2015 AUDI S4 coolant level

10 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Instruments and warning/indicator Lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster and controls
The instrument cluster is your central source of information.
Fig. 3 Ove rv iew of the instrument cluster
CD Coolant temperature gauge .. .
@ Tachometer ........... .. .. .
@ Warning/indicator lights .. .. .
© ISETlbutton .... .... .. .... . .
® Display
- Driver information system .. .
- Time and date d isplay .. .. .. .
- Odometer .......... ... .. .
@ Reset button for trip odometer
(z) Speedometer
@ Fuel gauge . .... ..... .. .. .. .
(D Tips
10
11
13
11
23
12
12
12
12
- When switching the ignition on, the nee­
dles in the instrument cluster swing up­
ward briefly.
- The illumination for the instrument clus­
ter lights up whenever you switch on the
i gnition with the
vehicle headlights off .
As the daylight fades, the instrument
cluster illumination likewise dims auto­
matically a nd will go out completely
when the outside light is
very low. This
feature is meant to remind you to switch
on the headlights when outside light
conditions become poor .
Engine coolant temperature gauge
The engine coolant gauge q page 10, fig. 3 CD
only works when the ignition is on. To prevent
damage to your engine, please note the fol ­
lowing important points:
Engine cold
If the needle is at or close to the bottom of
the gauge, the engine has not yet reached its
operating temperature. Avoid high engine
speeds, heavy engine loads, and heavy throt ­
tle app lications.
Normal temperature
When the engine has reached its operating
temperature, the needle will
move to the mid­
dle of the gauge and remain there . If the en­
gine is working hard at high outs ide tempera­
tures, the needle may
move higher on the
gauge. This is not a cause for concern as long
as the . warn ing light in the instrument
cluster display does not illuminate. If the.
warning light in the instrument cluster dis­
play flashes, this can mean one of two things:
either the coolant
temperature is too high, or
the coolant
level is too low¢ page 17 Ill-

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Instrument s and warning /indicator lights 11
A WARNING
- Always observe the warning in
c::> page 212 , before 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
dripping 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 air inlets reduces the cool­
ing effect of the rad iator. At high outside
temperatures or high eng ine load , the
engine could overheat.
- The front spoiler has been designed to
properly distribute the cooling air when
the veh icle is moving .
If the spoiler is
damaged , this cou ld reduce the cooling
effect and the engine co uld then over­
heat. Ask your authorized Aud i dealer for
assistance.
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicates the engine RPM
(revolutions per minutes).
I f engine RPM drops below 1,500, you should
downshift to the next lower gear . T he red area
at the end of the scale indicates maximum
perm issible engine RPM after the break-in pe­
riod. Before reaching this area, move these­
lector lever to position 0/5 or ease your foot
off the accelerator pedal.
@) Note
The tachometer needle@c::> page 10 ,
fig. 3 shou ld only briefly be in the red
zone: you could damage your engine! The
beg inning of the red zone varies depend-
ing on the engine .
@) For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early saves fuel and reduces en­
gine noise.
~ button
Fig. 4 SET button in th e ins trume nt cluster
The !SET ! button performs the following func­
tions:
Switching on time, date, temperature
display and odometer
The display appears for approximate ly 30 sec­
onds when you press the
I S ET ! button c::> fig . 4
with the ignit ion off .
Starting the Auto-Check sequence
The Auto-Check system constantly monitors
certa in individual functions and components
of the vehicle when the ignition is turned on
and when the vehicle is moving .
With the ignition turned on, you can start the "Auto-Check sequence" by pressing the
! SE T!
button . You can perform an Auto-Check se­
quence when the vehicle is stationary and the
ignition is turned on or when the vehicle is
moving slower than 3 mph (5 km/h).
In addition, the number of keys initialised for
your vehicle is displayed.
L2 3 /3 means that
three keys have been initialised . This feature
enables used car buyers to make sure they
have received all of the keys.
If you are given only two keys, for ins tance ,
you should take the vehicle and the ex isting
keys to an authorized Audi dealer to have the
missing key d isabled .
It is also important to
notify your insurance company about the loss.
Setting the speed warning
By pressing the !SET ! button briefly, you can
set threshold 1 of the speed warning wh ile
you are driving
c::> page 90 . By maintaining II>

