2008 AUDI A4 AVANT checking oil

Safety belts .................. .
Safety belt tensioner ..... ... .. .
Airbag system ........ .... .. .. .
Important th ings to know .. .... .
Front airbags .. ... .. ... ...... . .
Monitoring the Advanced Airbag
System ... ..... .... ..... .. ... .
Side airbags .... ... ...... ..... .
Side curtain airbags (SIDEGUARD™l
Child Safety .. ... ... ..... ... ... .
Important things to know .... .. .
Child safety seats ........ ... .. .
Insta lling a ch ild safety seat .... .
Addit ional Information .... ..... .
Lower anchorages and tether for
chi ldren (LA TCH) .......... ... .. .
t
181
185
187
187
191
198
203 207
210
210
215
220
223
225 Avoid damag
ing the vehicle .....
Operate your vehicle economically
and minimize pollution ......... .
Trailer towing .......... ... .. .. .
Driv ing w it h a trailer ... .... .... .
Trai ler towing t ips ....... ...... .
Vehicle care ........ ... ... .
C lean ing and protection ...... .
Genera l information ........... .
Care of exterior ....... .. .. .. ... .
Care of interior ................ .
Fuel supply and filling your fuel
tank ........ .... .. ... .... ...... .
245
245
248
248
250
253
254
254
254
261
267
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Fuel tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 268
Vehicle operation . . . . . . . . 235 Checking and filling . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Intelligent technology ... ...... .
Notice about data recorded by
veh icle contro l modules ....... .
Electronic Stabilization Program
(ESP) ......................... .
Braking .. ... ... ... ... ... .. ... .
Servotronic®
-advanced power
steering system . ......... .. ... . 236
236
236
239
241
Driv ing w ith your quattro® . . . . . . 242
Driving and environment . . . . . . 243
The first 1,000 miles (1,500 kml and
afterwards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Cata lytic conver ter . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244 Engine
hood ......... ......... .
Engine compartmen t .... ... ... .
Engine oil ... ...... ... ....... .. .
Engine cooling system .. .... ... .
Brake fluid . ............... .... .
Ba ttery ...... .......... .... ... .
Windshield/headlight washer
con ta iner .. ........ ... ........ .
Tires and whee ls ..... ......... .
Tires .......... ...... .. .. ..... . 272
2 74
275
280
284
285
291
293
293
Tabl e of cont ents
Do-it-yourself service . . . 3 15
What do I do now? . ......... ... 316
Jack, tools and spare wheel . . . . . . 316
W hee l change ............... ... 318
Fuses and bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 326
Fuses ........ ......... ..... .... 326
Bu lbs .............. ... ... ... ... 328
Eme rgency sit uations . . . . . . . . . . 330
Genera l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 330
Starting by pushing or towing . . . . 330
Starting with jumper cables . . . . . . 330
Use of jumper cables . . . . . . . . . . . . 331
Emergency tow ing with comme rcial
tow truck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 332
Lif ting the vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 335
Technical data
General in for matio n
339
340
E xplanat ion of technical data . . . . 340
Vehicle identification . . . . . . . . . . . . 340
Weights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . 341
Dimensions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 341
irechnical data

® Reset button for Service indicator .... ... .. .... ... .
@ Reset button for trip odometer .... .... .... ...... .
17
18
The instrument cluster illuminates whenever you switch on the ign i­
tion with the
vehicle headlights off. The instrument cluster illumina­
tion dims automatically as the daylight begins to fade away . It goes
out completely when the outside light is very dim . The reason for
this is to remind you to turn on the headlights when the light condi ­
tions become poor.
•
Engine coolant temperature gauge
The engine coolant gauge 0~ page 12, fig . 2 only works when the
ignition is on. To prevent damage to your engine, please note the
f o llowing important points:
Engine cold
As long as the needle remains at the left end of the gauge, the
engine still has not reached its operating temperature. Avoid high
engine speeds, heavy engine loads and heavy throttle .
Normal temperature
When the engine has reached its operating temperature, the needle
wi ll move into the midd le of the gauge and remain there. If the
engine is working hard at high outside temperatures, the needle
may turn further to the right. This is no cause for concern as long as
the
J_ warning light in the instrument cluster does not illuminate.
When the
_t_ warning light starts to flash, this can mean one of two
th ings : either the coolant
temperature is to o high, or the coolant
level is too low~ page 31 .
& WARNING
• Always observe the warning in ~ page 265, "Engine compart­
ment" before opening the engine hood and checking the engine
c oolant level .
Controls and equip ­
ment
Instruments and warning /indicator lights
& WARNING (continued )
• Never open the engine hood if you see or hear steam, or if you
see engine coolant dripping from the engine compartment . You
could burn yourself. Let the engine cool off first so that you cannot
hear or see any steam or engine coolant.
0 Note
• Mounting additional lights or accessories in front of the air inlets
reduces the coo ling effect of the radiator . At high outside tempera ­
tures or high engine load, the engine cou ld overheat.
• The front spoi ler has been designed to properly distribute the
cooling air when the vehicle is moving. If the spoiler is damaged,
this could reduce the cooling effect and the engine could then over ­
heat. Ask your author ized Audi dealer for assistance .•
Tachometer {engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicates the engine RPM (revolutions per
minutes).
The tachometer 0 ~ page 12, fig. 2 is the left one of the two large
c lock -type displays.
The engine turns at a speed
1,000 times the sin gle digit in the
display, e .g . if the needle points at the "2", the engine turns at
2,000 RPM.
If the engine RPMs drop below 1,500, you shou ld downshift to the
next lower gear. The red area at the end of the scale indicates
maximum permissible engine RPMs after the break-in period.
Before reaching this area, you should either shift into the next
higher gear or ease your foot off the accelerator pedal.
.,_

