2012 AUDI A8 adding oil

Catalytic converter
It is very important that your emission con­trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in an environmentally sound manner .
.. Always use lead-free gasoline¢ page 215,
Fuel supply.
.,. Never run the tank down all the way to
empty.
.,. Never put too much motor oil in your en-
gine
¢ page 225, Adding engine oil~-
.,. Never try to push- or tow-start your veh icle.
The catalytic converter is an eff icient "clean­
up" device built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle . The catalytic converter burns
many of the pollutants in the exhaust gas be ­
fore they are released into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critically
importa nt for the life of the cata lytic convert­
e r and proper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING
-
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fuel spill or other material which can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
man ifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields. During driving, the
substance used for undercoating cou ld
overheat and cause a fire.
0 Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will already seriously de­
grade the performance of the catalytic
converter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
¢ page 225.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty. The eng ine could mis­
fire . U nburned fuel could a lso get i nto
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 195
the exhaust system and this cou ld cause
the catalytic converter to overheat .
- Do not switch off the ignit ion while the
vehicle is mov ing.
- Do not continue to ope rate your veh icle
unde r these conditions, as othe rwise fuel
can reach the catalytic converter. This
co uld result in overheating of the con­
verter, requir ing its replacement .
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis ­
sion Control System:
- H ave your vehicle maintained prope rly
and in accordance w ith the se rv ice rec­
ommendat ions in you r Warranty &
M aintenance boo klet.
- L ack of prope r maintenance as we ll as
improper use of the vehi cle w il l impair
the function of the em ission contro l
system and could lead to damage .
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emiss ion Control System is
operat ing properly, the exha ust gas can
have a sul fur -li ke exhaust gas smell under
some operating states . This depends on
the sulfur content of the fuel being used .
Using a different brand of fue l may help,
or filling the tank with lead-free super
grade gasoline .
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are drivi ng on poo r roads, or over
c ur bs, s teep ramps, etc., ma ke certai n that
low -lying parts s uch as spoilers and exhaust
system pa rts do not bottom o ut and get dam­
aged.
T h is is espec ially true for veh icles w ith low­
s lung chassis (spor ts chassis)* and fully load­
ed vehicles. •
•

220 Check ing and filling
- Never smoke or work near heaters or
open flames. Fluids in the engine com­
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im­
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and persona l in­
jury while the engine is running or being
started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repa ir
with the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever to "P" (Park) .
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clot hing, jewe lry, or long hair from get­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact­ ing hot parts. Tie back hair before
start ing, and do not wear cloth ing that
will hang or d roop into the eng ine.
- Min imize exposure to emission and
chem ica l hazards c:> &. .
A WARNING
California Propos ition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certa in veh icle compone nts co nta in
o r emit chemicals known to the State of
Californ ia to cause cancer and b irth de­
fects a nd rep roduct ive ha rm. In addition,
c ertain f luids con ta ine d in vehicles and
c ertain pro ducts of component wear co n­
tain or emi t chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and re lated ac ­
cessories contain lead and lead com- pounds, chemica
ls known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive harms. Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
When adding f luids, always make su re that
they are poured into the proper conta iner
or f iller opening, otherwise serious dam­
age to vehicle systems w ill occur.
® For the sake of the environment
To detect lea ks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly. If
you see spots from oil or other veh icle flu­
i ds, have you r vehicle inspected by a n au­
thorized Audi dealer.
Closing the engine hood
.. Pull the hood down until the pressure from
the struts is reduced.
.. Let the hood
drop down an d latc h in place.
Do not try to push it shut; it may fail to en­
gage 9 /]}. .
A WARNING ,_ -
A hood that is not completely latched
could fly up and b lock your view while dr iv­
i ng.
- When you close the engine hood, check it to make sure the safety catch has proper­ly engaged. The hood shou ld be flush
wit h the surrou nding vehicle body pa rts .
- If you notice while driv ing that the hood
is not secured properly, stop at once and
close it.

