engine oil AUDI A8 2015 User Guide

208 Driving and en vir onm ent
The consumption estimates as published
by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, which will vary depending upon vehi ­
cle load and speed, road and weather con­
ditions, tr ip length, etc .
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating.
• Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating . If you anticipate what is going to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus , accelerate less. Let the vehicle coast
whenever poss ible -for example when you see
that the next traffic l ight is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
• Try and keep well below your car's max imum
speed .
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consump­
tion, engine wear, and does not disturb the
environment .
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and en­
g ine noise increase d isproportionately at high
speeds. If you dr ive at approximately three
quarters of top speed, fue l consumption will
be reduced by one half. Neve r dr ive faste r
than the posted speed limit and wea ther con­
d itions permit.
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel.
• Shut the engine off when you are not dr iv ing
the vehicle. •
Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the
engine run at id le .
T he id ling phase is automatically red uced for
vehicles with the Start -Stop -System*. It is ef ­
ficient to switch off the engine in vehicles
without the Start -Stop-System when stopped
at rai lroad crossings and long red lights . Turn­
ing the engine off for just 30-40 seconds
saves more fuel than is burned by starting the engine aga in .
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fully when it is running at idle. However, wear
and noxious emissions are espec ially high
when the eng ine is warm ing up . So you should
drive away as soon as you start the engine and
avo id running at high rpms while the engine is
still warming up.
W Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af­
ter start ing . If wa rning lights should come
on to indicate improper operation, they
wo uld go unheeded. Ex tended idling also
produces heat, wh ich could result in ove r­
heating or other damage to the ve hicle or
other property .
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a
lot of fuel.
• Have your veh icle serviced at reg ular in ter -
vals .
By having your ve hicle regu la rly se rviced by an
Audi dealer he lps to ensu re that it runs p rop ­
erly and economically . The condition of your
vehicle not only affects its safety and ability to
ho ld its va lue, it also affects
fuel con sump­
tion .
Ch eck your oil e ach time you
fill y our tank.
The amount of o il used is re lated to engine
load and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reach its lowest value after a certa in
mileage has bee n driven . ..,.

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-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 229
-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. •
•

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(!) Windshield/headlight washer
t .
(~ ) con ainer ,..., .. .... ... .. .. . 244
@ Jump start point( -) with hex
h ead screw ............... .. 242, 281
® Jump start point( +) under a cov-
er . ..... .. ... .. ..... ... .. . 242, 281
@ Engine oil filler cap(~) . . . . . 234
® Brake fl uid reservo ir ((0)) . . . . . 239
® Coolant expansion tank (-L) . . . 237
0 O il dipstick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
The engine oil filler neck (item @) may be lo­
cated in a different area depend ing on the ver­
sion of the eng ine .
A WARNING
Before yo u check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARN INGS
Q .&. in Working in the engine
c ompartment on page 228.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used in your Audi needs the
right kind of oil .
-
The engine in your Audi is a sophisticated
powerp lant that was b uilt to exacting specifi ­
cations . This engine needs the right kind of
engine o il that meets specificat ions regarding
q ua lity and viscos ity so that it can run
smoothly and reliably . Choos ing the right oil
and changing oil within the time and mileage
in terva ls pr inted in your veh icle's War ranty
&
M aintenance book let matters a lot more to­
day than i t did yea rs ago . Audi has developed
a special quality s tanda rd fo r engine oil th at
will he lp assure that your veh icle's eng ine will
get the lubrication it needs for prope r opera ­
tion .
M odern eng ine lubrica tion has taken a qu an­
tum leap in the last few years . Many synthetic
oils ava ilable today provide better engine lu­
brication that can outlast traditional petrole­
um-based o ils, making them a smart choice
for use throughout the life of your A udi.
Checkin g and fillin g 231
Whether you use synthetic o r petro le um­
based engine oil, the oil that you use m ust
conform to Aud i's oi l quality standard
VW 502 00 (vehicles with gasoline engine) or
VW 507 00 (vehicles w it h diesel eng ine) to
help keep your veh icle's engine ru nning
smoot hly and he lp prevent the format io n of
harmful deposits, sometimes ca lled "s ludge, "
t h at over time can lead to expensive repairs.
