2014 AUDI A8 light

242 Checking and filling
-The auxiliary e lectric fan is temperature
controlled and can switch on suddenly
even when the engine is not runn ing.
- The auxiliary radiator fan switches on au­
tomatically when the engine coolant
reaches a certain 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.
Fig . 205 E ng ine co mpartment: cove r on the brake fluid
r eservo ir
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS 9 &_ in Working in the engine compart­
m ent on page 231.
.. Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir
9 fig . 205, q page 233. The
brake fluid leve l must be between the "MIN"
and "MAX" markings.
The location of the brake fl uid reservoir can be
seen in the engine compartment illustrat ion
9 page233.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the
brake pads. This is not cause for alarm.
If the brake fluid level falls
considerably be­
low the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/ind i­
cator light
1111 (U.S. models)/ . (Canadian
models) will come on
q page 14. Do not con­
tinue to operate the vehicle . T he complete
brake system should be thoroughly checked by an authorized Audi dealer or other quali­
fied fac ility and the cause corrected.
If th e
brake flu id level is too low, the brake wa rning/
indicator light will illuminate. Contact an au­
thorized Audi dealer
immediately.
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by on experi­
enced technician.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
high, corrosion in the brake system may result
a fter a period of time. The boiling point of the
brake fluid will also decrease considerably and
decrease braking performance .
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every two years. Always use new brake flu id
which conforms to Federal Motor Veh icle
Standard "FMVSS 116 DOT 4" .
The brake fluid reservoir can be difficu lt to
reach, therefore, we recommend that you
have the brake fluid changed by your author ­
ized
Audi dealer . Your dealer has the correct
tools, the right brake fluid and the know-how
to do this for you .
.&, WARNING
-Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stor­
ed only in the closed origina l container
out of the reach of children!
- Brake failure can result from old or inap­
propriate brake fluid. Observe these pre­
cautions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE
spec ification
J 1703 and conforms to
Federa l Motor Vehicle Standard 116.
Always check with your authorized Aud i
dealer to make sure you are using the
correct brake fluid. The correct type of
brake fluid is also indicated on the
brake fluid reservoir .
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use
of the brakes can cause a vapor lock if
the brake fluid is Left in the system too
lllJ.

long. This can seriously affect the effi­
ciency of the brakes as well as yo ur
safety. This could result in an acc ident.
0 Note
Brake f luid will damage the paint of your
vehicle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper d isposa l
of brake fl uid as we ll as the special tools
req uired and the necessa ry expert ise, we
recommend that you have the brake fluid
changed by your author ized Audi dealer.
Battery
General information
Under normal operating conditions, the bat ­
tery in your A udi does not need any mainte ­
nance . With
high outside temperatures or
long dai ly dr ives we recommend that you have
the electro lyte level checked by a service fa­
cility. T he electrolyte level shou ld also be
checked each time the battery is charged
-:;, page 245.
Have the battery checked when you take your
ve hicle in for service. You are well adv ised to
replace a battery that is older than 5 years.
W ith certa in types o f airbag deployment, the
battery is d isconnected from the vehicle elec­
tr ica l system for safety reasons¢
& in Re­
pair, care and disposal of the airbags on
page 167.
Disconnect ing the battery terminals
Some vehicle functions (power w indow regu­
lators, for example) are lost if the battery ter­
minals a re d isconnected. These functions have
to be relearned after the battery terminals a re
connected again . To prevent this, the battery
should only be d isconnected from the vehicle
e lec trica l system whe n absolu tely ne cessa ry
f or repairs.
Checkin g and fillin g 243
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do no t drive your vehicle over a period
of seve ra l days o r weeks, e lectr ica l compo ­
nents are g radually cut back or switched off .
This reduces energy consumption and main­
ta ins starting capability over a longer period
¢
page 204. Some of the convenience func­
tions may not operate, such as the inter ior
l igh ts or the power seat adjus tment. The con­
venience functions will be ava ilab le aga in
whe n you swi tch on the ignition and sta rt the
engine.
