2013 AUDI A8 coolant

(!) Windshield/headlight washer
t .
(~ ) con ainer ,..., .. .... ... ... . . 247
@ Jump start point( -) with hex
h ead screw ............... .. 246, 284
® Jump start point( +) under a cov-
er . ..... .. ... .. ..... ... .. . 246, 284
@ Engine oil filler cap(~) . . . . . 238
® Brake fl uid reservo ir ((0)) . . . . . 242
® Coolant expansion tank (-L) . . . 240
0 Power steering reservoir . . . . . . 202
@ Oil dipstick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
The engine oil fille r nec k (item @) may be lo­
cated in a d ifferent a rea depend ing o n the ver ­
sion of the eng ine .
A WARNING
Before yo u check any thing in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
~ &. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 232.
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 bu ilt to exacting specifi­
cations. This engine needs the r ight kind of
engine o il that meets specificat ions rega rding
qua lity and viscos ity so that it can run
smoothly and reliably . Choos ing the righ t oi l
and ch anging oil with in t he time and mileage
inte rva ls printed in your veh icle's Warranty
&
M aintenance book let matters a lot more to­
day than it d id years ago. A udi has developed
a special quality standard for engine oil that
will he lp assure that your veh icle's eng ine will
get the lubrication it needs for prope r opera­
tion .
M odern eng ine 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 traditional pet role -
Checkin g and fillin g 235
um -based oils, ma king them a smart cho ice
for use throughout the life of your Audi.
Whether you use sy nthetic o r pe trole um­
based eng ine oil, the oil tha t you use m ust
confo rm to Aud i's oi l quality standard
VW 502 00 to help keep your vehicle's engine runn ing smooth ly and he lp prevent the for­
mation of harmful deposits, sometimes called
"sludge," that over time can lead to expensive
repairs .
At the time of printing, engine oils ava ilab le in
the U.S. and Canada that meet the exact ing
specifications of Audi oi l standard VW 502 00
are synthet ic eng ine o ils . Th is does not mean,
howeve r, that every sy nthetic engi ne oil will
meet A udi o il standard VW 502 00 . So always
be s ure that yo u use an approved oil.
To he lp prevent the formation of harmfu l de­
pos its use on ly o il wi th the following specifi­
cat ions pr inted on th e oil conta iner:
Audi oil standard VW 502 00
Oil container labe ls may car ry the specifica­
tion sing ly or in combination with othe r desig ­
nations and oil quality standards.
Viscosity
E ngine o ils are graded a ccord ing to the ir vis­
cosi ty . T he p roper viscos ity grade oil fo r yo ur
engine depends on climactic o r seasona l con­
ditions where yo u drive. You can use oi l wit h a
viscosity grade of SAE 5W40 across all tem­
perature ranges for norma l driv ing cond itions.
However, if engine oil viscosity g rade SA E
5W40 is not available, you can also use viscos ­
ity grade SAE 5W -30 or SAE OW -40 as long as
it meets Audi oil q ua lity standard VW 502 00
specifications.
Because eng ine o il tha t meets the Audi oi l
standard may not be availab le everywhere
when you need it, we strong ly recommend
that you a lways carry wit h you an extra quart
( li ter) of oil that express ly conforms to the
VW 502 00 spec if icat ion, in case you have to
top off the o il while o n the road . .,..
•
•

240 Checking 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-based coolant additive Gl3 ant ifreeze
with anticorros ion add itives (50% for USA
models; 60% for Canadian models). This mix­
ture both assures the necessary frost protec­
tion and protects metal components in the
engine's cooling system from corrosion and
scaling. It also 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
proportion of coolant additive must be at
least 50% but not more than 60%
to main­
tain antifree ze protection and cooling efficien­
cy. If the coolant frost protection is too low,
the coolant could freeze and damage the veh i­
cle heating and engine cooling system .
For year-round driving, antifree ze is added at
the factory for temperatures down to:
- -31°F(-35°C)USA
- - 40 °F ( - 40 °C) Canada.
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
c:> &. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 232.
- Before winter sets in, have the coolant
checked to see if the coolant additive in
your vehicle is sufficient to meet the cli­
mate conditions. This is especially impor­
tant if you live in a region where the w in- ter
is extreme ly cold . If necessary, in­
crease the proportion of coolant additive
to 60%.
- When adding coolant additive to your
cooling system, remember:
- We recommend using only coolant ad­
ditive Gl2++ or Gl3 for your vehicle .
This coolant additive is available at au­
thorized Audi dealers. Other types of
antifreeze can significantly reduce cor­
rosion protection. The resulting corro­
sion can ca use a loss of coolant and se­
rious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiator leak seal ­
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant .
Add ing radiator repair fluid may adverse­
ly 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 coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance .
Fig. 200 Engin e compar tmen t: cover on t he coolant
expansio n ta nk
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS c:> &. in Working in the engine compart ­
ment on page 232 .
Park your vehicle on a level surface .
.,. Switch off the ignition.
.,. Read the engine coolant level from the
coo lant expansion tank
c:> fig. 200,
c:> page 234. 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 location of the coolant expansion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus­
tration ¢
page 234.
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 16will
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 .
Checking and filling 241
@ 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 232 .
.,. Turn off the engine .
.,. let the engine cool down.
.,. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank ¢
page 240, fig . 200 and carefully
twist the cap counter-clockwise ¢&_ .
.,. Add coolant.
.,. Twist the cap on again
tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to
exact specifications ¢
page 240, 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.
A WARNING
- The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of
II-
•
•

24 2 Ch ecking 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 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 240 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 . 201 E ngin e compart men t: cover on the brake fluid
r eservo 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 232. .,..

