2017 AUDI S4 check engine

Checking and Filling
Cooling system
Coolant
The engine coo ling system is filled with a mixture
of pur ified water and coolan t addit ive at the fa c­
tory. This coo lant must not be not changed.
The coolant leve l is monito red throug h the . in­
dicator light~
page 31. Howeve r, we do recom­
mend occasionally check ing the coo lan t level
manually.
I f you must add coolant, use a m ixture of water
and coolant additive. M ixing the coolant additive
with d istilled wate r is recommended.
Coolant additive
The coolant additive is made of anti-freezing a nd
corros ion protection agents. Only use the fo llow­
ing coo lant add it ives. These additives may be
m ixed w ith each other.
Coolant additive Specification
G13
TL 774)
G12++ TL 774 G
The amount of coo lant add itive that needs to be
mixed w it h water depends on the climate where
the vehicle will be operated. If the coolant addi­
tive percentage is too low, the coolant can freeze
and damage the engine.
Coolant Freeze protec-
additive tion
Warm min. 40% m in. -13 °F
reg ions max. 45% (-25 °C)
Cold min. 50% max. -40 °F
reg ions max. 55% (-40 °C)
(D Note
- Befo re the start of winter, have your author­
i zed Audi dealer or authorized A udi Service
Fac ility check if the coolant additive in yo ur
vehicle matc hes the percentage approp riate
fo r the climate. Th is is especially important
when driving in co lde r climates.
- If the appropriate coolant additive is not
available in an emergency, do not add any
other additive. You cou ld damage the en-
310
gine . If this happens, only use water and re ­
store the correct m ixt ure ratio with the
specified coo lant add itive as soon as poss i­
ble.
- On ly ref ill with new coolant .
- Rad iator sealant mus t not be mixed wi th
the coolant.
Adding coolant
Fig. 24 9 Eng ine co mpart m ent: re lease button on coolant
expansio n tank
Check ing the engine coolant level
.,. Park your veh icle on a level surface.
.,. Switch the ignit ion off.
.,. Read the coolant level on the coolant expansion
tank
c:> fig . 249 .
.,. The coolant leve l mus t be between the MIN and
MAX mar kings when the engine in co ld. Whe n
t he engi ne is warm i t ca n be sligh tly above the
MAX mar kin g.
Adding coolant
.,. Let the engi ne cool down.
.,. Place a cloth over the coo lant expansion tank
cap.
.,. Push the rele ase button¢
fig. 249 and carefu l­
ly unsc rew the cap to the left un til you feel re­
sis tance ¢,&. .
.,. Push the release button again and remove the
cap completely.
.,. Make sure that the fluid level remains stab le.
Add more coolant if necessary .
.,. Turn the cap to the right to secure it until you
feel res istance a second time.
Coolant loss usually ind icates there is a leak. Im­
med iate ly dr ive your vehicle to an author ized
Audi dealer or authorized A udi Service Fac ility ..,.

and have the cooling system inspected. If the
cooling system is not leaking, a loss can come
from the coolant boiling through overheating and being pushed out of the cooling system.
A 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 switch
on even if the ignition is switched off, which
increases the risk of injury.
(D Note
Do not add coolant if the expansion tank is
empty. There may be a ir in the cooling sys­
tem, which increases the risk of engine dam­
age . If this is the case, do not continue driv­
ing . See an authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility for assistance.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a quick
glance .
Fig. 250 Engine compa rtment: Cover o n the brake fluid
rese rvoir
Before you check anything in the eng ine compart ­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
Checking and Filling
c::> .&. in Working in the engine compartment on
page 304.
" Read the brake fluid level from the brake fluid
reservoir
c::> fig. 250, c::> page 306, fig. 247. The
brake fluid level must be between the "MIN"
and "MAX" markings.
The brake flu id reservoir is located at the rear
partition of the engine compartment on the left
side
~ page 306 .
The fluid level may drop slightly after some time
due to the automatic adjustment of the brake
pads . This is not cause for alarm.
