2013 AUDI S8 checking oil

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 11
gauge turn on under normal d riving condi ­
tions . The LEDs higher up may turn on when
the eng ine is under heavy load or the exter ior
temperature is high . This is no need to worry
as long as the. warning light in the instru­
ment cluster does not illuminate . If the LEDs
in the upper area of the display and the ind ica­
tor light . in the instrument cluster d isplay
turn on, the coolant temperature is too high
¢page 16.
A WARNING
-Always observe the warning in
~ page 226, 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
dr ipping 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 a ir inlets reduces the cool­
i ng effect of the rad iator . At h igh outside
temperatures or high eng ine load, the
engine co uld overheat.
- The front spo ile r has been designed to
properly distrib ute the cooling air when
the veh icle is moving. If the spoiler is
damaged, this cou ld red uce the cooling
effect and t he engine co uld then over­
heat . Ask your aut ho rized Audi dea le r for
ass istance.
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicates the engine RPM
(revolutions per minutes).
If engine R PM drops be low 1,500, you should
downshift to the next lower gear. The red a rea
at the end of the sca le ind icates maxim um
perm iss ible engine RPM after the break-in pe­
riod. Before reaching this area, move these­
lector lever to position "D (Drive)" or ease
your foot off the accelerator pedal.
@ Note
The tachometer need le should only briefly
be in the red zone: yo u could damage your
engine! The beg inning of the red zone var ­
i es depending on the engine.
@ For the sake of the environment
Upsh ifting early saves fuel and reduces en ­
gine noise.
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge only works when the ignition is
o n.
If the fue l level drops below 4 gallons (15
l ite rs), the bottom LE D tu rns red and the indi­
cator light~ turns on
c::> page 21. The bot­
tom LED b link s red when the fue l level is very
l ow .
The possible range based on the current fuel
level is shown in tab@~
page 23, fig. 4.
(D Note
Never run the ta nk complet ely dry. An ir­
r egular supply of f uel can cause engine
misfiring and fuel cou ld enter the exha ust
system. The cata lytic converter could t hen
overheat and be damaged.
Warning/indicator lights
Description
T he ind icator lights in the ins trument clus ter
blink or turn on. They indica te f unct ions or
malfunctions
c;;> ,& .
Messages may appea r with some indicato r
li ghts. A warning signal will sound at the
same t ime. The indica tor lights and messages
in the center of the displays may be rep laced
by other disp lays. To show them again, select
the tab for ind icator lights and messages us­
ing the multifunction steering whee l
c;;> page 23. If there are several malfunc­
tions, you can display them one at a time us- ing the thumbwheel. ..,.

-Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open flames. Fluids in the engine com­
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im­
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal in­
jury while the engine is running or being
started, never touch :
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repair
with the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever to "P" (Park).
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact­ ing hot parts. Tie back hair before
starting, and do not wear clothing that
will hang or droop into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and
chemical ha zards c:::> & .
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de­
fects and reproductive harm. In addition ,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con­
tain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm .
Checking and filling 233
-Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories contain lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive harms. Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container
or filler opening, otherwise serious dam­
age to vehicle systems will occur.
(® For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly . If
you see spots from oil or other vehicle flu­ ids, have your vehicle inspected by an au­
thorized Audi dealer.
Closing the engine hood
.,. Pull the hood down until the pressure from
the struts is reduced.
"' Let the hood
drop down and latch in place.
Do not try to push it shut; it may fail to en­
gage
c:::> ,A .
A WARNING
-
A hood that is not completely latched
could fly up and block your view while driv ­
ing .
- When you close the engine hood, check it
to make sure the safety catch has proper­ ly engaged. The hood should be flush
with the surrounding vehicle body parts.
- If you notice while driving that the hood
is not secured properly , stop at once and
close it. •
•