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Instruments and warning/indicator lights 17
If the indicator light turns on and the mes ­
sage appears, there may be limited starting
abi lity.
If th is message turns
off after a litt le while,
the battery charged enough whi le driving.
If the message does not turn
off, have your
authorized Audi dealer or qua lified workshop
correct the malfunction.
~ Engine oil pressure
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol
requires immediate service or repair. Driving
with a Low-oil-pressure indication is Likely to
inflict severe damage to the engine .
• Turn off engine! Oil pressure too low
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, the oil pressure is too low.
.,. Pull
off the road.
.,. Stop the vehicle .
.,. Turn
off the engine .
.,. Check the engine oil level ¢ page 216 .
.,. If the engine oil level is too low, add engine
oil ¢
page 216 . Make sure that the oil pres­
sure warn ing symbol. appears no longer
in the disp lay before you start driving again.
.,. If the engine oil level is correct and the indi­
cator light st ill turns on, turn the engine
off
and do not continue driving. Seek professio­
nal assistance.
(l) Tips
- The engine oil pressure symbol. is
not an indicator for a low engine oil lev­
el. Do not rely on it. Instead, check the
oil level in your engine at regular inter­
vals, preferably each time you refuel,
and always before going on a long trip.
- The yellow oil level warning indication
II requires oil refill or workshop serv·
ice without delay. Do not wait until the
red oil pressure warning. starts to
flash before you respond to the low oil
level warning
l!I. By then , your engine
may already have suffered serious dam­
age.
~ Engine oil level
• WARNING: Please add oil immediately
If the indicator light and the message appear,
add engine oil immediately¢
page 214.
II Add oil, max XXXX l. You may cont. driv .
When the symbol l!I and driver message ap ­
pear, add the amount of oil appearing in the
display at the next opportunity ¢
page 214.
-L Engine cooling system
A malfunction in the engine cooling system
must be repaired as soon as possible.
• Turn off engine and check coolant level
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, the coolant temperature is too
high or the coolan t leve l is too low .
.,. Pull
off the road .
.,. Stop the vehicle .
.,. Tu rn
off the engine .
... Check coolant level¢
page 218 .
.,. Add coolant if necessary¢ page 219.
.,. Continue driving on ly after the engine cool­
ant warning/indicator light goes out .
.,. Contact your authorized Audi dealer for as-
sistance if necessary.
If the engine coo lant level is correct, then the
radiator fan may be the cause of the malfunc­
tion.
• Coolant temperature! Let engine run
with vehicle stationary
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, let the engine run at id le for a
f ew m inutes to coo l down .
_& WARNING
-If your vehicle should break down for
mechanical or other reasons, park at a
safe distance from moving traffic, turn
off the eng ine and turn on the hazard
warn ing lights
¢page 51, Emergency
flashers.
-

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>-

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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 . .,.
•
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-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.
•
•

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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

292 Index
Starting with jumper cab les . ....... . 274
Stopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84, 86
E ng ine compartment
Safety instructions ...... .. .. .. .. .. . 212
Working the engine compartment 212
Eng ine coolant
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
E ngine coolant system ...... .. .. .... . 218
Adding coolant ........... .. .. .. .. . 219
Checking coolant level ..... .. .. .. .. . 218
Check ing the eng ine coolant level .. .. . 218
Radiator fan .............. ... .. .. . 220
E ngine coolant temperature
Temperature gauge ....... .. .. .... .. 10
Engine hood
C losing ......... ......... ... .... . 212
How to release the hood ............ 212
E ng ine oil . .... ........... ........ . 214
Adding .. .. ............. .. .. .. .. . 216
Addit ives ... ................ ..... . 216
Changing . ................. ..... . 217
Check oil level ............ ... .... . 216
Consumption ............ .. .. .. .. . 216
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17, 21
Oil consumption ............ .. .... . 215
Oil grades .. ................ ... .. . 214
Pressure malfunction ...... .. .. .. .. . . 17
Sensor defective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Specification and viscos ity .. .. .. .... . 214
Engine speed limitation ......... .... .. 20
Environment Break- in period ............ ... .... . 193
Cata lytic converter ............ .. .. . 194
Disposing of your vehicle battery ..... 225
Driving at high speeds ..... .. .. .. .. . 195
Driving to minimize pollution and noise 195
Fuel ..... .. ..... ........... ... .. . 210
Fuel economy ............. ... .. .. . 195
L eaks under your veh icle . .. .. .. .. .. . 212
L ett ing the vehicle stand and wa rm up . 196
Proper disposal of drained brake fluid . 221
Proper disposal of drained engine coo l-
ant ..... .. ................ ..... . 219
Proper disposal of dra ined engine
oil .. .. .. ................. .. 216,217
Recycling used engine oil ... .. .. .. .. . 216
Roof rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Unleaded fuel
.... ................ . 207
What shou ld I do with an o ld battery? . 22S
EPC
refer to E lectronic power control . . . . . . 20
Ethyl alcohol (Fuel) . .. .. ...... ... .. .. 208
Event Data Recorder (EDR) ............ 184
Exhaust tail pipes
Cleaning .. .... .. ............. .... 203
Expansion tank .... ............. .... 218
Exterior lighting ... ................ .. 49
Exterior m irrors
Adjust ing . .. .. .. .. ........... .. .. . 52
Dimming .. .... .. ............. ..... 53
Heating . .. .. .. . .............. .. .. . 52
F
Fan
Radiator 220
Fastening Booster seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 173
Convertib le child safety seats .. ... ... 172
Infant seats ... .. ... .......... .... 171
Fa stening eye s
refer to Tie-downs .. .... .... ... .. .. . 74
Flat tire Changing ..... .. ................ . 263
flexib le fue l ....... ............. .... 208
Floor .. .... .... .. ................. . 76
Floor mats . ..... .. ................ . 131
Fog lights/rear fog light(s) ......... ... . 49
Folding the rear seats ............ .... . 71
Foot pedals . .... .. ............. .... 131
For the sake of the environment Gasoline fumes and the env ironment .. 210
Letting the engine warm up . . . . . . 82, 85
Refueling . .. .. .. ... .......... .... 210
Sav ing fuel by early upshifting . .. .. .. . 11
Front airbags Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
How they work . .. .......... ...... . 153
Frontal collisions and the laws of physics 137
Front passenger's door emergency lock ing 37
Front seats Adjusting ... .. .. ....... ...... .. .. 128
Child restraints in the front seat .. .. .. 145