2016 AUDI A8 check engine light

Removing the mechanical key
Fig. 19 R emote control master key: removing the mechani·
ca l key
• Press the release button @¢fig. 19.
• Pull the mechanical key @ out of the master
key.
Using the mechan ica l key, you can:
- lock and unlock* the storage compartment on
the passenger's side¢
page 73.
- lock and unlock the vehicle manually
¢page 35.
-lock the front and rear passenger doors me­
chanically¢
page 36.
-unlock the luggage compartment lid manually
¢page 39.
Check light and battery in the master key
Fig. 20 Remote master key: Remov ing the battery holder
Check light in the ma ste r key
The check light®¢ fig. 20 in the master key
provides information about different conditions.
• The check light turns on briefly once when a
button is pressed, and during an "inquiry" by
the conven ience key system.
Open ing and closing
• If the check light does not come on, the battery
is dead and has to be replaced. In addition,
when the battery is dead the
!I ind icator light
appears in the instrument cluster display as
well as the message
Please change the key
battery .
Ma ster key battery replacement
• Remove the mechanical key ¢page 31.
• Press the re lease button @¢ fig. 20 on the
battery holder and at the same time pull the
battery holder out of the master key in the di­
rection of the arrow .
.. Install the new batte ry CR 2032 with the"+"
sign facing down.
.. Push the battery holder carefully into the mas­
ter key .
.. Insta ll the mechanical key .
@ For the sake of the environment
Dispose of dead batteries properly so as not
to pol lute the environment.
(D Tips
The replacement battery must be the same
specification as the original.
Electronic immobilizer
The immobilizer helps to prevent unauthorized
use of your vehicle.
A computer ch ip inside your key automatically
deact ivates the electronic immob ilizer when the
key is inside the vehicle. When you remove the
key from the vehicle, the elect ronic immob ilizer
is automatically activated once again .
& WARNING
-
Always take the key with you when you leave
the vehicle. The key can disarm the electronic
engine immobilizer and permit an unauthor­
i zed person to start the engine and enable op­
eration of the vehicle systems such as power
window or power sunroof leading to serious
personal injury.
31

Lights and Vision
Lights and Vision
Exterior lighting
Switching the headlights on and off
Fig. 42 Instrument panel : lig ht sw it c h with all -weather
l igh ts
The headlights only wo rk when the igni tion is
sw itched on. Whi le sta rting the engine or when
switching off the ignition, the headlights will go
off and only th e side marker lights will be on.
I f the sys tem i s not operating p roperly, a warning
symbo l in the drive r informat ion d isplay is dis­
p layed
c::> page 21 .
Light switch -'t;f;
T urn the switch ~ fig. 42 to the corresponding
position . When the lights are sw itched on, the
:oo:
symbo l turns on .
0 - The l ights are off or the daytime runni ng
lights are on :
-USA mode ls: The daytime running lights will
come on automatically when the ignition is on
and the light sw itch
c::> fig . 42 is in the O posi­
tion or the
AUTO position (only i n daylight con­
di tions). The
Daytime running li ght s func tion
can be turned on and off in the MM I
c::> page 47, c::> &.
- Canada mo del s: T he daytime runn ing lights
will come on automa tically when the ignit io n is
o n and the light switch
c::> fig . 42 is in the O po­
s ition, the
:oo : pos ition or the AUTO position
(on ly in daylight conditions)
c::> & .
AUTO -Automatic head light s switch on a nd off
depending on br igh tness , for example i n tw ilight,
du ring ra in or in tunne ls
c::> & .
46
:oo : -Side marker lights
gD -Low beam headlig hts
~ - All-weather lig hts
@il -Rear fog lights *. When the rear fog lights are
on, the symbol
0$ on the switch will illuminate .
All-weather lights
The front lights a re adjus ted au toma tica lly so
that you are less likely to see g la re from your own
headlights, for example whe n driving on a wet
road.
Automatic dynamic headlight range control*
Yo ur vehicle is equipped wi th a headlight range
contro l system so that the head lights do not
bl ind oncoming t raffic if the vehicle load
changes. The head light range also adjusts auto­
matically when brak ing and acce lerating .
Light functions
The following ligh t fu nct ions are available de­
pend ing on vehicle e quipment and o nly fu nction
whe n the light switc h is in the AUTO position.
You can deactivate these fu nctions in the M MI
unde r
Audi adapti ve light c::> page 47.
Static cornering light* -the corne ring ligh t
switches on automat ically when the steering
whee l is turned at a certain angle at speeds up to
app roximately 44 mph (70 km/h) and when the
turn s ignal is activated at speeds up to approxi­
ma tely 25 mph (40 km/h) . The area to the side of
the ve hicle is illuminated better when turning .
Dynamic curve light* -the curve light adapts it­
self to the curves in the road .
Highway light fun ction* -this funct ion adapts
the lighti ng for highway d riving based on vehicle
speed .
A WARNING
--Automatic headlig hts are only intended to
assist the driver . They do not relieve the
driver of his responsibi lity to check the
headlights and to turn them o n manually
according to the cur rent light and vis ib ility
co ndi tion s. For example, fog cannot be

