2016 AUDI A8 coolant

(!) 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

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.
T he cooling system has been filled at the factory
with a permanent coolant which does not need to
be changed . The coolant consists of a mixture of
specially condit ioned water and the manufactur ­
er's glycol-based coolant additive Gl3 antifreeze
with anticorrosion additives (SO% for USA mod­
e ls; 60% for Canadian mode ls). This m ixture
both ass ures the necessa ry frost protection and
protects metal components in the engine's coo l­
ing system from corrosion and scaling .
It also
raises the boiling point of the coolant.
Do not red uce the concent ration of the coolant in
the summer by adding p lain water.
The propor­
tion of coolant addit ive mu st be at least 50 %
but not more than 60 %
to mainta in antifreeze
protection and cooling efficiency. If the coolant
frost protection is too low, the coolant could
freeze and damage the vehicle heating and en­
g ine cooling system .
For year-round driving, antifree ze is added at the
factory for temperatures down to :
- -31° F(- 3S°C)USA
- - 40 ° F ( - 40 °C) Canada.
If you must add coolant, use a m ixture of water
and coolant addit ive. M ixing the coolant additive
with d istilled water is recommended .
_& WARNING
Before you check anythi ng i n t he engine com­
partment, always read and heed all WARN ­
INGS
¢ .&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 220 .
(D Note
-Befo re winter se ts in, have the coo lant
checked to see if the coolant additive in your
vehicle is sufficient to meet the cl imate con -
Check ing and Filling
ditions. This is especially important if you
live in a region where the winter is extreme­
ly cold. If necessary, increase the proportion
of coolant additive to 60%.
- When adding coolant additive to your cool­
ing system, remember :
- We recommend us ing only coolant add i­
tive Gl2+ + or Gl3 for yo ur vehicle. This
coolant addit ive is avai lab le at aut horized
A udi dealers . O ther types of antifree ze can
significantly reduce corrosion pro tect ion .
The resulting corrosion can cause a loss of
coolant and serious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiator leak 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 Warra nty .
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a
quick glance.
Fi g. 2 01 Engin e compar tmen t: cover o n th e coo lant expan ­
sion t ank
Before you check anything in the engine compart­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
¢ A in Working in the engine compartment on
page 220 .
Park your vehicle on a level surface .
.,. Switch off the ignition .
.,. Read the engine coolant level from the coo lant
expansion tank
¢ fig . 201, ¢page 222. With a
cold engine, the coolant level should be be-
tween the "min" and "max" markings. When .,.
227

Checking and Filling
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 illustration
¢ page 222.
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 15 will il­
luminate until you add coolant and the level has
been restored to normal. Even though 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 cooling
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 re­
sult of overheating.
_& 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 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 while applying
light, downward pressure on the top of the
cap.
- To avoid being burned, do not spill anti­
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system or
hot engine parts. Under certain conditions,
the ethylene glycol in engine coolant can
catch fire.
228
(D Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant
to your vehicle's engine coolant. Adding radia­
tor repair fluid may adversely affect the func­
tion 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 compart­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
¢.& in Working in the engine compartment on
page 220 .
.. 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 22 7, fig. 201 and carefully twist
the cap counter-clockwise ¢&, .
.,. Add coolant mixed in the correct ratio
r::!> page 22 7, Coolant up to the MAX marking.
.. Make sure that the fluid level remains stable.
Add more coolant if necessary .
.. Twist the cap on again
tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to ex­
act specifications ¢
page 22 7, 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 wa­
ter until you can get the correct additive and can
restore the correct ratio. This 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 coolant when refilling.
Do not fill coolant above the "MAX" mark . Excess
coolant will be forced out through the pressure
relief valve in the cap when the engine becomes
hot.
~

& 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 coo l
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping flu id and steam by cover ing the
cap w ith a la rge, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in a
counter-clockwise d irection while applying
light, downward p ressure on t he top of
the cap.
- T o avoid bei ng bu rned, do not spill anti­
free ze or coo la nt on the e xhaust sys tem or
hot engi ne parts. Under certa in cond i­
tions, the ethylene glycol in eng ine cool ­
ant can catch fire .
- An tifreeze is poisonous. Always store anti­
freeze in its original con tainer and well ou t
of the reach of children.
- If you dra in the coolant, it m ust be ca ught
and safely stored in a proper conta iner
clearly marked "poison" .
(D Note
-Do no t add coolant if the expa nsion tank is
empty. Air cou ld enter the cooling sys tem
and damage the eng ine. If this is the case,
do not continue driving. Seek professional
ass istance.
- Coolant po llutes the environment and could
ca use an eng ine fire . Excess coolant will be
fo rced o ut through the pressure relief valve
i n the cap when the eng ine becomes hot.
- If, in an emergency, only wate r can be add­
ed, the correct ratio between water and an­
tifreeze¢
page 22 7 must be restored as
soon as possib le.
@) For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant sho uld not be reused. Always
dispose of used coolant while observing all
,...,
"' environmental regulat io ns. 0 J:
'SI: ,..., -
Ch eck ing and Filling
Rad iator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by it­
self .
The radiator fan is driven by the engine via the V­
belt. The v iscous clutch regulates t he speed of
the fan accord ing to the temperature of the cool­
ant .
An auxiliary e lectr ic radiator fan* sw itches on and
off depend ing o n coo lant temperature and other
vehicle operating conditions.
After you switch the engine off, the auxiliary fan
can continue ru nning for up to 10 m inutes -even
with the ignition off. It can even switch on aga in
later by itself¢,& , 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 beca use the
veh icle is parked in intense sunlight.
& WARNING
- To reduce the r isk of persona l injury neve r
touch the radia to r fan .
- The auxiliary e lectr ic fan is temperature
controlled and can switch on s uddenly even
when the engine is not ru nning .
- The a uxiliary radiator fan sw itches on auto­
mat ically when the eng ine coolant reaches a
certa in temperature a nd will continue to run
until the coolant temperature d rops.
229

