2018 AUDI A4 check engine

Checking and Filling
_& 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.
(D Note
When filling fluids, be sure not to mix the flu­ ids up . Otherwise severe malfunctions and
en­
gine damage will occur.
@ For the sake of the environment
You should regularly check the ground under
your vehicle in order to detect leaks quickly . If
there are visible spots from oil or other fluids,
bring your vehicle to an authorized Audi deal­
er or authorized Audi Service Facility to be
checked.
Opening and closing the hood
The hood is released from ins ide the vehicle.
Fig. 266 Drive r footwell : rele ase le v er
324
Fig. 267 Unlocked hood: lev er
Make sure the wiper arms are not raised up from
the windshield. Otherwise the paint could be
damaged .
Opening the hood
"'With the driver's door open, pull the lever be­
low the instrument panel in the direction of the
arrow
9 fig . 266 .
"' Raise the hood slightly 9 ,&.
"'Press the lever ~ fig. 267 in the direction of the
arrow. This releases the hooks.
"' Open the hood.
Closing the hood
"' Push the hood down until you override the
force of the struts .
"'Let the hood fall lightly into the latch . Do not
press it in.
9 ,& .
_& WARNING
-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. Wai t until no steam or coolan t is
escaping.
- For safety reasons, the hood must always be
closed securely while driving . Because of
this, always check the hood after closing it
to make sure it is latched correctly . The
hood is latched if the front corners cannot
be lifted .
- If you notice that the hood is not latched
while you are driving, stop immediately and
close it, because driving when the hood is
not latched increases the risk of an accident.
,...

-If the hood is not latched completely, it
could fly up while you are driving and ob­
struct your vision.
Engine compartment overview
The most important check points.
Checking and Filling
Fig. 268 Typical location of the reservoir a nd t he engine o il filler ope ning
(!) Washer fluid reservoir (O) c::> page 332
@ Jump start po int( +) under a cover,(-) w ith
hex head screw
¢page 332 c:>page 374
@ Engine oil filling opening ( © Engine oil label* w ith VW standard
c:> page325
® Coolant expansion tank (- L) c::> page 329
® Brake fluid reservoir ((0) c::> page 330
The location of the engine oil filling opening and
the coolant expansion tank ¢
fig. 268 (items@
and@) may differ depending on the engine ver­
sion .
_& WARNING
-Read and follow all WARNINGS before check-
in g anything in the engine compartment
c:> page 323.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used must conform to exact speci­
fications.
The service interval display in the instrument
cluster of your vehicle will inform you when it is
time for an oi l change . We recommend that you
have your oil changed by an authorized Audi Serv-
ice Advisor.
.,..
325

Check ing and F illing
I f you must add oi l between oi l changes, use an
oil that matches the Audi oi l quality standard
listed on the st icker. The sticker is located at the
front of the engine
compartment <=> page 325,
fig. 268.
Au di r ec omm end s
ocastrol i/g/g'fE:@t P'r(w.:::-..~J.D,'JAJ..
A udi r ecommends Longli fe high performa nce
e ngin e oil from Audi G enuin e Part s
Using the proper engine oil is important for the
functionality and service life of the eng ine. Your
engine was factory-filled with a h igh-quality oil
which can usually be used throughout the entire
yea r.
0 Note
Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not
cover damage o r malfunctions due to failure
to follow recommended maintenance and use
requirements as set fo rth in the Aud i Owner's
Man ual and Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
- Use only a high qual ity eng ine oi l th at ex-
p ressly complies with the Audi oil q uality
standard specified for your vehicle's engine .
Using any other oil can cause se rious engine
damage .
- Do not mix any lubricants or other additives into the engine oil. Doing so can cause en­
gine damage.
(D Tips
If you need to add oil and there is none availa ­
ble that meets the Audi oi l quality standard
your engine requi res, you may add a total of
no more than 0.5 qt (0.5 l) of a h igh-quality
"synthet ic" o il that meets the following speci­
fications.