Driving
(D Note
Always switch off the Start-Stop-System
when driving through water
c::> page 87.
Starting/stopping the engine
A pp lies to: ve hicles w ith Sta rt-Sto p-System
Fig. 91 Instrument cluste r: engin e sw itched off (s top
ph ase)
.. Slow the vehicle to a stop using the brake and
keep pressing the brake pedal. The engine will
switch off . The
[I] indicator light appears in the
information line in the instrument cluster dis­
play.
.. When you take your foot off the brake pedal,
the engine restarts. The indicator light turns
off.
Additional information
The engine will switch off in the P, D, N and S po­
sitions as well as in manual mode. In the P posi­
tion , the engine will also remain off if you take
your foot off the brake pedal. The eng ine starts
again when you select another selector lever po­
sition and take your foot off the brake pedal.
If you select the R position during a Stop phase,
the engine will start again.
Shift from D to P quickly to prevent the engine
from starting unintentionally when shifting
through R.
You can determine for yourself if the engine will
stop or not by reducing or increasing the amount
of force you use to press the brake pedal. For ex­
ample , if you only light ly press on the brake ped­
al in stop-and and-go traffic or when turning, the
engine will not switch off when the vehicle is sta-
86
tionary. As soon as you press the brake down
harder, the engine will switch off.
General information
Applies to: vehicles wi th Start-S top-Sys te m
The standard Start-Stop-mode can be cancelled
for different system-related reasons.
Fig. 92 Instrumen t cluster: e ngin e-Stop temporarily un­
ava ilable
Engine will not switch off
Before each stop phase, the system checks if cer­
tain conditions have been met. For example, the
engine will
not be switched off in the following
situations :
- The engine has not reached the minimum re­
quired temperature for Start-Stop-mode.
- The interior temperature selected by the A/C
system has not been reached .
- The outside temperature is extremely high/low.
- The windshield is being defrosted
c::> page 79 .
- The parking system* is switched on.
- The battery charge level is too low.
- The steering wheel is sharply turned or there is
a steering movement .
- After engaging the reverse gear .
- On sharp inclines.
The
llJ indicator light appears in the information
line in the instrument cluster display
c::>fig . 92.
Engine automatically restarts
The stop phase is interrupted in the following sit­
uations, for example . The engine restarts without
any action by the driver .
- The interior temperature varies from the tem-
perature selected in the A/C system. ..,.

Smart Technology
Switching on and off
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine.
Fig. 186 Center console w it h ESC O FF but ton
ESC level s
Sport mode on
The following situations are exceptions where it
may be useful to switch on sport mode to allow
the wheels to spin:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is stuck
- Driving in deep snow or on loose ground
- Dr iving with snow chains
Sport mode off
Behavior
The ESC and ASR stabilization functions The full stabilization function of the ESC
are limited ¢
A:,.. and ASR is ava ilable again .
Operation Press the 00 button. Press
the[!] button again.
Indicator II turns on. II turns off .
lights
Driver mes- Stabilization control (ESC): Sport Warn- Stabilization control (ESC): On
sages ing! Reduced stability
A WARNING
You should only switch sport mode on if your
dr iv ing abilities and road condit ions perm it .
- The stabilization function is limited when
sport mode is sw itched on. The driving
wheels cou ld spin and the vehicle could
swerve, espec ially on s lick o r sli ppery road
s urfac es.
Sport mode cannot be sw itched on if t he
cruise cont rol system* or the adaptive cru ise
cont rol* is switched on.
Braking
What affects braking efficiency?
New brake pads
During the first 250 miles (400 km), new brake
pads do not possess the ir full braking effect, they
have to be "broken in" first ¢
.1:,.. The break-in pe­
riod can be considerably longe r fo r vehicles with
192
ceramic brake rotors*. You can compensate for
this slightly reduced braking power by push ing
harder on the brake pedal. Avoid heavy braking
lo ads during the break-in period.
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles are still sub ­
j ect to wear, depending large ly on operating con­
ditions and driving habits¢,& . On vehicles that
are either driven mostly in stop-and-go city traf­
fic or are driven hard, the brake pads should be
checked by your authorized Audi dealer more of ­
ten than specified in the
Warranty & Mainte­
nance booklet .
Failure to have your brake pads
inspected can result in reduced brake perform­
ance.
On steep slopes, you should use the brak ing ef­
fect of the engine. T his way, you prevent unnec­
essary wea r on the brake system. If you mus t use
your brakes, do not hold the brakes down contin-
u ously. Pump th e brakes at intervals. ..,.

