2009 AUDI S4 CABRIOLET engine coolant

-Ch
ecking and filling
_ _..;:::;__=----------------
©
©
0
Coolant expansion tank (.J_ J .. .. .. .. . ... .. .. .... .
Windshield/head light washer container ( O ) ..... .. .
Po wer steering re servoi r
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment , always
read and heed all WARNINGS
=> & in "Working in the engine
c ompartment " on
page 250. •
Applies to veh icles : w ith 6 ·cy lind er engine
3.2 liter , 6-cylinder engine (255 hp)
258
266
217
Th ese a re t he most im por tan t it em s th at you c an ch eck.
F ig . 197 Engine compartment : 3.2 liter , 6- cylinder
G) Battery ... ... .. ...... .... ... .... .... .... ..... .
0 Bra ke fluid reservoir ( l ....... .. .. .. .. ...... .. .
© Engine oil fi ller cap ('t:::n) ..•. ..• ..... .•. ...• ..•..
26 1
260
255
©
©
©
0
Engine oil dipstick (orange) ...... ..... ... .... ... .
Coolant expansion tank
( -L J .. ... ... . .... ... ... .. .
W indshield/headligh t washer c ontainer (O l .. .... . .
Powe r steering rese rvoir
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always
read and heed all WARNINGS
=> & in "Working in the engine
compartmen t" on
page 250. •
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
254
258
266
2 17
The engine oil used in your Audi needs the right kind of
oil.
The engi ne in y our Audi is a sophisticated powe rp lan t tha t was built
to exacting specifications. This engine needs the right kind of
eng ine oil that meets specifications regarding quality and viscos ity
so that it can run smoothly and reliably . Choosing the right oil and
changing oil within the time and mileage interva ls printed in your
vehic le's Warranty
& Maintenance booklet matters a lot more today
than it did years ago. Audi has developed a special quality standa rd
f or e ngin e oil tha t w ill help assure that your vehicle's engine will get
the lubrication it needs for proper operation.
Modern engine lubrication has taken a quantum leap i n the last few
years. Many synthetic oils ava ilable today provide better engine
lubrication that can o utlast traditional petro leum -based oil s,
making them a smart choice for use throughout the life of your Audi.
Whether you use synthetic or petro leum -based engine oil, the oi l
tha t you use mus t conform to Audi 's oi l qual ity standard VW 502 00
to help keep your vehicle's engine running smoothly and help ._

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•
& W ARNING (conti nued )
• To reduce the ri sk of burns from hot engine oil , let the engine
c ool down to the tou ch.
• When removing the oil drain plug with your fingers , stay as far
a w ay as possible. Alway s 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 thi s purpo se , on e
large enough to hold at least the total amount of oil in your engine.
• Engine oil is poisonous . Keep it well out of the reach of children .
• Continuous contact with used engine oil i s harmful to your
skin . Always prote ct you r skin by washing oil off thoroughly with
soap and water .
0 Note
Never m ix oil a ddi tives with yo ur engine oil. These additives can
damage your engine and adversely affect your Audi Limited New
Vehi cle Warranty.
~ For the sake of the environment
• Befo re c ha ng ing y our oi l, f irst make sure you k now w here y ou
can properly dispose of the used oil.
• Always dispose o f used e ngine oi l prop erl y. D o not dump i t on
garden soil, wooded areas, into open streams or down sewage
drains.
• Recycle used engine oi l by taking it to a used engine oil col lec ­
t ion facili ty in y our a rea, or co n tact a serv ice s ta tion .•
Engine cooling system
Coolant
T he e ngin e cool ant p erform s tw o functio ns: it k eep s th e
e ng ine f rom ov erh ea ting and it pro tects the engine fr om
freezing in the winter.
The cooling system is sealed and general ly requires little attention.
The coo ling syst em has been fil led at the fac tory with a perm an ent
coolant which does not need to be changed. The coo lant consists of
a m ix ture of wa te r and the manufacturer 's gl yco l- b ase dco olant
add it ive G 12++ antifreeze with anticorrosion additives (50% for USA
mode ls; 60% for Canadian mode ls) . T his m ixtu re bo th a ssure s the
n ecessary frost protectio n and p ro tects m etal co mponents in t he
eng ine's cooling system from co rrosion and scaling. It a lso raises
the boili ng poi nt o f the coolant.
D o not reduce the concentrat ion of the coo lant in the summer by
adding pla in wate r. The proportion of coolant additive must be at
least 50 % but not more than 60 % to maintain antifreeze protection
and coo ling eff iciency . If the c oolant frost p ro tecti on is t oo low, the
coo lant could freeze and damage th e vehic le heating and en gine
cool ing sy stem .
For year -rou nd driv ing, ant ifreeze is added at the facto ry fo r tempe r­
atures down to:
• -31 °F ( -35 °C) USA
• - 40 °F ( - 40 °C) Canada.
You can mix the G12 ++ coolan t add itive with othe r additives (G12 +
or G12). A lways check wit h your authorized Audi dea ler.
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine co m partment , always
read and heed all WARNINGS
=> & in "Working in the engine
c ompartment " on
page 250 .
Vehic le care

