2008 AUDI A4 AVANT warning

Checking and filling -
------------ ----=---a::;;._...a
©
©
(i)
Coolant expansion tank ( ... L) ...... ... .. ..... .. ... .
Windshield/headlight washer container
( 0 ) ...... . .
Power steering reservoir (green cap)
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always
read and heed all WARNINGS
=> & in "Working in the engine
compartment" on
page 273. •
Applies to vehicles: with 6 -cy lin d er engine
3.2 liter , 6-cylinder engine (255 hp)
281
291
241
These are the most important items that you can check.
Fig . 206 Engine compartment: 3 .2 liter , 6-cylinder
CD
0
©
Battery .. ............... ... .. ...... .... ...... .
Brake fluid reservoir (
... ) . .. ... ... .... .... ...... .
Coo lant expansion tank
(J _)
285
284
281
©
©
©
(i)
Engine oil filler cap ( Engine oil dipstick (orange) .. .... ..... ... .... ... .
Windshield/headlight washer container
( O ) ... .... .
Power steering reservoir (green cap)
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment , always
read and heed all WARNINGS
=> & in "Working in the engine
compartment" on
page 273. •
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
278
277
291
241
The engine oil used in your Audi needs the right kind of
oil.
The engine in your Audi is a sophisticated powerplant that was built
to exacting specifications . This engine needs the right kind of
engine oil that meets specifications regarding quality and viscosity
so that it can run smoothly and re liably . Choosing the right oil and
changing oil within the time and mileage intervals printed in your
vehicle's Maintenance
& Warranty booklet matters a lot more today
than it did years ago. Audi has developed a special quality standard
f or engine oil that wil l help assure that your vehicle's engine wi ll get
the lubrication it needs for proper operation .
Modern engine lubrication has taken a quantum leap in the last few
years. Many synthetic oils available today provide better engine
lubrication that can outlast traditional petroleum-based oils,
making them a smart choice for use throughout the life of your Audi .
Whether you use synthetic or petroleum -based engine oil, the oil
that you use must conform to Audi's oi l quality standard VW 502 00
to help keep your vehicle 's engine running smoothly and help
.,_
Ve hic le care Technical data

Checkin g a nd fillin g --------------~~~-
the form of Service or Repair Orders that all scheduled maintenance
was performed in a t ime ly manner .•
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an adequate
amount of oil to lubricate and cool all of its moving parts.
In order to prov ide effect ive lubrication and cool ing of in ternal
engine components, all internal combustion engines consume a
certain amount of o il. Oil consumption varies from engine to engine
and may change significantly over the life of the engine . Typically,
eng ines wi th a specified break -in period
(see ~ page 243) consume
more oil during the break -in period than they consume after oi l
consumption has stabi lized .
Under norma l condit ions, the rate of o il consumption depends on
the quality and viscosity of the oil, the RPM (revo lutions per minute)
at whic h the engine is operated, t he amb ient te mperature and road
conditions. Further factors are the amount of oil dilution from water
condensatio n or fuel residue and t he oxidation level of the o il. As
any engine is subject to wear as mileage builds up, the oil consump ­
t ion may increase over time until rep laceme nt of worn components
may become necessary .
With all these variables coming into play, no standard rate of oil consu mption can be estab lished or specified. T here is no a lternative
to regu lar and frequent checking of the oil level, see
Note .
If the yellow eng ine o il level warni ng symbol in the instrument
cluster ~ lights up, you should check the oil level as soon as
possible
with the oil dipstick ~ page 277 . Top off the o il at your
earl iest
convenience~ page 278.
& WARNING
Bef ore you che ck anything in the eng ine comp artment , alway s
read and heed all WARNINGS
~ & in "Working in the engine
c ompartment " on
page 27 3.
0 Note
Driving with an insuff ic ient oil level is l ikely to cause severe damage
to the engine.
[ i ] Tip s
• The oil pres sure warning displ ay "e:7: is n ot an indi cator of the oil
level . Do not rel y on it. Instead, check the oil level in your engine at
regular inter vals, preferably ea ch time you refuel , and al way s before
going on a long trip.
• If you have the impression your engine consumes excessive
amounts of oi l, we reco mmend that you consult your Audi dealer to
have the cause of your concern properly diagnosed . Keep in mind
that t he accurate measurement of oil consumptio n requ ires great
care and may take some time. Your Audi dealer has instructions
about how t o measure oil cons umpt ion accurately. •
Checking the engine oil level
Vehicle care
Fig. 2 07 Illu strati on of
prin ciple 1: M ark ers on
oil dip sti ck ...

