WARNINGS. The engine compartment of any
vehicle is a hazardous area!
c::> &.
A WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check any
thing under the engine compartment lid:
- Switch off the engine.
- Remove the ignition key.
- Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever of S tronic to "N"
(Neutral); put manual transmission in
Neutral.
- Always let the engine cool down. Hot
components will burn skin on contact.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the engine compartment lid if you
see or hear steam or coolant escaping
from the engine compartment. Wait un
til no steam or coolant can be seen or heard before carefully opening the en
gine compartment lid .
- Keep children away from the engine com
partment .
-Never spill fluids on hot engine compo
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap when the engine is still warm. The coolant system is pressurized and hot cool
ant could spray out.
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir .
- Do not remove the engine cover under
any circumstances. This increases the
risk of burns.
- If work on the fuel system or the electri
cal system is necessary:
- 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:
Checking and filling 173
- 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 of S tronic to "N"
(Neutral); put manual transmission in
Neutral.
- 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 wear no clothing that will hang or droop into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and chemical hazards
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.
- 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.
@ 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
IJI>
•
•
17 4 Che cking and filling
fluids, have your vehicle inspected by an
authorized Audi dealer.
Closing the engine compartment lid
.. Make sure that the rear spo iler is retracted
¢ page 148.
.. Pull the engine compa rtment lid dow n until
the p ress ure from the struts is reduced .
.. Pr ess the eng ine compartment lid closed
¢ &_ .
Eng ine compartment
A WARNING
-- W hen you close the engine compartment
lid, chec k it to make su re the safety catch
has prope rly engaged . The engine com
pa rtment lid s ho ul d be flush w ith the
sur ro un ding vehicle body parts .
- If you notice while driv ing t hat the en
g in e compartmen t lid is not secu red
p roperly, sto p at once and cl ose it .
These ore the most important items that you con check .
Fig . 136 Ty pica l layout fo r co ntai ners , e ngin e o il dipst ick and engin e o il fille r cap (man ual t ra n sm iss io n)
F ig . 1 37 Typ ica l layout fo r co ntain ers, e ngin e o il d ipstic k and e ng in e o il fill er cap (S t ro nic )
W ith manual transmission: @ Engine oil f iller cap(~) ,
(D Power steering f luid rese rvoir
@ E ngine o il d ipst ick ...... .... .
(@) ... .... .... ....... .. .. . 14 9
180
178 ....
With S tronic transmission:
(!) Powe r steeri ng fluid rese rvoir
(~ ) ... .. ................ . . 149
@ Engine oi l filler cap ("1::r.) with
engine oil dipstick, ........ .. 180, 179
A WARNING
Before you ch eck a nything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
~ A in Working in the engine
compartment on page 173.
@ Tips
The coolant expansion tank is located un
der the convert ible top storage bay lid
~page 183.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications (8-cyl.-engine )
The engine in your Audi needs the right kind
of oil.
-
The engine in your Audi is a soph istica ted
powerp lant tha t was b uilt to exacting specifi
cations . This engine needs the r ight kind of
engine oi l that meets specifications regarding
qua lity and viscosity so that it can run
smoothly and reliably. Choos ing the right oi l
and changing oil within the time and mileage intervals printed in your veh icle's Warranty
&
Ma intenance book let matters a lot more to
day than it d id yea rs ago. A udi has developed
a special quality standa rd for engine oil that
will he lp assure tha t your veh icle's eng ine will
get the lubrica tion it needs for prope r opera
tion.
M odern eng ine lub rication has taken a quan
t um leap in the last few yea rs. Ma ny synthetic
oils availa ble today provide be tter eng ine lu
b rica tion that can outlast traditional pe trole
um-based o ils, making them a smart choice
for use throughout the life of your A udi.
Whether yo u use syn thetic or petroleum
based engine oil, the oil that yo u use must
conform to Audi's oil qua lity standard VW S02
00 to help keep your vehicle's engine running
Checkin g and fillin g 175
smooth ly and he lp prevent the format ion of
harmful deposits, sometimes ca lled "s ludge,"
that over time can lead to expensive repairs.
At the time of prin ting, engine oils ava ilab le in
t h e U.S . and Canada that meet the exacting
specifications of Audi oi l standard VW 502 00
are synt het ic eng ine oi ls . Th is does not mean,
however, that every synthetic engine oil will
meet Audi o il standard VW 502 00. So always
be sure that you use an approved oil.
To he lp prevent the formation of harmfu l de
pos its use on ly oil with the following specifi
cations pr inted on the o il conta iner:
Audi oil standard VW 502 00
Oil containe r labels m ay car ry the s peci fica
t ion sing ly or in combina tion wi th othe r desig
na tions and oil quality s tanda rds .
Viscosity
Engine o ils are graded accord ing to thei r vis
cosity. The p roper viscos ity grade oil fo r yo ur
engine depends o n climactic or seasona l con
ditions where yo u drive. You must use oil w it h
a v isco sity g rade of SA E 5W-30 all temper a
tu re ranges fo r norma l d riving condi tions.
Because eng ine o il that meets the Audi oil
sta ndard may not be availab le everyw here
whe n you need i t, we strong ly reco mmend
t h at you a lways carry wit h you an ex tra quart
( li ter) of oil that exp ress ly con forms to the
VW 502 00, in case you have to top
off the oil
whi le on the road.
Only if the level of the o il is at or be low the
minimum ma rk on the oi l dipstick -and no oil
that expressly conforms to Audi oi l VW 502
00 is ava ilab le -may you top
off with a h igh
quality eng ine o il, preferab ly synthetic-based,
that meets ACEA A3 or API SM specifications. However, duri ng the entire time between oi l
c h ange in tervals, neve r top
off w ith more tha n
a total of 1 qt/lite r engine oil that does not
confo rm to Aud i oil spec ifi cat ion VW 50 2 00.
For more information abo ut eng ine oi l that
has been approved for your veh icle, please
contact e ither you r autho rized Aud i dea le r o r ..,.
•
•
176 Check ing and filling
Audi Customer Relations at 1 (800) 822 -2834
or visit our web site at www .audiusa .com or
www.audicanada .ca. Here you will a lso find a
current lis t of oils (manufacturers, brand
names etc.) that conform to Audi o il standard
vw 502 00 .
Changing the engine oil
The engine oil and o il filter must be changed
according to the mi leage (ki lometers) and
time interva ls specified in your vehicle's War
ranty
& Maintenance booklet . Do not exceed
these intervals -harmful depos its from old
engine o il can reduce engine performance and
can lead to expensive engine repairs .
C hanging the o il at the recommended inter
va ls is so very important because the lubricat
ing properties of oi l decrease gradually during
normal vehicle use. If you are not sure when
you have your o il changed, ask your author
ized A udi Service Advisor .
Under some circumstances the engine o il
should even be changed more frequently .
C hange o il mo re often if you dr ive mostly
short d istances , operate the vehicle in dusty
a reas or mostly under s top-and -go traffic con
d itions , or when yo u use your veh icle whe re
temperatures stay below free zing point fo r
l ong periods .
D etergent add it ives i n the o il w ill ma ke fresh
oil look dark after the eng ine has been run
n ing fo r a shor t time . This is no rma l and is not
a reason to change the oi l more often than
recommended.
Damage or malfun ction s due t o lack of
maintenance
I t is essential that you change your oil at the
r ecommended in te rvals using only engine o il
th at compl ies wi th A udi oil st andard VW 502
00. Yo ur Limited New Veh icle War ran ty does
not cover damage or malfunctions due to fa il
ure to follow recommended maintenance and
use requ irements as set forth in the A udi
Owner's Manual and Warranty
& Ma intenance
bookle t. Your authori zed Audi dealer will have
to deny warranty coverage un less you present to the dealer proof in the form of Service o
r
Repair Orde rs that all sched uled maintenance
was per formed in a time ly manner .
Engine oil specifications (10-cyl.
engine)
App lies to vehicles: wit h IO -cy linder -engine
The engine in your Audi needs the right kind
of oil.
The engine in your A udi is a sophisticated
powerplant that was built to exact ing spec ifi
cations . T hi s eng ine needs the right k ind of
engi ne oil that meets specifications regarding
quality and v iscosity so that it can run
smoothly and reliably. Choosing the rig ht o il
and changing oil within the t ime and mileage
in tervals p rin ted in you r vehicle's Wa rra nty
&
Mainten ance booklet matte rs a lot more to
day than it did years ago . Aud i has deve loped
a specia l quality sta ndard for engine oi l th at
will help assure that your vehicle's engine wi ll
get the lubr ication it needs for proper opera
t ion.
