2018 AUDI A8 Owners Manual

lL t:0 ....
"' ......
"' .... 0 0 :c ' -Never f ill the fuel container with fuel
while it is in or on the vehicle. Stat ic elec­
tr icity is discharged when filling which can
cause the fuel vapors to ignite and in­
creases the r isk of an explos ion.
- Always p lace a fuel container on the
ground before fi lling.
- Always hold the fuel nozzle comp letely in
the fuel container when f il li ng .
- If the fuel container is made of metal, the
fuel nozzle must always be in contact with the conta iner when filling it w ith fuel. Th is
prevents static electr ic ity from discharg­
ing.
- Never sp ill fuel in the veh icle or the lug­
gage compartment. Evaporated fue l is ex­
p losive and increases the risk of serio us in­
jury or dea th.
- Follow legal requir ements when using,
sto ring and transpor ting fue l contai ners .
- M ake sure the fuel conta iner confo rms to
i nd ust ry st anda rds (ANSI/AS TM F852 -86).
(D Note
- Remove spilled fuel from vehicle paint im­
mediate ly, because it can damage paint.
- Never dr ive unti l th e fuel tank is comp letely
empty . The ir regular supply of fuel that re­
su lts from that ca n caus e engine misfires.
U ncomb usted fuel w ill enter the exha ust
system a nd i ncre ase the risk of damage to
the c atalyt ic converter.
@) For the sake of the environment
Do not overfi ll the fuel tank , othe rw ise fue l
can leak out whe n the vehicle is warm ing up.
(D Tips
The f uel f iller door on your vehicle does not
loc k if you lock the vehicle from the inside.
Chec king and Filling
Fuel filler door emergency release
If the central locking system is faulty, the fuel
filler door can be unlocked manually.
F ig . 25 4 Veh icles w it h se lect ive catalyt ic reduct io n•: right
side trim pa nel in t he luggage compa rtme nt
Fi g. 25 5 Righ t sid e tr im pa nel in t he luggage compart·
ment : emergency release mechanism
T he emergency release mechanism is located be­
hind the rig ht side trim pane l in the luggage
compartment . In vehicles with se lective cata lytic
reduction*, remove the vent grille f irst:
.,. Press bo th tabs @¢fig. 254 an d tilt the vent
grilled downward. Yo u can then remove the
grille upwar d .
.,. Loosen the loop¢ fig. 255 from the retainer
and then pull on the loop caref ully
¢ (D . The
fi ller door is released.
.,. Press on t he left side of the fue l filler door to
open
it ¢ page 2 70, fig . 252.
~ Note
Only p ull on the loop until yo u feel resista nce.
You w ill not hear it re lease. Othe rw ise you
could damag e the emergency rel ease mecha­
n ism.
271

Checking and Filling
Emissions control
systems
Catalytic converter
A pp lies to: ve hicles w ith gasoline engines
The vehicle may on ly be driven with unleaded
gasoline, otherwise the catalyt ic converter will be
destroyed.
Never d rive until the tank is comp letely empty .
The irregular supp ly of f uel that results from that
can cause engine m isfires. Uncombusted fuel will
enter the exhaust system , w hich can cause over­
heating and damage to the catalyt ic converter .
A WARNING
The temperature o f the exha ust system is
hig h, bo th whe n driving and after stopping
t he engine.
-
- Never touch the exha ust ta il pi pes once they
h ave become ho t. This could resul t in burns.
- Do no t park you r vehicle ove r flammable
m aterials such as g rass or leaves because
t h e hi gh te mperat ure of the emiss io ns con­
t rol sys te m c ould star t a fire.
- D o no t apply u nder bod y p rote ctant in the
exha ust syste m are a, bec au se t his in cre ases
t h e ris k of fire .
Engine compartment
Working in the engine compartment
Special core is required if you ore working in the
engine comportment
For work in the engine compartment such as
checking and filling fluids, there is a risk of in­
jury , scalding , accidents, and burns . For this
reason, follow all the warnings and general
safety precautions provided in the following in­
formation . The engine compartment is a dan ­
gerous area on the vehicle .
~ ,&..
A WARNING
- T urn the engine off.
- Switch the ign ition off .
- Set the parking b rake .
- Select the P selector leve r pos ition.
272
- Let the eng ine cool down .
- Never open the hood when there is steam o r
coo lant escapin g from the engine compart­
ment, because there is a risk that yo u could
be burned. Wait unt il no steam or coolant is
escaping.
- Keep children away from the eng ine com­
pa rtment.
- Never sp ill fluids on a hot engine. These flu­
ids (such as the anti-freezing agent con­
tained in the coolant) can ignite .
- Avoid short c ircuits in the electrical system.
- When working in the engine compa rtment,
remember that the radiator fan can switch
on even if the ignition is switched off, wh ich
increases the r isk of persona l injury.
- Never open the cap on the coolant expan­
sion tank when the engine is warm. The
cooli ng system is under p ressure .
- To protect your face, hands, and a rms from
hot steam or coolant, cover the cap with a
large cloth when opening.
- Do not remove the engine cove r under any
circumstances . T his increases the risk of
burns.
- If tests need to be perfo rmed with the en­
gine running, there is add itiona l danger due
to mov ing components (such as the r ibbed
be lt, alterna tor and rad iator fan) and from
the high-voltage ignition system.
- Do not unde r any circ ums tances activate the
throttle inadvertently (for example, by hand
from t he e ngine compartment) if the veh i­
cle is stat ionary but the en gine is r un ning
an d a gea r is en gaged. Otherwise, the veh i­
cle will start to move immediately and this
could result in an acc ident .
- Pay a ttent ion to the following wa rnings lis t­
e d w hen wor k on the fue l system o r on the
electrical equipment is require d.
- Do no t smoke.
- Never work near open flames .
- Always have a working fire extinguisher
nearby.
- All work on the battery or elect rical system
in your vehicle can result in injuries, chemi ­
cal b urns, acc idents or bu rns. Because o f
this, all work m ust be perfo rmed
only b y an ~