With all these variables coming into play, no
standard rate of oil consumption can be es­
tablished or specified . There is no alternative
to regular and freq uent checking of the oi l lev­
e l, see
Note .
If the ye llow engine oi l level war ning symbol
in the instrument cluster
II lights up, you
should check the o il level as soon as possible
¢
page 23 7 or ¢ page 238. Top off the oil at
your earliest convenience¢
page 238 .
.&_ WARNING
Before yo u check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARN INGS
¢ &. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 232.
0 Note
Dr iving with an insufficient oil level is like­
ly to ca use seve re damage to the eng ine.
{1) Tips
- The oil pressu re warning display. i s
not an indicator of the oi l level. Do not
rely on it. Instead , check th e oil level in
your engine at regular interval s, pref ­
erably each time you refuel, and always before going on a long trip .
-If yo u have the impres sion your engine
consumes excessive amo unts o f oil, we
r ecommend that yo u consult your Audi
dealer to have the ca use of yo ur conce rn
proper ly diagnosed . Keep in mind that
the accurate measurement of oil con­
sumption requires great care and may
take some time. You r Audi dealer has in­
str uctions about how to measure o il con­
sumption accurately.
Checkin g and fillin g 237
Checking the engine oil level
Applies to vehicles : wit h oil level indicator
Fi g. 1 97 Disp lay: o il leve l indicator
.,. Park yo ur vehicle on a level surface.
.,. Shut the eng ine off when it is warm .
.,. Switch on ly the ignition back on .
.,. Wait approx imately two m inutes.
.,. Select:
I CAR ! function button > Car systems
contro l butto n > Servicing & checks > Oil
level.
.,. Check t he oil level i n the display ¢ fig. 197.
Add eng ine o il if t he bar o f the oil leve l ind i­
cator is near "min"¢
page 238.
Depend ing on the way the vehicle is dr iven
and t he ope rat ing cond it ions, oi l cons umption
c a n be up to 1/ 2 quart pe r 60 0 miles (0.S liter
per 1,000 km) . Cons umption may be higher
within the first 3,000 m iles (S,000 km) .
(D Tips
The o il leve l indic ato r in the MMI Disp lay is
on ly an informa tion display.
If t h e oil level
i s low, a minimum oil warn ing appears in
the instrument cluster. Add oil
¢
page 238. If the hood has been opened,
the current oil level is shown in t he instr u­
ment cluster the next t ime the ignition is
swi tched on.
•
•

238 Checking and filling
Checking the engine oil level
App lies to vehicles: with oi l dipst ick
Fig. 198 Oil dipsti ck: marking fields
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
always read an heed all WARN ­
INGS c::;,page 232.
Determining the oil le vel
.. Park your vehicle on a leve l surface .
.. Let the engine run in id le b riefly while it is
at operating temperature and then shut the
engi ne off.
.. Wait approximately two min utes .
.. Remove the oil d ipst ick . W ipe off the oil
dip stic k w it h a clean cloth a nd insert i t all
t h e way in aga in .
.. Remove the dipstick again and t hen read
t h e oi l level
¢ fig . 198. Add engine oil if nec­
essary
¢ page 238.
Oil level in the~ area
.. Do not a dd any oi l.
Oil level in the @area
.. You may add oil. After adding oil, the level
shou ld be i n the
G) area.
Oil level in the 0 area
.. You must add o il. Afte r adding oil, t he leve l
sho uld be in the
G) area .
D epending on the way the vehicle is drive n
a nd the operating conditions, oil consumpt ion
can be up to 1/2 q uart per 600 mi les (0.5 liter
per 1 ,000 km) . Cons umption may be higher
wit hin the f irst 3,000 mi les (5,000 km) . Be­
cause of th is, t he engine o il level must be
checked regularly . It would be best to check each time you ref
ue l your vehicle and before
lo ng d rives .
Adding engine oil~
0 N ,.
"' 0:, m
Fig. 199 En g in e co mpa rtm ent : cove r on th e eng in e o il
f il le r neck
Befo re you check anyth ing in the engine com ­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS c::;, A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 232 .
.. Unscrew the cap "l!:ir. to the eng ine oi l filling
hole
c::;, fig . 199, c::;, page 234 .
.. Carefully top off with t he appropr iate oil in
0 .5 li ter doses.
.. Check the oil level again after two minut es
c::;, page 237 or ¢ page 238 .
.. Top off the o il agai n, if neces sary.
.. Scr ew the ca p ba ck on the fi lling hole.
A WARNING
- W hil e to ppin g off, the o il m ust not co me
i n contact with hot en gine parts -fir e
hazard!
- Th e o il filler cap must be pr ope rl y se­
cured to p revent oil from being sprayed
on the hot engi ne and e xhaust system
when t he engine is runn ing -fire haza rd !
- If you r skin has come in contact wit h the
e ng ine o il, you must subseq uently
cleanse it thor oughly.
(D Note
- Check the oil leve l. If the message
Please reduce oil level appears, contact
yo ur authorized A ud i d ealer or othe r
qualified worksh op to have excess oil ex-
t ract ed if necessa ry. .,,_

