2018 AUDI A8 service

Safety belts
of the system are scrapped. A qualified
dealership is familiar with these regulations
and will be pleased to pass on the informa­
tion to you.
Service and disposal of safety belt preten­
sioner
The safety belt pretensioners are parts of the
safety belts on your Audi. Installing, removing,
servicing or repairing of belt pretensioners can
damage the safety belt system and prevent it
from working correctly in a collision.
There are some important things you have to
know to make sure that the effectiveness of the
system will not be impaired and that discarded
components do not cause injury or pollute the
environment.
A WARNING -
Improper care, servicing and repair proce­
dures can increase the risk of personal injury
and death by preventing a safety belt preten­
sioner from activating when needed or acti­
vating it unexpectedly:
- The belt pretensioner system can be activat­
ed only once . If belt pretensioners have
been activated, the system must be re­
placed.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts of
the safety belt system.
- Safety belt systems including safety belt
pretensioners cannot be repaired. Special
procedures are required for removal, instal­
lation and disposal of this system.
- For any work on the safety belt system, we
strongly recommend that you see your au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified technician
who has an Audi approved repair manual,
training and special equipment necessary.
@ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and pretension­
ers might be classified as Perchlorate Materi­
al -special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/ perchlorate. When the vehicle or parts of the restraint system including airbag modules
226
safety belts with pretensioners are scrapped,
all applicable laws and regulations must be
observed. Your authorized Audi dealer is fa­
miliar with these requirements and we recom­
mend that you have your dealer perform this
service for you.

lL t:0 ....
"' ......
"' .... 0 0 :c ' @ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modu les and pretension­
ers might be classified as Perch lorate Materi­
al· special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc .ca.gov/hazardouswaste/
perchlorate. When the vehicle or parts of the
restraint system including a irbag modules
and safety belts with p retensioners are scrap·
ped, a ll applicable laws and regu lations must
be observed. Your a uthorized Audi dealer is
familiar w ith these requirements and we rec­
ommend that you have yo ur dealer perform
this service for you .
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced Airbag System pe rforms in a crash. For examp le, using tire-r im
comb ina tions not approved by Audi, lowering the
veh icle, chang ing the s tiffness of the suspens ion,
including the springs, suspension struts, shock
absorbers etc . can change the forces that are
measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the
e lectronic contro l unit . Some suspension changes
can, for example, increase the force levels meas­
ured by the sensors and make the airbag system
deploy in crashes in wh ich it would not deploy if
the changes had not been made . Other ki nds of
changes may reduce the fo rce levels measured by
the sensors and preven t the airbag from deploy­
ing when i t should.
A WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension including
use of unapproved tire-rim combinations can
change Advanced Airbag performance and in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury in a
crash.
-Never install suspens ion components that
do not have the same performance charac­
teristics as the components originally instal­
led on your veh icle.
-Never use tire-rim combinations that have
not been approved by Audi.
Airbag system
A WARNING
Items stored between the safety belt buckle
and the center console can cause the sensors i n the buckle to send the w rong information
to the electronic control modu le and prevent
the Advanced A irbag System from wo rking
p roperly.
- Always make sure that nothing can interfe re
with the safety belt buckles and that they
are not obstructed.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen­
tal protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants.
F ig . 233 Dr ive r's knee airbag
T he driver knee airbag is in the ins trument panel
u nderneath the steer ing
whee l~ fig. 233, the
airbag fo r the passe nger is at abou t the same
height in the instr ument pane l underneath the
glove compartment.
The knee airbag offers add itional protection to
t h e driver 's and passenger's knees and uppe r and
lower thigh areas and supplements the protec­
t ion prov ided by the safety be lts .
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also
deploy in frontal collis ions when the deployment
threshold stored in the control unit is met
~ page 235, More important things to know
about front airbags.
In add ition to their normal sa fety f unct ion, safe-
ty be lts he lp keep the driver or front passenge r in
..,.
241

u. co .... N
" N .... 0 0 :c ' fill up at busy gas stations where the seasona l
adjustment is more like ly to be made in time .
@ Note
-Methanol f uels whi ch do not meet these re ­
quirements may ca use corrosion and dam­
age to plastic and rubber components in the
fuel system .
- Do not use fuels that fai l to meet the speci ­
fied criteria in this c hapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether or not a particular fue l blend meets the speci ­
fications, ask your service station or its fuel
supplier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents can­
not be identif ied.
- Fuel system damage and performance prob ­
l ems resulting from the use of fue ls differ­
ent from those specif ied are not the respon­
s ibility of Audi and are not covered under
the New Veh icle or the Emiss ion Control
System Warrant ies .
- If you experience a loss of fue l economy or
driveability and performance problems due
to the use of one of these fuel blends, we
r ecommend that you switch to unblended
fuel.
Gasoline additives
Applies to: vehicles with gasoline engine
A majo r concern among many auto manufactur ­
ers is carbon deposit build-up caused by the type
of gasoline you use.
A lthough gasoline grades d iffer from one manu­
facturer to another, they have cer tain things in
common . A ll gasoline grades contain substances
that can cause deposits to collect on vita l engine
parts, such as fue l injectors and intake valves . A l­
though most gasoline brands include additives to keep engine and fuel systems clean, they are not
equally effective.
Audi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent Gas­
oline. For more informat ion on TOP TIER Deter­
gent Gasoline, please go to the official website (www .toptiergas .com) .
Check ing and F illing
A fter an extended period of using inadequate
fuels, carbon deposit bui ld-ups can rob your en ­
gine of peak performance.
@ Note
Damage or ma lf u nction due to poor fue l qual ­
ity is not covered by the A udi New Vehicle
L imited Warranty .
Refueling
Fuel filler neck
The fue l filler neck is located on the rig ht rea r
s ide panel behind the fuel fille r flap .
If the power lock ing system should fa il, yo u can
st ill open the flap manually - fo r detailed instruc­
tions see
~page 271.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your vehicle
i n
~ page 334 .
The label on the inside of the fuel filler flap tells
you the correct fuel for your vehicle. For more in­
format ion about fuel spec ificat ions, see
~ page 268 .
Your vehicle fuel tank has an onboard refuelling
vapor recovery system. T his feature helps to pre­
vent fuel vapors from escaping from the tank and polluting the environment wh ile you refuel your
vehicle. In o rder to fill the tank proper ly w hile
prote ct ing t he env ironment, p lease follow t his
r ef uel ing p rocedure carefully.
& WARNING
= -
Unde r normal opera ting condi tions, neve r ca r­
r y additional f uel containers in your car. Gas
canisters and other containers used to trans ­
port fue l can be dangerous. Such containers,
f u ll or empty, may leak and could cause a fire
i n a collision. If you must transport fuel to
use for your lawn mower, snow blower, etc.,
be ve ry ca refu l and always observe loca l a nd
state laws rega rding the use, transpo rta tion
a nd stor age of su ch f uel con tainers. Make cer ­
t ai n t he co nta iner meets indus try standards
(A NSI/AS TM F8S2 - 86) .
269

lL t:0 ....
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"' .... 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

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 .