lL t:0 ....
"' ......
"' .... 0 0 :c ' authorized Audi dealer or autho rized Audi
Service Facility.
- To reduce the risk of electric shock and in­
jury, never touch the following components
when the eng ine is running or is being start­
ed :
- I gnition cable
- Othe r components in the electronic h igh-
voltage ignition system
- If you must check o r perform work on the
engi ne while it is run ning:
- Set the parking bra ke and p lace the se lec­
tor lever in the P (pa rk) position first .
-Always p roceed with extreme ca utio n so
that clothing, jewelry or long ha ir do not
become caught in the radiator fan, fan
belt or other moving components or do
not come into contact with hot compo­
nents . Tie back long ha ir before beginning
work and do not wear cloth ing that can
hang down into the engine .
- L imit your exposure to exhaust a nd chemi ­
cals to as short a time as poss ible ¢
A.
A WARNING
California Proposi tion 6S Warn ing:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contai n or
em it chem icals known to the State of C ali­
forn ia to ca use cancer and bi rth defects an d
re produc tive harm. In ad dition , ce rtain fl u­
ids contained in vehicl es and certa in prod ­
ucts of com ponent wear contain o r emit
chemica ls known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproduct ive harm.
- Battery posts, termina ls and re lated acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemica ls known to the State of California
to cause ca ncer and reproduct ive harms .
Wash hands after handling .
(D Note
When fil ling fl uids, be sure not to mix the flu­
ids up . Otherwise severe ma lfunctions and en ­
gine damage w ill occur.
Chec king and Filling
@) For the sake of the environment
You should regularly check t he gro und under
your vehicle in order to detect leaks quick ly .
If
the re are visible spots from o il or other fluids,
b ring your veh icle to an authorized A udi deal­
er o r aut ho rized Aud i Serv ice Facility to be
checked .
Opening/closing the hood
The hood is released from inside the vehicle .
Fig. 256 Drive r footwell : re lea se leve r
Fig. 25 7 Rocker sw itc h unde r the hood
M ake s ure th e wipe r arms are no t rais e d up from
t h e windshie ld . Otherwise the pain t could be
damaged.
Opening the hood
.,. With the d rive r's doo r open, pull the lever be­
low t he instrume nt pane l in the direction of the
ar row ¢
fig. 256.
.,. Ra ise the hoo d slightly¢&_ .
.. Press the rocker switch under the hood upward
¢ fig . 257. T his re leases the catch.
.,. Open the hood . ..,.
273

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

Checking and Filling
If you must add coolant, use a mixture of water
and coolant additive . Mixing the coolant additive
with distilled water is recommended.
Coolant additive
The coolant additive is made of anti-freezing and
corros ion protection agents. Only use the follow ­
ing coo lant additives .
Coolant additive Specification
Gl2evo
TL 774 L
Gl2++ TL 774 G
Gl3
TL 774 J
These additives may be mixed wi th each othe r.
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 coo lant can free ze
and damage the engine.
Coolant addi- Freeze protec-
tive tion
Warm regions min.
40%, min. -13 °F
max . 45% (-25 °()
C old regions min.
50%, max. -40 °F
max.
55% (-40 °C)
@ Note
-Before the start of winter, have an author­
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Faci lity check if the coolant additive in your
vehicle matches the percentage appropriate
for the climate. This is especially important
when driving in colder climates .
-If the appropriate coolant additive is not
available in an emergency, do not add any
other addit ive for risk of damaging the en­
g ine . 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 coolant.
-Radiator sealant must not be mixed w ith
the coolant.
278
Adding coolant
Fig. 260 Eng in e compar tment : coolant exp ansion tank
cover
Observe the safety precautions ~.&, in Working
in the engine compartment on page 2
72.
Checking the engine coolant level
~ Park the vehicle on a level surface .
~ Switch the ignit io n off.
~ Read the coolant level on the coolant expansion
tank ~ page 2 74. The coolant leve l must be be­
tween the MIN and MAX markings when the en­
gine in co ld. When the engine is warm it can be
slightly above the MAX marking,
Adding coolant
Requirement: there must be a residual amount of
coolant in the expansion
tank ~(©) .
~ Let the engine cool down .
~ Place a cloth over the coolant expansion tank
cap and unscrew the cap counterclockwise
~.&. -
~ Add coo lant mixed in the correct ratio
~ page 277 up to the MAX marking.
~ Make sure that the f luid level remains stable.
Add more coolant if necessary .
~ Close the cap securely .
Coo lant loss usually indicates there is a leak . Im ­
mediate ly drive your vehicle to an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fac ility
and have the cooling system inspected. If the
cooling system is not leaking, a loss can come
from the coolant bo iling t hrough overheat ing
and being pushed out of the cooling system .