2010 AUDI S8 check engine light

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Checking and filling
Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the vehicle.
Fig . 2 39 Dr iver 's sid e
f oo twell : e ng in e ho od
r elease leve r
-Pull the release lever on the left under the instrument
panel ~ fig. 239 in the dir ect ion of th e arrow .
The hood pops up slightly under spring pressure. •
Opening the engine hood
Fig. 24 0 Rel ease le v er
under the eng ine h ood
Before opening the eng ine hood, make sure that the wi nd­
sh ield wipers are flat against the windshield . Otherwise, t hey
cou ld damage the pa int on the hood.
Lif t the hood slightly~ &.
- Pull u p on t he rel ease un der the hood ~ fig . 240. This
releases the c atch .
- Open t he hood a ll the way.
& WARNING
Hot eng ine coolant can burn you.
• To reduce the risk of being burned , never open the hood if you
see or hear steam or coolant escaping from the engine compart ­
ment . Wait until no ste am or coolant can be seen or heard before
c arefull y opening the hood .•

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& WARNING (continued)
-Always use extreme caution to prevent clothing, jewelry, or
long hair from getting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts or
other moving parts, or from contacting hot parts. Tie back hair
before starting, and do not wear clothing that will hang or
droop into the engine.
• Minimize exposure to emission and chemical hazards=:>
/1::..
& WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
• Engine exhaust, some of its constituents, and certain vehicle
components contain or emit chemicals known to the State of Cali­
fornia to cause cancer and birth defects and reproductive harm. In
addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and certain products
of component wear contain or emit chemicals known to the State
of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproduc­
tive harm.
• Battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain lead
and lead compounds, chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms. Wash hands after
handling.
0 Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that they are poured into the
proper container or filler opening, otherwise serious damage to
vehicle systems wi ll occur.
ci> For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle floor pan from underneath
reg ular ly. If yo u see spots from oil or other vehicle fluids, have your
vehicle inspected by an authorized Audi dea ler.•
Engine compartment
Applies to veh icles: w ith 8 -cylinde r engine
Engine compartment overview : a-cylinder
engine
These are the most important items that you can check.
Fig. 241 Typical layout for containers, engine oil dipstick and engine oil filler
cap
© Windshield/headlight washer container (0 ) ....... .
@ Brake fluid reservoir ( ) .................. .. .. . .
® Engine oil filler cap ('l=r.) ............ .. .... .. .. . .
© Engine oil dipstick (orange) .............. .. . ... . .
© Power steering reservoir . .. .. .. .. .. ... .... .. .. . .
© Coolant expansion tank (-L ) ........... .. .. .. .. . .
305
299
294
293
257
297 ..

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the form of Serv ice or Repair O rde rs that all scheduled ma inte nance
w as perfo rm ed in a t im ely mann er.•
Engine oil consumption
Th e e ngin e in your v ehi cle dep ends on an ad equate
amount of oil to lubricate and cool a ll of its movin g parts.
In order to p rovide e ffect ive lubric ation and cooling of inter na l
eng ine components, all internal combust ion eng ines consume a
c ert ain a mo unt o f oil. Oil co nsump tion va ries from e ngine to eng ine
and may change sign ifican tly over the li fe of the engine . Typically,
eng ines w ith a sp ecifie d brea k-in period (s ee =>
page 261) co nsum e
more o il dur ing the break -in period t han they cons ume a fter oil
cons umption has stabilize d.
Under norm al cond itions, th e ra t e of oil con su mp tio n depe nds on t he
quality and v iscosi ty of the oil, the RPM ( revolutions pe r minute) at
w hich the engi ne i s op erate d, the ambie nt te m pe ratu re and r oad
conditions. Further factors are the amount of oi l di lution from water
co ndens ation or f uel re sidue and th e oxid ation level of the oil. As any
eng ine is s ubject to wear as mileage builds up, the oil consumption
may increase over time until replacemen t of wo rn components may
become necessa ry .
With all these varia bles comin g into play, no stan dar d rate of oil
co nsum ption can be establis hed o r spe cified. Th ere is no alte rnative
to regular and frequent chec kin g of the o il level, see
Note .
If the yellow e ngine oil leve l w arning symbol in the ins trumen t
cl uster · .. lights up, yo u should chec k the o il lev el as soon as possible
with the oil dipstick=> page 293 . Top off the oil at yo ur earliest
conveni ence=>
pag e 294 .
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment , always
read and heed all WARNINGS=>
& in "Working in the engine
compartment " on
page 289.
Safety first
0 Note
Driv ing with an in sufficie nt o il level is like ly to c ause severe d amage
to the engine .
[ i ] Tips
• The oil pressure warn ing display 'e.::1; is not an indicator of the oil
level. Do not rely on it . Instead, check the oil level in your engine at
regular intervals, preferably each time you refuel, and always
before going on a long trip .
• If you have the impression your eng ine consumes excessive
am ounts of o il, we recom mend that you cons ult your Audi dea le r to
have the cause of your concern properly d iagnosed. Keep i n m ind that
t he accurate meas urement of oil co nsum ption re quires great care
and may take some t ime. Your Audi dealer has instruct io ns about how
t o meas ure o il cons umption a ccu ra tely .•
Checking the engine oil Level
Vehicle care
Fig . 24 3 Illustration
o f principle 1 : M arker s
on oil dipstick ...
Technical data

