2013 AUDI A4 engine coolant

Checking and fillin g 221
Engine compartment
Engine compartment
These are the most important items that you can check.
Fig. 184 Typical layout for containers and engine oil filler cap
(D Eng ine oi l filler cap ( @ Jump start point(+) under a cov-
er .. .. ... ....... ........ .. 232, 270
@ Brake fl uid reservo ir
((0)) . . . . . 228
@ Coolant expansion tank (J-) . . . 227
® Jump start point(-) with hex
head screw ..... .......... .. 232, 270
® Windshie ld/headlight* washer
container
(0) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233
The pos ition of the engine o il fi lling hole
¢ fig . 184 (item @) can differ depending on
the engine design.
A 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 eng ine in your Audi is a sophisticated
power p lant that was bu ilt to exacting specifi­
cations . This eng ine needs the right k ind of
engine oil that meets specifications regarding
quality and viscosity so that it can run
smooth ly and reliab ly. Choosing the rig ht o il
and changi ng oil within the t ime and mileage
i n tervals printed in you r vehicle's Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet matters a lot more to ­
day than it did years ago . Audi has developed
a specia l quality standard for engine oil that
will help assure that your vehicle's engine w ill
get the lubr ication it needs for proper opera-
tion. .,..

226 Check ing and filling
Engine cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro ­
tects the engine from freezing in the winter .
The cooling system is sealed and generally re­
quires 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-basedcoolant additive G 13 antifreeze with
anticorrosion add itives (SO% for USA mode ls;
60% for Canadian models). This mixture both
assures the necessary frost protection and protects metal components in the engine's
cooling system from corrosion and scaling. It
a lso raises the boiling point of the coolant .
Do not reduce the concentration of the coo l­
ant in the summer by adding plain water .
The
p ro po rti on of c ool ant add it iv e mu st b e at
lea st 50 % but not mo re th an 60%
to main­
tain antifree ze protection and cooling efficien­
cy. If the coolant frost protect ion is too low,
the coolant could freeze and damage the veh i­
cle heating and eng ine cooling system .
For year-round driving, antifreeze is added at
the factory for temperatures down to:
- -31° F(-3S°C)USA
- - 40 ° F ( - 40 °C) Canada.
_& WARNING
Before yo u check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
¢ &. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 219.
(]) Note
-
- Before winter sets in, have the coolant
checked to see if the coo lant additive in
your vehicle is s uffic ient to meet the cli­
mate cond it ions . Th is is especially impor­
tant if you live in a region where the w in­
ter is extremely cold . If necessary, in- crease the p
roportion of coo lant additive
to 60%.
- When adding coolant additive to your
cooling system, remember:
- We recommend us ing on ly coolant ad­
d itive G12++ or G13 for your veh icle .
This coolant additive is availab le at au­
thor ized Audi dealers. Other types of
ant ifreeze can s ignificantly reduce cor­
rosion pro tection. The resulting cor ro­
sion can cause a loss o f coolant and se ­
rious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of rad iator leak seal­
ant to yo ur vehicle's engine coolant .
Adding radiator repair fl uid may adverse ­
ly affect the function and performance of
your cooling system and cou ld resu lt in
damage not covered by your New Veh icle
Limited Warranty.
' Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance.
F ig. 187 En gin e compa rtm en t: Cover o n the coo la n t
expans io n ta nk
-"' -"' >< .,
"'
.. Before yo u check anything in the engine
compartment,
alwa ys read and heed all
W ARNINGS ¢ .&. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 219 .
.,. Park your vehicle o n a level surface .
.,. Tu rn off the ignition .
.. Read t he engine coolant level from the
coo la nt expansion tank ¢
fig. 187 ,
r=:> page 221, fig . 184 . With a cold engine,
the coolant leve l should be between the
"MIN" and "MAX" markings . When the en­
gine is warm, the level may be slightly above
the "MAX" marking.
IJII,

The location of the coolant expansion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus­
tration
q page 221 .
To obtain an accurate read ing , the eng ine
must be switched off .
The expa nsion tank in you r vehicle is equipped
with an elec tric coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning
light in the Auto-Check System
q page 18 wi ll
b lin k until you add coo lant and the level has
been restored to norma l. Even t hough the re is
an e lec tric coolant level sensor, we s till rec ­
ommend you check the coolant leve l from
time to time .
