2013 AUDI A8 oil

the stored position as soon as you switch on
the ignition.
Starting and stopping
the engine
Starting the engine
This button switches on the ignition and
starts the engine.
Fig. 85 Center console: S TART ENGINE S TOP b utton
Switching the ignition on/off
• To switch the ignition on/off, press the
I START ENGINE STOPI button. Do not press
the brake pedal while doing this.
Starting the engine
• Press the brake pedal QA .
• Press the !START ENGINE STOPI button
Q fig . 85. The engine will start.
If the engine does not start immediately, the
starting process is automatically stopped af­
ter a short time. Repeat starting procedure.
Start-Stop-System*:
When you stop and the Start -Stop -System*
turns off the engine, the ignition still remains
switched on.
- If you press the !S TART ENGINE STOPI but­
ton now, the ignition will be switched off.
The engine will not start
¢page 89.
- Make sure that the ignit ion is switched off
before exiting the vehicle.
Switching the ignition/engine off
automatically*
The follow ing applies to vehicles with Start­
Stop-System*: to prevent the battery from
On the road 83
draining, the ignition and the engine will
switch off automatically under the following
cond itions:
- The vehicle has already been driven.
- The driver's door is opened.
- The driver's seat belt is removed .
- The brake pedal is not pressed down.
- The vehicle is stationary.
In this case, the activated low beam will be re­
placed by the side marker lights. The side
marker lights will switch off after a certain pe­
riod of time or when you lock the vehicle .
A WARNING
-Never allow the engine to run in conf ined
spaces -danger of asphyx iation.
- Never turn off the engine until the vehi­
cle has come to a complete stop.
- The brake booster and power steering
only work when the engine is running. If
the engine is off, you have to use more
force when steering or braking. Because
you cannot steer and brake as you usual­
ly would, this could lead to crashes and
serio us injuries.
(D Note
- Avo id h igh engine rpm, full throttle and
heavy engine loads until the engine has
reached operating temperature - other­
w ise you risk engine damage.
- The engine cannot be started by pushing
or towing the vehicle.
@ Tips
-After a co ld engine is started, there may
be a brief period of inc reased noise be­
cause oil pressure must first build up in
the hydraulic valve adjusters. This is nor­
ma l and not a cause for concern.
-If you leave the vehicle with the ignition
switched on, the ignition w ill switch off
after a certain period of time. Please
note that electrical equipment such as
exterior lights will sw itch off as well
when that happens.

202 Intellig ent technol ogy
- If you damage the fro nt spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
flow to the front brakes is not obstruct­ ed . Otherwise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the ent ire brake system .
- Failure of one brake c ircuit will impair
the braking capability resulting in an in­ creased stopp ing distance. Avoid driv ing
the vehicle and have it towed to the near­ est Aud i dea ler or qualified workshop .
Brake booster
The brake booster adds extra braking power .
The brake booster works with vacuum pres­
sure which is created only when the engine is
running ¢& .
& WARNING
-Never let the vehicle ro ll to a stop w ith
the engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not work ing, for
example when towing your vehicle, or
because the b rake booste r has somehow
been damaged, the brake pedal must be
pressed considerab ly harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance .
Servotronic® -
advanced power
steering system
The power steering systems use the power of
the running engine to allow precise steering
with little effort.
The advanced Servotronic ® power steering
system senses the road speed and e lectroni­
cally adjusts powe r ass istance to p rov ide com ­
fortable and sa fe stee ring response exactly
matc hed to the ve hicle speed .
Power steering w il l not work if the eng ine is
off . As a result, the steering whee l w ill be hard
to turn.
The power steering fluid level is chec ked dur­
ing the scheduled ma intenance serv ices.
(D Note
If there is an e lectronic malfunction, ser­
votronic
will still function like a conven­
tiona l power steering system, providing a
constant steering support force that is no
l onger proportionate to the vehicle speed.
This is most not iceable when t urning the
steering wheel at low speeds (for example
when pa rking), - more effort w ill be re­
q uired than us ual.
- Be aware of the diffe rent than usual
steering response and adjust your steer­
ing force acco rding ly.
- Have the problem checked and set right
by an A udi dealer as soon as poss ible.
