check engine AUDI S8 2010 Owner's Guide

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Checking and filling
Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the vehicle.
Fig . 2 39 Dr iver 's sid e
f oo twell : e ng in e ho od
r elease leve r
-Pull the release lever on the left under the instrument
panel ~ fig. 239 in the dir ect ion of th e arrow .
The hood pops up slightly under spring pressure. •
Opening the engine hood
Fig. 24 0 Rel ease le v er
under the eng ine h ood
Before opening the eng ine hood, make sure that the wi nd­
sh ield wipers are flat against the windshield . Otherwise, t hey
cou ld damage the pa int on the hood.
Lif t the hood slightly~ &.
- Pull u p on t he rel ease un der the hood ~ fig . 240. This
releases the c atch .
- Open t he hood a ll the way.
& WARNING
Hot eng ine coolant can burn you.
• To reduce the risk of being burned , never open the hood if you
see or hear steam or coolant escaping from the engine compart ­
ment . Wait until no ste am or coolant can be seen or heard before
c arefull y opening the hood .•

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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 engage=:> &.
& WARNING
A hood that is not completely latched could fly up and block your
view while driving.
• When you close the engine hood, check it to make sure the
safety catch has properly engaged. The hood should be flush with
the surrounding vehicle body parts.
• If you notice while driving that the hood is not secured prop­
erly, stop at once and close it. •
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the engine
compartment.
Whenever you must perform any work in the engine compartment,
for example checking and filling different fluids, there is a risk of injury, burns and accidents. To prevent personal injury always
observe the following WARNINGS. The engine compartment of any
vehicle is a hazardous area=>& .
& WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check anything under the hood:
• Turn off the engine.
• Remove the ignition key.
• Apply the parking brake.
Safety first
& WARNING (continued)
• Move selector lever to "P" (Park).
• Always let the engine cool down. Hot components will burn
skin on contact.
• To reduce the risk of being burned, never open the hood if you
see or hear steam or coolant escaping from the engine compart­
ment. Wait until no steam or coolant can be seen or heard before
carefully opening the hood.
• Keep children away from the engine compartment.
• Never spill fluids on hot engine components. They can cause a
fire. • Never touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary electric fan is
temperature controlled and can switch on suddenly.
• Never open the coolant reservoir cap when the engine is still
warm. The coolant system is pressurized and hot coolant could
spray out.
• Protect your face, hands and arm from steam or hot engine
coolant by placing a thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir.
• If work on the fuel system or the electrical system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open flames. Fluids in
the engine compartment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher immediately available.
• To avoid electrical shock and personal injury 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). .,
Vehicle care Technical data

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& WARNING (continued)
-Always use extreme caution to prevent clothing, jewelry, or
long hair from getting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts or
other moving parts, or from contacting 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 hazards=:>
/1::..
& WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
• Engine exhaust, some of its constituents, and certain vehicle
components contain or emit chemicals known to the State of Cali­
fornia to cause cancer and birth defects and reproductive harm. In
addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and certain products
of component wear contain or emit chemicals known to the State
of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproduc­
tive harm.
• Battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain lead
and lead compounds, chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms. Wash hands after
handling.
0 Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that they are poured into the
proper container or filler opening, otherwise serious damage to
vehicle systems wi ll occur.
ci> For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle floor pan from underneath
reg ular ly. If yo u see spots from oil or other vehicle fluids, have your
vehicle inspected by an authorized Audi dea ler.•
Engine compartment
Applies to veh icles: w ith 8 -cylinde r engine
Engine compartment overview : a-cylinder
engine
These are the most important items that you can check.
Fig. 241 Typical layout for containers, engine oil dipstick and engine oil filler
cap
© Windshield/headlight washer container (0 ) ....... .
@ Brake fluid reservoir ( ) .................. .. .. . .
® Engine oil filler cap ('l=r.) ............ .. .... .. .. . .
© Engine oil dipstick (orange) .............. .. . ... . .
© Power steering reservoir . .. .. .. .. .. ... .... .. .. . .
© Coolant expansion tank (-L ) ........... .. .. .. .. . .
305
299
294
293
257
297 ..

