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Vehicle care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Vehicle care and cleaning . . . . . 155
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Car washes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Cleaning and care information . . . . . . 156
Fuel supply and filling your
fuel tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16 1
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Fuel tank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Checking and filling . . . . . . . . . . . 16 5
Engine hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Eng ine oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Eng ine cooling system............. 172
Brake fluid ...................... 174
Table of contents 3
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Windshield/headlight washer
container . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Tires and wheels ........... .. .
Tires ..... .. .... .. . .. .......... .
Tire pressure monitoring system ... .
Run-flat tire s .. .. ............... .
Do-it-yourself service ........ .
What do I do now? ........... .
Trunk escape handle ............. .
Vehicle tool kit .... .............. .
T ire repai r .... ... .. ............. .
What should I be aware of when
h . t
' 7 c angmg a ire .................. .
Fuses and bulbs .. .. .. ..... ... .
El ectr ical fuses . .. .. ............. .
Bulbs .......................... .
Emergency situations ........ .
General ........................ .
Starting by pushing or towing ...... .
Starting with jumper cables ....... .
U se of jump er cables ............. .
Emergency towing with commercia l
tow truck ...................... .
Lifting vehicle .. .. ............... . 181
181
199
202
205
205
205
205
206
209
213
213
216
217
217
217
217
218
219
222
Technical data
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Technical Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Vehicle identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Weights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223
Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Capacities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Gasoline engines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Consumer Information . . . . . . . 226
Warranty coverages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Operating your vehicle outside the
U.S. A. or Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Audi Service Repair Manuals and
Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Maintenance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Additional accessories, modifications
and parts rep lacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
•
•

Instrument s and warning /indicator lights 11
Digital clock with date display
Your vehicle is equipped with a quartz con­
trolled digital clock .
Fig. 4 In str um en t cl uste r w it h t he dig ita l cloc k
To set the hour
.. Pull the knob (hou r d isp lay flashes) and turn
i t to the left o r right.
To set the minutes
.. Pull the knob as ma ny times as necessary
un til the mi nute display flash es.
.. Turn the knob to the left or right .
To set the date
.. Pull the knob as many times as necessary
unt il the day, month or year display flashes.
.. Turn the knob to the left or right .
To hide or d isplay the date
.. Pull the knob as many times as necessary
unti l the date display flashes.
.. Turn the knob to the left or right.
When the date disp lay stops blinking, this
means the time and date have been success­
fu lly stored.
W ith the ignition off, pushing or pulling the
Set/Check button¢
page 10, fig . 3@ can
turn on the dis play f ie ld lighting for a few sec ­
onds .
Engine coolant temperature gauge
The engine coo la nt gauge ¢ page 10 , fig. 3@
only works when the ign ition is on. To prevent
damage to your e ngine, please note the fo l­
l owing important points:
Engine cold
As long as the nee dle rem ains a t the left end
of the gauge, the engine s till h as not reac hed
its operating temperat ure. Avoid high engine
speeds, heavy engine loads and heavy throt­
tle.
Normal temperature
W hen the engine has re ache d its ope rat ing
temperature, the need le w ill move into the
mid dle of t he gauge and rema in there .
If the
engine is working hard at high outside tem ­
peratures, the needle may turn fu rther to the
right. This is no cause for concern as long as
the . warni ng light in the inst rument cl uster
does not illuminate .
When the. war ning light starts to flash,
th is can mean one of two thi ngs: either the
coolant
temperature is too high, o r the coo l­
ant
level is too low ¢ page 17 .
A WARNING
--Always obs erv e th e warn ing in
¢ page 165 before openi ng the eng ine
h oo d and che ck ing the e ngine coolan t
leve l.
- Neve r open t he eng ine hood if you see or
he ar ste am, or if you see engi ne coo lant
drippi ng from t he en gine compar tment .
You could bur n yourse lf . Let the en gin e
coo l off fi rst until you can no longer see
or hear steam or coolant escap ing.
(D Note
- M ounting ad ditiona l lights or accessories
i n fr ont of the air inlets reduces the coo l­
ing effect of t he radiato r. At high o utsi de
tempe rat ures or h igh engine load, the
eng ine could overheat.