- Vehicles with gasoline eng ine: ACEA A3 or
API SM with a viscosity grade of SAE OW-30,
SAE 5W-30 or SAE 5W-40.
- Vehicles w ith diesel eng ine: ACEA C3 or
API CF with a v iscosity grade of SAE OW-30
or SAE 5W-30 .
- For more information about engine oi l that
has been approved for your vehicle, please
contact eithe r your authorized Aud i dealer
or Audi Custome r Relat ions at
326
1 (800) 822-2834 or visit our web site at
www.audi usa .com or www .audicanada .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 ports.
In order to prov ide effect ive lub ricat ion and cool ­
ing of internal engine components, all internal
combustion engines consume a certain amount
of oil. Oil consumption var ies from engine to en­
gine and may change significantly over the life of
the engine. Typically, engines w ith a specified
break-in period
(see<=> page 80) consume more
o il dur ing the break-in per iod than they consume
after o il consumption has stabi lized .
U nder normal cond itions, the rate of oil con­
sumption depends on the quality and viscos ity of
the oil, the RPM (revolutions per m inute) at
wh ich the engine is operated, the amb ient tem­
perature and road condit ions. Furthe r facto rs a re
t h e amo unt of o il di lution from wate r condensa­
t ion or fue l residue a nd the oxidat ion level of the
oi l. As any engine is subject to wear as mileage
builds up, the oi l consumption may increase ove r
ti me until replacement of worn components may
become necessary.
With a ll these variab les coming into p lay, no
standard rate of oil cons umption can be estab ­
li shed or specified . There is no alternative to reg­
ular and frequent checking of the oil level, see
Note .
If the yellow engine oil leve l warning symbo l El
in the instrument cluster lights up, you should
check the o il level as soon as possible
<=> page 32 7. Top off the o il at your earliest con­
venience
<=> page 32 7.
A WARNING
Before you check anyth ing in the e ngine com­
partment, always read and heed all WARN­
I NGS<=> .&. in Working in the engine compart-
ment on page 323.
1iJ>,

a co .... N ,....
N .... 0 0
3 co
(D Note
Driving with an insufficient oil level is likely to
cause severe damage to the engine.
@ Tips
-The oil pressure warning display. is not
an indicator of the oil level. Do not rely on
it. Instead, check the oil level in your en­
gine at regular intervals, preferably each
time you refuel, and always before going
on a long trip.
-If you have the impression your engine con­
sumes excessive amounts of oil, we recom­
mend that you consult an authorized Audi
dealer to have the cause of your concern
properly diagnosed. Keep in mind that the
accurate measurement of oil consumption
requires great care and may take some
time. An authorized Audi dealer has instruc­
tions about how to measure oil consump­
tion accurately.
Checking the engine oil level and adding
engine oil
The engine oil level can be checked in the Info ­
tainment system
Fig. 269 Engine compa rtment: eng ine oil filler opening
cove r
Checking the engine oil level
- Park the vehicle on a level surface.
- Shut the engine off when it is warm.
0 N
-N
" 00 IX)
-Switch only the ignition back on. Wait approxi-
mately two minutes so that the engine oil can
flow back into the oil pan .
Checking and Filling
- Select in the Infotainment system: the !MENUI
button > Vehicle > left control button > Service
& checks > Oil level.
-Check the oil level in the Infotainment system
display. Add engine oil if the bar in the oil level
indicator is just before "min".
Adding engine oil Follow the safety precautions
~&. in Working in
the engine compartment on page 323.
- Stop the engine and open the hood
~page 324 .
-Unscrew the cap~ on the engine oil filling
opening
~ fig. 269, Qpage 325.
- Carefully add O .S quart (O .S liter) of the correct
oil
~ page 325.
- Close the engine oil filler opening cap.
- Close the hood, restart the ignition after two
minutes and read the current oil level in the In ­
fotainment system.
A WARNING ...__ --When adding oil, do not let oil drip onto hot
engine components. This increases the risk
of afire.
-You must secure the cap on the oil filler
opening correctly so that oil does not leak
out onto the hot engine and exhaust system
when the engine is running, because this is
a fire hazard.
-Always clean skin thoroughly if it comes into
contact with engine oil.
0 Note
- The engine oil level must not be under the
"min" marking, because this increases the
risk of engine damage.
- If the message II Please reduce oil level
appears, there is too much oil in the engine
and there is a risk of damaging the catalytic
converter and engine. Do not start the en­
gine. Contact an authorized Audi dealer or
authorized Audi Service Facility to have ex­
cess engine oil extracted if necessary.
- Do not mix any additional lubricants into
the engine oil. Damage caused by such addi-
tives is not covered by the warranty.
IJJ>
327

Check ing and F illing
@ For the sake of the environment
- Oil should never enter the sewer system or
come into contact with the gro und.
- Pay attention to legal requirements when
disposing of empty oil containers .
@ Tips
- The oil leve l indicator in the d isplay is only
an informationa l disp lay .
If the oil leve l is
too low, a minimum oil warning appea rs in
the instrument cluster. Add oil and close
the hood . The current oil level is displayed
i n the instrument cluster the next t ime the
i gnition is switched on .
- The engine oil consumption may be up to
0 .5 quart/600 miles (0 .5 liter/1,000 km),
depend ing on driving style a nd operating
cond itions . Consumption may be higher
d ur in g the first 3,000 miles (5,000 km). Be­
cause of t his, the engi ne oil level m ust be
chec ked regular ly.
It would be best to check
each time you ref uel your veh icle and before
l ong drives.
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that hove your oil changed by an
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified service sta ­
tion .
Before you c heck a nyth ing in the eng ine compart­
men t,
alway s read and heed all WARNINGS ¢.&
in Working in the engine compartment on
page 323.
T he engine oil must be change d accord ing to the
intervals specified in your Warranty
& Mainte ­
nance booklet . This is very important because the
lubricat ing propert ies of oi l diminish gradually
during normal vehicle use.
Under some circ umstances the engine o il should
be changed more frequently. Change oil more of­
ten if yo u drive most ly short distances, operate
the vehicle in dusty areas or under predominantly
stop-and-go traffic cond it ions, or have yo ur vehi­
cle where temperatures remain below freezing
for extended periods .
328
Detergent add itives in the oi l will make fres h oil
l ook dark after the engine has been r unning for a
sho rt time . This is normal and is not a reason to
change the oil more often than recommended.
Because o f the p roblem o f prope r disposa l, along
with t he specia l too ls and necessary expertise re­
quired, we strongly recommend that yo u have
yo ur oil changed by an authori zed
Audi dealer or
a qua lified service station.
If you choose to change your oil yourself , please
note the fo llow ing important information:
_& WARNING
To reduce the risk of persona l injury if you
must change the eng ine oil in your vehicle
yourself:
- Wea r eye protect ion.
- To red uce the r is k of bur ns from hot engine
oil, let the engine cool down to the touch.
-
- W hen removin g the oil drain plug with your
fingers, stay as far away as possible. Always
keep your forearm pa rallel to the gro und to
he lp prevent hot oil from run ning down your
arm .
- Drain the oil into a container designed for
this purpose, one la rge enough to hold at
least the tota l amount of oi l in you r engine.
- Engi ne oil is poisonous. Keep it well out of
the reach of childre n.
- Continuous contact with used eng ine o il is
ha rmf ul to your skin . Always protect your
skin by washi ng oil off thoroughly with soap
a nd wate r.
(D Note
N eve r mix oil additives with you r engine oil.
These add itives can damage your engine and
advers ely affect you r Audi Limit ed New Veh i­
cle Warranty .