250 Tire s and wheel s
-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden t ire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- If you notice unusual vibration or if the
vehicle pulls to one side when driving, al­
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so
and check the wheels and tires for dam­
age.
(D Note
Please note that summer and wi nte r tires
are designed for the cond itions that are
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means t he comb ined we ight (in excess of
those sta ndard items which may be rep laced)
of au toma tic tra nsmission, power steer ing,
power brakes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that th ese
items are availab le as factory -installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not) .
Aspect ratio
means t he ratio of the he ight to the w idth of
the tire in percent . Numbers of 55 or lower in ­
dicate a low sidewall for improved steering re­
sponse and better overall handling on dry pavement .
Bead
means the part of the ti re that is made of
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the
tire . typ
ica l in those seasons . Aud i recommends
using winter tires during the winter
months . Low temperatures signif icant ly
decrease the e lasticity of summer tires,
which affects tract ion and brak ing ability.
If summer tires are used in very co ld tem­
peratures, cracks ca n form on the tread
bars, res ulting in permanent tire damage
that can cause loud driving no ise and un­
balan ced t ires. Audi is not responsible for
th is type of damage .
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire p ressu re recommended by t he
vehicle manufacturer fo r a tire of a des igna ted
s iz e that has not bee n driven for more than a
coup le of miles (k ilometers) at low speeds in
t h e three hour period before the tire pressure
is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
mea ns the we ight of a motor ve hicle with
standard equipment in cl uding the max imum
capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi ­
tioning and additional weight of optiona l
equipment.
Extra load tire
me ans a t ire design to operate at higher loads
and at h igher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standard tire . Extra load tires may
be identified as "XL", "x l" , "EXTRA LOAD", or
"RF" on the sidewall.
Gross A xle Weight Rating ("GAWR ")
means the lo ad -c a rry ing c apac ity of a s ingle
axle system , measured a t the tire-ground in­
terfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR ")
mea ns the maximum total loaded we ight of
t h e ve hicl e. .,.

2 90 General information
General information Explanation of
technical data
Some of the technical data listed in this man ­
ual requires further explanation .
The technical data for your vehicle is listed in
the charts starting on
r:::> page 292. This sec ·
tion provides general information, notes and restrictions which apply to this data .
Vehicle identification
The key data is given on the vehicle identifica·
tion number (VIN) plate and the vehicle data
sticker.
Fig. 238 Veh icle Ide ntific atio n Number (VlN) p late: lo­
cation on driver 's sid e das h panel
Fig. 239 The vehicle identi fication label -inside the
luggage co mpa rtmen t
The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
is located on the driver's side so that it is visi­
b le from the outside through the windshield
r:::> fig . 238. You can also display the Vehicle
Identification Number of your vehicle in the
MMI. Select: Function button
ICAR ! > Car sys­
tems
> VIN number . The
vehicle identification label
is located in the luggage compartment in the
spare wheel wel l.
The label¢
fig. 239 shows the following vehi­
cle data :
(D Production control No .
@ Vehicle identification No.
® Type code number
@ Type designation/engine output in Kilo·
watts
® Engine and transmission code letter
@ Paint No./Interior
(f) Optional equipment No.'s
Vehicle data 2 to 7 are also found in your War·
ranty
& Maintenance booklet.
The safety compliance sticker
is you r assurance that your new vehicle com­
plies with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards which were in effect at the
time the vehicle was manufactured . You can
find this sticker on the left door jamb.
It
shows the month and year of production and
the ve hicle ident ification number of your vehi ·
cle (perforation) as well as the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR) .
The high voltage warning label
is located on the lock carr ier .
The spark ignition system complies with
the Canadian standard ICES-002.
Weights
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), and
the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for
front and rear are Listed on a sticker on the
left door jamb.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating includes the
weight of the basic vehicle plus full fuel tank,
oi l and coolant, plus maximum load, wh ich in·
eludes passenger weight (lSO lbs/68 kg per
Ill>