Checking the engine oil level
App lies to vehicles: with o il dipstick
Fig. 177 Oil dips tick: mark ing fields
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
always read an heed all WARN­
INGS
r=> poge 219.
Determining the oil level
• Park your vehicle on a leve l surface.
• let the engine run in idle briefly while it is
at operating temperature and then shut the
engine off.
• Wait approximately two minutes.
• Remove the oil d ipst ick . Wipe off the oil
dipstick with a clean cloth and insert it all
the way in aga in .
• Remove the dipstick again and then read
the oil level
r=> fig. 177. Add engine oil if nec­
essa ry
r=> page 225.
Oil level in the G) area
• Do not add any oil.
Oil level in the @area
• You may add oil. After adding oil, the level
should be in the
G) area.
Oil level in the 0 area
• You must add oi l. After adding oil, the leve l
shou ld be in the
G) area .
Depending on the way the vehicle is driven
and the operating conditions, oil consumption
can be up to 1/2 quart per 600 miles (0.5 liter
per 1,000 km). Consumption may be higher
within the f irst 3,000 miles (5,000 km) . Be­
cause of this, the engine oil level must be
checked regularly . It would be best to check
Checking and filling 225
each time you refue l your vehicle and before
long drives .
Adding engine oil~
Fig. 178 Eng ine co mpa rtment: cove r on th e engi ne oi l
filler neck
Before you check anyth ing in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS
r=> A in Working in the engine comport­
ment on page 219 .
• Unscrew the cap "l!:;r; to the engine oil filling
hole
r=> fig. 178, r=> page 221.
• Carefully top off with the appropr iate oil in
0 .5 liter doses .
• Check the oil level aga in after two minutes
,:;> page 224 or r=> page 225.
• To p off the oil again, if necessary.
• Sc rew the cap back on the filling hole .
8_ WARNING
-While topping off, the oi l must not come
in contact with hot engine parts -fire
hazard!
- The oi l filler cap must be properly se­
cured 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.
(D Note
- Check the oil leve l. If the message
Please reduce oil level appears, contact
your authorized Audi dealer or other
qualified workshop to have excess oil ex-
tracted if necessary .
IJJJ,

Engine cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro ­
te cts the engine from freezing in the winter .
The cooling system is sealed and generally re­
qu ires little attention .
The cooling system has been filled at the fac­
tory with a permanent coolant which does not need to be changed. The coolant consists of a
mixture of water and the manufacturer's gly ­
col-based coolant additive G13 ant ifreeze
w ith anticorrosion add itives (SO% fo r USA
models; 60% for Canad ian models). This mix­
ture bot h assu res the ne cessary frost protec­
tion and protects metal components in the
engine's coo ling system from corrosion and
scaling. It also raises the boili ng po int of t he
coolant.
D o not red uce the concentration o f the coo l­
ant in the summer by adding plain water .
The
proportion of coolant addit ive must be at
least 50% but not mo re than 60 %
to main­
tain antifree ze protection and cooling efficien­
cy. If the coolant frost protection is too low,
the coolant cou ld freeze and damage the veh i­
cle heating and eng ine cooling system .
For year-round driving, antifree ze is added at
the factory for temperatures down to:
- -3 1°F (-3S°C)USA
- -40 ° F ( - 4 0 °C) Canada.
A WARNING
Before yo u check anything in the engine
compartment , always read and heed a ll
WARNINGS ¢
& in Working in the engine
compartment on page 219.
(D Note
- Befo re winter sets i n, have the coolant
chec ked to see i f th e coo lant ad dit ive i n
you r vehicle is suffic ient to meet the cli­
mate cond itions . T hi s is especially impor­
ta nt if yo u live in a regi on whe re the w in-
-
Checkin g and fillin g 22 7
ter is ex treme ly co ld. If necessary, i n­
crease t he p ro po rtion of coo lant additive
to 60%.
- W hen a dding coolant additive to yo ur
cooling system , remembe r:
- We recommend us ing on ly coo la nt ad­
di tive G 12++ or G 13 for your v ehicle .
T his co olan t ad ditive is av ailab le at au­
t hor ized A udi dealers . O ther types of
an tifree ze can signi fican tly reduce cor ­
r osion pro te ction . The resulti ng cor ro ­
sion can ca use a loss of coolant a nd se­
rious engine damage.
- Do not add any ty pe of rad iator leak seal ­
ant to you r vehicle's engine coo lant .
Add ing radiator repair flu id may adverse ­
ly affect t he fu nction and performance of
your cooling system and cou ld result in
damage not covered by yo ur New Ve hicle
L imited Warranty .
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance.
Fig. 179 En gine co mpart ment: cover on t he coo la nt
expansio n ta nk
Before you check a nyth ing in the eng ine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS <=>&.
in Working in the engine compart ­
ment on page 219 .
Park your vehicle on a level surface.
.., Switch off t he ignition.
.., Read t he engine coolant level from the
coo lant expansion tank¢
fig. 179,
¢ page 221 . With a cold engine, the coolant
level shou ld be between the "min" and
"ma x" markings . When the engi ne is warm, ..,.

