2017 AUDI A8 coolant level

C) C0 ....
"' ,....
"' .... 0 0 :r Cockpit overview
Instrument cluster
Instrument cluster overview
The instrument cluster is the central information center for the driver.
Fig. 3 In strume nt cl us ter overview
CD Eng ine coolan t temperature gauge
@ Tachometer . .. .. . .... ... .. .. .
®
© Turn signals
D isp lay w ith
- Driver information system .... .
- In dicator lights ..... ... .. .. .
® Speedometer
@ Fuel level .. ... ... .... ..... .. .
0 Trip odometer reset b utton .... .
(D Tips
9
10
44
12
17
10
10
The instrument illumination for the need les
and dia ls t urns on when the ignition is turned
on and the lights are turned off. The illumina ­
tion for the ga uges reduces automat ica lly and
eventua lly turns off as brightness outside in­
creases. This function reminds the drive r to
t ur n t he low beams on at the appropriate
time.
Coolant temperature indicator
The coola nt tempe rature disp lay CD c> page 9,
fig. 3 only func tions when the ignit ion is switch­
ed o n. To preven t engine damage , please obse rve
t h e following notes abo ut the temperatu re rang­
es.
Cold range
If only the LEDs at the bottom of the gauge t urn
o n, the eng ine has not reached operat ing tem­
perature yet . Avoid high eng ine speeds, f ull ac­
c e le ra ting and heavy e ng ine loads.
Normal range
The eng ine has reached its operating tempera­
ture o nce the LEDs up to the center of the gauge
tu rn o n. If the . indica to r li ght i n the display
tu rns on, the coolant temperat ure is too h igh
¢ page 20.
9

Cockpit overv iew
CD Note
-Auxiliary headlights and other accessories in
front of the cooling-a ir intake impair the
cooling effect of the coolant. This increases
the r isk of the engine overheat ing during
high outside temperatures and heavy en-
gine load.
- The front spoiler also he lps to distr ibute
cooling air correctly wh ile driving. If the
spoiler is damaged, the cooling effect will
be impaired and the risk of the engine over­
hea ting will inc re ase. See an a uthorized
A udi dealer or au thori zed A udi Service Fa­
cility for assistance .
Tachometer
The tachometer display s the engine speed in rev­
olutions per minute
(RPM).
You shou ld shift to the nex t lowest gea r whe n
the speed is below 1,500 R PM. The beginn ing of
the red zone in the t achometer indic ates the
maxim um permissible eng ine speed fo r all gears
once the engine has been broken in an d when it is
warmed up to operating temperature . Before
reaching this zone, you should shift into the next
h ighest gear, select the D selector lever pos ition,
or remove your foot from the accelerator pedal.
CD Note
The needle in the tachometer @ <=:> page 9,
fig. 3 may only be in the red area of the gauge
for a short t ime or the re is a risk of engine
damage. The locat ion where the red zone be­
gi ns varies depending on the engine.
@ For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early helps you to save fuel a nd re­
duce operating noise.
Fuel level
The display ® only works when the ignition is
sw itched on. If the fuel level d rops below 4 gal
(15
L), a red L ED will light up and the ll) ind ica­
tor light will tur n on
<=:> page 24 . The red LED
will blink when the fuel level is very low.
10
The fuel tank capacity of your ve hicl e is listed in
the
Techn ical Data section <=:> page 334 .
CD Note
Never dr ive until t he ta nk is comp letely emp­
ty. The irreg ular su pp ly of fuel t hat res ults
from that can cause engine m isfires . Uncom­
b uste d fue l w ill then enter the exhaust sys ­
tem. This ca n cause overheating and damage
to the catalyt ic converter.
Odometer
Fi g. 4 Instru ment cluster: odometer a nd reset button
Upper odomet er
The trip odometer shows the distance driven
since it was last reset. It can be used to measure
short distances.
The trip odometer can be reset to zero by press ­
ing the ~ reset button.
Lower odometer
The lower odomete r shows the tota l distance
that the vehicle has d riven.
Malfunction indicator
If there is a malfunction in the instr ument clus­
te r,
DEF will appear in the trip odometer display.
Have the malfu nction corrected as soon as possi­
ble.

