2018 AUDI A8 check engine

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 .

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>

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. co .... N
" N .... 0 0 :c ' may occur for a variety of reasons, including the
installation of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly . Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or
more tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure
that the replacement or alternate tires and
wheels allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
Description
Applies to: 58 plus
The tire pressure monitoring system monitors
the pressure in the four tires when driving.
The system uses sensors that measure the tem ­
perature and pressure in the tires . The data is
sent from these sensors to the control module by
radio frequency.
The Tire Pressure Monitoring System shows the
current pressures and temperatures of the tires
in the Infota inment system
c:> page 303 . It also
compa res the current tire pressures with the
stored tire press ures and gives a warning in the
driver information system if the tire pressure is
different from what is stored
c:> page 304.
The system does not detect if the stored tire
pressures match the recommended tire pres­
sures.
- Every time the tire pressures change, for exam-
ple when the load in the vehicle changes,
- after replac ing a tire, or
- if wheels with new wheel sensors are used,
you must store the tire pressures again
c:> page 304.
A WARNING
-The tire pressure mon itor ing system assists
the driver in monitoring tire pressures. The
dr iver is responsible for having the tires in­
flated to the correct pressure.
- Do not change the tire pressure when the
temperature of the tire is extremely high.
T his cou ld result in serious damage to the
t ir e and even cause the tire to burst, in­
creasing the risk of an accide nt.
Wheels
-A tire with low pressure flexes more . This
heats the tire up too much. This could cause
the tread to separate and even cause the
tire to burst, increasing the risk of an acci­
dent.
- The Tire Pressure Monitoring System does
not warn you of damage or defects in the
tire construct ion that could cause the tire to
burst, for example. Inspect your tires regu­
larly.
@ For the sake of the environment
Low tire pressure increases fuel consumption
and tire wear.
(D Tips
-The pressure of the spare t ire* is not mon i­
tored.
- If tires are replaced, the sensors/va lves do
not need to be removed or replaced. Just re­
placed the valve stem and, if necessary, the
valve and the whee l electronics . If you have
questions, see an authorized Audi dealer or
authorized Audi Service Facility.
Displaying tire pressures/temperatures
Applies to: 58 plus
Requirement: the ignition must be switched on.
.. Select: the I CAR! funct ion button > Car systems
> Service & control > Tire pressure monitor >
Display tire pressure .
The current tire pressures are shown in green and
yellow numbers in the Infotainment system:
-Green: the current tire pressure and the spec i­
fied tire pressure are approx imately the same .
-Yellow: the current tire pressure is too low
compared to the specified tire pressure .
The specified tire pressure is the last tire pres ­
sure that was stored
c:> page 304 .
Note that the tire pressure also depends on the
temperature of the tire . The tire pressure in­
creases as the engine becomes warmer while
driv ing.
.,.
303

u. co .... N
" N .... 0 0 :c ' 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
~ Note
Vehicles with an automatic transmission can­
not be started by pushing or towing.
Starting with jumper
cables
If necessary, the engine can 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 dead battery can freeze at temperatures
around 32 °F (0 °C) . If the vehicle battery is
frozen, you must thaw it before connecting
the jump start cables. If you do not, this in-
Emergency situations
creases the risk of an explosion and chemi­
cal burns. After jump starting the vehicle,
drive to an authorized Audi dealer or author­ ized Audi Service Facility immediately to
have the vehicle battery checked.
- 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
c>page 272.
@ 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.
327

