Auto Service

1.
Find the fog lamp in the front fender corner.
2.
To get to the lamp, you must first pop out the grille next to it. There are two pins that you must pull down with either your fingers or pliers. Remove the pins and put them in a safe place.
Pop out the grille by shaking gently back and forth.
3.
Now you can access the fog lamp. There are two bolts on the inside corners of the fog lamp; use a socket wrench or regular wrench to loosen and remove the bolts. Pull the inside corner out toward you.
4.
Take the fog lamp out of the fender until you see a connector with wires coming out of it. Disconnect the fog lamp at the connector and remove it completely from the car.
5.
Now take your new fog lamp out of the box. Examine it to see whether its broken. Connect the new fog lamps connector to the wire connector on your car.
6.
Push the fog lamp into the fender.
7.
Tighten the bolts with your socket wrench or regular wrench.
8. Now turn on the cars fog lamps to see whether they work. If they dont, look at the wire connection to see if its loose and at the fog lamp itself to make sure the bulb isnt broken.
9.
Replace the grille. Push the two pins back up into the car with your hands.
Youre all done.

1. Press the + or - buttons on the vehicles steering wheel until the Time and Date menu appears on the digital display.
2. Press the Up or Down arrow buttons until the Clock, Hours message appears on the digital display.
3. Use the steering wheels + or - buttons to adjust the clocks hours digits to the current time. Press the small Reset button next to the analog clock to save your changes to the hours digits.
4. Access the vehicles Time and Date menu again using the + or - buttons on the steering wheel.
5. Press the Up or Down arrow buttons to cause the Clock, Minutes message to show on the digital display screen.
6. Set the minutes digits to the desired time with the + or - buttons. Press the Reset button next to the analog clock to save your changes to the minute digits. Note that the analog clocks hands will move to reflect the current time.

1. Break the lug nuts loose on the Audi by turning them 1/4 turn on all of the wheels.
2. Raise the Audi onto jack stands. To do this, engage the emergency brake and jack up the front of the vehicle with the floor jack and make sure that you are jacking up on the front jack point located near the radiator (it is an extension of the frame of the Audi). Place the jack stands underneath the front pinch welds on the side of the Audi, and lower the vehicle onto the jack stands. Repeat this process for the rear of the vehicle, using the rear jack point located near the trunk as well as the rear pinch welds.
3. Continue removing the lug nuts and remove the wheel.
4. Unbolt the caliper mounting bolts and pull the caliper off the brake rotor.
5. Secure the brake rotor to the coil springs above the brake assembly with zip ties.
6. Remove the brake pads. You may need to tap them out of place with a rubber mallet.
7. Place the face of one of the brake pads over the caliper piston. Then, place the c-clamp over the caliper assembly and force the brake pad against the caliper piston. This will in turn push the caliper piston back into the caliper, making room for the new (thicker) brake pads.
8. Insert the new brake pads into the caliper and reassemble the caliper and brake assembly. Installation of pads is the reverse of removal.
9. Mount the wheels back over the hub assembly and tighten the lug nuts. Then, lower the Audi and torque the lug nuts to 100 foot-lbs using the torque wrench.

1.
Audi recommends using 75w 90 gear oil. You will need about 1.5 Liters. I bought 2 bottles of mobil gear oil at autozone for $9 each. Buy amsoil if you prefer that brand. I dont think it matters but you want to be on the safe side as these cars are highly specific to their needs.
2.
Jack up the car lifting all 4 wheels off the floor at a even level. This is required to accurately fill the fluid.
3.
Now lets locate the rear differential drain plug(circle) and the fill plug (arrow, blocked not visible)
4. Open the Fill plug first! You do not want to drain the gear oil and not be able to fill it back up.
5.
You will need a 10mm allen wrench for both plugs.
6.
Once you have the fill plug opened. Its safe to open the drain plug.
7.
Once its finished draining. Put the drain plug back in. And lets prepare to fill her up with new differential fluid. I used my pressure pump to push the fluid in. You can use any pump such as one from a shampoo bottle and attach a hose that will lead into the fill plug
8.
A shot of hose going into the fill plug. It is done filling up once oil begins flowing out.