Cockpit over view
- If the brake system indicator light does not
turn off or it t urns on while driv ing, the
brake fluid level in the reservoir is too low,
and this increases the risk of an acc ident .
Stop the vehicle a nd do not continue dr iv­
ing . See an author ized Audi dealer or au­
t h o rized Aud i Serv ice Facility fo r ass istance.
- If the brake system indicator light turns on
togethe r with the ABS and ESC ind icator
l igh ts, the ABS/ ESC regula ting func tion may
be malfunctioning. Fu nctions that stabilize
the vehicle are no longer ava ilable . This
could cause the vehicle to swerve, whic h in­
creases the risk that the ve hicle wi ll slide.
Do not continue driving. See an author ized
Audi dealer or author ized Audi Service Facili­
ty for assistance.
PARK/( ®) Electromechanical parking brake
If the -(USA models) /. (Canada models)
i n dicator light t urns on, the park ing brake was
set .
- (USA models) /. (Canada models) Cau·
tion : Vehicle parked too st eep
If the indicator light blinks and the message ap­
pears, the re is not enough brak ing power to se­
cure the vehicle . The b rakes have overhea ted. The
ve hicle could roll away eve n on a small incline.
- (USA models) /. (Canada models) P ress
brake pedal to release parking b rake
To re lease the parking brake, press the brake
pedal and press the~ button at the same time
or start driv ing with hill start ass ist
¢ page 82 .
Ill Parking brake!
There is a malfunction in the park ing brake . Dr ive
t o a n author ized Audi dealer or au thor ized Audi
Serv ice Facil ity immediately to have t he mal func ­
tion correc ted.
(j) Tips
For add it io na l information on the park ing
brake, see
c::> page 81.
20
_ L Cooling system
• Swit ch off engine and check coolant level!
T he coolant level is too low .
Do not continue dr iv ing and switch the eng ine
off. Check the coolant level
c::> page 2 77 .
- If the coo lant level is too low , add coolant
c::> page 2 78 . Only continue driving once the in­
dicator light turns off.
• Coolant temperature too high! Please let en­
gine run with vehicle stationary
Let the engine ru n at idle fo r a few min utes to
cool off, until t he ind icator lig ht t urns off .
- If the ind icator light does not turn off , do not
cont inue driving the veh icle. See an authorized
Aud i dea le r or aut horized Audi Serv ice Facility
for assistance.
.&_ WARNING
- Never ope n the hood if you can see or hear
steam or coo lant escaping from the engine
compa rtment. This increases the risk of
burns. Wait until you no longer see o r hear
steam or coolant escaping.
- The engine compartment in any vehicle can
be a dange rous a rea. Stop the engine and
allow it to cool before working in the engine
compa rtment . Always follow the informa­
tion fo und in
c::> page 2 71.
(I) Note
Do not continue driv ing if the . indicator
li ght turns on -this increases the risk of en­
gine damage .
~ Safety belt
The. indicator lig ht stays on unti l the dr iver 's
and front passenge r's safety belts are faste ned .
Above a certa in speed, the re will a lso be a warn­
i ng tone.
@ Tips
Fo r addi tional info rmat ion on saf ety belts,
see
c::> page 218 .

Adjusting the temperature
Temperatures between 60 °F ( +16 °C) and 84 °F
(+28 °C) can be set . Outside of this range,
LO or
HI will appear in the climate control system dis­
p lay . At both of these settings, the climate con ­
trol system runs continuously at maximum cool­
ing or heating power. There is no temperature
regulation.
~ Adjusting the amount of air
You can adjust the airf low manually to su it your
needs. The blower should always run at a low set ­
ting to prevent the windows from fogging and to
ensure a continuous exchange of air inside the
vehicle. To have the airflow regulated automat i­
cally, press the
IAUTO I button.
~ Adjusting the air distribution
You can manually select the vents where the air
will flow. To have the a ir distribution regu lated
automatically, press the
IAUTO ! button.
[il /~*Adjusting seat heating/ventilation*
Pressing the button switches the seat heating/
venti lation on at the highest setting (level 3). The
LEDs indicate the temperature level. To reduce
the temperature, press the button aga in. To
sw itch the seat heating/venti lation off, press the
button repeatedly until the LED turns off.
