Get Checking and topping up fluids -> Battery Guide for Audi Rs Q8 SUV First Generation (2020-2026)

Checking and topping up fluids

– If the message does not disappear again, drive

to a qualified workshop and have the fault rec-

tified.

CAUTION

– If the brake fluid level is above the MAX

mark, brake fluid may escape via the cap on

the reservoir in certain circumstances and

cause damage to the vehicle.

WARNING

An electrical system fault can cause vehicle

functions to fail, thus impairing the vehicle’s

stability – risk of accident! Switch off the igni-

tion and do not drive on. Seek professional as-

sistance.

– Brake fluid must not be allowed to come in-

to contact with the vehicle's body, other-

wise it will attack the paintwork.

Electrical system

Battery

The following driver messages may appear, de-

pending on the equipment installed in your vehi-

cle:

General information on batteries

Because of the complexity of the power supply,

any battery work, such as disconnection, replace-

ment, etc. must be carried out by a qualified





If the warning/indicator lamp

lights up, there is a power supply or battery fault

or a fault in the vehicle's electrical system.

workshop ð





Electrical system: fault. Safely stop ve-

Several batteries using different technologies

may be fitted in your vehicle:

hicle

Stop the vehicle safely and do not drive on. You

should also switch off the ignition ð . Seek pro-

fessional assistance.

– Vehicle battery (e.g. for starting the engine and

the basic supply) ðpage 332, Safety informa-

tion



Electrical system: fault. No restart possible.

– Additional battery (e.g. for recuperation and ex-

tra equipment) ðpage 332, Safety information

– Plug-in hybrid drive: High-voltage battery (e.g.

for electric driving) ðpage 139, Introduction.

Please contact workshop

When you switch off the ignition it will not be

possible to restart the vehicle. The performance

of certain vehicle functions may be limited and

the vehicle’s handling may be impaired. Drive to a

qualified workshop without delay.

If the vehicle is not used for long periods

The battery gradually becomes discharged if the

vehicle is left standing for long periods. To en-

sure that the vehicle can be started, the electrical

equipment is powered back or switched off. Cer-

tain convenience features, such as interior light-

ing or electric seat adjustment, may not be avail-

able. These functions will be restored when you

start the engine.



Electrical system: fault. Please contact

workshop

Switch off any electrical equipment which is not

required (some equipment may be switched off

automatically). The performance of certain vehi-

cle functions may be limited and the vehicle’s

handling may be impaired. Drive to a qualified

workshop without delay.

Even though some systems are deactivated auto-

matically, certain electrical equipment continues

to draw current even when the ignition is off. If

the vehicle is left standing for long periods, this

can result in total battery discharge. If the vehi-

cle battery is allowed to discharge completely, an

internal chemical reaction damages the battery

irreparably. To avoid this, the battery should be



Electrical system: low battery charge. Bat-

tery will be charged while driving

Starting reliability may be impaired.

– If this message disappears after a while, the ve-

hicle battery will have been sufficiently charged

while driving.



330

Checking and topping up fluids

recharged at least once a month ðpage 333.

Please seek advice from a qualified workshop.

– Using a 12-volt vehicle battery that does not

have the same specifications or dimensions

as the factory-fitted 12-volt vehicle battery

can cause short-circuits or fires. Serious or

fatal injuries may occur as a result.

Winter conditions

Cold weather is very hard on the 12-volt vehicle

battery. For this reason, you should have the bat-

tery checked by a qualified workshop before the

start of winter.

– Only maintenance-free and leak-proof 12-

volt vehicle batteries that have the same

specifications and dimensions as the facto-

ry-fitted 12-volt vehicle battery may be

used.

Replacing the battery

Applies to: 12-volt vehicle battery

– Charging cables or jump leads must never

be connected directly to the 12-volt battery

on your vehicle. Always use the terminals in

the engine compartment ðpage 333.

Any work on the battery must always be carried

out by a qualified workshop.