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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 coolant additive is available at autho­
rized Audi dealers. Other types of antifreeze can significantly
reduce corrosion protection . The resulting corrosion can cause a
loss of coolant and serious engine damage.
• Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to your 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 your New Vehicle Limited Warranty. •
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a quick
glance.
Fig . 202 Engine
compartment: Coolant
expansion tank
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 250.
Turn off the ignition.
- Let the eng ine cool down.
Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion tank
~ fig. 202 and carefully twist the cap counter-clockwise
~& .
Read the engine coolant level in the open coolant expan­
sion tank~ fig. 202. 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 252.
To obtain an accurate reading , the engine must be switched off .
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped with an electric
coolant level sensor.
When the coolant l evel 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. ..,.

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•
& WARNING
The cool ing system i s under pre ssure and can get very hot . Redu ce
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 cover ing the cap with a large , thick rag .
• Turn the cap slowly and very carefully
in a counter -clockwi se
dire ction 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 radiat or repa ir fl uid may adversely affect t he func ­
tion and performance of your coo ling system and could resu lt in
damage not cove red by y our New Vehicle Limi ted Wa rran ty .•
Adding coolant
B e very c are ful when addi ng engi ne cool ant.
Be fore you check a nything in the e ng ine comp artmen t,
always read and heed all WARNINGS=> & in "Work ing in
t h e eng ine compa rtment" on
page 250 .
-Tur n off th e engine.
- Le t th e eng in e co ol d ow n.
- Place a t hick rag over the coo la nt expansio n tank
~ page 258 , fig. 202 an d carefully tw is t th e cap coun te r­
cl ockw ise
~ & .
Add co o lant .
- Twist the cap on aga in
tig htly .
Replacement engine coolant must conform to exact specifications
~ page 257 , "C oola nt". Even in an eme rgency, if co ola nt addi tive
G 12 ++, G12+ or G1 2 is not availab le, do
not use a different additive .
Us e pla in wate r instead until you can ge t the co rrect add itive and
can res tor e th e correc t ra tio. T his shou ld be don e as soon as
pos sible.
If y ou have los t a co nsid era ble amount of coo la nt, t hen y ou should
add cold antifreeze and cold water only when the engine is cold.
A lways use
new engine c oo la nt whe n refil ling .
Do not fill coola nt a bove the "M AX" mark. Excess coo lant w ill be
forced out through the pressure relief va lve in the cap when the
eng ine beco mes hot.
& WARNING
• The cooling system i s 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 exhau st 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 ". _,.
Ve hic le care

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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 257must 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 .
_& WARNING (continued)
• 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. •
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a quick glance.
Fig. 203 Engine
compartment: Brake
fluid reservoir
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS:::::, & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 250.
Pull the rubber strip@ up partially and lift the cover @
slightly :::::, fig. 203.
- Read the brake fluid level from the brake fluid reservoir
©. The brake fluid level must be between the "MIN" and
"MA X" markings. _..

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Windshield /headlight washer
reservoir
Fig . 206 Engine
compartment : wind­
shield washer fluid
container
The windshield and headlight washer* container is located
on the left side of the engine compartment
~ fig. 206. The
~ symbol is on the cap the of the windshield washer fluid
container.
- Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always
read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Working
in the engine compartment" on
page 250.
-Lift the filler cap tongue to add washer fluid. You can fill
the container to the top.
- Press the cap back onto the filler neck after filling the
container .
You can find the reservoir capacity in the table in~ page 314.
To prevent lime residue from building up on the spray jets , use
dis tilled water when refilling . Always add a glass cleaner solution
(with frost protection in the winter).
(D Note
Do not use engine coolant antifreeze or any other solution that can
damage the vehicle paint. •

