oil level AUDI A8 2011 User Guide

230 Check ing and filling
th e "min" and "max" markings. When the
engine is wa rm, the level may be slightly
above the "max" marking.
The location of the coolant expansion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment ill us­
tration ¢
page 224 .
To obtain an accurate read ing , the engine
must be switched
off .
The expans io n tank in you r vehicle is equipped
with an e lectric coolant level se nsor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning light in the A uto-Check System ¢
page 15 will
i llum inate u nti l you add coolant and the level
has been restored to normal. Even though
there is an electric coolant level sensor , we
still recommend you check the coolant leve l
from time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling
system. In the event of coolan t loss, the cool­
ing system should be inspected immedia tely
by your authorized Audi dealer. It is not
enough mere ly to add coolant.
I n a
se aled system, losses can occur only if
the boiling point of the coolant is exceeded as
a result of overheat ing.
A WARNING
T he cooling system is unde r pressure and
can get ve ry hot . Reduce the risk of sca ld­
ing from hot coolant by following these
steps.
- Turn off the engine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect yo ur face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by cove ring the
cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefu lly in
a counter-clockwise direction wh ile ap­
plying light, downward pressure on the
top of the cap .
- To avoid being b urned, do not spill ant i­
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system or hot eng ine parts . Under ce rtai n condi -
'
tions, the ethylene glycol in engine coo l­
ant can catch fire.
@ Note
Do not add any type o f radiato r leak sea l­
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant. Add ­
i ng radiator repa ir fluid may adverse ly af­
fect the funct ion and performance of your
cooling system and could result in damage not covered by your New Veh icle L imited
Warranty .
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anyth ing in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS
c> .&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page
222 .
• Turnoff the engine .
• Let the eng ine cool down.
• Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank
c> page 22 9, fig . 180 and carefully
tw ist t he cap co unter-clockwise c> ,& .
• Add coo lant .
• Twist the cap o n again
tightly.
Replacement engine coo lant must conform to
exact spec ificat ions ¢
page 229, Coolant .
Even in a n emerge ncy, if coo la nt addi-
t ive G 12++ , G12+ or G12 is not ava ilable , do
not use a d iffe ren t addit ive. Use plain water
instead unt il you can get the cor rect add itive
and can restore the correct ratio . This sho uld
be don e as soon as possible.
If you have los t a consider able amount o f
coolant, then you sho uld add cold ant ifreeze
and cold wate r on ly when the engine is cold.
Always use
new engine coo lant when refilling.
Do not f ill coolant above the "MAX" mark. Ex ­
cess coola nt w ill be fo rced o ut through the
pressure relief valve in t he cap when the e n-
gine becomes ho t.
Ill>

232 Checking and filling
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a
quick glance .
Fig. 181 Engine compartme nt: markings on the brake
flu id reservoir
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS ¢ .&._ in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 222.
.. Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir ¢
fig. 181. The brake fluid
level must be between the "MIN" and
" MAX " markings .
The location of the brake fluid reservoir can be
seen in the engine compartment illustration
c:::,page224 .
The fluid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the
brake pads . T hi s is not cause for alarm.
If the brake fluid level falls
considerably be­
low the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/indi­
cator light. (U.S. models)/ . (Canadian
models) will come on ¢
page 14. Do not con­
tinue to operate the vehicle . The complete
brake system should be thoroughly checked
by an authorized Audi dealer or other quali­
fied facility and the cause corrected.
If the
brake fluid level is too low, the brake warning/
indicator light will illuminate. Contact an au­
thorized Audi dealer
immediately .
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi­
enced technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If
t he water content in the brake fluid is too
high, corrosion in the brake system may result
after a period of time . The boiling point of the
brake fluid will also decrease considerably and
decrease braking performance.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every two years . Always use new brake fluid
which conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle
Standard "FMVSS 116 DOT 4".
The brake fluid reservoir can be difficult to reach, therefore, we recommend that you
have the brake fluid changed by your author­
ized
Audi dealer. Your dealer has the correct
tools, the right brake fluid and the know-how
to do this for you .
A WARNING
-Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stor­
ed only in the closed original container
out of the reach of children!
- Brake failure can result from old or inap­
propriate brake fluid. Observe these pre­
cautions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE
specification
J 1703 and conforms to
Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 116.
Always check with your authorized Audi
dealer to make sure you are using the
correct brake fluid. The correct type of brake fluid is also indicated on the
brake fluid reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use
of the brakes can cause a vapor lock if
the brake fluid is left in the system too
long . This can seriously affect the effi­
ciency of the brakes as well as your
safety. This could result in an accident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your
vehicle.

