2016 AUDI A8 check engine

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
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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

fill up at busy gas st ations where the season al
adjustment is more likely to be made in time .
(D Note
-Me thanol f uels which do not mee t these re­
quirements may ca use corros ion and dam­
age to plastic and rubber components in the
fuel system .
- Do not use fuels that fai l to meet the speci­
fied criter ia in this chapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether or not a particular fuel blend meets the speci­
ficat ions, ask your service station or its fuel
supplier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents can­
not be identif ied.
- Fuel system damage and performance prob­
lems resulting from the use of fue ls differ­
ent from those specified are not the respon­
s ibility of Audi and are not covered under
the New Veh icle or the Emiss ion Control
System Wa rrant ies.
- If you experience a loss of fue l economy or
driveability and performance prob lems due
to the use of one of these fuel b lends, we
recommend that you switch to unblended
fuel.
Gasoline additives
Applies to: vehicles with gasol ine engine
A majo r concern among many au to manufactur ­
ers is carbon deposit build- up caused by the type
of gasoline yo u use.
A lthough gasoline grades d iffer from one manu­
f a cturer to ano ther, they have cer tain things in
common . A ll gasoline grades contain substances
that can cause deposits to collect on vita l engine
pa rts, such as fue l injectors and intake valves . Al ­
though most gaso line brands include additives to
keep engine and fuel systems clean, they are not
equally effective.
Aud i recommends using TOP TIER Detergent Gas­
oline. For more informat ion on TOP TIER Deter­
gent Gasoline, please go to the official website (www.toptiergas .com) .
Fuel and R efueling
After an extended period o f using inadeq uate
fuels, carbon deposit bui ld-ups can rob your en­
gine o f peak performance.
(D Note
Damage or ma lf u nction due to poo r fue l qual ­
ity is not covered by the A udi New Vehicle
Limited Warranty .
Diesel fuel
Applies to: vehicles with diesel engine
Always use ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel) No. 2 .
The ULSD No . 2 meets the ASTM 0975.
Diesel f uel w it h concen tratio ns of b iod iesel h igh­
er than 5 % such as Bl 1, B20 or BlOO are strict ly
prohibited .
Se rvice station fuel p umps are labe led with the
correct f uel i nfo rmat ion for e asy recog nition by
the user.
If the d iesel f ue l pump is no t labeled
ask the station operator what fuel is being dis­
pensed before fil ling up your vehicle .
UL SD No . 2 m ay not be available ou tside the USA
and Canada . Be su re to check befo re t raveling to
other countries .
UL SD No . 2 c an become thic ke r i n ve ry cold tem­
peratures, and this can imp air the engine's s tart ­
ing and running. Depend ing on the sea son, gas
stations provide ULSD No . 2 that flows better in
cold temperatures so that you can continue oper ­
at ing your vehicle as usual.
@ Note
- Your vehicle's diese l engine was designed
sole ly for use with ULSD No . 2 . Therefo re,
neve r use gasoline, heating oil, other fuels
or flow improvers. These contain substances
that will severely damage the fuel system
and the engine . Such damage will not be
cove red by your New Vehicle Limited War-
r a nty.
- If you put a ny amo unt of incorrect fuel in
the fuel tank, do not sta rt the eng ine under
any circumstances. Imme diately contact the
II>-
213

Fuel and Refueling
nearest authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility for assistance.
These fuels contain substances that can se­
verely damage the fuel system and the en­
gine if the engine is started.
Refueling
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
side panel behind the fuel filler flap.
If the power locking system should fail, you can
still open the flap manual ly -for detailed instruc­
tions see
c;> page 216.
You can find the fuel tank capac ity of your vehicle
In .
The label on the inside of the fuel filler flap tells
you the correct fuel for your vehicle. For more in­
formation about fue l specifications, see
c;> page 212.
Your vehicle fuel tank has an onboard refuelling
vapor recovery system. This feature helps to pre­
vent fuel vapors from escaping from the tank and
pollut ing the environment while you refuel your
veh icle. In order to fill the tank properly while
protecting the environment, please follow this
refueling procedure carefully.
_& WARNING
Under normal operating conditions, never car­
ry additional fuel containers in your car. Gas
canisters and other containers used to trans­
port fuel can be dangerous. Such containers,
full or empty, may leak and could cause a fire
in a collision. If you must transport fuel to
use for you r lawn mower, snow blower, etc.,
be very careful and always observe local and
state laws regarding the use, transportation
and storage of such fuel containers. Make cer­
tain the container meets industry standards
(ANSI/ASTM F852 -86).
(D Note
Never drive your vehicle until the fuel tank is
completely empty. The ir regular supply of
fuel can cause m isfiring. Gasoline could enter
214
the exhaust system and damage the catalytic
converter.
Refuelling
Fig. 188 Right rear vehicle side: Opening the fuel filler flap
Fig. 189 Fuel fille r flap with attached fuel cap
When activating the central locking, the fue l fill­
er flap is automatically unlocked or locked. Re­
fuel the vehicle with the ignition switched
off.
Taking the fuel cap off
.,. Press the left side of the fuel fil ler flap to open
it
c;>fig. 188- arrow- .
.,. Unscrew f uel filler cap counter-clockwise and
hang it on the fuel filler flap¢
fig. 189.
.,. Check the label on the inside of the fuel filler
flap to determine if the vehicle must be fueled
with gasoline or diesel fuel.
Refuelling procedure
.,. Insert the fuel nozz le from the gasoline pump
into the fue l filler neck as far as it will go.
.,. Select a medium refuelling rate so that the
nozzle switches off automatically when the
tank is full.