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Fig. 208 Illustra tion o f
principle 2: Markers on
oil dipstick
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS => & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 273.
Determining oil level
-Park your vehicle so that it is horizontally level.
- While at operating state temperature, briefly let the
engine run at idle and then shut
it off.
- Wait approx. two minutes.
- Pull out the oil dipstick . Wipe off the oil dipstick with a
clean cloth, and s lide it back in as far as it will go.
- Pull it back out and read off the oil level
=> page 277,
fig. 207 or=> fig . 208. Top off the engine oil, if applicable
=> page 278.
Oil level within range @
-Do not add oil.
Oil level within range ~
You can add oil. Afterwards, the oil level should be within
range @.
Oil level within range ©
-You must add oil. Afterwards, the oil level should be
within range @.
The oil level needs to be checked at regular intervals. The best times
to do this are whenever you refuel and prior to long trips. •
Adding engine oil 'l:::7:
Fig. 209 Oil filler cap
locat ion: 2.0 liter , 4-
cylinder turbo engine
...

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Fig. 21 O Oil filler cap
location: 3.2 liter, V6-
engine
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all
WARNINGS=> & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 273.
-Turn off the engine.
Unscrew the cap
"t=:r. to the engine oil filling hole
=> page 278, fig. 209 or=> fig. 210.
-Carefully top off with the appropriate oil in 0.5 liter doses.
-Check the oil level again after two minutes=> page 277.
-Top off the oil again, if necessary.
-Screw the cap back on the filling hole and slide the oil
dipstick in as far as it will go.
& WARNING
• While topping off, the oil must not come in contact with hot
engine parts
-fire hazard!
& WARNING (continued)
• The oil filler cap must be properly secured to prevent oil from
being sprayed on the hot engine and exhaust system when the
engine is running
-fire hazard!
• If your skin has come in contact with the engine oil, you must
subsequently cleanse it thoroughly.
0 Note
• The oil level must not be above range @-danger of converter or
engine damage! Contact an authorized dealership to draw off oil, if
necessary.
• Audi does not recommend the use of oil additives. They may
damage the engine and adversely affect your New Vehicle Warranty.
ffi For the sake of the environment
• Under no circumstances can the oil come in contact with the
sewage network or the soil.
• Observe and follow legal regulations when disposing of empty
oil containers. •
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by an autho ­
rized Audi dealer or a qualified service station.
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always read
and heed all WARNINGS =>
& in "Working in the engine compart ­
ment" on
page 273.
The engine oil must be changed according to the intervals specified
in your Maintenance
& Warranty booklet. This is very important
because the lubricating properties of oil diminish gradually during
normal vehicle use.
.,.
Vehic le care irechnical data

