2017 AUDI A8 brake fluid

0 co .... N ,..... N .... 0 0 :c ' Steering lock
¢page 21
Eng ine start system
¢ page22
Brake booster
<=>page23
Electromechanical power steer­
i ng, dynam ic steering*./
<=> page 129
Air suspension
¢ poge22
Sport differe ntia l*
¢ poge 25
Other indi cator lights
-------------
Turn sig na ls
¢ poge25
USA mod els :
Cruise contro l system
<=>page 92
Can ada model s:
Cruise control system
<=>page 92
Adaptive c ruise contro l*
¢ page 96
Adaptive c ruise contro l*
¢ page 96
Adaptive c ruise contro l*
¢page 96
Active lane assist*
¢page 103
Start/Stop system*
¢page 78
Start/Stop system*
<=>page 78
High beam ass istant
<=> poge44
High beams
¢ page 44, <=> page 44
BRAKE /((J)) Brake system
I f th is ind icator light tu rns on, there is a malfunc­
tion in the brake system.
Coc kpit o ve rv iew
llll (USA model s) /. (Canada model s) Stop
v ehicle and che ck brake fl uid le vel
Stop t he veh icle a nd check t he b rake fl uid level.
See an author ized A udi dealer or author ized A udi
Service Facility for assistance if necessary.
1111 (USA mod els) ta (Canada model s)
Brakes : malfunction! Plea se sto p vehi cle safel y
If the ABS ind icator light ll.JJJ (USA models) /
~ (Canada models), the ESC ind icator light Bl ,
and the b rake system indicato r light 1111 (USA
models) /. (Can ada models) all turn o n and
t hi s message appea rs, then the ABS, ESC and
braking d istribution are malfunctioning ¢&. .
Do not continue dr iv ing. See a n author ized Audi
dealer or authori zed A udi Se rvice Fac il ity for as­
s istance ¢&. .
1111 (USA mod els) /. (Canada mod els) Park­
ing brake : S ys tem fault! See owner' s manual
- If the ind icator light and the message appear
when the vehicle is stationary or after switch­
ing the ignition on ,
check if you can re lease the
pa rk ing bra ke. If you cannot release the pa rk­
ing brake , see your author ized Audi dealer or
au thor ized Audi Se rvice Fa cil ity. I f you can re ­
lease the parking brake and the message still
appears, see an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Faci lity immediately to
have the malfunction corrected.
- If the indicator light and message appear
while
dri ving ,
the hill start ass ist or emergency brak­
ing function may be malfunctioning. It may not
be possible to set the parking brake or release
it once it has been set . Do not park you r vehicle
on hills. See an authorized Audi dea le r or a u­
thori zed A udi Service Fac ility for assistance.
App lies to: USA mode ls
If the 1111 and Ei1 tur n on at the same time, the
brake pads are worn out
¢ page 2 3 .
.&, WARNING
-Read and fo llow the warnings in
¢ page 2 71, Working in the engine com­
portment
befo re opening the hood and
checking the brake fluid level.
19

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 .

Trailer mode
Trailer load distribution
Be s ure the load in the trailer is held securely in
p lace to prevent it from shifting forward, back­
ward or sideways .
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer¢.&.
in Driving instructions on page 91.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the eng ine work harder . It
is important that the cooling system's perform­
ance is up to the additional load. Make sure that
the cooling system has eno ugh fluid.
Tire pressure
When tow ing a tra iler, inflate the tires of your
veh icle to the tire pressure listed under "Full
load " on the label ¢
page 293 . Inflate trailer
tires to trailer and tir e manufacturers' specifica­
tions.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working properly .
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly connect­
ed from the trailer to the hitch on the vehicle. Leave 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 you are
driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the hitch.
Adjusting the Audi drive select
Make sure the vehicle is on a level surface before
hitching up the trailer and before adjust ing the
tongue weight. The vehicle must be in
auto or
comfort driving mode and not raised
o:,;, page 110, o:,;, 0 .
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered. In Info­
tainment, select:
ICARI function button> Lower
control button.
90
If you must drive under poor road conditions, you
can raise the vehicle
after coupling the trailer or
after adjust ing the tongue we ight ¢ page 112.
([) Note
-Changes in temperature or load can affect
the height of the vehicle.
- Always select auto or comfort mode. Other­
wise, the tongue load specified for your ve­
hicle will no longer be app licab le .
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car results
i n a high ly unstable distribution of we ight . If this
cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds only
to avoid t he risk of losing steering contro l.
A "balanced " rig is easier to operate and control.
This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded
to the extent possible and permissib le, wh ile
keeping the trailer as light as possible under the
circumstances. Whenever possible, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow veh icle while observing tongue load require­
ments and vehicle loading considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig . Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or wind cond it ions are unfavorable - particularly when
go ing downh ill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trailer
shows the slightest sign of sway ing.
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for
vehicles towing trailers are lower than for regular
vehicles.
Always apply brakes early. When driving down­
hill, shift into a lower gear to use the engine
braking effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fail. ..,.