At the time of printing, engine oils ava ilab le i n
t h e U.S . and Canada that meet the exac ting
specifications of Audi oil standard VW 502 00
(ve hicl es w ith gasoline engine) o r VW 50 7 00
(ve hicl es w ith diese l engi ne) are synthet ic en ­
gine oi ls. Th is does not mean, howeve r, that
every synthetic engine oil will meet A udi oi l
standard VW 502 00 (vehicles with gasoline
engine) or VW 507 00 (vehicles with d iesel
engine). So always be sure that you use an ap­
proved o il.
To he lp prevent the formation of harmfu l de­
pos its use on ly oil with the following specifi­
cations pr inted on the o il conta iner:
- Audi oil standard VW 502 00 (gasoline en­
gine )
- Audi oil standard VW 507 00 (diesel en-
gine )
Oil containe r labels may car ry the spe cifica­
tion sing ly or in combination wi th other desig­
nations and oil quality s tanda rds .
Viscosity
Engine o ils are graded accord ing to their vis­
cosity . The proper viscos ity grade oil fo r your
engine depends o n climactic or seasona l con­
ditions where you d rive. You ca n use o il wit h a
vis cosity gr ade of SA E SW40 across all tem ­
pera ture ranges for norma l driv ing con ditions.
Howeve r, if engine oil v iscos ity grade SA E
SW40 is not available, you can a lso use v iscos­
i ty grade SA E SW -30 or SA E OW -40 as long as
i t meets Aud i oil q ua lity standard VW 502 00
(ve hicles w ith gasoline engine) o r VW 5 07 00
(ve hicles w ith diese l engine) specifications.
Be cause eng ine o il that mee ts the Audi o il
standard may no t be availab le everywhere
•
•

232 Check ing and filling
when you need it, we strongly recommend
that you always carry with you an extra quart (liter) of o il that expressly conforms to the
VW 502 00 (vehicles with gasoline engine) or
VW 507 00 (veh icles with diesel engine) spec­
ification, in case you have to top off the oil
while o n the road .
Applies to veh icles w ith g asol ine eng ine on­
l y:
Only if the level of the oil is at or below the
minimum mark on the oil dipstick - and no oil
that expressly conforms to Aud i oil standard
VW 502 00 specif ications is avai lab le - may
you top off with a high quality eng ine oil, pref­
e rably synthetic -based, that meets ACEA A3
or AP I SM specifications, but even then, only
in viscosity grades SAE SW-40, SAE SW-30, or
SAE OW-40. However, during the entire time between oi l change interva ls, never top off
with more than a total of 0.5 qt/liter eng ine
oil that does not conform to Audi oil specifica­
tion VW 502 00 .
Applies to veh icles with diesel engine onl y:
Only if the level of the oil is at or below the
minimum mark on the oil dipstick - and no oil
that expressly conforms to Aud i oil standard
VW 507 00 specifications is available - may
you top off with a high quality eng ine oil, that
meets AC EA C3 or A PI CF specifications, but
even then, only in v iscosity grades SAE
SW-40, SAE SW-30, or SAE OW-40 . However,
during the entire time between oil change in­
tervals, never top off with more than a tota l
of 0.5 qt/ liter engine oil that does not con­
form to Audi oil specif ication VW 507 00.
F or more information about engine oil that
has been approved for yo ur vehicle, please
contact either your authorized Audi dea ler or
Aud i Customer Relations at 1 (800) 822-2834
or visit our web site at www.audiusa.com or
www.audicanada.ca . Here you will a lso find a
current list of oils (manufacturers, b rand
names etc.) that conform to Audi o il standard
VW 502 00 (vehicles wi th gasoline engine) or
VW 507 00 (veh icles w ith diese l engine) .
Changing th e engine oil
The eng ine oi l and oil fi lter m ust be changed
according to the mileage (kilometers) and
t ime intervals specified in your veh icle's War ­
ranty
& Maintenance booklet. Do not exceed
these interva ls - harmful deposits from old
engine oil ca n reduce engine performance and
can lead to expensive e ngine repa irs.
Changi ng the oil at the recommended inter­
vals is so very important because the lubricat­
ing propert ies of oil decrease gradually during
normal veh icle use . If you are not sure when
you have your oil changed, ask your author­ ized Audi Serv ice Adv isor.
Under some circumstances the engine oil
should even be changed more frequent ly .
