2012 AUDI S8 engine

Checking and filling Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the
vehicle .
Fig. 172 Dr iver footwell: release lever
AUD I
Fig. 173 Rocker switch under the hood
Make sure the wiper arms are not raised up
from the w indshield. Otherw ise the paint
could be damaged.
.. Pull the lever under the instrument panel in
the d irect ion of the arrow
<=> fig. 172.
.. Raise the hood slightly<=> _&.
.. Press the rocke r switc h under the hood up­
ward
<=> fig. 173. This re leases the catch .
.. Open the hood .
A WARNING
Hot engine coo lant can burn you.
- To reduce the r isk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment . Wait until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fully opening the hood.
Checkin g and fillin g 219
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in
the engine compartment.
Wh ene ve r y ou must perform an y wo rk in the
eng ine com pa rtm ent , for e xample checking
a nd filling diff ere nt fluids, th ere is a risk of
inju ry, burn s and accid ent s. To pr event per­
so nal injury alwa ys observe the foll owing
WARNING S. The engin e compartment of an y
v e hicle i s a h az a rdou s are a
<=> ,&.
_&. WARNING
To help avoid injury, be fore yo u check any ­
thing under the hood:
- Turn off the engine .
- Sw itch off the ignition.
- Apply the parki ng brake.
- Move selector leve r to "P" (Park).
- Always let the engine cool down. Hot
components w ill burn skin on contact .
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coo la nt escaping from the engine
compa rtment. Wait unt il no steam or
coolant can be seen o r heard before care­
fu lly opening the hood.
- Keep ch ildren away from the engine com­
pa rtment.
- Never sp ill fluids on hot engine compo­
nents . They can cause a fire .
- Never touch the rad iator fan. The auxili­
ary electric fan is temperat ure controlled
a nd can sw itch on suddenly .
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm. The cool­
a nt system is p ressu rized and hot cool­
a nt cou ld spray o ut.
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by plac ing a
thick rag ove r the cap when you open the
coo lant rese rvoir.
- If work on the fue l system o r the elec tri­
cal system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery.

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 and filling 221
Engine compartment
Engine compartment overview
These are th e most important items that you can check.
Fig. 174 Typical layo ut for co nta iners a nd engine o il fill er cap
Fig. 175 Layo ut of th e reservo ir, engine o il fill ing openin g and o il dipstick for the Wl2 engine

222 Check ing and filling
(D Windshield/headlight washer
t . (
PP. ) con ainer ""' .......... ... . 234
@ Jump start point( -) with hex
head screw . .. .......... ... . 233 , 270
@ Jump start point( +) under a cov-
er . ..... .............. ... . 233, 270
© Eng ine oil filler cap(~) . . . . . 225
® Brake fluid reservo ir ((0)) . . . . . 229
® Coolant expansion tank (-L) . . . 227
0 Power steering reservoir . . . . . . 191
@ Oil dipstick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
The engine oil filler neck (item@) may be lo­
cated in a different area depend ing on the ver­
sion of the engine .
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS¢ .&.
in Working in the engine
compartment on page 219.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used in your Audi needs the
right kind of oil.
-
The engine in your Audi is a sophisticated
powerp lant that was built to exacting specifi­
cations . This engine needs the r ight kind of
engine o il that meets spec ificat ions regarding
qua lity and viscos ity so that it can run
smoothly and reliably . Choos ing the righ t oi l
and changing oil within the time and mileage
interva ls printed in your vehicle 's Warranty
&
Maintenance book let matters a lot more to­
day than it did years ago. Audi has developed
a special quality standard for engine oil that
will help assure that your veh icle's eng ine will
get the lubrication it needs for proper opera­
tion.
Modern engine lubrication has taken a quan­
tum leap in the last few years. Many synthetic
oils ava ilable today provide better engine lu­
brication that can outlast trad itional petrole -u
m -based oils, making them a smart choice
for use throughout the life of your Audi.
Whether you use synthet ic o r petro le um­
based eng ine oil, the oi l that you use m ust
conform to Audi's oi l quality standard
VW 502 00 to help keep your vehicle's engine runn ing smooth ly and help prevent the for­
mation of harmfu l deposits, sometimes called
"sludge," that over time can lead to expensive
repairs.
At the time of printing, engine oils ava ilable in
the U.S. and Canada that meet the exacting
specifications of Audi oil standard VW 502 00
are synthet ic eng ine oils . Th is does not mean,
howeve r, that every synthetic engine oil will
meet Audi o il standard VW 502 00 . So always
be su re that you use an approved oil.
To help prevent the formation of harmfu l de ­
pos its use only o il w ith the following specifi­
cations pr inted on the o il conta iner:
Audi oil standard VW 502 00
Oil container labels may carry the specifica­
tion sing ly or in combination with other desig ­
nations and oil quality standards.
V is cos ity
Engine o ils are graded a ccord ing to their vis­
cosity . The proper vis cos ity grade oil fo r yo ur
engine depends on climactic or seasona l con­
ditions where you drive. You can use oil with a
viscosity grade of SAE 5W40 across a ll tem­
perature ranges for norma l driving conditions.
However, if engine oil v iscosity g rade SA E
SW40 is not available , you can also use viscos ­
ity grade SAE SW-30 or SAE OW-40 as long as
it meets Audi oil qua lity standard VW 502 00
specifications.
Beca use engine oi l that meets the Audi oil
standard may not be availab le everywhere
when you need it, we strong ly recommend
that you a lways carry with you an extra quart
( li ter) of oil that express ly conforms to the
VW 502 00 spec ificat ion, in case you have to
top off the o il while o n the road . ..,_