@ For the sake of the environment
-Before cha ng ing you r oi l, first make s ure
you know where you can properly dispose o f
t h e used oil.
- Always dispose of used e ngine o il pro perly .
Do not dump i t on garden soil, wooded

areas, into open streams or down sewage
drains.
- Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a used
engine oil collection facility in your area, or
contact a service stat ion .
Cooling system
Coolant
The engine coo ling system is filled with a mixture
of purified water and coolant additive at the fac­
tory. This coolant must not be not changed.
The coolant level is monitored through
the. in­
dicator light
¢ page 30. However , we do recom­
mend occasiona lly checking the coolant level
manually.
If you must add coolant, use a mixture of water
and coolant addit ive. Mixing the coolant additive
with distilled water is recommended.
Coolant additive
The coolant additive is made of anti -freezing and
corrosion protection agents. Only use the fol low­
ing coolant additives . These additives may be
mixed with each other.
Coolant additive Specification
G13
TL 774 J
G12++ TL
774 G
The amount of coo lant additive that needs to be
mixed with 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% min. -13 °F
regions max .
45% (
- 25 °()
Cold min.
50% max
. -40 °F
regions max.
55% (-40 °()
(D Note
-
Before the start of winter, have an author­
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility check if the coolant additive in your
Checking and Filling
vehicle matches the percentage appropriate
for the climate. This is especia lly important
when driving in colder climates.
- If the appropriate coo lant additive is not
available in an emergency, do not add any
other additive. You could damage the en­
gine. If this happens, only use water and re­
store the correct mixture ratio with the
specified coolant add itive as soon as poss i­
ble .
- Only refill w ith new coolant.
- Radiator sealant must not be mixed with
the coolant.
Adding coolant
Fig. 270 E ngine compartment: re lease button on coolant
expansion tank
Observe the safety precautions ¢,&. in Working
in the engine compartment on page 323.
Checking the engine coolant level
.. Park the vehicle on a level surface .
.. Switch the ignition off .
.. Read the coolant level on the coolant expansion
tank
¢ fig. 270.
.. The coolant level must be between the MIN and
MAX markings when the engine in co ld. When
the engine is warm it can be slightly above the
MAX marking.
Adding coolant
.. Let the eng ine cool down .
.. Place a cloth over the coolant expansion tank
cap .
.. Push the release button ¢ fig. 2 70 and carefu l­
ly unscrew the cap to the left until you feel re-
sistance¢ ,A. IIJ,-
329

Checking and Filling
.,. Push the release button again and remove the
cap comp lete ly .
.,. Make sure that the fluid level rema ins stable.
Add more coolant if necessary .
.,. Turn the cap to the right to secure it until you
feel resistance a second t ime.
Coolant loss usually indicates there is a leak . Im ­
mediately drive your vehicle to an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Serv ice Facility
and have the cooling system inspected . If the
coo ling system is not leaking, a loss can come
from the coolant boiling through overheating
and being pushed out of the cool ing system.
_& WARNING
- T he coo ling system is under pressure. Do
not open the coolant expansion tank cap
when the engine is hot. This increases the
risk of burns.
- The coo lant add itive and the coolant can be
dangerous to your healt h. For this reason,
keep the coolant in the origina l container
and away from children. There is a risk of poison ing.
- When working in the engine compartment, remember that the radiator fan can switch
on even if the ign ition is switc hed off, which
increases the risk of in jury.
(D Note
Do not add coolant if the expansion tank is
empty. There may be air in the cooling sys­
tem, wh ic h increases the risk of engine dam­
age.
If th is is the case, do not continue dr iv­
ing . See an a uthorized Aud i dea le r or author­
ized Aud i Service Fa cil ity fo r assistance.
330
Brake fluid
Fig. 271 En gine compa rtment: cap o n brake fluid reservo ir
Observe the safety precautions¢.&, in Working
in the engine compartment on page 32 3 .