Change oil more often if you drive most ly
sho rt distances, operate the ve hicl e in dusty
areas o r most ly unde r stop-and-go traff ic con­
ditions, or when you use your vehi cle where
temperatures stay be low freezing point for
long pe riods .
Detergent addi tives in the oil will make fresh
o il look dark after the engine has been run­
ning for a short time. This is normal and is not
a reason to change the oil more often t han
recommended.
Damage or malfunction s du e to l ack of
maintenance
It is essentia l th at you c hange yo ur oil at the
recommended intervals using on ly eng ine oil
t h at complies with Audi oil standa rd
VW 502 00 (veh icles with gasoline engine) or
VW 507 00 (vehicles wit h diese l engine). Your
Limited New Veh icle Warranty does not cover
damage or malfunctions due to fail ure to fo l­
low recommended maintenance and use re­
quirements as set forth in the Audi Owner's
Manual and Warranty
& Mai ntenance booklet.
Your dealer w ill have to deny wa rranty cover­
age unless you present to the dealer proof in
t h e form o f Service or Repair Orders that all
scheduled maintenance was performed in a
timely manner.

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Engine oil consumption
The e ngine in your vehicle dep ends on an ade ­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool all
of its m oving parts .
In order to provide effective l ubrication and
cooling of internal engine components, all in­
ternal combustion eng ines consume a certain
amo unt of o il. O il cons umption varies from
engine to eng ine and may c hange significant ly
over the li fe o f the eng ine . T yp ica lly, eng ines
with a specified break -in per io d (see
¢
page 205) cons ume more oi l during the
b reak-in period than they consume after oil
consumption has stabilized.
Unde r norma l conditions, the ra te of oil con ­
sumption depends on the quality and viscosity
of the oi l, the RPM (revo lutions per minute) at
which the eng ine is operated, the ambient
temperature and road condit ions. Further fac­
tors are t he amount of oil d ilution from wate r
condensation or fuel residue and the ox ida ­
t ion level of the o il. As any engine is subject to
wear as mileage bu ilds up, the o il consump­
tion may in crease over t ime un til re p la cement
of worn componen ts may become necessa ry.
W ith all these var iabl es com ing in to play, no
standa rd rate of o il cons umption can be es­
t a blishe d or specifie d. T he re is no a lterna tive
t o regular and freq uen t ch ecking of the oi l lev­
e l, see
Note .
If the ye llow eng ine o il level war ning symbol
in t he ins trumen t clus te r
II light s up, yo u
should che ck t he o il level as soon as possible
¢
page 233 or ¢ page 23 4. Top off t he oil at
your ea rliest convenience ¢
page 234.
A WARNING
Before yo u check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WAR NINGS
¢ .&. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 228.
Dr iving with an insufficient oi l level is like­
ly to ca use seve re damage to the eng ine.
-
Checkin g and fillin g
(D Tips
- The oil pressure warning display. is
not an indicator of the oil level. Do not
rely on it. Instead, check the oil level in
your engine at regular intervals, pref­
erably each time you refuel, and always
before going on a long trip .
-If you have the impressi on yo ur engi ne
cons umes excess ive amounts of oil, we
recommend that you consult your Aud i
dea le r to have the cause of your concer n
properly diagno sed . K eep in mi nd th at
t he a ccu rate meas urement o f oil con ­
sumption requi res g reat care and may
take some t ime . Your Audi dea le r h as i n­
struct io ns about how to measure oil con­
sumption acc urate ly.
Checking the engine oil level
App lies to vehicles : wit h oil level indicator
Fig. 201 D isp lay: o il leve l indicator
.,. Par k yo ur vehicle o n a level su rface.
.,. Shu t the eng ine off when it is warm.
.,. Switch on ly the ignition back on.
.,. Wa it app roximately two minutes .
.,. Select:
!CAR ! functio n button > Car systems
cont ro l button > Servicing & checks > Oil
level.
.,. Check t he oil level i n the display ¢ fig. 201.
Add eng ine o il if the bar of the oil leve l ind i­
cato r is nea r "m in"¢
page 234 .
Depending o n the way the vehicle is dr iven
and the ope rat ing cond it ions, o il cons umption
can be up to 1/2 quart per 600 miles (0 .5 liter
per 1,000 km). Consumption may b e hig he r
within the first 3, 000 miles (5 ,0 00 km). ..,,.
233
•
•

234 Checking and filling
@ Tips
The oi l level i ndicator in the MMI Display is
only an in format ion d isp lay .
If the oil leve l
is low, a minim um o il warning appears in
the instrument cluster. Add oi l
c::> page 234. If the hood has bee n ope ned,
the c urrent oil level is shown in the instru­
men t cluster t he nex t time the ig nition is
s w itche d on .
Checking the engine oil level
Appl ies to vehicles: with oil dipstick
Fig . 202 Oi l di pstick: ma rk ing field s
Before you check any thing in the engine com­
pa rtment,
always read an heed all WARN­
INGS c::> page 2 28 .
Determining the oil level
.. Park your vehicle on a level surface .
.. Let the engine run in idle briefly while it is at
operating tempe ratu re and then shut the
engi ne off.
.. Wait approxima tely two min utes .
.. Remove the oil d ipst ic k. W ipe off t he oil dip­
st ick with a cle an clot h an d inse rt it all the
w ay in ag ain .
.. Remove the d ipstick again and then rea d the
o il level
c::> fig. 202 . Add engine oi l if neces­
sary
c::> page 234.
Oil level in the G) area
.. Do no t add any oi l.
Oil level in the @area
.. You may add oil. After adding oi l, the leve l
sho uld be in the @ area .
Oil level in the @ area
.. Yo u mu st ad d oil. A fter a dding oi l, the level
should be in the
0 area .
D epend ing on the way the vehi cle is dr iven
and the ope ra tin g con dit ions, oi l consu mption
ca n be up to 1/2 qu art pe r 600 miles (0.5 liter
per 1,00 0 km). Cons umption may be h ig he r
within the first 3,000 miles (5,000 km) . Be ­
ca use of this, the engine oil leve l must be
c h ecked regu la rly. It wo uld be best to check
each time you refue l your veh icle and before
lo ng d rives.
Adding engine oil "l::r.
Fig. 2 03 Engin e compartm en t: cove r on th e e ng in e o il
f ill e r neck
Befo re you c heck a nyth ing in the engin e com­
partment ,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS c::> .&. in Wo rking in the engine compart ­
men t on page 22 8.
"' Shut the eng ine off .
"' Un screw the cap
't=;,1 to the eng ine oil filling
hole
c::> fig. 203, c::> page 230 .
.. Ca refully top off with 0 .5 qu arts ( 0.5 liters)
of t he appropriate oil
c::> page 231 .
"' Check t he oi l level aga in after two m in utes
c::> page 233, Checking the engine oil level or
c::> page 234, Checking the engine oil level.
.. Top off the o il aga in, if necessary.
"' Sc rew the cap back on the filling hole .
_&, WARNING
--W hile topping off, th e oil m ust n ot com e
i n c onta ct w ith hot e ngine parts - fi re
haza rd! ..,.

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-The oil filler cap must be properly se­
cured to prevent oil from being sprayed
on the hot engine and exhaust system
when the engine is running - fire hazard!
-If your skin has come in contact with the
engine oil, you must subsequently
cleanse it thoroughly .
@ Note
-Check the oil level. If the message
Please reduce oil level appears, contact
your authorized Audi dealer or other qualified workshop to have excess oil ex ­
tracted if necessary .
-Audi does not recommend the use of oil
additives. They may damage the engine
and adversely affect your New Vehicle
Warranty.
@ For the sake of the environment
-Under no circumstances can the oil come
in contact with the sewage network or
the soil.
- Observe and follow legal regulations
when disposing of empty oil containers.
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by
an authorized Audi dealer or a qualified serv­
ice station .
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 228.
T he engine oil must be changed according to
the intervals specified in your Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet . This is very important
because the lubricating properties of oil di­
minish gradually during normal vehicle use.
Under some circumstances the engine oil
should be changed more frequently . Change
oil more often if you drive mostly short dis­
tances , operate the vehicle in dusty areas or
under predominantly stop-and-go traffic con­
ditions , or have your vehicle where tempera-
Checking and filling 235
tu res remain below freezing for extended pe­
riods.
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh
oil look dark after the engine has been run­ ning for a short time. This 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 ex­
pertise requir ed, we strongly recommend that
you have your oil changed by an authorized
Audi dealer or a qualified service station.
If you choose to change your oil yourself,
please note the following important informa­
tion:
_& WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal injury if you
must change the engine oil in your vehicle
yourself:
- Wear eye protection.
- To reduce the risk of burns from hot en-
gine oil, let the engine cool down to the
touch.
- When removing the oil drain plug with
your fingers, stay as far away as possible.
Always keep your forearm parallel to the
ground to help prevent hot oil from run­
ning 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 oil
is harmful to your skin. Always protect
your skin by washing oil
off thoroughly
with soap and water.
(D Note
Never mix oil additives with your engine
oil. These additives can damage your en­
gine and adversely affect your Audi Limit­
ed New Vehicle Warranty .
•
•

236 Check ing and filling
@ For the sake of the environment
- Before changing your oil , first make sure
you know where you can properly dispose
of the used oil.
- Always dispose of used engine oil proper­
l y. Do not dump it on garden soi l, wood­
ed areas, into open streams or down
sewage dra ins.
- Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a
used engine oil collection facility in your
area, or contact a service station .
Engine cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro­ tects the engine from freezing in the winter.
The cooling system is sea led and generally re­
qu ires little attention .
The cooling system has been filled at the fac ­
tory with a pe rmanent coolant which does not
need to be c hanged. The coolant consists of a
mixture of spec ia lly conditioned water and the
manufacturer 's glycol-based coo lant add i-
tive G l3 antifreeze with ant icorrosion addi ­
tives (50% for USA models ; 60% for Canadian
mod els). This mixture both assures the nec es­
sary frost protection and protects metal com­ ponents in the engine's cooling sys tem from
corrosion and scaling . It a lso raises the boil­
ing point of the coolant .
Do not red uce the concentration of the coo l­
ant in the summer by adding plain water.
The
proportion of coolant add it ive mu st be at
l e a st 50 % but not more than 60 %
to main­
tain antifreeze protection and cooling efficien­
cy . If the coolant frost prote ct ion is too low,
the coo lant cou ld freeze and damage the veh i­
cle hea ting and eng ine cooling system.
For yea r-round d riving, antifreeze is added at
the fac to ry for temperatures down to:
-- 31°F( -35°C)USA
- -40 °F ( -40 °C) Canada. If
you must add coolant, use a mixture o f wa ­
ter and coolant additive . Mixing the coo lant
additive with distilled water is recommended.
A WARNING
-
Before you c heck anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed a ll
WAR NINGS
c::, & in Working in the engine
compartment on page 228.
(D Note
- Before winter sets in, have the coo lant
checked to see if the coolant additive in
your vehicle is sufficient to meet the cli­ mate conditions . This is especia lly impor­
tant if you live in a reg ion where the win­
ter is ex treme ly cold. If ne cessa ry, i n­
crease the pr opo rtion of coo lant add itive
t o 60%.
- Whe n adding coolant additive to yo ur
c ooling sys tem, remembe r:
- We recommend using on ly coolant ad ­
d itive Gl2++ or Gl3 for your vehicle .
This coolant additive is availab le at au­
thor ized Audi dealers . Other types of
ant ifreeze can s ignificant ly reduce cor­
rosion protection. The resulti ng cor ro­
sion can ca use a loss o f coolan t and se­
rio us engine damage.
- Do not add any type of rad iator leak seal­
a nt to yo ur vehicle 's engine coolant.
Add ing radiator repai r fl ui d may adverse ­
ly affect the function and performance of
your cooling system and co uld resu lt in
damage not covered by yo ur New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
-

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Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance .
Fig. 204 Eng ine compartme nt: cover o n the coolant
expansion tank
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
a lway s read and he ed all WARN ­
INGS ¢ & in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 228.
Park your vehicle on a level surface.
~ Switch off the ignition.
~ Read the engine coolant leve l from the cool­
ant expansion tank¢
fig. 204, ¢ page 230.
With a cold engine, the coolant level should
be between the "min" and "max" markings.
When the engine is warm, the level may be sl ightly above the ''max" marking.
The location of the coolant expansion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus­
tration ¢
page 230 .
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine
must be switched off.
The expansio n tank in your vehicle is equipped
with an electric coolant level sensor.