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& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment , always
read and heed all WARNINGS=>
& in "Working in the engine
c ompartment " on
page 289 . •
Applies to vehicles : w it h 12-cylin der engine
Engine compartment overv iew: 12-
cylinder engine
These are the most important items that you can check .
Fig. 242 T ypic al la yo ut fo r co nta iner s, engi ne oil dip stick and e ngine o il fill er
cap
(D W indsh ield/ headligh t washer con tainer (Q ) . . . . . . . . 305
@ Brake fluid reservoir(' ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299
® Engine oil dipst ick (o range) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
~ehicle OP-eration
© Engine oil filler cap (~) .. . ...... ............. . .
© Coolant expansion tank (-1- ) .................... .
& WARNING
294
297
Before you check anything in the engine compartment , alw ay s
read and heed all WARNINGS=>
& in "Working in the engine
c ompa rtment " on
page 289 .
[ i ] Tips
The coo la nt expansion tank is located under a cover. •
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engi ne oil used in your Audi needs the right k ind of oil .
The eng ine in your Audi is a soph isticated powerplant that was built
to exacting specificat io ns. This engine needs the r ight kind of engine
oil that meets sp ecifications regard ing qua lity and viscosity so that it
can run smoothly and reliably . Choosing the right oil and chang ing oi l
with in the time and mi leage intervals prin ted in your veh icle's
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet matters a lot more today than it did
years ago . Audi has dev eloped a special quality st andard for engine o il
that wi ll help assure that your vehicle's engine will get the l ubrication
i t n eed s fo r proper ope ration .
Modern engine lubrication has taken a quantum leap in the last few
years . Many sy nthet ic oils available today provide bette r engine lubri ­
cat ion that can outlast t raditional petroleum- based oi ls, mak ing
them a smart choice for use throug hout the life of your Audi.
Whethe r you u se syntheti c or pet roleum-b ase d engine o il, the oil that
you use must conform to Aud i's o il quality standard VW 502 00 to
help keep you r ve hicl e's engine run ning smooth ly and help prevent ..,.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

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the form of Serv ice or Repair O rde rs that all scheduled ma inte nance
w as perfo rm ed in a t im ely mann er.•
Engine oil consumption
Th e e ngin e in your v ehi cle dep ends on an ad equate
amount of oil to lubricate and cool a ll of its movin g parts.
In order to p rovide e ffect ive lubric ation and cooling of inter na l
eng ine components, all internal combust ion eng ines consume a
c ert ain a mo unt o f oil. Oil co nsump tion va ries from e ngine to eng ine
and may change sign ifican tly over the li fe of the engine . Typically,
eng ines w ith a sp ecifie d brea k-in period (s ee =>
page 261) co nsum e
more o il dur ing the break -in period t han they cons ume a fter oil
cons umption has stabilize d.
Under norm al cond itions, th e ra t e of oil con su mp tio n depe nds on t he
quality and v iscosi ty of the oil, the RPM ( revolutions pe r minute) at
w hich the engi ne i s op erate d, the ambie nt te m pe ratu re and r oad
conditions. Further factors are the amount of oi l di lution from water
co ndens ation or f uel re sidue and th e oxid ation level of the oil. As any
eng ine is s ubject to wear as mileage builds up, the oil consumption
may increase over time until replacemen t of wo rn components may
become necessa ry .
With all these varia bles comin g into play, no stan dar d rate of oil
co nsum ption can be establis hed o r spe cified. Th ere is no alte rnative
to regular and frequent chec kin g of the o il level, see
Note .
If the yellow e ngine oil leve l w arning symbol in the ins trumen t
cl uster · .. lights up, yo u should chec k the o il lev el as soon as possible
with the oil dipstick=> page 293 . Top off the oil at yo ur earliest
conveni ence=>
pag e 294 .
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment , always
read and heed all WARNINGS=>
& in "Working in the engine
compartment " on
page 289.
Safety first
0 Note
Driv ing with an in sufficie nt o il level is like ly to c ause severe d amage
to the engine .
[ i ] Tips
• The oil pressure warn ing display 'e.::1; is not an indicator of the oil
level. Do not rely on it . Instead, check the oil level in your engine at
regular intervals, preferably each time you refuel, and always
before going on a long trip .
• If you have the impression your eng ine consumes excessive
am ounts of o il, we recom mend that you cons ult your Audi dea le r to
have the cause of your concern properly d iagnosed. Keep i n m ind that
t he accurate meas urement of oil co nsum ption re quires great care
and may take some t ime. Your Audi dealer has instruct io ns about how
t o meas ure o il cons umption a ccu ra tely .•
Checking the engine oil Level
Vehicle care
Fig . 24 3 Illustration
o f principle 1 : M arker s
on oil dipstick ...
Technical data