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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
coo lant 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
r iz ed Audi dealers. Other types of antifreeze can s ignificantly
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
eng ine 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 coo lant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a quick
glance.
.... N
Fig. 247 Engine
compartment: Coolant
expansion tank
Vehicle OP-eration
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS=> & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 289.
- Turn off the ignition.
- Read the engine coolant level from the coolant expansion
tank=> fig. 247 . 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 locat ion of the coolant expans ion tank can be seen in the engine
compartment illustration=>
page 290.
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 level is too low, the warn ing light in the Auto-Check
System =>
page 29 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 immediately 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
coo lant is exceeded as a result of overheating.
& WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure 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.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

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& WARNING (conti nu ed )
• Protect your f ace, hand s and arms from e scaping fluid and
s team by covering the cap with a larg e, thick rag.
• Turn the cap slowl y and ver y ca refull y in a counter-clockwise
direct ion while applying light, downward pre ssure on the top of
the cap.
• To avoid being burned , do not spill antifreeze or coolant on the
exhaust system or hot engine part s. Under certain conditions, the
ethylene glycol in engine coolant can catch fire.
0 Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to yo ur vehicle's engine
coo lant. Adding radiator repair fluid may adverse ly affect the func­
t ion and perfo rmance of your cooling system and could result in
damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty .
[ i J Tips
On vehicles with the 12-cylinder engine, the expansion tank is located
unde r a cover. •
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anything in the eng ine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Working in
t h e e ngine compar tment" on
page 289 .
-Tur n off the eng ine.
- Let t he engi ne cool down. -
Place a t hick rag over the coolant ex pansio n tank
~ page 297, fig . 247 and carefully twis t the ca p counte r­
clockw ise
~ & .
- Add coo lant.
- Tw ist t he cap on agai n
tightly.
Replacement eng ine coolant must conform to exact specificat ions
=> p age 2 96, "Coolan t". Even in an emergency, if coolan t ad di tive
Gl2 ++, Gl2+ or Gl2 is not available, do
not use a d ifferent addit ive.
Use plain water instead until you can get the correct additive a nd can
restore the correct ratio . This s hou ld be done as soon as possible .
If you have lost a conside rable amount of coolant , then you sho uld
add co ld a ntifree ze a nd cold water only when t he e ngine is cold .
Always use
new engine coo lant when refilling.
Do not fill coolant above t he "MAX" mark. Excess coo lant wi ll be
forced out t hrough the p ressure relief va lve in the cap w hen the
eng ine 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 exh aust system or hot engine parts. Under certain condi-
tions, the ethylene gly col in engine coolant can catch fire. .,

Checking and filling ------------------------------- ---=.:..:..=.:=~..:::..:.....:..:.;__ ___ _::,______,.J
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Antifreeze is pois onous. Alway s store antifreeze in its original
container and well out of the r each of children.
• If you drain the coolant , it must be caught and safely stored in
a proper container clearly marked "poi son ".
0 Note
• Coolant poll utes the environment and could cause an engine fire .
Excess coolant w ill be forced out throug h the pressure re lief valve in
t he cap when the e ng ine becomes hot .
• If, in an emergency, o nly wate r ca n be adde d, the correct ratio
between water and antifreeze=>
page 296 must be restored as soon
as possib le.
W For the sake of the environment
Dra ined coolant shou ld not be reused. A lways dispose of used coo lant
w hile observ ing a ll enviro nment al regul ations . •
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by itself
T he radi ator fa n is d riven by the engine via th e V-bel t. The v iscous
clutch regu lates the speed of the fan accord ing to the temperature of
t he coolant.
An auxiliary e lectr ic rad iator fan* sw itches on and off depend ing o n
coo la nt tempe rat ur e and othe r vehicle ope ra ting condi tions .
After you switch the engi ne off, the auxilia ry fa n can cont inue r unning
for up to 10 minutes - even w ith the ignition off . It can even switch on
agai n lat er by itse lf => & , if
• the tempe rature of the e ngine coolant rises due to the heat build ­
up from the eng ine in t he engi ne comp art ment, or
Vehicle OP-eration
• the engine compartment heats up because the veh icle is parked in
in tense s unlight.
& WARNING
• To reduce the ri sk of personal injury never touch the radiator
fan.
• The auxiliary electri c 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 cont inue to
run until the coolant temperature drops .•
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
T h e b rake fluid l evel can be ch ecked with a quick glance.
-w ;:;
Fig. 24 8 En gine
compa rtme nt: Brak e
f luid re se rv oi r
Be fore you chec k anyt hin g in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Working in
t h e engine compartm ent" on
page 289 . .,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