If the brake fluid level falls considerably below
the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/indicato r
light (USA models:
11111 , Canada models : II>
will come on c::> page 29. Do not continue to oper­
ate the vehicle. The complete brake system
should be thoroughly checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop and the cause
corrected . If the brake fluid level is too low, the
brake warning/indicator light will illuminate .
Contact an authorized Audi dealer
immediately .
@ Tips
The brake fluid reservoir is located under­
neath the cover.
Changing brake fluid
Hove the broke fluid changed by on experienced
technician.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If the
water content in the brake fluid is too high, cor­
rosion in the brake system may result after ape­
riod of time. The boiling point of the brake fluid
will also decrease considerably and decrease braking performance .
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every
two years .
Always use new brake fluid which con­
forms to Federal Motor Vehicle Standard "FMVSS
116 DOT 4" .
The brake fluid reservoir can be difficult to reach,
therefore, we recommend that you have the brake fluid changed by your authorized
Audi
dealer.
Your dealer has the correct tools, the
311

<( a, .... N ,....
N .... 0 0
3 a,
where it will not freeze. This will prevent it
from being damaged and having to be re­
placed.
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near the battery.
The battery is located in the engine compart­
ment. Before you check anything in the engine
compartment,
read and heed all WARNINGS
c::>& .
Always heed the safety warnings, when wo rking
on the vehicle battery or the vehicle electrical
system to prevent injury.
The following WARNINGS are very important
when working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYM -
BOLS and safety precautions when working on
the battery.
®
Always wear eye protection.
&
Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Al-
ways wear glov es and eye protection .
@
No
-sparks
- flames
- smoking.
~
When a battery i s charged, it produces
hydrogen gas which is explosive and
could cause personal injury.
®
Always keep the battery well out of reach
of children.
A WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on the
electrical system, there is the risk of injury,
accident and even fire . Read and heed the fol­
lowing WARNINGS:
-Always wear eye protection. Do not let bat­
tery acid or any lead particles get on your
skin or clothing. Shield your eyes. Exp losive
gases can cause blindness or other injury .
- Battery acid contains su lfuric acid. Sulfuric
acid can cause blindness and severe burns.
-
Checking and Filling
-Always wear gloves and eye protection. Do
not tilt the battery because acid could leak
out of the ventilation openings.
- If you get battery acid in your eyes or on
your skin, immed iate ly r inse with cold wa­
ter for several minutes and get med ical at­
tent ion.
- If you shou ld ingest any battery acid, seek
med ica l attent ion immed iate ly.
- Do not expose the battery to an open flame,
electric sparks or an open light.
- Do not smoke.
- Do not interchange the positive and nega -
tive cables.
- When working on the battery, be sure not to
short-circuit the termina ls with tools or oth­
er metal objects. This would cause the bat­
tery to heat up very quickly, which cou ld
lead to damage or explosion and personal
injury .
- When a battery is charged, it produces hy­
drogen gas which is explosive and could
cause personal injury.
- Always keep the battery well out of the
reach of children .
- Before work is done on the e lectrical sys­
tem, disconnect the negat ive ground cable.
- Before performing any work on the electri­
cal system, sw itch off the engine and ign i­
tion as well as any electrical equipment. The
negat ive cable on the battery must be dis­
connected. If you are just going to replace a light bulb, then it is enough to swi tch off
the lights.
- Before disconnecting the battery, switch off
the anti-theft alarm system! Otherwise you
will set off the alarm.
- When disconnecting the battery, first dis­
connect the negative cable and then the
positive cable.
- Before reconnecting the battery, make sure
all electrical consumers are switched off.
Reconnect the positive cable first and then
the negative cable. Never interchange the
cables -this could start a fire!
313

Checking and Filling
-Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out bat­
tery. It could explode! If a battery has fro­
zen, then it must be rep laced. A discharged
battery can freeze over at 32°F (0°C).
- Make sure the vent hose is always attached
to the opening on the side of the battery.
- Never use batteries which are damaged.
There is the danger of an explos ion! A lways
rep lace a damaged battery .
A WARNING
California Propositio n 65 Warning:
- Battery posts, terminals and re lated acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cance r and rep roduct ive p roblems.
Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
- Do not d isconnect the vehicle battery when
the ig nitio n is switched on or when the en­
g ine is r unning, o therwise, you w ill damage
electron ic compone nts in t he e lectr ica l sys­
t em.
- If your vehicle is going to stan d for a long
period of t ime without be ing dr iven, p rotect
the b attery from "free zing", o therwise it
will be d am age d and will then h ave to be re­
placed .
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged ba t­
tery.
F ig . 2 5 1 Eng ine compartmen t: Co nnectors for charger and
jump er cables
314
Alway s read and heed all WARNINGS below
¢ A and c:> A in Working on the battery on
page 313.
.. Tur n off the ign ition and all ele ctrica l consum ­
ers .
.. Make sure the area is well ventilated when you
charge the battery .
.. Open the engine hood
c:> page 305 .
.. Open the cover on the positive pole c:> fig. 251 .
.. Connect the charger connectors according to
the instruct ions to the
jump start bolts. (Bo lts
unde r the cover= "positive", Bolts with hex
head= "n ega tive").
.. Onl y now plug the m ain s lead fo r the ch arging
equ ipment in to the wall o utlet and tu rn it on
¢ _A .
.. Make sure the charging rate is not over
30 amps /14.8 Volt.
.. When the battery is fully charged: Turn the
charging equipment off and remove the mains
lead from the wa ll out let .
.. Now remove the clamps for the c harg ing equip-
ment.
.. Close the cover on the posi tive pole.
.. Close the hood
¢ page 305.
A d ischa rged battery can freeze at temperat ures
of only 32 °F (0 °C). Allow a fro zen ba ttery to
thaw completely befo re a ttemp ting to ch arge it
¢ &. . However, we recommend not u sing a
thawed battery aga in beca use the ba tte ry casing
can be cracke d due to ice formation a nd can leak
battery acid.
Battery charging (Maximum charging rate of
30 amps/14.8 Volt)
When charging at low voltages (e .g . with a trick·
le charger ),
the battery cables do not have to be
disconnected fir st. The batte ry caps should
not
be opened when charging a battery.
It is not necessary to remove the battery from
the luggage compartment .
Fast charging the battery (charging rate
above 14 .8 Volts)
For technica l reasons do not use a battery cha rg ­
er that uses voltage greater than 14.8 Vo lts to
c h arge your veh icle's battery.

Check ing and F illing
Windshield washer
system
.........
w •
F ig. 252 Engin e comp artm ent : wash er fluid r ese rvoir cap
"' N
0
~ 00 m
The washer fluid reservoir O contains the clean­
ing solution for the windshield and the headlight
washer system* c>
page 306, fig. 24 7. The reser­
voir capacity can be found inc>
page 362 .
To reduce the risk of lime sca le deposits on the
spray nozzles, use clean water with low amounts
of calci um. Always add window cleaner to the wa­
t er. When the outside temper atures are co ld, an
anti-free zing agent should be added to the water
so that it does not freeze .
Cl) Note
-The concentration of anti-free zing agent
must be adjusted to the vehicle operating
conditions in the respective climate. A con ­
centration that is too high can lead to veh i­
cle damage .
- Never add rad iator anti -freeze or other addi ­
tives to the washer fluid .
- Do not use a glass cleaner that contains
paint solvents, beca use this could damage
the pa int.
Service interval display
The service interval display detects when your ve­
hicle is due for service.
Checking se rv ice intervals
You can check the rema ining distance or time un ­
til the next oil change or next inspection i n the
I nfotainment system .
316
.. Select in the Infotainment system : the !MENUI
button > V ehicle > left control button > Se rvice
& che cks > Ser vice inte rvals .
Resettin g the indicator
You r authorized Audi dea le r or authorized Audi
Se rvice Facility w ill reset the se rvice interval dis­
play after performing service.
If you have changed the oi l yourself, yo u must re­
set the o il change interval.
.. Select in the Infotainment system: thel
M ENU !
button > Vehicle > left control button > Ser vic e
& check s > Service int erv al s > Re set oil chang e
int erva l.
