2017 AUDI A8 check engine

Checking and Filling
-Never fill the fuel container with fuel
while it is in or on the vehicle. Static elec­
tricity is discharged when filling which can
cause the fuel vapors to ignite and in­
creases the risk of an explosion .
- Always place a fuel container on the
ground before filling .
- Always hold the fuel nozzle completely in
the fuel container when filling .
- If the fuel container is made of metal, the
fuel nozzle must always be in contact with
the container when filling it with fuel. This
prevents static electricity from discharg­
ing.
- Never spill fuel in the vehicle or the lug­
gage compartment . Evaporated fuel is ex­
plosive and increases the risk of serious in­
jury or death.
- Follow legal requirements when using,
storing and transporting fuel containers.
- Make sure the fuel container conforms to
industry standards (ANSI/ASTM F852-86).
0 Note
- Remove spilled fuel from vehicle paint im­
mediately, because it can damage paint.
- Never drive until the fuel tank is completely
empty . The irregular supply of fuel that re­
sults from that can cause engine misfires .
Uncombusted fuel will enter the exhaust
system and increase the risk of damage to
the catalytic converter.
@ For the sake of the environment
Do not overfill the fuel tank, otherwise fuel
can leak out when the vehicle is warming up.
(0 Tips
The fuel filler door on your vehicle does not
lock if you lock the vehicle from the inside .
270
Fuel filler door emergency release
If the cen tral locking system is faulty, the fuel
filler door can be unlocked manually .
Fig. 255 Vehicles with selective ca ta ly tic reduc tion•: righ t
s ide trim panel in the l ugg age compartment
Fig. 256 R ig ht s ide t rim pane l in t he luggage com part·
ment : emerg enc y release mechan ism
.., tn
9 :c
"' a,
The emergency release mechanism is located be­
hind the right side trim panel in the luggage
compartment. In vehicles with selective catalytic
reduction*, remove the vent grille first:
.. Press both tabs@¢
fig. 255 and tilt the vent
grille downward. You can then remove the
grille upward .
.. Loosen the loop
q fig . 256 from the retainer
and then pull on the loop carefully
q (I) . The
fuel filler door releases.
.. Press on the left side of the fuel filler door to
open it~
page 269 , fig. 253 .
(D Note
Only pull on the loop until you feel resistance.
You will not hear it release . Otherwise you
could damage the emergency release mecha­
nism.

Checking and Filling
-Set the parking brake.
- Select the P selector lever position.
- Let the engine cool down.
- Never open the hood when there is steam or
coolant escaping from the engine compart­
ment, because there is a risk that you could
be burned. Wait until no steam or coolant is
escaping.
- Keep children away from the engine com­
partment.
- Never spill fluids on a hot engine. These flu­
ids (such as the anti-freezing agent con­
tained in the coolant) can ignite.
- Avoid short circuits in the electrical system.
- When working in the engine compartment,
remember that the radiator fan can switch
on even if the ignition is switched off, which
increases the risk of personal injury.
- Never open the cap on the coolant expan­
sion tank when the engine is warm. The
cooling system is under pressure.
- To protect your face, hands, and arms from
hot steam or coolant, cover the cap with a
large cloth when opening.
- Do not remove the engine cover under any
circumstances. This increases the risk of
burns.
- If tests need to be performed with the en­
gine running, there is additional danger due
to moving components (such as the ribbed
belt, alternator and radiator fan) and from
the high-voltage ignition system .
- Do not under any circumstances activate the
throttle inadvertently (for example, by hand
from the engine compartment) if the vehi­
cle is stationary but the engine is running
and a gear is engaged. Otherwise, the vehi­
cle will start to move immediately and this
could result in an accident.
- Pay attention to the following warnings list­
ed when work on the fuel system or on the
electrical equipment is required.
- Do not smoke .
- Never work near open flames.
- Always have a working fire extinguisher
nearby
- All work on the battery or electrical system
in your vehicle can result in injuries, chemi-
272
cal burns, accidents or burns. Because of
this, all work must be performed
only by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility .
- To reduce the risk of electric shock and in­
jury, never touch the following components when the engine is running or is being start­
ed:
- Ignition cable
- Other components in the electronic high-
voltage ignition system
- If you must check or perform work on the
engine while it is running:
- Set the parking brake and place the selec­ tor lever in the P (park) position first.
- Always proceed with extreme caution so
that clothing, jewelry or long hair do not
become caught in the radiator fan, fan
belt or other moving components or do
not come into contact with hot compo­
nents . Tie back long hair before beginning
work and do not wear clothing that can
hang down into the engine .
- Limit your exposure to exhaust and chemi­
cals to as short a time as possible
c:> ,&. .
.&_ 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.

