2016 AUDI A4 coolant

Checking and Filling
-To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam or
coolant escaping from the engine compart­
ment . Wait until no steam or coolant can be
seen or heard before carefully opening the hood.
- Keep children away from the engine com­ partment.
- Never spill fluids on hot engine compo­
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary
electric fan is temperature controlled and
can switch on suddenly .
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap when
the engine is still warm. The coolant system is pressurized and hot coolant 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 electrical
system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open
flames. Fluids in the engine compartment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher imme­
diately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal injury
while the engine is running or being started,
never touch:
- 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 automatic transmission
204
to "P" (Park); 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 contacting hot parts . Tie back hair before starting,
and do not wear clothing that will hang or
droop into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and chemi­
cal hazards
c::> /.1. .
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 Cali­
fornia to cause cancer and birth defects and
reproductive harm . In addition, certain flu­
ids contained in vehicles and certain prod­
ucts of component wear contain or emit
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms .
Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container or
filler opening, otherwise serious damage 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 fluids, have
your vehicle inspected by an authorized Audi
dealer.

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Checking and Filling
Engine compartment
Engine compartment
These are the most important items that you can check.
Fig. 181 Typical layout for containers and e ngin e oil fille r cap
(D Eng ine o il filler cap ( @ Jump start po int(+) under a cover
@ Brake fluid reservoir
((0) ...... .
@ Coolant expansion tank (- L) .... .
® Jump start point( -) with hex head 207
214,251
211 210
screw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214, 251
@ Windshield/headlight* washer con-
tainer
(W) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
The position of the engine oil filling hole
c:> fig. 181 (item @) can differ depending on the
engine design .
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment, always read and heed all WARN­
INGS
c:> &. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 203.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used must conform to exact speci­
fications.
The service interval display in the instrument
cluster of your vehicle will inform you when it is
time for an oi l change . We recommend that you
have your oi l changed by an authorized Audi Serv­
ice Advisor.
If you have to top off the oil between oil changes,
use the Audi oil quality standard specified in the
table .
Audi oil quality standard
Gasoline
VW 502 00 or
engine vw 504 00
205

Check ing and F illing
@ For the sake of the environment
- Under no circumstances can the oil come in
contact with the sewage network or the soil.
- Observe and fo llow legal regulations when
disposing of empty oil containers .
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that hove your oil changed by on
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified service sta­
tion .
Before you che ck anything in the eng ine compart ­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS ¢ A
in Working in the engine comportment on
page 203.
The engine oil must be changed according to the i n tervals specified in your Warranty
& Mainte­
nance booklet . This is very important because the
lubricat ing propert ies of oil diminish gradually
during normal vehicle use.
Under some circ umstances the eng ine oi l sho uld
be changed more frequently. Change oil more of­
ten if yo u drive most ly short distances, operate
the vehicle in dusty areas or under predominantly
stop-and-go traffic cond it ions , or have your vehi­
cle where temperatures remain below freezing
for extended periods .
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh oil
look dark after t he engine has been run ning for a
short t ime . T his is normal and is not a reason to
cha nge the oil mo re often than recommended .
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal, along
with the special tools and necessary expertise re­
qu ired, we strongly recommend that you have
your oil c hanged by an aut ho rized
Audi dealer o r
a qualif ied se rvice station .
If you choose to change your o il yourself , please
note the following important informat ion:
A WARNING
To re duce the risk of pe rsonal injury if you
must c hange t he engine oil in your ve hicle
yo urs elf:
- W ear eye protection .
208
-
-To reduce the r is k of burns from hot engine
oil, let the engine cool down to the touch .
- W hen removing the oil drain plug with your
fingers, stay as far away as possible. Always
keep your forearm pa rallel to the ground to
he lp prevent hot oil from run ning down your
arm .
- Drain t he oil into a container designed for
this purpose, one large enough to hold at
leas t the tota l amou nt of oil in you r engine.
- Engi ne oil is poisonous . Keep it well out of
the reach of childre n.
- Continuous contact wit h used engine o il is
ha rmf ul to your skin. Always protect your
skin by washi ng oil
off thoroughly with soap
and wate r.
(D Note
Neve r mix oil additives with yo ur engine oil.
These additives can damage your e ngine and
adverse ly affect your A udi L imi ted New Vehi ­
cle Warranty .
@ For the sake of the environment
-Be fore chang ing you r oi l, first make sure
you know where you can properly dispose o f
t h e used oil.
- Always dispose of used e ngine o il pro perly .
Do not d ump it on garden so il, wooded
areas, into op en streams o r down sewage
drains.
- Recycle used e ngine o il by tak ing it to a used
eng ine oil collect io n fa cil ity in you r area, o r
c o nta ct a servi ce st ation .
Cooling system
Coolant '
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro ­
tects the engine from free zing in the winter.
The coolin g system is sealed and generally re­
quires little attention .
The coo lin g sys tem h as been filled a t the fac to ry
wi th a pe rmanent coolan t which does not need to
be changed. The coo lant consists of a mixture of .,.