228 Checking and filling
the level may be slightly above the "max"
marking.
The location of the coolant expansion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus­
tration
¢ page 221.
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 warning light in the Auto-Check System¢
page 15 will
illuminate 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 cool­
ing 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 coolant is exceeded as
a result of overheating.
_& WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of scald­
ing 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 ap­
plying light, downward pressure on the
top of the cap .
- To avoid being burned, do not spill anti­ freeze or coolant on the exhaust system
or hot engine parts. Under certain condi­
tions, the ethylene glycol in engine cool­
ant can catch fire .
(D Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak seal­
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant. Add­
ing radiator repair fluid may adversely af­
fect the function 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 com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS ¢&. in Working in the engine compart ­
ment on page 219.
.. Turn off the engine .
.. Let the engine cool down.
.. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank
¢ page 227, fig . 179 and carefully
twist the cap counter-clockwise ¢,&. .
.,. Add coolant.
.. Twist the cap on again
tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to
exact specifications
¢ page 22 7, Coolant. We
recommend using only coolant additive G12+
+, G3 or in an emergency G12+ . Do
not use a
different additive. In an emergency use plain
water 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 . Ex­
cess coolant will be forced out through the
pressure relief valve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot.
_& WARNING
-= -- The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of ..,_

A
Accessories .................. ... ... 282
AC (automatic climate control) ... .. .. .. 76
Adaptive air suspension/sport ......... 103
adaptive cruise control Stop-and-go traffic ................. 91
Adaptive cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Request for driver intervention . . . . . . . . 92
Sensoren/Kamera reinigen .......... 205
Adaptive Light (defective) ... .......... 21
Adding Engine coolant .............. ... ... 228
Eng ine oil ........................ 225
Windshield washer fluid ............ 234
Additives Engine oil .. ................. .. ... 225
Adjustable steering column ............ 79
Adjusting Air distribution (automatic climate con-
trol) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Instrument illumination ............. 47
Steer ing column .............. ...... 79
Temperature (automatic climate control) 77
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 142, 161
Advanced Airbag System ............ 146
Advanced Airbag System components . 149
Care ........................ ..... 155
Ch ildren ......................... 167
Ch ild restra ints ............... ..... 168
Components (front airbags) . ... .. .. . 149
Danger of fitting a child seat on the front
passenger seat .................... 144
Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146, 147
How do the front airbags work? ... .. . 151
How many airbags does my vehicle
have? ... ..... ........... ...... .. 149
H ow the Advanced Airbag System com-
ponents work together ............. 150
I mportant safety instructions on the
knee airbag system .......... ... .. . 159
Important things to know ... ... .. .. . 142
Knee airbags ...................... 157
Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light ...... . 153
Index 285
Repairs .......................... 155
Safety instructions .. .............. . 155
Side a irbags ... .. .. ............... 160
Side curtain airbags ................ 163
Warning/indicator lights ............. 18
Warning/Indicator lights .......... . 153
Weight-sensing mat ... .. ..... ..... 167
When must the system be inspected? 153
Aircraft Transporting your vehicle ........... 274
Alloy wheels .. .... .. ............... 208
All Wheel Drive ..................... 191
Winter tires ...................... 250
Ambience lighting ................... 46
Anti-freeze
refer to Engine coolant ............ . 227
Anti-lock braking system ............. 187
Warning/ind icator lights ............. 19
Anti-slip regulation ................. 187
Anti-theft systems Electronic immobilizer ............... 29
Audi braking guard
refer to b rak ing guard ............... 87
Audi drive select
refer to drive select 103
Audi Service Repair Manuals and Litera-
ture .............................. 280
AUTO Automat ic climat e control ............ 76
Automatic headlights ............... 43
Auto Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Automatic belt retractor ............. 137
Automat ic car wash ................. 204
Automatic climate control Air vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Automatic recirculation .............. 78
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Setup ............................ 78
Automatic climate control system
synchronizing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Automat ic transmission (t iptronic) ..... 109
Emergency mode .................. 112
Kick-down ... ..................... 112
Manual shifting .. .. . .. .. ..... ..... 112
Parking lock emergency release ...... 113
Se lector lever positions ............. 109
Automatic wipers .................... 48
•
•