Single-Caliper-Piston System
1. Unscrew the lid from the master cylinder reservoir and siphon out about half of the fluid from the master cylinder with a clean turkey baster. Transfer the siphoned fluid to a small, sealable container and seal the container.
2. Loosen the front wheel bolts with a ratchet and socket, and raise the front of the A4 with a floor jack. Position jack stands under the vehicle’s subframe and lower the A4 onto the jack stands. Remove the wheel bolts and remove the front wheels.
3. Pull the ends of the outer brake pad retainer – the metal spring spanning the rear of the outer brake pad – from the holes in the caliper with needle-nose pliers. Pull the outer brake pad retainer from the caliper and outer brake pad.
4. Pry the rubber caps from the brake caliper guide pins with a small flat-head screwdriver. Loose the caliper guide pins with a ratchet and hex-bit socket, and pull the caliper guide pins from the caliper.
5. Pull the caliper up and off the caliper bracket, and suspend it from the coil spring with a bungee cord. Do not allow the caliper to hang by its rubber hose. Pull the old brake pads off the caliper bracket.
6. Remove the two caliper bracket bolts with a ratchet and socket, and pull the caliper bracket off the front hub.
7. Disengage the rotor retaining screw with a Phillips screwdriver. If the screw will not turn easily, lightly tap the head of it with a hammer to free it. Pull the rotor from the front hub. If the rotor is stuck, lightly tap the rear of it with a rubber mallet to free it.
8. Inspect the front and rear of the rotor for any visual defects, including: deep grooves, signs of grinding, hot spots or mirror-like shine. Replace the rotor with a new one if any defects exist.
9. Set the rotor on the front hub, lining up the screw hole on the rotor with that on the front hub. Tighten the rotor-retaining screw with a Phillips screwdriver.
10. Install the caliper bracket on the front hub and hand-tighten it retaining bolts. Tighten the caliper bracket bolts to 92 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and socket.
11. Set the old inner brake pad in the caliper, so it contacts the caliper piston. Position an 8-inch C-clamp over the caliper, so the fixed part touches the rear of the caliper and the screw part touches the brake pad. Tighten the C-clamp to press the caliper piston into the caliper. Once the C-clamp stops moving, loosen it and remove it and the brake pad.
12. Install new brake pads into the caliper bracket, position the inner brake so the arrow engraved on it points downward.
13. Clean the caliper guide pins with a clean, lint-free cloth and apply a thin coat of new disc brake grease to the smooth part of the caliper guide pin. Insert the guide pins into the caliper and hand-tighten them. Torque the caliper guide pins to 11 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and hex-bit socket.
14. Insert the straight ends of a new outer brake pad retainer – included with the new brake pads – into the small holes on the outside of the caliper. Press the outer brake pad retainer toward the brake pad until it seats in the grooves in the caliper. Press the rubber covers back into place over the caliper guide pins.
15. Repeat Steps 3 through 14 to replace the brakes on the other side of the A4.
16. Reinstall the front wheels on the A4’s hubs and hand-tighten the wheel bolts. Raise the Audi off the jack stands with a floor jack and remove the jack stands. Lower the vehicle to the ground and tighten the lug nuts, in a crisscross pattern, to 89 foot-pounds.
17. Press and release the brake pedal until it feels firm, then check the brake fluid level in the master cylinder reservoir. Add DOT 4 brake fluid to the master cylinder reservoir until the level reaches the “Max” line.
18. Take the old brake fluid in the sealed container to a used-automotive-fluid-recycling center for disposal. Many auto parts stores take old brake fluid free of charge.
Dual-Caliper-Piston System
19. Follow Steps 1 and 2 in the section titled “Single Piston Brake Removal” to remove excess brake fluid, raise the A4 and remove its wheels.
20. Remove the two Torx bolts securing the outer brake pads with a ratchet and Torx-bit socket. Pull the two outer brake pads from the caliper through the hole above each brake pad.
21. Press and hold the button on the brake pad wear sensor wiring harness, and unplug the harness from the A4’s harness. Press the caliper toward the inside of the A4 until it stops moving.
22. Insert a flat-head screwdriver between the topmost brake pad and the caliper carrier’s body, and pry the brake pad toward the rotor to disengage the pad’s retaining clips. Pull the pad from the caliper, through the hole directly above the brake pad. Repeat this step to remove the lower, inside brake pad.
23. Unfasten the caliper carrier retaining bolts with a ratchet and Torx-bit socket. Pull the caliper carrier assembly off the front hub and hang it from the strut spring with a bungee cord. Never allow the caliper to hang by its rubber hose, as this can cause severe damage.
24. Remove, inspect and reinstall the front rotor by following Steps 7 through 9 in the section titled “Single Piston Brake Removal.”
25. Set the caliper carrier back into place on the front hub and hand-tighten the caliper carrier retaining bolts. Torque the caliper carrier retaining bolts to 148 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and Torx-bit socket.
26. Slide the upper inner brake pad into the upper inside hole in the caliper carrier. Line up the fingers on the rear of the brake pad with the caliper piston and press the pad toward the piston until the fingers insert fully into the caliper piston – use extreme care not to puncture the dust boot around the piston. Repeat this step on the lower inner brake pad.
27. Plug the brake pad wear sensor into the A4’s wiring harness.
28. Press the caliper carrier outward until it stops moving. Slide the upper outer brake pad into the caliper carrier and hand tighten its retaining bolt. Slide the lower outer brake pad into the caliper and hand-tighten its retaining bolt. Torque the brake pad retaining bolts to 18 foot-pounds with a torque wrench and Torx-bit socket.
29. Repeat Steps 2 through 10 to replace the brakes on the other side of the A4.
30. Reinstall the front wheels, pressurize the brake system and refill the brake master cylinder by following Steps 16 through 18 in the section titled “Single Piston Brake Removal.”

