2016 AUDI A8 oil level

Normal temperature
The engine has reached its operating tempera­
ture once the LEDs up to the center of the gauge
turn on under norma l driving conditions . The
LEDs higher up may turn on when the engine is
under heavy load or the exterior temperature is
high. This is no need to worry as long as the.
warn ing light in the instrument cluster does not
illuminate . If the LEDs in the upper area of the
d isplay and the ind icator light . in the instru­
ment cluster display tu rn on , the coolant temper­
ature is too high
¢page 15.
_& WARNING
-Always observe the warning in ¢ page 220,
Working in the engine compartment,
before
opening the hood and checking the engine
coolant level.
- Never open the engine hood if you see or
hear steam, or if you see engine coolant
dr ipping from the engine compartment. You
could burn yourself. Let the engine cool off
first so that you cannot hear or see any
steam or engine coolant.
(D Note
-Mounting additional lights or accessories in
front of the air inlets reduces the cooling ef­
fect of the radiator. At h igh outside temper­
atures or high engine load, the engine could
overheat .
- The front spoiler has been designed to prop­
erly distribute the cooling air when the veh i­
cle is moving.
If the spo iler is damaged, this
could reduce the cooling effect and the en­
gine could then overheat. Ask your author­
iz ed Audi dealer for assistance.
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicates the engine RPM (revo­
lutions per minutes).
If engine RPM drops below 1,500, you should
downshift to the next lower gear. The red area at
the end of the scale indicates maximum permis­
sib le eng ine RPM after the break-in period. Be­
fore reaching this area, move the selector lever
Instruments and indicator lights
to position "D (Drive)" or ease your foot off the
acce lerator pedal.
(D Note
The tachome ter needle should only briefly be
in the red zone: you could damage your en­
gine! The beginning of the red zone varies de­
pending on the engine .
@ For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early saves fuel and reduces en­
gine noise.
Fuel gauge
The fue l gauge only works when the ignition is
on. If the fuel level drops below 4 gallons (15 lit­
ers), the bottom LED turns red and the indicator
l ight tllturns on
¢page 21. The bottom LED
blinks red when the fue l level is very low .
The possible range based on the current fue l lev­
el is shown in tab@¢
page 23, fig. 4.
(D Note
Never run the tank completely dry. An irregu­
l ar supply of fuel can cause engine misfiring
and fuel could enter the exhaust system. The
catalytic converter could then overheat and
be damaged.
Indicator Lights
Description
The indicator lights in the instrument cluster
blink or turn on. They indicate functions or mal­
funct ions¢ ,&..
Messages may appear with some indicator lights.
A warning signal will sound at the same time.
The ind icator lights and messages in the center
of the displays may be replaced by other displays.
To show them again, select the tab for indicator lights and messages using the multifunction
steering wheel¢
page 23. If there are several
malfunctions, you can display them one at a time
u sin g the thumbwheel.
IJi,-
11

Instruments and indicator lights
If the indicator light t urns on and the message
app ears, th ere is a malfunction in the gene rator
or veh icle electrical system .
Drive to yo ur autho rized Aud i dea le r o r q ual ified
workshop immediately . Because the vehicle bat ­
tery is discharging, turn off a ll unnecessary e lec­
tr ica l equipment s uch as the radio. Seek profes ­
sional ass istance if the battery charge level is too
low.
(•) Low b attery charge: b attery w ill be charged
while dri ving
If th e ind icator lig ht tu rns on and the message
appears, there may be lim ited starting ab ility .
I f th is message turns off afte r a litt le while, the
b a ttery charged enough wh ile d riving.
If the message does not turn off, have your a u­
thor ized Audi dealer or qualified wo rkshop cor­
re ct the malfunction .
~ Engine
• Engin e stopp ed: No power steering and
brake support .
There is a malfunction in the eng ine or in the fue l
supp ly system .
A large amount of steering and braking force is required when driving a rolling vehicle with the
e ng ine stopped . Try to stop a rolling vehicle ca re­
fu lly on the side of the road. See your autho riz ed
Aud i deale r or qualified repair facility.
A WARNING
-
If the eng ine stops while dr iving, a la rge
amount of braking force is req uired . This in­
creases the risk of an accident. As long as the
vehicle rolls with the ignition switched on and there is enough battery charge, the powe r
steering will still work . If not, a la rge amount
o f stee ring force is requ ired .
16
~ Safety belts
This warning/indicator light reminds you to put
on your safety belt.
The . warn ing/ indicator light illumin ates when
the igni tion is swi tched on to remind th e driver
and any front passenger to put on the safety belt .
Additionally, a n acoust ic wa rning (go ng) w ill also
sou nd.
For more Information
c::> page 138, ~ Safe ty belt
warning light .
"1::::1': Engine oil pressure malfunction
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol re­
quires immediate service or repair . Driving with a
low-oil-pressure indication is likely to inflict se­
vere damage to the engine.
• Switch o ff engine and check oil le vel
If the indicator light turns on and the message
appears, the oil pressure is too low .
.. Pull off the road .
.. Stop the vehicle.
.. Turn off the engine .
.. Che ck the engine oil le vel c::> page 224.
.. If the eng ine o il level is too low, add engine oil
c::> page 22 5 . Make sure tha t t he o il pressure
warning symbol. appears no longer in the
display before you sta rt d riving again .
.. If the eng ine o il level is co rrect and the indica­
to r li ght still turns on, tu rn t he e ngine off and
do not cont inue d riv ing. Seek professiona l as­
sistance.
(D Tips
- The engine oil pres sure symbol. is not
an indicator for a low engine oil level. Do
not rel y on it . In stead , check the oil level in
your engine at regular inte rvals , preferably
each time you refuel , and always before
go ing on a long trip .
- The yellow oil level warning indication
II
require s oil refill o r workshop servi ce with­
out delay. Do not wait until the red o il
pre ssure wa rning. starts to flash before
you respond to the low oil le vel warning .,.