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0 ::..:: co ..... ..... specially conditioned water and the man ufactur­
er's g lycol-bas edcoo lant additive Gl3 antifreeze
with anticorrosion additives (50% for USA mod­
e ls; 60% for Canadian models). This m ixture
both assures the necessary frost protection and
protects metal components in the engine's cool­
ing system from corrosion and scaling.
It also
raises the boiling point of the coolant .
Do not reduce the concentration of the coolant in
the summer by adding p lain water .
The propor­
tion of coolant addit ive must be at l eas t 50° /4
but not more th an 60 %
to maintain antifreeze
p rotection and cooling effic iency. If the coolant
frost protec tion is too low, the coolant co uld
freeze and damage the vehicle heating and en­
gine cooling system.
F or yea r-round driving, antifreeze is added at the
factory for temperatures down to :
- -31 °F (- 35 °C) USA
- -40 °F ( - 40 °C) Canada.
If you must add coolant, use a mixture of water
and coolant addit ive. Mixing the coolant additive
with d istilled water is recommended.
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment, always read and heed all WARN ­
INGS
Q &. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 203.
(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 con­
dit ions. This is especially important if you
li ve in a reg ion where the w inte r is ext reme­
l y co ld. If ne cessary, in cre ase the proport io n
of coo lant add itive to 60%.
- When addi ng coolant addit ive to you r cool­
i ng system, remember:
- We recommend using only coolant addi­
tive Gl2 ++ or Gl3 for your ve hicle. T his
coolant additive is available at authorized
Audi dea lers. Othe r types of antifreeze can
significant ly reduce cor ros ion p rotection .
Ch eck ing and Filling
The resulting co rrosion can cause a loss of
coolant and serious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiator lea k sealant
to your vehicle's engine coolant. Adding ra­
diator repair fluid may adversely affect the
function and performance of your cooling
system and cou ld resu lt in damage not cov­
ered 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. 184 En gin e co mpa rt men t: Cover o n the coo la nt ex ­
pans ion t ank
.. Before you check anything in the eng ine com ­
partment,
al ways read and heed all WARN ­
INGS
q ..&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 203 .
.. Park your ve hicle on a leve l sur face .
.. Tu rn off the ignit io n .
.. Read the eng ine coolan t level from the coo lant
expansion tank
q fig . 184, Q page 205,
fig. 181 .
With a cold engine, the coolant level
should be between the " MIN" and "MAX" mark­
ings. When the engine is warm, the level may
be slightly above the "MAX" marking.
The location of the coo lant expansion tank can be
seen in the engine compartment illustration
q page 205.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must
be switched off.
T he expansion ta nk in your veh icle is eq uipped
with an electric coo lant level senso r.
When the coolant leve l is too low , the warning
light i n the Auto-Check System
Q page 17 will
209