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Fig. 244 Illustra tion
of principle 2: Markers
on oil dipstick
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS => & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 289.
Determining oil level
-Park your vehicle so that it is horizontally level.
- While at operating state temperature, briefly let the
engine run at idle and then shut it off.
- Wait approx . two minutes.
- Pull out the oil dipstick . Wipe off the oil dipstick with a
clean cloth, and slide it back in as far as it will go.
- Pull it back out and read off the oil level =>
page 293,
fig. 243 or=> fig . 244. Top off the engine oil, if applicable
=> page 294 .
Oil level within range @
-Do not add oil.
Oil level within range@
-You con add oil. Afterwords, the oil level should be within
range @.
Oil level within range©
You must add oil. Afterwards, the oil level should be
within range @.
The oil level needs to be checked at regular intervals. The best times
to do this are whenever you refuel and prior to long trips.
Depending on the way the vehicle is driven and the operating condi­
tions, oil consumpt ion can be up to 1 quart per 1.200 miles
(l liter
per 2 .000 km) . Consumpt ion may be higher with in the first 3.000
miles (5.000 km). •
Adding engine oil~
Fig. 245 Oil filler cap
location: 4.2 L 8-
cyllnder
Fig . 246 Oil filler cap
lo cat ion : 6.0 L 12 -
cyllnder .,_

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Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS==> & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 289.
- Turn off the engine.
- Unscrew the oil filler cap from the cylinder head cover
==>
page 294, fig. 245 or==> page 294, fig. 246.
- Carefully top off with the appropriate oil in 0.5 liter doses.
- Check the oil level again after two minutes==>
page 293.
- Top off the oil again, if necessary.
- Screw the cap back on the filling hole and slide the oil
dipstick in as far as it will go.
& WARNING
• While topping off, the oil must not come in contact with hot
engine parts - fire hazard!
• The oil filler cap must be properly secured 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.
0 Note
• The oil leve l must not be above range@- danger of converter or
eng ine damage! Contact an authorized dealership to draw off oil, if
necessary.
• Audi does not recommend the use of oil additives. They may
damage the engine and adversely affect your New Vehicle
Warranty.
Safety first
<£' 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 autho­
rized Audi dealer or a qualified service station.
Before you check anything in the engine compartment, always read
and heed all WARNINGS=>
& in "Working in the engine compart ­
ment" on
page 289.
The 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 diminish gradually during normal
vehicle use.
Under some circumstances the engine oil sho uld be changed more
frequently. Change oil more often if you drive mostly short distances,
operate the vehicle in dusty areas or under predominant ly stop-and­
go traffic conditions, or have your vehicle 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 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 expertise required, we strongly recommend that
you have your oil changed by an authorized
Audi dealer or a qualified
serv ice station.
If you choose to change your oil yourself, please note the following
important information: .,_
Vehicle care Technical data

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in. WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal injury if you must change the engin e
oil in your vehicle your self:
• Wear eye protection.
• To reduce the ri sk of burns from hot engine oil, let the engine
cool down to the touch.
• When removing the oil drain plug w ith your finger s, stay as far
away as possible. Always keep you r forearm parallel to the ground
to help prevent hot oil from runn ing down your arm .
• Drain the oil into a containe r designed for this purpo se, one
large enough to hold at lea st the total amount of oil in your
engine.
• Engine oil is poisonous . Keep it well out of the reach of chil­
dren.
• Continuous contact w ith used eng ine oil is harmful to your
skin. Always protect your skin by washing oil off thoroughly with
soap and water.
0 Note
N ever m ix o il add itives w it h your eng ine oi l. These additives can
damage your engine and adverse ly affect your Audi Limited New
Vehicle Warranty .
ffi For the sake of the environment
• Before chang ing yo ur o il, firs t ma ke s ure you know w here yo u can
proper ly dispose of the used oi l.
• Always dispose of used eng ine o il properly . D o not dump it on
garden soi l, wooded areas, into open streams or down sewage drains.
• Recycle used engine o il by taking it to a used eng ine oil collection
facility in your area, or contact a serv ice stat io n. •
Engine cooling system
Coolant
The engine coo lant performs two functions: i t keeps the
en gine fro m overhe ating and i t protects the engine fr om
fre ezing in th e winter .
The cooling system is sea led and genera lly requ ires little attention .
Th e cool ing sy stem h as been filled at the f actory wit h a permanent
coo lant which does not need to be changed . T he coolant cons ists of a
mixt ure of water an d the manufacturer's glycol -basedcoolant ad di­
tive Gl2++ antifreeze w ith anticorros ion addit ives (50% for USA
mode ls; 60% for Canadian models). This mixture both ass ures the
necessary frost protect ion and p rotects meta l components in th e
eng ine's cooling system from co rrosion an d scaling. It also raises the
boiling point of the cool ant.
Do not red uce the concentration of the coolant in the summer by
add ing p la in water. The proportion of coolant additive must be at
least 50 % but not more than 60 %
to maintai n antifreeze protection
and coo ling efficiency. If the coolant frost pro tect io n i s too low, t he
coo lant co uld free ze and damage t he veh icle heating an d eng ine
coo ling system.
For yea r- round drivi ng , antifree ze is added at t he factory for tempe r­
atures dow n to:
• - 31°F( -35°C)USA
• -40
°F ( -40 °C) Canada .
You can mi x the Gl2+ + coo lant additive wit h other additives (G12 + or
Gl2) . Always check with you r autho rized Aud i dea ler .
in. WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment , always
read and heed all WARNINGS =>
& in "Working in the engine
compartment " on
page 289.