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& WARN ING (continued )
• The engine compartment of any motor vehicle is a potentially
hazardous area . Never reach into the area around or touch the
radiator fan . It is temperature controlled and can sw itch on
suddenly -even when the engine is off and the ignition key has
been removed . The radiator fan switches on automatically when
the coolant reaches a certain temperature and will continue to run until the coolant temperature drops .
• Always remove the ignition key before anyone gets under the
vehi cle .
• Always support your vehicle with safety stands if it is neces ­
sary to work underneath the vehicle . The jack suppl ied with the
vehicle is not adequate for this purpose and could collapse causing serious personal injury .
• If you must work underneath the vehicle with the wheels on
the ground, always make sure the veh icle is on level ground , that
the wheels are always securely blocked and that the engine
cannot be sta rted .
• Always make sure the transmission selector lever (automatic
transmission) is in "P " (Park position ) or Neutral (manual transm is­
sion) and the park brake is firmly applied.
W For the sake of the environment
• Cha ng ing t he e ngine sett ings will adverse ly aff ect em iss ion
l eve ls. This is detrimenta l to the environment and increases fuel
co nsu mp tio n .
• Always observe environmental regu lations when disposing of
ol d eng ine oil, u sed br ake fluid , d irty e ngin e coo la nt , spe nt batter ies
or worn out tires.
• Undeployed airba g modu les and prete nsioners might be classi ­
fied as Perchlorate Material -specia l handling may apply, see
www .dtsc.ca .gov/ hazar douswaste/perc hlorat e. When the vehic le o r
parts of the restraint system including airbag modules safety be lts
w it h pr eten sion ers ar e sc ra p pe d, a ll ap pli cab le la w s and reg ula- tions must be observed. Your authorized Audi dealer is familiar with
t
hese requi re m ents and we re co m mend th at you h ave your dealer
perform this service for you .•
Additional accessories,
modifications and parts replacement
Additional accessories and parts
replacement
Always consult an author ized Audi dealer before
pu rchasin g acc ess ori es.
Your vehicle incorporates the latest safety design features ensuring
a high standa rd o f act ive and passiv e safety .
T his saf ety coul d be compromised by non -approved changes to the
vehic le . F or t his reason, if parts have to be replace d, p lease obse rve
t h e f ollow ing po ints when i nsta lling addi tio na l acc essor ies:
App roved Aud i accessories and genuine Audi pa rts a re avai lab le
fr om autho rize d Aud i dea lers.
T hese dealers also have the necessary fac ilities, tools and trained
spec ia lists t o ins tal l the part s and accessor ie s pr oper ly .
& WARNING
Using the wrong spare parts or using non -approved accessories
can cause serious personal injury.
• Use only accessorie s expressly approved by Audi and genuine
Audi spare parts.
• These parts and accessories have been specially designed to
be used on your vehicle .
• Never install accessories such as telephone cradles or
beverage holders on airbag covers or within the airbag deploy-

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A
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 318
Acoustic park assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Adaptive Light Air outlets
Climate controls .. .... ...... ..... 115
How should I adjus t the air outlets to de­
frost my windows as quickly as
possible? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115 Warning/indicator lights
... ... .... .. 20
When must the system be inspected? . ..
179
All Wheel Drive ... .... .... ...... .... 218
Alloy wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
defective ............. ........ .. . 34 Air quality sensor .
.... .... .... .... .. 114 All-whee l drive
adaptive light .. ... .... .... ... ...... . 79 Air recirculation
............... ..... 113
Winter tires .. ......... .... .... .. 284
Adding Engine coolant ... .... .... ...... .
259
Engine oi l ..... .... ... .... .... .. .
255
Windshield washer fluid .... .... . .
266
Additiona l accessories .. ...... ...... . 318
Additives Engine oil . ..... .. ..... ... ...... . 255
Adjusting Instrument cluster illumination .. .... 15
Steering wheel co lumn .... ... .... 118
Adjusting the seats
Manual seats ...... .... ........... 94
Advanced Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Children ... ........... .... ... ... 191
Components ...... .... .......... 175
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
How the components work together 176
Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Weight -sensing mat . .... ... .. .... 191
Air conditioning
See Climate controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Air distribution Clima te con trols ... .... ... .... ... 114 Climate controls
...... ...... ... .. 114 Alternator
When should I use the air recircu lation?
114
Air ventilation in the glove compartment ...
108
Airbag system ..... ... .... ..... . 168, 188
Care ... ... .... .... .... .... .... .. 182
Child restraints .............. .... 192
Components (front airbags) .. ... ... 175
Danger of fitting a child safety seat on the
front passenger seat . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Front airbags . ....... ..... .... ... 172
How do the front airbags work? . . . . 177
How many airbags does my vehicle have? 175
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system .... .... .... .... .. 186
Important things to know ... .... .. 168
Indicator light ... .......... ... ... 179
Knee airbags .... . .. .. ........... 184
Monitoring .... .... .... .... .... .. 179
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light ..... 180
Repairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187
See Generator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Anti -freeze
S ee Engine coolant system .. ...... 257
Anti-glare inside day-night mirror ...... 88
Anti-lock brake system How the ABS system works . .... ... 216
Warning/indicator lights ........... . 20
An ti- Slip Regulation System (ASR)
How the sys tem works .. ... .... ... 214
Anti-Theft Alarm System Tilt sensors ..... ....... ..... ...... 58
Anti-theft alarm system .. .. .. .... .... . 57
Anti -theft systems
Electronic immobilizer ......... .... 49
Armrest Adjusting ...... .... ..... .. ..... . 100
Storage bin
Ashtray 100
Front ....... .................... 104
Rear .......... .... .... ........ .. 105
Asterisk What does it mean when something is marked with an asterisk? . ..... ... .. 6
Audi Service Repair Manuals and Literature 316