C) C0 ....
"' ,....
"' .... 0 0 :r (D Note
When filling fl uids, be sure not to mix the flu­
ids up. Otherwise severe ma lf u nctions and en ­
gine damage w ill occur.
@) For the sake of the environment
You sho uld regular ly check the ground u nder
your veh icle in o rder to detect leaks qu ickly. If
there are visible spots from oil or other f luids,
bring your vehicle to an authorized Aud i dea l­
er or author ized Audi Service Facility to be
checked.
Opening/closing the hood
The hood is released from inside the vehicle.
Fi g. 257 Driver footwell: re lease lever
F ig. 258 Roc ke r switch under t he hood
,-.. ~ co 0 :± ... IX)
Checking and Filling
Make s ure the wiper arms are not raised up from
the windshie ld . Otherwise the paint could be
damaged.
Opening the hood
.,. With the d river 's doo r open, pull the lever be­
low the instrument pane l in the d irection of the
arrow
q fig. 257 .
.,. Raise the hood slightly¢_& .
.,. Press the rocker switch under the hood upward
q fig. 258 . This releases the catch.
.,. Open the hood .
Closing the hood
.,. Push the hood down until you override the
force of the strut.
.,. Let the hood fall lightly into the latch .
Do not
press it in.
q _& .
A WARNING
--Never open the hood when there is steam or
coo lant escaping from the engine compart­
ment, because there is a risk that you could be burned. Wait unt il no steam or coolant is
escapi ng.
- For safety reasons, the hood m ust always be
closed securely while driv ing. Because of
this, always che ck t he hood afte r closing i t
to make sure it is latched correct ly. The
hood is latched if the front corners cannot
be lifted.
- If you notice that the hood is not latched
while you are driving, stop immediately and
close it, because driving when the hood is not latched increases the risk of an accident.
273

Checking and Filling
Engine compartment overview
The most important check points.
Fig. 259 Typical location of the rese rvoir and the engine o il fil le r open ing
(D Washer fluid reservoir (Q) c::> page 281
@ Jump start point(-) with hex head screw
c::> page 280, c::> page 32 7
@ Jump start point( +) under a cover
c> page 280, c::> page 32 7
@ Engine oil label* with VW standard
c> page 274
® Eng ine oil filler opening(~) c> page 276
@ Brake fluid reservoir((()}) c::> page 2 79
(j) Coolant reservoir (-L) c::> page 2 78
The engine oil fill ing opening (item@) may be
located in a different area depending on the en­
gine version.
A WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS before check­
ing anything in the engine compartment
c::> &.
in Working in the engine compartment on
page 271.
274
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used must conform to exact speci­
fications.
The service interval display in the instrumen t
cluster of your vehicle will inform you when it is
time for an o il change. We recommend that you
have your oi l changed by an authorized Audi Se rv­
ice Advisor.
If you must add oil between oil changes, use an
oi l that matches the Audi oil quality standard
listed on the sticker. The sticker is located at the
front of the eng ine compartment
c::> page 274,
fig. 259
Audi recommends
~ Castrol /fg/j;Sf.g;fg f'r Audi recommends Longlife high performance
engine oil from Aud i Genuine Parts
liJI,