Winter operation
During the winte r months, battery capacity
tends to dec rease as temperatures drop. This
i s because more power is a lso consumed wh ile
s ta rt ing, and the headlight s, rea r window de­
fogger, e tc., are used more ofte n.
Avoid unnecessary powe r consumpt ion, par­
ticu larly in city traffic o r when traveling only
sho rt distances. Let yo ur au thoriz ed Aud i
de aler check the cap acity of the vehicle b at­
tery before winter sets in~ page 245. A well
charged bat tery will not on ly prevent starting
problems w hen the weather is cold, but w ill
a lso last longer.
{!) Tips
If yo ur vehicle is left s tandin g for seve ral
weeks at extreme ly low tem peratures, the
vehicle battery sho uld be removed and
stored w here it w ill not freeze . T his will
prevent it from be ing damaged and having
to be replaced.
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
The battery is located in the luggage compart ­
ment under the floor. Before you check any­
th ing in the luggage compartment,
read and
heed all WARNINGS
¢ .&_ .
Always heed the safety warnings , when work­
ing on the vehicle battery or the vehicle e lec­
trical system to prevent injury. •
•

24 4 Ch eck ing and filling
Th e following WARNINGS are v ery
impo rtant when w ork ing on the b att ery :
Alway s heed t he fo llowin g WARNING SYM ·
BOLS and s afety pr ecaution s wh en w orking
on the batter y.
®
Always wear ey e prot ection .
~
Batte ry a cid contains sulfuric acid .
Al way s w ea r glo ves and e ye prote c-
tion .
@
No
· spa rks
- fl ame s
- sm oking.
~
Wh en a batt ery is c harge d, it p rodu-
c e s hy drog en g as whi ch i s e xplo siv e
a nd c ould c ause persona l injury.
®
Alway s keep the b attery well o ut of
reach of childr en .
.8, WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on
the electrical system, there is the r is k of
inju ry, acc ident and even fire. Read and
heed the following WARNINGS:
- Always wea r eye protection. Do not let
battery acid or any lead part icles get on
yo ur skin or clothing. Shield your eyes.
Explosive gases can cause blindness or
other injury.
- Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Sulfu­
ric acid can cause blindness and severe
burns.
- Always wear gloves and eye p rotection .
Do not tilt the battery because ac id
could lea k out of the vent ilation open ­
ings.
- I f you get battery acid in your eyes or
on your sk in, immediately rinse with
cold water for severa l m inutes and get
medical attention.
- If you should ingest any battery acid,
seek medical attention immediately .
- Do not expose the battery to an open
flame, electric sparks or an open light .
- Do not smoke. -
Do not interchange the positive and neg­
ative cables.
- When working on the battery, be s ure
not to short-circu it the terminals with
too ls or other metal objects. This would
cause the battery to heat up very quickly,
which could lead to damage or explosion and pe rsonal injury.
- When a battery is charged, it produces
hydrogen gas which is explosive and
could cause personal in jury.
-Always keep the battery well out of the reach of children.
- Before work is done on the electrical sys­
tem, disconnect the negat ive ground ca­
b le.
- Before performing any work on the elec­ trical system, switch off the engine and
ignit ion as well as any electrical equip­
ment. The negative cable on the battery
m ust be disconnected.
If yo u are just go­
ing to replace a light bulb, then it is
enough to switch off the lights .
- Before disconnec ting the bat tery, switch
off the anti -theft alarm system! Other ­
wise you wi ll set off the alarm.
- When disconnecting the battery, f irst
disconnect the negative cab le and then
the positive cab le .
- Before reconnecting the battery, ma ke
sure all e lectr ica l consumers are sw itch­
ed off . Reconnect the positive cable first
and then the negative cable. Never inter­
change the cables· this could start a fire!
- Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out
battery. It could exp lode! If a battery has
frozen, then it must be replaced. A dis­
charged batte ry can freeze over at 32 °F
(0 °() .
-Make sure the vent hose is always attach­
ed to the opening on the s ide of the bat­
tery .
- Never use batteries which are damaged.
There is the danger of an explosion! Al­ ways rep lace a damaged battery .