Modern engine lubrication has ta ken a quan
tum leap in the last few years . Many synthetic
o ils available today provide better engine lu
brication that can outlast tradit ional petrole
um-based oils, making them a sma rt cho ice
for use throughout the life of your Audi .
Whether you use synthetic o r pet ro le um
based engine oil, the oil that you use must
conform to Aud i's oil quality standards
VW 50 1 01 or VW SOS 00 and m ust have a
viscosity of SAE lOW-60 to help keep your ve
hicle's engine running smoo thly a nd he lp p re
ven t the forma tion of h armf ul deposits,
some times called "s ludge," tha t over t ime can
l ead to expensive repairs.
At the time of pr int ing, engi ne oils ava ilable in
t h e U.S. and Canada th at meet the exac ting
spec ifica tions of Audi oil s tanda rds
VW 50 1 01 or VW SOS 00 with the viscosity of
SAE lOW-60 are synthetic engine oils. This
does not mean, however, that every synthet ic
engine oil will meet Audi oil standards
1111>
VW 501 01 or VW SOS 00. So always be sure
that you use an approved oil.
To help preve nt the formation of harmful de
posits use only oi l with the fo ll ow ing spec ifi
cations printed on the oil containe r:
Audi oil standard s VW 501 01 or VW 505 00
and must have the v iscosity of SAE l0W-60 .
Oil conta iner labe ls may ca rry the specif ica
tion s ingly or in comb inat ion with other des ig
nations and oil qua lity standards .
Viscosity
Eng ine oi ls are graded according to the ir vis
cosity. The prope r viscosi ty grade o il for your
engine depends on climactic or seasonal con
ditions where you drive. Yo u m ust use oil with
a viscos ity grade of SAE lOW-60 all tempera
ture ranges for norma l dr iv ing cond itions .
B ecause engine oil that meets the A udi oil
standard may not be available everywhere
when yo u need it, we strongly recommend
that you always carry with you an extra q uart
(liter) of o il that expressly conforms to the
VW 501 01 or VW SOS 00 specifications
which must have the viscosity of SAE lOW-60,
in case yo u have to top
off th e oil whi le on the
r oad.
Only if the level of the oi l is at o r below the
minimum mark on t he oil dipstic k -and no oil
that express ly co nforms to Aud i oil
VW 501 01 or VW SOS 00 spec ifications
whi ch mus t have the vis cosity o f SA E lOW-60
i s available -may you top
off w ith a hig h qua li
ty engine oil, prefe rably sy nthetic -based, that
meets ACEA A3 or API SM specifications . How
eve r, d uring the entire t ime between oil
change inte rva ls, never top
off with more than
a tota l of 1 qt/liter engine o il that does not
conform to Audi o il specifications VW 501 01
or VW SOS 00 w ith the viscosity of SAE
lOW-60 .
For more informat ion about engine oil that
has been approved for your vehicle, please
contact either your author ized Audi dealer or
Aud i Customer Relations at 1 (800) 822-2834
Checkin g and fillin g 177
or vis it o ur web site at www .audiusa .com or
www.au dicanada.ca . Here you wi ll also fi nd a
current list of oi ls (manufacturers, bran d
names etc.) that conform to Audi oil stand
ards VW 501 01 or VW 505 00 w ith the vis
cosity of SA E lOW -60 .
Changing the engine oil
The eng ine o il and o il fi lter m ust be changed
according to t he mileage (ki lometers) and
time intervals specified i n your ve hicle's War
ranty
& Ma intenance booklet . Do not exceed
these interva ls - harmful deposits from old
engine oil can red uce engine performance and
can lead to expensive eng ine repairs.
Changi ng the oil at the recommended inter
vals is so very important because the l ubricat
i ng proper ties of oil decrease gradually d uring
no rma l veh icle use . If you a re not s ure when
you have your o il cha nged, ask your author
ized Audi Serv ice Adv isor.
Under some circumstances the engine oil
sho uld eve n be changed more frequent ly .