- The front spoiler has been designed to
properly d istribute the cooling a ir when
the vehicle is movi ng. If the spoiler is
damaged, this could reduce the coo ling
e ff ect a nd th e eng ine could then ove r­
h eat . As k yo ur au thori zed A udi deal er for
a ssis tan ce.

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 13
road, stop the engine, and turn on the
emergency flasher¢
page 51.
-The engine com partment of any motor
vehicle is a potentially hazardous area.
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, stop the engine and let it
cool down. Always exercise extreme cau­
t ion when wor king under the hood
¢ page 165, Working in the engine
compartment
(D Tips
Ma lfunctions or faults w ill be identified e i­
ther with a red symbo l (pr iority 1 -Dan­
ge r!) o r with a ye llow symbol (pr iority 2 -
Warn ing).
Overview
Some ind icator lights turn on briefly to check
the function of that system when yo u switch
the ignition on. These systems are marked
with a./ in the following tab les. If one of
these ind icator lights does not turn on, there
is a malfunction in that system.
R ed indicator lights
Red symbols indicate a priority malfu nction -
Danger!
- P ull off the road.
- Stop t he vehicle.
- T urn off the engine .
- Check the ma lfunction ing system. Contact
you r authorized Aud i dealer o r a qualified
workshop for assistance .
-USA model s: Ma lfunction in the
brake system ¢
page 14
Canada model s: Ma lf u nction in the
brake system ¢
page 14
USA models: Airbag system ./
¢page 15
Canada model s: Airbag system ./
¢page 15
Safety belt
¢page 16
Battery./
¢page 16
Engine oil pressure too low
¢ page 16
Engine coolant level too low/
engine coolant temperature too
h igh
¢ page 17
Electro-mechanical power assis t
¢page 17
Clutch is overhea ting
¢page 87
Yellow indicator lights
Yellow symbo ls indicate a prior ity 2 malfunc­
t ion -Wa rning!
•
I
Convertib le top
¢ page 17
Electronic Stab ilizat ion Con tro l (ESC)
./ ¢page 18
Electronic St abiliz at ion Con tro l (ES C)
./ ¢page 18
~ USA models : anti- lock b rake system
liJ.:tl (A BS) ./ defec tive ¢ page 18
•
Canada models : anti-lock brake sys­
t em (ABS) ./ defect ive ¢
page 18
Worn b rake pads
¢ page 19
Tire pressure too low
¢ page 200
mfflT ire pressure monitoring system
WiU.t:.F page 200
~ Electronic power control./
1.1&:J ¢ page 19
USA models: Malfunction Indicator
Lamp (MIL)
¢page 19

14 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
111'!!1 Canada models: Malfunction Indica­
mil tor Lamp (M IL) ¢ page 19
I'm Engine speed limitation*
1111111 ¢ page 19
• Check engine o
il level ¢ page20
• Engine
oil sensor malfunction ¢ page20
•
II
Battery
¢page 16
Low fuel level
¢page20
• Windshie
ld washer fluid level low ¢ page20
l:J
Defective light bulb
¢page20
•
USA models : Defective brake light
¢page 20
Cl
Canada models: Defective brake
light
¢ page 20
II
Dynamic headlight range control* de-
fective ¢
page 21
El
Adaptive L ight* defective
¢page 21
m
Light/rain sensor defective (automat-
ic head lights)* defective ¢
page 21
B
Audi magnetic ride
¢page 21
•
Rear spoiler../
¢page 21
~
USA models : Speed warning 1
¢page 76
•
Canada models: Speed warning 1
¢page 76
•
USA models : Speed warning 2
¢page 76
Canada models: Speed warning 2
¢page 76
Electro-mechanical power assist
¢ page 17
Other indicator lights
II
II
CRUIS
•
Turn signals
¢page 21
USA models: Cruise control acti­
vated ¢
page 21
Canada models: Cruise control
activated ¢
page 21
High beam
¢page 50
BRAKE/ (CD) Brake system
This warning/indicator light illuminates when
the brake fluid level is too low or when there
is a malfunction in the ABS, or when the park­
ing brake is set.
