2018 AUDI A8 check oil

Display content
In t he Info tainment system, yo u can specify
which informa tion should be displayed: This
could be Navigation information* or Nig ht vision
assist *, for examp le.
The display of certa in inf ormat ion and some of
the red indicator lights cannot be h idden in the
I nfotainment system .
Display brightness
You can adjust the display br ight ness in the Info­
tainment system. The display b rig htn ess decreas ­
es au toma tically as the amo un t of ligh t dec reas­
es. The backgro und brightness is adjusted with
the instrument
i ll umination ¢ page 47.
@ Note
To preven t scratches on t he g lass cove ring the
head -up d isp lay, do not place any obje cts in
the projection opening .
(D Tips
-Su ng lasses w it h polar izat ion fi lte rs a nd un­
favorab le lighting conditions can have a
negative effect on the display.
- An optim um display depends on the seat
position and the height adjustment of the
head -up display .
- A specia l windshield is needed for the head ­
u p disp lay function.
- Fo r informa tion on cleaning,
see¢ table on
page 308.
Indicator lights
Description
The indicato r lights in the inst rument cluste r
b lin k or t urn on. They ind icate funct ions or mal­
f u nctions.
W ith some ind icator lights, messages may ap­
pear and wa rning signals may sound . The ind ica­
tor lights and messages in the center of the dis­ p lays may be replaced by other d isplays. To show
u.
~ them again, se lect the tab for ind icator lights
N ~ and messages using the multif unction steering
...... g wheel ¢ page 12. If there are several malfunc -
:c ' Cockpit o ver view
tions, you can disp lay them one at a time using
the thumbwheel.
Some indicato r lights in the display ca n disp lay in
severa l co lors.
Overview
Some indicator lights turn on brief ly as a function
check when you switch the ignition on . These sys ­
tems are marked with a./ in the fo llow ing tab les.
If one of these ind icator lights does not turn on,
there is a malfunct io n in that system.
Red indicator light s
-------------
US A models:
Brake system./
¢ page 19
Canada model s:
Brake system ./
¢ page 19
USA models:
Electromechan ica l park ing b rake
¢ pag e 20
Canada models:
Electromechan ical parki ng brake
¢ page 20
Coo ling system
¢ page 20
Engine oil pressure
¢ page 21
Engine oil leve l
¢ page 21
Alte rnator
¢ page 21
E ngine stop while driv ing
¢ page 21
Safety belt ./
¢ page 20
Electromechanical steering./
¢ page 130
Steering lock
¢ page 21
Engine start system
¢ page 2 2
17

u. co .... N
" N .... 0 0 :c ' 0 Generator/vehicle battery
• Electrical system: malfunction! Battery is
not being charged
There is a malfunction in the alternator or the ve­
hicle electrical system .
Drive to an autho rized Audi dea ler or authorized
Aud i Service Facility immediately. Because the ve­
hi cle battery is discharg ing, turn off all unneces­
sary electrical equipment s uch as the radio . See
a n author ized A udi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility if the battery charge level is too
l ow .
(•) Low battery charge : Battery will be charged
while driving
The 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 fue l
supp ly system.
M ore 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 Aud i
dealer or authorized Aud i Serv ice Facility for as­
sistance .
A WARNING
-
If the engine stops while driving, you will
need to use more force to brake the vehicle.
This inc reases 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
"1:::7: Engine oil pressure
• Turn off engine and check oil level
Stop the engine and do not cont inue driving .
Check the eng ine o il level
¢pag e 275.
- If the engine o il level is too low, add engine oil
¢ page 2 76. 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 Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility for as­
sistance.
(D Tips
The o il pressure warning is not an oil leve l in­
dicator. Always check the oil level regular ly.
~ , Engine oil level
.Please add oil immediately.
Add engine oil immediately ¢page 275.
l'I Add oil max . x qt (l). You may continue driv­
ing
Add the displayed amount of oil immediately
¢page 275.
@ -Steering lock
• Do not drive vehicle: Steering defective
The re is a malfunction in the electron ic steer ing
loc k. You canno t turn the ign ition on.
Do
not tow your vehicle because it cannot be
stee red. See an authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility for assistance.
!I! Steering lock: System fault Please contact
dealer
There is a malfunction in the e lectron ic steering
lock .
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immed iate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
IJ>
21

Cockpit overv ie w
lig ht 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 evel! Sen sor d efe ctiv 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 immed iate ly to have
the ma lfunction corrected .
f Engine warm-up request
0 Plea se warm up engine
Fue l has entered the eng ine oil, either from low
outside temperatures or frequent short drives .
Dr ive unt il the engine is warm so that the fuel in
the eng ine oi l will evaporate . Avo id h igh eng ine
speeds, fu ll acce le rating and heavy eng ine loads
when doing this.
jjl Tank system
Ill Plea se refuel
If t he i nd icator lig ht t urns on fo r the fi rst time
a nd the mess age appears, there a re abo ut 4 ga l­
lons (15 lite rs) of fue l le ft in the tank.
D Fuel tank s ystem malfunction! Plea se con­
tact dealer
There is a malfunction in the fue l tank system .
Drive to an a uthorized Audi dea ler or a uth orized
Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
(D Tips
For more information on fueling, see
¢page 269 .
~ Washer fluid level
C Please refill washer flu id
24
Fill the washer fluid for the windshie ld washer
system and the head light washer system when
t h e ignit ion is switched
off ¢ page 281 .
• Windshield wipers
m Windshield wiper defective
There is a ma lfunction with the winds hield wip ­
ers .
D rive to an au thor ized 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:$ ind icator 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: Malfunction
There is a m alfu nction in the headlights o r the
li gh t sw itch .
D rive to an author ized Audi dealer or autho rized
Audi Se rvice Fac il ity immed iate ly to have the
malfunction cor rec ted .
_& WARNING
-Light bulbs are under pressure and can ex ­
p lode when b ulbs a re rep laced, w hic h in­
creases the ris k of in jury.
- With H ID headlig hts* (xenon -plus head ­
lights), the high-vo ltage component must
be handled correct ly . Otherwise, there is a
risk o f fatal in jury.
§.0 Headlight range control system
El He adlight range cont rol system: System
fault
There is a ma lfunction in the headlight range
contro l system, which may cause glare for other
drivers.
-

Intellig ent T echn olo gy
- New brake pads do not achieve their full
braking effect during the first 250 mi
(400 km). They must be "broken in" first.
However, you can compensate for the
sl ightly reduced brak ing force by pressing
firmly on the brake pedal. Avoid heavy brak­
i ng dur ing t he break- in per iod.
- Certa in weather and operat ing cond it ions
such as dr iv ing through water, driving in
heavy ra in or driving after washing your ve ­
hicle can impair the effectiveness of the
brakes . In the winter, ice may build up on
the brake pads, rotors and drums . Check
these components by braking carefu lly. Ap­
plying the brakes carefully severa l 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 stretches on roads
covered w ith salt w ithout using the brakes.
You can remove salt deposits from the brake rotors and pads by carefully applying
the b rakes severa l t imes .
- If the front spo iler is damaged or you install
another spoiler, make sure the front wheel
bra kes are vent ilated properly. Otherwise,
the brake system could ove rheat, w hich re ­
duces the ir effectiveness.
- Failure of a b rake circuit impa irs b raking
perfo rmance, which inc reases brak ing dis ­
tance . Avoid driving the vehicle and have it
towed it to the nearest authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility .
- If the brake booster is not working, you will
have to press m uch harder on the brake
peda l to compensate for the lack of the
booster.
@ Note
- Never let the brakes " rub" by pressing the
pedal light ly when braking is not actually
necessary. This causes the brakes to over­
heat and increases braking distance and
causes wear.
- Before driving downhill a long distance on a
steep hill, decrease your speed and select a l ower gear. This makes use of the engine
braking effect and relieves the brakes. If
130
you need to brake add itiona lly, brake in in­
terva ls and not continuous ly .
(D Tips
- If the bra ke 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 spoi l­
er, wheel covers or simi lar items, make sure
that the air flow to the front wheels is not interrupted. Otherwise the brake system
can become too hot.
Electromechanical
steering, dynamic
steering
The electromechonicol steering supports the
driver's steering movements.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed .
Indicator lights and messages
• Do not drive vehi cle: S tee rin g defect ive
If this indicator light turns on and stays on and
th is message appears, the power steering may
have failed .
Stop the vehicle in a safe location as soon as pos­
s ible. Do
not conti nue driving. See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fac il ity for
ass istance.
l;rfl St ee ring: System faul t You ca n cont inue
dr ivi ng
If the indicator light turns on and the message
appears, the steering wheel may be more diffi­
cu lt to move or more sensitive than usual. The
steering wheel may also be at an angle when driv ing stra ight .
Drive slowly to an authorized Audi dea ler or au­
thori zed Audi Serv ice Facility to have the mal­
funct io n corrected.
'-r-ij Dynamic stee ring: Init ializing
If the indicato r light is blinking and this message
appears, dynamic steering* is being initialized.
IJ>-

