document_0900452a81b1b9de.book Seite 263 Donnerstag, 26. Juli 2007 9:16 09
Checking and topping up fluids
263
Changing brake fluid
For the sake of the environment
When required, the brake fluid should be changed by a
competent mechanic with the proper equipment.
If the fluid has to be drained out of the brake system, use an appro-
priate container to catch the used brake fluid and dispose of it in the
proper manner.
Brake fluid gradually absorbs moisture from the atmosphere. If the
water content in the brake fluid is too high, this may cause corrosion
in the brake system over time. In addition, the boiling point of the
brake fluid will be considerably reduced. This could adversely affect
the braking ability in certain circumstances.
Battery
General notes
For this reason the brake fluid must be changed periodically.
All work on batteries requires specialist knowledge.
Your vehicle's Service Schedule will tell you when the brake fluid has
to be changed.
The battery is virtually maintenance-free. It is checked as part of the
Inspection Service.
It is advisable to have the brake fluid changed as part of a regular
Inspection Service at your Audi workshop. They are familiar with the
procedure and have the necessary special tools and spare parts as
well as the proper facilities for disposing of the old fluid.
We recommend that you replace a battery once it is older than 5
years.
When an airbag is triggered, the battery will, under certain circum-
stances, be disconnected from the on-board power supply for
safety reasons ⇒
page 201.
Use only the genuine brake fluid specified by the factory Qualified
workshops know that the brake fluid “DOT 4” is approved by Audi.
The brake fluid must be fresh and unused.
in “General notes on airbag system” on
Disconnecting the battery
WARNING
If the battery is disconnected, some of the vehicle's functions will
become inoperative (e.g. electric windows). These functions will
require resetting after the battery is reconnected. For this reason,
the battery should only be disconnected from the vehicle's electrical
system when absolutely necessary.
• Brake fluid is poisonous; store it in the sealed original container
in a safe place out of reach of children.
• Heavy use of the brakes may cause a vapour lock if the brake
fluid is left in the system for too long. This would seriously affect
the efficiency of the brakes and the safety of the car – risk of acci-
dent.
If the vehicle is not used for long periods
If you do not drive your vehicle for a period of several days or weeks,
the power management will gradually shut off the on-board
systems one by one, or reduce the amount of current they are using.
This limits the amount of power consumed and helps to ensure reli-
able starting even after a long period ⇒ page 226.
Caution
Please note that brake fluid will attack the paintwork on contact.
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