-Always make sure the transm ission se­
lector lever (automatic transmiss ion) is
in "P" (Park position) and the park brake
is firm ly app lied .
@) For the sake of the environment
-Changing the eng ine settings w ill ad­
versely affect em ission levels. This is det­
rimental to the environment and increas­
es fue l consumption .
- Always observe env ironmental regula­
tions when d ispos ing of old engine oil,
used b rake fluid , dirty engine coola nt,
s p ent batter ies or wo rn o ut t ires.
- Undeployed airbag modules and preten­
s ioners mig ht be classified as Perchlo­
r ate Mate rial -spec ia l hand ling may ap­
ply, see www.dts c.ca .gov/ha za rdous­
w aste/perch lor ate. W hen the veh icle or
par ts of the res traint system in cl udi ng
a irbag modules safety be lts wit h preten ­
s ioners are scra pped, all app lica ble laws
and regulations must be observed. Your
a uth orized Audi dea ler is familiar w ith
t h ese req uirements and we recommend
that you have your dea le r perfo rm this
se rv ice for you .
Additional accessories,
modifications and
parts replacement
Additional accessories and parts
replacement
Always consult an authori zed Audi dealer be­
fore purchasing acce ssories.
Your veh icle inco rporates the lates t safety de­
sig n featu res e nsu ring a high standard of ac­
t ive and passive safe ty .
This safety could be comp romised by non-ap­
p roved changes to t he ve hicle. For this reason ,
if pa rts have to be replaced, please observe
t he following points when ins tall ing addition­
a l accessories:
Con sumer In formation 285
Approved Audi accesso ries and genuine Aud i
parts are available from authorized A udi deal­
ers .
T hese de alers a lso have the necessary facili­
ties, tools and tra ined spec ialists to ins tall the
parts and accessories p roper ly .
A WARNING
Using the wrong spare pa rts or using non­
approved accessories can cause damage to
the vehicle and ser ious persona l injury.
- Use on ly accessories express ly approved
by Audi and ge nuine Audi spare parts
- These parts and accessories have been
specially designed to be used on yo ur ve­
h icle .
- Never install accessor ies such as tele­
phone crad les or beverage ho lders o n ai r­
bag covers or withi n the airbag deploy­
ment zones . Do ing so w ill increase t he
ris k of injury if a irbags are triggered in an
accident!
- Before you check anything in the engine
compa rtme nt, always r ead an d heed a ll
W ARNI NGS
<::;>page 216 .
(D Note
-If items other than genu ine A udi spare
par ts, add-on equipmen t and accessory
items are used o r if repair wo rk is not
performed a ccord ing to spe cified met h­
od s, this ca n resu lt in s evere da mage to
yo ur vehicle's engine and bo d y (s uch as
co rrosi on) and adve rsely affect yo ur vehi ­
cle's warranty .
- The innovat ive a luminium con cep t of
yo ur Audi AS means t hat all se rvicin g, re­
pairs or other work on the vehicle body
must be carr ied out exclusive ly by an Au­
di workshop .
- If emergency repa irs must be performed
elsewhere, have the veh icle examined by
an authorized Audi dealer as soon as
possible .
- The manufacturer cannot be held liable
for damage wh ic h occurs due to failure
t o comply with these stipu lations .
•
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288 Index
Average consumption ........ ... .... .. 24
Average speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Avoid damaging the vehicle .. .. .. .. .. . 198
B
Battery 233
Charging ................... ..... . 235
Important warnings ...... .. .. .. .. . 233
Location . ................. .. .... . 233
low . .. .... .......... ...... ... .. . 195
Replacing the battery ...... ..... .. . 236
State of charge ............... .. ... 195
W inter operation ....... .. .. .. .. .. . 233
Working on the battery .... .. .. .... . 233
Before driving .. ... .... .... .. .. .. .. . 127
Blended gasoline .................. . 218
Blower (automatic climate control) . . . . . . 76
Body cavity sealing ......... .. .. .... . 211
Booster seats
Brake fluid 177
Changing the brake fluid ....... .. .. . 232
Check ing the brake fluid level . .. .. .. . 232
What is the cor rect brake flu id level? . . 232
What should I do if the brake fluid warn-
ing light comes on?
........ .... ... . 232
Brake system Anti-lock braking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Brake assist system ....... .. .. .... . 190
Brake booster ............ .. .. .. .. . 193
Brake fluid ............... ... .... . 232
Brake fluid specifications for refill and re-
placement ............... ... .... . 232
Brake light defective ...... .. .. .. .. .. 21
Brake pads ... ........... .. .. .... . 197
Electromechanical park ing brake .. .. . . 81
Fluid reservoir ............... .. ... 232
H ow does moisture or road salt affect the
brakes? .. ............... .. .. .... . 192
Warn ing/ indicator lights ... .. .. .... . . 14
Worn brake pads symbol ... .. .. .. .. . . 19
braking guard Messages
Sett ings
. .. ... .......... .. .. .. .. ..