The 12-volt vehicle battery has been developed

for use in its installation location and is equipped

with safety features. If a 12-volt vehicle battery

has to be replaced, please enquire about the

electromagnetic compatibility, capacity and the

required maintenance, performance and safety

features of the new 12-volt vehicle battery be-

fore purchasing it from your qualified workshop.

The gas vent on the 12-volt vehicle battery must

always be located on the side of the negative ter-

minal. The gas vent on the side of the positive

terminal must always be sealed.

CAUTION

– If the car is left standing for long periods,

protect the 12-volt vehicle battery from

frost. The battery will be damaged irrepara-

bly if it is allowed to freeze ðpage 333,

Charging the 12-volt vehicle battery.

– Electrical components which can heat up

during operation are located behind a trim

panel underneath the luggage compart-

ment floor. To prevent these components

from overheating, objects such as blankets

must not be stored underneath the floor

panel. The components will switch off tem-

porarily if they overheat. This will be indica-

ted by a message in the instrument cluster

until the temperature has returned to nor-

mal.

When replacing the 12-volt lead battery, use only

maintenance-free 12-volt lead batteries to

standards TL 825 06 and VW 7 50 73. These

standards must be from October 2014 or later.

WARNING

– Any work on the batteries and electrical sys-

tem in your vehicle entails a risk of injury

and chemical burns in addition to danger of

accident or fire. For this reason, you must

have the work carried out by a qualified

workshop.

– Always have the 12-volt vehicle battery re-

placed by a qualified workshop because the

vehicle electronics must be calibrated as

part of the replacement procedure. Only

qualified workshops have the equipment re-

quired in order to perform the calibration

correctly.

– Always have the 12-volt vehicle battery re-

placed by a qualified workshop because the

vehicle electronics must be calibrated as

part of the replacement procedure. Only

qualified workshops have the equipment re-

quired in order to perform the calibration

correctly. If the correct equipment is not

used, safety-related functions may fail – risk

of accident!

– If a battery is used that does not meet the

quality specifications set by Audi, or that

has a battery capacity that is too low, the

vehicle’s certification for use on public roads

is void and thus also the vehicle’s registra-

tion ð



331

Checking and topping up fluids

If electrolyte comes into contact with the

eye, rinse the eye immediately with fresh

water for several minutes. Seek medical

assistance without delay.

For the sake of the environment



 Batteries and electric/electronic equip-

ment must be disposed of appropriately

ðpage 381, Information on waste disposal.

Keep open flames, sparks, uncovered

lights and lit cigarettes away from the

battery! Avoid sparks and short-circuits

when handling cables and electrical equip-

ment.



Safety information

Explanation of warning symbols:

 ^{Observe all warnings – risk of injury!}

The high-voltage battery is flammable.

The high-voltage battery must never be

exposed to fire, sparks or naked flames.

The high-voltage battery must always be

handled with care, in order to prevent

damage and fluid leaks.



/ Always read the instructions in the Own-



er’s Manual.

12-volt vehicle battery. High-voltage com-

ponent. Improper handling can cause

short circuits ð in General information

on batteries on page 331.



Always keep children away from batteries

and electrolyte.







With the exception of jump-starting and

charging the 12-volt vehicle battery, all

work on the 12-volt vehicle battery must

A highly explosive mixture of gases may

be given off when the battery is under

charge!

 ^{be performed by a qualified workshop}

Applies to high-voltage battery: Improper

handling of the high-voltage battery can

lead to serious or fatal injury. Never dis-

mantle the high-voltage battery and never

remove its cover.

in General information on batteries

on page 331 ð in General information

on batteries on page 331.

High voltage! The voltage of the high-volt-

age system is lethal! Touching damaged

high-voltage components could cause you

to be fatally electrocuted.









Applies to high-voltage battery: Improper

handling of the high-voltage battery can

lead to serious or fatal injury. Mainte-

nance work on the high-voltage battery

must only be carried out by suitably quali-

fied and trained personnel. Never make

modifications to the high-voltage battery.