When t he coo lant level is too low, the warning
light in the Auto-Check System¢
page 15 will
illuminate unti l yo u add coolant and the level
has been restored to normal. Even thoug h
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-
Checkin g and fillin g 237
ing system shou ld be inspected immediately
by your authorized Audi dealer . It is not
eno ugh merely to add coo lant .
In a
s ealed system, losses can occu r on ly if
the boiling point of the coo lant is exceeded as
a resu lt of overheating.
A WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Red uce the risk of scald­
ing from hot coolant by follow ing these
steps.
- Turn off the engine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping flu id a nd steam by cover ing the
cap with a la rge, th ick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in
a counter-clockwise d irect ion while ap­
p lyi ng lig ht, dow nward pressure on the
top of the cap.
- To avo id being burned, do not sp ill anti­
freeze o r coolan t on the exhaust system
or ho t engine parts. Und er certa in cond i­
tions, the ethylene gly co l in engine coo l­
an t can catch fire.
(D Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sea l­
ant to your veh icle's engine coo lant. Add­
i ng radia to r repa ir flui d may adverse ly af­
fe ct the fun ct io n and perfor man ce o f you r
coo ling system and could result in damage
not cove red by your New Vehicle Limi ted
War ranty.
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant .
Before you che ck a nyt hing in the eng ine com­
partmen t,
alway s re ad and he ed alt WARN­
INGS ¢ & in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 228.
~ Requirement: There must be a residua l
a mo unt of coolan t in the expansion ta nk
¢(D.
~Tu rnoff the engine . •
•

- the temperature of the engine coolant rises
due to th e heat bui ld-up from the engine in
the engine compartment, or
- the engine compartment heats up because
the vehicle is parked in intense sunlight.
.&_ WARNING
- To reduce the r isk of personal injury nev­
er touch the radiator fan.
- The auxiliary electr ic fan is temperature
controlled and can switch on sudden ly
even when the engine is not runn ing.
- The auxiliary radiator fan switches on au­ tomat ically when the engine coolant
reaches a certain temperature and will
continue to run until the coolant temper ­
at ure drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a
quick glance.
N N
-N
i
F ig . 2 05 Eng ine co mpartmen t: cove r on the b rake f lui d
r eservo ir
Before you check anything in th e engine com­
partment,
alwa ys read and he ed all WARN­
INGS c::> .&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 2 28.
~ Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fl uid reservo ir ~
fig . 205, c::> page 230. The
brake f luid leve l must be betwee n the "M IN"
and "M AX" marki ngs.
The location of the brake fl uid reservo ir can be
see n in t he engi ne comp artment illus trati on
c::> page 230.
Checkin g and fillin g 239
The fluid level may d rop slightly afte r some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the
brake pads . T his is not cause for alarm .
If the brake flu id leve l falls considerably be­
low the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/indi­
cator light . (U.S. models) . (Canadian
models) w ill come on
~ page 14 . Do not con­
tin ue to operate the vehicle . The complete
brake sys tem should be thoroughly checked
by an authorized Audi dea ler or other quali ­
fied facility and the cause corrected.
If the
brake f lu id leve l is too low, the brake warning/
indica tor ligh t will illumi nate. Conta ct an au­
thorized Aud i de aler
immediately .
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi­
en ced technician.
B rake fluid absorbs moisture from the air . If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
high, co rrosion in the brake system may resu lt
after a pe riod of time. The boiling point of the
brake f lu id will also dec rease conside rably and
decrease brak ing performance.
T herefo re , the bra ke fluid must be changed
every tw o year s. Always use new br ake f lu id
which con forms to Federal Mo tor Veh icle
Standard " FMVSS 116 DOT 4".
T he bra ke fluid reservo ir can be d iff icu lt to
reach, the refore, we recommend that you
have the bra ke fluid changed by your author­
ized
Audi dealer. Your dealer has the cor rect
tools, the right brake fluid and the know -how
to do this for you.
A WARNING
---- Brake flu id is poisonous. It must be stor­
ed only in the closed or iginal container
out of the reach of children!
- Brake failure can resu lt from old or inap­
prop riate brake f lu id. Observe these pre­
cautions:
- U se only brake fluid tha t meets SAE
specificat ion
J 1703 and conforms to
Federa l Motor Vehicle Standard 116.