If the - (USA models)/ . (Canada
models) symbo l flashes in the disp lay with the
parking brake released, there is a malfunction
in the brake system. In addition to the sym­
bol, one of two messages appears in the dis ­
play:
Stop vehicle and check brake fluid level
Stabilization program and ABS fault! See
Owner's manual
.,. Pull off the road and stop the vehicle.
.,. Obtain p rofessional assistance.
USA models: if there is a ma lfunction in the
ABS system, the
m;B warning/ind icator light
illuminates along with the - system
malfunction warning/indicator light¢
A.
Canada models: if there is a malfunction in
the ABS system, the~ warning/i ndicator
lig ht i llum inates together with the. bra ke ..,_

16 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
If the I (USA models) JII (Canada models)
indicator light does not go out, or if it illumi­
nates wh ile you are driv ing, or if it starts to
blink, then there is a ma lfunction somewhere
in the system . If the light does not illuminate
when you switch on the ignition, this also
means there is a malfunction .
A WARNING
If you have a malfunction in the safety sys­
tems, contact your authorized Audi dealer
immediate ly. Otherwise the safety sys­
tems may not wo rk properly in an acci­
dent.
4 Safety belt warning light
Applies to vehicles: with safety belt warning light
The warning light is a reminder to fasten
safety belts.
The warning light . comes on for a few sec­
onds after the ignit ion is switched on as a re­
m inder to fasten your safety belt.
Addit ional information on safety belts
Q page 101.
0 Battery
This warning/indicator light detects a mal ­
function in the generator or in the vehicle's
electrical system.
The. warning/ind icator light illuminates
when you sw itch on the ignit ion a nd must go
out after the engine has started.
• Alternator fault: Battery is not being
charged
If the indicator light turns on and the mes ­
sage appears, there is a ma lfunction in the
generator or vehicle electr ical system.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer or quali­
fied workshop immediately . Because the vehi ­
cle battery is discharging, turn off all unnec­
essary electrical equipment such as the radio.
Seek professional ass istance if the battery
charge level is too low.
(•) Low battery: battery will be charged
while driving
If the indicator l ight turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there may be limited starting
ability.
If this message turns off after a litt le while,
the battery charged enough while driving.
If the message does not turn off, have your
authorized Aud i dealer or qualified workshop
correct the malfunction.
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol
requires immediate service or repair.
If the . symbol appears in the disp lay and
flashes, the oil pressure is too low. In add ition
to the symbol, the following message also ap­
pears in the display:
Switch off engine! Oil pressure is too low
.,. Pull off the road and stop the vehicle.
• Shut the eng ine down.
.,. Check the engine oil level¢ page 170.
.,. Contact your authorized Aud i dealer for as-
sistance if necessary.
Engine oil level too low
If the engine oil leve l is too low, top off oil to
the proper level¢
page 170.
Engine oil level OK
If the . symbo l starts flashing again even
though the engine oi l level checks OK on the
dipstick,
do not start driving again and do
not let the engine run at idle.
Instead, con­
tact your authori zed Aud i dealer for ass is­
tance.
(D Tips
- The engine oil pressure symbol. is
not an indicator for a low engine oil lev­
el. Do not rely on it. Instead, check the
oil level in your engine at regular inter­
vals, preferably each time you refuel,
and always before going on a long trip.

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 17
- The yello w oil level warning indic ation
II require s oil refill o r work shop se rv ­
i c e without del ay. Do not w ait until the
r ed o il p ressure warning symbol.
sta rts to flash befo re you respond to
th e l ow oil l eve l warning
I'll . By th en,
your engine ma y alr eady ha ve suff ere d
s eriou s damag e.
_L Engine cooling system
A malfunction in the engine cooling system
must be repaired as soon as possible .
When the. symbol in the display flashes,
then either the eng ine coolant
temperature is
too h igh, or the coolant
level is too low . In ad­
d ition to the symbol, the fo llowing message
a lso appears in the display:
Sw it c h off engin e and ch eck coo lant l evel
~ Pull off the road and stop the vehicle.