(D Tips
- When the eng ine is running, never ho ld
the stee ring wheel turned all the way to
the rig ht or to the left fo r longer than 15
seconds. The powe r stee ring pump will
overheat the hydraulic fluid i f yo u keep
holding the stee ring wheel turned all the
way. This is likely to damage the power steering system.
- If the powe r steering system sho uld fai l
entire ly, or if the engine is not runn ing
(for example, wh ile be ing towed), you
w ill still be able to stee r the veh icle.
However,
considerably more effort will
be requi red to do so.
- If the power steering system should
have a leak, or is not functioning proper­
ly, contact your author ized Audi dealer
immed iately.
- The power steer ing system req uires a
specially fo rmu lated hyd raulic fluid. The
powe r stee ring fluid reservoir is located
in the engine comp art ment¢
page 234.
T he cor rect fluid level in the reservoir is
impo rtant fo r proper functioning of the
powe r stee ring .

Catalytic converter
It is very important that your emission con­trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in an environmentally sound manner .
.. Always use lead-free gasoline¢ page 228,
Fuel supply.
.,. Never run the tank down all the way to
empty.
.,. Never put too much motor oil in your en-
gine ¢
page 238, Adding engine oil~-
.,. Never try to push- or tow-start your veh icle.
The catalytic converter is an eff icient "clean­
up" device built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle . The catalytic converter burns
many of the pollutants in the exhaust gas be ­
fore they are released into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is critically
importa nt for the life of the cata lytic convert­
e r and proper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING
-
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fuel spill or other material which can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
man ifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields. During driving, the
substance used for undercoating cou ld
overheat and cause a fire.
0 Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will already seriously de­
grade the performance of the catalytic
converter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
¢ page 238.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty. The eng ine could mis­
fire . U nburned fuel could a lso get i nto
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 207
the exhaust system and this cou ld cause
the catalytic converter to overheat .
- Do not swi tch off the ignit ion while the
vehicle is mov ing.
- Do not continue to ope rate your veh icle
unde r these conditions, as othe rwise fuel
can reach the catalytic converter. This
co uld result in overheating o f the con­
verter, requir ing its replacement .
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis ­
sion Control System:
- H ave your vehicle maintained prope rly
and in accordance w ith the se rv ice rec­
ommendat ions in you r Warranty &
M aintenance boo klet.
- L ack of prope r maintenance as we ll as
improper use of the vehi cle w il l impair
the function of the em ission contro l
system and could lead to damage .
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emiss ion Control System is
operat ing properly, the exha ust gas can
have a sul fur -li ke exhaust gas smell under
some operating states . This depends on
the sulfur content of the fuel being used .
Using a different brand of fue l may help,
or filling the tank with lead-free super
grade gasoline .
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are drivi ng on poo r roads, or over
c ur bs, s teep ramps, etc., ma ke certai n that
low -lying parts s uch as spoilers and exhaust
system pa rts do not bottom o ut and get dam­
aged.
T h is is espec ially true for veh icles w ith low­
s lung chassis (spor ts chassis)* and fully load­
ed vehicles. •
•

Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
11-Try and keep well below your car's maxi-
mum speed.
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consump­ tion, engine wear, and does not disturb the
environment.
F ue l consumption, exhaust emissions and en ­
g ine noise increase disproportionately at high
speeds. If you drive at approximately three
quarters of top speed, fuel consumption will
be reduced by one half. Never drive faster
than the posted speed limit and weather con­
d itions permit .
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel.
11-Shut the engine off when you are not driv­
ing the vehicle.
"" Do not warm up the veh icle by letting the
engine run at idle .
The idling phase is automat ically reduced for
vehicles w ith the Start/Stop system . It is effi­
cient to switch
off the engine in vehicles with­
out the Start-Stop-System when stopped at ra il road crossings and long red lights. Turning
the eng ine
off for just 30 -40 seconds saves
mo re fuel than is burned by s tarting the en­
gine again.
It takes a long time fo r the engine to wa rm up
fu lly when it is running at idle. Howeve r, wear
and noxious emissions are especially high
when the engine is warming up. So you should
drive away as soon as you start the engine and
avoid running at h igh rpms while the engine is
still warming up.