a. By then, your engine may already have
suffered serious damage.
~ .. Engine oil level
• WARNING : Please add oil immediately
If the indicator lig ht and the drive r message ap ­
pear, add engine oil immediately
¢ page 223 .
II Add oil , max . x qt (l) . You may continue
driving
W hen t he symbol and the dr ive r message appear,
add the amount of o il appea ring in the display at
the next op portun ity
¢ page 223.
@ -Steering column lock
• Do not drive vehicle : Steering defective
If the indicator light turns on and t he message
a ppear s, there is an ele ctron ic steer ing column
l o ck ma lf u nct io n. You c annot sw itch t he ignit ion
on.
D o
not tow your vehicle beca use it ca nnot be
s teered . See k profess io na l assistan ce.
!II Steering lock: system fault . Please contact
dealer
I f the indicator lig ht t urns on and the message
appears, there is an electron ic steer ing column
l ock malfunct ion.
Drive to yo ur autho rize d Aud i dea le r immediately
to have the malfunct ion corrected.
A WARNING
Your vehicle must not be towed in the eve nt
o f a malfunction i n the elect ronic steering
co lu m n lock because it canno t be s teered d ue
t o the lock ed steering. If it is towed wi th the
steer ing loc ked, the re is the r is k of a n ac ci­
de nt.
© -Engine start system
• Engine start system fault . Plea se contact
dealer
Instruments and ind icator lights
If the indicator ligh t turns on and the message
appea rs, do
not sw itch the ignition off beca use
yo u may not be able to switch it on again.
Dr ive to your au thor ized A udi dea ler imme diately
to have the mal func tion cor rected .
11:J Engine start system fault . Please contact
dealer
If the indicato r ligh t turns on and the message
appea rs , the re is a ma lf u nction in t he e ngine
sta rt sys te m .
D rive to your author ized A udi dealer immediate ly
to have the mal func tion cor rec ted .
0 Air suspension
• Air suspension : system fault. Can continue
slowly with max. 35 mph .
There is a ma lf u nct ion that can res ult in restrict ­
ed dr iving stab ility .
Carefu lly drive at a ma ximum speed of 35 mph
(60 km/h) to your a uthori zed Audi dea ler or
qualifi ed works hop to have t he malfunct io n cor ­
r ec ted .
• Air suspension: service mode. Vehicle can
only be moved with restrictions
Caref ully drive to yo ur aut horize d Aud i dea le r or
qualified wo rks hop immediately to have the serv ­
ice mode deact ivated.
II Air suspension fault
T he re is a syste m malfu nction t hat can resul t in
re strict ed dr iv ing st abilit y or re duced g ro und
cl ear ance.
D rive to your author ized A udi deal er imm ediate ly
t o have the m alfunc tion cor rec ted .
II Air suspension: vehicle too low. Ground
clearance reduced
The gro und clearance is ve ry low due to a system
malfunction . Wait u nti l th e a ir s uspension sys­
tem has resto red normal ground clea rance . Oth ­
erwise , cond itions s uch as an uneven road surface
ca n le ad to ve hicle damage.
17

.... N
0 J:
'SI: .... .... authorized Audi dealer immediately to have the
malfunction corrected.
~ .... Engine oil sensor
• Oil level! Sensor defective
If the symbol illuminates, contact your author­
ized Audi dealer and have the oil sensor inspect­
ed . Until you have this done, check the oil level
each time you refuel just to be on the safe s ide
¢page 224.
f Request to warm engine by driving
0 Please warm up engine
Fuel has entered the engine oil because of low
outside temperatures or frequent short drives. Drive until the engine is warm so that the fuel in
the engine oil will vaporize. Avoid high engine
speeds, full acceleration and heavy engine load
when doing this.
.Bil Fuel level indicator
ID] Please refuel
If the indicator light turns on for the first time
and the message appears, there are about 4 gal­
l ons (15 liters) of fuel left in the tank. Time to re­
fuel
¢ page 214 .
ID] Tank system malfunction! Contact dealer
If the indicator light turns on and this message
appears, there is a malfunction in the tank sys­
tem .
Drive to your authorized Audi dea ler immediately
to have the malfunction corrected.
~ Windsh ield washer fluid level
~ Please refill washer fluid
If the symbol illuminates, add windshield washer
f luid to the washer system/headlight washer sys­
tem*
¢ page 234 .
<$• Windshield wipers
m Windshield wiper defective
Instruments and indicator lights
T he re is a malfunct ion with the windshield wip­
ers .
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immed iate ly
to have the malfunction corrected .
i§il}0/0$ Defective light bulb warning
1:1-If the indicator light turns on, a bu lb has
failed. The message indicates the location of the
bulb.
fm-if a fog lamp* has failed, the indicator light
turns on to indicate the location on the vehicle.
II-if a rea r fog lamp has failed, the indicator
light turns on to indicate the location on the vehi­
cle.
Vehicle lights: malfunction
If the message appears, there is a malfunction in
the headlights or light switch .
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immediate ly
to have the malfunction corrected .
A WARNING
-Light bulbs are pressurized and could ex­
plode wh ile they are be ing changed causing
serious personal injury.
- Work w ith due care when handling the high­
voltage section of gas d ischarge (xenon)
lights . Failure to do so could result in death
. . . or serious inJury.
(D Tips
Have the bulb replaced or the connection re­
paired by your author ized Audi Service depart­
ment.
~{D Headlight range control
II Headlight range control: defective!
If the symbol illuminates, the headlight range
control is no longer working properly . Have the
system checked and repaired at your Audi dealer.
21

Driving and th e en vironm ent
pollutants in the exha ust gas before they are re ­
leased into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fue l is critica lly im­
portant for the l ife of the catalytic converter and
proper functioning of the engine.
A WARNING
T he temperature of the exha ust system is
high, both when driving and after stopping
the engine.
-
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once they
have become hot. This could result in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in areas
where the hot exha ust system may come in
contact with dry grass, brush, fue l spill or
other mater ial which can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or rustproofing on or near the exhaust mani­
fold, exhaust p ipes, catalytic converter or
heat sh ields. During dr iv ing, the substance
used fo r undercoating could overheat and
ca use a fire.
(D Note
- Be aware that just one tank filling with
le aded fuel will already ser iously degrade
the performance of the catalytic co nverter .
- Do not exceed the correct eng ine oil level
<=;> page 225.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
complete ly empty. The engine could mis­
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into the
exhaust system and this cou ld cause the
cataly tic converte r to overheat.
- Do not sw itch off the ignition while the veh i­
cle is moving.
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle un­
der these cond it ions, as otherwise fue l can
r each the catalyti c converte r. This cou ld re­
su lt in overheating of the conve rter, req uir­
i ng its replacement.
- T o assure efficient oper ation of the Emis­
s ion Control Sys tem:
- Have your veh icle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommen­
dations in your Warranty
& Maintenance
book let .
198
-Lack of proper ma intenance as well as im ­
proper use of the vehicle wi ll impair the
funct ion o f the emission control system
and could lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emiss ion Control System is op ­
erating properly, the exhaust gas can have a
su lfu r-li ke exhaust gas sme ll under some op­
erating states. Th is depends on the sulfur
content of the fuel being used. Us ing a d iffer­
ent brand of fuel may help, or fi lling the tank
with lead-free super g rade gasoline.
Diesel particulate filter
App lies to: vehicles with diese l engine
The diesel particulate filter filters nearly all of
the soot part icles out of the exhaus t. The filte r
clea ns itself automat ica lly unde r no rma l dr iv ing
cond it ions. If the fil ter canno t clean i tself (fo r ex­
amp le, because yo u are on ly driving short distan­
ces), the filter becomes clogged with soot and
the
II symbol for the diese l particu late filter il­
l uminates
¢ page 20.
A WARNING
- Do not park your vehicle over flammable
materials such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel particu­
la te filte r could sta rt a fi re.
-
- Do not apply an underbody protectant in the
exhaust system area or a fire could start.
Shutting down vehicle
If you would like your vehicle to remain inopera­
tive for a longer period of time, contact an Audi
or other spec ia lized dealer . They can adv ise you
o n necessary p recautions e .g. corros ion preven­
tion, ma intenance and storage . Pay attention to
additional informat ion concer ning t he battery.
Refer to
<::;> page 2 31.

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

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