BRAKE
(Ci))
BRAKE
_j_
COOLANT
~
OIL
PRESSURE USA
models:
Malfunction in the brake system
Canada models:
Malfunction in the brake system
Engine coolant level too low/
engine coolant temperature too
high
-
Engine oil pressure
too low =>
page 31
=> page 31
=> page 31
=> page 32
Red symbols indicate a priority 1 malfunction -Danger!
When a red symbol appears , a warning tone will sound consecu­
tively three times. The symbol continues to flash until the malfunc ­
tion has been repaired. If there are more than one priority 1 malfunc­
tions, the symbols appear one after the other for about two
seconds .a
Brake system malfunction BRAKE (USA models)/
(CD) (Canada models)
A malfunction in the brake system must be repaired as soon as possible.
When BRAKE/ (CD) (Canada models) appears in the display
and flashes, this means there is a malfunction in the brake
system. In addition to the symbol, one of the following two
messages also appears in the display:
Stop vehicle, check brake fluid and hydraulic fluid levels
Warning! Fault in ABS brake system. Contact workshop!
- Pull of the road and stop the vehicle.
- Check the brake fluid
level :::;, page 284.
Controls and equip ­
ment
Driver information display
USA models : if there is a malfunction in the ABS system, the ABS
warning/indicator light illuminates along with the BRAKE system
malfunction warning/indicator
light=> ,&..
Canada models: if there is a malfunction in the ABS system, the 0
warning/indicator light illuminates together with the ((l)) brake
system malfunction warning/indicator
light =>,&. .
& WARNING
• Always observe the warnings in => page 265, "Engine compart­
ment", before opening the engine hood and checking the brake
fluid.
• Driving with low brake fluid is a safety hazard! Stop the car and
get professional assistance.
• If the brake system warning/indicator light illuminates
together with the ABS warning/indicator light, then the ABS
system is malfunctioning. The rear wheels could quickly lock up
when you apply the brakes. This could lead to loss of control and
your vehicle could slide! Drive carefully to the nearest authorized
Audi dealer and have the malfunction corrected. •
Engine cooling system malfunction -L
A malfunction in the engine cooling system must be
repaired as soon as possible.
When the - L symbol in the display flashes, then either the
engine coolant
temperature is too high, or the coolant level
is too low. In addition to the symbol, the following message
also appears in the display:
Switch off engine, check coolant level
- Pull off the road and stop the vehicle.
- Turn off the engine.