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0 Note
• Before winter sets in, have the coolant checked to see if the
coolant additive in your vehicle is sufficient to meet the climate
conditions. This is especially important if you live in a region where
the winter is extremely cold. If necessary, increase the proportion of
coo lant additive to 60% .
• When adding coolant additive to your cooling system, remember:
-We recommend using only coolant additive G12++ (check the
label) for your vehicle. This coolant additive is available at autho­
r iz ed Audi dealers. Other types of antifreeze can s ignificantly
reduce corrosion protection. The resulting corrosion can cause a
loss of coolant and serious engine damage.
• Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to your vehicle 's
eng ine coolant. Adding radiator repair fluid may adversely affect the
function and performance of your cooling system and could result in
damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty. •
Checking the engine coo lant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a quick
glance.
.... N
Fig. 247 Engine
compartment: Coolant
expansion tank
Vehicle OP-eration
Before you check anything in the engine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS=> & in "Working in
the engine compartment" on
page 289.
- Turn off the ignition.
- Read the engine coolant level from the coolant expansion
tank=> fig. 247 . With a cold engine, the coolant level
should be between the "min" and "max" markings. When
the engine is warm, the level may be slightly above the
"max'' marking .
The locat ion of the coolant expans ion tank can be seen in the engine
compartment illustration=>
page 290.
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 warn ing light in the Auto-Check
System =>
page 29 will blink 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 cooling 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
coo lant is exceeded as a result of overheating.
& WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and can get very hot. Redu ce
the risk of scalding from hot coolant
by following these steps.
• Turn off the engine and allow it to cool down.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

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& WARNING (conti nu ed )
• Protect your f ace, hand s and arms from e scaping fluid and
s team by covering the cap with a larg e, thick rag.
• Turn the cap slowl y and ver y ca refull y in a counter-clockwise
direct ion while applying light, downward pre ssure on the top of
the cap.
• To avoid being burned , do not spill antifreeze or coolant on the
exhaust system or hot engine part s. Under certain conditions, the
ethylene glycol in engine coolant can catch fire.
0 Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to yo ur vehicle's engine
coo lant. Adding radiator repair fluid may adverse ly affect the func­
t ion and perfo rmance of your cooling system and could result in
damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty .
[ i J Tips
On vehicles with the 12-cylinder engine, the expansion tank is located
unde r a cover. •
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anything in the eng ine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Working in
t h e e ngine compar tment" on
page 289 .
-Tur n off the eng ine.
- Let t he engi ne cool down. -
Place a t hick rag over the coolant ex pansio n tank
~ page 297, fig . 247 and carefully twis t the ca p counte r­
clockw ise
~ & .
- Add coo lant.
- Tw ist t he cap on agai n
tightly.
Replacement eng ine coolant must conform to exact specificat ions
=> p age 2 96, "Coolan t". Even in an emergency, if coolan t ad di tive
Gl2 ++, Gl2+ or Gl2 is not available, do
not use a d ifferent addit ive.
Use plain water instead until you can get the correct additive a nd can
restore the correct ratio . This s hou ld be done as soon as possible .
If you have lost a conside rable amount of coolant , then you sho uld
add co ld a ntifree ze a nd cold water only when t he e ngine is cold .
Always use
new engine coo lant when refilling.
Do not fill coolant above t he "MAX" mark. Excess coo lant wi ll be
forced out t hrough the p ressure relief va lve in the cap w hen the
eng ine becomes hot.
& WARNING
• The cooling system is under pressure and can get very hot.
Reduce the risk of scalding 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 applying light, downward pressure on the top
of the cap.
- To avoid being burned , do not spill antifreeze or coolant on
the exh aust system or hot engine parts. Under certain condi-
tions, the ethylene gly col in engine coolant can catch fire. .,