2016 AUDI S8 checking oil

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

rl
-Inspection or oil change due: If your vehicle is
due for an inspection or o il change or both, a
message appears br iefly in the instrument clus­
ter display when sw itching the ignition on or
off :
Inspection due! or Oil change due! or Oil
change and inspection duel.
Checking service intervals
The remaining distance or time to the next oil
change or to the next inspection can be viewed in
the MMI. Select the
ICARI function button > Car
systems
control button > Servicing & checks >
Service intervals .
In new vehicles or after resetting the display , the
display can be viewed after approximately
310 miles (500 km) .
Resetting the service interval display
Your authorized Audi dealer will reset the corre­
sponding service schedule after performing the
appropriate service on your veh icle . You also have
the possibility to reset the oil change schedule
after having performed an oil change according
to Audi specificat ions. Select the
ICARI funct ion
button
> Car systems control button > Servicing
& checks > Service intervals > Reset oil change
interval.
@) Note
- Only reset the oil change display when you
have completed an oil change.
- If you disconnect the battery terminals, no
calculations can be made for the service in­
terval display during this time and no serv­
ice remi nder w ill appear. Remember that
observing the proper service interva ls is v i­
tally important to extending the life of your
vehicle, particularly the engine, and main­
taining its value. Even if the mi leage driven
is low, the max imum period of one year
from one service to the next must not be ex­
ceeded .
(!') Tips
-The information in the Serv ice Reminder re­
mains stored even when the vehicle battery
~ i s disconnected .
Instruments and indicator lights
Head-up Display
Applies to: vehicles with Head-up Display
Fig. 14 Exampl e: ind ic a to rs in the Head-up Display
Fig. 15 Instrume nt panel: knob fo r th e He ad- up D isplay
The Head-up Display projects certain warnings or
selected information from the assistance sys­
tems* or navigation* on the windshield . The dis­
play appears wit hi n the driver's field of vision.
Switching on/off
.,. Press the knob~ to switch the Head-up Dis-
play on/off
c:> fig. 15 .
Adjusting the height
The height of the display can be adjusted to the
individual driver.
.,. Make sure you are sea ted correctly
i::>page 130 .
.,. Turn the knob~ to adjust the display .
Settings in the MMI
.,. Select: !CAR ! function button > (Car)* systems
control button > Driver Assist > Head-up Dis­
play
> Head-up Display content or Display
brightness.
27

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

(!) 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

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.
~