CD Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af­
ter starting. If warning lights shou ld come
on to indicate improper operation, they
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 209
would go unheeded. Extended idling a lso
produces heat, which could result in over­
heating or other damage to the veh icle or
other property.
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel.
11-Have your vehicle serviced at reg ular inter-
vals .
By having your ve hicle reg ularly se rviced by an
Audi dealer he lps to ensure that it runs prop­
erly and economically . The condition of your
vehicle not only affects its safety and ability to
ho ld its va lue, it also affects
fuel co nsump ­
tion .
Chec k your oil e ach t ime you fill y our t ank.
T he amou nt of o il used is re lated to engine
load and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reac h its lowest value after a certa in
mileage has bee n driven.
You must drive your veh icle about 3,000 m iles
(5,000 kilometers) before you can properly
assess oil consumpt ion.
This also applies to fuel consumption and en­ gine output .
CD Note
-Have your veh icle ma inta ined properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty
& Ma in­
tenance book let . Lack of proper mainte­
nance as well as improper use of the ve­
hicle will impai r the function of the
em ission cont ro l system and cou ld lead
t o damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of
t he Emission Control System unless ap­
proved by the manufacture r.
- Do not alter or remove any devi ce, such
as heat shie lds, switches, ign ition w ires,
valves, which are designed to protect
your vehicle's Emission Control System
•
•

216 Cleaning and protec tio n
Automatic car wash
The vehicle can be washed in almost any
modern automatic car wash .
The vehicle paint is so durable that the vehicle
can normally be washed without problems in
an automatic car wash. However, the effect on
the paint depends to a large extent on the de­
sign of the facility, the filte ring of the wash
water, the type of wash and care mater ial , etc.
I f the pa int has a dull appearance afte r going
through the car wash or is scratched, bring
this to the attention of the operator immedi­
ately. If necessary, use a different car wash.
Before going through a car wash, be sure to
take the usual precautions such as closing the
windows and power roof . Factory installed an­
tennas must not be removed.
I f you have installed additional accessor ies on
the vehicle - such as spoilers, roof rack, etc. -
it is best to ask the car wash operator if these
should be removed .
When driving through an automatic car wash,
fi rst se lect the N position and then switch the
engine off. If you switch the engine off when N is engaged, the transmission remains in N
for approximately 30 m inutes and then Pis
engaged.
Further information for automatic gearboxes
~ page 115.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
r:::;, page 215.
- Before washing the vehicle in an auto­
matic car wash, p lease make sure to re­
tract the exterior mirrors to prevent
them from being damaged. Power fold­ i ng exter ior mirrors must not be folded
i n or out by hand . Always use the electri­
ca l power control.
- Compare the track of your vehicle with the d istance between the guide rails of the facility - the
re is a risk of damage to
the whee ls and tires .
- Compare the height and width of your
vehicle with the height and width of the tunnel at the facility .
Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of water is needed when washing a vehi ­
cle by hand.
.,. Before yo u start washing, make su re you
have read and understood the WARNINGS
~ A in General information on page 215.
.,. First soak all dried dirt unti l it is soft, then
rinse it off.
.,. As you clean your vehicle, start with the
roof and work your way down to the bottom,
using a sponge, a sponge glove or a clean brush .
.,. Rinse the sponge o r the sponge g love often,
flushing it clean each time.
.,. Use spec ial car shampoo only for very per­
sistent dirt .
.,. Rinse the car thoroughly with water.
.,. Use a chamois leather to gently wipe the ex-
ter ior dry.
Use a separate sponge for cleaning the
whee ls , door si lls and other regions exposed
to road dirt. In this way, you will not scratch
the pa int with coarse particles imbedded in
the sponge the next time you wash the car.
A WARNING
-- Wash your vehicle only when the ign ition
is switched off to reduce the risk of a
crash.
- Do not clean the underside of the chas­ sis, fenders, wheel covers, or other hard
to reach parts without protect ing your
hands and arms . You may cut you rself on
sha rp-edged metal pa rts.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other info rmation
c;, page 215. ~

(D Note
-Never try to remove dirt, mud or dust if
the surface of the vehicle is dry. Never
use a dry cloth or sponge, since this
could scratch your vehicle's pa int or w in­
dows .
- Never wash your car in bright sunlight.
Drops of water act as magnifying lenses
and may damage your paint.
