2017 AUDI A8 engine overheat

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.

0 co .... N ,..._
N .... 0 0 :c ' the risk that the vehicle will slide. Drive care­
fully to the nearest authorized Audi dea ler or
authorized Audi Service Fac il ity and have the
malfunction corrected.
(D Tips
For addit ional information on ESC and ABS,
refer to¢
page 126.
ffl;/ !f Safety systems
The II (USA models)/ m (Canada mode ls) indi­
cator light monitors the safety systems.
If the
II (USA mode ls)/ m (Canada models) in­
d ic ator light turns on or blinks, there is a mal­
function in a safety system such as the airbag or belt tensioner system .
Drive to an authorized Aud i dea ler or a uthori zed
Aud i Service Facility immedia tely to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
A WARNING
Have the malf unct ion in the safety systems
inspected immediately. Otherwise, the re is a
r is k th at the systems may not activate du ring
a co llision, which increases the risk of serio us
injury or death.
& Brake booste r
II Brake servo : limited functionality . You can
continue driving. Contact workshop
-
There is a malfunction in the brake boos ter. The
b ra ke booster is availab le, bu t its effec tiveness is
r educed. Braking behavior may be diffe rent from
h ow it no rmally functions and t he brake peda l
may vibrate.
D rive to an aut ho rize d Aud i dea le r o r au thorized
Aud i Service Facility immediately to have t he
malfunct ion corrected.
(0) Brake pads
llJ Brake pads!
T he br ake pads are wo rn. Cockpit o
verview
Drive to an authori zed A udi dealer or au thorized
Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have the
brake pads checked.
Applies to USA models
T he llJ indica tor light turns on togethe r wi th the
1111 indicator light
EPC Engine control (gasoline engine)
~ Engine start system fault . Please contact
deale r
The re is an eng ine contro l ma lf u nction.
Immed iate ly dr ive s low ly to an author ized A udi
dealer or au thor ized A udi Se rvice Fa cility to have
t h e mal func tion corre cted.
a Malfunction indicator lamp (MIL)
The ma lf u nction indicator lamp ( MIL) is part of
the On Board Diagnostic system (OBD II). The
¢4 c;ymbol turns on when the ignition is sw itched
on and turns off aga in once the engine is started
and ru nning at a steady idle speed . This indicates
t h at the MIL is f unct ion ing cor rectly .
The ind icator light turns on if there is a malfunc­
t ion in the engine electronics . See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized A udi Service Fac ility to
have t he mal funct ion cor rected . Fo r additional
informa tion, see
¢ page 25 .
The ind icator light can a lso turn o n if the fuel fill­
er cap is not closed correctly¢
page 269.
!?' Engine speed limitation
Applies to : vehicles with engine speed limitatio n
~ Maximum engine speed XXXX RPM
The eng ine speed is automatically limited to the
RPM shown in the instrument cluster d isplay.
This protects the engi ne from overheat ing .
The eng ine speed limitation deactivates once the
engine is no longe r in the critical temperatu re
range and you have re leased the accelerator ped­
al once .
If the engine speed limitation was activated by
an engine cont rol malfunction, the~ indicator ..,.
23

0 co .... N ,..._
N .... 0 0 :c ' Drive to an authorized Aud i dea ler o r a uthorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
fi. D Light/rain sensor
El Automatic headl ights / automatic wipers :
System fault
The light/ra in sensor is malfunction ing.
The low beams remain switched on at all times
for safety reasons when the light switch is in the
AU TO position. You can continue to turn the
lights on and
off using the light switch . You can
still control all functions that are independent of
the ra in sensor through the windshield w iper lev­
er .
Drive to an authori zed Aud i dea ler or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the malfunct ion corrected.
!-: Sport differential
A ppl ies to: ve hicles with sport differential
Ill Sport differential : System fault
There is a malfunction with the spo rt differentia l.
Dr ive to an authorized Aud i dea le r o r a uthorized
Aud i Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
Ill Sport differential : Overheating
The transm ission temperature has increased s ig­
ni ficantly due to the sporty driving manne r. D rive
in a less sporty manner until the temperature re­
turns to the normal range and the indic ator light
switches of .
& WARNING
-
Contact your authori zed A udi dealer or a
qualified workshop if the sport differentia l is
faulty or malfunctioning. The repair must be
performed by trained personnel using the cor­
rect o il in order to ensure safety.
Coc kpit o ve rv iew
¢ Q Turn signals
If the . or B indicator light blinks , the turn
s ignals a re act ivated. If bot h ind icator lights are
blinking, the emergency flashers are activated.
If an ind icator light blinks tw ice as fast as usual,
a turn signal bu lb has fai led. Carefully d rive to an
autho riz e d Aud i dea le r or authorized Aud i Serv ice
F acility immed iate ly to have the ma lfunction co r­
rected . The indicator light does not indicate a
malfunction if a turn signal on the trailer or on
the vehicle fa ils in trailer towing mode.
(D Tips
Fo r more information on the turn signa ls, re­
fer to<=>
page 44.
On Board Diagnostic
System (OBD)
Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Ma lfunction Indicator Lamp (MI L) ¢,ij in the
inst rument cluster is part of the On-Boa rd Diag­
nostic (OBD II) system .
T he wa rning/indicator light ill uminates when the
ignition is sw itched on and goes out after the en­
gine starts and the idle has stabilized. This indi­
cates that the MIL is working properly.
If the li ght do es not go out after the eng ine is
sta rted, or i lluminates while you are driving, a
malfunction may exist in the engine system. If
the lig ht illuminates, the catalytic converter
could be damaged.
Cont inue driving
with reduced power (avoiding
s ustained high speeds and/o r rapid accelera­
tions) and have the condit ion corrected. Contact
your authori zed Aud i dea ler .
If the light i llum inates, the elect ronic speed lim­
iter may also be malf unct ion ing. For more infor­
mation
c> page 26, Electronic speed limiter .
An improperly closed fue l filler cap may also
ca use the MIL light to illuminate ¢
page 269.
25

C) C0 ....
"' " "' .... 0 0 :r electrical equipment off when you no longer
need it. Examples of equipment that use a lot of
energy are a ir blowers at a high setting, the rear
w indow defogger and seat heating*.
CD Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after
starting . If warning lights should come on to
ind icate improper ope ration, they wou ld go
unheeded. Extended idling also produces
heat, wh ich could result in overheat ing or
other damage to the vehicle or other proper­
ty .
CD Note
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommenda­
tions in you r War ranty
& Ma intenance book­
l et. Lack of p roper maintena nce as well as
i mproper use of the vehicle will imp air the
funct ion of the emission contro l system and
could lead to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Em ission Control System un less ap­
proved by the manufacturer .
- Do no t alt er or remove any devi ce, such as
heat shie lds, switches, ignition wires,
valves, which are designed to protect your
vehicle's Em ission Control System and other
i mportant veh icle components .
@ Tips
The consumption estimates as published by E NVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, which will vary depending upon vehicle
load and speed, road and weather condi tions,
t rip length, etc.
D rivi ng
Steering
Adjusting the steering wheel position
The steering column can be power adjusted up
and down and forward and back.
F ig . 89 Switc h for steering co lu mn adjus tme nt
Requirement: the driver's seat is set correct ly.
"' To adjust the he ight, pr ess the sw itch up/down .
The stee ring co lumn will continue movi ng as
long as you are p ressing the switc h.
"' To move the steering wheel forwa rd or back,
press the switch forward/back. The steering
col umn wi ll continue mov ing as long as you are
pressing the switch.
T he steering whee l can a lso be adjusted when the
ignition is switched off .
In veh icles with memory func tion*, the steering
c o lumn set tings are s tored toget her w ith the
seat position.
A WARNING
Improper use of stee ring wheel adjustment
and improper seating posit ion can cause seri­
ous persona l injury.
- Ad just the steering wheel column only when
the vehicle is not moving to prevent loss of
veh icle control.
- Adj ust the driver's seat or steer ing whee l so
that the re is a m inimum of 10 in (25 cm)
between yo ur chest and the steering wheel
r::;, page 208, fig . 218 . If you cannot ma in­
tain this minimum dis tance, the airbag sys­
tem cannot pro tect you p roperly.
-
75

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. ..,.