-When connecting jumper cables, make sure
that they cannot get ca ught in any mov ing
parts in the engine compartment.
- Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, a lways read and heed a ll
WARNINGS
¢ page 272.
(D Note
Impro per hook-u p of jum per cables can ru in
the generato r.
- Always connect P OSITIVE( +) to POSITIV E
( + ), and NEGATIVE( -) to NEGATIVE( -)
g round post of the battery manager contro l
unit.
- Check that a ll sc rew p lugs on the battery
cells are sc rewed in firmly . If not, t ighten
pl ugs p rior to connect ing clamp on negative
b atte ry te rmi nal.
- Please note t hat the procedure fo r con nect­
i ng a jumper cab le as desc ribed above ap­
p lie s specifica lly to the case of yo ur vehicle
b eing ju mp starte d. When you are g iv ing a
ju mp s tart to ano ther vehicle, do
not con­
n ect th e neg ative( -) ca b le to the neg ative
(-) t ermin al on t he disch arged batte ry @
¢ fig . 290. Instead, securely connect the
negat ive(- ) cab le to either a solid metal
component that is f irm ly bolted to the en­
gine block o r to the engine bloc k itself. If
the battery that is be ing c ha rged does not
vent to the outs ide, escap ing batte ry gas
could ignite and ex plod e!
Towing with a tow truck
General hints
Yo ur Audi requires special h andling for towing .
The follow ing informa tion is to be used by com­
mercia l tow tr uck o pera tors who know how to op ­
e rat e the ir equip men t sa fely.
- Never tow your Audi. Towing will cause dam­
age to the engine and transmission.
- Never wrap the safety chains or winch cables
~ around the brake lines. ....
~ -To prevent unnecessary damage, your Audi N
8 must be transported with a flatbed truck. 0 :c ' Emergency situations
-To load the vehicle on to the flatbed, use the
towing loop found in the vehicle tools and at­
tach to the front or rear anchorage
¢ page 329 and c> page 330.
A WARNING
A veh icle being towed is not safe for passen­
ge rs. Neve r allow a nyo ne to ride in a vehicl e
b eing towed, fo r any reason.
Front towing loop
Fi g. 291 Fron t bu mpe r: removing t he cap
Fig. 292 Fron t bu mpe r: insta llin g the tow ing loop
The thread for the towing loop is on the right
s ide of the front bumper beh ind a cap.
.,. Remove the towing loo p from the vehicle too l
kit.
.,. Press the cap inward with brief, forceful pres­
sure
c> fig. 291 . The cap will loosen from the
bumper.
.,. T igh ten the tow ing loop in the threaded open ­
ing until it stops
c> fig. 292 and t hen tighten it
w ith a wheel w re nc h .
.,. Afte r usi ng, p lace the tow ing loop b ack in the
veh icle tool kit.
IJJ>-
329

lL t:0 ....
"' ......
"' .... 0 0 :c ' Raising the vehicle
Lifting with workshop hoist and with floor
jack
The vehicle may only be lift ed at the lifting
points illus tr at ed.
Fig. 296 Fro nt lift in g poin t
Fig. 29 7 Rear lift ing poin t
.,. Read and heed WARNING c::> &, .
.. Activate the veh icle ja ck mode in the MMI :
I CARI funct ion button> Car systems control
button >
Servicing & checks > Air susp.: jack
mode > On .
.. Loca te lift ing po ints c::> fig . 296 and c::>fig . 297 .
.. Adju st lifting arms of wo rkshop ho ist o r floo r
ja ck t o ma tch vehicle li fting poin ts.
.. In se rt a rubb er pa d between the floor j ack/
wor kshop ho ist and the lifting points .
T he vehicle ja ck mode m ust be a ct iv a te d so th at
the au tomatic a djustment of the Ad aptive Air
Suspension does not m ake it more diffic ult to
raise the ve hicle wit h the floor jack.
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 .
Emergency situations
Front lifting point
The lifting poi nt is locate d on the floor p an rein ­
f o rcement about at the same level as the ja ck
mounting point
c::> fig . 296 . Do not lift the vehi­
cle at the vertical sill reinforcement .
Rear lifting point
T he lifting p oin t i s lo cate d on the ve rtic al rei n­
f o rceme nt o f th e lower s ill for the on- bo ar d jac k
c::>fig. 297 .
Lifting with vehicle jack
Refer to c::> pag e 315 .
A WARNING
- To reduce the r is k of se rious inju ry and veh i­
cle dama ge.
- Always lift the vehicle o nly at the specia l
wor kshop h oist a nd f loor jack lift points
il­
l ustrated c::> fig. 296 and c::> fig. 297.
- Failure to lift t he ve hicle at these points
could cause the veh icle to tilt o r fall from
a lift i f there is a change in vehicle weight
dist ribution and balance . This might hap­
pen, fo r example, when h eavy compo­
nents such as the eng ine block o r trans­
missi on are re moved .
- Whe n re mov ing heavy comp onents like
these, an ch or veh icle t o hois t or ad d co rre­
spon ding weig hts t o m aintai n the cen ter of
g ravi ty . Ot herw ise, the vehicle mig ht tilt or
slip off t he hoist, caus ing se rio us pe rsonal
i njur y .
(D Note
- Be aw are of the fo llow ing po ints b efor e lift­
ing the vehicle:
-The vehicle should never be lifted or
jacked up from underneath the engine oil
pan, the transmission 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
serted between the floor jack and the lift
points .
.,.
331