Windshield/headlight washer container
Fig . 207 Eng ine co mpartmen t: cove r on the win dshield
w ash er flui d reservo ir
The washer flu id container is marked with the
symbol ~ on its cap
c> fig. 207, c> page 233 .
.. Before you check anyth ing in the engine
compartment ,
always read and heed all
WARNINGS c> A in Working in the engine
compartment on page 231 .
.. Lift the filler cap tongue to add washer flu­
id . You can fill the container to the top .
.. Press the cap back onto the filler neck after
filling the containe r.
You can find the reservoir
capacity in the tab le
in
c> page 290 .
Clean water should be used when fill ing up. If
possible, use soft water to prevent scaling on
washer jets . Always add a glass cleaner solu­
tion (with frost protection in the winter).
(D Note
Do not mix engine coolant antifreeze or
any other additives to fill up the wind­
shield washer reservoir.
Checking and filling 247

Tires an d wheel s 253
Bear in mind that the ti re press ure monitoring
system* can only monitor the tire pressures
you have stored. The system does not recog ­
n ize the load condit ion of your vehicle.
The effectiveness of the tire pressure monitor ­
ing system* will be impaired if you store nor­
mal load pressures but then operate the vehi ­
cle at its maximum load
c;, &.
See the i llustration c;, fig. 208 for the location
of the label on driver's side B-pillar (co lor of
the actua l labe l and exact location on the ve­
h icle wi ll vary slightly). Note that the
following table is accurate at
the time of going to press and is subject to
change. In the event of d iscrepancies, the tire
pressure label is located on the driver's side B­
pillar always takes precedence.
The table below lists the recommended cold
tire inflat ion pressures for the Audi mode l
covered by your Owner's Literature at the vehi­
cle's capacity weight and the t ire sizes instal­
led on the respective models as orig inal
equipment, or as a factory option.
Tire pressure
Model /En-
Tire design ation normal load condition
full load condition
gine fronta> reara>
front rear
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
AB /AB L: 235/55 R18 104H
35 240 32 220 36 250 38 260
3 .0 lit er
255/45 R1 9 104H 35 240
32 220 36 250 38 260
6-cy lind er
26 5/40 R2 0 104H 35 240 32 220 36 250 38 260
265 /40 R20 104 V 33 230 32 220 33 230 35 240
275
/35 R 2110 3Y XL 35 240 32 220 36 250 35 240
A8/A8 L: 235 /55 R1 8 104H 35 240
32 220 38 260 38 260
4.0 l it e r
255/4 5 R19 104H 35 240 32 220 38 260 38 260
a-cy lind er
26 5/ 40 R 20 104H 35 240
32 220
38 260
38 260
2
6 5/40 R 20 104V 33 230 32 220 35 240 35 240
27
5/35 R2 110 3Y XL 35 240 32
220
38 260
38 260
AB L
: 265/40 R20 104 V 35 240 32 220 36 250 35 240
6.3 liter
255 /45 R1 9 104H 36 250 32 220
39 270
38 260
12
-cy lin-
26 5/40 R 20 104H 36 250 32 220 39 270 38 260
der
275/35 R 21 103 YXL
35 240 32 220 36 250
35 240
58
: 2 65/40 R 20 10 4V 36 250 32 220 39 270 38 260
4.0 liter
265 /35 R21101 Y 39 270 35 240 44 300 42 290
a-cy lind er
275/35 R 2110 3Y XL 39 270 35 240
44
300 42
290
XL= reinf orce d or extra lo ad tir e. It ma y als o appe ar a s x l, E XTRA LOAD, or RF on th e tire s ide-
w all .
al no rmal load co ndit ion c:> page 252.
The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is
l ocated on a label on the dr iver's side B-pilla r.
Because technical changes may be made to
ve hicle equ ipment dur ing the model yea r, a l­
ways compa re the tire size designation on the tire pressu
re label on you r vehicle with the
t ires on you r vehicle. Make sure that the t ire
size in formation on the vehicle labe l is the
same as the size of the tires on the vehicle.