Only if the level of the oil is at or below the min imum mark -and no oil that expressly
conforms to Audi oil standard VW 502 00
specifications is available -may you top off
with a high quality engine oil, preferably syn­
thetic -based, that meets ACEA A3 or API SM
specifications, but even then, only in viscosity
grades SAE SW-40, SAE SW-30, or SAE
OW-40. However, during the entire time be­
tween oil change intervals, never top off with
more than a total of 0.5 qt/liter engine oil
that does not conform to Audi oil specification
vw 502 00.
For more information about engine oil that
has been approved for your vehicle, please
contact either your authorized Audi dealer or
Audi Customer Relations at 1 (800) 822-2834
or visit our web site at www.audiusa.com or
www.audicanada.ca. Here you will also find a current list of oils (manufacturers, brand
names etc .) that conform to Audi oil standard
vw 502 00.
Changing the engine oil
The engine oil and oil filter must be changed
according to the mileage (kilometers) and
time intervals specified in your vehicle's War­ ranty
& Maintenance booklet. Do not exceed
these intervals -harmful deposits from old
engine oil can reduce engine performance and
can lead to expensive engine repairs.
Changing the oil at the recommended inter­
vals is so very important because the lubricat­ ing properties of oil decrease gradually during
normal vehicle use. If you are not sure when
you have your oil changed, ask your author­ ized Audi Service Advisor.
Under some circumstances the engine oil
should even be changed more frequently.
Change oil more often if you drive mostly
short distances, operate the vehicle in dusty
areas or mostly under stop-and-go traffic con­
ditions, or when you use your vehicle where
temperatures stay below freezing point for
long periods.
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh
oil look dark after the engine has been run-
Checking and filling 223
ning for a short time. This is normal and is not
a reason to change the oil more often than recommended.
Damage or malfunctions due to lack of
maintenance
It is essential that you change your oil at the
recommended intervals using only engine oil
that complies with Audi oil standard
VW 502 00. Your Limited New Vehicle War­
ranty does not cover damage or malfunctions
due to failure to follow recommended mainte­
nance and use requirements as set forth in
the Audi Owner's Manual and Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet . Your dealer will have to
deny warranty coverage unless you present to
the dealer proof in the form of Service or Re­
pair Orders that all scheduled maintenance
was performed in a timely manner.
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an ade­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool all
of its moving ports .
In order to provide effective lubrication and
cooling of internal engine components, all in­
ternal combustion engines consume a certain
amount of oil. Oil consumption varies from
engine to engine and may change significantly
over the life of the engine. Typically, engines
with a specified break-in period (see
¢ page 194) consume more oil during the
break-in period than they consume after oil
consumption has stabilized.
Under normal conditions, the rate of oil con­
sumption depends on the quality and viscosity
of the oil, the RPM (revolutions per minute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient
temperature and road conditions. Further fac­
tors are the amount of oil dilution from water
condensation or fuel residue and the oxida-
tion level of the oil. As any engine is subject to
wear as mileage builds up, the oil consump-
tion may increase over time until replacement
of worn components may become necessary. ..,.
•
•