Driver inf ormation di spl ay
priority 2 malfunction is detected, al l symbols will appear one after
t he other for about two seconds. •
Applie s to ve hicles: with Ligh ting pac kage
Light/rain* sensor defective fif>
~o Aut om atic hea dlig ht s/a utom atic w ipers defe ct iv e
If the symbol il luminates, the light /rain sensor has failed. For safety
reasons the low beams a re turned on permanently with the switch
in
AUTO. H owever, you can continue to turn the lights on and off
using the light sw itch . In the case of a defect in the ra in se nsor, the
windshield wiper lever functions are still available. Have the
l ight/ra in sensor checked as soon as poss ible at a dealersh ip .•
Fuel supply too low flt)
When the .ffi symbol illuminates, th is means there is about 2 to 2 .5
gallons (8 to 10 l itres) of fue l left in the fue l tank. Time to refuel!
=> page 268 . •
Checking the engine oil level ~ ..
When the ~ symbol illum inates, check the engine o il leve l as soon
as
possib le => page 277. Top off the oil at your ear liest opportunity
=> page 278 . •
Engine oil sensor defective ~ ...
If the ~-symbo l il lum inates, contact your authorized Audi dea ler
and have the oil sensor inspected . Until you have this done, check
the oi l leve l each t ime you refuel just to be on t he safe side
=> page 277. •
Worn brake pads 0
If the O symbo l illuminates, contact your authorized Audi dealer to
have the front brake pads inspected (on that occasion have the rear
brakes inspected as we ll to be safe) .•
Speed warning 1 8 (USA models)/ 0 (Canada
models)
I f the 0 symbo l il luminates, this means you are driving faster than
the set vehicle speed. Slow
down! => page 35. •
Applies to ve hicles : w ith d ynami c head light rang e adjus tment
Headlight range control defective {a:>
If the t0 illuminates, the dynamic head light range control is no
longer working properly. Have the system checked a nd repaired at
your Audi dealer .•
t·,···
Windshield washer fluid level too low <;p
If the O symbol illuminates, add windshield washer fluid to the
washer system and a lso fo r the headlight washer system*
=> page 291. •
Speed warning 2
0, (USA models)/ 9. (Canada models)
If the 0 symbol illum inates, this means you have driven faster than
the second set vehic le speed . S low
down!=> page 35 . •

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 ...

111'1_....::::A::.:l:.!: p :.:h..:.: a:::.:: b:.::e :.:t::i c::.::: a.:..l ..:.: in :..:.:: d:.:e :.:x::..... ___________________________________________ _
Centigrade
Switching between Centigrade and Fahre nheit ...... .... .... ... ....
128
Changing a flat tire .. .... .... .... 50,318
Changing a wheel ................... 318
Changing engine oil ...... .... ...... . 279
Chassis
Undercoating .. .... .... .... .... ..
261
CHECK button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Checking
Battery acid leve l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
288
Eng ine coo lant level . ... .. .... .... 281
Checking tire pressure ............... 299
Child restraint
Danger of using child restraints in the front seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
189
Child restraints
What types of chi ld restraint anchors are
ava ilable? . .... .... .... ........
223
Where can I get additional information
about child restraints? ... .... ....
224
Child safety .. .... .... ....... ... 210 ,215
Additional information .... .... .... 229
Booster seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 218
Convertible child safety seats . . . . . . 216
Convertible locking retractor . . . . . . . 220
Guidance fixtures for lower anchorages
226
Important safety instructions for using
ch ild safety seats .... .... ... ....
213
Important things to know when driving
with chi ldren ...................
210
Infant seats ..................... 215
Installing a child restraint using the
LATCH system ... ... .... .... ....
228
Lower anchorages .... ....... .... . 225
Mounting and re leasing the anchorage
hook .... .... ...... .... ... .. ...
229
Older children and safety belts 219
Safety belts and o ld er children .. ... 219
Tether anchors ...... .... .... .... 229
Tether strap .. ....... .... .... .... 230
Which rest raint system should my o lder
chi ld wear? .. ...... .... ... .. ...
219
Child safety lock ... .... ... .. ...... ... 63
child safety seat
LATCH system ....... .... .... ....
228
Child safety seats .............. .... . 215
Convertible locking retractor ....... 220
How do I properly insta ll a child safety
· h ' I 7 213 seat in my ve 1c e, .. .... .... ... .
Installing .... .... ... .. .... ......
220
Safety instructions .... .... .... ... 213
Cigarette lighter ........ .... ... .. ... 120
Cleaning
Alcantara (synthetic suede) ........
264
Engine compartment .. ... ... .. ... 265
Fabrics and fabric coverings ... .... 261
Instrument pane l .. ... .. ...... .... 262
Interior ...... .... ... .. .... .... .. 261
Leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 263
P lastic and vinyl . .... .... ... .. ... 258
Plastic parts . .... .... .... ... .... . 262
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 265
Trim strips . .... .... ... .... .... .. 257
trim strips . .... ...... .... ... .. ... 258
Cleaning and protection ........ .... . 254
Climate controls ...... .... .......... 125
Air distribution .... .... ..... .. ... 130
Air outlets . .... .... ... ........... 131
Air recirculation ... .... .... ..... .. 128
AUTO (standard setting) .... .... ... 127
Automatic a ir recircu lation ... ..... 129
controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Defrosting/defogging .... .... .... . 131
Description ... .... .... ........... 125
ECON .... ... .. .... ...... .... .... 128
Fan .. .... .... .... .... ... .... ... 129
Key -coded setting . .... .... .... ... 132
Recommended settings ........... 125
Setting the temperature .... .... ... 127
Switching between Fahrenheit and
Centigrade . .... .... .... .... ....
128
Switching the air conditioning on and off
128
Using the c limate control economically ..
132
Warm and cold ... .... .... .... ... 125
Clock ... .... .... .... ... .. ...... .... . 14
Closing
Power sunroof ....................
68
Coat hooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Co ld tire inflation pressure .... .... ... 297
Coming-home-function .... .... ...... . 77
Compartments in the door trims ..... . 124
Compass mirror .. .... .... ..... .. .... 93
Consumer Information .... ........... 345
Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
See multitronic™ .. .... ........... 149