This is especially important if the vehicle be-
l ongs to someone else or yo u bought the ...,
•
•

of people and the amount of luggage into ac­
count when adjusting tire pressure for a trip -
even one that you would not consider to be
"long." See
c> page 256 , Tires and vehicle
load limits
for more important information.
Always use an accurate tire pressure gauge
when checking and adjusting inflation pres­
sures . Check all of the tires and be sure not to
forget the spare tire. If the pressure in any tire
is too high when the tire is "cold," let air out
of the tire slowly with the edge of the tire
gauge and keep checking the pressure until
you reach the pressure that is correct for the
load (passengers and luggage) and kind of
driving you plan to do.
If the pressure in any tire is too low, note the
difference between the pressure in the cold
tire and the pressure you need and add the air
that you need to reach the correct pressure for
the vehicle load (passengers and luggage) for
the tires on your vehicle as listed on the on
your vehicle and in this manual and the kind
of driving you plan to do.
Never exceed the maximum inflation pres­
sure listed on the tire sidewall for any rea­
son.
Remember that the vehicle manufacturer, not
the tire manufacturer, determines the correct
tire pressure for the tires on your vehicle.
It is important to check the tire pressure when
the tires are cold.
- Read the required tire pressure from the tire
pressure label. The tire pressure label is lo­
cated on the driver's side 8-pillar.
- Turn the valve stem cap counter-clockwise
to remove it from the tire valve.
- Place the air pressure gauge on the valve .
- The tire pressures should only be checked
and adjusted when the tires are cold . The
slightly raised pressures of warm tires must
not be reduced.
- Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying.
- Reinstall the valve stem cap on the valve .
Tires and wheels 255
When should I check the tire pressure?
The correct tire pressure is especially impor­
tant at high speeds. The pressure should
therefore be checked at least once a month
and always before starting a journey. Do not
forget to check the tire pressure for the spare
wheel
c::;,page 271.
When should I adjust the tire pressures?
Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying. After changing a wheel
or replacing
wheels you have to adjust the tire pressures on all wheels. In addition, you must then
store the new tire pressures in the tire pres­
sure monitoring system*
c::;, page 266 .
A WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinfla­
tion can lead sudden tire failure, loss of
control, collision, serious personal injury
or even death.
- When the warning symbol
[I] appears in
the instrument cluster, stop and inspect
the tires.
- Incorrect tire pressure and/or underinfla­
tion can cause increased tire wear and
can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can also lead to sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
flation, causing loss of vehicle control.
- The driver is responsible for the correct
tire pressures for all tires on the vehicle.
The applicable pressure values are locat­
ed on a sticker on the driver's side B-pil­
lar.
- Only when all tires on the vehicle are fil­ led to the correct pressure, the tire pres­
sure monitoring* system can work cor­ rectly .
- The use of incorrect tire pressure values
can lead to accidents or other damage .
Therefore it is essential that the driver
observe the specified tire pressure values
for the tires and the correct pressures for
IIJ,
•
•

remain continuously illuminated. This se­
quence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminat­
ed, the system may not be able to detect or
signal low tire pressure as intend ed . TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety of rea­
sons, including the installation of replace­
ment or alternate tires or wheels on the vehi­
cle that prevent the TPMS from functioning
properly . Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the re­
placement or alternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly.
Tire pressure indicator appears
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction.
Fig. 213 Display : underi nflatio n warning
Fig. 214 Di splay: Syste m mal functio n
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni­
toring system compares the tire tread circum­
ference and vibration ch arac teristics of the in­
dividual tires. If the pressure decreases in one
or more tires, this is indicated in the instru-
Tires and wheels 267
ment cluster with a warning symbol [I] and a
message
r::!) fig. 213.
The tire pressure monitoring system must be
reset via MMI each time the pressures are ad ­
justed (e.g. when switching between partial
and full load pressure) or after changing or re­
placing a tire on your vehicle
r::!) pag e 268. The
TPMS indicator only monitors the tire pres­
sure that you have previously stored. You can
find the recommended tire pressures for your
vehicle on the label on driver's side 8-pillar
<=:>page 252 .