Driving and th e en vironm ent
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and im­
proves your mileage .
.,. Try and keep well below your car's maximum
speed .
Accelerating gent ly reduces fue l consumption,
engine wear, and does not disturb the environ­ ment.
Fue l consumption, exhaust emissions and engine
noise increase d isproportionately at high speeds.
If you drive at approximately three quarters of
top speed, fuel consumption will be reduced by
one half. Never drive faster than the posted
speed limit and weather conditions permit.
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up fuel.
.,. Shut the engine off when you are not driv ing
the vehicle.
.,. Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the en-
gine run at idle .
The idling phase is automatically reduced for
veh icles with the Start-Stop-System*. It is effi­
cient to switch off the eng ine in vehicles without
the Start -Stop -System when stopped at ra ilroad
crossings and long red lights . Turning the engine
off for just 30-40 seconds saves more fuel than is bu rned by starting the engine aga in.
It takes a long t ime for the engine to warm up
fu lly when it is running at idle . However, wear
and noxio us em iss ions are espec ially high when
the engine is wa rm ing up. So you sho uld drive
away as soon as you start the engine a nd avoid
running at high rpms while the engine is still
warming up.
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended a fter
starting . If warn ing lights should come on to
indicate improper operation, they wou ld go
unheeded. Extended idling a lso produces
heat, wh ich co uld result in overheat ing or
200
other damage to the vehicle or othe r proper ­
ty.
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel.
.,. Have you r veh icle serviced at regula r interva ls.
By hav ing your veh icle regularly serv iced by an
Audi dealer he lps to ensure that it runs p roperly
and e conomi cally. The cond ition of you r vehicle
not only affects its safety and ab ility to hold its
val ue, it also affects
fuel con sumption .
Check your oil each t ime you fill your tank .
The amount of oi l used is related to engine load
and speed .
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new en­
gine to reach its lowest value after a certain mile­
age has been driven .
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 mi les
(5,000 kilometers) before you can properly as­
sess oil consumpt ion.
This also app lies to fue l consumption and engine
output .
(D Note
-Have your ve hicle ma intained properly and
in accordance with the se rvice recommenda ­
tions in your Warranty
& M aintenance book­
let. Lack of proper maintenance as we ll as
improper use of the veh icle w ill impair the
function of the em ission control system and
cou ld lead to damage .
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Emission Contro l System u nless ap­
proved by the man ufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such as
heat shields, switches, ign ition w ires,
valves, which are designed to protect your
vehicle's Emission Contro l System and other
impo rtant ve hicle compone nts.

Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in
p la ce to prevent it from sh ifting forward, back­
ward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer¢.&.
in Driving instructions on page 204.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder . It
is important that the cool ing system's perform­
ance is up to the addit ional load. Make sure that
the cooling system has enough fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
veh icle to the cold tire pressure listed under "Full
load " on the label located on the driver's side B­
pillar (vis ible when the door is open). Inflate
trailer tires to trailer and tire manufacturers'
specif ications.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working proper ly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly connect­
ed from the trailer to the hitch on the vehicle.
Leave enough slack in the chains to permit turn­
in g corners . When you install safety cha ins, make
sure they wi ll not drag on the road when you are
driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separat ion
from the hitch.
Adjusting the Audi drive select
Make sure the vehicle is on a level surface before
hitching up the trailer and before adjusting the
tongue we ight. The vehicle must be in
auto or
comfort driving mode and not ra ised
¢ page 106, 9Q) .
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered. In Info­
tainment, select:
I CARI function button > lower
control button .
Trailer mode
If you must drive under poor road conditions, you
can raise the vehicle
after coupling the trailer or
after adjusting the tongue weight¢ page 108.
(D Note
-Changes in temperature or load can affect
the height of the vehicle.
- Always select auto or comfort mode. Other­
w ise, the tong ue load specified for your ve­
hicle will no longer be applicable .
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration.
T o obtain the best possible handling of veh icle
and trailer, p lease note the following:
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself
is not loaded.
.,. Be especially careful when passing other
vehicles.
.,. Observe speed limits.
.,. Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed .
.,. Always apply brakes early.
.,. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded tra iler with an empty car results
in a highly unstab le distribution of weight . If this
cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds only
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and control.
This means that the tow vehicle shou ld be loaded
to the extent possib le and permissib le, while
keeping the trailer as light as possible under the
cir cumstances . Whenever poss ible, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow veh icle while observing tongue load require­
ments and vehicle load ing conside rations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to control the r ig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or wind .,._
203