-~_C_ h_ e_c _k _ i_n ..::g :..._ a_n_ d_ f_il _li _n_, g=-----------------------------------------------
Under some circumstances the engine oi l should be changed more
frequen tly . Change oil m ore often if you drive most ly shor t
distances, operate the vehicle in dusty areas or under predom i­
n ant ly stop -and -go traffic conditions , or have yo ur vehicle whe re
temperatures remain below freezing for extended periods.
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh oil look dark after the
engine has bee n run nin g fo r a sh ort time. This is nor mal and is not
a reason to change the oi l more often than recommended .
Beca use of the proble m of p roper d isposal, along wi th the s pec ia l
tools and necessary expertise required, we strongly recommend
t hat yo u have your oi l ch anged by an authorized
Audi dealer or a
qua lified serv ice stat ion .
If you choose to change your o il yourself , please note the follow ing
i mportan t informatio n:
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal injury if you must change the engine
oil in your vehicle yourself :
• Wear eye prote ction .
• To reduce the risk of burns from hot engine oil , let the engine
c ool down to the touch .
• When removing the oil drain plug with your fingers, stay as far
away as po ssible . Always keep your forearm parallel to the ground
to help prevent hot oil from running down your arm.
• Drain the oil into a container designed for this purpose , one
large enough to hold at least the total amount of oil in your engine.
• Engine oil is poisonous . Keep it well out of the rea ch of ch ildren .
• Continuous contact with used engine oil is harmful to your
skin . Always prote ct your skin by washing oil off thoroughly with
soap and water.
0 Note
Never m ix o il add it ives w ith your engine o il. These add it ives can
damage you r engine and adversely affect your A udi Limited New
Ve hicle Warranty.
'i> For the sake of the environment
• B efore chang ing you r oil, fi rst make sure you k now w here you
can properly dispose of the used o il.
• Always dispose o f used eng ine oil properly. Do not dump it o n
garden soi l, wooded areas, into open st reams or down sewage
drains .
• Recycle used engine oi l by ta king it to a used engine oi l collec ­
tion fac ility in your area, or contac t a service stat io n .•
Engine cooling system
Coolant
T he engine coolan t performs two fun ctions: it keeps the
engine from overhe ating and it pr otec ts the engine from
f reez ing i n th e win ter.
Th e cooling system is sea led and general ly requires l itt le attention.
T he coo ling system has been fi lled at the factory with a permanent
coo la nt which does not need to be c hange d. The c oolan t consis ts of
a mixture of water and the manufacturer's glycol -based coolant
additive G12 + an tifreeze wi th anticorros io n add itives (50% for USA
models; 60% for Canadian models). This mixture both assures the
necessary frost protection and protects me tal components in the
engine's cool ing system from corrosion and scaling . It also raises
the boiling poi nt of the coolant .
Do n ot reduce t he co ncentration o f the coolan t in the su mmer by
adding plain water .
The proportion of coolant additive must be at .,_

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le as t 50 % but not more th an 60 % to maintain antifreeze protection
and cooling efficiency . If the coolant frost protection is too low, the
coolant could freeze and damage the vehic le heating and engine
cooling system.
For year -round driving, antifreeze is added at the factory for temper­
atures down to :
•
-31 °F (- 35 °C) USA
•
-40 °F ( -40 °C) Canada.
You can mix the G12 + coolant additive with other additives (for
examp le G11 or G12) . Always check with your authorized Audi
dea ler.
& WARNING
Bef ore you check anything in the eng ine comp artm ent , a lw ays
re ad and h eed all W ARNING S
=> & in "Worki ng in the engine
c ompartm en t" on
page 273.
0 Note
• Before winter sets in, have the coolant checked to see if the
coolant additive in your vehicle is sufficient to meet the climate
conditions. This is especially important if you live in a region where
the winter is extremely cold. If necessary, increase the proportion of coolant additive to 60%.
• When adding coolant additive to your cooling system,
remember :
-We recommend using only coolant additive G12 + (check the
label) for your vehicle. This coo lant additive is avai lable at autho ­
rized Audi dealers . Other types of antifreeze can significantly
reduce corrosion protect ion. The resulting corrosion can cause a
loss of coolant and serious engine damage.
• Do no t add any type of radiator leak sealan t to you r vehicle's
engine coolant . Adding radiator repair fluid may adversely affect the function and performance of your cooling system and could result
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.
F ig . 211 E ngine
co mpa rtm ent: Co olan t
e xp an sion tan k
Before you che ck a ny thing in the e ng ine compar tmen t,
alway s read and heed all
WARNINGS => & in "Working in
t h e engine compartment" on
page 273.
Turn off the ignitio n.
Let the engine cool down.
P lace a t hick rag over the coo lant expans ion tank
=> fig. 211 and carefully twist the cap counter-clockwise
=>& . ...
Ve hic le care irechnical data