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-
•
•

302 Index
Automatic transmission (tiptronic) .... . 115
Emergency mode . ..... ... .. .. .... . 11 9
Kick-down . .... ... .... ... .. .. .... . 118
Manual shifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Park ing lock emergency release ..... . 120
Selector leve r posit ions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Automatic wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Auto Safety Hotline ...... .. .. .. .. .. . 142
Average consumption ................. 24
Average speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Avoid damaging the vehicle . ... .. .. .. . 207
B
Ba ttery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
C harging ... ................ ... ... 246
Important warnings ...... .. .. .. .. . 244
L ocat ion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
low . .. .. .. ............. .. .. .. .. . 203
Replacing the battery ..... .. .. .. .. . 247
State of charge . .. ..... ... .. .. .... . 203
Winter operation . ..... ... .. .. .... . 243
Wo rking on the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
B efore d riving .. ........... .... .... . 134
Blended gasoline ............ .. .... . 228
Blower (automatic climate cont rol) . . . . . . 80
Body cav ity sealing .......... .... .... 221
Booster seats ...................... 184
B rake fl uid
Changing the brake fl uid ... .. .. .. .. . 243
Checking the brake fluid level ..... .. . 242
What is the correct brake fluid leve l? .. 242
What should I do if the brake fluid warn-
ing light comes on? ................ 242
Brake system Anti-lock braking system ... .. .. .. ... . 1 9
Brake assist system .. ... .. .. .... .. . 198
Brake booste r .. .......... .. .. .... . 202
Brake fluid .............. .. .. .. .. . 242
Brake fluid spec ificat ions for refill and re­
placement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Brake light defect ive ....... .... ..... 21
Brake pads . ........ ......... .... . 206
E lec tromechan ica l par king brake ...... 85
Fl uid reservoir ........... .. .. .. .. . 242
H ow does mo isture or road salt affect the
b rakes? .... ... .. ..... ... .. .. .... . 200 Warning/ind
icator lights ..... .... . .. . 14
Worn brake pads symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
braking guard Messages . .. .. .. ............. .. .. 100
Brak ing guard . .. .. .......... ...... .. 93
Settings ......... ............... . 100
Break-in period .... .. ... ..... ... .. .. 206
Brake pads .... .. ............. .... 206
Tires . .. .. .. .. .. ............. .. .. 206
Bu lbs . ... .. .... .. ... .. ..... .... . .. 283
C
Californ ia Pr oposition 65 Warn ing . .... 233
Battery spe cific .. ... .......... .. .. 24S
Capacities ........ .. .............. . 292
Engine o il ... .. .. .. ... ....... ... .. 23S
Car care .. .. .. .. .. ............. .. .. 215
Exterior ....... .. .. ........... .... 215
Interior ....... ................... 222
Car carrier Transporting your vehicle .... ... .. .. 288
Cargo a rea
refer to L uggage compartmen t ... .. . .
Catalytic converter
Center armrest 140
207
Cockpit ... .... .. .. ... .. ... ... .. .. . 60
Rear . .... .... .. ............. .... . 67
Cen tral lock ing ...................... 32
E mergency lock ing . .. .. ..... ... .. .. . 36
Certif ication .. .. .................. . 299
Changi ng a wheel .. .. .... .... ... .. .. 273
Changi ng engine oil ............. .... 239
Chassis (undercoat ing) .............. . 221
Checking Engine coolant level .. .. ..... .... . .. 240
Tire pressure . .. .. ............. .. .. 255
Child rest raints
Danger of using child restraints in the
front seat ..... .. .. ... ..... ... .. .. 154
Where can I get additional information
about child restraints and their use? .. 195
Child rest raint system anchors ........ 189
Child safety ... .. .. .. ... ....... ... .. 176
Convertible locking retractor ........ . 186
Gu idance fixtures for lower anchorages 191

