2016 AUDI A8 check engine

(!) 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

Check ing and F illing
oil du ring the break -in period than they consume
after oil consumption has stabilized .
Unde r no rmal condi tions, the rate of o il con­
sumpt ion depends on the quality and viscosity of
the oi l, the RPM (revolutions per minute) at
which the engine is operat ed, the ambient tem­
perature and road cond itions . Further factors are
the amount of oil dilut ion from water condensa­
tion or fuel residue and the oxidation level of the
oil. As any eng ine is subject to wear as m ileage
bu ilds up, the oil consumption may increase over
time until rep lacement of worn components may
become necessa ry .
W ith all these variables com ing into play, no
standard rate of oil consumpt ion ca n be estab­
lished or specified . There is no a lternative to reg­
ular and frequent checking of the oil leve l, see
Note .
If the ye llow eng ine oil level war ning symbol in
the instrument cluster
II lights up, you should
check t he oil leve l as soon as possib le
¢
page 224 o r ¢ page 225. Top off the o il at
your ea rliest convenience ¢
page 225.
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine com ­
partment, a lways read and heed a ll WARN­
INGS ¢.&
in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 220.
(D Note
Driving with an insufficient oil level is likely to
cause severe damage to the engine .
@ Tips
-The oil pres sure warning display. i s not
an indicator of the o il level. Do not rely on
i t. Instead , check the oil level in your en­
gine at regular intervals, preferably ea ch
time you refuel , and always befo re going
on a long trip.
- If you have the impression your engine con­
sumes excessive amounts of oil, we recom­
mend that you co nsul t yo ur Audi dealer to
have the cause of your concern p roperly di ­
agnosed . Keep in mind that the acc urat e
224
meas urement of oi l consumption re quires
great care and may take some t ime. Yo ur
Audi dea ler has instructions about how to
meas ure o il consumption acc urately.
Checking the engine oil level
App lies to: vehicles wi th oil level indicato r
Fig. 198 Disp lay : o il leve l ind icato r
.,. Par k your veh icle on a leve l su rface.
.,. Shut the eng ine off when it is warm .
.,. Switch o nly the ignition back on.
.,. Wait approximate ly two minutes.
.,. Select:
!CAR ! function button > Car systems
control button > Servicing & checks > Oil le vel.
.,. Check the oil level in the display c> fig . 198 . Add
eng ine oi l if the ba r of the oil leve l ind icator is
nea r "m in"
¢ page 225 .
Depend ing on the way the vehicle is driven and
the operating cond it ions, oil consumpt io n can be
u p to 1/2 qua rt pe r 600 miles (0 .S liter per
1,000 km). Consumpt ion may be h igher w it hi n
the first 3, 000 mi les (5,00 0 km).
(D Tips
The o il level indicato r in the MMI Display is
o nl y an information display. If t he oi l level is
l ow, a m inimum oil w arn ing appea rs in the in­
str ument clus ter. Ad d oil ¢
page 225. If the
hood has been opened, the curren t oil level is
shown in the instrument cluster the next t ime
the ignition is switched on .