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indi cate a leak in the coo ling
sys tem. In the event of coolant loss, the cool­
ing system should be inspected immedia tely
by your authorized A udi dealer. It is not
enough merely to add coolant.
I n a
s ealed system, losses can occur only if
the boiling point of the coolant is exceeded as
a result of overheating.
A WARNING
The cooling system is unde r press ure and
can get ve ry hot. Reduce the risk of sca ld­
ing from hot coolant by following these
steps.
- Turn off the engine and allow it to coo l
down.
- Protect yo ur face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by covering the
cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefu lly in
a counter-clockwise direction wh ile ap­
plying light, downward pressure on the
t op of the cap .
- To avoid being bu rned, do not spill ant i­
freeze or coo lant on the exhaust system
o r hot eng ine parts . Unde r certai n condi­
t ions, the ethy lene g lycol in engine cool­
an t ca n catc h fire.
Checkin g and fillin g 22 7
@ Note
Do not ad d any type of radiator leak sea l­
ant to your ve hicle's engine coolant. Add ­
i ng radiator repa ir flui d may adverse ly af­
fect the funct ion and performance of your
cooling system and could result in damage not cove red by your New Vehicle l imi ted
Warranty .
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anyth ing in the eng ine com ­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS q & in Working in the engine compart ­
ment on page 219 .
.,. Turn off the engine.
.,. let the engi ne cool down.
.,. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank
q page 226, fig . 187 and carefully turn
the cap counter-clockwise
~ &_ .
.,. Add coo la nt.
.,. Twist the cap o n aga in
tightly.
Rep lacement engine coo lant must confo rm to
exact specificat ions ~
page 226, Coolant. We
recommend using on ly coo lant additive G 12+
+ , G 13 or in an eme rgency G12+. Do
not use a
different additive. In an emergency use pla in
water until you can get the correct additive
and can restore the correct ratio . This sho uld
be done as soon as possible.
If you have los t a cons iderab le amount o f
coolant , then you sho uld add cold antifreeze
and co ld water on ly when the engine is cold.
A lw ays use
new engine coo lant w hen refilling.
Do not f ill coo lant above t he "MAX" mark. Ex­
cess coola nt w ill be fo rced o ut through t he
pressure relief valve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot.
A WARNING
- The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of ..,.
•
•

228 Check ing and filling
scalding from hot coolant by following
these steps .
- Turn off the eng ine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from escaping flu id and steam by cover ing
the cap with a large, thick rag .
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully
i n a counter-clockwise direction while
apply ing l ight, downwa rd press ure on
the top of the cap .
- To avo id being burned, do not spi ll an­
tifreeze or coolant on the exhaust sys­
tem or hot engine parts . Under certain
conditions, the ethylene glyco l in en­
gine coolant can catch f ire .
- Antifreeze is poisonous . Always store an­
tifreeze in its or iginal container and we ll
out of the reach of children.
- If you drain the coolant, it must be
caught and safely stored in a proper con­
tainer clear ly marked "poison".
@ Note
- Coolant po llutes the env ironment and
could cause an engine fire . Excess coo l­
ant will be forced out through the pres­
sure re lief valve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot.
- If, in an emergency, only water can be
added, the correct ratio between water
and antifreeze
c::> page 226 must be re­
stored as soon as possible .
@ For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant should not be re used. Al­
ways dispose of used coolant while observ­
ing all environmental regulat ions .
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by
itself
T he radiator fan is driven by the engine via the
V-be lt . The viscous clutch regulates the speed
of the fan accord ing to the temperature of the
coolant. An a
uxiliary electric radiator fan* switches on
and off depend ing on coolant temperature
and other vehicle operat ing condit ions .
After yo u sw itch the engine off, the aux iliary
f an can continue running for up to 10 minutes
- eve n wit h the ignit ion off. It can even switc h
on again later by itself
c::> &. , if
- t he tempe rature of the engine coo lant rises
due to the heat build -up from the engine in
the engine compartment, or
- the engine compa rtment heats up because
the vehicle is parked in i ntense sunlight.
_& WARNING
- To reduce the risk of personal injury nev­
er touch the radiator fan.
