Get Checking and Filling -> Battery Guide for Audi Q8 SUV First Generation (2018-2026)

Checking and Filling

– If the message does not turn off, drive immedi-

ately to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized

Audi Service Facility to have the malfunction

corrected.

Note

– If the brake fluid level is above the MAX

marking, brake fluid may leak out over the

edge of the reservoir and result in damage

to the vehicle.

WARNING

– Do not allow any brake fluid to come into

contact with the vehicle paint, because it

will corrode the paint.

When there is an electrical system malfunc-

tion, vehicle functions may not work and driv-

ing stability may be limited, which increases

the risk of an accident. Do not continue driv-

ing and turn off the ignition. See an author-

ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fa-

cility for assistance.

Electrical system

The following messages may appear, depending

on the vehicle equipment:





If the

indicator light turns on,

Battery

there is a malfunction in the power supply, the

battery, or the vehicle electrical system.

Battery general information





Electrical system: malfunction! Safely

Because of the complex power supply, all work

on batteries such as disconnecting, replacing,

etc., should only be performed by an authorized

Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility

stop vehicle

Safely stop your vehicle, do not continue driving,

and turn off the ignition ð . See an authorized

Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility for

assistance.

Multiple batteries with different technologies

may be installed in your vehicle:



Electrical system: malfunction! Restart not

possible. Please contact Service

– Vehicle battery (for example, for starting the

engine, basic power supply) ðpage 268, Safety

precautions

If you turn off the ignition, you will not be able to

restart the vehicle. Vehicle functions or driving

stability may be limited. Drive to an authorized

Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility im-

mediately.

– Auxiliary battery (for example, for recuperation

or optional equipment) ðpage 268, Safety pre-

cautions

Not running the vehicle for long periods of

time



Electrical system: malfunction! Please con-

tact Service

The battery will gradually drain if the vehicle

does not run for long periods of time. To ensure

that the vehicle can still be started, the electrical

equipment will be limited or turned off. Some

convenience functions, such as interior lighting

or power seat adjustment, may not be available

under certain circumstances. The convenience

functions will be available again when you start

the engine.

Turn off all electrical equipment that is not need-

ed. If necessary, some equipment will be turned

off automatically. Vehicle functions or driving

stability may be limited. Drive to an authorized

Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility im-

mediately.



Electrical system: low battery charge. Bat-

tery will be charged while driving

The starting ability may be impaired.

Even when electrical equipment is turned off, the

equipment can still drain the battery if the vehi-

cle is not driven for long periods of time. Deep

draining results in a chemical reaction that

– If this message turns off after a little while, the

vehicle battery has charged enough while driv-

ing.



266

Checking and Filling

destroys the inside of the battery. The battery

must be charged every month to prevent this

ðpage 269. Contact an authorized Audi dealer or

authorized Audi Service Facility for more infor-

mation.

Only an authorized Audi dealer or author-

ized Audi Service Facility has the necessary

technology to perform the adaption correct-

ly. Otherwise, there could be a loss of safe-

ty-related functions among other things,

which increases the risk of an accident.

– Using a 12 volt vehicle battery that does not

match the same specifications and dimen-

sions as the factory-installed 12 volt vehicle

battery can result in short circuits or cause a

fire. Serious injuries or death may result.

– Only use maintenance-free and leak-proof

12 volt vehicle batteries that match the

same specifications and dimensions as the

factory-installed 12 volt vehicle battery.

– Never connect a charging cable or jump

start cable directly to the 12 volt vehicle

battery. Only use the connections in the en-

gine compartment ðpage 269.

Winter operation

Cold weather places an especially high load on

the 12 volt vehicle battery. Have the battery

checked by an authorized Audi dealer or author-

ized Audi Service Facility before cold weather be-

gins.

Replacing the battery

Applies to: 12 volt vehicle battery

All work on the battery must only be performed

by an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi

Service Facility.

The 12 volt vehicle battery was developed based

on the installation location and is equipped with

safety features. If a 12 volt vehicle battery must

be replaced, ask an authorized Audi dealer or au-

thorized Audi Service Facility about the electro-

magnetic compatibility, size, and the necessary

maintenance, power, and safety standards for

the new 12 volt vehicle battery. The battery vent

on the 12 volt vehicle battery must always be on

the negative terminal side. The battery vent on

the positive terminal side must always be closed.

WARNING

California Proposition 65 Warning:

– Battery posts, terminals and related acces-

sories contain lead and lead compounds,

chemicals known to the State of California

to cause cancer and reproductive harms.

Wash hands after handling.

Note

When replacing the 12 volt lead-acid vehicle bat-

tery, only use a maintenance-free 12 volt lead-

acid battery that conforms to the TL 825 06 and

VW 7 50 73 standards. These standards must be

from October 2014 or newer.

– If the vehicle will be parked for long periods

of time, protect the 12 volt vehicle battery

against the cold so that it will not “freeze”

and become damaged ðpage 269, Charg-

ing the 12 volt vehicle battery.

– There are electrical components under the

cargo floor behind a trim panel that warm

up during operation. To reduce the risk of

the components overheating, do not store

objects such as blankets under the cargo

floor. If the components overheat, they will

turn off temporarily. This will be indicated

by a message that will be displayed in the

instrument cluster until the temperature re-

turns to normal.

WARNING

– All work on the battery or electrical system

in your vehicle can result in injuries, chemi-

cal burns, accidents, or burns. Because of

this, all work must be performed only by an

authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi

Service Facility.

– Always have an authorized Audi dealer or

authorized Audi Service Facility replace the

12 volt vehicle battery, because an adapta-

tion must be performed on the vehicle elec-

trical system when the battery is replaced.