0 co .... N ,..._
N .... 0 0 :c ' -New brake pads do not achieve their fu ll
brak ing effect during the first 250 mi
(400 km). They must be "broken in" first.
However, you can compensate for the
sl ightly reduced braking force by pressing
firmly on the brake pedal. Avoid heavy brak­
ing dur ing the b reak-in per iod.
- Certa in weather and operat ing cond it ions
such as dr iving t hrough water, d riving in
heavy ra in or d riving after washing your ve­
hicle ca n impair the effectiveness of the
bra kes . In the w inter, ice may b uild up on
the brake pads, rotors and drums . Check
these components by braking carefu lly. Ap­
plying the brakes carefu lly several times
dr ies the brakes and removes ice bu ild-up.
- The effic iency of the brakes can also be im­
paired by driving for long st retches on roads
cove red w ith salt without using the b rakes.
Yo u can remove sa lt deposits from the
bra ke rotors and pads by caref ully applyi ng
the brakes severa l t imes .
- If the front spoiler is damaged or you install
another spoiler, ma ke sure the front wheel
bra kes are vent ilated prope rly. O therwise,
the br ake system could overheat, wh ic h re­
duces the ir effectiveness.
- Failure of a brake circui t impai rs b raking
perfo rmance, whi ch incre ases bra king dis­
tance . Avoi d driving the vehicle and have it
towed it to the nearest author ized Audi
dealer or authorized A udi Se rvice Facility .
- If the bra ke booster is not wor king, you will
have to press m uch ha rder on the bra ke
peda l to compensate for the lack of the
booster.
(D Note
- Never let the brakes "rub" by pressing the
pedal lightly when braking is not actually
necessary. This causes the brakes to over­
heat and inc reases braking d istance and
causes wear.
- Before driving downh ill a long distance on a
steep h ill, decrease your speed and select a
l ower gear. This makes use of the engine
braking effect and relieves the brakes . If Intellig
ent Technology
you need to bra ke ad ditiona lly, bra ke in in­
terva ls and not continuous ly .
(D Tips
- If the brake boos ter is not wor king, you
must press the brake peda l with much more
force than normal.
- If you retrof it your vehicle with a front spo il­
er, wheel covers or simi lar items, make su re
that the air f low to the front wheels is not
inter rupted. Otherwise the b rake system
can become too hot.
Electromechanical
steering., dynamic
steering
The electromechanical steering supports the
driver's steering movements.
Power s teer ing adapts electronically based on
the ve hicle speed .
Indicator lights and messages
• Do not dr ive vehicle: Steering defective
If this indicator light turns on and stays on and
t hi s message appears, the power steering may
have failed.
Stop the vehicle in a safe location as soon as pos­ s ible. Do
not cont inue drivi ng. See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fac il ity for
ass ista nce.
l;rj Steering: System fault You can continue
driving
If the indicator light turns on and the message
appears, the steering wheel may be more d iffi ­
cu lt to move or m ore sensitive than usual. The
steering wheel may also be at an angle when
driv ing stra ight .
Drive slowly to an a uthorized Audi dea ler or au­
thori zed Audi Serv ice Facility to have the mal­
funct ion corrected .
'T-ij Dynamic stee ring: Initializing
If the indicato r ligh t is blinking and this mess age
appe ars, dynamic steering* is be ing ini tialized. .,.
129

0 co .... N ,..... N .... 0 0 :c ' Catalytic converter
Applies to: ve hicles with gasoline engine
It is very important that your emission control
system (catalytic converter) is functioning prop­
erly to ensure that your vehicle is running in an
environmentally sound manner .
... Always use lead-free gasoline c:> page 267, Fuel
supply.
... Never run the tank down all the way to empty.
... Never put too much motor oil in your engine
c:> page 2 76, Adding engine oil 'l:::r. .
.,. Never t ry to push- or tow-start your vehicle.
The catalytic converter is an efficient "clean-up"
device built into the exhaust system of the vehi­
cle . The catalytic conve rter burns many of the
pollutants in the exhaust gas before they are re­
l eased into the atmosphe re.
The exclusive use of unleaded fue l is critically im­
portant for the life of the catalyt ic converter and
proper functioning of the engine.
.&, WARNING
T he temperature of the exha ust system is
high, both when driving and afte r stopping
the engine .
-
-Never to uch the exha ust tail pipes once they
have become hot . This could result in bu rns.
- Do not park o r operate the vehicle in areas
where the hot exhaust system may come in
contact with dry grass, br ush, fuel spill or
other material which can cause a fire .
- Do not apply additional undercoating or rustproofing on or near the exhaust mani­
fold, exhaust pipes, catalytic converter or
heat shields. During dr iving, the substance
used for undercoating could overheat and
cause a fire .
(D Note
-Be aware that just one tank filling with
leaded fuel will already ser iously degrade
the performance of the catalytic converter.
- Do not exceed the correct eng ine o il level
c:> page 2 76.
- Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
complete ly empty. The engine co uld mis-
Ch eck ing and Filling
fire. Unburned fue l co uld also get into the
exhaust system and this could cause the
catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not switch off the ignition whi le the vehi­
cle is moving .
- Do not continue to ope rate your vehicle un­
der these conditions, as otherwise fuel can
reach the catalytic converter . This could re­
sult in overheat ing of the converter, requir­
ing its replacement .
- To assure efficient operat ion of the Emis­
sion Contro l System :
- Have yo ur vehicle maintained p roperly and
in accordance with the serv ice recommen­
dat ions in yo ur War ranty
& Ma intenance
booklet .
- L ack of proper ma intenance as well as im­
proper use of the veh icle w ill impa ir the
function o f the emission control system
and could lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emiss ion Control System is op­
erating properly, the exhaus t gas can have a
su lfur-like exhaust gas sme ll under some op­
erating states. This depends on the sulfur
content of the fuel being used. Us ing a differ­
ent brand of fuel may help, or fil ling the tank
with lead-free super grade gasoline.
Engine compartment
Working in the engine compartment
Special care is required if you are working in the
engine compartment
For work in the engine compartment such as
chec king and filling fluids , there is a risk of in ­
jury , scalding, ac cident s, and burn s. For thi s
reason , follow all the warnings and general
safety p recauti ons provi ded in the following in­
formation. The engine compartment is a dan­
gerous area on the vehicle.
c:> .&. .
.&, WARNING ~
-Turn the engine off .
- Switch the ignition off .
271

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 .