___ C_ h_ e_c _k _ i_n ~g _ a_n_ d_ f_il _li _n_ g~--------------------------------------------
-Read the engine coolant level in the open coolant expan­
sion
tank => fig. 211. With a cold engine, the coolant level
should be between the "min" and "max" markings. When
the engine is warm, the level may be slightly above the "max" marking.
The location of the coolant expansion tank can be seen in the
engine compartment
illustration=> page 275 .
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must be sw itched off.
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped with an electric
coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning light in the Auto ­
Check System
=> page 31 will blink 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 level
from time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling system . In the event
of coolant loss, the cooling system should be inspected immedi­
ately by your authorized Audi dealer . It is not enough merely to add
coolant.
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if the boiling point of the
coolant is exceeded as a result of overheating.
& WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and can get very hot. Reduce
the risk of scalding from hot coolant by following these steps.
• Turn off the engine and allow it to cool down.
• Protect your face, hands and arms from escaping fluid and
steam by covering the cap with a large, thick rag.
& WARNING (continued)
• Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in a counter-clockwise
direction while applying light, downward pressure on the top of
the cap.
• To avoid being burned, do not spill antifreeze or coolant on the
exhaust system or hot engine parts. Under certain conditions, the
ethylene glycol in engine coolant can catch fire.
0 Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to your vehicle's engine
coolant. Adding radiator repair fluid may adversely affect the func ­
tion and performance of your cooling system and could result in damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty. •
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS => & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 273.
-Turn off the engine.
-Let the engine cool down.
-Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion tank
=> page 281 , fig. 211 and carefully twist the cap counter­
clockwise
=> & .
-Add coolant.
-Twist the cap on again tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to exact spec ifications
=> page 280, "Coolant". If in an emergency coolant additive G12 + is .,,

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not available, do not use a different additive. Use plain water
instead until you can get the correct additive and can restore the
correct ratio. This should be done as soon as possible.
If you have lost a considerable amount of coolant, then you should
add cold antifreeze and cold water only when the engine is cold .
Always use
new engine coolant when refilling.
Do not fill coolant above the "MAX" mark. Excess coolant will be
forced out through the pressure relief valve in the cap when the engine becomes hot.
& WARNING
• The cooling system is under pressure and can get very hot.
Reduce the risk of scalding from hot coolant by following these
steps.
-Turn off the engine and allow it to cool down.
-Protect your face, hands and arms from escaping fluid and
steam by covering the cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in a counter-clockwise
direction while applying light, downward pressure on the top
of the cap.
- To avoid being burned, do not spill antifreeze or coolant on
the exhaust system or hot engine parts. Under certain condi­
tions, the ethylene glycol in engine coolant can catch fire .
• Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store antifreeze in its original
container and well out of the reach of children.
• If you drain the coolant, it must be caught and safely stored in
a proper container clearly marked
"poison".
0 Note
• Coolant pollutes the environment and could cause an engine
fire. Excess coolant will be forced out through the pressure relief
valve in the cap when the engine becomes hot. •
If, in an emergency , only water can be added, the correct ratio
between water and antifreeze=>
page 280 must be restored as soon
as possible.
~ For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant should not be reused . Always dispose of used
coolant while observing all environmental regulations.•
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by itself.
The radiator fan is driven by the engine via the V -belt. The viscous
clutch regulates the speed of the fan according to the temperature
of the coolant.
An auxiliary electric radiator fan* switches on and off depending on
coolant temperature and other vehicle operating conditions .
After you switch the engine off, the auxiliary fan can continue
running for up to 10 minutes -even with the ignition off. It can even
switch on again later by
itself =>& , if
• the temperature of the engine coolant 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 injury never touch the radiator
fan.
• The auxiliary electric fan is temperature controlled and can
switch on suddenly even when the engine is not running .
• The auxiliary radiator fan switches on automatically when the
engine coolant reaches a certain temperature and will continue to
run until the coolant temperature drops. •
Vehicle care