The high-voltage battery must never come

into contact with water or other fluids

when it is open. Fluids can cause short-cir-

cuits, electric shocks and burns.

The high-voltage battery must only be re-

placed by a qualified workshop. Audi rec-

ommends that the work be carried out by

a registered Audi workshop, which has

trained workshop personnel and all the re-

quired tools and parts.





Electrolyte is extremely corrosive. Always

wear protective gloves and safety glasses.

First aid: If electrolyte comes into contact

with the eye, rinse the eye immediately

with fresh water for several minutes. Seek

medical assistance without delay. Neutral-

ise any electrolyte spilt on skin or clothing

immediately with soapy water and rinse

with plenty of fresh water. If electrolyte is

drunk by accident, seek the assistance of a

doctor immediately.

 ^{Always wear safety glasses.}

WARNING

Any work on the batteries must always be car-

ried out by a qualified workshop.



332

Checking and topping up fluids

Please read the safety information ðpage 320,

– Any gases escaping from batteries may be

toxic or flammable.

General information, ð

in General informa-

tion on batteries on page 331 and ð

– The substances contained in batteries can

be corrosive. If the contents of the battery

come into contact with your skin, rinse the

affected area with clean water for at least

15 minutes and then wash with soap. Have

the affected area examined by a doctor.

Important: Only use chargers with a maximum

charge voltage of 14.8 V (the battery cables do

not have to be disconnected).

The terminals for the charging cables are located

in the engine compartment. The earth point

always on the vehicle's body.

–

CAUTION

►

Applies to: mild hybrid drive

Switch off all electrical equipment and the igni-

tion.

Open the bonnet ðpage 322.

Press the release lever on the positive terminal

and fold open the cover ðFig. 205.

Follow the correct procedure for connecting the

charger cables to the jump-start terminals

(hexagon terminal under cap + , earth point on

body – ).

– To prevent damage, e.g. due to power surg-

es, components must not be connected to

the 48-volt battery terminals and wires.

– Maintenance work must always be carried

out by qualified personnel.

►

– The 48-volt lithium-ion battery must only

be replaced by a qualified workshop. Audi

recommends that the work be carried out by

a registered Audi workshop, which has

trained workshop personnel and all the re-

quired tools and parts.

►

Connect the battery charger to the mains and

switch it on.

Keep the bonnet fully open while charging

– Never attempt to replace the 48-volt lithi-

um-ion battery yourself. The 48-volt lithi-

um-ion battery in this vehicle must only be

replaced with a 48-volt lithium-ion battery

from Audi which is supplied explicitly for

this vehicle. The use of other 48-volt lithi-

um-ion or lead-acid batteries can cause sub-

stantial faults and even the total failure of

the electrical system.

After charging the battery: switch off the bat-

tery charger and disconnect the mains cable.

Now disconnect the charger cables.

Close the cap on the positive terminal.

Close the bonnet ðpage 322.

►

WARNING

– Never use unsuitable charging equipment or

charging equipment which is visibly dam-

aged and/or dirty. Always check the charg-

ing equipment for damage before use.

– Charging cables or jump leads must never

be connected directly to the 12-volt battery

on your vehicle. Always use the terminals in

the engine compartment ðpage 333.

– A highly explosive mixture of gases may be

given off when the battery is under charge.

Only charge the battery in a well ventilated

area.

– Never make modifications to the lithium-ion

battery.

– Never open the 48-volt lithium-ion battery.

Charging the 12-volt vehicle battery

– When it is discharged the battery can freeze

at temperatures around 0 °C. You must not

use a battery which has frozen, even after it

has thawed, because the ice may have

cracked the battery casing and allowed the

Fig. 205 Engine compartment: Terminals for jump leads

or battery charger



333

Checking and topping up fluids -> Battery for Your Audi Rs Q8 SUV First Generation (2020-2026)

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