86
93
93
Break-in period . ........... .. .. .... . 197
Brake pads . ... ....... ... .. .. .. .. . 197
Tires 197
Bulbs ..... .. ................ ..... . 272
C
California Proposition 65 Warning ... .. 223
Battery specific . ................. . 235
Capacities .. .. .. .. .... ...... ... .. . .
Engine oil ... .. . .. ............ .. . .
Car care .... .... .................. . 282
224
206
Exterior ....... .. .......... ...... . 206
Interior ..... .. .. ....... ...... .. .. 212
Car carrier Transporting your vehicle ....... .. .. 277
Catalytic converter .............. ... . 198
Center armrest Cockpit ....... .. ..... ........... .. 57
Rear . .. .. .. .. .. ............. .. .. . 63
Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Emergency locking ............. .... . 35
Certification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Changing a wheel .. ................ . 262
Changing engine oil ............. .... 228
Chassis (undercoat ing) ........... .. . .
Check ing
Engine coolant level ...... ...... .. . -
Tire pressure . .. .. ............. .. . .
Child restraints Danger of using child restraints in the
front seat ..... .. .......... ...... .
Where can I get additional information
about child restraints and their use? ..
Child restraint system anchors .... .. . .
Child safety ... .. .. ................ .
Convertible locking retractor ........ .
Guidance fixtures for lower anchorages
I mportant safety instructions for using
child safety seats .............. ... .
Important things to know when driving
with children . ... ....... .... --. - . - 212
229
244
14
7
187
181
169
178
183
172
169
Tether anchors . .. .......... ...... . 185
Tether straps .. .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. 185
Child safety lock Rear doors (mechanical) ........ .... . 38
Rear doors (power) ...... ...... .. . - - 38
Child safety seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 4
Booster seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177
Convertible child seats ......... .... 175
Convertible locking retractor ..... .... 178

290 Index .:..:..:..::....::.....:..._ ___________________________ _
Doors
M echanical child safety lock .. .... .. .. 38
Power child safety lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Driver information system
CD/radio display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Door/r ear lid warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Efficiency program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Exterior temperature display ... .. .. .. 23
On-board computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Driver seating position ............... 128
drive select .................... ... . 106
adaptive air suspension/sport ........ 106
Adaptive dampers ........ .. .. .... . 106
Cornering light ......... .. .. .. .. .. . 106
Dynamic steering ......... .... .... . 106
Safety belt tensioner ....... .... ... . 106
Sport differential .......... ... .... . 106
Driv ing safely .............. ... .. .. . 127
Driving through water ............... 199
Driving tim e . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Duplicate key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Dynamic steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22, 106
E
Easy entry feature ............ .. .... .. 78
Efficiency program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Fu el economy messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Other equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Elect rical accessoires (sockets) . . . . . . . . . 63
Electrical accessories (sockets) . . . . . . . . . 69
Electromechanical parking brake
Emergency braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Operation ......................... 81
Parking .... ................ ..... .. 82
Releasing and closing ........... ... . 81
Starting assist ............ ... .... .. 82
Starting from rest ........ .. .. .... .. 82
Starting off with a trailer ..... .. .. .. . . 82
Warning/indicator lights ..... .. .... .. 15
Electronic differential lock (EDL) ... ... . 190
Warning/indicator lights ......... .. .. 19
E lectronic immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . 26, 30
Electronic power co ntrol (EPC)
warning/indicator light ..... .... ..... 20
Electronic speed limiter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Electronic
stabilization program (ESP) . . 190
Warning/indicator lights ............. 18
Emergency actuation
Doors .. .. .. .. .. ............. .. .. . 3S
Parking lock ... .. ............. .... 116
Pow er sunroof ... .................. 41
R ea r lid ... .... .. ............. ..... 37
Emerg ency braking . ... .......... .. .. . 83
Emergency flasher .............. .. .. . 44
Warning/indicator lights ........ .. .. . 22
Emergency operation Panoramic sunroof ................ .. 42
Sun shade (roof) . ............... .. . 42
Emerg ency starting ... .......... .. .. 273
Emergency towing .................. 275
Emergency warning triangle ......... . 259
Energy management . ........... .. .. 195
Engine Compartment .. .. ... .......... .. .. 224
Coolant ......... .. .............. . 229
Data 282
starting ........................... 79
Start ing with jumper cables ......... 273
Stopping .. .. .. .. .. ........... .... . 80
E ngine compartment ............... . 224
Closing the hood ... ..... ........ .. 223
Opening the hood .......... ...... . 222
Safety instructions ............... .. 222
Working in the eng ine compartment .. 222
Engine coolant .. ................... 229
Adding coolant ... .. ..... ........ .. 230
Checking the engine coo lant level ..... 229
Expansion tank ................ .... 229
Malfunction symbol ............ .... . lS
Radiator fan ..... ................ . 231
Temp erature gauge ................ . 10
Engine oil ..... ... .. .............. . 224
Adding ... .. .. .. .. ........... .... 227
Additives .. .. .. .. ............. .. .. 227
Changing ..... .. ................. 228
Checking the engine oil leve l ......... 227
Indications and conditions requiring ex-
tra checking ..... ............. .... 227
Indicator light ... ... .......... .. .. . 17
Oil consumpt ion .. ............. .... 226
Oil grades ..... .................. . 224
Oil level symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Pressure malfunction ................ 16
Recomm end ed oil check int ervals .. .. . 227
Senso r defective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Spe cificat ion and visco sity .. .. .. .. .. . 224
En gin e speed limitat ion ..... .. .. .. .. .. 20
Eng ine start system (indicator lights) .... 17
Entry assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Environm ent
Break-in period ......... .. .... .. .. . 197
Cata lytic converter .......... .. .... . 198
Disposing of your vehicle battery .... . 236
Driving at high speeds ........... .. . 200
Driving to minimize pollution and noise 199
Fuel ... .. .. .. .. ........... .. .. .. . 220
Fuel economy ............ .... .. .. . 199
Leaks under your veh icle ...... .. .... 222
Lettin g the vehicle stand and warm up. 200
Proper disposal of drained brake fluid . 232
Proper disposal of drained engine cool-
ant ... .. .. .... ............. .. .. . 230
Proper disposal of drained engine
oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227, 228
Recycling used engine oil ... .. .. .. .. . 227
Unleaded fuel ............ .... .. ... 218
What should I do with an old battery? . 236
ESP (Electronic stabilization program)
Warning/indicator lights ... .. .. .. .. .. 18
Event Data Recorder (EDR) ...... .. .... 190
Exhaust tail pip es .......... .... .. .. . 212
Expa nsion tank ............ .. .. .. .. . 229
Exterior lighting .............. ... ... . 43
Exterior mirrors
Ad justing .. .. ........... .. .. .. .... 51
Dimming . .. ............. .... .. .... 51
H eating .. .. ............. .... .. .... 51
Exterior temperature display ... .. .. .. .. 23
F
Fast ening
Booster seats .. .......... .. .. .. .. . 17 7
Convertible child safety seats ..... .. . 175
Infant seats . ............ .. .. .. ... 174
Floor mats . .. ............. .... .. .. . 133
Foot pedals .. .... ......... .... .. .. . 132
Index 291
For the sake of the environment
Gasoline fumes and the environment .. 220
Reducing engine noise by early upshift-
ing ......... .. .. .................. 10
Refueling ... .. .. .... ............. 220
Saving fuel by early upsh ifting ...... .. 10
Four zone automatic climate control .. ... 75
Front airbags Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
How they work ... .. . .......... .... 1S4
Frontal coll is ion s and the laws of physics 138
Front passenger seat adjustment . . . . . . . 60
Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S4
Adjus ting ... .. .. .. .. ........... .. 129
Child restraints in the front seat ...... 147
Fuel Additives ........ .. ............... 218
Blended gasoline .................. 218
Current consumpti on ........... .. .. . 24
Economy messages (efficiency program) 25
Fuel filler flap emergency release ... .. 221
Fuel filler neck ...... .... ...... .. .. 219
Fuel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Gasoline .. .. .. .. .. .. ........... .. 218
Gasoline addit ives ................. 219
Low fuel level symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Octane rating .. .. .. . .. .. ...... .. .. 218
Recommendation ................. . 218
Refuelling ... .. .. .... ............. 220
Reserve ..... .. .. ................. . 11
Ta nk capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 282
Fuses Ass ignment ...... ............... . 268
Replacing ... .. .. ... ............ .. 268
G
Garage door opener (Homelink ®) .. ... . 124
Garment hooks .. .. ................. . 71
Gas discharge lamps .... ............. 272
Gauges Engine coolant temperature . . . . . . . . . . 10
Fuel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Speedometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Tachom eter ... .. ................. . 11
T rip odometer . .. .... ........... .. . 26
General illustration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Generator (warning/indicator lights) ... . 16
•
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