Check ing and F illing
blink until you add coolant and the level has been
restored to normal. Even though there is an e lec ­
tr ic coolant level sensor, we still recommend you
check the coo lant level from time to time.
Coolant los s
Coolant loss may indicate a l e ak in the cooling
system. In the event of coolant loss, the cooling
syst em should be insp ected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer. It is not enough merely
to add coolant.
I n a
s e aled system, losses can occur only if the
boiling point of the coo lant is exceeded as a re­
sult of overheating.
A WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and can get very hot. Reduce the risk of scalding from
hot coolant by following these steps.
- Turn off the eng ine and allow it to cool
down .
- Protect your face, hands and arms from es­
caping fluid and steam by covering the cap
with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in a
counter-clockwise direction wh ile apply ing
l ight, downward pressure on the top of the
cap .
- To avo id being burned, do not sp ill anti ­
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system or
hot eng ine parts . Under certain conditions,
the ethy lene g lycol i n engine coolant can
catch fire.
{Q) Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak seala nt
to your veh icle's engine coolant . Adding radia­
to r repa ir fluid may adversely affec t the func­
tion and performance of yo ur 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 anyth ing in the eng ine compart­
ment,
a lwa ys re ad an d heed all WARNINGS
210
¢ A in Working in the engine compartment on
page 203.
Requireme nt: The re must be a res idual amount
of coo lant in the expans ion tank
~CD-
.,,. Turn off the engine .
.,,. Let the engine cool down.
.,,. Place a thick rag over the coolan t expa nsion
tank ¢ page 209, fig. 184 and
carefull y turn
the cap counter-clockwise ¢.&_ .
.,,. Add coo lant mixed in the correct ratio
~ page 208, Coolant up to the MAX marking.
.,,. Make sure that the fluid level remains stab le.
Add more coolant if necessary .
.,,. Twist the cap on aga in tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to ex­
act specifications ¢ page 208, Coolan t.
We recommend using only coo lant additive
G l2 +
+ , Gl3
or in an emergency Gl2+. Do not use a
different additive . In an emergency use plain wa ­
ter unt il you can get the correct addit ive and can
restore the correct rat io. Th is should be done as
soon as possible.
If you have lost a considerable amount of cool­
ant, then you should add cold antifreeze and cold
water only when the engine is cold.
Always use new engine coo lant when refilling .
Do not fi ll coolant above the "MAX " mark. Excess
coolant will be forced out th rough the pressure
relief valve in the cap when the engine becomes
hot.
A WARNING
- The cooling 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 s low ly and very ca refully in a
counter-clo ckwise direction wh ile app ly ing
li ght, downward pressure on the top o f
the cap.
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-To avoid being burned, do not spill anti­
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system or hot engine parts. Under certain condi­
tions, the ethylene glycol in engine cool­ ant can catch fire.
- Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store anti­
freeze in its original container and well out
of the reach of children.
- If you drain the coolant, it must be caught
and safely stored in a proper container
clearly marked "poison".
(D Note
-Do not add coolant if the expansion tank is
empty . Air could enter the cooling system
and damage the engine. If this is the case,
do not continue driving. Seek professional
assistance.
- Coolant pollutes the environment and could
cause an engine fire. Excess coolant will be
forced out through the pressure relief valve
in the cap when the engine becomes hot.
- If, in an emergency, only water can be add­
ed, the correct ratio between water and an­
tifreeze
c::> page 208 must be restored as
soon as possible.
@) For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant should not be reused. Always
dispose of used coolant while observing all
environmental regulations.
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by it­
self.
The radiator fan is driven by the engine via the V­
belt . The viscous clutch regulates the speed of
the fan according to the temperature of the cool­
ant.
An auxiliary electric radiator fan* switches on and
off depending on coolant temperature and other
vehicle operating conditions.
After you switch the engine off, the auxiliary fan
can continue running for up to 10 minutes -even
Checking and Filling
with the ignition off. It can even switch on again
later by itself
c::> & , if
- the temperature of the engine coolant rises due
to the heat build-up from the engine in the en­
gine compartment, or
- the engine compartment heats up because the
vehicle is parked in intense sunlight.
A WARNING
-To reduce the risk of personal injury never
touch the radiator fan.
- The auxiliary electric fan is temperature
controlled and can switch on suddenly even
when the engine is not running.
- The auxiliary radiator fan switches on auto­
matically when the engine coolant reaches a
certain temperature and will continue to run
until the coolant temperature drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The broke fluid level con be checked with o quick
glance .
Fig. 185 En gi ne compartmen t: Cover on the b rake fl uid
reservoir
Before you check anything in the engine compart ­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
c::> _.& in Working in the engine comportment on
page 203.
.,. Read the brake fluid level from the brake fluid
reservoir
c::> fig. 185, c::> page 205, fig . 181 . The
brake fluid level must be between the "MIN"
and "MAX" markings.
211