Checking and Filling
Cl osing the ho od
~ Push the hood down until you override the
force of the strut .
~ Let the hood fall light ly into the latch. Do not
press it in.
c::> .&_ .
A 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. Wait until no steam or coolant is
escaping.
Engine compartment overview
The most important check points .
-For safety reasons, the hood must always be
closed securely while driv ing. 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 immed iate ly and
close
it, because d riving when the hood is
not latched increases the r is k of an accident.
Fig. 258 Typical locatio n of the rese rvoir and the engi ne o il fille r open ing
(D Washer fluid reservoir (Q) c::> page 281
@ J ump start point(-) with hex head screw
c::> page 280, c::> page 32 7
® Jump start point(+) under a cover
c::> page 280, c::> page 32 7
@ Engine oil label * w ith VW standard
c::> page 2 75
274
® Engine oil filler opening ( page 2 76
@ Brake fl uid reservo ir ((0)) c::> page 2 79
(J) Coolant reservoir (-L) c::> page 2 78
The engine oil filling opening (item @) may be
l ocated in a different area depending on the en-
gine version.
.,.

u. co ..... N
" N ..... 0 0 :c ' & WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS before check­
ing anything in the engine
compartment~ .&.
in Working in the engine compartment on
page 272.
Engine oil
If the engine oil level is too low
If you need to add engine oil, use an oil that is listed on the sticker.
The sticker is located at the
front of the engine
compartment ~ page 274,
fig.
258.
If the recommended engine oil is not available,
in an emergency you may add a maximum of 1
quart
(I liter) of ACEA C3 or API SN engine oil
one time until the next oil change.
For more information on the correct engine oil
for your vehicle, contact an authorized Audi deal­
er or authorized Audi Service Facility. Have the oil
changed by an authorized Audi dealer or author­ ized Service Facility.
Audi recommends
«;;castrol I /g@@g PrtfTr.:!\.7.Tri,'lAl.
Audi recommends using the Longlife high-per·
formance engine oil from Audi Genuine Parts.
Checking the engine oil level
The engine oil level can be checked in the Info­
tainment system
Observe the safety precautions ~ A in Working
in the engine compartment on page 2 72.
~ 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)* Sys­
tems
control button > Service & control > Oil
level.
~ Read the oil level in the Infotainment system .
Add engine oil if the bar in the oil level indica­
tor is just before
"min"~ page 2 76.
Checking and Filling
@ Note
The engine oil level must not be under the
"min" marking, as this will increase the risk of
engine damage.
(D 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.
(D Tips
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 regular­
ly. It is best to check each time you refuel
your vehicle and before long drives.
- In order to provide effective lubrication and
cooling of internal engine components, all
internal combustion engines consume acer­
tain amount of oil. Oil consumption varies
from engine to engine and may change sig­
nificantly over the life of the engine. Typi­
cally, engines with a specified break-in peri­
od consume more oil during the break-in pe­
riod than they consume after oil consump­
tion has stabilized.
- Under normal conditions, the rate of oil
consumption depends on the quality and
viscosity of the oil, the RPM (revolutions per
minute) at which the engine is operated, the
ambient temperature and road conditions.
Further factors are the amount of oil dilu­
tion from water condensation or fuel resi­
due and the oxidation level of the oil. As any
engine is subject to wear as mileage builds
up, the oil consumption may increase over
time until replacement of worn components
may become necessary.
.,.
275

