2018 AUDI A8 Owners Manual

lL
_& 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 additive 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.
CD Note
Do not add coolant if the expansion tank is
empty. Air could enter the cooling system and
damage the engine. If this is the case, do not
continue driving. See an authorized Audi deal­
er or authorized Audi Service Facility for assis­
tance.
Brake fluid
N N
-N
" co IX)
Fig. 261 Engine compartment: cap on brake flu id reservoir
Observe the safety precautions ~&. in Working
in the engine compartment on page 2
72.
Checking the brake fluid level
.. Read the brake fluid level on the brake fluid
reservoir
~ page 274, fig. 258. The brake fluid
level must be between the MIN and MAX mark­
ings~&. -
~ The brake fluid level is monitored automatically .
...... N ...... 0 0 :c ' Checking and Filling
Changing the brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed regularly by an au­
thorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility.
_& WARNING
-
- If the brake fluid level is below the MIN
marking, it can impair the braking effect
and driving safety, which increase the risk of
an accident . Do not continue driving . See an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility for assistance.
- If the brake fluid is old, bubbles may form
in the brake system during heavy braking.
This would impair braking performance and
driving safety, which increases the risk of an
accident.
- To ensure the brake system functions cor­
rectly, only use brake fluids that comply
with VW standard 50114 or FMVSS-116 DOT 4.
CD Note
- If the brake fluid level is above the MAX
marking, brake fluid may leak out over the
edge of the reservoir and result in damage
to the vehicle.
- Do not get any brake fluid on the vehicle
paint, because 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., should
only be performed by an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility
~ .&. .
The term "vehicle battery" refers to the 12 Volt
battery in your vehicle.
Detailed warnings for the vehicle battery:
® Wear eye protection.
b. Bat~ery acid is highly corrosive. Wear pro-
~ tect1ve gloves and eye protection. Ill>-
279

Checking and Filling
@
Fire, sparks, open flame and smok ing are
forb idden.
~
A highly explosive mixture of gases can
form when charging batteries.
®
Keep c hildren 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, accidents or burns. Because of this, a ll
work must be performed
only by an author­
ized Aud i dea le r o r authorized Aud i Serv ice
Facility.
A WARNING
California Proposit ion 65 Warning:
- Battery posts, terminals and re lated acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the Sta te of California
to ca use ca nce r and rep roduct ive p roblems.
Wash hands after handling.
{Q) Note
If the v ehicle wi ll be par ked for long periods
of t ime, pro tect i t against the co ld so that it
w ill not be destroyed by "freezing"
¢page 280.
Vehicle battery
The term "vehicle battery" refers to the 12 Volt
bat tery in your vehicle.
Not running the vehicle for long periods of
time
I f you do not dr ive your vehicle for seve ral days or
weeks, elec trical equipmen t is gradually scaled
back or switched off. This reduces energy use and
ensu res the vehicle wi ll be able to start after long
periods of
time ¢ page 131. Some convenience
functions, such as interior lighting or power seat
ad justment, may not be available under certa in
circumstances. These convenience funct ions w ill
be ava ilable aga in once you switch the ignition on
and start the engine.
280
Even when electrical equipment is swi tched o ff,
the equipment can still drain the vehicle battery i f the ve hicle is not dr iven fo r long periods of
time. Deep draining results in a chemica l reaction
that destroys the ins ide of the vehicle battery.
The vehicle battery must be charged every month
to reduce the risk of this
happen ing ¢ page 280.
Contact an autho rized Aud i dea le r or a uthorized
A udi Se rvice Fa cility for mo re information.
Winter operation
Co ld weather places higher demands on the vehi­
cle battery. T his res ults in reduced starting abili ­
ty . Have the vehicle ba tte ry checked by an au­
thorized Aud i dea ler or author ized Audi Service
Fa cil ity befo re the cold time of ye ar.
Charging the vehicle battery
Fi g. 262 Eng ine compa rtment: connectors fo r a cha rger
and jump start cab les
Requirement: only use chargers with a ma ximum
charging voltage of 30 amp s/14.8 Volts.
The
vehicle battery cab les remain connected .
.. Read the warnings ¢.&. in General warnings
about batteries on page 280
and ¢ _&. .
.. Switch off the ignitio n and all electrica l equip­
ment.
.. Open the hood ¢ page 2 73 .
.. Remove the cover (I) by pressing on the arrow
¢fig. 262.
.. Open the cover @on the pos it ive terminal.
.. Clamp the charger terminal clamps to the jump
star t pins accord ing to the inst ru ct ions. (pin un­
de r the cover= "positive", p in wit h hex agon al
head = "nega tive") .
.. Insert the power cable for t he cha rging dev ice
into the socket and switch the device on.
Ill>