0 co .... N ,..._
N .... 0 0 :c ' Using the proper engine oil is important for the
functionality and service life of the engine. Your
engine was factory-filled with a high -quality oil
which can usually be used throughout the entire
year.
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 Aud i oil quality
standard specified for your vehicle's engine.
Using any o ther oil can cause serious engine
damage.
- Do not mix any lubricants o r other additives
into the engine oil. Doing so can cause en­
gine damage.
@ Tips
If you need to add oil and there is none availa­
ble that meets the Audi o il quality standard
your eng ine requ ires, you may add a total of
no more than 0 .5 quart/li ter of a h igh-quality
"synthet ic"oil that meets the following speci ­
fications.
- Vehicles with gasoline eng ine: ACEA A3 o r
API SM with a viscosity grade of SAE OW-30,
SAE SW-30 or SAE SW-40.
- For more information about engine oil that has been approved for your vehicle, please
contact e ither your authorized Audi dea ler
or A udi Customer Relat ions at
1 (800) 822-2834 or visit our web site at
www.audiusa.com or www.aud icanada .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 lubr ication and coo l­
ing of internal engine components, all internal
combustion engines consume a certain amount
of oil. Oil consumption varies from engine to en­
g ine and may change significant ly over the life of
Ch eck ing and Filling
the engine. Typ ica lly, engines with a specified
break-in period (see ¢
page 73) consume more
o il during the break -in per iod than they consume
after oil consumption has stabili zed.
Under normal cond itions, the rate of oil con ­
sumption depends on the quality and viscosity of
the oil, the RPM (revo lutions per minute) at
which the engine is operated, the amb ient tem­
perature and road condit ions. Further factors are
the amount of o il dilution from water condensa­
t ion or fuel residue a nd the oxidat ion level of the
o il. As any engine is subject to wear as mileage
builds up, the oil consumption may increase ove r
t ime unt il repla cement of worn components may
become necessary .
With a ll these variab les coming into play, no
sta ndard rate of o il cons umption can be estab­
l is h ed or spec ified. The re is no alternative to reg­
u lar and frequent checking of the oi l level, see
Note .
If the yellow engine o il leve l warning symbo l in
t h e instr ume nt cl uster
II lights up, yo u should
check the o il level as soon as possible
¢ page 2 76 . Top off the o il at your earliest con ­
venience
¢ page 276.
A WARNING
-Before you check anyth ing in the engine com-
partment, always read and heed all WARN­
INGS
¢ .& in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 271 .
@ Note
Driving with an insufficient oil level is likely to
cause severe damage to the eng ine.
(D Tips
- The oil pressu re warning display. is not
an indicator of the o il le vel. Do not rely on
i t. Instead, check the oil level in you r en­
g ine at regular inter vals, preferabl y each
time you refuel, and alw ays before go ing
on a long trip .
-If you have the impression your engine con­
sumes excessive amou nts of oil, we recom-
mend that you consult your Aud i dea le r to .,,.
275

Checking and Filling
have the cause of your concern properly di­
agnosed. Keep in mind that the accurate
measurement of oil consumption requires
great care and may take some time. Your
Audi dealer has instructions about how to
measure oil consumption accurately.
Checking the engine oil level
A pp lies to: ve hicles w ith oil leve l indicator
The engine oil level can be checked in the Info­
tainment system
Observe the safety precautions c:::> &. in Working
in the engine compartment on page 2 71.
.. Park your vehicle on a level surface.
.. Shut the engine off when it is warm .
.. Switch only the ignition back on.
.. Wait approximately two minutes.
.. Select: the
ICARI function button > Car systems
control button > Servicing & checks> Oil level.
.. Read the oil level in the display . Add engine oil
if the bar in the oil level indicator is just before
"min"
<=:> page 276.
The engine oil consumption may be up to
0.5 quart/600 miles (0.5 liter/1,000 km), de­
pending on driving style and operating condi­
tions. Consumption may be higher during the
first 3,000 miles (5,000 km). Because of this, the
engine oil level must be checked regularly. It
would be best to check each time you refuel your
vehicle and before long drives.
@ Tips
The oil level indicator in the display is only an
informational display. If the oil level is too
low, a minimum oil warning appears in the in­
strument cluster. Add oil and close the hood.
The current oil level is displayed in the Info­
tainment system the next time the ignition is
switched on .
276
· Adding engine oil~
Fig. 260 En gine compartment : engine oil f iller opening
cover
Read and follow the WARNINGS before check­
ing anything in the engine compartment
c:::> page 2 71 .
.. Turn the engine off .
.. Unscrew the engine oil filling opening cap
"I::?:
c:::> fig. 260, c:::> page 2 74.
.. Carefully add 0.5 quart (0.5 liter) of the correct
oil
c:::> page 2 74.
.. Check the oil level again after two minutes
c:::> page 2 76, Checking the engine oil level .
.. Add more oil if necessary.
.. Close the engine oil filler opening cap.
A WARNING
- When adding oil, do not let oil drip onto hot
engine components. This increases the risk
of afire.
- Always clean skin thoroughly if it comes into
contact with engine oil.
(D Note
- Check the oil level. If the message Please
reduce oil level
appears, contact an author­
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility to have excess oil extracted if neces­
sary.
- Do not mix any additional lubricants into
the engine oil. Damage caused by such addi­
tives is not covered by the warranty.
(® For the sake of the environment
-Oil should never enter the sewer system or
come into contact with the ground.

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 .