- When you wash your car in the w inter : if
you r inse your vehicle w ith a hose, be
careful not to aim the stream of water
direct ly at locks, or at door or hatch
openings - they can free ze shut.
- Never use sponges des igned to remove
i nsects, or any kitchen scouring sponges
or similar products. They can damage
you r paint finish .
- Never use a dry cloth o r sponge to clean
the headligh ts. On ly use we t cloths or
sponges to prevent scratches .
It is best
to use soapy wate r.
- You sho uld remove debris (su ch as in­
sects) from the head ligh t lenses on a
r egular basis, for example when refuel ­
ing your vehicle . Never clean the head­
li ghts w ith a dry cloth or sponge. Use a
wet cloth or sponge. It is best to use
soapy water.
@ For the sake of the environment
On ly wash the vehicle in facilit ies specially
designed for that purpose. Th is w ill reduce
the risk of d irty water contaminated with
oil from entering the sewer system . In
some areas, wash ing vehicles outs ide of
these facilit ies is prohib ited.
Washing your vehicle with a power
washer
Cleaning the exterior of your car with a high ­
pressure power washer is safe as long as you observe a few simple rules .
~ Before usi ng the power washe r, make sure
yo u have re ad an d u nderstood the WARN-
Cleaning and protec tion 217
INGS ¢ A in General information on
page 215 .
~ Always follow the operating instr uctions for
the power washer.
~ Make sure that the jet on the spray hose
produces a "fan shaped spray" .
~ Do not hold the spray nozzle too close to
soft mater ials .
Keep a distance from soft materia ls suc h as
rubbe r hoses or insulating material as well as
senso rs and camera lenses .
When cleaning the vehicle with a power was h­
er
always follow the operating instructions .
This applies part icu larly to the operati ng pres ­
su re and the spraying d istance . Do not point
the spray d irectly at the seals around the side
windows, around the doo rs, on t he rear lid or
o n the sunroo f*. L ikewise, do no t poi nt i t di­
re ct ly a t tires, rubbe r hoses, insula tion mate ­
ria l or senso rs ~
page 218 . Hold the spray
nozzle at least 1.3 ft (0.4 m) away from the
vehicle.
Do no t use a high-pressure power was her to
remove snow and ice.
Do not use a jet which sprays wate r in a d irect
stream o r one that has a ro ta ti ng jet.
Water temperature should not exceed 140 °F
(60 °().
&_ WARNING
N eve r wash tires wi th a jet that sprays w a­
ter in a direc t stream . T his co uld ca use in­
v isi ble damage to the t ires and weaken
them, even i f the spray is from a re lative ly
l ong distance and for a sho rt time. Dam ­
aged and weakened tires can fail and cause
accidents and personal in jury.
Q) Note
To avoid damaging yo ur vehicle, a lways
make sure that there is suffic ient d istance
between the spray head and soft materia ls
lik e rubber hoses, plast ic parts a nd sound­
deaden ing mater ia ls as well as sensors
and camera lenses . Never a im t he spray
head at the same point fo r a long time .
•
•

headlight washer system (night vis ion as ­
sist*) .
If the area is heavily soi led, you can
clean it with glass clean ing agent and a soft,
dry cloth.
(D Note
- If you wash your vehicle with a pressure
washer,
- make sure there is enough d istance to
sensors in the rear bumper .
- do not clean the camera lenses and the area around them with the pressure
washer.
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens . Th is
could cause the lens to c rac k.
- Neve r clean the came ra lens w it h abra­
s ive p roducts.
Waxing and Polishing
Waxing
A good wax coat ing protects the ve hicle pa int
to a large extent aga inst the environmen tal
factors listed under
r::o page 215, Washing and
even against slight scratches .
You can use a liquid ca r wax to p rotect your
pa int as soo n as o ne week after your veh icle
h as been de livered .
Even if you regular ly use a
waxing process in
automatic ca r washes, we recommend t hat
you ma nually app ly a coat of wax to give the
pa int extra protec tion , particula rly if wate r no
l onge r beads on the clean paint .
P rotect p lastic body pa rts with ca r wax i n the
same way as the vehicle body.
During warm weather dead insects tend to
collect on the front bumper and on the for­
ward area of the hood . They a re much easier
to remove from pai nt tha t is waxed
often.