u. co .... N
" N .... 0 0 :c ' ~ At the end of the charging process, switch the
charger off and pull the power cab le out of the
socket.
~ Now remove the charg ing device terminal
clamps .
~ Close the cover @on the positive term inal and
re-install the
cover (!).
~ Close the hood c:;, page 2 73 .
A drained battery can freeze at temperatures
around
322F (0QC) . A frozen or thawed out bat­
tery must no longer be used . The battery hous ing
could be cracked by the format ion of ice , which
could cause battery acid to leak out
c:;, ,&. .
Charg ing the b attery
Only use chargers with a ma ximum charg ing
v oltage of 14 .8 V.
The battery connecting cables
do not need to be disconnected . Do not open the
battery when charg ing .
Read all of the manufacturer's instructions for
the charger before charging the battery .
A WARNING
-A h ighly exp losive mixture of gases can form
w hen cha rging batter ies. O nly charge t he
vehicle ba tte ry in well -vent ilated a reas.
- A d rained vehicle battery can freeze at tem­
peratu res a round 32
Q F (0 QC). A froze n or
thawed ve hicle battery m ust not be ch arged
and must not be used anymore. The battery
housing can crack and battery acid can leak
out if ice forms, whic h increases the risk of
an exp losion and chemical burns. Contact an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Aud i
Service Facility for more information.
- Do not connect or disconnect the charg ing
cable while charg ing because th is increases
the risk of an explosion .
(D Tips
-Only charge the vehicle battery through the
connections in the engine compartment.
-Read all of the manufacturer's instructions
for the charger before charg ing the ve hicle
battery .
Ch eck ing and F illing
Windshield washer
system
F ig . 263 E ngin e compar tmen t: was he r fl ui d reservo ir cap
M N
-N ' "' "' m
The windshield washer fluid reservoir O contains
the cleaning solution for the windshie ld and the
headlight washer system
c:;, fig. 263, c:;, page 274.
The reservoir capacity can be found in
<=> page 334.
To reduce the risk of lime scale depos its on the
spray nozzles, use clean water with low amounts
of calcium. Always add w indow cleaner to the wa­
ter . When the outside temperatures are cold, an
anti -freezing agent should be added to the water
so that it does not freeze .
@ Note
-The concentration of ant i-freez ing agent
must be adjusted to the veh icle operat ing
condit ions in the respective cl imate . A con­
centration that is too high can lead to vehi­
cle damage.
- Never add radiato r anti-freeze or other addi­
t ives to the washer fluid.
- Do not use a glass cleaner that conta ins
paint so lvents, because t his could damage
the paint.
Service interval display
The service interval display detects when your ve­
hicle is due for service.
T he serv ice interval d isplay wo rks in two stages:
-In sp ec tio n o r oil change remind er: after a cer-
tain distance driven , a message appears in the
.,.
2 8 1

Checking and Filling
instrument cluster display each time the ign i­
tion is switched on or off . The rema ining
distance or time is displayed br iefly.
- Inspection or oil change due: if yo ur vehicle
h as reached an inspection o r oi l change interval
o r both intervals at t he same time, the mes­
sage
Inspection due! or Oil change due! or Oil
change and inspection due!
appears br iefly af­
te r switch ing the igni tion on/off .
Checking service intervals
You can check t he rema ining distance o r time un­
til the next oil change o r next inspec tion i n the
Ca r menu. To do this, select: the
IC ARI function
button
> Car systems contro l bu tton > Service &
control > Service intervals .
Resetting the indicator
A n author ized A udi dealer or authorized A udi
Serv ice Facility will reset the serv ice interval d is­
p lay after pe rforming serv ice .
I f yo u have chan ged t he oil you rself, you must re ­
set t he oil change interva l.
To reset the in dic ator, se le ct : th e
ICAR I fu nc tion
but ton
> Car system s control button > Service &
control > Service intervals. T urn t he control knob
downwa rd to
Reset oil change interval an d press
the co ntro l knob.
{QJ Note
- On ly reset the oil ch ange in dicato r if the oil
was c han ge d.
- Fo llow ing the service i nte rvals is cr itical to
maintai ning the service life a nd value o f
your ve hicl e, especia lly t he engine. Even if
the m ileage on the veh icle is low, do not ex­
c e ed th e tim e fo r th e ne xt serv ic e .
282

u. a:, .... N
" N .... 0
0
I Wheels
Wheels and Tires
General information
~check your tires regularly for
damage (punctures, cuts, cracks
and bulges). Remove foreign ob­
jects from the tire tread.
~ If driving over curbs or similar
obstacles, drive slowly and ap ­
proach the curb at an angle.
~Have faulty tires or rims re­
placed immediately.
~Protect your tires from oil,
grease and fuel.
~Mark tires before removing
them so that the same running
direction can be maintained if
they are reinstalled.
~Lay tires flat when storing and
store them in a cool, dry location
with as little exposure to light as possible.
(D Note
-Please note that summer and winter tires are designed for
the conditions that are typical in those seasons. Audi recom­
mends using winter tires dur­
ing the winter months. Low
temperatures significantly de­
crease the elasticity of summ­
er tires, which affects traction
Wheels
and braking ability. If summer
tires are used in very cold
temperatures, cracks can form on the tread bars, resulting in
permanent tire damage that
can cause loud driving noise
and unbalanced tires.
-Burnished, polished or chromed rims must not be
used in winter driving condi­
tions. The surface of the rims does not have sufficient corro­
sion protection for this and
could be permanently dam­
aged by road salt or similar
substances.
Tire designations
Fig. 264 Tire specification codes on the
sidewall of a tire
.,.
283