~ Turnoff the engine.
~ Check coolant level ¢ page 173.
~ Add coolant if necessary ¢ page 173 .
~ Conti nue driving only after the eng ine cool­
ant warn ing/ indicator light goes out .
~ Contact you r authorized Audi dea le r fo r as-
s istance if necessary .
If the engine coolant level is correct, then the
radiato r fan may be the cause of the malfunc­
tion .
If the generator warning/ind icator light
should also illuminate ¢
page 16, then the
fan belt may be damaged .
A WARNING
-If your veh icle should break down for
mechanical or other reasons, park at a
sa fe distance from moving traffic, turn
off the engine and turn on the hazard
warning lights ¢
page 51, Emergency
flasher.
- Never open the hood if you see or hear
steam or coolant escaping from the en­
gine compartment - you risk being scald­
ed . Wait until you can no longer see or
hear steam or coolant escaping . -
The engine compartment of any vehicle
is a dangerous area . Before you perform
any work in the engine compartment,
turn off the eng ine and allow it to cool.
Follow the warn ing stickers .
(D Note
Do not continue dr iv ing if the . symbol
ill uminates. There is a malfunction in the
engine cooling system -you could damage
your engine .
~ Electro-mechanical power assist
If the indicato r light illum inates while you are
driv ing , there is a malfunction in the electro­
mecha nica l steering. If the indi cator light is
showing
'".[-1. there may be a reduction in pow ­
er steering assist. If the indicator light is
showing ., ther e may be a tota l loss of pow ­
er steering assist. The stee ring must be in­
spected immed iately by a qualified workshop
¢ .&. .With the eng ine not running (e.g . when
the car is being towed), there is also no power
ass ist available .
A WARNING
-
If there is a ma lfunction, the indicato r
l ight for the electro-mechanical power as­
sist il l uminates. Seek pro fessional assis­
tance.
~ Convertible top
The warning/indicator light monitors the con­
vertible top function .
The !I warning/ indicator light illumi nates
when you switch on the ignition for about 2 seconds as a check and then goes out. The
warning/indicator ligh t has the following
functions :
- The light illumi nates when the foldi ng top
opens or closes.
- I t flashes if one of the cond it ions for auto­
mat ically lower ing or ra is ing the convertible
top is no t met and the switch to actuate the
convertible top is pressed . .,..

20 Instruments and warning /indicator lights
speed displayed in the driver information sys­
tem . Keep in mind that the engine speed will
not exceed the va lue disp layed in the driver in­
formation system, for example when down­
shifting.
Please go to an authorized Audi dea ler or oth­
er qualified workshop to have the ma lfunction
repaired.
~ . Checking the engine oil level
II Please add max . 1 qt of engine oil!
If the II symbol comes on, add 1 quart (1 li­
ter) of oil at the next opportunity
¢page 170.
~ ... Engine oil sensor defective
If the II symbol illuminates, contact your
author ized Audi dealer and have the oil sensor
inspected .
Bi) Fuel supply too low
When the 001 symbol illuminates, this means
there are about 1.9 gallons (7 liters) of fuel
left in the fuel tank. Time to refuel!
¢ page 162.
If the symbol lights up, even when there is
ample fuel in the tank, and the text
Tank sys­
tem malfunction! Please contact workshop
appears in the display, there is a fault in the
system. Contact a qualified workshop to have
the fault rectified.
low
If the -symbol illum inates, add w indshield
washer f luid to the washer system
¢page 180.
~ Defective light bulb warning
The defective light bulb warning tells you
when a vehicle light bulb has become defec­
tive.
If a defective bulb has been detected by the
system or a light bulb burns out,
the m sym ­
bol w ith a message appears in the display to
te ll you which bulb is burnt out and where it is
located. For example :
Rear left turn signal
After 5 seconds, the message disappears. If
you want to recall the message into the dis­ play, press the CHECK button
¢ page 10,
fig. 3
(J) .
There are three reasons why the defective
bulb message would appear in the display:
- The light bu lb has burnt out
¢page 216.