Check ing the brake fluid level
.,. Read the brake fluid level on the brake fluid
reservoir ¢ page 325, fig . 268 . The brake flu id
level must be between the MI N and MAX ma rk­
ings ¢.&, .
The brake f lu id level is monito red automatically.
Changing the brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed regularly by an au­
thorized Audi dea ler or authorized Audi Service
Facility.
_& WARNING -
- If the brake flu id leve l is below the MIN
marking, it ca n impair the brak ing effect
and driving safety, wh ich increase the r isk of
an accident. Do not continue dr iv ing . See an
author ized Audi dealer or au thori zed Audi
Serv ice Facility fo r ass ist ance.
- I f the brake fl uid is old, b ubbles may form
in the bra ke system dur ing heavy bra king.
This wo uld im pair b raking per formance and
driving safety, which increases the risk of an
accident.
- To ensure the brake system functions cor­
rectly, only use bra ke fluids tha t comp ly
wit h VW standard 50 1 14 or
FMVSS- 116 DOT 4 .
(D Note
-If the bra ke f lu id leve l is ab ove the MAX
marking, bra ke fluid may le ak o ut over the

a co .... N ,....
N .... 0 0
3 co
edge of the reservoir and result in damage
to the vehicle .
- Do not get any brake fluid on the vehicle
paint, beca use it will corrode the paint .
Battery
General warnings about batteries
Because of the complex power supply, all work
on batteries such as disconnecting, replacing,
etc. shou ld
onl y be performed by an a uthorized
Aud i dealer o r autho rized Aud i Serv ice Facility
¢ ,&. .
The term "vehicle battery" refers to the 12 Volt
battery in your veh icle.
Detailed warning s for th e vehicl e batter y:
®
Wear eye protection .
A
Battery acid is highly corrosive. Wear pro-
tective gloves and eye protect ion.
@
Fire, spa rks, open flame and smoking are
forbidden.
~
A highly explosive mixture of gases can
form when charging batteries.
®
Keep children away from battery acid and
batteries.
A WARNING
All work on the battery or electrical system in
your vehicle can result in injuries, chemical
burns, accide nts o r burns. Be cause of this, a ll
work m ust be perfo rmed
only by an a uthor­
ized Aud i deale r or a utho rized Aud i Serv ice
Facility.
_&. WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Battery posts , termina ls and re lated acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive problems.
Wash hands after handling.
Ch eck ing and Filling
(D Note
Protect the vehicle battery against freezing if
the veh icle w ill be parked for long periods of
time so that it is not destroyed by "free zing"
¢ page 332.
@ For the sa ke of the environment
i Batteries contain polluting substances such
as sulfur ic acid and lead. Contact an author­
i zed Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Fac ility for more informat ion .
Vehicle battery
The term "vehicle ba ttery" refers to the 12 Vol t
ba ttery in your vehicle.
Not running th e vehicle fo r long p eriod s of
time
If you do not drive your vehicle for severa l days or
weeks, electrical equ ipment is gradually scaled
back or sw itched off . Th is reduces energy use and
ensures the vehicle will be able to start after long
per iods of t ime
¢ page 151. Some convenie nce
funct ions, such as inte rio r ligh ting or power seat
adjustment, may not be ava ilable under certain
c ircumstances. These convenience functions will
be available again once you switch the ignition on
and start the engine.
Even when elect rical equipment is switched off,
the eq uipment can sti ll drain the vehicle battery
if the vehicle is not driven for long periods of
time. Deep draining results in a chemica l reaction
that destroys the inside of the vehicle battery .
The veh icle battery must be charged every month
to reduce the risk of this happening
¢ page 332 .
Contact an authorized Aud i dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility for more information .
Winter operation
Co ld weather places higher demands on the vehi­
cle battery. Th is results in reduced starting ab ili­
ty. Have the vehicle battery checked by an au­
thorized Audi dea ler or authorized Audi Service
Facil ity before the cold time of year.
33 1