After 10 minutes, the seat heating/ventilation
automatically switches from level 3 to level 2.
l The windshield and side windows are defrosted
or cleared of condensation as quickly as possible.
The maximum amount of air flows mainly from
the vents below the windshield. Recirculation
mode switches off. The temperature should be
set to approximately 72 °F (22 °().
The
IAUTO I button switches the defroster off .
IQiil R EARI Switching the rear window defogger
on and off
The rear window defogger only operates when
~ the engine is running. It switches off automati-....
~ cally after 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the N
8 outside temperature. 0 :c ' Warm and cold
To prevent the rear window defogger from
switching off automatica lly, press and hold the
llliil REAR ! button for more than three seconds .
This is stored until the ignition is switched off.
I SYNC! Synchronization*
When synchron ization is switched on, the set­
tings for the driver's side are applied to the front
passenger's side (except for seat heating/ventila­
t ion*). The rear is also synchronized in vehicles
with the 4- zone deluxe automatic climate control
system*. Synchronization switches off if the set­
t in gs are adjusted on the front passenger's side
or in the rear*.
You can synchronize the sett ings in a row by
pressing and holding a knob. For example, to ap­
ply the sett ings for the front passenger's side to
the driver's side, press and hold the knob on the
front passenger 's side .
Vents
You can open or close the center and rear vents in
the cockpit and the vents in the rear center con­
sole and door pillars using the ridged thumb­
wheels. The levers adjust the direction of the air­
flow from the vents.
Residual heat
You can act ivate the residual heat function when
the ignition is switched off by pressing and hold­
i ng the ~ button. The residual heat from the
coolant is used to heat the vehicle interior . T he
residual heat function switches off automatically
after about 30 minutes.
_&. WARNING
- You should not use the recirculation mode
for an extended period of time since no
fresh air is drawn in. With the air-condition ­
ing switched off, the windows can fog up,
which increases the risk of an acc ident.
- Individuals with reduced sensit ivity to pain
or temperature could develop burns when
using the seat heating function. To reduce
the risk of injury, these individua ls should
not use seat heating .
71

0 co .... N ,..... N .... 0 0 :c ' - Pay attention to legal requirements when disposing of empty oil containers .
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by an
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified service sta­
tion .
Before you check anyth ing in the eng ine compart­
ment,
a lways rea d and heed all WARNINGS¢ &
in Working in the engine compartment on
page 271.
The engine oil must be changed according to the intervals 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 circumstances the engine oi l should
be changed more frequently. Change oil more of­
ten if you drive mostly short distances, operate
the vehicle in dusty areas or under predominantly
stop-and-go traffic condit 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 the engine has been running for a
short time . This is normal and is not a reason to
change the oil more often than recommended .
Because of the problem 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
A ud i d ea ler or
a qualified service station .
If y ou choo se to change yo ur o il y o urse lf, please
note the following important information:
A WARNING
To red uce the risk of personal injury if you
must change the engine oil in your veh icle
yourself:
- Wear eye protection .
- To reduce the risk of burns from hot engine
o il, let the eng ine cool down to the touch.
-
- When removing the o il drain plug with your
fingers, stay as far away as poss ible. Always
Ch eck ing and Filling
keep your forearm parallel to the ground to
help prevent hot oil from running down your
arm.
- Drain the oil into a container designed for
this purpose, one large enough to hold at
least the total amount of oil in your engine.
- Engine oil is poisonous. Keep it well out of the reach of children.
- Continuous contact with used engine oil is
harmful to your skin. Always protect your
skin by washing oil off thoroughly with soap
and water .
CI) Note
Never mix oil additives with your engine oil.
These additives can damage your engine and
adversely affect your Audi limited New Vehi­
cle Warranty.
® For the sake of the environment
- Before chang ing your oi l, first make sure
you know where you can properly d ispose of
the used oil.
- Always dispose of used engine o il properly.
Do not dump it on garden soil, wooded
areas, into open streams or down sewage
drains.
- Recycle used engine o il by tak ing it to a used
eng ine oil collection fac ility in your area, or
contact a service station .