-The f use is "blown" ¢ page 213, Replacing
fuses .
-The wire connection to the light bulb is de-
fective.
Have the bulb replaced or the connect ion re­
paired by your authorized Aud i Service depart­
ment .
A WARNING
-
-Light bulbs are pressurized and could ex­
p lode while they are being changed caus­
ing serious personal injury.
- Work with due care when handling the
high-vo ltage section of gas discharge
(xenon) lamps. Failing to do so could re­
sult in death or serious injury!
BRAKE LIGHT!<®> Brake light defective
In case of a malfunction or component fail-
ure, the symbol (USA models)/
It:$ ing electrical components should be checked,
repaired or replaced, as necessary:
- Brake light bulbs
- All wiring connections
- Brake light switch

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 21
Contact your authorized Audi dealer for assis­
tance if necessary.
@ Tips
The brake light switch is only inspected as
pa rt of the functional check after the en ­
gine is started.
~(D Headlight range control defective
Applies to vehicles: with dynamic headlig ht range adjust·
ment
I f the II ill uminates, the dynamic headlight
range control is no longer working properly .
Have the system checked and repaired at your
authorized Audi dealer.
sD Adaptive light defective
App lies to vehicles: w it h Adaptive Light
rlJ Ad apt ive l ight de fe cti ve
When this symbo l rlJ illuminates, it means
that Adaptive Light is defective. Go to a quali ­
f ied workshop to have the headlights or the
control unit for the Adaptive Light repaired.
(j_ o Light/rain sensor defective
Applies to vehicles: with automat ic headlights
The indicator light indicates a defect in the
automatic headlights/automatic wiper sys­
tem.
If the symbol illuminates, the light sensor has
failed. For safety reasons, the low beams are
turned on permanently with the switch in
AU ­
TO. However, you can continue to turn the
lights on and off using the light switch . In the
case of a defect in the ra in sensor, the w ind­
sh ie ld wiper lever functions are st ill available .
H ave the light/ra in sensor checked as soon as
possib le at an author ized Audi dealer.
; Audi magnetic ride
Applies to vehicles: with Audi magnetic ride
The indicator light monitors vehicle damping.
The indicator light 8 illum inates when the ig ­
n ition is switched on as a funct ion check .
(D Tips
If the indicator la mp illuminates whi le you
are driving, there is a malfunction in the
vehicle damping. The chassis should be in­
spected immed iate ly by an authorized
Audi dealer.
-::}. Rear spoiler
The warning/indicator light monitors the
electrically retractable rear spoiler.
The warning/indicator light I) has the fo l­
l owing functions:
- It comes on for about 3 seconds as a func­
tion check when the ignition is switched on .
- It comes on if there is a mal function in the
electrically retractab le rear spoi ler.
Additional informat ion about t he e lectr ica lly
retractab le rear spoi ler¢
page 144.
¢ ¢Turn signals
The indicator light blinks when you use either
turn signal.
Whenever you use the left II or the r ight II
turn s ignal, the indicator light blinks. When
you use the emergency flashe r, both indicator
li ghts fl ash.
If one of the turn signal light bulbs burn out,
the turn signal w ill blink twice as fast as nor­
mal.
Additional informat ion on the turn s ignals
~ page SO.
CRUISE/ r,f Cruise control
The lB;\l )~i4 ( U SA mode ls)/ . (Canada models)
warning/indicator light illuminates when the
c ruise control is ac tiva ted.

Each display type in the Start menu cont ains a
submenu with additional options.
Set Clock ¢ page 26
Computer c::>page 26
Acoustic park assist*
c:>page 80
Speed wa rning c::> page 78
Language c::> page 26
Units (distance, fue l consump-
tion, temperature)
c::> page 26
Tire press ure monitoring
c::> page 199
Lap timer* c:>page 29
Lighting* c::> page 48
Wiper (service posit ion)
c:> page 56
Wi ndow c::> page 40
Doors (unlock ing and locking
mode, for examp le Auto- lock)
c::> page 34, c::> page 34
Check Service c::> page 28
Chassis number c::> page 223
Engine oil temperature*
c:> page 26, c::> page 26
Registered keys c::> page 32
Menu off All of the messages show n in
veh icles without menu display
appear on the disp lay screen .