1. Compare the vehicles appearance. While the X5 is aggressive without the M package, the M package adds body color, front and rear bumpers and running boards as well as low-profile aluminum roof rails. These enhancements provide better aerodynamics and keep the vehicle planted at high speed. M logo door sills are also included.
2. Compare the wheels. The standard X5 comes with 18- or 19-inch alloy wheels, depending on which trim package you choose. The M Sport Package adds 20-inch M light alloy wheels with sport tires designed specifically for the X5.
3. Compare the interior features. The M package features a leather-wrapped M steering wheel as well as multicontoured sport bucket seats for the driver and front passenger. The package also includes brushed aluminum trim on the interior dashboard and door panels.
4. Compare the vehicles technology features. With the M sport package, Parking Distance Control and Adaptive Drive are added. The Parking Distance Control system provides eight parking sensors to help you judge the distance of unseen objects in the front and rear of the vehicle. The Adaptive Drive suspension adds Active Roll Stabilization and Electronic Damper Control for better handling.

1. Use a jack to raise the car up. Place two jacks on the front and two on the back. Ensure the car is stabilized by using jack stands with the jack support points.
2. Lubricate both the bolts and clamps so they will be easier to remove. Loosen the bolts with an adjustable wrench, since bolt sizes vary. Remove the bolts and put them somewhere safe.
3. Remove the heat shield and clamps. Shake the catalytic converter slightly and pull it from the pipes. In some occurrences, you may need to use a rubber mallet and tap on the converter to release it.
4. Check the connecting pipes for damage. If you see damage, you might need to replace the pipes, while a small crack or puncture can be replaced with an exhaust patch kit you can purchase at an automotive store.
5. Attach the new converter to the exhaust pipe that comes from the front of the vehicle. You may need to use the rubber mallet to ensure that the converter is securely fastened. Align the exhaust pipe from the vehicles rear with the catalytic converters back hole. It may require pushing the pipe back to get it fixed. When it is properly aligned, push the pipe one inch into the converter.
6. Put the heat plate back on, if you removed one, then replace and secure the bolts. Come out from under the car then start the engine. See if the new converter is leaking. Most leaks occur where the exhaust pipes meet the converter. Should you see a leak, you will need to use the automotive exhaust patch kit to patch it up.
7. Remove the jack stands and lower the vehicle. Write the date of the replacement in your auto maintenance manual. Some states, like California, require this information with auto inspections.
8. Check to see your states requirements for disposing of catalytic converters. Some states require you to take it to an approved location for disposal. You can find this by contacting a local auto store or mechanic.

1. Loosen the lug nuts that hold the X5s wheels on. You may want to use a breaker bar on the end of the tool that you are using.
2. Lift the BMW with a heavy duty floor jack and lower it onto jack stands at all four corners. Finish removing the lug nuts and the wheels, noting which corner of the vehicle each wheel was installed on.
3. Transport the wheels and tires to a tire shop with another vehicle so that the tire shop can balance the tires for you. Balancing tires should never be undertaken by an amateur, as it takes special tools and skills. Even if you have access to the equipment, do not do this unless you are familiar with the process of balancing tires.
4. Transport the wheels and tires back to where your X5 is supported on jack stands. If your X5 has the same size tires at all four corners, move the left rear wheel and tire to the left front, the left front to the back, the right rear to the front and the right front to the back.
5. If your X5 has staggered wheels, that is if the rear wheels are wider than the front wheels, do not perform any rotating. Simply replace the tires when they are worn. Lower the BMW off of the jack stands. Tighten the lug nuts on the wheels by hand with a tire iron.

1. Open the hood. Detach the negative battery terminal with a wrench.
2. Locate the cowl trim around the edges of the instrument cluster. Use a Phillips screwdriver to remove the two screws that secure the cowl. Lift the cowl away from the instrument cluster.
3. Remove the three mounting screws attached to the cluster. Unhook the electrical connectors from the back of the cluster. Slide the cluster out of the dash and place it on a flat work surface.
4. Unscrew the broken bulbs in a counterclockwise direction. Discard the broken bulbs. Install the new bulbs by turning them in the opposite direction.
5. To reinstall the cluster or install a new one, simply follow the removal steps in reverse. Reattach the negative battery cable and turn on the engine to test the indicator bulbs in the instrument cluster.

1. Open your car door and sit down in the drivers seat. Close the door, as you will also need to position the drivers side mirror.
2. Use the levers and mirror adjustment buttons to configure the seats and mirrors until everything is as comfortable as possible. There is a lever that adjusts the horizontal position of the seat by moving it closer or further away from the steering wheel, as well as a lever that adjusts the vertical incline of the seat back.
3. Locate the memory seat buttons on the side of the seat, between the seat and the door. Depending upon the model of your vehicle, there will be two or more numerical buttons, as well as an M, Memory or Set button.
4. Press the M, Memory or Set button, then press the number to which you are assigning these seat settings. If your memory seat controls only have numerical buttons, hold down one of the number buttons for five seconds, or until your hear a noise.
5. Move an aspect of the seat settings, then press the numerical memory seat button that was just assigned to verify that the seat settings have been saved to memory. If the memory seats are set correctly, then the seat will move to the settings you previously saved.

1. Replace your smart key by contacting your vehicle dealership. Smart keys are used by many auto makers and you must call your specific auto maker to obtain a new smart key.
2. Contact a local towing company to tow your vehicle to the car dealership. Since smart keys must be programmed to match your cars computer chips, you must tow your vehicle to the dealership.
3. Provide the car dealership your vehicle identification number (VIN), which is found on all of your purchase paperwork, insurance paperwork and title and registration. It is also found on your engine, in the driver door panel and inside the bottom-left side of your windshield.
4. Pay for your new smart key once the dealer has finished programming and creating your new smart key. The cost for replacement smart keys vary based on the make of your vehicle, but the average cost is around $200.

1. Locate the VIN of your vehicle. BMW typically places the VIN number on the left side of the dash, through the windshield, or on the right inner fender of the car.
2. Read the first two characters of the VIN. The first character tells in what country the car was manufactured: 1 and 4 stand for the U.S., 2 for Canada, 3 for Mexico and W for Germany. The second character identifies the manufacturer of the vehicle. In our case, we need to make sure its B (for BMW).
3. Read characters three through nine. The third character indicates the vehicle type or manufacturing division. Characters four through eight reveal information about the cars body style, model, series and engine type. BMW has produced a wide range of vehicles with a variety of combinations of these characters. The ninth character is the VIN accuracy check digit.
4. Take down the last seven digits of the VIN. Enter them into an online service that allows anyone to check information about his BMW vehicle. You will see a list of specifications about your car, including its production year, type and other information.

1. Apply firm pressure to your brake pedal the moment you receive an alert from the Mercedes ABS braking system, the moment you see an obstacle or when you notice the vehicle in front of you braking. On newer models of Mercedes, you will have a pre-safe braking system that can recognize obstacles in front of you. This system will alert you to the hazard by flashing a warning light on your dashboard to catch your attention.
2. Apply more pressure to your brake pedal to ensure enough pressure to stop. While Mercedes does employ pre-safe braking that may apply the brake for you automatically, this technology applies pressure to about 40 percent. In an emergency, you may need a lot more pressure than that to stop in time. In addition, pre-safe braking on your Mercedes will only intervene and apply automatic pressure if you are traveling less than 43 miles per hour (mph) and will recognize obstacles only up to speeds of 124 mph. If you are traveling faster than 43 mph but less than 124 mph, you will get the alert, but the system will not brake automatically.
3. Keep your foot on the pedal and continue applying pressure until your Mercedes stops. Do not take your foot off the pedal until the path ahead of you is clear. With the Mercedes ABS system, the brakes on your Mercedes will seem to push back at you, and you might feel some pulsating. This is normal and means your brakes are working.
4. Steer your vehicle if you need to while keeping your foot on the brake pedal until you come to a complete stop. With the Mercedes ABS braking system, you can steer while applying the brakes.

1. Jack up on the front of your Audi A4 under the front jack point behind the radiator, using the floor jack.
2. Place jack stands under the front pinch welds of the vehicle and lower the Audi onto the stands.
3. Climb under the vehicle and disconnect the electrical connector from the oxygen sensor.
4. Unbolt the oxygen sensor from the exhaust using an O2 sensor socket and socket wrench.
5. Remove the sensor and thread the new sensor into the exhaust. Tighten the sensor using a socket wrench and O2 sensor socket.
6. Reconnect the electrical leads to the sensor.
7. Lower the A4 to the ground using the floor jack.

1. Park the car on level ground and turn off the engine. Turn the key forward one click, starting the electrical systems but not the engine. Open the hood.
2. Locate the 20-pin diagnostic connector on the drivers side of the engine near the intake manifold. The diagnostic connector has a bright red cap. Turn the diagnostic-connector cap counterclockwise until it comes free.
3. Align the recesses in the oil-reset tool with the diagnostic connector pins. Plug it in by pushing straight down.
4. Activate the reset function on the tool by pressing the start button.
5. Check the oil-change reminder light on the dash to confirm the reminder has been reset.

Replacing Front Springs
1. Raise the front of the vehicle and secure it so that both front wheels are off the ground. Remove the wheels.
2. Remove the ABS (antilock brake) wire grommet and cable from the strut and remove the lower pinch bolt that connects the strut to the steering knuckle.
3. Compress the spring with the spring compressor to relieve pressure from the suspension. Separate the strut from the steering knuckle (which might take some effort), lowering the lower control arm as needed. Remove the axle from the steering knuckle and lay it on the lower suspension.
4. Remove the windshield wipers and cover (later model Audi TTs) to access the upper strut bolt. Remove the single strut bolt while an assistant supports it from the bottom. Allowing the strut to simply fall without support may cause the spring clamp to jar loose, sending the highly pressurized spring flying across your garage.
5. Slowly remove the spring clamp from the strut assembly and lift the spring free of the strut. Replace the stock spring with one of the front springs from your kit; Audi TT springs arent reversible, so make sure you put it on right-way-up.
6. Reverse the removal procedure to reinstall your strut and its new, lower spring. Repeat the entire removal/replacement procedure on the other side.
Rear Spring Installation
7. Raise the rear of the vehicle (allowing the suspension to fully droop), support it with jack stands and remove both tires. Remove the antilock brake sensor cable from the inner fenders (if so equipped). If replacing the shock absorber at this time, youll need to partially remove the inner fender lining to access its top bolt.
8. Put the spring compressor on the coil spring to relieve pressure from the suspension. Remove the shock-absorber-to-control arm bolt. Remove the compressed spring, then carefully remove the compressor from your spring.
9. Apply the compressor to your new spring and install it in place of the old. Depending on the amount of suspension drop, you may or may not need to use the spring compressor to install the new springs. If this is the case, simply slip the spring into place and use your floor jack to raise the rear suspension far enough to reinstall the shock absorber bolt. The remainder of installation is the reverse of removal. Take your now-lower Audi to a qualified shop and have the suspension realigned.

1. Open the hood and unplug the electrical connector running to the back of the headlight bulb that has burned out.
2. Pull off the dust cover from the back of the headlight housing with your fingers.
3. Rotate the headlight counterclockwise and pull it out of the back of the headlight housing.
4. Align the tabs on the replacement 9006 or 9005 headlight with the notches in the headlight housing. Twist the headlight, holding the headlight by the plastic collar, to lock the headlight into the housing.
5. Replace the dust cover and reconnect the headlight connector.

Getting into a new Audi lease
1. Get out there and touch what you want. Start by going to your local dealer and take a look at the specific model you are interested in. Try to see all the different colors in person on the vehicle. Take a look at the different trim levels and what you will be getting with certain packages and options. Sometimes one particular feature that you really want is only available with an upgraded package. Xenon headlights are a good example on the 2009 and newer Audi A4s. You can only get the Xenon headlight package on the Premium Plus model, which adds a few other features that you may not be interested in paying for and dont really need.
2. Do your financial homework. Find out what lease specials are running in your area. AudiUSA.com will keep you up to date with available lease offers. You also want to find out the money factor and residual value of your new Audi. A money factor will usually be in a decimal point format (.00089 or .00125). Take that number and multiply it by 2400 to find out what the actual interest is that you will be paying on your new lease. The base residual value will usually be for 15,000 miles per year. Most banks add 2 percent to the residual value for a 12,000-mile-per-year lease or 3 percent for 10,000 miles. Not all banks follow this formula, so ask your salesperson which financial institution your Audi will be leased through
3. Now that you know what car you want and what lease specials are running, find out how much you should be buying the vehicle for. Edmunds.com is a great tool for finding out what a vehicle is selling for in your market. They will tell you what other people in your area are paying for the same model vehicle. They will also give you a breakdown of MSRP (Manufactures Suggested Retail Price) and the Invoice (what the dealer pays for the vehicle) price on the vehicle.
4. Jump online and send out a few requests for lease quotes from different dealerships in your area. You can have them tailor the lease to meet your needs, such as you need to put less money down at lease signing, you need more miles per year for the lease, or you need to have the lease shorter or longer than what is being offered.

1. Pop up the hood of your BMW and prop it up with the safety bar.
2. Locate the negative battery terminal. Find the clamp on the terminal, which has a nut on top of it. Loosen that nut with a wrench. Slide the clamp off of the negative battery terminal, making sure it doesnt touch metal or the positive terminal.
3. Wait 30 minutes while the computer resets itself, thus clearing all codes.
4. Reattach the clamp to the negative terminal and tighten the nut. Lower the hood of the car.
5. Put the key into the ignition and start the engine. Verify the electronic steering wheel light is shut off the instrument panel.