Checking and Filling
-With all these variables coming into play,
no standard rate of o il consumption can be
established or specified. There is no alterna­
tive to checking the oil level regularly and
frequently.
- 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.
- You can find information on engine oil and
engine oil capacities for the USA at
www.audiusa.com/help/maintenance, or
for Canada at www.audi.ca/ca/web/en/
customer-area/ care-a nd-maintena nee/ aud
i­
service-schedules. html , or call
800 -822-2834.
Adding engine oil
Fig. 259 Engine co mpartment : en gin e oil fille r opening
c ove r
0 N
-N ,.:
gi
Observe the safety precautions c::, &. in Working
in the engine compartment on page
2 72.
"Turn the engine off.
" Open the hood c::, page 2 73.
" Unscrew the cap 't=?1 for the engine oil filling
opening
c::, fig. 2 59.
"Carefully add 0.S quart (0 .5 liter) of the correct
oil
c::, page 275.
"Close the engine oil filler opening cap.
"Close the engine compartment lid.
276
"Restart the ignition after two minutes and read
the current oil level in the Infota inment system
c::, page 275, Checking the engine oil level.
"Add more oil if necessary.
A WARNING
-When adding oil, do not let oil drip onto hot
engine components . This increases the risk
of afire.
- You must seal the cap on the oil filler open­
ing 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.
- Engine oil is poisonous and must be kept
out of reach of children.
- Store the engine oil securely in the original
container.
(D Note
- If the message l!I Oil level is too full.
Please reduce oil level. appears, there is too
much oil in the engine and there is a risk of
catalytic converter and engine damage. Do
not start the engine . Contact an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fa­
cility to have excess engine oil extracted if
necessary.
- Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does
not cover damage or malfunctions due to
failure to follow recommended mainte­
nance 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 Audi oil quality
standard specified for your vehicle's engine .
Using any other oil can cause serious engine
damage .
- Do not mix any additional lubricants into
the engine oil. Damage caused by such addi-
tives is not covered by the warranty.
.,._

u. co .... N
" N .... 0 0 :c ' @ For the sake of the environment
-Oil should never enter the sewer system or
come into contact with the ground.
- Pay attention to legal requirements when
disposing of empty oi l containers .
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that hove your oil changed by on
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified service sta­
tion .
Before you check anyt hing in the engine compart ­
ment,
alw ays re ad and h eed all W ARNINGS ¢ &
in Working in the engine comportment on
page 272.
The engine oil must be changed according to the
intervals specified in your Warranty
& Mainte­
nance booklet . This is very important because the
lubricating properties 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 t ime . Th is 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 se rvice station .
If you choo se to chang e your o il y ou rse lf, please
note the following important information:
A WARNING
T o reduce the r isk of personal injury if you
must change the engine oil in your ve hicle
yourse lf:
- Wear eye protection .
-
Check ing and F illing
- To reduce the risk of burns from hot engine
oil, let the engine cool down to the touch.
- When removing the oil drain p lug with your
fingers, stay as far away as possible. Always 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 o il is
harmful to your skin. Always protect your
skin by wash ing oil off thoroughly with soap
and wate r.
@ Note
Never mix oil additives with your engine oil.
These add itives can damage your engine and
adversely affect your Audi L imited New Vehi­
cle War ranty .
@ For the sake of the environment
-Before chang ing your o il, 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 so il, wooded
areas, i nto open streams o r down sewage
dra ins.
- Recycle used eng ine o il by tak ing it to a used
eng ine oi l collection fac ility in yo ur area, or
c ontact a se rvice station.
Cooling system
Coolant
The eng ine cooling system is filled w ith a mixture
of purified water and coolant additive at the fac­
tory. This coolant must not be not changed .
The coo lant level is mon itored through
the . in­
dicator
light¢ page 20. However, we do recom­
mend occasionally checking the coolant level
manually .
.,.
277