Tire tread circumference and vibration charac­
teristics can change and cause a tire pressure
warning if:
- the tire pressure in one or more tires is too
low,
- the tire has structural damage,
- the tire pressure was changed, wheels rotat-
ed or replaced but the TPMS was not reset
r::!) page 268 .
Warning symbols
[I] Loss of pressure in at least one tire q &..
Check the tire or tires and replace or repair if
necessary. The indicator light
[I] in the instru­
ment cluster also illuminates
¢page 11.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires
and reset TPMS via MMI.
i:mJ) (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) Tire
pressure! System malfunction .
If@m appears after switching the ignition on
or while driving
q fig. 214 and the indicator
light
[I] in the instrument cluster blinks for
approximately one minute and then stays on,
there is a system malfunction .
Attempt to store the correct tire pressure
¢ page 268. If the indicator light does not
turn off or if it turns on shortly thereafter, im­
mediately drive your vehicle to an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized repair facility to
have the malfunction corrected .

-Always store the vehicle tool ki t, the jack
and t he replaced t ire in the luggage com­
partment ¢
page 141 .
@ Tips
Before chang ing the wheel, you must acti­
vate the jacking mode, so that the auto­
mat ic controls for the Adaptive Air Sus­
pens ion do not make it more difficu lt to
lift the vehicle with the jack¢
page 2 75.
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow these­
quence described below step-by-step and in
exactly that order .
1. Activate the vehicle jack mode
c:;.page275.
2. Remove the decorative whe el co ver* . For
mo re deta ils see also
c:;, page 2 73, Deco­
rative wheel covers
or c:;, page 2 7 4,
Wheels with wheel bolt caps.
3 . Loosen the wheel bo lts c:;, page 2 7 4.
4. Locate the proper mo unt ing po int for the
jack and align the jack below that point
c:;, page 2 75.
5 . Rai se the car w ith the jack c:;, page 275.
6. Remove the wheel with the flat tire and
then install
the spare c:;, page 2 76 .
7. Tighten all wheel bo lts light ly .
8 .
Lower the ve hicle w it h the jack.
9 . Use t he wheel bolt wre nch and
firmly
tighte n all whee l bolts c:;. page 274.
10. Rep lace the de corative wheel cover* .
11. D eactivate the vehicle jack mode in t he
MMI:
! CARI fu nction button > Car system s
control button > Servicing & che cks > Air
susp.: jack mode > Off .
The vehicle jack mode sw itches off automati ­
cally at speeds above 10 km/h.
A WARNING
Always read and follow all WARNINGS and
information
c:;, .&. in Raising the vehicle on
page 275
and c:;, page 277.
What do I d o now ? 273
After changing a wheel
A wheel change is not complete without the
doing the following.
.,. Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack*
and the replaced tire in the luggage com­
partment
c:;, page 141 .
.,. Check the tire pressure on the spare whee l
immed iate ly afte r mounting i t.
.,. As soon as poss ib le, have the
tight ening
torque s
on all wheel bolts checked w ith a
torque wrenc h. The co rrec t tighten ing tor­
que is 90 ft lb (120 Nm).
.,. Have the flat tire
replaced as soon as possi­
ble .
@ Tips
-If you notice that the wheel bo lts a re
corroded and difficult to turn while
chang ing a tire, they should be replaced
before you c heck the tightening torque.
- Drive at reduced speed until you have the tightening torques checked .
- After changing a whee l, the ti re press ure
in all four tires must be checked/correct­
ed and the tire press ure monitoring ind i­
cator must be sto red in the M MI
c:;. page268 .
Decorative wheel covers
Applies to veh icles: w ith decorative w hee l cove rs
The decorative wheel covers mus t be removed
first to access the wheel bolts.
Fi g. 22 1 Chang ing a whee l: Re moving th e w hee l cover
Removing
.,. Insert the hook (provided with the vehicle
t oo l kit) in the ho le in the whee l hub cover .
i,,.