- The auxiliary electric fan is temperat ure
controlled and can sw itch on suddenly
even when the engine is not running.
- The a uxiliary radiator fan sw itches on au­
tomatically when the engine coo lant
reaches a certai n temperature and will
continue to run until the coolant temper­
ature drops .
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a
quick glance.
F ig . 1 88 Engin e compart men t: Cover on the b rak e flu­
i d reservo ir
Before you check a nyth ing in the engine com­
partment,
always read and hee d all WARN ­
INGS c::> .&. in Working in the engine compart-
ment on page 219 . .,..

(D Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to
start the engine . This will seriously dam­
age sensitive electronic components, such
as control units, relays, radio, etc ., as well
as the battery charger .
Battery replacement
The new battery mu st have the same specifi­
cations and dimensions as the original equip­
ment battery .
Intelligent energy management in your vehi­
cle is responsible for d istributing the electr i­
cal energy throughout your vehicle
c::>
page 192. The intelligent energy manage­
ment system w ill keep the engine battery
charged bette r then vehicles w ithout t his sys­
tem. To make sure the additional electr ica l en­
ergy is available once again after you have
changed the battery, we recommend that you
install batteries of the same type and manu­
facture only (the same as those installed at
the time your vehicle was delivered). Specifi­
cations are listed on the bat tery hous ing. Your
author ized Audi dealer must code the battery
in the energy management system to enable
you to use the energy management functions
correctly after replac ing the battery .
If it is not possible to use a battery of this
type, the new battery must have the same ca­
pac ity, voltage (12-volts), amperage, con­
struction and plug sea ling.
When insta lling the battery, make sure the ig ­
nition and all electr ical consumers are turned
off.
(D Note
Make sure the venti lation hose on the s ide
of the battery is connected , othe rwise
fumes or battery ac id can leak out .
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper d isposal
of a battery, we recommend your author­
ized Aud i dealer change the battery for
Checkin g and fillin g 233
you. Batteries contain sul fur ic acid and
l ead and must always be disposed of prop­
erly in comp liance with a ll environmental
regulations. Disposing of vehicle batter ies
i mproperly is very dangerous to the envi­
ronment .
Windshield/headlight*
washer container
Fig. 190 En gin e compart men t: Cove r on the w ind­
s hi eld an d headligh t* was her fl uid conta iner
The washer fluid container is marked w ith the
symbol
Q on its cap c::>fig. 190, c::>page 221,
fig. 184 .
.,. Before you check anything in the engine
compa rtment,
always read and heed all
WARNINGS
c::> .&. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 219.
.,. Lift the f iller cap tongue to add washer flu­
id. You can fi ll the container to the top .
.. Press the cap back onto the fi ller neck after
filling the container .
You can find the reservoir
capacity in the table
in c::>
page 2 77 .
Clean water should be used when filling up.
If
possib le, use soft water to prevent scaling on
the washer jets . Always add a glass cleaner
solution (with frost protection in the winter) .
(D Note
Do not mix engine coolant antifreeze or
any other additives to fill up the wind­
shield washer reservoir .
•
•

28 2 Con sum er Inf ormation
-Always make sure the transmission se­
lector lever (automatic transmiss ion) is
in "P" (Park position) or Neutral (manual
transmission) and the park brake is firm­
ly applied.
@) For the s ake of the environment
-Changing the engine settings will ad­
versely affect emission levels. This is det­
rimental to the environment and increas­
es fuel consumption .
- Always observe environmental regula­
tions when disposing of old engine oil,
used brake fluid, dirty engine coolant,
spent batteries or worn out tires.
- Undeployed airbag modules and preten­
s ioners might be classified as Perchlo­
rate Material -spec ial handling may ap­
ply, see www.dtsc.ca .gov/hazardous­
waste/perch lorate. When the veh icle or
parts of the restraint system including
airbag modules safety belts with preten­
sioners are scrapped, all app licable laws
and regulations must be observed . Your
authorized Audi dealer is familiar with
these requirements and we recommend
that you have your dealer perform this
serv ice for you .
Additional accessories,
modifications and
parts replacement
Additional accessories and parts
replacement
Always consult on authorized Audi dealer be­
fore purchasing accessories.
Your veh icle inco rporates the latest safety de­
sign featu res ensuring a high standard of ac­
tive and passive safety.