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 tir e pressure recom­
mended by the vehic le manufac­
turer for a tire of a designated
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 adjusted .
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor ve ­
hicle with standard equipment in­
c luding the maximum capacity of
fuel, oi l, and coolant, a ir condi­
tioning and add itional weight of
optional equipment.
E xtra load ti re
means a tire designed to operate
at higher loads and at h igher in -
Wheels
flation pressures than the corre­
sponding standard tire . Extra load
tires may be identified as "XL",
" xl", "EXTRA LOAD", o r "RF" on
the sidewal l.
Gross Axle Weight Rating
( " GAWR")
means the load -carrying capacity
of a single axle system, measured
at the tire-ground interfaces .
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR ")
means the max imum total loaded
weight of the vehic le.
Groove
means the space between two ad­
jacent tr ead ribs .
Load rating (code)
means the max im um load tha t a
tire is rated to carry fo r a g iven in­
flat ion pressure . You may not find
this informat ion on all tires be­
cause it is not requ ired by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a tire at
the maximum pe rmissible infla­
tion pressure for that tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle
weight
means the sum o f:
239
..

Wheels
technically referred to as the vehi- sengers in the vehicle or passen-cle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rat-gers who are heavier than the
ing ("GVWR"). standard weights assumed mean
The "GVWR" includes the weight that less weight can be carried as
of the basic vehicle, all factory in-luggage.
stalled accessories, a full tank of The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
plus maximum load. The maxi- are listed on the safety compli-
mum load includes the number of ance sticker label located on the
passengers that the vehicle is in- driver's side B-pillar
c::::> page 246,
tended to carry ("seating capaci-fig. 207.
ty") with an assumed weight of
.&_ WARNING
150 lbs . (68 kg) for each passen-
Overloading a vehicle can cause
ger at a designated seating posi-
loss of vehicle control, a crash
tion and the total weight of any
or other accident, serious per-
luggage in the vehicle. If you tow
sonal injury, and even death.
a trailer, the weight of the trailer
-Carrying more weight than
hitch and the tongue weight of
your vehicle was designed to
the loaded trailer must be includ-
carry will prevent the vehicle
ed as part of the vehicle load.
from handling properly and
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating increase the risk of the loss of
("GAWR") is the maximum load vehicle control.
that can be applied at each of the -The brakes on a vehicle that
vehicle's two axles. has been overloaded may not
The fact that there is an upper be able to stop
the vehicle
limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehi- within a safe distance.
cle Weight Rating means that the -Tires
on a vehicle that has
total weight of whatever is being been overloaded can fail sud-
carried in the vehicle (including denly, including a blowout and
.... the weight of a trailer hitch and sudden deflation, causing loss
N the tongue weight of the loaded of control and a crash. ci ... :c ": trailer) is limited. The more pas-....
'° "? ....
'° ....
249