Cooling system
Coolant
The engine cooling system is filled with a mixture
of purified water and coolant additive at the fac­
tory. This coolant must not be not changed .
T he coo lant level is monitored through the. in­
dicator light¢
page 20. However, we do recom­
mend occasionally checking the coolant leve l
manually.
If you must add coolant, use a mixture of wate r
and coolant additive . Mixing the coolant additive
with dist illed water is recommended.
ll>
277

Checking and Filling
Coolant addit iv e
The coolant additive is made of anti-freezing and
corrosion protection agents. Only use the fo llow­
ing coolant additives .
Coolant additive Sp ecification
G13 TL 774)
G12++ TL 774 G
These additives may be mixed with each other.
The amount of coolant additive that needs to be
mixed w ith water depends on the climate where
the vehicle will be operated . If the coolant addi­
tive percentage is too low, the coo lant can freeze
and damage the engine.
Coolant addi- Freeze protec-
tive tion
Warm regions min
. 40%,
min. -13 °F
max. 45% (-25 °C)
Cold regions min . 50%, max. -40 °F
max. 55% (-40
°C)
(D Note
-Before the start of winter, have your author­
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
F ac ility check if the coolant additive in you r
vehicle matc hes the percentage appropriate
fo r the clim ate. This is espe cially important
when driving in colder climates .
-If the appropriate coolant addi tive is not
available in an emergency, do not add any
other additive for risk of damaging the en ­
gine. If this happens, only use water and re­
store the correct mixture ratio with the
specified coolant additive as soon as possi­
ble.
- Only refill with new coo lant.
- Radiator sealant must not be mixed with
the coo lant.
278
Adding coolant
Fig. 261 E n g in e compartment: coolant expansion tank
cover
Observe the safety precautions ¢ .&. in Working
in the engine compartment on page 2 71.
Check ing the engine coolant level
.,. Park the vehicle on a level surface.
.,. Switch the ignit ion off.
.,. Read the coolant level on the coolan t expansion
tank
¢page 274. The coolant leve l must be be­
tween the M IN and MAX markings when the en­
gine in cold . When the engine is warm it can be
slightly above the MAX marking .
Adding coolant
Requirement: there m ust be a residua l amount of
coolant in the expansion t ank
~ CD.
.,. Let the engine cool down .
.,. Place a cloth
over the coolant expansion tank
cap and unsc rew the cap cou nte rclockw ise
~ .&. -
.. Add coolant mixed in the correc t ratio
~ page 277 up to the MAX marking.
.,. Make sure that the fluid level remains stable.
Add more coolant if necessary .
.,. Close the cap securely .
Coo lant loss usually indicates there is a leak . Im­
med iate ly drive your vehicle to an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility
and have the cooling system inspected.
If the
cooling system is not leak ing, a loss can come
from the coolant boiling through overheat ing
and being pushed ou t of the cooling system .

C)
_& WARNING
-The cooling system is under pressure. Do
not open the coolant expansion tank cap
when the engine is hot. This increases the
risk of burns .
- The coolant add itive and the coolant can be
dangerous to your health. For this reason,
keep the coolant in the original container
and away from children. There is a risk of
poisoning.
- When working in the engine compartment,
remember that the radiator fan can sw itch
on even if the ignition is switched off, which
increases the risk of injury.
CD 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 driv ing. See an authorized Audi deal­
er or authorized Audi Service Facility for assis­
tance.
Brake fluid
N
N
-N
" co IXl
F ig. 262 Engine compartment: cap on brake fluid re servoir
Observe the safety precautions c:> &. in Working
in the engine compartment on page 2 71.
Checking the brake fluid level
" Read the brake fluid level on the brake fluid
reservoir
c:> page 2 74, fig. 259. The brake fluid
level must be between the MIN and MAX mark­
ings
c:> &_ .
~ The brake fluid level is mon itored automatically .
" N ...... 0 0 :r Checking and Filling
Changing the brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed regularly by an au­
thorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility.
A WARNING
-
- If the brake fluid level is below the MIN
marking, it can impair the braking effect
and driving safety, which increase the risk of
an accident . Do not continue dr iving. See an
author ized Audi dealer or author ized Audi
Service Facility for assistance.
