How to Diagnose and Fix Low Coolant Warning for Audi (A3 8V) / VW

As of April 14, 2025: 885 Likes, 46 Dislikes (95% positive)

A video on how to diagnose and fix a low coolant warning for Audi’s and Volkswagen’s, specifically for a 2015 Audi A3 8V. If you get a message “Switch off engine and check coolant level!” on your dash, this is the video for you. This is a very easy fix and is a great one to do yourself.

Text version of this video is available at my website along with a TL;DR: https://mattpopovich.com/posts/how-to...

View my playlist of Audi A3 videos here:    • Matt Popovich's Audi Videos  

Note that the coolant temperature gauge is replaced with a boost gauge on S3/RS3's. You can find the S3's engine oil temperature by following this guide:    • 2015 Audi S3: Engine Oil Temp Display  
Note that oil temperature is different from coolant temperature, read this article for more information: http://www.tuneruniversity.com/blog/2...
Lastly, this video will show you how to modify an S3/RS3's settings via OBD2 to add engine oil temperature to the instrument cluster:    • Display Engine Oil Temp in Instrument Clus...  

Links:
All of this information is available in pages 205-206 of the Audi A3 owner’s manual (you should read this): https://ownersmanuals2.com/audi/a3-se...
OEM coolant (concentrate): Pentosin Pentofrost E
1.5L Part Number: 8113106
~$15 + shipping: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/pp-c...
~$20: https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/p...
5L Part Number: 8113206
~$40 + shipping: https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/audi...
~$60: https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p/p...
Distilled water (affiliate link): https://amzn.to/3RnV4E5
FCP Euro coolant mixing table can be found at either of the fcpeuro.com links above

Audio from:
Dr. Dre - The Next Episode (feat. Snoop Dogg): https://open.spotify.com/track/4LwU4V...
C-Trox - Kyrie Irving (Instrumental): https://open.spotify.com/track/29XO76...

Thank you to the following clips for being created and are used under fair use:
Thanks to https://audioalter.com/pitch-shifter for shifting the pitch of my sound effects!
https://www.urotuning.com for images of Audi coolant concentrate and mixed
Apple for emojis
Bill Nye image: https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/choru...

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:16 First steps: can you keep driving?
1:18 Checking the coolant level
2:07 Which coolant to use?
2:41 Coolant vs antifreeze
3:54 Cutting the concentrated coolant
4:22 Adding coolant to the car
5:48 What causes low coolant levels?
6:41 Outro

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Disclaimer:
Matt Popovich is not a mechanic nor a chemist. Please do your own research and consult with a professional before attempting any DIY repairs. Matt Popovich assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. Matt Popovich does not provide a warranty for any of the listed information and does not guarantee any expressed or implied result. Use this information at your own risk. Matt Popovich recommends safe practices when working on vehicles and or with tools seen or implied in this video. Any injury, damage, or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or from the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not Matt Popovich.