2015 AUDI A4 engine coolant

214 Checking and filling
Engine compartment
Engine compartment
These are the most important items that you can check.
Fig. 182 Typical layout for containers and eng ine o il filler cap
(D Eng ine o il filler cap ("1::::r.) . . . . . 216
@ Jump start point(+) under a cov-
er .. .. .... ... ....... .... ..
224, 275
@ Bra ke fluid reservo ir (0)) . . . . . 221
@ Coolant expansion tank (-L) . . . 219
® Jump start point(-) with hex
head sc rew ..... .......... ..
224, 275
® W indshield/headlight* washer
. (" ') container o ....... . ... .. . 225
The pos ition o f the engine o il fi lling hole
¢ fig . 182 (item @) can differ depending on
the eng ine design.
A WARNING
Before yo u check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
¢ .&. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 212.
-
Engine oil
· Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used must conform to exact
specifications.
The service interval disp lay in the instrument
cluster of your vehicle will inform you when it
is time for a n oil change . We recommend that
you have your oil changed by an authorized
Audi Se rv ice Adv isor.
If you have to top off the o il between o il
changes, use the Audi o il quality standard
specified in the tab le.
Audi oil quality standard
Gasoline
VW 502 00 or
engine vw 504 00

218 Check ing 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 specially conditioned water and the
manufacturer's glycol-basedcoolant addi-
tive G13 antifreeze with ant icorrosion addi­
tives (50% for USA models; 60% for Canadian models) . This mixture both assures the neces­
sary frost protection and protects metal com­
ponents in the engine's cooling system from
corrosion and scaling.
It a lso raises the boil­
ing point of the coo lant.
Do not reduce the concentration of the coo l­
ant in the summer by adding plain water .
The
pr opor tion of coolant add itiv e m ust be at
l eas t 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 eng ine 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.
I f you must add coo lant, use a m ixture of wa­
ter and coolant addit ive. M ixing the coolant
addit ive with dist illed water is recommended.
_& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
~ &. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 212.
(D Note
- Before winter sets in, have the coolant
checked to see if the coolant additive in
-
your vehicle is sufficient to meet the cli­mate conditions . This is especia lly impor­
tant if you live in a reg ion where the win­
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 us ing on ly coolant ad­
d itive G12 ++ or G13 for your vehicle.
This coolant addit ive is availab le at a u­
thorized Audi dealers. Other types of
antifreeze can significantly reduce cor­ rosion protection. The resulting corro­
sion can cause 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 repa ir flu id may adverse ­
ly affect the function and performance of
your cooling system and could resu lt in
damage not covered by your New Veh icle
Limited Warranty.
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance.
F ig . 1 85 Engine compar tmen t: Cover on the coo la n t
expans io n t ank
.,. Before you check anything in the engine
compa rtment,
alwa ys read and h eed all
W ARNING S ~ ,& in Working in the engine
compartment on page 212.
.,. Park your vehicle on a level surface .
.,. Turn off the ignition.
.,. Read the engine coolant level from the coo l­
ant expansion tank
c:> fig . 185, c:> page 214,
fig . 182.
With a cold engine, the coolant Iii>-

'"" N
0 ::.,: co ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
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 214.
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 17 will
blink until you add coolant and the level has
been restored to normal. Even though there is
an electric coolant level sensor, we still rec­
ommend 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.
A 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
Checking and filling 219
or hot engine parts. Under certain condi­
tions, the ethylene glycol in engine cool­
ant can catch fire.
([) 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 <=>
A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 212 .
Requirement: There must be a residual
amount of coolant in the expansion tank <=>(D.
.,. Turn
off the engine.
.,. Let the engine cool down.
.,. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank
<=> page 218, fig . 185 and carefully turn
the cap counter-clockwise
<=> .&_ .
.,. Add coolant mixed in the correct ratio
<=> page 218, Coolant up to the MAX mark­
ing.
.,. Make sure that the fluid level remains sta-
ble. Add more coolant if necessary.
.,. Twist the cap on again
tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to
exact specifications <=>
page 218, Coolant.
We recommend using only coolant additive
G12 ++, G13 or in an emergency G12 +. Do
not
use a different additive. In an emergency use
plain water until you can get the correct addi­
tive 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 . .,.
•
•

