2016 AUDI S4 coolant temperature

Instruments and indicator lights
Instruments and indicator Lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster and controls
The instrument cluster is your central source of information.
Fig. 3 Overview of the instr ume nt cluste r
(D Coolant temperature gauge .. .. .
@ Tachometer .... .. .. ..... .... .
@ Warning/indicator lights ...... .
@ ISETI button ....... ...... .... ·
® Display
- Driver information system .... .
- Time and date display ........ .
- Odometer .... ............ . .
® Reset button for trip odometer
® Fuel gauge ... ..... ..... ..... .
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11
13
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23
12
12
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-When switching the ignition on, the needles
in the instrument cluster swing upward
briefly.
- The illumination for the instrument cluster
lights up whenever you switch on the igni­
tion with the
vehicle headlights off. As the
daylight fades, the instrument cluster illu­
mination likewise dims automatically and
will go out completely when the outside
light is very low . This feature is meant to re­
mind you to switch on the headlights when
outside light conditions become poor.
10
Engine coolant temperature gauge
The engine coolant gauge¢ page 10, fig. 3@
only works when the ignition is on. To prevent
damage to your engine, please note the follow­ ing important points:
Engine cold
If the needle is at or close to the bottom of the
gauge, the engine has not yet reached its operat­
ing temperature. Avoid high engine speeds,
heavy engine loads, and heavy throttle applica­
tions .
Normal temperature
When the engine has reached its operating tem ­
perature, the needle will move to the middle of
the gauge and remain there. If the engine is
working hard at high outside temperatures, the
needle may move higher on the gauge . This is not
a cause for concern as long as the . warning
li ght i n the inst rument cluster display does not il­
luminate . If the . warning light in the instru­
ment cluster display flashes, this can mean one
of two things : either the coolant
temperature is
too high, or the coolant
level is too low
¢page 17 ..,.

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A WARNING
-Always observe the warning in ¢ page 203,
before opening t he 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
cou ld burn yourself. Let the engine cool off
firstsothatyoucannothearo rseeany
steam or engine coo lant.
0 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
atu res or high engine load, the engine could
overheat.
- The front spoiler has been designed to prop­
erly distribute the cooling air when the vehi­
cle is moving. If the spoiler is damaged, this
could reduce the cooling effect and the en­
gine could then overheat. Ask your author­
ized 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
sible eng ine RPM after the break-in period. Be­
fore reaching this area, move the selector lever
to position D/5 or ease your foot off the accelera­
tor pedal.
(D Note
The tachometer needle@¢ page 10, fig. 3
should only briefly be in the red zone: you
could damage your eng ine! The beginning of
the red zone varies depending on the engine.
@ For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early saves fuel and reduces en­
gine noise.
Instruments and indicator lights
~button
Fig. 4 SET button in the instrument cluster
The !SET I button performs the following func­
tions:
Switching on time, date, temperature
display and odometer
The display appears for approximately 30 sec­
onds when you press the
ISETI button¢ fig . 4
with the ignition off.
Starting the Auto-Check sequence
The Auto-Check system constantly monitors cer­
tain indiv idual functions and components of the
vehicle when the ignition is turned on and when
the vehicle is moving.
With the ignition turned on, you can start the
"Auto-Check sequence" by pressing the
! SETI but­
ton. You can perform an Auto-Check sequence
when the vehicle is stat ionary and the ignition is
turned on or when the vehicle is moving slower
than 3 mph (5 km/h).
In addition, the number of keys initialised for
your vehicle is displayed.
L2 3/3 means that
th ree keys have been initialised. This feature e na­
bles used car buye rs to make su re they have re­
ceived all of the keys.
If you are given only two keys, for instance, you
should take the veh icle and the existing keys to
an authorized Audi dealer to have the missing key
disabled. It is also important to notify your insur­
ance company about the loss.
Setting the speed warning
By pressing the ISETI button briefly, you can set
threshold 1 of the speed warning wh ile you are
driv ing
¢page 88. By ma intaining pressure on
11

9:::1: Engine oil pressure
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.
• Turn off engine! Oil pressure too low
If the indicator lig ht t urns on and the message
appears, the oi l pressu re is too low.
~ P ull off the road.
~ Stop t he vehicle .
~ Turnoff the engine.
~ Check the engine oil level¢ page 207 .
~ If the engine oil leve l is too low, add engine oi l
¢
page 207 . Make sure that t he oil pressure
warning symbol. appears no longe r in the
display before you s ta rt driving ag ain.
~ If the engi ne oil leve l is cor rect and t he i ndic a­
tor lig ht still tur ns on, turn t he eng ine
off and
do not continue driving . Seek p ro fessional as ­
s istance .
(D Tips
- The engine oil pressure symbol. is not
an indicator for a low engine oil level. Do
not rely on it. Instead, check the oil level in
your engine at regular intervals, preferably each time you refuel, and always before
going on a long trip.
- The yellow oil level warning indication
Ill
requires oil refill or workshop service with ­
out delay . Do not wait until the red oil
pressure warning. starts to flash before
you respond to the low oil level warning
Ill . 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 message ap pear,
a dd engine o il i mm edi ate ly
¢page 205.
;:; Ill Add oil, max XX XX l. You may cont. driv .
0
~ When the symbol II and driver message appea r, ,....,
~ add the amount of oi l appea ring in the display at
:;;: the next opportunity¢
page 205. ,....,
Instruments and ind icator lights
-L Eng ine cooling system
A malfunction in the engine cooling system must
be repaired as soon as possible .
• Turn off engine and check coolant level
If the indicator light turns on and the message
appea rs, the coo lant tempe rat ure is too high o r
t h e coo lant leve l is too low.
~ Pull off the ro ad.
~ Stop the vehicle.
~ Tur noff th e engine.
~ Check coolant leve l¢ page 209 .
~ Add coolant if necessary¢ page 210.
~ Continue dr iv ing only afte r the e ngine coolant
warni ng/ indicator light goes out .
~ Contact your authorized Audi dealer for assis-
t ance if necessa ry.
If the engi ne coo lant level is correct , then t he ra ­
dia to r f an may be the cause of t he mal func tion.
• Coolant temperature! Let engine run with
vehicle stationary
If the indicator lig ht tur ns on and the messa ge
appea rs, let the engine run a t idle for a few mi ­
nutes to c ool down.
A WARNING
-- If yo ur vehicle should break down for me ­
cha nica l o r ot her reasons, park at a safe dis­
t ance from mov ing t raff ic, t urn off t he e n­
g in e a nd turn on the haz ard warning lights
¢ p age S O, Em ergency fla she rs.
- N ever open t he hood if you see o r hear
s te am or coo lant esca p in g fr om th e engine
co mpartm ent - you ris k being scald ed . W ait
un til yo u can no longe r see or hear steam or
coo lant escapin g.
- T he engine co mpart ment of an y vehicl e is a
d anger ous are a. B efore y ou perfo rm any
wo rk in the eng ine com partment, t urn of
the eng ine a nd a llow it to cool. Follow t he
warn ing stickers
¢page 203.
(D Note
Do not con tinue dr iv in g if the . symbol i llu-
minates. The re is a malf u nction in the engine
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Tire pressure
When tow ing a tra ile r, infl ate the tires of yo ur
ve hicl e to the co ld tire press ure listed under "Fu ll
l oad" on the label located on the driver's side B­
pi llar (visib le when th e door is open). Inflate
tra ile r tir es to t railer and tire manufacture rs'
specifications.
Light s
The headlight settings should be checked wi th
the trai ler attached before driv ing
off . Check to
make sure both veh icle and trai ler lights are
wo rking prope rly .
Safety chains
Be s ure trai ler s afety chains are p ro p erly conne ct­
ed from the trailer to the hitc h on the vehicle .
L eave enough slack in the chains to permit turn­
ing corners . When you install safety cha ins, make
sure they w ill not drag on the road when yo u are
driving.
The chains s hou ld cross under the t railer tongue
to p revent it from dropp ing in case of separat ion
from t he hitc h.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra core
and consideration.
To ob tain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the fo llowing :
.,. Do no t tow a lo ad ed t railer w hen yo ur car i tse lf
i s not lo ad ed.
.,. Be especia lly caref ul when passing ot he r
vehicles .
.,. Observe speed limits.
.,. Do not d rive at the maximum permissible
speed .
.,. Always apply brakes early .
.,. Moni to r th e temperature gauge .
Weight distribution
T owing a loaded trailer w ith an empty car res ults
in a high ly unstable distribution of weight . If this
cannot be avo ided, drive at very low speeds o nly
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
Trailer mode
A "ba lanced" rig is easier to opera te and co ntrol.
This means that the tow vehicle sho uld be loaded
to the extent possib le and permissib le, w hile
keeping the trailer as light as possible under the
cir cumstances . Wheneve r poss ib le, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow ve hicle while observing tongue load require­
ments and vehicle loa ding consi de rations .
Speed
The higher the speed, the mo re diff icult it be­
comes for the driver to control the r ig. Do not
drive at t he max imum permissib le speed. Reduce
you r sp eed even more if load, weathe r or wind
cond it ions are u nfavo rab le -pa rticularly when
go ing down hill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trailer
shows the slightes t sign of sway ing .
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating .
Observe speed limits . In some a reas, speeds fo r
vehicles towing trailers are lower tha n for regular
vehicles .
Always apply bra kes early . When d riving down­
hill, shift into a lower gear to use the e ngine
braki ng effect to slow the vehicle . Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overhea t and fa il.
Coolant temperature
The coo lant tempe rature gauge c:> page 10 m ust
be obse rved caref ully. If the needle moves close
to the upper end of the scale, reduce speed im­
me diate ly and/or t urn
off th e a ir cond it io ne r .
If the coolant temperat ure warning light . in
t h e instr ument cluster starts flashing, pull
off
the road, stop and let the engine idle for about
two m inu tes to pre vent heat build -u p .
A WARNING ,.__ -
A nyone not prope rly restr ained in a moving
ve hicl e is at a m uch grea te r risk in an a cci ­
d ent. Never le t anyon e ride in your car w ho is
n o t pr ope rly we arin g th e res tra ints p ro vid ed
by Au di .
191

Checking and Filling
-To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam or
coolant 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 spill 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 still 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 disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open
flames. Fluids in the engine compartment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher imme­
diately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal injury
while the engine 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 repair with
the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake, move
selector lever of automatic transmission
204
to "P" (Park); put manual transmission in
Neutral.
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts or
other moving parts, or from contacting hot parts . Tie back hair before starting,
and do not wear clothing that will hang or
droop into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and chemi­
cal hazards
c::> /.1. .
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents, and certain vehicle components contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of Cali­
fornia to cause cancer and birth defects and
reproductive harm . In addition, certain flu­
ids contained in vehicles and certain prod­
ucts of component wear contain or emit
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms .
Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container or
filler opening, otherwise serious damage to
vehicle systems will occur.
@ For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly . If you
see spots from oil or other vehicle fluids, have
your vehicle inspected by an authorized Audi
dealer.

Check ing and F illing
@ For the sake of the environment
- Under no circumstances can the oil come in
contact with the sewage network or the soil.
- Observe and fo llow legal regulations 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 che ck anything in the eng ine compart ­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS ¢ A
in Working in the engine comportment on
page 203.
The engine oil must be changed according to the i n tervals specified in your Warranty
& Mainte­
nance booklet . This is very important because the
lubricat ing propert ies of oil diminish gradually
during normal vehicle use.
Under some circ umstances the eng ine oi l sho uld
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 temperatures remain below freezing
for extended periods .
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh oil
look dark after t he engine has been run ning for a
short t ime . T his is normal and is not a reason to
cha nge the oil mo re 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 c hanged by an aut ho rized
Audi dealer o r
a qualif ied se rvice station .
If you choose to change your o il yourself , please
note the following important informat ion:
A WARNING
To re duce the risk of pe rsonal injury if you
must c hange t he engine oil in your ve hicle
yo urs elf:
- W ear eye protection .
208
-
-To reduce the r is k of burns from hot engine
oil, let the engine cool down to the touch .
- W hen removing the oil drain plug with your
fingers, stay as far away as possible. Always
keep your forearm pa rallel to the ground to
he lp prevent hot oil from run ning down your
arm .
- Drain t he oil into a container designed for
this purpose, one large enough to hold at
leas t the tota l amou nt of oil in you r engine.
- Engi ne oil is poisonous . Keep it well out of
the reach of childre n.
- Continuous contact wit h used engine o il is
ha rmf ul to your skin. Always protect your
skin by washi ng oil
off thoroughly with soap
and wate r.
(D Note
Neve r mix oil additives with yo ur engine oil.
These additives can damage your e ngine and
adverse ly affect your A udi L imi ted New Vehi ­
cle Warranty .
@ For the sake of the environment
-Be fore chang ing you r oi l, first make sure
you know where you can properly dispose o f
t h e used oil.
- Always dispose of used e ngine o il pro perly .
Do not d ump it on garden so il, wooded
areas, into op en streams o r down sewage
drains.
- Recycle used e ngine o il by tak ing it to a used
eng ine oil collect io n fa cil ity in you r area, o r
c o nta ct 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 free zing in the winter.
The coolin g system is sealed and generally re­
quires little attention .
The coo lin g sys tem h as been filled a t the fac to ry
wi th a pe rmanent coolan t which does not need to
be changed. The coo lant consists of a mixture of .,.

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er's g lycol-bas edcoo lant additive Gl3 antifreeze
with anticorrosion additives (50% for USA mod­
e ls; 60% for Canadian models). This m ixture
both assures the necessary frost protection and
protects metal components in the engine's cool­
ing system from corrosion and scaling.
It also
raises the boiling point of the coolant .
Do not reduce the concentration of the coolant in
the summer by adding p lain water .
The propor­
tion of coolant addit ive must be at l eas t 50° /4
but not more th an 60 %
to maintain antifreeze
p rotection and cooling effic iency. If the coolant
frost protec tion is too low, the coolant co uld
freeze and damage the vehicle heating and en­
gine cooling system.
F or yea r-round driving, antifreeze is added at the
factory for temperatures down to :
- -31 °F (- 35 °C) USA
- -40 °F ( - 40 °C) Canada.
If you must add coolant, use a mixture of water
and coolant addit ive. Mixing the coolant additive
with d istilled water is recommended.
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment, always read and heed all WARN ­
INGS
Q &. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 203.
(D Note
- Before winter sets in, have the coolant
checked to see if the coolant additive in your
vehicle is sufficient to meet the climate con­
dit ions. This is especially important if you
li ve in a reg ion where the w inte r is ext reme­
l y co ld. If ne cessary, in cre ase the proport io n
of coo lant add itive to 60%.
- When addi ng coolant addit ive to you r cool­
i ng system, remember:
- We recommend using only coolant addi­
tive Gl2 ++ or Gl3 for your ve hicle. T his
coolant additive is available at authorized
Audi dea lers. Othe r types of antifreeze can
significant ly reduce cor ros ion p rotection .
Ch eck ing and Filling
The resulting co rrosion can cause a loss of
coolant and serious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiator lea k 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 Warranty.
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a
quick glance.
F ig. 184 En gin e co mpa rt men t: Cover o n the coo la nt ex ­
pans ion t ank
.. Before you check anything in the eng ine com ­
partment,
al ways read and heed all WARN ­
INGS
q ..&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 203 .
.. Park your ve hicle on a leve l sur face .
.. Tu rn off the ignit io n .
.. Read the eng ine coolan t level from the coo lant
expansion tank
q fig . 184, Q page 205,
fig. 181 .
With a cold engine, the coolant level
should be between the " MIN" and "MAX" mark­
ings. When the engine is warm, the level may
be slightly above the "MAX" marking.
The location of the coo lant expansion tank can be
seen in the engine compartment illustration
q page 205.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must
be switched off.
T he expansion ta nk in your veh icle is eq uipped
with an electric coo lant level senso r.
When the coolant leve l is too low , the warning
light i n the Auto-Check System
Q page 17 will
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-To avoid being burned, do not spill anti­
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system or hot engine parts. Under certain condi­
tions, the ethylene glycol in engine cool­ ant can catch fire.
- Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store anti­
freeze in its original container and well out
of the reach of children.
- If you drain the coolant, it must be caught
and safely stored in a proper container
clearly marked "poison".
(D Note
-Do not add coolant if the expansion tank is
empty . Air could enter the cooling system
and damage the engine. If this is the case,
do not continue driving. Seek professional
assistance.
- Coolant pollutes the environment and could
cause an engine fire. Excess coolant will be
forced out through the pressure relief valve
in the cap when the engine becomes hot.
- If, in an emergency, only water can be add­
ed, the correct ratio between water and an­
tifreeze
c::> page 208 must be restored as
soon as possible.
@) For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant should not be reused. Always
dispose of used coolant while observing all
environmental regulations.
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by it­
self.
The radiator fan is driven by the engine via the V­
belt . The viscous clutch regulates the speed of
the fan according to the temperature of the cool­
ant.
An auxiliary electric radiator fan* switches on and
off depending on coolant temperature and other
vehicle operating conditions.
After you switch the engine off, the auxiliary fan
can continue running for up to 10 minutes -even
Checking and Filling
with the ignition off. It can even switch on again
later by itself
c::> & , 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 because the
vehicle is parked in intense sunlight.
A WARNING
-To reduce the risk of personal injury never
touch the radiator fan.
- The auxiliary electric fan is temperature
controlled and can switch on suddenly even
when the engine is not running.
- The auxiliary radiator fan switches on auto­
matically when the engine coolant reaches a
certain temperature and will continue to run
until the coolant temperature drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The broke fluid level con be checked with o quick
glance .
Fig. 185 En gi ne compartmen t: Cover on the b rake fl uid
reservoir
Before you check anything in the engine compart ­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
c::> _.& in Working in the engine comportment on
page 203.
.,. Read the brake fluid level from the brake fluid
reservoir
c::> fig. 185, c::> page 205, fig . 181 . The
brake fluid level must be between the "MIN"
and "MAX" markings.
211