Change oil mo re often if you dr ive most ly
sho rt distances, operate the ve hicle in dusty
areas o r most ly under stop-and -go traff ic con
di tions, o r when you use your veh icle where
temperatures s tay be low freezing point for
l ong pe riods .
Dete rgen t additive s in the oil will make fres h
o il look d ark after the engine has been ru n
ning for a sho rt time. This is no rmal and is not
a reaso n to change the oil more often t han
recommended.
Damage or malfunctions due to la ck of
maintenance
It is essential that you chang e you r o il at the
r ecommended in tervals usi ng on ly engi ne oil
that complies with Audi o il stand ards
VW 50 1 01 or VW SOS 00 an d must have the
viscosity of SAE lOW -60. Yo ur Limited New
Vehicle Warranty does not cover damage or
malfunctions due to failure to follow recom
mended maintenance and use requ irements
as se t forth in the Audi Owner's Manual and
Warranty
& Ma intenance booklet . You r I),
•
•
1 78 Che cking and filling
authorized Audi dealer will have to deny war
ranty cov erage un less you present to the dea l
er proof in the form of Serv ice o r Repair Or
ders tha t all sched uled maintena nce was per
f ormed in a t imely manner .
Engine oil consumption
T he engine in your vehicle depends on an ade
quate amoun t of oil to lubricate and cool all
of its moving par ts.
In order to provide effective l ubrication and
cooling of internal engine components, a ll in
ternal comb ustion eng ines consume a certa in
amount of o il. O il consumption var ies from
engine to eng ine and may c hange significa ntly
over the life of the eng ine . T ypically, eng ines
with a specifie d break-in per iod (see
c::> p oge 153) consume more oil during the
b reak-in per io d t han they co nsume after oil
consumption has sta bilized.
Unde r no rma l conditions, the rate of oil con
sum ption depends on the qu ality and vi scosity
of the oi l, the R PM ( revo lutions per m inute) at
which t he engine is ope rated, the ambient
temperature and road cond itio ns. Furthe r fac
tors are the amount of o il d ilution from water
condensation or fuel residue and the ox ida
ti on level of the oi l. As any engine is subject to
wear as mileage bu ilds up , the oil consump
tion may increase over t ime until replacement
of worn componen ts may become necessary.
W ith all these variables com ing into play, no
standa rd rate of o il consumption can be es
tablished or specif ied . T he re is no alternative
to regular and frequent checking of the oil lev
e l, see
Note .
If the ye llow eng ine o il level warning symbol
i n t he inst rument cluster
1\1 lights up, you
should check the o il l evel as soon as possibl e
c::> page 178. Top off the oil at you r earliest
conven ie nc e
c::>page 180.
_& WARNING
Before yo u check any thin g in t he engine
compartment , always read and hee d all
-
WAR NIN GS c::> & in Working in the engine
compartment on page 173.
(D Note
D riving wit h an insufficient o il level is like
l y to cause severe dama ge to the e ngine.
(D Tips
- The oil pressure warning display. is
not an indicator of the oil level. Do not
rely on it. Instead, check the oil level in
your engine at regular intervals , pref
erably each time you refuel, and always
before going on a long trip .
- If
you have t he impression yo ur engine
cons umes excessive amounts of o il, we
recommend that you consu lt your Aud i
deale r to have the cause of your concer n
prope rly diagnosed . K eep in m ind that
th e accu rat e meas urement of o il con
s u m ptio n re quires grea t care and may
t a ke some time. Y our Audi de aler h as i n
st ru ctio ns abou t how to measure oil con
sumption acc urately .
Checking the engine oil level
Applies to vehicles: with manual transmiss ion
Fig . 1 38 In st ru men t cl uste r: E ng in e oi l te m pe ratu re
d isp lay
Fig. 139 M arkers on o il dip stick
Before you check anything in the engine com
partment,
always read and heed all WARN
INGS.
Determining oil level
... Warm up the engine by driv ing until the in
strument cluster display shows an oil tem
perature of
210 °F (100 °C) to 230 °F
(110 °C) 9fig. 138.
... Park your vehicle so that it is horizontally
level.
... Allow the warm eng ine to run for about two
minutes at id le.
... Shut the engine off and wait two m inutes .
... Check the oil level on the eng ine o il dipstick
9fig. 139.
Oil level within range@
... Do not add oil.