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- Read the brake fluid level from the brake fluid reservoir
=> fig. 248 . T he brake fluid level mus t be between the
" M IN" and "MAX" markings.
The br ake fl uid re se rvoir is loc ated at the rear pa rt iti on of the engine
compartment on the left side~ page 290.
T he f lu id level may drop slightly after some time due to the auto­
matic adjus tment of t he b rake pads. This is not caus e for alarm.
If the brake flu id leve l falls considerably below the "MIN" mark, t he
br ak e wa rning/ind ic ator lig ht ( U.S . model s:
BRAKE , Can adi an mod els:
«D> ) will come on~ page 20 and~ page 28. Do not continue to
operate the vehicle . The comple te brake system sho uld be thoro ughly
checked by an author ized A udi dealer or ot her qualified facility and
t he ca use correcte d. If the b rake fl uid leve l is too low, the bra ke
wa rning/in dicator light will illu mi nate . Con tact an au thorized Aud i
dealer
immediately .•
Changing brake fluid
H ave the brake flui d changed by an ex perienc ed techni­
cian.
Brake flui d abso rbs mois ture from t he a ir . If t he wa ter con ten t in the
brake fl uid is too hig h, corros io n in the b rake system may res ult afte r
a period of time . The boiling po int o f the bra ke fl uid will also decrease
cons iderab ly and decrease brak ing perfo rmance.
The refore, the brake fl uid m ust be changed
every two years . Always
use new bra ke fluid w hich conforms to Fede ral Motor Veh icle St an­
dard "FMVSS 116 DOT 4" .
Th e b rake fl uid reservoi r ca n be diffi cult to rea ch, there fore, we
recommend that you have the bra ke fluid c hanged by your author ized
Audi dealer. Your dea ler has the correct tools, the right b rake fl uid
and the know-how to do t his for you .
& WARNING
• Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored only in the closed
original container out of the reach of children!
• Brake failure can result from old or inappropriate brake flu id.
Observe these pre cautions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE specification
J 1703 and
conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 116. Always che ck
with your authorized Audi dealer to make sure you are us ing
the correct brake fluid. The correct type of brake fluid i s also
indicated on the brake fluid reservoir .
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use of the brakes can
cause a vapor lock if the brake fluid is left in the system too
long . Thi s can seriously affect the efficiency of the brakes as
well as your safety . This could result in an accident.
0 Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your ve hicle .
~ For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal of brake fl uid as we ll as
the spec ia l too ls req uired and the necessary expe rtise, we recom ­
m en d that you have t he brake fl uid changed by your autho rized Audi
dea ler .•
Battery
General information
Under normal operat ing condit ions, the battery in your Aud i does not
nee d any m ain ten ance. Wi th high outs ide temper atures o r long d aily
dr ives we recommend that yo u have the elect rolyte level checked by .,_

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The battery is located in the luggage compa rtment on the
right side beh ind a cover. Before you check anything in the
luggage compa rtmen t, read and heed all WARNINGS=>& .
- To open the side sto rag e com part me nt, turn the tw o pins
@ =>fig . 24 9 to th e vert ical position .
The positive( +) battery termina l is p rotected by a plastic cov er. This
cover must be removed to access the positive( +) terminal when
c onnect ing jumpe r cab les to sta rt the engine.
Always heed the safety warnings, when working on the vehicle
bat tery or the vehicle e lect ric al system to p revent injury .
The following WARNINGS are very important when
working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYMBOLS and safety pre­ cautions when working on the battery.
-
®
Always wear eye protection.
Battery acid contain s sulfuric acid. Always wear
gloves and eye protection .
No
- sparks
- flames
- smoking .
When a battery is charged, it p roduces hydrogen
gas which is explosive and could cause personal
injury .
Always keep the battery well out of reach of chil­
dren .
& WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on the electrical system,
there i s the ri sk of injury, a ccident and even fire. Read and heed
the following WARNINGS:
• Alway s wear eye protection . Do not let batt ery acid or any lead
part icles get on your skin or clothing. Shie ld your eyes. Explosive
ga se s can cause blindnes s or other in jury.
• Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid can cause
blindne ss and severe burns .
- Always wear gloves and eye protection . Do not tilt the
battery becau se acid could leak out of the ventilation open­
i ngs.
- If you get battery acid in your eyes or on your skin, immedi­
a tely rinse with cold water for several minutes and get medical
attention .
- If you should ingest any battery acid , see k medical attention
immediately.
• Do not expose the battery to an open flame, elect ric sparks or
an open light .
• Do not smoke.
• Do not interchange the positive and negative cables.
• When working on the battery, be sure not to short-circuit the
term inals with tools or other metal objects. This would cause the
battery to heat up very quickly, which could lead to damage or
e x plos ion and personal injury.
• When a battery is charged, it produce s hydrogen ga s wh ich is
e xplos ive and could cause pe rsonal inju ry.
• Alway s keep the battery well out of the reach of children .
• Before work is done on the ele ctrical system , disconnect the
negative ground cable.
• Before performing any work on the electrical sy stem , switch
off the engine and ignition as well as any electrical equipment.
The negative cable on the battery mu st be disconnected. If you are
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