2017 AUDI A8 oil level

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 - 0 Generator/vehicle battery
• Electrical system: malfunction! Battery i s
not being charged
There is a malfunction in the alternator or the ve­
hicle electrical system .
Drive to an authori zed Aud i dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately. Because the ve ­
hicle battery is discharg ing , turn off all unneces­
sary e lectr ica l equipment such as the radio. See
your author ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility if the battery charge level is too
l ow .
(•) Low battery charge: Battery will be charged
while driving
T he start ing ability may be impaired .
If th is message turns off after a litt le while, the
vehicle battery charged enough wh ile driving.
If the message does not turn off, have an author ­
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty repair the malfunction.
~ Engine
• Engine stopped: No power steering and
brake support.
There is a malfunction in the engine or in the fuel
supp ly system .
More force is needed to steer and brake the mov ­
ing vehicle when the engine is stopped . If the ve­
hicle is rolling, try to bring it to a stop off to the
side from moving traffic. See an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Aud i Serv ice Facility for as­
sistance .
_& WARNING
-
If the eng ine stops while dr iving, you will
need to use more force to brake the vehicle.
Thi s increases the risk of an accident. There
will still be power steering if the ignition is
switched on while th e vehicle is rolling and
there is sufficient battery charge. Otherwise,
you must use greater force when steering .
Cockpit overview
• Turn off engine and check oil level
Stop the engine and do not cont inue driving.
Check the eng ine oil level
c::;. page 276.
- If the engine o il level is too low, add engine oil
c::;. page 276. Only continue driving once the in­
dicator light turns off.
- If the engine o il level is correct and the indica­
tor light still turns on, turn the engine off and
do not cont inue driving. See an authorized Aud i
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility for as ­
sistance .
(D Tips
The oil pressure warning is not an oil leve l in­
dicator. Always check the oil level regularly .
~. Engine oil level
.P lease add oil immediately.
Add engine oil immediately c::;. page 2 74.
l!IAdd oil max. x qt
(l) You may continue driv­
ing
Add the displayed amount of oil immedia tely
c::;. page 2 7 4.
~ - Steering lock
• Do not drive vehicle: Steering defective
There is a malfunction in the electron ic st eering
lock. You cannot turn the ign ition on.
Do
not tow your vehicle because it cannot be
stee red. See an author ized Audi dea ler or author­
ized Audi Service Facility for assistance .
!II Steering lock: System fault Please contact
dealer
There is a ma lfunction in the e lectron ic steering
lock.
Drive to an authorized A udi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immed iate ly to have the
malfunction corrected. .,..
21

Cockpit over view
light also turns on. Make sure t hat the speed
does not go above the speed displayed. Drive to
an author ized Audi dealer or authorized A udi
Serv ice Facility immediately to have the malfunc­
tion corrected .
_,.,. Engine oil sensor
• Oil l eve l! Se nsor def ectiv e
The sensor to check the engine oil leve l has
fa iled. Drive to an authori zed Aud i dea ler or au­
thor ized Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have
the malfunction corrected .
r Engine warm-up request
n Plea se warm up eng ine
F uel has entered the engine oil, either from low
outside temperatures or frequent short drives .
Drive unt il the engine is warm so that the fuel in
the eng ine oi l will evaporate . Avo id high engine
speeds, full acce le rating and heavy eng ine loads
when doing this.
Bil Tank system
liD Plea se refuel
If the indicator lig ht t urns on for the fi rst time
and the mess age appears, there are abo ut 4 gal ­
lons (15 lite rs) of fue l le ft in the tank.
II] Fuel tank s ystem malfunction! Pl ea se con­
tact dealer
There is a malfunction in the fue l tank system .
Drive to an authorized Audi dea ler or authorized
Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
(D Tips
More information on ref ue ling is avai lab le on
page
c:> page 268.
~ Washer fluid level
C Please refill washer flu id
24
Fill the washer fluid fo r the windshie ld washer
system and the headlight washer system when
the ignit ion is switched off
c:> page 281 .
• Windshield wipers
m Windshield wiper defecti ve
There is a ma lf u nction with the winds hield wip­
ers .
D rive to an authori zed A udi dealer or au tho riz ed
Audi Se rvice Facility immediate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
~ /0~ Bulb failure indicator
If the S:i indicator light turns on, a bulb has
failed . The message indicates the location of the
bulb.
If the
II indicator light also t urns on, then a rear
fog light has failed. The position of the indicator
li ght corresponds with the location on the vehi­
cle.
Vehicle light s: system fault!
There is a m alfu n ction in the headlights o r the
li ght sw itch .
D rive to an author ized A udi dealer or authorized
Audi Se rvice Fac ility immediate ly to have the
malfunction correc ted .
_& WARNING
-Light bulbs a re under pressure and can ex­
plode when b ulbs are replaced, whic h in­
creases the risk of inj ury.
- With H ID headlights * (xenon -plus head ­
lights), the high-vo ltage component must
be handled correct ly . Otherwise, there is a
risk of fatal in jury.
~(i) Headlight range control system
II He adlight ra nge cont rol system: system
f a ult!
There is a ma lfunction in the headlight range
contro l system, which may cause glare for other
drivers.
-

0 co .... N ,..... N .... 0 0 :c ' Driving
General information
Breaking in
A new vehicle must be broken in, and the break­
in distance should be 1,000 mi les ( 1,500 km). Do
not drive at speeds that w ill exceed
2/3 of the
maximum permitted engine speed
(RPM) for the
first 600 miles (1,000 km) , and avoid full accel­
eration during this period . You may gradually
start increasing the
RPM and the speed between
600 miles (1,000 km) and 1,000 miles (1,500
km).
During the first hours of use, the engine has a
higher internal friction than later on when all
moving parts have settled into place with each
other.
How the vehicle is driven during the first 1,000
miles (1,500 km) also affects the engine quality.
Drive at moderate engine speeds after the initial
break-in per iod, part icularly when running a cold
engine . This will reduce engine wear and improve
the mileage .
Do not drive at too low of an engine speed (rpm).
Shift down if the engine stops running "smooth­
ly" . Extremely high eng ine speeds are automati ­
cally reduced .
New tires
If your vehicle is running on new tires, drive pa r­
ticularly careful for the first 350 miles (500 kilo­
meters) after fitting .
.&_ WARNING
-
New tires tend to be slippery and must also
be "broken-in". Be sure to remember this dur­
ing the first 350 miles (500 kilometers).
Brake gently . Avo id following closely behind
other vehicles or other situations that might
require sudden, hard brak ing.
Avoid damaging the vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certain that low-
Driving
lying parts such as spoilers and exhaust system
parts do not bottom out and get damaged .
T h is is espec ially true for veh icles with low-s lung
chass is (sports chassis)* and fully loaded
vehicles .
Driving through water on roads
Note the following to reduce the risk of vehicle
damage when driving through water, for example
on flooded roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the bot­
tom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faste r than walk ing speed.
.&_ WARNING
=
After driving through water or m ud, the effec-
tiveness of the brakes may be reduced due to moisture on the brake rotors and brake pads.
A few careful brake applications should dry
off the brakes .
(D Note
-Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmission, suspension or electrical sys­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water.
- Always switch off the Start/Stop system
when driving through water r::;,page
78.
{i) Tips
- Determine the depth before driving through
water.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or
switch the engine off when driving through
water.
- Keep in mind that oncom ing vehicles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep for your vehicle to drive
through safely.
- Avoid dr iving through salt water, because
this can cause corrosion .
73

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

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