Checking the engine oil level
Applies to: vehicl es wit h oil dipst ick
Fig . 199 O il dips tick: marking fields
Before you check anyth ing in the engine compart­
ment,
always read an heed all WARN INGS
r:::,;, page 220.
Determining the oil level
.. Park yo ur vehicle on a level sur face .
.. Let the engine run i n idle briefly while it is at
operating temperature and then shut th e en­
gine off .
.,. Wait approx ima tely two minu tes.
.,. Remove th e oil dipstick. Wipe off the o il dip ­
s tick with a clea n cloth an d inse rt it a ll the way
in again.
.. Remove the dips tic k again and the n read t he oil
l evel
<=,> fig . 199. Add engi ne oil if necessa ry
r:::,;, page 225 .
Oil level in the G) area
.,. Do no t ad d any oil.
Oil level in the@ area
.. You may add o il. A fter add ing o il, t he leve l
sho uld be in the
G) area.
Oil level in the@ area
.. You m ust add oil. After adding oil, the level
sho uld be in the
(v area.
D epending on the way the ve hicl e is driven and
the o perati ng cond itions, oi l cons umption can be
up to 1/2 quart per 600 miles (0 .5 liter pe r
1,000 km) . Consumption may be higher within
the first 3,000 miles (5,000 km). Beca use of t his,
the eng ine oil level must be checked regu larly. It
Checking and Filling
would be best to check eac h time you ref uel your
vehicle and before long dr ives .
Adding engine oil~
0 N
-N ~ 00 Cl)
Fig. 200 Engine compartm ent: cove r on th e e ngine oil fill­
e r n eck
Befo re you check anything in the engine compart­
me nt,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
r:::,;, .&. in Working in th e engine compartment on
pag e 220.
.. Shut the engine off.
.,. Unscrew the cap~ to the engine oil f illin g
hole
r:::,;, fig . 200, r:::,;, page 222 .
.,. Ca refully top off with 0.5 quarts (0.5 lite rs) of
t he approp ria te o il
r:::,;, page 223 .
.. Che ck th e oi l level aga in a fter two minu tes
r:::,;, page 22 4, Che cking the engine oil level or
r:::,;, page 22 5, Checking the engine oil level.
.. Top off the oi l again, if necessary .
.. Screw the cap back on the f illing ho le .
A WARNING
-- W hile topping off, the o il must not come in
contact w ith hot engine parts - f ire hazard !
- The oi l filler cap must be p roper ly secured
t o preve nt o il from being sprayed o n th e hot
en gine and exha ust system w hen the eng ine
is run ning - fi re hazard !
- If you r ski n has come in contac t with the en ­
g in e oil, you m ust s ubsequ ently cleanse it
t horo ug hl y.
(D Note
- Check t he oil level. If the m essage Please
reduce oil level
a ppears , contact yo ur au­
t ho rize d Au di deale r or othe r qualifi ed
225

Check ing and F illing
workshop to have excess oil ext racted if
necessary.
- Audi does not recommend the use of oil
addit ives. They may dam age the eng ine
and ad ve rs ely affe ct your New Vehicle
W arranty .
@ For the sake of the environment
-Under no circ umstances can the o il come in
contact with the sewage network or the soil.
- Observe and follow legal regu lations 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 check anyth ing in the eng ine compart­
ment,
a lway s read and heed all WARNINGS¢.&.
in Working in the engine comportment on
page 220.
The engine oil must be changed accord ing to the
i n tervals specified in your Wa rranty
& Mainte­
nance booklet . This is very important because the
lubricat ing properties of oi l diminish gradually
during normal vehicle use.
Under some circ umstances the engine oi l should
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 temperatu res remain below freezing
for extended periods .
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh oil
look dark after the engine has been running for a
short t ime. Th is is normal and is not a reason to
cha nge the oil more 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 changed by an authorized
Audi dealer or
a qualified se rvice station .
If you choose to change your o il yourself , please
note the following important information:
226
A WARNING
--
To reduce the risk of persona l injury if you
must change the eng ine oil in your vehicle
yourself:
- Wea r eye protect ion.
- To reduce the r is k of b urns from hot engine
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 he lp prevent hot oil from run ning down your
arm.
- Drain the oil into a container designed fo r
this purpose, one la rge enough to hold at
least the tota l amount of oil in you r engine.
- Engine oil is poisonous. Keep it well out of the reach of children .
- Continuous contact with used engine o il is
ha rmf ul to your skin . Always protect your
skin by washi ng oil off thoroughly with soap
a nd water.
(D Note
Never mix oil additives with you r engine oil.
These add itives can damage your e ngine and
adverse ly affect yo ur Audi Limi ted New Vehi­
cle War ranty.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Be fore chang ing your oi l, first make sure
you know where you can p roperly dispose of
t h e used oil.
- Always dispose of used e ngine o il properly .
Do not dump it on gard en so il, wooded
areas, into open streams or down sewage
drains.
- Recycle used e ngine o il by ta king it to a used
eng ine oil collect ion fac ility in yo ur area, or
c ont act 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 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.
~