Oil level within range@
... Add 1 quart (1 liter) of oil. Afterwords, the
oi l level shou ld be within range
G).
Depending on the way the vehicle is driven
and the operating conditions, oil consumption
can be up to 1 quart per
600 miles ( 1 liter per
1,000 km). Consumption may be higher with
in the first
3,000 miles (5,000 km).
Checking the engine oil level
A ppl ies to vehicles: with S tro nic
Fig. 140 Inst rument cl uster: Engine o il temperature
dis play
Checking and filling 179
Fig . 141 Markers on oil dip stick
Before you check anyth ing in the eng ine com
partment,
always read and heed all WARN
INGS .
Determining oil level
... Warm up the engine by driving until the in
strument cluster display shows an oil tem
perature of
210 °F (100 °() to 230 °F
(110 °() 9 fig. 140 .
.,. Park your vehicle so that it is horizon tally
level.
... Allow the warm engine to run for about two
minutes at idle .
... Shut the eng ine off and wa it two minutes .
... Remove the design cover.
... Unscrew the cap
"t!:7: to the eng ine o il filling
hole
¢ page 174, fig. 137.
... Check the oil level on the engine oil d ipstick
¢fig. 141.
To check the oil level, the dipstick must be
inserted completely and the bayonet catch
must be locked (audible locking, turn all the
way to the stop).
Oil level within range@
... Do not add oil.
Oil level within range@
... Add 1 quart (1 liter) o f oil. Afterwards, the
oil leve l should be within range
G).
Depend ing on the way the vehicle is dr iven
and the operat ing conditions, oil consumption
can be up to
1 quart per 600 miles (1 liter per
1,000 km). Consumption may be higher with
in the first
3,000 mi les (5,000 km).
180 Checking and filling
Adding engine oil "1::::1:
Appl ies to vehicles: with manual transmission
Fig. 142 Engine compartment : Oil filler cap locat io n
Before you check anything in the engine com
partment,
al ways r ead and h eed all WARN
INGS ¢ A in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 173 .
.. Unscrew the cap~ to the engine oil filling
hole¢
fig. 142 .
,. Carefully top off with the appropriate oil.
.. Check the oil level aga in ¢
page 178 .
,. Top off t he oil again, if necessary .
,. Screw the cap back on the filling hole and
s li de the oil d ipst ick in as far as it will go .
& WARNING
-While topping off, the oil mus t not come
in contact with hot engine parts -fire
hazard!
- The oil fil ler cap must be prope rly se
c u red to prevent oil from being sprayed
on the hot engine and exhaust system
when the eng ine is running - fire hazard!
- If your skin has come in contact w ith the
engine oil, you must subsequent ly
cleanse it thoro ughly.
(D Note
- The oil level must not be above range
c:> page 178, fig. 139 0 -danger of con
verter or engine damage ! Contact an au
thorized Audi dealer to draw off oil, if
necessa ry.
- Audi does not recommend the use of oil
additives. They may damage the engine
and adversely affect your New Vehicle
Warranty .
@) For the sake of the environment
-Under no circumstances can the oil come
in contact with the sewage network or
the soil.
- Observe and follow legal regulat ions
when disposing of empty oil containers.
Adding engin e oil "1::::1:
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic
Fig . 14 3 En gi ne compartment : cover on t he eng ine oi l
filler neck
Before you check anything in the engine com
partment,
always r ead and heed all WARN
INGS c:> A in Working in the engine compart
ment on page 173 .
,. Shut the eng ine off.
,. Remove the design cover, if necessary .
,. Unscrew the cap
't=7: to the engine o il filling
hole
c:> fig . 143.
,. Carefully top off with the appropr iate oil
c:> page 175, c:> page 176.
,. Check the oi l level aga in c:> page 1 79 .
.. Top off the oil again, if necessary.
.. Slide the oil dipstick in and screw the cap
back on the filling hole.
& WARNING
'-
- W hile topping off, the o il must not come
in contact with hot engine parts - f ire
hazard!
- The oi l filler cap must be p roperly se
cured to prevent oil from bei ng sprayed
on the hot engi ne and exhaust system
when the engine is runn ing - fire haza rd !
- If you r skin has com e in contact with the
engine o il, you must subsequently
cleanse i t thoroughly. ..,.