If an o il cha nge or inspection is due, you can ac­
cess it i n the Infota inment system. The display
works in two stages :
-Se rv ice re mind er: after a certain distance is
dr iven, a message appears in the instrument
cluste r display eve ry t ime the ignition is switch­
ed on. The remaining d istance and time is dis­
played briefly .
-Serv ic e due : if your vehicle has reached a se rv­
ice in terva l, a message appears briefly after
sw itching the ignition on.
(D Note
- Only reset the oil change indicator if the oi l
was changed.
- Following the se rvice interva ls is cr itical to
ma inta ining the se rvice l ife and val ue of
yo ur vehicle, especially the engine. Even if
the mileage on the vehi cle is low, do not ex ­
ceed the time for the next service .
- Calc ulat ing the time to the next oil change
is interrupted when the vehicle battery is
disconnected.
If the vehicle is not driven for
a long period of time, check the mainte­
nance schedule so that you can fo llow the
maintenance intervals .

Emergency situations
Emergency situations
General
This chapter is intended for trained emergency crews and working personnel who have the nec­
essary tools and equipment to perform these
operations.
Starting by pushing or
towing
CD Note
Vehicles with an automatic transmission
cannot be started by pushing or towing.
Starting with jumper
cables
If necessary, the engin e con be started by con­
necting it to the battery of another vehicle.
If the engine should fail to start because of a dis­
charged or weak battery, the battery can be con­
nected to the battery of
another vehicle, using a
pair of jumper cables to start the engine.
Jumper cables
Use only jumper cables of sufficiently large cross
section
to carry the starter current safely. Refer
to the manufacturer's specifications.
Use only jumper cables with
insulated terminal
clamps which are distinctly marked :
plus(+) cable in most cases colored red
minus(-) cable
in most cases colored black.
A WARNING
Batteries contain electricity, acid, and gas.
Any of these can cause very serious or fatal in­
jury. Follow the instructions below for
safe
handling of your vehicle's battery.
-Always shield your eyes and avoid leaning
over the battery whenever possible.
-A discharged battery can freeze at tempera­
tures just below 32 °F (0 °C). Before con­
necting a jumper cable, you must thaw the
356
frozen battery completely, otherwise it could explode.
- Do not allow battery acid to contact eyes or
skin. Flush any contacted area with water immediately.
- Improper use of a booster battery to start a
vehicle may cause an explosion.
- Vehicle batteries generate explosive gases.
Keep sparks, flame and lighted cigarettes
away from batteries.
- Do not try to jump start any vehicle with a
low acid level in the battery.
- The voltage of the booster battery must also
have a 12-Volt rating. The capacity (Ah) of
the booster battery should not be lower
than that of the discharged battery. Use of
batteries of different voltage or substantial­
ly different "Ah" rating may cause an explo­
sion and personal injury.
- Never charge a frozen battery. Gas trapped in the ice may cause an explosion.
- Never charge or use a battery that has been
frozen . The battery
case may have be weak­
ened .
- Use of batteries of different voltage or sub­
stantially different capacity (Ah) rating may
cause an explosion and injury. The capacity
(Ah) of the booster battery should not be
lower than that of the discharged battery.
- Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
~page 304.
CD Note
-Applying a higher voltage booster battery
will cause expensive damage to sensitive
electronic components, such as control
units, relays, radio, etc.
- There must be no electrical contact between
the vehicles as otherwise current could al­
ready start to flow as soon as the positive
(+) terminals are connected.
@ Tips
The discharged battery must be properly con-
nected to the vehicle's electrical system. .,..

Emergency situations
-When connecting jumper cables, make sure
that they cannot get caught in any moving
parts in the engine compartment.
- Do not bend over the batteries -danger of
chemical burns!
- The battery cell locking screws must be
tightened securely.
- Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
c> page 304.
(D Note
Improper hook-up of jumper cables can ruin
the generator.
- Always connect POSITIVE(+) to POSITIVE
(+), and NEGATIVE(-) to NEGATIVE(-)
ground post of the battery manager control
unit.
- Check that all screw p lugs on the battery
cells are screwed in firmly. If not, tighten
plugs prior to connect ing clamp on negative
battery terminal.