Technical data
Vehicle identification
F ig. 239 Vehi cle Ident if ication N umber (VlN) plate : loca·
tion on dr iver 's side dash pane l
XXXXX XX -X -XX XX X XX XX
CD+ ~t :1 :: xxxxxxxx xx x x x xxx xxx
TVP /fffl XXX XXX
XX XXXXXXX XX X X XX
XXX
KW XXX
®i ~:J ·f lfils~~ XXXX XXX XXX
®-+ ~N:a=i~l xxxx ; xxxx xx x ; xx
11. • AUSS, I OPTIONS
E0 A
7D 5 4UB 6
XM 5SG 5R W
2E H
J0Z lL B l
A S lB A
3FC SM U 7Xl
F 0 A 9G3 0G7 0YH 0JF
TL 6 3KA 8EH UlA X 98 Q Z7
lXW 803 908 824 020
7T6 C V7 7 K0 4 X3 2 K2
3L4
4KC 3Y0 413 502
lSA 7GB 01 A 4G0
XX . X XX X XX X xxxx
Fig. 240 The vehicle identificat ion label- inside the lug ­
gage compartment
Veh icle Identification Number (VlN )
The Vehicle Identification Number is located in
different p laces:
- under the windshield on the driver's side
¢fig. 239.
-in the MMI: Select: Function button ICAR I > Car
systems > Servicing
& checks > VIN number .
~ -on the vehicle identification label.
0 J:
"". rl I.Cl U"I
rl I.Cl rl
Technical data
Vehicle identification label
The veh icle identification label is located in the
luggage compartment in the spare wheel we ll.
T he label¢
fig. 240 shows the following vehicle
data:
(D Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
@ Vehicle type, eng ine output, transm ission
@ Engine and transmission code
@ Paint number and interior
® Optional equipment numbers
T he information of the veh icle identification label
can also be found in your Warranty
& Mainte­
nance booklet.
Safety compliance sticker
The safety compliance sticker is your assurance
that your new vehicle complies w ith all applicable
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards which
were in effect at the time the vehicle was manu­
factured. 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 identification number of your vehicle (perforation) as well as
the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR).
H igh voltage warning label
The high voltage warning label is located in the
engine compartment next to the engine hood re­
lease. The spark ignition system complies with
the Canadian standard ICES-002.
Weights
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), and
the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for front
and rear are listed on a sticker on the door jamb
on the driver 's side.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating includes the
weight of the basic vehicle plus full fuel tank, oil
and coolant, plus maximum load, which includes
passenger weight (150 lbs/68 kg per designated
seating position) and luggage weight
c:> .&, . .,.
277

Consumer inf orm ation
today's a utomo biles, have steadily re duced the
scope of maintenance and repairs whic h can be
carried out by veh icle owners.
Also , sa fet y and
en vironmental
concerns place very strict limits
on the nature of repairs and adjustmen ts to en­
g ine and transmission parts wh ich an owner can
perform .
Maintenance, adjustments and repairs usually re­
qu ire special tools, testing devices and other
equ ipment available to specially trained work ­
shop personnel in order to assure proper per­
forma nce, re liability and safety of the veh icle and
its many systems .
Improper maintenance, adjustments and repairs
can impair the operation and reliab ility of your
ve hicle and eve n void your vehicle warranty .
Therefo re, proof of se rvicing in a ccordance w ith
the m aintenance sched ule may be a condition for
up ho ld ing a possible wa rranty claim made within
the wa rranty pe riod.
Above all , ope rational safety can be adversely af­
fected, cre ating unne cessa ry risks fo r you and
your passengers.
I f in doubt about any servicing, have it done by
your author ized Audi dealer or any other properly
eq uipped and qualified workshop . We strongly
urge you to g ive your author ized Audi dealer the
opportunity to perform a ll scheduled mainte ­
nance and necessa ry repairs. Your dealer has the
facilities, origina l parts and tra ined specialists to
keep your veh icle runn ing properly.
P e rforming limited maintenance yourself
The fo llow ing pages describe a limited number of
procedures whic h can be performed on your vehi­
cle with ordinary tools, should th e need arise and
tra ined personnel be unava ilable. Before per­
forming any of these procedures, always thor­
ough ly read all of the app licab le text and carefu l­
ly follow the instructions g iven . A lways rigorously
observe the
WARNINGS prov ided .
Befo re yo u check anything in the engine com ­
partment, always read and heed all WARNINGS
c::> & and c::> & in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 220 .
282
A WARNING
-
-Ser ious personal in jury may occur as a result
of imp roperly performed maintenance, ad­
justments or repairs .
- Always be extreme ly careful when work ing
on the vehicle . Always follow commonly ac­
cepted safety practices and general com­ mon sense. Never r is k personal in jury.
- Do not attempt any of the mainte nance,
checks or repairs described on the following pages if you are no t fu lly fam iliar with these
or other proce dures with respect to the ve­
hicle, o r are uncert ain how to p ro ceed.
- Do not do any work wi thout the prope r tools
a nd equi pmen t. H ave the necess ary wo rk
done by your authorized Au di dealer or an ­
other properly equipped and qualified work­
shop.
- The engine compartment of any motor vehi ­
cle is a potentially hazardous area . Never
reach into the a rea around or touch the radi­
ator fan. It is temperature controlled and
can switch on suddenly - even when the en­
gine is off . The radiator fan switches o n au­
tomatically when the coolan t reaches a cer­
tain tempe ra ture an d w ill cont inue to run
until the coolant tem pe rature d rops.
- Always sw itch off the ignition before anyone
gets under the vehicle.
- Always support your vehicle with safety
stands if it is necessary to work underneath
the vehicle. The jack supp lied wi th the veh i­
cle is no t adequate fo r thi s pu rpose a nd
could collapse causing serious personal in­
Jury .
- If you must wor k unde rneath the vehicle
w ith the wheels on t he g roun d, always make
sure the vehicle is on level ground, that the
wheels are always sec urely blocked and that
the engine cannot be started.
- Always make sure the transmission se lector
lever (automatic t ransm iss ion) is in "P"
(Park position) and the pa rk brake is ap-
plied.
~