Checking and Filling
the energy m anag ement functions correctly after
replacing the battery.
I f it is not poss ible to use a battery of th is type,
the new battery must have the same capacity,
voltage (12 -volts), amperage, construction and
p lug sealing .
When insta lling the batte ry, make sure the igni­
tion and all elec trical consumers are turned off.
CD Note
Ma ke sure the ventilation hose on the side of
t he batte ry is connected, othe rw ise f umes or
bat tery acid can lea k out.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper dispo sal of
a ba tte ry, we recommen d your author ized
Audi de aler change the battery fo r you . Bat­
teries contain su lf u ric acid and lea d and must
always be disposed of properly in compliance
w ith all environmental regu lations. D ispos ing
of vehicle batteries improperly is very danger­
ous to the env ironment.
Windshield/headlight*
washer container
F ig. 1 87 Engine co mpar tment : Cove r o n th e w ind shie ld
and head lig ht ' was her fluid conta iner
The washer fl uid containe r is m arked with the
symbo l
O on its cap ~ fig. 187, ¢ page 205,
fig . 181 .
.,. Befo re yo u check anything in the engine com­
partment,
alway s read and heed all WARN­
INGS ¢,& in Working in the engine compor t­
ment on page 203.
216
.,. Lift the filler cap tongue to add washe r fl uid.
You ca n fill the conta iner to the top.
.,. Press the cap back onto the filler neck after fill -
ing the container .
You can find the reservoir
capacit y in the table in
~ page 256.
Clean water should be used when filling up . If
possib le , use soft wate r to prevent scaling on the
washer jets. Always add a glass cleaner solution
(with frost p rotection in the winter) .
CD Note
Do not mix engine coolant antifreeze or any
other additives to fill up the winds hield wash­
er reservoir.

Wheels
Bead
means the part of the tire that is
made of steel wires, wrapped or
reinforced by ply cords and that is
shaped to fit the rim .
Bead separation
means a breakdown of the bond
between components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the
plies in the tire.
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recom­
mended by the vehic le manufac­
turer for a tire of a des ignated
size that has not been driven for more than a couple of miles (kilo­
meters) at low speeds in the
three hour period before the tire pressure is measured or adj usted.
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor ve­
hicle w ith standard equipment in ­
cluding the maximum capacity of
fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi ­
tioning and additiona l weight of
op tional equipment.
E x tra load tire
means a tire des igned to operate
at higher loads and at h igher in -
220
flation pressures than t he corre­
spond ing standa rd tire. Extra load
tires may be identified as "XL",
"xl" , "EXTRA LOAD" , or "RF" on
the sidewall.
Gross A xle Weight Rating
("GAWR ")
means the load-carrying capacity
of a single axle system , measured
at the ti re-gro und interfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR")
means the max imum total loaded
weight of the vehicle .
Groove
means the space between two ad­
jacent tread ribs .
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load tha t a
tire is rated to carry for a given in­
flation pressure. You may not find
this informat ion on all ti res be­
cause it is not required by law .
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a tire at
the maximum permissible infla­
tion p ressure for that ti re .
Maximum loaded vehicle
weight
means the sum of: