2015 AUDI S8 check engine

.... N .... N
0 J:
'SI: .... \!) 1.1'1
.... 1.1'1 ,....,
-The oil filler cap must be properly se­
cured to prevent oil from being sprayed
on the hot engine and exhaust system
when the engine is running - fire hazard!
-If your skin has come in contact with the
engine oil, you must subsequently
cleanse it thoroughly .
@ Note
-Check the oil level. If the message
Please reduce oil level appears, contact
your authorized Audi dealer or other qualified workshop to have excess oil ex ­
tracted if necessary .
-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 regulations
when disposing of empty oil containers.
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by
an authorized Audi dealer or a qualified serv­
ice station .
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 228.
T he engine oil must be changed according to
the intervals specified in your Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet . This is very important
because the lubricating properties of oil di­
minish gradually during normal vehicle use.
Under some circumstances the engine oil
should be changed more frequently . Change
oil more often if you drive mostly short dis­
tances , operate the vehicle in dusty areas or
under predominantly stop-and-go traffic con­
ditions , or have your vehicle where tempera-
Checking and filling 235
tu res remain below freezing for extended pe­
riods.
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh
oil look dark after the engine has been run­ ning for a short time. This is normal and is not
a reason to change the oil more often than
recommended.
Because of the problem of proper disposal,
along with the special tools and necessary ex­
pertise requir ed, we strongly recommend that
you have your oil changed by an authorized
Audi dealer or a qualified service station.
If you choose to change your oil yourself,
please note the following important informa­
tion:
_& WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal injury if you
must change the engine oil in your vehicle
yourself:
- Wear eye protection.
- To reduce the risk of burns from hot en-
gine oil, let the engine cool down to the
touch.
- When removing the oil drain plug with
your fingers, stay as far away as possible.
Always keep your forearm parallel to the
ground to help prevent hot oil from run­
ning down your arm.
- Drain the oil into a container designed
for this purpose, one large enough to hold at least the total amount of oil in
your engine .
- Engine oil is poisonous. Keep it well out
of the reach of children.
- Continuous contact with used engine oil
is harmful to your skin. Always protect
your skin by washing oil
off thoroughly
with soap and water.
(D Note
Never mix oil additives with your engine
oil. These additives can damage your en­
gine and adversely affect your Audi Limit­
ed New Vehicle Warranty .
•
•

236 Check ing and filling
@ For the sake of the environment
- Before changing your oil , first make sure
you know where you can properly dispose
of the used oil.
- Always dispose of used engine oil proper­
l y. Do not dump it on garden soi l, wood­
ed areas, into open streams or down
sewage dra ins.
- Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a
used engine oil collection facility in your
area, or contact a service station .
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 sea led and generally re­
qu ires little attention .
The cooling system has been filled at the fac ­
tory with a pe rmanent coolant which does not
need to be c hanged. The coolant consists of a
mixture of spec ia lly conditioned water and the
manufacturer 's glycol-based coo lant add i-
tive G l3 antifreeze with ant icorrosion addi ­
tives (50% for USA models ; 60% for Canadian
mod els). This mixture both assures the nec es­
sary frost protection and protects metal com­ ponents in the engine's cooling sys tem from
corrosion and scaling . It a lso raises the boil­
ing point of the coolant .
Do not red uce the concentration of the coo l­
ant in the summer by adding plain water.
The
proportion of coolant add it ive mu st be at
l e a st 50 % but not more than 60 %
to main­
tain antifreeze protection and cooling efficien­
cy . If the coolant frost prote ct ion is too low,
the coo lant cou ld freeze and damage the veh i­
cle hea ting and eng ine cooling system.
For yea r-round d riving, antifreeze is added at
the fac to ry for temperatures down to:
-- 31°F( -35°C)USA
- -40 °F ( -40 °C) Canada. If
you must add coolant, use a mixture o f wa ­
ter and coolant additive . Mixing the coo lant
additive with distilled water is recommended.
A WARNING
-
Before you c heck anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed a ll
WAR NINGS
c::, & in Working in the engine
compartment on page 228.
(D Note
- Before winter sets in, have the coo lant
checked to see if the coolant additive in
your vehicle is sufficient to meet the cli­ mate conditions . This is especia lly impor­
tant if you live in a reg ion where the win­
ter is ex treme ly cold. If ne cessa ry, i n­
crease the pr opo rtion of coo lant add itive
t o 60%.
- Whe n adding coolant additive to yo ur
c ooling sys tem, remembe r:
- We recommend using on ly coolant ad ­
d itive Gl2++ or Gl3 for your vehicle .
This coolant additive is availab le at au­
thor ized Audi dealers . Other types of
ant ifreeze can s ignificant ly reduce cor­
rosion protection. The resulti ng cor ro­
sion can ca use a loss o f coolan t and se­
rio us engine damage.
- Do not add any type of rad iator leak seal­
a nt to yo ur vehicle 's engine coolant.
Add ing radiator repai r fl ui d may adverse ­
ly affect the function and performance of
your cooling system and co uld resu lt in
damage not covered by yo ur New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
-

,....,
N ,....,
N
0 J:
'SI: ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance .
Fig. 204 Eng ine compartme nt: cover o n the coolant
expansion tank
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
a lway s read and he ed all WARN ­
INGS ¢ & in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 228.
Park your vehicle on a level surface.
~ Switch off the ignition.
~ Read the engine coolant leve l from the cool­
ant expansion tank¢
fig. 204, ¢ page 230.
With a cold engine, the coolant level should
be between the "min" and "max" markings.
When the engine is warm, the level may be sl ightly above the ''max" marking.
The location of the coolant expansion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus­
tration ¢
page 230 .
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine
must be switched off.
The expansio n tank in your vehicle is equipped
with an electric coolant level sensor.
When t he coo lant level is too low, the warning
light in the Auto-Check System¢
page 15 will
illuminate unti l yo u add coolant and the level
has been restored to normal. Even thoug h
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-
Checkin g and fillin g 237
ing system shou ld be inspected immediately
by your authorized Audi dealer . It is not
eno ugh merely to add coo lant .
In a
s ealed system, losses can occu r on ly if
the boiling point of the coo lant is exceeded as
a resu lt of overheating.
A WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Red uce the risk of scald­
ing from hot coolant by follow ing these
steps.
- Turn off the engine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping flu id a nd steam by cover ing the
cap with a la rge, th ick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in
a counter-clockwise d irect ion while ap­
p lyi ng lig ht, dow nward pressure on the
top of the cap.
- To avo id being burned, do not sp ill anti­
freeze o r coolan t on the exhaust system
or ho t engine parts. Und er certa in cond i­
tions, the ethylene gly co l in engine coo l­
an t can catch fire.
(D Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sea l­
ant to your veh icle's engine coo lant. Add­
i ng radia to r repa ir flui d may adverse ly af­
fe ct the fun ct io n and perfor man ce o f you r
coo ling system and could result in damage
not cove red by your New Vehicle Limi ted
War ranty.
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant .
Before you che ck a nyt hing in the eng ine com­
partmen t,
alway s re ad and he ed alt WARN­
INGS ¢ & in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 228.
~ Requirement: There must be a residua l
a mo unt of coolan t in the expansion ta nk
¢(D.
~Tu rnoff the engine . •
•

238 Check ing and filling
• Let the engine coo l down .
• Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank
¢ page 237, fig . 204 and care full y
twist the cap counter-clockwise¢ _&..
• Add coolant mixed in the correct ratio
¢
page 236, Coolant up to the MAX mark­
i ng.
• Make sure that the fluid level rema ins sta-
ble. Add more coolant if necessary.
• Twist the cap on again
tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to
exact specifications ¢
page 236, Coolant.
We recommend using only coolant additive
G12++, G13 or in an emergency G12+ . Do not
use a different additive . In an emergency use
p la in water unt il you can get the correct add i­
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 co ld antifreeze
and cold water only when the engine is co ld.
Always use
new eng ine coolant when refilling .
Do not fi ll coolant above the "MAX" mark. Ex­
cess coolant will be forced out through the pressure relief valve in the cap when the en­
g ine becomes hot .
A WARNING
- T he coo ling system is under p ressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of
scalding from ho t coolant by following
these steps.
-Turn off the eng ine and a llow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from escaping flu id and steam by cover ing
the cap with a large, thick rag.
- T urn the cap slowly and very carefully
in a counter-clockwise d irect ion while
apply ing light, downward pressure on
the top of the cap.
- To avo id being burned, do not sp ill an­
tifreeze or coolant on the exhaust sys­
tem or hot engine parts . Under certa in cond
it ions, the ethylene g lycol in en­
gine coolant can catch fire.
- Antifreeze is poisonous . A lways store an­
tifreeze in its origina l container and well
out of the reach of children.
- If you dra in the coo lant, it must be
caught and safely stored in a proper con­
tainer clearly marked "po ison".
@ Note
- Do not add coolant if the expansion tank
is empty. Air co uld enter the cooling sys­
tem and damage the engine. If this is
the case, do not cont inue driving. Seek
professional assistance .
- Coo lant pollutes the environment and
cou ld cause an engine f ire. Excess cool­
ant will be forced out through the pres­
sure relief valve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot.
- If, in an eme rgency, only wate r can be
added, the co rrect ratio between water
and antifreeze ¢
page 236 must be re­
stored as soon as possible.
@ For the sake of the environment
D rained coolant should not be reused . Al­
ways d ispose of used coolant while observ­
i ng all envi ro nmental regula tions.
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by
itself
The rad iator fan is driven by the e ngine via the
V-belt. The viscous clutch regulates the speed of the fan acco rding to the temperatu re of the
coolant.
An auxiliary electric radiato r fan* sw itches on
and off depending on coolant temperature
and ot her vehicle ope rat ing condit io ns.
After you switch the eng ine off, the aux iliary
fan can continue running for up to 10 m inutes
- even w ith the ignition off .
It can even switch
o n aga in later by itself¢.& , if
1111>

- the temperature of the engine coolant rises
due to th e heat bui ld-up from the engine in
the engine compartment, or
- the engine compartment heats up because
the vehicle is parked in intense sunlight.
.&_ WARNING
- To reduce the r isk of personal injury nev­
er touch the radiator fan.
- The auxiliary electr ic fan is temperature
controlled and can switch on sudden ly
even when the engine is not runn ing.
- The auxiliary radiator fan switches on au­ tomat ically when the engine coolant
reaches a certain temperature and will
continue to run until the coolant temper ­
at ure drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a
quick glance.
N N
-N
i
F ig . 2 05 Eng ine co mpartmen t: cove r on the b rake f lui d
r eservo ir
Before you check anything in th e engine com­
partment,
alwa ys read and he ed all WARN­
INGS c::> .&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 2 28.
~ Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fl uid reservo ir ~
fig . 205, c::> page 230. The
brake f luid leve l must be betwee n the "M IN"
and "M AX" marki ngs.
The location of the brake fl uid reservo ir can be
see n in t he engi ne comp artment illus trati on
c::> page 230.
Checkin g and fillin g 239
The fluid level may d rop slightly afte r some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the
brake pads . T his is not cause for alarm .
If the brake flu id leve l falls considerably be­
low the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/indi­
cator light . (U.S. models) . (Canadian
models) w ill come on
~ page 14 . Do not con­
tin ue to operate the vehicle . The complete
brake sys tem should be thoroughly checked
by an authorized Audi dea ler or other quali ­
fied facility and the cause corrected.
If the
brake f lu id leve l is too low, the brake warning/
indica tor ligh t will illumi nate. Conta ct an au­
thorized Aud i de aler
immediately .
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi­
en ced technician.
B rake fluid absorbs moisture from the air . If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
high, co rrosion in the brake system may resu lt
after a pe riod of time. The boiling point of the
brake f lu id will also dec rease conside rably and
decrease brak ing performance.
T herefo re , the bra ke fluid must be changed
every tw o year s. Always use new br ake f lu id
which con forms to Federal Mo tor Veh icle
Standard " FMVSS 116 DOT 4".
T he bra ke fluid reservo ir can be d iff icu lt to
reach, the refore, we recommend that you
have the bra ke fluid changed by your author­
ized
Audi dealer. Your dealer has the cor rect
tools, the right brake fluid and the know -how
to do this for you.
A WARNING
---- Brake flu id is poisonous. It must be stor­
ed only in the closed or iginal container
out of the reach of children!
- Brake failure can resu lt from old or inap­
prop riate brake f lu id. Observe these pre­
cautions:
- U se only brake fluid tha t meets SAE
specificat ion
J 1703 and conforms to
Federa l Motor Vehicle Standard 116.

24 0 Ch eck ing and filling
Always check wi th your a uthorized Audi
dealer to make s ure you are using the
correct brake flu id. 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
long. This can ser ious ly affect the effi­
ciency of the b ra kes as well as yo ur
safety. This could result in an acc ident.
(D Note
Brake flu id will damage the paint of your
veh icle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper d isposa l
of brake flu id as wel l as the special tools
requ ired and the necessary expert ise, we
recommend that you have the b rake fluid
changed by your author ized Audi dealer.
Battery
General information
Under
normal operating conditions, the bat­
tery in your Audi does not need any mainte­
n ance . With
high outside temperatures or
l ong daily dr ives we recommend that you have
the elec trolyte level checked by a service fa­
cili ty. The e lec trolyte level sho uld a lso be
checked each time the battery is charged
¢ page 242.
Have the b attery checked when you ta ke yo ur
ve hicl e in for service. Yo u are well adv ise d to
replace a battery that is older than S years .
W ith certa in types of airbag deployment, the
battery is d isconnected from the vehicle ele c­
tr ica l system for sa fety reasons¢
& in Re­
pair, care and disposal of the airbags on
page 165.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some veh icle func tions (power w indow regu­
l ato rs, for example) a re los t if the b attery ter- mina
ls are disconnected. These functions have
to be relearned after the battery termina ls are
connected aga in. To prevent th is, the battery
sho uld only be disconnected from the ve hicle
electrical system when abso lutely necessary
for repairs.
Vehicle s not driven for long peri ods
If you do not d rive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, e lectr ica l compo ­
nents are gradually cut back or sw itched off.
This reduces energy consumption and ma in­
ta ins start ing capability over a longer period
¢
page 202. Some of the convenience func­
t ions may not ope rate, such as the inter ior
li gh ts or the power seat adjus tment. The con­
venience func tions will be ava ilable ag ain
when you switch on the ignition and start the
engine .
Winter operation D uring the winte r months, battery capac ity
tends to de crease as temperatures drop. This
is beca use more power is also consumed wh ile
sta rting, and the headlights, rear window de ­
fogger, etc ., are used more often .
Avoid unnecessary power consumpt ion, p ar­
t icu lar ly in city traffic or whe n traveling only
short distances. Let yo ur au thorized Aud i
dealer check the capacity of the vehicle bat ­
tery before winter sets in ¢
page 242. A well
charged battery will not on ly prevent starting
problems when the weather is cold, but will
also last longer.
(!) Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for several
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the
vehicle battery sho uld be removed and
stored where it w ill not freeze. This will
prevent it from be ing damaged and having
to be repla ced.

.... N .... N
0 J:
'SI: .... \!) 1.1"1
.... 1.1"1 ,....,
Fa st charging the b att ery (charging rate
abo ve 14.8 Vo lt s)
Fo r technical reasons do not use a batt ery
charger that uses vo ltage g reater than 14.8
Volts to charge your vehicle's battery.
A WARNING
-
Charging a battery can be dangerous.
- Always follow the operating instructions
provided by the battery charger manu­
facturer when charging your battery.
- Never charge a fro zen battery. It may ex­
plode because of gas trapped in the ice.
Allow a frozen battery to thaw out first .
- Do not reuse batteries which were fro­
zen. The battery housing may have
cracked and weakened when the battery
froze .
- Charge the battery in a well ventilated
area . Keep away from open flame or elec­
trical spark . Do not smoke . Hydrogen gas
gene rated by the battery is exp losive.
- To reduce the danger of explosion , never
co nnect or disconnect cha rger cables
wh ile the charger is operating.
- Fast charg ing a battery is dangerous and
should only be attempted by a compe­
t ent technicia n w ith the proper eq uip­
ment.
- Battery a cid that may spill d uring charg­
ing should be washed off wit h a solution
of warm wa ter and ba king soda to neu ­
tralize the acid .
CD Note
Never use a fast charge r as a booster to
s tart the engine. This will se rio usly d am­
age sensitive elect ronic components, such
as control units, relays, radio, etc., as we ll
as the battery charger .
Checking and fillin g
Battery replacement
The new battery must have the same specifi­
cations and dimensions as the original equip­
ment battery.
In telligen t energy managemen t in your vehi­
cle is responsible for distributing the electri ­
cal ene rgy throughout your vehicle
¢ page 202. The intelligent energy manage­
ment system will keep the engine battery
c h arged better than vehicles without this sys ­
tem. To make sure the additional electrica l en ­
ergy is avai lab le once again afte r yo u have
changed the battery, we recommend that you
insta ll batteries of the same type and m anu­
facture only (the same as those installed at
the time your ve hicle was delivered) . Specif i­
cat ions are listed on the battery housing . Your
authorized dea le r must code the battery in
the energy management system to enab le you
to use the ene rgy manageme nt func tions cor ­
re ct ly afte r replacing the battery.
The new battery must have the same capacity,
vo ltage
( 1 2 volts), amperage, const ruction
and plug seal ing .
When installing the battery, make sure the ig­ nition and a ll elect rical consume rs are switch­
ed off .
CD Note
- Make sure the ventilation hose on the
side of the battery is connected, other­
w ise fumes or battery a cid ca n leak out .
- Veh icles with the Start-Stop-System* are
e quipped with a spec ial cycle-p roof AGM
battery. Install ing a d iffe rent type of
ba ttery c an cause problems in the vehi ­
cle e lectrical system. Whe n replacing the
vehicle battery, always install one w ith
the same specifications as the origina l
battery.
- Battery mounts and clamps must a lways
be sec ured correct ly .
- Read and fo llow the wa rnings under
¢ page 241, Working on the battery be-
fore per forming any work on the battery . ..,_
243
•
•

244 Checking and filling
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposa l
of a battery, we recommend your author­
ized Audi dealer change the battery for
you. Batter ies contain sulfuric acid and
lead and must always be disposed of prop­
erly in compliance w ith all environmental
regu lations . D isposing of vehicle batteries
improperly is very dangerous to the envi­ ronmen t.
Windshield/headlight
washer container
Fig. 207 Engine compartment: cover on the windshield
was her flui d reservo ir
The washer fluid container is marked with the
symbol~ on its cap
c::> fig. 207, c::> page 230 .
.. 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 228 .
.. 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 container.
You can find the reservoir
capacity in the table
in
c::>page 288.
Clean water should be used when filling 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.