This safety could be compromised by non-ap­
proved changes to the veh icle. For this reason ,
if pa rts have to be replaced , please observe
the following points when installing addition­
a l accessories: Approved Audi accessories and genuine Audi
parts are available from authorized Audi deal­
ers.
T hese dea lers a lso have the necessary facili­
ties, tools and trained specialists to install the parts and acc essories proper ly.
A WARNING
-Using the wrong spare parts or using non-
approved accessories can cause damage to
the veh icle and ser ious personal injury.
- Use on ly accessories expressly approved
by Audi and genuine Audi spare parts
- These parts and accessories have been
specially designed to be used on your ve­
h icle .
- Never install accessories such as tele­
phone crad les or beverage ho lders on a ir­
bag covers or within the airbag deploy­
ment zones . Do ing so will increase the
risk of injury if a irbags are triggered in an
accident!
- Before you check anything in the engine
compa rtment, always read and heed a ll
WARNINGS
9 page 213 .
(D Note
-If items other than genu ine Audi spare
parts, add-on equipment and accessory
items are used or if repair work is not
performed accord ing to specified meth­
ods, this can resu lt in seve re damage to
your vehicle's eng ine and body (such as
corrosion) and adversely affect yo ur vehi ­
cle's warranty .
- If emergency repairs must be performed
elsewhere, have the vehicle examined by
an authorized Audi dealer as soon as
possible .
- The manufacturer cannot be held liable
for damage wh ich occ urs due to failure
to comply with these stipu lations.

A
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64, 282
AC (automatic climate control) ... .. .. .. 77
adaptive cruise control
Vehicles with manual transmission .. .
101
Adaptive cruise control ...... .. .. .. .. .. 99
C leaning sensors/camera ... ... .. .. . 205
Messages .. ................ ... ... 107
Request for driver intervention . . . . . . . 105
Setting the driving program .. .. .. .. . 104
Adaptive dampers .......... .. .. .. .. . 113
Adaptive light ................ ... ... . 47
Adaptive Light (defective) ......... .. .. 22
Adding
Engine coolant ........... .. .. .. ...
227
Engine oil .. ................ ... ... 224
Windshield washer fluid ......... .. . 233
Additional accessories
Additives 282
Engine oil .. ............. .... .. .. . 224
Adjustable steering column ... ... .. .. .. 80
Adjusting
Air distribution (automatic climate con-
trol) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
78
Instrument illumination ... .. .. .. .. .. 50
Steering column .................... 80
Temperature (automatic climate control) 78
Airbag
Warning/indicator lights ... .. .. .. .. ..
20
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145, 162
Advanced Airbag System ....... ... .. 149
Advanced Airbag System components . 152
Care ... ... . .... ... ..... ..... .. ... 158
Children . .. ............. .... .. .. . 167
Child restraints ........... .. .. .. ... 168
Components (front airbags) . ... .. .. . 152
Danger of fitting a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat . . . . . . . . . . . .
146
Disposal . .. .. ........... .. .. .. ... 158
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149, 150
How do the front airbags work? . . . . . . 154
How many airbags does my vehicle
have? ... ... ............. ...... ..
152
How the Advanced Airbag System com-
ponents work together .... .. .. .. .. .
153
Important things to know .. .. .. .. .. . 145 Index 285
Indicator light
..... ............... 156
Monitoring . ... .... ............... 156
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light ....... 156
Repairs ... .. .. .. ................. 158
Safety instructions ................. 158
Side airbags ..... .. ............... 160
Side curtain airbags .. .... .. .... .... 163
Weight-sensing mat ............... 167
When must the system be inspected? . 156
all-wheel drive .. .. ................. 191
Alloy wheels .. .... .. ............... 208
All wheel drive
Winter tires . .. .. .... ........... ..
250
Alternator
refer to Generator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Anti-freeze
refer to Engine coolant system ....... 226
Anti-lock braking system ............. 185
Warning/ind icator lights ........ .. .. . 19
Anti-slip regulation .. ... ....... .... . 185
Anti-theft alarm warning system ........ 32
Anti-theft systems
Electronic immobilizer .............. .
38
Armrest ...... .. .. ................. . 60
Ashtray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
63
Asterisk
What does it mean when something is marked with an asterisk? . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6
Audi braking guard
refer to braking guard ............. .. 99
Audi drive select ..... ............... 113
Adaptive dampers ................. 113
Description .. .. ...... ............. 113
Dynamic steering . ... ... .... ... .. .. 113
Setting the driving mode ............ 114
Sport differential . .. .. .. ...... .... . 113
Audi Service Repair Manuals and Litera-
ture
280
AUTO Automatic climate control .......... ..
78
Automatic headlights ............... 47
Auto Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Automatic belt retractor ......... .... 140
Automatic car wash
refer to Washing ... .............. . 203
•
•

_______________________________ ___:I~n ~d ~e:.::x 287
Changin g engine oi l
Chass is 225
U ndercoat ing ............ .... .. .. . 208
Checking
Eng ine coolant level ........ . .. .. .. .
226
Checking tire pressure .............. . 241
Ch ild restraints
D anger of usin g child restraints in the
front seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
146
Where can I get additional information
about child restraints and their use? ..
184
Child restraint system anchors . .. ... .. 180
Ch ild safety .. ............. .... .. ... 166
Convertible locking retractor . . . . . . . . . 176
Important safety instructions for using
ch ild safety seats .... ... .. .. .. .. .. .
169
Impo rtant th ings to know when driv in g
wi th children ............ .... .. ...
166
Insta lling a chi ld res traint using the
L A TCH system ............ .. .. .. .. .
18 1
Mounting and releasing the ancho rage
hook .... .. .. ............. .. .. ...
18 1
Tether anchors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Tether straps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Child safety loc ks
Power windows .......... .. .. .. ....
42
Rear doors ... ........... .. .. ...... 42
Child safety seats .......... .... .. .. . 172
Booster seats ................ .. .. . 17 4
Convertible child seats .... .. .. .. .. .
173
Convertible locking retractor .. .. .. .. . 176
Danger of using child restra ints in the
front seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
146
How do I properly install a child safety
seat in my vehicle? ........ .. .. .. .. .
169
Infant seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Installing ............ ...... .... .. 176
LATC H system ......... ...... .... .. 18 1
Saf ety inst ruc tions ........ .. .. .. .. . 169
Unused safety belts on the rear seat 17 1
Ch ild seats
L ower ancho rages ........... .. ....
18 1
Cigarette lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Cleaning
Alcantara® (syn thetic suede) .. .. .. .. .
212
En gine compartment .............. . 213
Exhaust tail pipes ............... .. . 209
Fabr ics and fabric coverings ......... 209
Instrument panel ... . .......... .. .. 210
Interior ... .. .. .. .. . .. .......... .. 209
Leather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Matte finish paint ................. 204
MMI display/controls ... ......... ... 209
Plastic and vinyl .. .. . .. .. .. ... ... .. 206
Plastic parts ..... .. .. .. .. ......... 210
Safety belts ... .. .. . .............. 21 2
Trim strips .. .. .. .... ........... .. 206
Cleaning and protection . .. .......... . 202
Climate controls ..... . .. .......... .. . 76
Climate control system
Au tom atic recir culat ion ......... .. .. .
79
Supplementary heater ............... 79
synchronizing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Clock .. ... ... .. .... .. .. ...... ... .. . 12
Closing
Power w indows ................... .
42
Sliding/tilting sunroof ............... 44
Sunshade ....... .. . .. ......... ... . 44
Closing/opening
at the lock cylinder .. ........... .... .
38
by remote control ............. .. .. . 35
with the centra l locking sw itch ........
36
with the conven ience key . .......... .. 36
Cold tire inflation pressure .......... .. 238
Coming home ... .. .... ........... .. . 48
Compact spare tire .................. 256
also refer to Spare tire ....... ... .. .. 256
Compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Compass in the mirror ... ......... ... . 56
Compliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Consumer Information . . . . . . . . . . 135, 280
Contacting NHTSA .... .. ......... ... 135
Convenience key
Ind icator lights .. ................. .
84
Starting engine (START ENGINE STOP
button) . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. ..... ..... .
83
Stopping the engine (START ENGINE
STOP button) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
84
Switching on ignition ............... . 83
un locking/loc king ............. ..... 36
Convenience opening/clos ing .......... 43
Convertible child safety seats ......... 173
•
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