Navigating the menu
Use the racker switch on the windshield wiper
lever and the
I Reset ! button to operate the
menu and carry out inquiries and selections .
-----®
Fig. 12 W iper lever: Cont rols fo r th e me nu di splay
Dr iver in formation system 25
Fig . 1 3 D isplay: Start menu
I Reset I button @ and rocker switch @
c::> fig. 12 fu nctions:
To open the menu
.. Press the I Reset I button @ until the men u
disp lay
c::> fig . 13 appears
Sel ections and sett ing s
.. Press the rocker switch @to reach a men u
disp lay. The switch is operated the same as
the display (up/down) .
Entering and confirming
.. Press the I Reset I butt on @.
Returning to the Start menu
.. Press the I Reset I butto n longer tha n 2 sec­
onds to return from any menu level to the
Sta rt me nu.
U sing the rocker switch, you can select the
menus in the d isplay or change settings. A
cu rsor appears on th e left in front of these­
lec ted values.
By pressing the
I Reset I button, you activate
the se lection you made or confi rm the values
you set.
Selected functions are identified wit h
a check mark or are carried out d irectly .
Mean ings of the symbols in the display:
Selec- Selected func- Meaning
tion tion bar
> Cursor Current Selection
./
Check mark Se
lecte d or Fune-
t ion active

(D Note
Never push the vehicle or apply force to
the rear spoiler -it could be damaged.
@ Tips
Clean the spoiler compartment every 2 to
3 months . The spoiler compartment must
always be free of ice, snow, leaves or other
debris.
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Oper ating condit ions and d riving hab it s
T he brakes on today's automobi les are st ill
s ubject to wear, depending largely on opera t­
ing conditions and dr iv ing habi ts
c> & . On
vehicles that are e ither driven mostly in stop ­
and-go city traffic or are d riven hard , the
b rake pads should be checked by you r author­
i zed Audi dealer more often than specified i n
the
Warr ant y & Maint enan ce booklet . Failure
to have your brake pads inspected can res ult
in red uced brake performance.
On steep slopes, you shou ld use the brak ing
effect of the eng ine. This way, you p revent un­
necessa ry wear on the brake system . If you
must use yo ur brakes, do not hold the brakes
down continuously. Pump th e brakes at inter­
vals.
Noises may occur when braking d epending on
the speed, braki ng force and outside condi­
tions such as temperature and humidity.
Moistu re or road salt
Unde r certain conditions, for example, w hen
driving through water or ve ry heavy rain, or
even after washing your vehicle, the braking
effect can be reduced d ue to moisture (or in
fre ezing conditions ice) on the brake pads . A
few ca utious brake applicat ions should dry off
the b rake pads or remove any ice coatings.
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when th e vehicle is driven on a salt-covered
Int ellig ent technolog y 145
road and the b rakes are no t used. Likewise ,
you clean off accumulated salt coating from brake d iscs and pads with a few cautious ap ­
plications of the brake
c> & .
Cor ro sion
T here may be a tendency for dir t to build up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not driven regu larly or
on ly fo r short trips with litt le use of the
brakes.
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if cor­
rosion has formed on the discs, it is advisable
to clean off the pads and discs by braking
firmly a few times from a moderately high
speed
c> & .
Faults in the brak e syst em
If you shou ld notice a sudden increase in
brake pedal trave l, then one of the two brake
c ircuits may have fai led
c> & .
Low brake fluid lev el
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if
the b rake fluid level is too low. The brake fluid
level is monitored electronica lly.
Brake booster
T he brake booster inc reases the pressure that
you generate with the brake peda l. It works
o nl y when the engine is running
.c> &
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the open ings in the wheel. If neces­
sary, the wheel may be removed for t his in­
spection
c> page 209, What should I be
aware of when changing a tire? .
A WARNING
--=
-You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road conditions permit.
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an accident!
- Before descend ing a steep grade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
~
•
•