Intelligent Technology
Brakes
New brake p ads
New b rake pads do no t achieve the ir full b raking
effect during the firs t 250 mi (400 km) . They
m ust be "broken in" first . The b reak -in period can
be considerably longe r for vehicles with ceram ic
brake rotors* . However, you can compensate for
the slightly reduced braking force by pressing
firm ly on the brake pedal. Avo id heavy braking
during the break-in period .
Wear
Brake pad wear depends largely on the way the
veh icle is driven and on operat ing cond itions.
This is especially true if you are driving frequently
in the c ity and on curves or with a sporty driving
style .
Operating noise
Noises may occur when braking depend ing on the
speed, braking force and outs ide cond itions such
as temperature and humidity.
Noises may become more appare nt at lowe r
speeds due to the nature of the materia ls in the
ceramic brake rotors*.
Effect of water and road salt
I n cer tain s ituations, for example a fter driving
through water, in heavy rain, afte r ove rnig ht con ­
densation or after washing your car, the braking
effect can be red uced by moisture or ice on the
brake rotors and b rake pads . The brakes must be
"dr ied" first w ith a few care ful b rake applica­
tions .
At higher speeds and with the windshie ld wipers
turned on, the brake pads press aga inst the brake
rotors for a short amount of time. T his action,
which is no t felt by the driver, happens at regular
i n tervals a nd ensu res a better react ion time for
the bra kes in wet weather.
The braking effect can also be reduced if you are
driving on salted roads a nd you do not apply the
brakes fo r long pe riods of time. The laye r of salt
o n th e brake roto rs and pads mus t be wo rn off
fi rs t when the brakes are app lied.
128
D ue to its s urface, the ce ram ic brake rotor * ab ­
sorbs moisture in ce rtain situations. The refore,
there will tempora rily be less brak ing fo rce than
whe n the brakes are d ry . You can compensate for
th is by press ing the brake pedal harder.
Corrosion
Leav ing the ve hicl e pa rked for long periods of
time , low mileage and avoiding heavy b raking
can contrib ute to corros ion on the b rake roto rs
and to dirty brake pads.
If you usua lly avoid heavy bra king or if there is
cor rosion p resent, occasiona l heavy brak ing at
high speeds is recommended to clean the brake
rotors and pads
c> ,& .
Brake system malfunction
if you no tic e th at the b rake peda l t ravel has sud­
denly
increase d, then a bra ke circuit in the dua l­
c ir cuit b rake system may have malfunctioned.
D rive to an authorized A udi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immed iate ly to have the
problem corrected . On the way there, drive w ith
reduced sp eed and keep in m ind that you wilt
need a longe r distance to stop and you will need
to press the b rake peda l ha rder.
Low b rake fluid level
When the brake fluid level is low, malfunctions in
the b rake system may occur . The brake fl uid level
i s e lec tronically moni to red.
Brake booster
The brake booster amp lifies the pressure you ap­
ply to the brake pedal. It only wor ks when the en­
gine is running.
A WARNING
- On ly app ly the brakes for the purpose of
cleani ng the bra ke sys tem w hen road and
t raffic cond itions permit. You must not en­
da nger ot her roa d users . T h is i ncreases the
r isk of an acci den t.
-
- Never le t th e ve hicle roll while t he engi ne is
stop ped bec ause this increa ses the r is k of an
a cciden t. ..,.

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.

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,

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

Wheels
sure that load limits are not ex­
ceeded. Vehicle load includes ev­
erybody and everything in and on
the vehicle. These load limits are
technically referred to as the vehi­
cle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rat­
ing
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight
of the basic vehicle, all factory in­
stalled accessories, a full tank of
fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids plus maximum load. The maxi­
mum load includes the number of
passengers that the vehicle is in­
tended to carry ("seating capaci­
ty") with an assumed weight of
150 lbs. (68 kg) for each passen­
ger at a designated seating posi­
tion and the total weight of any luggage in the vehicle. If you tow
a trailer, the weight of the trailer
hitch and the tongue weight of
the loaded trailer must be includ­
ed as part of the vehicle load.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating
("GAWR") is the maximum load
that can be applied at each of the
vehicle's two axles.
The fact that there is an upper
limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating means that the
total weight of whatever is being
296
carried in the vehicle (including
the weight of a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of the loaded
trailer) is limited. The more pas­
sengers in the vehicle or passen­
gers who are heavier than the
standard weights assumed mean
that less weight can be carried as l uggage .
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
are listed on the safety compli­
ance sticker label located on the
driver's side B-pillar
¢ page 293,
fig. 267.
.&_ WARNING
-
Overloading a vehicle can cause
loss of vehicle control, a crash
or other accident, serious per­
sonal injury, and even death.
-Carrying more weight than
your vehicle was designed to
carry will prevent the vehicle
from handling properly and increase the risk of the loss of
vehicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that
has been overloaded may not
be able to stop the vehicle
within a safe distance.