Checking and Filling
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a quick
glance.
Fig. 202 Eng ine compartment: cove r o n th e brake flu id
r eservoi r
Before you check anything in the engine compart­
ment,
always re ad a nd hee d all W ARNING S
¢ A in Working in the engine compartment on
page 220.
., Read the brake fluid level from the brake fluid
reservoir
<=> fig . 202, ¢page 222. The brake flu ­
id level must be between the "MIN" and "MAX"
mark ings.
The location of the brake fluid reservoir can be seen in the engine compartment illustration
¢ page 222.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some time
due to the automatic adjustment of the brake
pads . This is not cause for alarm .
If the brake fluid level falls
considerably below
the ' 'MIN" mark, the brake warning/indicator
light
1111 (U.S. models)/ . (Canadian models)
will come on¢
page 14 . Do not continue to oper­
ate the vehicle . The complete brake system
should be thoroughly checked by an authorized
Aud i dealer or other q ualified facili ty and the
cause corrected.
If the brake f luid level is too
low, the brake warning/indicator light will i llumi ­
nate. Contact an authorized Audi dealer
immedi­
at ely.
230
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experienced
technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If the
water content in the brake fluid is too high, cor­ rosion in the brake system may result after ape­
riod of time . The boiling po int of the brake fluid
will a lso decrease considerably and decrease
braking performance.
Therefore , the brake fluid must be changed
eve ry
two y ears . Always use new brake fluid which con­
forms to Feder-al Motor Vehicle Standard "FMVSS 116 DO T 4".
The brake fluid reservoir can be difficult to reach ,
therefore, we recommend that you have the brake fluid changed by your author ized
Audi
d ea ler . Your dealer has the correct tools, the
right brake fluid and the know -how to do this for
you.
A WARNING
- Brake fluid is po isonous. It must be stored
only in the closed original container out of
the reach of children!
- Brake fai lure can result from o ld or inappro­
priate brake fluid . Observe these precau­
tions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE speci­ ficat ion
J 1703 and conforms to Federal
Motor Ve hicle Standard 116. Always check
with your authorized Audi dealer to make
sure you are using the correct brake f luid .
The correct type of brake f luid is also indi­
cated 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 seriously affect the efficiency of
the brakes as well as your safety. This
could result in an accident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your vehi-
cle .
lilJJ,

@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal of
brake fluid as we ll as the special toots re­
quired and the necessary expertise, we rec­
ommend that you have the brake fluid
changed by your authorized Audi dealer .
Battery
General information
Under normal operating conditions, the battery
in your Audi does not need any maint enance.
With
high outside temperatures or long daily
drives we recommend tha t you have the electro­
lyte level checked by a service facility. The elec­
trolyte level should also be checked each time
the battery is charged ¢
page 233.
Have the battery checked when you take your ve­
hicle in for serv ice. You are well advised to re­
place a battery that is older than 5 years .
With certain types of airbag deployment, the batte ry is disconnected from the vehicle electri­
cal system for safety reasons¢
& in Repair, care
and disposal of the airbags on page 159 .
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle functions (power window regu la­
tors, for example) are lost if the battery te rmi ­
nals are disconnected. These functions have to be
relearned after the battery terminals are con­
nected again. To prevent th is, the battery should
only be disconnected from the vehicle e lectr ica l
system when abso lutely necessary for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period of
several days or weeks, electrical components are
gradually cut back or sw itched off. This reduces
ene rgy consumption and ma inta ins starting ca­
pability over a longer period ¢
page 195. Some
of the convenience functions may not operate,
such as the interior lights or the power seat ad­
justment. The convenience funct ions will be
ava ilable again when you switch on the ignition
and start the engine.
Checking and Filling
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capacity tends
to decrease as temperatures drop . This is be­
cause more power is also consumed while start­
ing, and the headlights, rear window defogger,
etc., are used more often.
Avo id unnecessary power consumption, particu­
larly in city traffic or when traveling only short
distances . Let your authorized Audi dealer check
the capacity of the vehicle battery before winter
sets in ¢
page 233. A well charged battery will
not only prevent starting problems when the
weather is cold, but will also last longer .
(D Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for several
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the ve­
hicle battery should be removed and stored
where it w ill not freeze . This will prevent it
from be ing damaged and having to be re­
placed.
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
The battery is located in the luggage compart­
ment under the floor . Before you check anything
in the luggage compartment,
read and heed all
WARNINGS ¢
&-
Always heed the safety warnings, when working
on the vehicle battery or the veh icle electrical
system to prevent injury.
The following WARNINGS are very important
when working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYM·
BOLS and safety precautions when working on
the battery.
®
Always wear eye protection.
~
Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Al-
ways wear gloves and eye protection.
231