___ A_l-=- p _h_ a_ b_e _t_ic _ a_l _in _ d_e _x ____________________________________________ _
Starting .. .. .. ...... .... .... 135, 136
Starting with jumper cables ... .... 330
Stopping . .... .... .... ... .... ... 137
Engine compartment ... .. .... .... ... 274
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Working the engine compartment .. 273
Engine coolant system . ...... ...... . 280
Adding coolant .. ...... .......... 282
Checking coo lant leve l .. .. .... .... 281
Checking the engine coo lant leve l .. 281
Radiator fan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Engine coolant temperature Gauge ...... ...... .... ........... 13
Engine cooling system Ma lfunction .. .... ..... .. .... .... . 31
Engine data ...... .... .... .......... 343
Engine hood Closing . ...... ..... .. .... ...... . 273
How to release the hood . . . . . . . . . . 272
Engine oil ...... .... .... .... ... .... 275
Adding ... .... ... .... .... ...... . 278
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278
Changing ... .. .... .... ...... .... 279
Checking the engine oi l level .. .... . 277
Indications and conditions requiring extra
checking ..... .. .... .... ... .... 277
Oil consumption .. .... .... ... .... 277
Oil grades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Recommended o il check interva ls .. 277
Specification and viscosity . . . . . . . . 275
Engine oil level .. .... .... .... ... .... . 34
Engine oil pressure Malfunction ...... ..... .. .... .... . 32 Engine oil sensor defective
....... .... . 34
Environment Break -in period .. ...... .... .... .. 243
Catalytic converter .. ...... .... ... 244
Disposing of your vehicle battery ... 291
Driving at high speeds .. .... .... .. 245
Driving to minimize pollution and noise . 245
Fuel ... ...... .... ... .. .... .... .. 269
Fuel economy ....... ...... .... .. 245
Leaks under your vehicle ... .... ... 273
Letting the vehicle stand and warm up .. 246
Proper disposa l of drained brake fluid
284
Proper disposal of drained engine
coo lant ...... ............. ..... 282
Proper disposa l of drained engine oil
278 ,279
Recycling used eng ine oil .. .... ... 278
Un leaded fuel ..... .... ... .... ... 267
What should I do with an old battery?
291
EPC
See Electronic power control .. ... .. . 23
ESP
See Electronic stabi ll ization program
(ESP) . ... .... .... ........ ... 22, 236
Event Data Recorder (EDR) .. ....... .. 236
Expansion tank .. .... ... .... .... .... 281
F
Fahrenheit
Switching between Fahrenheit and Centigrade . ...... .... ...... .... 128
Fan Adjusting the fan speed .. ...... ... 129
Climate controls ................. 129
Radiator ...... .... .... ...... .... 283
Fastening eyes ... .... .... .... .... .. 108
Flat tire ............................. 50
Changing .. .... .... ... .... .... .. 318
Flat tire changing .. ...... .... .... .... 50
Floor mats .. ... ... .... .... .... .... . 172
Fog lights ........................... 76
Fo lding master key with remote control . 52
Foot pedals .. .. .. .... .... .... ...... 17 2
For the sake of the environment Gaso line fumes and the environment 269
Letting your engine warm up ....... 136
Reducing engine noise by early upshifting .... .... ... .... .... ... 13
Reducing engine noise by upshift ing
early . .... .... .... ... .... .... ... 13
Refueling .... .... .... ....... .... 269
Saving fuel by early upshifting . .... . 13
Saving fuel by upshifting early .. .... 13
Using the rear window defogger 131, 132
Front airbags
Description . .... .... ... .... .... .. 191
How they work .. .... ... .... .... .. 196
Front ashtray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
Front fog lights .... .... .... .... .... .. 76