224 Check ing and filling
With all these variab les coming in to p lay, no
standard rate of oil consumption can b e es­
tablished or specif ied. There is no alternative
to regular and frequent checking of the oi l lev­
el, see
Note .
If the ye llow engin e oi l level warning symbol
in the instrument cluster
1\1 li ghts up, you
should check the o il level as soon as possible
¢
page 224 or ¢ page 225. Top off the oil at
your earliest convenience¢
page 225.
A WARNING
Before yo u check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARN INGS
¢ .&. in Working in the engine
compartment on page
219.
(D Note
Dr iving with an insuffic ient oi l level is like­
ly to ca use seve re damage to the eng ine .
{D) Tips
-The oil pressure warning display. is
not an indicator of the oil lev el. Do not
r ely on it . Instead, check the oil level in
your engine at regular intervals, pref ­
erably ea ch time you refuel , and always
befor e going on a long trip .
-If yo u have the impres sion you r engine
consumes excessive amo unts o f oi l, we
r ecommend that yo u consult your Audi
dealer to have the ca use of yo ur concern
properly diagnosed . Keep in mind that
the accurate measurement of oil con­
sumption requires great care and may
take some time . Your Audi dealer has in­
str uctions about how to measure oil con­
sumption accurate ly .
Checking the engine oil level
Applies to veh icles: w ith oil level indicator
Fig. 17 6 Display : o il leve l in dicator
.,. Par k yo ur vehicle on a level surface.
.,. Shut the eng in e off when it is warm.
.,. Switch on ly the ignition back on .
.,. Wait approx imately two minutes.
.,. Select:
!CAR ! function button> Car systems
contro l butto n > Servicing & che cks > Oil
level.
.,. Check the oil level i n the display ¢ fig. 176.
Add eng ine o il if the bar o f th e oil leve l ind i­
cato r is near "min"¢
page 225.
Depend ing on the way the vehicle is dr iven
and t he ope ra ti ng cond it ions, oi l consu mption
can be up to 1/ 2 quart pe r 600 miles (0 .S liter
per 1,000 km) . Consumption may be hig her
within the first 3,000 miles (S ,000 km) .
(D Tips
The oil leve l indic ato r in t he MMI Disp lay is
on ly an information display.
If the oi l level
i s low, a minimum oil war ning appea rs in
the instr ument cluster. Add oil
¢
page 225. If the hood has been opened,
the cur rent oil level is shown in t he instru­
ment cluster the next t ime the ignition is
swi tched on.

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,

226 Check ing and filling
- Audi d oes not recommend th e use of oil
a dd itiv es. T he y ma y damage the e ngine
and ad ve rs ely affect you r New Vehicle
Wa rrant y.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Under no circumstances can the oil come
in contact with the sewage network or
the soil.
- Observe and fo llow lega l regu lations
when disposing of empty oil containers.
Changing the engine oil
We recommend thot have your oil changed by
an authorized Audi dealer or a qualified serv­
ice station.
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
a lw ays r ea d and heed all WARN­
I NG S
¢ & in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 219.
The engine oil must be changed according to
the intervals specified in your Warranty
&
Maintenance book let. This is very important
because the lubricating properties of oil di­
minish gradually dur ing normal veh icle use .
Under some circ umstances the engine oi l
should be changed more frequently . Change
oil more often if you drive mostly short dis­
tances, operate the vehicle in dusty areas or under predominantly stop-and -go traffic con ­
d itions, or have your veh icle where tempera­
tures remain below freez ing fo r extended pe­
r iods.
Detergent addit ives in the o il w ill make fresh
oil look dark after the eng ine has been run­
n ing fo r a short time. This is norma l and is not
a reason to change the oil mo re often than
recommended.
Because of the problem of proper disposal ,
a long w ith the special tools and necessary ex­
pe rtise requi red, we strong ly recommend that
you have yo ur o il changed by an authorized
Audi deal er or a qualified service station.
If yo u choo se to ch ange your oil yours elf ,
please note the fo llowing important informa ­
t ion:
A WARNING "--
To reduce the risk of personal injury if you
must change the eng ine oil in your vehicle
yourself:
- Wear eye protect ion.
- To reduce the risk of burns from hot en-
g ine oil, let the engine cool down to the
touch.
- When removing the oil dra in p lug with
your fingers, stay as far away as possible.
Always keep your forearm parallel to the ground to help prevent hot oil from run­n ing down your arm.
- Dra in the oil into a container designed
for this purpose, one large enough to hold at least the tota l amount of o il in
your engine.
- Engine oil is poisonous . Keep it wel l out
of the reach of children.
- Continuous contact with used eng ine o il
is harmful to your sk in . Always protect
your skin by washing oil off tho roughly
wit h soap and wate r.
(D Note
Neve r mix oil additives with your engine
oil. These additives can damage your en­
gine and adversely affect your Audi Limit­
ed New Veh icle War ranty.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Before changi ng your oil, first make sure
you know where you can prope rly dispose
of the used oil.
- Always dispose of used eng ine oi l proper­
ly. Do not dump it on garden soil, wood­
ed areas, into open streams o r down
sewage drains.
- Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a
used eng ine oil collect ion fac ility in you r
area, or contact a service station.