– Always have an authorized Audi dealer or

authorized Audi Service Facility replace the

12 volt vehicle battery, because an



267

Checking and Filling

adaptation must be performed on the vehi-

cle electrical system when the battery is re-

placed. Only an authorized Audi dealer or

authorized Audi Service Facility has the nec-

essary technology to perform the adaption

correctly.

Electrolyte fluid is highly corrosive. Always

wear protective gloves and eye protection.

First aid: if electrolyte fluid enters the

eyes, immediately flush with clean water

for several minutes. Seek medical atten-

tion immediately. Immediately neutralize

electrolyte fluid on the skin or clothing us-

ing a soap solution and rinse with plenty

of water. Seek medical attention immedi-

ately if electrolyte fluid is ingested.



– Using a vehicle battery that does not meet

the AUDI AG quality specifications or with a

capacity that is too low will void the vehi-

cle’s certification for use on public roads,

and this will void the vehicle registration

 ^{Always wear eye protection.}

If electrolyte fluid enters the eyes, imme-

For the sake of the environment



diately flush with clean water for several

minutes. Seek medical attention immedi-

ately.

 Batteries and electrical/electronic devices

must be disposed of in an environmentally

safe manner ðpage 330, Disposal instruc-

tions.

Fire, sparks, open flame, and smoking are

prohibited. Avoid creating sparks and

short circuits when handling cables and

electrical devices.



Safety precautions

Always keep children away from battery

electrolyte fluid and the battery.

Explanation of warning symbols:



Observe all warnings - there is a risk for in-

A highly explosive mixture of gases can

form when charging batteries.



/ Always follow the instructions in the Own-

jury!





er’s Manual.

WARNING

12 volt vehicle battery. Energized compo-

nents. Improper handling can result in

short circuits ð in Battery general in-

formation on page 267.

All work on the batteries must only be per-

formed by an authorized Audi dealer or au-

thorized Audi Service Facility.



– Gases that escape from these batteries can

be poisonous or flammable.

With the exception of charging the 12 volt

vehicle battery and jump starting, all oth-

er procedures involving the 12 volt vehicle

battery must be performed by an author-

ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Serv-

ice Facility ð in Battery general infor-

mation on page 267 ð in Battery gen-

eral information on page 267.

– The contents of these batteries can be corro-

sive. If any battery contents come into con-

tact with the skin, flush the affected area

with clean water for at least 15 minutes.

Then wash the affected area with soap. Have

the affected area examined by a medical

professional.



Note

Applies to: mild hybrid drive

– Components must not be connected to the

battery terminals and wires on the 48 volt

battery because this increases the risk of

damage, for example due to overvoltage.

– Have maintenance work performed only by

trained personnel.



268

Checking and Filling

►

– Have the 48 volt lithium battery replaced

only by an authorized Audi dealer or author-

ized Audi Service Facility. Audi recommends

an authorized Audi dealer or authorized

Audi Service Facility, because these loca-

tions have trained personnel and the re-

quired parts and tools.

Clamp the charger terminal clamps to the jump

start pins according to the instructions. (Hex

head bolt under a cover + , ground point on the

vehicle body – ).

Insert the power cable for the charger into the

socket and turn on the charger.

►

Keep the hood completely open during the

charging session ð

– Never try to replace the 48 volt lithium bat-

tery yourself. The 48 volt lithium battery in

this vehicle may only be replaced with a 48

volt lithium battery designed by Audi specif-

ically for this vehicle. Using other 48 volt

lithium or lead batteries will result in con-

siderable malfunctions or even total failure

of the electrical system.

At the end of the charging session, turn off the

charger and pull the power cable out of the

socket.

Remove the charger terminal clamps.

Close the cover on the positive terminal.

Close the hood ðpage 257.

►

– Never make modifications to the lithium

battery.

WARNING

– Never use charging equipment that is un-

suitable, visibly damaged, and/or dirty.

Check the charging equipment for damage

before every use.

– Never open the 48 volt battery.

Charging the 12 volt vehicle battery

– Never connect a charging cable or jump

start cable directly to the 12 volt vehicle

battery. Only use the connections in the en-

gine compartment ðpage 269.

– A highly explosive mixture of gases can form

when charging batteries. Only charge the

battery in well-ventilated areas.

– A drained battery can freeze at tempera-

tures around 32 °F (0 °C). Do not charge or

use a frozen or thawed battery. If ice forms,

the battery housing can crack and battery

electrolyte fluid can leak, which increases

the risk of an explosion and chemical burns.

Contact an authorized Audi dealer or author-

ized Audi Service Facility for more informa-

tion.

Fig. 167 Engine compartment: connectors for a charger or

jump start cables

Observe the safety precautions ðpage 255, Gen-

eral information, ð

in Battery general infor-

mation on page 267 and ð

Requirement: only use chargers with a maximum

charging current of 14.8 volts. The battery ca-

bles remain connected.

– Leave the hood open while the 12 volt vehi-

cle battery is charging. If the hood is closed,

it could cause an electrical short circuit,

which increases the risk of fire.

The charging cable connections are located in the

engine compartment. The ground point

ways located on the vehicle body.

–

is al-

Tips

Read all of the manufacturer's instructions

for the charger before charging the battery.

►

Turn off the ignition and all electrical equip-

ment.

►

Open the hood ðpage 257.

Press the release lever on the positive terminal

and fold the cover upward ðfig. 167.

269

Checking and Filling -> Battery for Your Audi Q8 SUV First Generation (2018-2026)

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