288 Index
Doors
M echanical child safety lock .. .... .. .. 37
Power child safety lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Driver information system
CD/radio display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Door/r ear lid warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Exterior temperature display ....... .. 23
On-board computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Driver seating position ............... 125
drive select .. .. . .......... .. .. .... . 103
adaptive a ir suspension/sport ........ 103
Adaptive dampers ................. 103
Cornering light ........... .. .. .... . 103
Dynamic steering .................. 103
Safety belt tensioner ............... 103
Sport differential .......... ... .... . 103
Driving safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Driving through water ............... 196
Driving time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Duplicate key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Dynam ic steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22, 103
E
Easy entry feature .......... .... .... .. 79
Einparkhilfe Sensoren/Kamera reinigen ...... .... 205
Elect rical accessories (sockets) . . . . . 64, 70
E lectromechanical park ing brake
Emergency braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82
Parking .................... ..... .. 83
Releasing and closing ..... .. .. .. .. . . 82
Starting assist ........... .. .. .... .. 83
Starting from rest .......... .. .... .. 83
Starting
off with a tra iler . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Warning/indicator lights ..... .. .. .. . . 15
E lectronic different ial lock ( EDL) .. .... . 187
Warning/indicator lights ... .. .. .. .. . . 19
Electronic immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . 25, 29
Electronic power control (EPC)
warning/indicator light ..... .... ..... 20
Electronic speed limiter ......... .... .. 27
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) .. ..... 187
Warn ing/indicator lights ....... .. .. .. 18 Emergency
actuation
Doors ... ..... .. .. .............. .. 34
Parking lock ... .. ................. 113
Power sunroof . .. ............. .... . 40
Rear lid ... .... .. ............. .... . 37
Emerg ency braking ................... 84
Emergency flasher ................. .. 44
Warning/ind icator lights ........ .. .. . 22
Emergency operation Panoramic sunroof ... .......... .. .. . 42
Sun shade (roof) ................... 42
Emergency starting ................ . 270
Emergency towing .. ............ .. .. 272
Emergency warning triangle .......... 256
En ergy management ................ 192
Engine Compartment ..................... 221
Coolant ... .. .. .. .. ... ........ .. .. 227
Data ..... .... .. ............. .... 278
starting ......... .. .............. .. 80
Starting with jumper cables ......... 270
Stopping . ..... .. .. .............. .. 81
Engine compartment ................ 221
Closing the hood . ... .......... .. .. 220
Opening the hood ............. .... 219
Safety instructions ................ . 219
Working in the engine compartment .. 219
Engine coolant ..................... 22 7
Adding coolant . .. ... .......... .. .. 228
Check ing the engine coolant level ..... 227
Expansion tank ... ................. 227
Malfunction symbol ................. 15
Radiator fan ... .. ............. .... 229
Temperature gauge ............ .... . 10
Engine oil ...... .. .. .............. . 222
Adding ......... .. .............. . 225
Additives . ..... .. ............. .... 225
Changing . .. .. .. ............. .. .. 226
Checking oil level .... .......... .. .. 225
Checking the engine oil level ....... .. 224
Consumption .. ................... 225
I ndications and conditions requiring ex-
tra checking . ...... .. ...... ....... 224
Indicator light ... ............. .... . 17
Oil consumpt ion .. ............. .... 223
Oil grad es ..... .. ................ . 222
Oil level symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20