- Please note that the procedure for connect ­
i ng a jumper cable as described above ap­
plies specifically to the case of your vehicle
being jump started . When you are giving a
ju mp start to another vehicle, do
not con­
nect the negative (-) cable to the negative
(-) terminal on the discharged batte ry @
c> fig. 2 75. Instead, securely connect the
negative( -) cab le to either a solid metal
component that is firm ly bolted to the en­
gine block or to the engine block itself. If
the battery that is being charged does not
vent to the outside, escap ing battery gas
could ignite and explode!
Towing with a tow truck
General hints
Your Audi requires special handling for towing.
The following information is to be used by com­
mercial tow truck operators who know how to op­
erate the ir equipment safely.
-Never tow your Audi, towing will cause dam­
age to the engine and transmission.
358
-Never wrap the safety chains or winch cables
around the brake lines .
- To prevent unnecessary damage, your Audi
must be transported with a flat bed truck .
- To load the vehicle on to the flat bed, use the
towing loop found in the vehicle tools and at­
tach to the front or rear anchorage
i:> page 358 and c> page 359 .
A WARNING
A vehicle being towed is not safe for passen­
gers. Never allow anyone to ride in a vehicle
being towed, for any reason.
Front towing loop
Only install the front towing loop when it is
needed.
Fig. 276 Front bumper: installing the towing loop
The threaded opening for the towing loop is lo­
cated on the right s ide of the front bumper.
.,. Remove the towing loop from the vehicle too l
ki t
c> page 343 .
.,. Press the cap inward with brief, forceful p res­
sure
c> fig. 2 76. The cap will loosen from the
bumper .
.,. Insert the towi ng loop all the way into the
threaded opening and tighten it with a wheel
wrench.
.,. After using, place the towing loop back in the
vehicle tool kit .
A WARNING
If the towing loop is not tightened until it
stops when installing, the threads may be
pulled out when towing the vehicle and that
could cause an accident.
-

Emergency situations
If you must lift your vehicle with a floor jack to
work underneath, be sure the vehicle is safely
supported on stands intended for this purpose .
Front lifting point
T he lift ing po int is loc ated on the floo r pan re in ­
for cement about at the same leve l as t he jack
mounting po int r=;,
fig. 279. Do not lift the veh i­
cle at the vertical sill re inforcement.
Rear lifting point
T he lift ing po int is loca ted on the vert ica l re in­
for cement of the lower sill fo r t he on b oard ja ck
r=:> fig. 280 .
Lifting with vehicle jack
Refer to r=;, page 347.
A WARNING
- To reduce the risk of ser io us injury and vehi­
cl e d amage.
- Always lift t he ve hicle only at the special
wo rkshop ho ist and floo r jack lift po ints il­
lustrated
r=;, fig . 279 a nd r=;, fig. 280.
- Fa ilure to lift the vehicle at these poin ts
could cause the vehicle to tilt or fa ll from
a lift if there is a change in vehicle weight
distr ibut io n and balance. This might hap­
pen, for exam ple, when heavy co mpo­
n e nts s uch as the engine b lock or tra ns­
mi ssio n are removed.
- When removing heavy components like
th ese, a nchor vehicle to hoist o r add cor re ­
s pon ding weigh ts t o ma in ta in t he ce nte r o f
gr avit y. Ot herwise, t he ve hicl e migh t tilt or
s lip
off the hoist, causing ser ious perso na l
injury .
(D Note
- Be awa re o f th e followi ng poi nts before li ft­
in g th e ve hicle:
-The vehicle should never be lifted or
jacked up from underneath the engine oil
pan, the transmiss ion housing, the front
or rear axle or the body side members .
This could lead to serious damage.
- To avoid damage to the underbody or
chassis frame, a rubber pad must be in-
360
serted between the floor jack and the lift
points.
- Before driving over a workshop hoist ,
check that the vehicle weight does not
exceed the permissible lifting capacity of
the hoist.
- Before driving over a workshop hoist , en­
sure that there is sufficient clearance be­
tween the hoist and low parts of the ve­
hicle .