starting .... ................ ... .... 83
Starting with jumper cables . ... .. .. . 284
Stopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Engine compartment ....... .. .. .. .. . 234
C losing the hood ......... .. .. .. .. . 233
Opening the hood .............. .. . 232
Safety instructions ................. 232
Working in the engine compartment .. 232
Engine coolant . ........... .. .. .. ... 240
Adding coolant ........... .. .. .. .. . 241
Checking the engine coolant level .. .. . 240
Expansion tank .............. ... ... 240
Malfunction symbol .......... ... .. .. 16
Radiator fan ............. .... .. .. . 242
Temperature gauge ....... .. .. .. .. .. 10
Engine oil ... ................ ... ... 235
Adding .... ................ ... ... 238
Additives ... ................ ... ... 238
Changing .. ............. .... .. ... 239
Checking oil level ......... .. .. .. .. . 238
Checking the engine oil level .. .. .. .. . 237
Consumption ............... .... .. 238
Indications and conditions requiring ex-
tra checking ............. .... .. ... 23 7
I ndicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
O il consumption .......... .. .. .. .. . 236
Oil grades .. ................ ... ... 235
Oil level symbol ................ .... 20
Pressure malfunction ......... ..... .. 17
Recommended oil check intervals .. .. . 237
Sensor defective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Specification and viscosity .. .. .. .. .. . 235
Engine sound ................ ... ... 109
Engine speed limitation ....... .. .. .. .. 20
Engine start-stop mode
refer to Start-Stop-System . .. .. .. .. .. 89
Engine start system (indicator lights) . ... 17
Entry assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Environment Break-in period ........... .. .. .. ... 206
Catalytic converter . ....... .. .. .. .. . 207
Disposing of your vehicle battery .... . 247
Driving at high speeds ...... ... ... .. 209
Driving to minimize pollution and noise 208
Fuel ... .. .. .. ............. .. .. ... 230
Fuel economy ............ .... .. .. . 208
Leaks under your vehicle ............ 232
Letting the vehicle stand and warm up. 209
Index 305
Proper disposal of drained brake fluid . 243
Proper disposal of drained engine cool-
ant ....... ... .. .. ............... 241
Proper disposal of drained engine
oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238, 239
Recycling used engine oil ............ 238
Unleaded fuel .. .. .. . .. .... ........ 228
What should I do with an old battery? . 247
EPC
refer to E lectronic power control (EPC) . 20
ESC
refer to Electronic Stabilization Control
(ESC) ............................ 198
ESC (Electronic Stab ilization Control)
Warning/ind icator lights ............ . 18
Event Data Recorder (EDR) ............ 198
Exhaust tail pipes .. .. .............. . 222
Expansion tank .. .. ................. 240
Exterior lighting . .. ................. . 45
Exterior mirrors Adjusting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Dimming ... ... .... ................ 54
Heating ... .. .. .. .... ............. . 54
Exterior temperature display ........ .. . 23
F
Fastening
Booster seats .. .. .... ......... .... 184
Convertib le child safety seats .... .. .. 183
Infant seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 182
Floor mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Fo lding table .. .. .. .. ............... . 68
Foot pedals ... .. .... ... .......... .. 139
For the sake of the environment Gasoline fumes and the environment .. 230
Reducing engine noise by ear ly upshift-
ing ....... .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. . 10
Refueling . .. .. .. .. ............... 230
Saving fuel by early upshifting ....... . 10
Four zone automatic climate control ..... 79
Front airbags Description .. .. .. ................. 156
How they work . .. ................. 161
Frontal collisions and the laws of physics 145
Front passenger seat adjustment . . . . . . . 63
•
•