220 Check ing and filling
Do not fill coolant above the "MAX" mark. Ex­
cess coolant will be forced out through the pressure re lief valve in the cap when the en ­
g ine becomes hot.
A WARNING
- The coo ling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of
scalding from hot coolant by following
these steps.
- Turn
off the engine and a llow 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 co unte r-clockwise d irection while
apply ing light, downward press ure on
the top of the cap.
- To avoid being burned, do not spi ll an­
tifreeze or coolant on the exhaust sys­
tem or hot engine parts. Under certa in
conditions, the ethylene glyco l in en­
g ine coolant can ca tch f ire.
- Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store an­
t ifreeze in its original container and we ll
o ut of the reac h of children.
- If you drain the coolant, it must be
caught and safely stored in a p roper con­
ta iner clear ly ma rked "poison".
(D Note
- Do not add coolant if the expansion tan k
i s empty. A ir could enter the cooling sys­
tem and damage the eng ine. If this is
the case, do not continue driving. Seek professional assistance.
- Coolant po llutes the e nv ironment and
could cause an engine fire. Excess coo l­
ant will be forced ou t through the pres ­
su re rel ief v alve in the ca p when the en­
gine becomes hot .
- If, in an emergen cy, only water can be
added, the correct ratio be twee n wa te r
and antifr eeze¢
page 218 must be re ­
stored as soon as possib le .
{® For the sake of the environment
D rained coo lant should not be reused . A l­
ways d ispose of used coolant whi le observ­
i ng a ll environmental regulations.
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by
itself
T he rad iator fan is driven by the engine v ia the
V-belt. The viscous clutch regulates the spee d
of the fan acco rding to the temperature of the
coolant.
An a uxiliary electric radiator fan* sw itches on
and
off depending on coolant temperature
and othe r vehicle ope rat ing condit ions .
A ft er yo u sw itch the eng ine
off, the aux iliary
f an can continue running for up to 10 m inutes
- even wit h the ignition
off. It can even switc h
on again later by itself¢.&. , if
- t he temper ature of the engine coo lant rises
due to the heat build -up from the engine in
the engine compa rtment, or
- the engine compa rtment heats up because
the vehicle is parked in intense sunlig ht.
A WARNING ~
- To reduce the risk of perso na l inj ury nev -
er touch the radiator fan.
- The a uxiliary electric fan is tempe rat ure
contro lled and can sw itch on sud denly
even when the engine is not running.
- The a uxiliary radiator fan switches on a u­
tomatically when the engine coo lant
reac hes a certa in temperature and will
continue to ru n until the coolant temper­
ature drops.

226 Checking and filling
Clean water should be used when filling up. If
possible, use soft water to prevent scaling on
the washer jets. Always add a glass cleaner
solut ion (with frost protection in the winter) .
Do not mix engine coolant antifreeze or
any other additives to fill up the wind­
shie ld washer reservoir.

280 Technical Dat a
Technical Data
Vehicle identification
F ig. 220 Vehicle I dent ifica tion Num be r (VlN) pla te: lo·
cat ion on driver 's side dash pane l
XXXXX XX · X -XXXX XXX
r,"\__l f~ -11!111 · NII. ~ V!Hlll -llllll . NO.
xx
XXXXXXXX XX X XXXXXXXX
XXX XXX IYP IT'fl'E
XX XXXXXXX XX X X XX
XXX
KW XXX
®i ~~:f :l~~ XXXX XXX XXX
@+ ~~r= XXXX I XXXX XXX I XX M ,. AIIISl./ lflllllS
EOA 7D5 4 UB 6XM SSG 5RW
2E H JDZ llB l AS lBA
3FC 5MU 7Xl
FO A
9G3 OG7 O
YH OJF
TL6 3
KA BEH
UlA X9B QZ 7
l XW
8Q3 9Q8 82 4 020
7T6 CV 7 7KO 4X3 2K2
3L4 4 KC 3YO 4I3 502
lS A 7GB Q1A 4GQ
XX X
XX X XX X XXXX
Fig. 221 Th e ve hicle identi ficat ion labe l: ins ide the lu g ­
gage compart men t
Vehicle Identification Number (VlN )
The Ve hicle Identific ation Number is located
in different p laces :
- under the w indshield on the dr iver's s ide
~fig . 220.
- in the rad io or in the MM !": Select: I CAR !
func tion button >
Vehicle ID number (VIN)
or se lect: ICAR !f unct ion button> Car sys­
tems* control button > Servicing & check s >
VIN number .
-on the veh icle identific ation label.
Vehicle identification label
T he veh icle identification label is lo cate d in
the luggage compartment near the ba ttery .
T he labe l~
fig. 221 shows the fo llowing vehi­
cl e dat a:
(D Vehicle Identificat ion Number (VIN)
@ Vehicle type, engine o utp ut, transmission
@ Engine and transm iss ion code
@ Pa int number and inte rior
® Optional equipment numbers
T he information of the veh icle identification
l a bel ca n also be fou nd i n your War ran ty
&
Maintenance booklet .
Safety compliance sticker
The safety compliance sticker is you r assur­
ance that yo ur new ve hicle complies with all
applicable Federa l Motor Vehicle Safety
S tan dards which we re in effect at the t ime the
vehicle was manufactured . You can find this
sticker on the door jamb on the driver's side .
It shows the month and year of production
and the vehicle ident ificat ion number of your
vehicle (perforation) as well as th e Gross Veh i­
cle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross A xle
Weight Rating (GAWR) .
High vo ltage warning label
The high voltage warning label is located in
the engine compartment next to the engine
hood release. The spark ignition system com­
plies with the Ca nadian standard ICES-002 .
Weights
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), and
the Gross Axle Weight Rat ing (GAWR) for
front and rear are listed on a sticker on the
doo r jamb on the driver 's side .
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating includes the
weight of the basic vehicle plus fu ll fuel ta nk,
o il and coolant, plus max imum load, which in­
cludes passenger weight (150 lbs/68 kg per
designated seating posi tion) and luggage
we ight~ _&.

"' N
0 ::.,: co ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
-Always make sure the transm ission se­
lector lever (automatic transmiss ion) is
in "P" (Park position) or Neutral (manual
transmission) and the park brake is firm­
ly appl ied .
® For the sake of the environment
-Changing the eng ine settings w ill ad­
versely affect em ission levels. This is det­
rimental to the environment and increas­
es fuel consumption .
- Always observe env ironmental regula­
tions when d ispos ing of old engine oil,
used brake fluid, dirty engine coolant,
spent batter ies or worn out t ires.
- Undeployed airbag modules and p reten­
s ioners might be classified as Perchlo­
rate Material -special handling may ap ­
ply, see www.dtsc.ca .gov/hazardous­
waste/perch lorate . When the veh icle or
parts of the restraint system including
airbag modules safety belts with preten­
s ioners are scrapped, all applicable laws
and regulations must be observed. Your
authorized Audi dealer is familiar w ith
these requirements and we recommend
that you have your dealer perform this
serv ice for you .
Additional accessories,
modifications and
parts replacement
Additional accessories and parts
replacement
Always consult an authorized Audi dealer be­
fore purchasing accessories.
Your veh icle incorporates the latest safety de­
sign featu res ensu ring a high standard of ac­
tive and passive safety.
This safety could be compromised by non-ap­
proved changes to the veh icle. For this reason ,
if parts have to be replaced, p lease observe
the following points when installing addition­
al accessories:
Con sumer In formation 285
Approved Audi accessories and genuine Audi
parts are available from authorized Audi deal­
er.
T hese dea lers a lso have the necessary facili­
ties, tools and trained specialists to install the
parts and accessories proper ly.
A WARNING
Using the wrong spare parts or using non­
approved accessories can cause damage to
the vehicle and serious persona l injury.
- Use on ly accessories express ly approved
by Audi and genuine Audi spare parts
- These parts and accessories have been
specially designed to be used on your ve­
hicle.
- Never install accessories such as tele­
phone cradles or beverage holders on air­
bag covers or within the airbag deploy­
ment zones . Do ing so will increase the
risk of injury if a irbags are triggered in an
accident!
- Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS r:::;. page 212.
(D Note
-If items other than genuine Audi spare
parts, add-on equipment and accessory
items are used or if repair work is not
performed accord ing to specified meth­
ods, this can result in severe damage to
your vehicle's engine and body (such as
corrosion) and adversely affect your vehi ­
cle's warranty .
- If emergency repairs must be performed
elsewhere, have the vehicle examined by
an authorized Audi dealer as soon as
possible.
- The manufacturer cannot be held liable
for damage wh ich occurs due to failure
to comply with these stipulations.
•
•

"' N
0 ::.,: co ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
Automatic climate control Air vents ... ..... ..... ... .. .. .. .... 80
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Setup ... .. ................. .. .... 81
Automatic S hift Lock (ASL) .. .. .. .. .. .. 95
Automatic transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Automatic S hift Lock (ASL) . . . . . . . . . . . 95
D riving .. .. ............. .... .. .. .. 95
E mergency mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
E me rgency release ........ .. .. .. .. . 100
Kick -down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
M anual shift program .. ... .. .. .. .. .. 98
Remova l lock (ignition key) ... .. .. .. .. 82
Selector lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Automatic wipe rs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Auto Safety Hotline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Average speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Avoid damag ing the vehicle .. .. .. .. .. . 193
B
Bag hooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 4
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16, 222
Battery location inside the luggage com -
partment .. .. ........... .. .. .. ... 222
Charging . ................ ... ... .. 224
Important warn ings when working on
the battery . ................ ... ... 222
J ump starti ng ............ .... .. .. . 274
L ow . .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. .. ... 19 1
Replacing the ba ttery .. ... .. .. .. .. . 225
State of charge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Winter operation . ..... ... .. .. .. .. . 222
Working on the battery .... .. .. .. .. . 222
B efore driving ............. .... .. .. . 126
Bio-ethanol (Fuel) ..... ..... .. .. .. .. . 208
Blended gasoline ... .... ... .. .. .. .. . 207
B lower (automatic climate cont rol) . . . . . . 80
Booster seats ............. .... .. .. . 173
B rake fl uid
Changing the brake fl uid ... .. .. .. .. . 22 1
Checking the brake fluid level ... .. .. . 221
Reservoir .. ............. .... .. ... 221
What is the correct brake flu id leve l? . . 221
What should I do if the brake fluid warn-
i ng light comes o n? .. ..... .. .. .. .. . 221
Inde x 289
Brake system . ..... ... .. .. ..... ... .. 221
Anti- lock b raking system ..... ... .. .. . 19
•
B rake assist system .. .. ..... ... .. .. 185 •
Brake fluid .. .. .. ................. 221
Brake fluid specifications for refill and re-
placement ...... .. ............... 221
B rake light defective ... .. .. ... ... .. . 21
B ra ke powe r ass ist unit ............ . 188
Br akes .. .. .. .. .. .. . .............. 188
Ceram ic bra kes . .. .... ........... .. 188
El ec tromechanica l parking brake ... .. . 87
Warning/indicator lights ..... ... .. .. . 15
Wor n brake pads symbo l . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
B ra kin g
E mergency bra king f unct ion ..... .. .. . 89
braking guard . .. .... ... ....... ..... 101
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Settings ........ .. ............... 108
Break -in per iod .. .. .... ............. 193
Tires ... .. .. .. .. .. ............... 193
Bul bs . ... .. .. .... .. . .. .. ..... ... .. 2 72
C
Califor nia Proposition 65 Warn ing . .. .. 213
B attery spec ifi c .. ............. .. .. 223
Capacities ........ .. ............... 281
Carbon pa rts
Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204, 205
Care ..... .. .. .. .... ... .......... .. 202
Cargo area
refer to L uggage compartment . . . 70, 132
Catalytic converter ... .. ...... ... .. .. 194
Cen te r armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Central lock ing .. .. ................. . 31
Cen tral lock ing switch ............. .. 35
Co nvenience key .. .. . .. .. .. ... ... .. . 35
Remote cont ro l key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Ceram ic brake rotors
New brake pads .. ............. .... 188
Ce rtification . ... .... . ... ...... ... .. 286
Chang ing a flat t ire . .. ... ....... .... . 263
Chang ing a wheel .. ............. .... 263
Chang ing engine oil ............. .... 217
Checking Engine coolant level .... ....... .... . 218
Checking t ire pressure ............... 239