298 Consum er Inf ormation
-Always make sure the transmission se­
lector lever (automatic transmiss ion) is
in "P" (Park position) and the park brake
is applied .
@) For the sake of the environment
-Changing the engine settings wi ll ad­
versely affect em iss ion levels. This is det­
rimental to the environment and increas­
es fuel consumption .
- Always observe env ironmental regula­
tions when dispos ing 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 p reten ­
sioners are scrapped, all applicable laws
and regulations must be observed. Your
authori zed Aud i dea ler 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 an authorized Audi dealer be­
fore purchasing accessories.
Your veh icle incorporates the latest safety de­
sig n featu res ensu ring 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 install ing addition­
a l accessories: Approved Audi accessories and genuine Audi
parts are available from authorized A udi deal­
ers.
T hese dea le rs 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 persona l injury.
- Use on ly accessories express ly approved
by Audi and gen uine Audi spare parts
- These parts and accessories have been
specia lly designed to be used on yo ur ve­
h icle .
- Never install accessor ies 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
WARNI NGS
9 page 226 .
(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 c an 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 .
- T he i nnovat ive a luminium concept of
your Audi AB means that all servicing, re­
pairs or other work on the vehicle body
must be carr ied out exclusive ly by an
Audi workshop .
- If emergency repairs must be performed
elsewhere, have the veh icle examined by
an authorized Audi dealer as soon as
possible .
- The manufacturer cannot be held liable
for damage wh ic h occurs due to failure
to comply with these stipu lations .

A
A/C (automatic climate control) . ... .. .. 7 9
ABS
refer to Anti-lock braking system .. .. . 198
Accessories .. ............. .... .. ... 298
Adapt ive a ir s uspension/sport .. .. .. .. . 109
Adapt ive cruise control ................ 93
C leaning sensors/camera ........... 218
M essages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Request for drive r in terven tion .. .. .. .. 98
S top-and-go traffic ................. 97
Adapt ive Lig ht (defect ive) ............. 21
Adding Eng ine coolant ........... .. .. .. ... 241
Eng ine oil .. ............. .... .. ... 238
W indshield washer fluid ... .. .. .. .. . 247
Addit ives
Engine oi l .. .. .... .... ... .. .. .. ... 238
Ad justab le steer ing colum n ............ 82
Adjusting Air distribution (automatic climate con-
trol) ..... ... ...... ........ ........ 80
Front seats ........................ 57
Inst rument illum ina tion ... .. .. .. .. .. SO
S teer ing colu mn .......... .. .. .. .. .. 8 2
Tempe rature (automat ic climate control) 80
A irbag system ................ . 152,17 1
Advanced Airbag System ....... ... .. 156
Adva nced A irbag System components . 159
Ca re . .. .. .. .. ............. .. .. ... 165
Ch ild ren . .. ............. .... .. .. . 17 7
C hild restraints . ... .... ... .. .. .. ... 178
Components (front airbags) . ... .. .. . 159
Danger of fitting a child seat on the front
passenger seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Disposal . .. .. ........... .. .. .. ... 165
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156, 157
H ow do the front airbags wo rk? .. ... . 16 1
H ow many airbags does my vehicle
h ave? . .. .. ................. .. ... 159
H ow the Advan ced Airbag Sys tem com-
ponents wor k together . ... .. .. .. .. . 160
Important safety instructions on the
knee airbag system .... ... .. .. .. .. . 169
Important things to know .. .. .. .. .. . 152
Knee airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Mo nitoring ... ........... .. .. .. ... 163
Inde x 301
PASS ENG ER A IR BAG OF F light ... .. .. 163
Repairs ... .. .. .... . ... ...... ... .. 165
•
Safety instr uctions . .. .. ..... ... .. .. 165 •
Side a irbags . .. .. ................. 170
S ide curtain airbags ................ 173
Warning/ind icator lights ........... .. 18
Warning/Indicator lights ......... .. 163
Weight-sensing mat ............... 177
When must the sys tem be inspected? 163
A ircraft
Transporting your vehicle ........... 288
A lloy whee ls . ..... .. . .. .. ..... ... .. 221
A ll Wheel Drive .. .. .... ........... .. 203
Winter tires . .. .. .. .. ........... .. 264
A lternator
refer to Generator .. .............. .. 16
Ambience lighting ... . ... .... ... .. .. . 49
Ant i-freeze
refer to E ng ine coola nt ......... .. .. 240
Anti- lock braking system ......... .... 198
Warning/ind icator lights ........ ..... 19
Anti-slip regulation . .. ... .... ... .. .. 198
Anti-theft systems El ec tronic immob ilizer .......... .. .. . 31
ASR
refer to A nti-slip regulation 198
Audi braking guard
refer to Braking guard . ......... .. .. . 93
Audi drive selec t
refer to Drive se lect .. .. ..... ... .. .. 109
Audi Se rv ice Repair Manuals and Litera-
tu re ......... .. .. .. .. ........... .. 296
AUTO Automat ic climate control . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Automat ic head lights ............. .. 45
A uto Lock . ... .. .... . ... ...... ... .. . 32
Automa tic be lt ret ractor ............. 14 7
Automat ic car wash ............. .... 216
A utomat ic climate control
Air vents . ... .... .. . .. .. ..... ... .. . 80
A utomat ic recirc ulation . ..... ... .. .. . 81
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Setup ............................ 81
A utomat ic climate cont rol system
synchronizing .... .. . .. .. ..... ... .. . 80