Polishing
Poli sh your vehicle only if the pa int has lost its
shine and the gloss cannot be brought back
with wax .
Cleaning and protec tion 219
If the po lish used does not contain p reserva­
tive compounds, the paint must be waxed af­
terwards.
_& WARNING
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
r::opage 215 .
([) Note
Do not use car wax on
- matte or anodized meta l trim
- ru bber or ru bber- lik e t rim.
Trim strips
Metal trim needs special care.
For environmental reasons, Audi fabric ates
the bright t rim strips and trim p ieces from
pure chromium-free al uminum .
Dirt and marks on the trim strips shou ld be
removed w ith a
pH-balanced cleaning agent
(do not use a chrome cleane r) . Aud i dealers
carry clean ing produc ts which have been test­
ed fo r use on your vehicle and are not ha rmfu l
to the environment.
T o avoid co rrosion on the exter ior trim st rips,
o nly a pH-ba lanced solu tion should be used
for the windsh ield washer.
_& WARNING
A lways read and heed all WARN INGS and
o ther in formation
r::o page 215 .
Plastic and vinyl
Plastic needs special care.
Use a clean , damp cloth or sponge to remove
dust and light s urface di rt . For other soil, use
a lukewa rm all-p urpose cleaning so lution or a
mild saddle soap for v inyl tr im . Remove wate r
spots and traces of soa p wi th a cle an, d amp
clo th or sponge. Use a clean, so ft cloth to rub
dry .
G rease , ta r or oil stains can be removed w it h a
cl ea n clot h or sponge soake d wit h all- purpose .,.
•
•

220 Cleaning and protec tio n
cleaner or with a solvent designed especially
to clean viny l.
Occasionally apply a colo rless v inyl or leather
preservat ive to reta in the material's l uste r
and p liability .
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
Q page 215.
Aluminum trim
Use only n eutr al- pH products to remove spots
and depos its from aluminum surfaces.
Chrome care products and alkaline cleaners
will attack alum inum surfaces and can dam ­
age them over time .
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
Q page 215.
Touch -up paint
Minor paint damages should be touched up
immediately .
.. Use either a touch-up pa int stick or spray
paint to cove r minor scratches and nicks .
Your Audi dealer has touch-up paint for minor scra tches and stone chips. Scratches should
be touched up soon after they occur to pre­
vent corrosion .
If a spot starts to rust, however, a simple
touch-up job w ill not be enough. The affected
surface must be sanded smooth and coated
with an anti-rust pr imer befo re the pa inted
finish ca n be restored .
The number for the original vehicle paint can be found on the vehicle ident ificat ion label
Q page 290 .
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
Qpage 215.
Windows
Clear vision to all sides .
Clean all windows regula rly to remove road
film and car wash wax buildup.
.. Remove snow from w indows us ing a brush.
.. Use a plastic ice sc raper to remove ice from
w indows and mirrors.
.. Remove other residue on the windows with
a spray-on g lass cleaner .
.. Wipe the windows dry with a clean piece of
cloth or kitchen paper towel.
The best way to remove snow from windows and mirrors is to use a brush . Use a non-abra ­
s ive
plastic ic e scrape r -better st ill, a spray
deicer - to remove
ice from w indows and m ir­
ro rs.
Oil , grease or s ilicone residue can be removed
with
gla ss cleaner or silicon e remover . How­
ever, wax res idue requires the use of a spec ial­
ly formula ted so lve nt. Please contact your
A udi dealer for adv ice on safe products for
wax removal.
Windows should also be cleaned on the inside at regu la r i nte rvals .
Never dry windows with the same chamo is
that you use to dry pai nted surfaces. Wax resi­
due on the chamois can impa ir v is ion through
t h e windows.
A WARNING
- Always re ad and heed a ll WAR NINGS and
other info rmation
Q page 215.
- The windsh ield must no t be treated w ith
water-repellen t materials. They can in­
crease glare unde r poo r vis ibility condi ­
tions such as wetness, darkness, or when
the sun is low on the horizon . In addi­
tion, they can cause the w indshield w ip­
ers to chatter.
(D Note
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow and ice from windows and mirrors .
Th is could cause the glass to crack. ..,_