Checking and Filling
Checking and Filling
Hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the vehi­
cle .
Fig. 194 Driver footwell : release leve r
Fig. 195 Ro cker switc h under the hood
Make sure the wiper arms are not raised up from
the windshield . Otherwise the paint could be
damaged .
.. With the driver's door open, pu ll the lever un ­
der the instrument panel in the direction of the
arrow ¢
fig. 194.
.. Raise the hood slightly Q _A .
.. Press the rocker switch under the hood upward
Q fig. 195. This releases the catch.
.. Open the hood.
A WARNING
Hot engine coo lant can burn you .
- To reduce the risk of be ing burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam or
coolant escaping from the eng ine compart­
ment. Wait unt il no steam or coolant can be
220
seen or heard before carefully open ing the
hood.
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the
engine comportment.
Whenev er yo u mu st perform an y work in the
engin e compartment , for exampl e chec king and
filli ng d iffe rent fl uids , the re is a ri sk of injur y,
bu rn s and accid ent s. T o preven t perso na l injur y
alway s obse rve the foll owing WARNING S. The
en gine compartment o f an y v ehicl e is a haz ard ­
ou s a rea
Q _6 .
A WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check any­
thing under the hood:
- Turn off the engine .
- Switch off the ignit ion.
- Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever to "P" (Park).
-Always let the eng ine cool down. Hot com-
ponents will burn skin on contact .
-
-To redu ce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam or
coo lant 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 sp ill 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 sti ll 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 .

(!) Windshield/headlight washer con-
tainer
(O) ................. . .
@ Jump start point(-) with hex head
screw . ..................... .
@ Jump start point(+) under a cover
© Engine oil filler cap ("t!:r.) ...... .
® Brake fluid reservoir((();) ...... .
® Coolant expansion tank (-L) .... .
0 Oil dipstick .................. . 234
233,271
233,271 225
230
227
225
The engine oil filler neck (item@) may be locat­
ed in a different area depending on the version of
the engine.
A WARNING
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 220.
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 oil change. We recommend that you hav e your oil changed by an authorized Audi Serv­
ice Advisor.
I f you have to top off the oil between oil changes,
use the Audi oi l quality standard specified in the
table.
Audi oil quality standard
Gasoline
VW 502 00 or
engine vw 50400
Diesel vw 507 00
engine
Using the proper engine oil is impo rtant for the
functiona lity and service life of the eng ine. Your
engine was factory-filled with a high-quality oil
;:;:: which can usually be used throughout the entire
0
~ year.
,...., Checking and Filling
(D Note
Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not
cover damage or malfunctions due to failure
to follow recommended maintenance and use
requirements as set forth in the Audi Owner's
Manual and Warranty
& Maintenance booklet .
- Use only a high quality engine oil that ex-
pressly complies with the Audi oil quality
standard spec ified for your vehicle's eng ine.
Us ing any other oil can cause ser ious eng ine
damage.
- Do not mix any lubricants or other additives
into the eng ine oi l. Do ing so can cause en­
gine damage.
(D Tips
If you need to add oil and there is none availa­
ble that meets the Aud i oil quality standard
your engine requires, you may add a total of no more than 0.5 quart/liter of a high-quality
"synthetic"oi l that meets the following speci­
fications.
- Vehicles with gasoline engine: ACEA A3 or
API SM with a viscosity grade of SAE OW-30,
SAE SW -30 or SAE 5W-40.
- Vehicles with diesel engine: ACEA C3 or
API C F with a viscosity grade of SAE OW-30
or SAE SW-30.
- For more information about engine oil that
has been approved for your vehicle, please
contact either your authorized Audi dealer
or Audi Customer Relations at
1 (800) 822-2834 or visit our web site at
www.audiusa.com or www.audicanada.ca.
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an ade­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool all of
its moving parts.
In order to provide effective lubrication and cool­
ing of internal engine components, all internal
combust ion engines consume a certain amount
of oil. O il consumption varies from eng ine to en ­
gine and may change significantly over the life of
the engine. Typ ically, engines w ith a specified
break-in period (see ¢
page 197) consume more ""
223