- If the brake fluid is old, bubbles may form
in the brake system dur ing heavy braking.
This would impair braking performance and
driving safety, which increases the r isk of an
accident.
- To ensure the brake system functions cor­
rectly, only use brake fluids that comply
with VW standard 50114 or FM VSS -116 DOT 4.
CD Note
-If the brake f luid level is above the MAX
marking, brake f luid may leak out over the
edge of the reservoir and result in damage
to the vehicle.
- Do not get any brake fluid on the vehicle
paint, because it wi ll corrode the paint.
Battery
General warnings about batteries
Because of the complex power supply, all wo rk
on batter ies such as disconnecting, replac ing,
etc. should
only be performed by an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fac il ity
c:> & .
The term "vehicle battery" refers to the 12 Volt
battery in your vehicle.
Detailed warnings for the vehicle battery:
® Wear eye protection.
I.)._ Bat~ery acid is highly corrosiv~. Wear pro-
~ tect1ve gloves and eye protection. Ill-
279

0 co .... N ,..... N .... 0 0 :c ' today's automobiles, have steadily reduced the
scope of maintenance and repairs which can be
carried out by vehicle owners.
Also, safety and
environmental
concerns place very strict limits
on the nature of repairs and adjustments to en­
gine and transmission parts which an owner can perform .
Maintenance, adjustments and repairs usually re­
quire special tools, testing devices and other
equipment available to specially trained work ­
shop personnel in order to assure proper per­
formance, reliability and safety of the vehicle and
its many systems.
Improper maintenance, adjustments and repairs
can impair the operation and reliability of your
vehicle and even void your vehicle warranty .
Therefore, proof of servicing in accordance with
the maintenance schedule may be a condition for upholding a possible warranty claim made within
the warranty period.
Above all , operational safety can be adversely af­
fected, creating unnecessary risks for you and
your passengers.
If in doubt about any servicing, have it done by
your authorized Audi dealer or any other properly equipped and qualified workshop. We strongly urge you to give your authorized Audi dealer the
opportunity to perform all scheduled mainte­ nance and necessary repairs. Your dealer has the
facilities, original parts and trained specialists to keep your vehicle running properly .
Performing limited maintenance yourself
The following pages describe a limited number of
procedures which can be performed on your vehi­
cle with ordinary tools, should the need arise and
trained personnel be unavailable. Before per­
forming any of these procedures, always thor­
oughly read all of the applicable text and careful­ ly follow the instructions given . Always rigorously
observe the
WARNINGS provided .
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment, always read and heed all WARNINGS
c::> .&. and c::> .&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 271 .
Consumer information
A WARNING
-Serious personal injury may occur as a result
of improperly performed maintenance, ad ­
justments or repairs .
- Always be extremely careful when working
on the vehicle. Always follow commonly ac­
cepted safety practices and general com­
mon sense. Never risk personal injury.
- Do not attempt any of the maintenance,
checks or repairs described on the following pages if you are not fully familiar with these
or other procedures with respect to the ve­ hicle, or are uncertain how to proceed.
- Do not do any work without the proper tools
and equipment. Have the necessary work
done by your authorized Audi dealer or an­
other properly equipped and qualified work­
shop.
- The engine compartment of any motor vehi­ cle is a potentially hazardous area. Never reach into the area around or touch the radi­
ator fan.
It is temperature controlled and
can switch on suddenly - even when the en­
gine is off . The radiator fan switches on au ­
tomatically when the coolant reaches a cer­
tain temperature and will continue to run
until the coolant temperature drops.
- Always switch off the ignition before anyone
gets under the vehicle .
-Always support your vehicle with safety
stands if it is necessary to work underneath
the vehicle . The jack supplied with the vehi­
cle is not adequate for this purpose and
could collapse causing serious personal in­
jury.
- If you must work underneath the vehicle
with the wheels on the ground, always make
sure the vehicle is on level ground, that the
wheels are always securely blocked and that
the engine cannot be started.
- Always make sure the transmission selector
lever (automatic transmission) is in "P"
(Park position) and the park brake is ap-
plied.
~
337