Wheels
(D Tires for passenger vehicles
(if applicable)
"P" indicates a tire for a passenger
vehicle. "T" indicates a tire desig­
nated for temporary use.
@ Nominal width
Nominal width of the tire be­
tween the sidewalls in millime­
ters. In general: the larger the number, the wider the tire.
@ Aspect ratio
Height/width ratio expressed as a
percentage.
© Tire construction
R indicates a radial tire.
® Rim diameter
Size of the rim diameter in inches.
@ Load index and speed rating
The load index indicates the tire's
load-carrying capacity.
The speed rating indicates the maximum permitted speed
c> & in
Winter tires on page 298.
"EXTRA LOAD", "xl" or "RF" indi­
cates that the tire is reinforced or
is an Extra Load tire.
Speed rat-
Maximum permitted speed
ing
p
up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (160 km/h)
284
Speed rat- Maximum permitted speed
ing
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
s up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
T up to 1 18 mph (190 km/h)
u up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h) al
z above 149 mph (240 km/h)a)
w up to 168 mph (270 km/h) al
y up to 186 mph (300 km/h)a)
a) For tires above 149 mph (240 km/h),
tire manufacturers sometimes use the
code
"ZR".
0 US DOT number (TIN) and
manufacture date
The manufacture date is listed on
the tire sidewall (it may only ap­
pear on the inner side of the tire):
DOT ... 2217 ...
means, for example, that the tire
was produced in the 22nd week of
the year 2017.
@ Audi Original Tires
Audi Original equipment tires
with the designation "AO" have
been specially matched to your
Audi. When used correctly, these
tires meet the highest standards
for safety and handling. An au­
thorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility will be
able to provide you with more in­
formation.

....
"' -N .... N
-0
0
J: ..
® Mud and snow capability
"M/S" or "M+S" indicates the tire
has properties making it suitable
to drive in mud or
snow .~ indi­
cates a winter tire .
@ Composition of the tire cord
and m aterials
The number of plies indicates the
number of rubberized fabric lay­
ers in the tire. In general : the
more layers, the more weight a
tire can carry . Tire manufacturers
must also specify the materials
used in the tire . These include
steel, nylon, polyester and other
materials .
@Maximum permitted load
This number indicates the maxi­
mum load in kilograms and
pounds that the tire can carry .
@Uniform ti re quality grade
standards for treadwear,
traction and temperature resistance
Treadwear , traction and tempera­
ture
ranges¢ page 299 .
@ Running direction
The arrows indicate the running
direction of unidirectional tires .
You must always follow the speci- fied running direction
¢
page 319.
@ Maximum permitted
inflation p ressure
Wh eel s
This number indicates the maxi­
mum pressure to which a tire can
be inflated under normal operat­
ing conditions.
Glossary of tire and loading
terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weight (in
excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of auto­ matic transmission, power steer­
ing, power brakes, power win ­
dows, power seats, radio, and
heater, to the extent that these
items are available as factory-in­
stalled equipment (whether in­
stalled or not) .
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the height to
the width of the tire in percent .
Numbers of 55 or lower indicate a
low sidewall for improved steer­
ing response and better overall
handling on dry pavement .
285

Wheels
Bead
means the part of the tire that is
made of steel wires, wrapped or
reinforced by ply cords and that is
shaped to fit the rim .
Bead separation
means a breakdown of the bond
between components in the bead .
Cord
means the strands forming the
plies in the tire .
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recom­
mended by the vehicle manufac­
turer for
a tire of a designated
size that has not been driven for more than a couple of miles (kilo­
meters) at low speeds in the
three hour period before the tire pressure is measured or adjusted .
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor ve­
hicle with standa rd equipment in ­
cluding the maximum ca pacity of
fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi ­
tioning and addit ional weigh t of
optional equipment.
E x tra load tire
means a tire designed to operate
at higher loads and at higher
in -
28 6
flation pressures than t he corre­
spond ing standard tire. Extra load
tires may be identified as "X L",
"xl" , "EXTRA LOAD" , or "RF" on
the sidewall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR")
means the load-car rying capacity
of a single axle system , measu red
at the ti re-ground interfaces .
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR")
means the maximum total loaded
weight of the vehicle .
Groove
means the space between two ad­
jacent tread ribs .
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load tha t a
tire is rated to carry for a given i n­
flation pressure. You may no t find
this informat ion on all ti res be­
cause it is not required by law .
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a tire at
the maximum permissible infla­
tion pressure for that tire .
Maximum loaded vehicle
weight
means t he sum of: