lock AUDI A8 2013 Repair Manual

(D Note
-Never try to remove dirt, mud or dust if
the surface of the vehicle is dry. Never
use a dry cloth or sponge, since this
could scratch your vehicle's pa int or w in­
dows .
- Never wash your car in bright sunlight.
Drops of water act as magnifying lenses
and may damage your paint.
- When you wash your car in the w inter : if
you r inse your vehicle w ith a hose, be
careful not to aim the stream of water
direct ly at locks, or at door or hatch
openings - they can free ze shut.
- Never use sponges des igned to remove
i nsects, or any kitchen scouring sponges
or similar products. They can damage
you r paint finish .
- Never use a dry cloth o r sponge to clean
the headligh ts. On ly use we t cloths or
sponges to prevent scratches .
It is best
to use soapy wate r.
- You sho uld remove debris (su ch as in­
sects) from the head ligh t lenses on a
r egular basis, for example when refuel ­
ing your vehicle . Never clean the head­
li ghts w ith a dry cloth or sponge. Use a
wet cloth or sponge. It is best to use
soapy water.
@ For the sake of the environment
On ly wash the vehicle in facilit ies specially
designed for that purpose. Th is w ill reduce
the risk of d irty water contaminated with
oil from entering the sewer system . In
some areas, wash ing vehicles outs ide of
these facilit ies is prohib ited.
Washing your vehicle with a power
washer
Cleaning the exterior of your car with a high ­
pressure power washer is safe as long as you observe a few simple rules .
~ Before usi ng the power washe r, make sure
yo u have re ad an d u nderstood the WARN-
Cleaning and protec tion 217
INGS ¢ A in General information on
page 215 .
~ Always follow the operating instr uctions for
the power washer.
~ Make sure that the jet on the spray hose
produces a "fan shaped spray" .
~ Do not hold the spray nozzle too close to
soft mater ials .
Keep a distance from soft materia ls suc h as
rubbe r hoses or insulating material as well as
senso rs and camera lenses .
When cleaning the vehicle with a power was h­
er
always follow the operating instructions .
This applies part icu larly to the operati ng pres ­
su re and the spraying d istance . Do not point
the spray d irectly at the seals around the side
windows, around the doo rs, on t he rear lid or
o n the sunroo f*. L ikewise, do no t poi nt i t di­
re ct ly a t tires, rubbe r hoses, insula tion mate ­
ria l or senso rs ~
page 218 . Hold the spray
nozzle at least 1.3 ft (0.4 m) away from the
vehicle.
Do no t use a high-pressure power was her to
remove snow and ice.
Do not use a jet which sprays wate r in a d irect
stream o r one that has a ro ta ti ng jet.
Water temperature should not exceed 140 °F
(60 °().
&_ WARNING
N eve r wash tires wi th a jet that sprays w a­
ter in a direc t stream . T his co uld ca use in­
v isi ble damage to the t ires and weaken
them, even i f the spray is from a re lative ly
l ong distance and for a sho rt time. Dam ­
aged and weakened tires can fail and cause
accidents and personal in jury.
Q) Note
To avoid damaging yo ur vehicle, a lways
make sure that there is suffic ient d istance
between the spray head and soft materia ls
lik e rubber hoses, plast ic parts a nd sound­
deaden ing mater ia ls as well as sensors
and camera lenses . Never a im t he spray
head at the same point fo r a long time .
•
•

222 Cleaning and protec tio n
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 215.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road salt and other corrosive materials will
damage the material in the exhaust tail pipes
if they are not cleaned regularly . Do not clean
the tail p ipes with wheel cleaner, paint pol ish,
chrome po lish or other abrasive cleaners.
C lean the tail p ipes with car ca re p roducts
that are su itable for stain less stee l.
Your author ized Audi dealer can provide clean­
ing p roducts that have been tested and ap­
p roved fo r you r vehicle.
Care of interior
Infotainment components
The MMI/RSE* display may be cleaned with a
soft cloth and commercially-ava ilable "LCD
cleaner" . The cloth should be coated lightly
when the clean ing solution when cleaning the
d isplay.
The MMI/RSE* contro ls must be cleaned first
with a brush so t hat dirt does not ente r the
un it or enter between the buttons and the
housing. Then wiping the controls with a cloth
dampened with dish detergent and water is recommended.
CJ) Note
To prevent sc ratches, only clean the dis­
play when it is d ry.
- To prevent damage, ma ke sure fluids do
not enter the controls.
Aluminum trim
Use only n eutral-pH products to remove spots
and deposits from aluminum surfaces.
Chrome ca re products and alkaline cleaners
will attack aluminum s urfaces and can dam­
age them over time.
A WARNING
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information¢
page 215.
Fabrics and fabric coverings
Fabrics and fabric cover ings (e .g. seats, door
trim panels, etc.) should be cleaned at regular i ntervals w ith a vacuum cleaner. This removes
su rface di rt particles which could become em ­
bedded in the fabric through use. Steam
cleaners should not be used, because the
steam tends to p ush the dirt deeper into the
fabric and lock it there.
Normal clean ing
Generally, we recommend using a soft sponge
o r a lint-free microfiber cloth to the clean fab­
ric. Brushes shou ld only be used for carpets
and floor mats, since other fabric surfaces
could be harmed by brushes.
Norma l su rface stains can be cleaned using a
commercially available foam cleaner . Spread
the foam on the s urface of the fabric with a
soft sponge and work it in gently. Do not satu­
rate the fabric. Then pat the foam dry using
absorbent, dry cloths (e.g. m icrof iber cloth)
and vacuum it after it has dried completely.
Cle anin g sta ins
Stains caused by beverages (e .g. coffee, fruit
juice, etc.) can be treated with a mild deter­
gent solution. Apply the detergent solution
with a sponge. In the case of stubborn stains, a detergent paste can be applied directly to
the stain and worked into the fabric. After­
wards, use copious amounts of clean water to
remove the rema in ing deterge nt. Apply the
water wit h a damp clo th or sponge and pat
the fabric dry with an abso rbent, dry cloth .
Stains from choco late or makeup should have
detergent paste (e.g. ox-gall soap) rubbed in­
to them. Afterwa rds, remove the soap with
water (damp sponge) .
Alcohol can be used to treat stains from grease, o il, lipstick or a ballpoin t pen . Melted ..,.

224 Cleaning and protection
Car e and handling
Because of the exclusive nat ure of the types of
l eather that Audi uses and their unique prop ­
erties (such as sensitivity to oils, grease, soi l­
ing, etc.), you will need to be somewhat care­
fu l w ith these leathers, and a certain type of
care is required. For examp le, dark clot hing
materials can d iscolor leather seats (especial­
ly if such cloth ing is damp and was not dyed
correctly). Dust and dirt part icles in pores,
fo lds, and seams can have an ab ras ive effect
and can damage the leather s urface as well as
weaken seams.
The leather should be cleaned regularly as
n eeded. After having been used for a re latively
l ong t ime, yo ur leather sea ts will acqui re a
rich aged finish. This is a charac teris tic of nat ­
ura l leather and a sign o f true quality .
I n o rder to maintain t he va lue of t his natura l
p rod uct over the life of yo ur vehicle, you
should follow the recommendations below :
(D Note
-To keep you r leather from bleaching out,
do not a llow it to be exposed to br ight
sunl igh t for long periods of time. If you
have to leave the vehicle parked o utside
for long periods, cover the leather to
protect it from d irect exposure to sun­
li ght.
- Sharp objects on clothing, such as zip­
pers, rivets or sharp pieces on be lts can
l eave permanent scratches or scrape
marks on the surface of the leather.
- After each t ime you clean the leather and
at regu lar intervals, use a leather preser­
vat ive creme that conta ins UV-blockers
and that works into the leather. This
creme wi ll nourish and moistur ize the
l eathe r, helping it to b reath e and stay
supple.
It also helps to b uild up a prote c­
tive coat ing on the s urfa ce.
- Clean t he leather every 2 -3 mont hs,
and clean any areas that ge t soiled. - Remove
fresh marks made by ballpo int
pens, ink, lipstick, shoe polish, etc. as
soon as poss ible.
- Preserve the color of the leather as need­
ed by using a specia l co lored leather care
creme to touch up areas of uneven color.
Cleaning and caring for leather
upholstery and trim
Applies to vehicles: with natural leather
Natural leather requires special care and a t­
tention .
Normal cleaning
.. Clean soiled areas with a slightly moistened
cotton or woo len cloth .
More stubborn dirt
.. More s tubbor n dirt can be removed using a
clo th sa turated wi th a mild so ap solut ion (2
tablespoons mild liquid soap).
.. Never allow the soap sol ution to saturate
the leather, and make certain that no water
s oak s into the seam s.
.. Wipe off the soap so lution with a soft, dry
cloth .
Cleanin g spot s
.. Remove fresh water-based spots (s uch as
coffee, tea, juices, blood) with an absorbent
cloth or paper towel.
.. Remove fresh
grease or oil -based spots
(such as butte r, mayonnaise, chocolate) with
an absorbent clot h or paper towel, or use
the cleaner from the leather care kit if the
s po t h as no t yet penet rated i nto t he surface
of the leathe r .
.. Use an oil/grease d issolving spray, i f
oil/
grease spot s ha ve dr ied on.
.. Remove specific k inds of spots (ballpoint
pen, fe lt marker, fingerna il polish, water­
based pa int, shoe po lish, etc.) with a spot
remover specifically formu lated for lea ther.
L e ather care
.. Every half year use an approved leather care
product (available from your Audi dealer) to
care for the leather . .,.

226 Cleaning and protec tio n
-When cleaning your safety belts, inspect
them for damage.
If you discover dam­
age, see your Audi dealer .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 215.
Cooler
Applies to vehicles: with cooler
A layer of ice or frost in the cooler interferes
with its cooling performance.
Cl ean ing
The refr igerator sho uld be cleaned regularly.
.. Wash the cooler w ith lukewarm water and a
mild cleaning solut ion, if necessary .
.. The n wipe the cooler dry.
.. Dust and dirt will accumu late near the ven­
t il ation openings in the luggage compar t­
ment due to normal cooler usage. This
should be cleaned regularly.
Defrost ing
.. Swi tch the cooler off¢ page 75.
.. Remove any food or beve rages and al low
the cooler to defrost with the door open .
.. Wipe the inside of the cooler dry and clean
the cooler , if necessary .
Defrost the cooler if yo u will not be using it
for extended periods of time .
@ Note
-Do not try to speed up the defrost ing
process by applying heat.
- To reduce the risk of personal injury or
damage to the refrigera to r,
- do not use any abrasive cleaners, sol­
vents, wax, aggressive cleaning solu­
tions, so lutions with strong fragrances,
etc.,
- do not clean the coo ler with cleaning
tools such as stee l wool.
1l Use o nly th e co rrect cle anin g so lu ti on s. Never use gas­
o lin e or d ie se l fu el.
Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en­
gine compartment.
Always switch off the ign it ion before cle an­
i ng th e eng in e¢ .&. .
Plenum panel
Remove leaves from the plenum panel i n front
of the windshield under the engine compart­
ment. This prevents the water drain holes
from becoming b locked, and it prevents de­
bris from entering the vehicle interior through
the heat ing and ventilat ion ducts .
Corrosi on protect ion
The engine compartment and transmission
have been corrosion-protected at the factory .
Good anti-corrosion treatment is very impor ­
tant, partic ularly in the winter.
If the vehicle
is frequently driven on salt treated roads, the
entire engine compartment and plenum panel
shou ld be thoroughly cleaned at the end of
winter and retreated to prevent salt damage .
At the same time, the underside of t he veh icle
shou ld be washed as well.
If the engine compartment is cleaned at any
time with grease remov ing solutions
1>, or if
you have the engine washed, the anti-corro­
s ion treatment is almost a lways removed as
well . It is therefo re esse ntia l to have a lo ng­
lasti ng corrosion pro te ct ion reapplied to all
surfaces, seams, joints and components in the
engine compartment .
A WARNING
Be aware: The engine compartment of any
motor vehicle is a potentially hazardous
area.
- Before working in the engine compart­
ment, be sure to read the information
¢page 232.

-Blend must contain not more than 15%
MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform
espec ially we ll for winter or summer driving.
During seasonal change-over, we suggest that
you fill up at busy gas stat ions where the sea­
sonal adjustment is more likely to be made in
time .
(D Note
-Methanol fuels which do not meet these
requirements may cause corrosion and
damage to plastic and rubber compo­
nents in the fuel system .
- Do not use fue ls that fail to meet the
specified criter ia in this chapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether
or not a particular fue l blend meets the
specifications, ask your service station or
its fuel supp lier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents
cannot be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance
problems resulting from the use of fuels
different from those specified are not
the responsibility of Audi and are not
covered under the New Vehicle or the Emission Control System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fuel economy
or driveability and performance prob­ l ems due to the use of one of these fuel
blends, we recommend that you switch
to unblended fuel.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufac­
turers is carbon deposit build- up caused by
the type of gasoline you use.
Although gasoline grades differ from one manufacturer to another , they have certain
things in common. All gasoline grades contain
substances that can cause deposits to collect
on vital engine parts, such as fuel injectors
and intake valves. Although most gasoline brands include additives to keep engine and
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 229
fuel systems clean, they are not equally effec ­
tive .
A udi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline. For more info rmation on TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline, please go to the official
website (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended period of using inadeq uate
fuels, carbon deposit build-ups can rob your
engine of peak performance.
Q) Note
Damage or malf unct ion due to poor fue l
quality is not covered by the Aud i New Ve­
hicle Limited Warranty.
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
side panel behind the fuel fille r flap.
If the power locking system should fail, you
can still open the flap manually -for deta iled
instruct ions see ¢
page 231.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your ve­
hicle in
Technical Data ¢ page 292.
The label on the inside of the fuel fi ller flap
tells you the correct fue l for your vehicle. For
more information about fuel specifications,
see ¢
page 228.
Your vehicle fue l tank has an on board refuel­
li ng vapor recovery system. This feature helps
to prevent fuel vapors from escaping from the
tank and polluting the environment while you refuel your vehicle . In order to fill the tank
properly while protecting the environment,
please fo llow this refueling procedure careful­
ly.
_&. WARNING
Under normal operating conditions, never
carry additional fuel containers in your car.
Gas canisters and other containers used to
transport f uel can be dangero us. Such con­
tainers, full or empty, may leak and could
cause a fire in a collision. If you must
•
•

230 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
transport fuel to use for your lawn mower,
snow blower, etc., be very careful and al­
ways observe local and state laws regard­
ing the use, transportat ion and storage of
such fuel containers. Make certain the con­
tainer meets industry standards (ANSI/
AS TM F852 -86) .
(D Note
Never drive your vehicle until the fuel tank
is completely empty. The irregular supply
of fuel can cause misfiring. Gasoline could
enter the exhaust system and damage the
catalyt ic converter.
Refuelling
Fig. 190 Right rear vehicle side: Opening the fuel filler
flap
Fig . 191 Fuel filler flap with attached fuel cap
When activating the central locking, the fuel
fi ller flap is automatically un locked or locked.
Refuel the vehicle with the ignition switched
off.
Taking the fuel cap off
~ Press the left side of the fue l filler flap to
open it
q fig. 190 -arrow-.
~ Unscrew fuel filler cap counter-clockwise
and hang it on the fuel filler flap¢
fig. 191.
Refuelling procedure
~ Insert the fu el nozzle from the gasoline
pump into the fuel filler neck as far as it will
go .
~ Select a medium refuelling rate so that the
nozzle switches off automatically when the
tank is full.
Putting the fuel cap back on
~ After fi lling your tank, twist the fuel filter
cap clockwise as far as it w ill go.
~ Close the fue l filler flap.
T o avoid fuel spilling or evaporating from the
fuel tank always close fuel filler cap properly
and completely. An improperly closed fuel fill­
er cap may also cause the MIL lamp¢
page 28
to come on.
A WARNING
Improper refue ling or handling of fuel can
cause fire, explosion and severe burns.
- Fuel is highly flammable and can cause
severe burns and other injur ies.
- Failure to shut the engine
off while refu­
eling and/or to insert the pump nozzle
fully into the fuel filter neck could cause
fuel to spray out of filler neck or to over­
flow. Fuel spray and overflowing fuel can
cause a fire.
- Never use a cellular telephone while re­
fue ling. The electromagnet ic rad iat ion
can cause sparks that can ignite fuel va­
pors and cause a fire.
- Never get back into your vehicle whi le re­
fueling.
If in exceptional circumstances
you must get back in your vehicle while
refueling, make certain that you close
the door and touch metal to discharge
static electricity before touching the fill­
er nozzle again. Static electricity can
cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors
released during refueling.
- Never smoke or have an open flame any­
where in or near your veh icle when refu­
eling or filling a portable fuel container.
- For your safety, we strongly recommend
that you do not travel with a portable

fuel container in your vehicle. The con­
tainer, full or empty may leak and could
cause a fire, especially in a crash.
- If, under exceptional circumstances, you
must transport a portable fuel container,
please observe the following:
- Never fill a portable fue l container
while it is anywhere in or on the vehicle
(for example, in the luggage compart­
ment, or on the tr unk). Static electrici­
ty can build up while filling and can ig­ nite fuel vapors causing a fire .
- Always place a portable fuel container
on the ground before filling.
- Always keep the fi ller nozzle comp lete­
ly inside the portable container before
and during filling.
- If filling a portable container made of
metal, the filler nozz le must always be
in contact with the container. Th is w ill
help prevent static electricity from dis­
charging and cause a fire .
- Never sp ill fuel inside the vehicle or
luggage compartment. Fuel vapors are
h ighly flammable .
- Always observe local and state/provin­
cial laws regarding the use, storage
and transportation of fuel containers .
- Make certain the fuel container meets
industry standards (ANSI/ ASTM
F852 -86) .
(D Note
If any fuel has spilled onto the car, it
should be removed immediately to prevent
damage to the paint.
~ For the sake of the environment
As soon as the correctly operated nozzle sw itches off automatically for the first
time, the tank is full. Do not try to add more fue l because fuel may spill out . In
add it ion, the expans ion space in the fuel
tank will be fi lled -causing the fuel to
overflow when it becomes warm and pol­
lute the environment.
Fu el su ppl y and filling your fuel ta nk 231
@ Tips
- Running your engine while refue lling
may cause vapors to escape or even
cause fuel to spill out of the tank. This
would then shut off the fuel nozzle be­
fore the tank is full.
- Do not refuel your vehicle with the igni­
tion switched on. The fuel gauge may
otherwise not ind icate the correct fuel
level after refuell ing .
- The fuel filler flap of your vehicle is not
locked when you lock the vehicle from
the inside.
Fuel filler flap emergency release
You can open the fuel filler flap by hand if the
power locking system should fail .
Fig. 192 Rig ht s ide tr im panel in t he luggage compart­
ment : emerge ncy re lease mechanis m
The emergency release mechanism is located
behind the right side trim panel in the lug ­
gage compartment .
.,. Loosen the loop
o fig. 192 from the retain­
er and then pull on the loop carefully
o (D.
.,. Press on the left side of the fuel filler door
to open
o page 230, fig . 190 .
(J) Note
Only pull on the loop until you feel resist­
ance . You w ill not hear it release . Other­
wise you could damage the emergency re­
lease mechanism.

-Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open flames. Fluids in the engine com­
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im­
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal in­
jury while the engine is running or being
started, never touch :
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repair
with the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever to "P" (Park).
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact­ ing hot parts. Tie back hair before
starting, and do not wear clothing that
will hang or droop into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and
chemical ha zards c:::> & .
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de­
fects and reproductive harm. In addition ,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con­
tain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm .
Checking and filling 233
-Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories contain lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive harms. Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container
or filler opening, otherwise serious dam­
age to vehicle systems will occur.
(® For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly . If
you see spots from oil or other vehicle flu­ ids, have your vehicle inspected by an au­
thorized Audi dealer.
Closing the engine hood
.,. Pull the hood down until the pressure from
the struts is reduced.
"' Let the hood
drop down and latch in place.
Do not try to push it shut; it may fail to en­
gage
c:::> ,A .
A WARNING
-
A hood that is not completely latched
could fly up and block your view while driv ­
ing .
- When you close the engine hood, check it
to make sure the safety catch has proper­ ly engaged. The hood should be flush
with the surrounding vehicle body parts.
- If you notice while driving that the hood
is not secured properly , stop at once and
close it. •
•

the level may be slightly above the "max"
marking .
The location of the coolant expansion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus­
tration ¢
page 234.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine
must be switched
off.
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped
with an electric coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning
light in the Auto-Check System
¢page 16will
illuminate until 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 level
from time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling
system. In the event of coolant loss, the cool­
ing system should be inspected immediately
by your authorized Audi dealer.
It is not
enough merely to add coolant.
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if
the boiling point of the coolant is exceeded as
a result of overheating.
& WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of scald­
ing from hot coolant by following these
steps.
- Turn
off the engine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by covering the
cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in
a counter-clockwise direction while ap­
plying light, downward pressure on the
top of the cap.
- To avoid being burned, do not spill anti­ freeze or coolant on the exhaust system or hot engine parts . Under certain condi­
tions, the ethylene glycol in engine cool ­
ant can catch fire .
Checking and filling 241
@ Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak seal­
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant. Add­
ing radiator repair fluid may adversely af­
fect the function and performance of your
cooling system and could result in damage not covered by your New Vehicle limited
Warranty .
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
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 232 .
.,. Turn off the engine .
.,. let the engine cool down.
.,. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank ¢
page 240, fig . 200 and carefully
twist the cap counter-clockwise ¢&_ .
.,. Add coolant.
.,. Twist the cap on again
tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to
exact specifications ¢
page 240, Coolant. We
recommend using only coolant additive G12+
+, G3 or in an emergency G12+. Do
not use a
different additive. In an emergency use plain
water until you can get the correct additive
and can restore the correct ratio. This should
be done as soon as possible.
If you have lost a considerable amount of
coolant , then you should add cold antifreeze
and cold water only when the engine is cold.
Always use
new engine coolant when refilling.
Do not fill coolant above the "MAX" mark. Ex­
cess coolant will be forced out through the pressure relief valve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot.
A WARNING
- The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of
II-
•
•

24 2 Ch ecking and filling
scalding from hot coolant by following
these steps .
- Turn off the eng ine and a llow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from escaping flu id and steam by cover ing
the cap with a large, thick rag .
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully
i n a counter-clockwise direction while
apply ing l ight, downwa rd press ure on
the top of the cap .
- To avo id being burned, do not spi ll an­
tifreeze or coolant on the exhaust sys­
tem or hot engine parts . Under certain
conditions, the ethylene glyco l in en­
gine coolant can catch f ire .
- Antifreeze is poisonous . Always store an­
tifreeze in its or iginal container and we ll
out of the reach of children.
- If you drain the coolant, it must be
caught and safely stored in a proper con­
tainer clear ly marked "poison".
@ Note
- Coolant po llutes the env ironment and
could cause an engine fire . Excess coo l­
ant will be forced out through the pres­
sure re lief valve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot.
- If, in an emergency, only water can be
added, the correct ratio between water
and antifreeze
c::> page 240 must be re­
stored as soon as possible .
@ For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant should not be re used. Al­
ways dispose of used coolant while observ­
ing all environmental regulat ions .
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by
itself
T he radiator fan is driven by the engine via the
V-be lt . The viscous clutch regulates the speed
of the fan accord ing to the temperature of the
coolant. An a
uxiliary electric radiator fan* switches on
and off depend ing on coolant temperature
and other vehicle operat ing condit ions .
After yo u sw itch the engine off, the aux iliary
f an can continue running for up to 10 minutes
- eve n wit h the ignit ion off. It can even switc h
on again later by itself
c::> &. , if
- t he tempe rature of the engine coo lant rises
due to the heat build -up from the engine in
the engine compartment, or
- the engine compa rtment heats up because
the vehicle is parked in i ntense sunlight.
_& WARNING
- To reduce the risk of personal injury nev­
er touch the radiator fan.
- The auxiliary electric fan is temperat ure
controlled and can sw itch on suddenly
even when the engine is not running.
- The a uxiliary radiator fan sw itches on au­
tomatically when the engine coo lant
reaches a certai n temperature and will
continue to run until the coolant temper­
ature drops .
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a
quick glance.
F ig . 201 E ngin e compart men t: cover on the brake fluid
r eservo ir
Before you check a nyth ing in the engine com­
partment,
always read and hee d all WARN ­
INGS c::> .&. in Working in the engine compart-
ment on page 232. .,..