2013 AUDI A4 SEDAN coolant level

10 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Instruments and warning/indicator Lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster and controls
The instrument cluster is your central source of information.
Fig. 3 Ove rv iew of the instrument cluster
CD Coolant temperature gauge .. .
@ Tachometer ........... .. .. .
@ Warning/indicator lights .. .. .
© ISETlbutton .... .... .. .... . .
® Display
- Driver information system .. .
- Time and date d isplay .. .. .. .
- Odometer .......... ... .. .
@ Reset button for trip odometer
(z) Speedometer
@ Fuel gauge . .... ..... .. .. .. .
(D Tips
10
11
13
11
24
12
12
12
12
- When switching the ignition on, the nee­
dles in the instrument cluster swing up­
ward briefly.
- The illumination for the instrument clus­
ter lights up whenever you switch on the
i gnition with the
vehicle headlights off .
As the daylight fades, the instrument
cluster illumination likewise dims auto­
matically a nd will go out completely
when the outside light is
very low. This
feature is meant to remind you to switch
on the headlights when outside light
conditions become poor .
Engine coolant temperature gauge
The engine coolant gauge q page 10, fig. 3 CD
only works when the ignition is on. To prevent
damage to your engine, please note the fol ­
lowing important points:
Engine cold
If the needle is at or close to the bottom of
the gauge, the engine has not yet reached its
operating temperature. Avoid high engine
speeds, heavy engine loads, and heavy throt ­
tle app lications.
Normal temperature
When the engine has reached its operating
temperature, the needle will
move to the mid­
dle of the gauge and remain there . If the en­
gine is working hard at high outs ide tempera­
tures, the needle may
move higher on the
gauge. This is not a cause for concern as long
as the . warning light in the instrument
cluster display does not illuminate. If the.
warning light in the instrument cluster dis­
play flashes, this can mean one of two things:
either the coolant
temperature is too high, or
the coolant
level is too low q page 18 Ill-

Instrument s and warning /indicator lights 11
,&_ WARNING
- Always observe the warning in
¢ page 208, Engine compartment, be­
fore opening the hood and checking the
engine coolant level.
- Never open the engine hood if you see or
hear steam, or if you see engine coolant
dripping from the engine compartment.
You could burn yourself. Let the engine cool off first so that you cannot hear or
see any steam or engine coolant .
(D Note
-Mounting additional lights or accessories
in front of the air inlets reduces the cool­
i ng effect of the radiator. At h igh outside
temperatures or high engine load, the
engine could overheat.
- The front spo iler has been designed to
properly distribute the cooling air when
the veh icle is moving. If the spoiler is
damaged, this could reduce the cooling
effect and the engine could then over­
heat. Ask your authorized Audi dealer for
assistance.
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicates the engine RPM
(revolutions per minutes).
If engine RPM d rops be low 1,500 , you should
downshift to the next lower gear. The red area
at the end of the scale indicates maximum
permissible engine RPM after the break-in pe­
riod. Before reaching this area, move these­
lector lever to position D/S or ease your foot
off the accelerator pedal.
(D Note
The tachometer needle@¢ page 10,
fig . 3
shou ld only briefly be in the red
zone: you could damage your engine! The
beg inning of the red zone varies depend­
ing on the engine.
@) For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early saves fuel and reduces en­
gine noise.
~ button
You can perform different functions with this
button.
Fig. 4 SET button in th e in strument cluste r
The !SET ! button performs the following func­
tions:
Switching on time, date, temperature
display , and odometer
The display appears for approximately 30 sec­
onds when you press the
!SET I button ¢ fig. 4
with the ignition off.
Starting the Auto-Check sequence
The Auto-Check system constantly monitors
certain individual functions and components
of the vehicle when the ignition is turned on
and when the vehicle is moving .
With the ignition turned on, you can start the "Auto-Check sequence" by pressing the
! SET !
button . You can perform an Auto-Check se­
quence when the vehicle is stationary and the
ignition is turned on or when the veh icle is
moving slower than 3 mph (5 km/h).
In addition, the number of keys init ialised for
your vehicle is disp layed .
L2 3/3 means that
three keys have been initialised. This feature
enables used car buyers to ma ke sure they
have received all of the keys.
If you are given only two keys, for instance,
you should take the vehicle and the existing
keys to an Audi dea ler to have the missing key
II>-

18 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
...L Engine cooling system
A malfunction in the engine cooling system
must be repaired as soon as possible .
• Turn off engine and chec k coolant le vel
If the indicator light t urns on and the mes ­
sage appears, the coo lant temperature is too
high or the coo lant level is too low.
> Pu ll off the road.
> Stop the vehicle .
> Turn off the engine.
> Check coolant level ¢ page 222.
> Add coolant if necessary¢ page 223.
> Continue driving only after the eng ine cool­
ant warn ing/ indicator light goes out .
> Contact your authorized Audi dealer for as-
s istance if necessary .
If the engine coolant level is correct, then the radiator fan may be the cause of the malfunc­
tion .
• Coolan t tempe rature! Let engine run w ith
v eh icl e s tationary
If the indicator light turns on and the mes ­
sage appears in trailer mode*, let the engine
run at idle for a few m inutes to cool down.
A WARNING
- If your veh icle should break down for
mechanical or other reasons, park at a
safe distance from moving traffic, turn
off the engine and turn on the hazard
wa rning lights ¢
page 46, Emergency
flashers.
-
- Never open the hood if you see or hea r
steam or coolant escap ing from the en­
gine compartment - you risk being scald ­
ed. Wait until you can no longer see or
hear steam or coo lant escaping .
- The engine compartment of any vehicle
is a dangerous area. Before you perform
any work in the engine compartment,
turn of the eng ine and allow it to cool.
Follow the warning stickers¢
page 208,
Engine compartment .
(D Note
Do not continue driving if the . symbol
ill um inates . There is a malfunction in the
engine cooling system -you could damage
your engine.
@ -Steering column lock
• Stee ring d efec tive ! Do not dri ve vehicle!
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is an electronic steering
column lock malfunct ion. You cannot switch
the ignit ion on .
Do
not tow yo ur vehicle because it cannot be
steered . Seek professional assista nee.
l!J:I Steering lock : Cont act de ale r!
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is an e lectronic stee ring
co lumn lock malfunct ion .
Drive to your authori zed A udi dealer immedi­
ately to have the ma lfunction corrected .
A WARNING
-
Your vehicle must not be towed in the
event of a malfunction in the elect ronic
steering co lumn lock beca use it cannot be
steered due to the loc ked steering . If it is
towed with the steering locked, there is
the r isk of an accident.
© -Ignition lock
• Ignit ion lo ck defecti ve . Contact dealer!
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, do
n ot switch the ignit ion off
because you may not be ab le to sw itch it on
again.
Drive to your authorized A udi dealer immedi ­
ately to have the malfunction corrected .
On vehicles with convenience key*, the engine
shou ld not be switched
off using the
I S TAR T ENGINE ST OPI button beca use the en­
gine cannot be started again after the ignition
has been switched
off. ..,.

222 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 215.
(]) 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. 170 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 215 .
.,. 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. 170 ,
r=:> page 217, fig . 167. 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 217 .
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 223
@ 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
215 .
.,. Turn off the engine.
.,. let the engi ne cool down.
.,. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank
q page 222, fig . 170 and carefully turn
the cap counter-clockwise
q &_ .
.,. Add coo la nt.
.,. Twist the cap o n aga in
tightly.
Rep lacement engine coo lant must confo rm to
exact spec ificat ions
q page 222, 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 ..,.
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224 Checking and filling
scalding from hot coolant by following
these steps.
- Turn off the eng ine and a llow 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 p ress ure on
the top of the cap .
- To avo id being burned, do not sp ill 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 relief valve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot.
- If, in an emergency, on ly water can be
added, the correct ratio between water
and antifreeze
c::> page 222 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
The radiator fan is driven by the engine via the
V-be lt . The viscous clutch regulates the speed
of the fan according to the temperature of the
coolant. An a
uxiliary electric radiator fan* switches on
and off depending 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 ignition 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 in jury 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 a u­
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 . 17 1 Eng ine compartment: Cover on the brake flu­
i d reservo ir
Before you check a nyth ing in the engine com­
partment,
always read and h eed all WARN ­
INGS c::> .&. in Working in the engine compart-
ment on page 215. .,..

274 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 w ill 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 express ly 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 208 .
(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.

Engine Compartment ................ .. ... 217
Coolant .. .. ................. .. .. . 222
Hood .... .. ................. .. ... 215
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72, 75
Starting with jumper cables .. .. . ... . 262
Stopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74, 76
Engine compartment Safety instructions ........ .. .. .. .. . 215
Working the engine compartment 215
Engine coolant
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Engine coolant system ...... .. .. .. .. . 222
Adding coolant ........... .... .. .. . 223
Checking coolant leve l ..... .. .. .. .. . 222
Checking the engine coolant level .. .. . 222
Radiator fan ................ ... ... 224
Engine coolant temperature
Temperatu re gauge ....... .. .. .. .. .. 10
Engine data .. ............. .... .. ... 270
Engine hood Closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 215
How to release the hood ... .. .. .. .. . 215
Engine oil ... .. ........... .. .. .. ... 217
Adding .. .. ............. .... .. ... 220
Additives ... ................ ... ... 220
Changing . ................. ... ... 221
Check oil level ........... .. .. .. ... 220
Consumption ............ .... .. .. . 220
Indicator light ........... .. .. .. 17,21
Oil consumption . ............. ... .. 219
Oil grades ................ ... ... .. 217
O il level symbol ............. ... ... . 21
Pressure malfunction ...... .. .. .. .. .. 17
Sensor defective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Specification and viscosity . . . . . . . . . . . 217
Engine speed limitation ........ .... ... 21
Environment Break-in period ........... .... .. ... 192
Catalytic converter ........ .. .. .. .. . 193
Disposing of your vehicle battery .. .. . 229
Driving at high speeds .......... .... 194
Driving to minimize pollution and noise 194
Fuel ..... .. ................. .. ... 212
Fuel economy . ........... .. .. .. ... 194
Leaks under your vehicle ... .. .. .. .. . 215
Letting the vehicle stand and warm up. 194
Proper disposal of drained brake fluid . 225
Index 281
Proper disposal of drained engine cool-
ant ....... ... .... ............... 223
Proper disposal of drained eng ine
oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220, 221
Recycling used engine oil ............ 220
Roof rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Unleaded fuel .. .. .. . .. .... ........ 210
What should I do with an old battery? . 229
EPC
refer to E lectronic power control . . . . . . 20
ESC (Electronic Stabilization Control)
Warning/indicator lights ............. 19
Ethyl alcohol (Fuel) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Event Data Recorder (EDR) ............ 184
Exhaust tail pipes
Cleaning ... ..... .. ............... 204
Expansion tank .. .. .. ............... 222
Exterior lighting . .. ............... .. .
44
Exterior mirrors
Adjusting ..... .... ................ 47
Dimming ... ..... .. ................ 48
Heating ....... .... ................ 47
F
Fan
Radiator 224
Fastening Booster seats .. .. .... ......... .... 173
Convertib le child safety seats .... .. .. 172
Infant seats ..... ................. 171
Flat tire
Chang ing ... .. .... ... .......... .. 252
flexible fuel . .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. 211
Floor mats ... ... .... ............... 131
Fog lights/rear fog light(s) ............. 44
Fo lding the rear seats ............... .. 64
Foot pedals . .. .. .. .. . .............. 131
For the sake of the environment Gasoline fumes and the environment .. 212
Letting the engine warm up . . . . . . 72, 75
Refueling . .. .. .. .. ............... 212
Saving fuel by early upsh ifting ..... .. . 11
Front airbags Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
How they work ... .. ... ....... .... . 153
Frontal collisions and the laws of physics 137
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