Please refill Ad B lue . Range 1500 mi (2400 km )
This message appears when there is only eno ugh
Ad Blue lef t to d rive the distance indicated in the
d river information system . Fill the AdBlue.
AdBlue ,0 Refill AdBlue! No re start in 600 mi
( 1000 km )! See owner 's manual
This message appea rs when there is only eno ugh
Ad Blue left to drive the distance indicated in the
driver info rmation system . Fill the Ad Blue . Ot he r­
wise the eng ine will not sta rt again if you s top it
once the d ist an ce in dicate d ha s been d riven. You
can also check t he remai ning dis tance in the on­
board com puter.
Refill Ad Blue! No restart! See own-
er's manual
This message appears whe n the AdBlue ta nk is
empty . Fill the AdB lue. Otherwise you will not be
ab le to s tart the engine aga in once yo u stop it.
The AdBlue must be refilled when t he amount in
the tank has reached the minimum level
q page 217, Filling Ad Blue.
Incorrect filling /system malfunction
A message appears if the AdB lue tank was filled
with a fluid other than AdBlue and the system
has detected that the tan k was fi lled incor rect ly,
or if there is a system malfunction .
Ad Blue -I' Ad Blue: System fault! No restart in
600 mi (1000 km ). See owner's manual.
This message appears when it is only poss ible to
drive the d istance ind icated in the dr iver informa­
tion system. Drive to t he nearest authorized Aud i
dealer o r authorized Aud i Serv ice Facility to have
the ma lfunction co rrected. Otherwise the engine
w ill not start agai n if you stop it once the d is­
tance ind icated has been driven .
AdBlue: System fault No restart!
See owner's manual
This message appears if the system has detected
that the tank was filled inco rrectly o r that there
i s a malfunction . Drive immediately to the near­
est authorized Aud i dea le r or authorized Aud i
Service Facility to have the malfunction correct-
Fuel and Refueling
ed. Ot herwise you wi ll not be able to star t the en ­
gine again once yo u stop it .
Filling AdBlue
Applies to : veh icles w ith selec tive catalytic re du ctio n (SCR)
Fig. 192 Right rear s ide of the ve hicle: re m ov ing t he A d Bl­
u e cap
The Ad Blue tank open ing is located near t he d ie­
sel tank opening. Add at least 1.5 gallons (5. 7L)
of Ad B lue . Thi s is the minim um amount requ ired
to ensure the system detects the refi lling and to
sta rt the eng ine. You can add a maxim um of 4
g allo ns ( 16L) .
Requireme nt: Th e reques t to add Ad Blue m ust
appear in the instrum ent clus te r disp lay .
.,. Switch t he ignit ion off.
.,. Open the tank door ¢ page 214 .
.,. Tu rn the cap on t he tank opening to the left to
remove ¢fig . 192.
.,. Fill t he A d Bl ue w ith the bottle ¢ page 218 or
t he ca n iste r ¢p age 218.
WARNING
A d Bl ue can irrita te the s kin, eyes an d re sp ira­
tory system. If there is contact with t he f lui d,
fl ush immed iate ly w ith plenty of water . Con­
sult a phys ician if necessary.
(D Note
- Only use Ad Blue th at con forms to t he
s tandar d ISO 2 22 41-1. Do not m ix any addi­
tives with the Ad Blue and do not dilute it
w ith wate r.
- Ad Blue must not be filled in the diese l ta nk
and diese l fue l must not be filled in the
217

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 .

-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 d isconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open
flames. Flu ids in the engine compartment
could start a fire.
- Keep an app roved fire ext inguisher imme­
d iate ly availab le.
- To avo id electr ical shock and personal injury
wh ile the eng ine 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 repa ir with
the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake, move
selector lever to "P" (Park).
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
cloth ing, jewelry, or long hair from get­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts or
other mov ing parts, or from contacting
hot parts. Tie back ha ir before starti ng,
and do not wear clothi ng that will hang or
d roop into t he engine.
- Min imize exposu re to emission and chem i­
cal hazards¢ .&.-
_& WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warn ing:
- E ngine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain or
em it chem ica ls known to the St ate of C ali­
f orn ia to cause cancer and bi rth de fects and
reproductive harm . In addition, certain flu­
ids contained in ve hicles and certain prod­
ucts of component wear contain or emit
Ch eck ing and Filling
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, term inals and related acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of Californ ia
to cause cancer and reproductive harms.
Was h hands afte r handling .
([) Note
When adding flu ids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper co nta iner or
fille r opening, otherwise serious damage to
vehicle systems w ill occur.
® For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the veh icle
floor pan from unde rneath regularly . If you
see spots from oil or other veh icle fluids, have
your vehicle inspected by an authorized Audi
dealer.
Closing the engine hood
.,.. Pull the hood down un til the press ure from the
struts is reduced.
.,.. Let the hood
drop down and latch in p lace . Do
not try to push it shut;
it may fail to engage
¢ _& .
_& WARNING
--A hood that is not completely latched co uld
fly up and block your view while driv ing.
- When you close the engine hood, check it to
make sure the safety catch has properly en­
gaged . The hood s hou ld be flush with the
sur rounding vehicle body parts.
- If you notice while driv ing that the hood is
not secured properly, stop at once and close
it.
-
221

Checking and Filling
Engine compartment
Engine compartment overview
These are the most important items that you can check.
Fig. 196 Typical layout for con tainers and engine oil filler cap
2ij.A.97 Layout of the reservo ir, engine oil filling opening and oil dipst ick for the W12 engine