
Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Warning light in the instrument cluster -t
When the _L warning light in the instrument cluster starts to flash,
this can mean one of two things: either the coolant
temperature is
too high, or the coolant
level is too low~ page 33.
If the needle is well in the upper area of the gauge, the coolant
temperature is too high.
Stop the vehicle, switch the engine off and
allow the engine to cool.
If the warning light comes on again after
driving a short distance, contact an authorized dealer.
& WARNING
• Always observe the warning in ~ page 324, "Engine compart
ment", before opening the hood and checking the engine coolant
level.
• Never open the engine hood if you see or hear steam, or if you
see engine coolant dripping from the engine compartment . You
could burn yourself. Let the engine cool off first so that you cannot
hear or see any steam or engine coolant.
0 Note
• Mounting additional lights or accessories in front of the air inlets
reduces the cooling effect of the radiator. At high outside tempera
tures or high engine load, the engine could overheat.
• The front spoiler has been designed to properly distribute the
cooling air when the vehicle is moving. If the spoiler is damaged,
this could reduce the cooling effect and the engine could then
over
heat. Ask your authorized Audi dealer for assistance. •
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicates the engine RPM (revolutions per
minutes).
The tachometer 0 ~ page 13, fig. 2 is the left of the two large clock
type displays. The
engine turns at a speed
1,000 times the single digit in the
display, e.g. if the needle is pointing at the "2" the engine is turning
at 2,000 RPM.
If engine RPM drops below 1,500, you should downshift to the next
lower gear. The red area at the end of the scale indicates maximum
permissible engine RPM after the break -in period. Before reaching
this area, move the selector lever to position "D (Drive)" or ease your
foot off the accelerator pedal.
0 Note
The tachometer needle should not move into the red range. If it
does, then only for a
very short period of time. You could damage
your engine by driving at high RPM .
'£> For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early saves fuel and reduces engine noise.•
Digital clock with date display
Date and time of day can be set in the MM/.
Fig . 3 Instrument
cluster with digital
clock
The date, time of day, and time and date format can be set in the
MMI. You can find out more in the MMI manual. .,_

Driver messages and yellow symbols
If a yellow symbol appears in the display, a driver message is also
displayed automatically.
For example, the symbol appears in the display, indicating low
windshield washer fluid level. The following message also appears:
Please top up washer fluid
The driver message disappears after a few seconds. The driver
message can be displayed again by briefly pressing the
I CH ECK]
button. •
Red symbols
A red symbol means DANGER.
-Pull off the road.
- Stop the vehicle.
Turn off the engine.
Fig . 18 Display: engine
coolant level warning
(priority 1)
- Check the malfunctioning system. Contact your autho
rized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop for assistance.
Red symbols indicate a priority 1 malfunction -Danger!
Con tro ls and eq uip
ment
Driver information display
With a priority 1 malfunction, a large symbol appears in the center
area of the display => fig. 18. When the symbol appears,
three
warning tones sound in succession. The symbol continues to blink
until the malfunction has been repaired.
If there are
more than one priority 1 malfunctions, the symbols
appear one after the other for about 2 seconds.
An additional driver message can also be displayed by briefly
pressing the
! CHECK ] button.
The red symbols mean:
0
BRAKE
[ i] Tips
Alternator malfunction
USA models:
Brake system malfunction
Canada models:
Brake system malfunction
Engine coolant level too
low/engine coolant temperature
too high
Engine oil pressure too low
Faulty steering
Faulty ignition switch
=> page32
=> page 32
=> page32
=> page33
=> page 33
=> page 34
=> page 34
• If the warning/indicator light BRAKE (USA models)/ © (Canada
models) in the instrument cluster flashes, there is a brake system
malfunction. By pressing the
I CH ECK] button, you can bring up a
driver message which explains the malfunction in more detail.
Please note
=> page 32. ..
Vehicle care
I I irechnical data

& WARNING (continued)
vehicle control and an accident. Have your vehicle repaired immediately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop.
Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake applications. •
Engine cooling system malfunction -L
A mo/function in the engine cooling system must be
repaired as soon as possible.
When the _ t symbol in the display blinks, then either the
engine coolant temperature is too high, or the coolant level
is too low. An additional driver message can also be
displayed by pressing the [ CHECK] button:
Switch off engine and check coolant level
- Pull off the road .
- Stop the vehicle.
- Turn off the engine.
- Check coolant level => page 338.
- Add coolant if necessary => page 339.
- Continue driving only after the engine coolant
warning/indicator light goes out.
- Contact your authorized Audi dealer for assistance if
necessary.
If the engine coolant level is correct, then the radiator fan may be
the cause of the malfunction.
If the O warning symbol (alternator malfunction) also lights up on
the instrument panel~
page 32, then the fan belt may be damaged .
Controls and equip
ment
Driver information display
& WARNING
• If your vehicle should break down for mechanical or other
reasons, park at a safe distance from moving traffic, turn off the
engine and turn on the hazard warning lights
~ page 76, "Emer
gency flasher
A".
• Never open the hood if you see or hear steam or coolant
escaping from the engine compartment -you risk being scalded.
Wait until you can no longer see or hear steam or coolant
escaping.
• The engine compartment of any vehicle is a dangerous area.
Before you perform any work in the engine compartment, turn of
the engine and allow it to cool. Follow the warning stickers
~ page 324, "Engine compartment".
0 Note
Do not continue driving if the _f_ symbol illuminates. There is a
malfunction in the engine cooling system -you could damage your
engine. •
Engine oil pressure malfunction "l::;r.
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol requires
immediate service or repair. Driving with a low-oil -pres
sure indication is likely to inflict severe damage to the
engine.
If the 'l::::11 symbol appears in the display and blinks, the oil
pressure is too low. An additional driver message can also
be displayed by pressing the [CHECK] button:
Switch off engine and check oil level
Immediate actions
- Pull off the road.
I • •
![AUDI Q7 2009 Owner´s Manual On th e road 11111 _________________________________ __::..:....:.......;,;_;_;_ _ __;____,J
Switching the ignition on
- Press t he [ S TART] button once to the first stage to switch
on AUDI Q7 2009 Owner´s Manual On th e road 11111 _________________________________ __::..:....:.......;,;_;_;_ _ __;____,J
Switching the ignition on
- Press t he [ S TART] button once to the first stage to switch
on](/manual-img/6/40274/w960_40274-146.png)
On th e road 11111 _________________________________ __::..:....:.......;,;_;_;_ _ __;____,J
Switching the ignition on
- Press t he [ S TART] button once to the first stage to switch
on on ly the ignition.
Starting the engine
- Step on t he brake.
- Move the se lector leve r to t he P or N posit ion
~ & .
- Press the [ STA RT ] button to t he second s tage to star t the
engine.
After a cold engine is started, there may be a brief period of
increased noise because oil pressure must first bui ld up in the
hydraulic valve adjusters . This is norma l and not a cause for
concern.
If the engine does not start immed iately, stop trying after 10
seconds and then try to restart the engine about 30 seconds later.
& WARNING
Nev er allow the engine to run in confined spa ce s · danger of
asphyxi atio n.
0 Note
• Avo id high engi ne rp m, full throttle and heavy engine loads unti l
the engine has reached operating temperature · otherwise you risk
engine damage .
• T he engin e cannot be started by pushing or towing the vehic le.
c£> For the sake of the environment
Do not allow the engine to warm up with the vehicl e stationary . Star t
driving right away . In this way you avo id unnecessary emissions .
Contro ls and eq uip
ment
[ i ] Tip s
If you open the driver's door when t he ign itio n is switched on, a
buzzer sounds and the message
Ign ition i s on appears in the instru
ment cluster display. P lease switch the ignition off. •
Applies to vehic les : w ith C onv en ien ce key
Switching engine off with the [STOP] button
Bring yo ur vehicle to a comp le te sto p.
Fig. 155 Convenien ce
key: E NGIN E STO P
button
Move the se lector lever to the P o r N position .
Press the [
STOP I button ~ fig. 15 5.
Pressing the ( STO P] but ton once switches off the engine and the
ignition . If you press the ( S T O P! button again for more than 1
second, the steering is locked, provided that the selector leve r is in
the P position
~ & .
Emergency OFF function
If necessary , the engine can be switched off with the selector leve r
in the R, Dor S positions. To do so, step on the brake peda l and
press and hold the ( STOP] button (vehicle speed must be less than
6 mph/ 10 km /h. .,,_
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

• .___O_ n_ t_h _e _ r_o _a_ d __________________________________________________ _
When you park your vehicle on hills , do the
following
- Sto p th e vehicle usi ng the brake pe dal.
- App ly the parkin g brake firml y.
- If you ar e park ing head ed
downhill , turn the fr ont w heels
t o wa rd the curb.
- I f yo u are parkin g hea ded
uphill , turn the fro nt wh ee ls
a way fro m t he c urb.
M ove t he selecto r leve r into the
P p osition .
- Swi tch off the e ngine a nd re move th e igni tio n k ey fro m
t he ignition loc k.
& WARNING
This is how you can reduce the risk of injury when leaving your
vehicle.
• Never park the vehicle where it can come in contact with dry
grass, spilled fuel or any other flammable materials.
• When parking on hills , always turn the wheels so that the front
wheels will first roll into the curb, if the vehicle should start to roll .
• Never allow anyone -especially small children -to remain in the
vehicle when it is locked. Locked doors make it more difficult for
rescuers to access the passenger compartment in the event of an
emergency. Danger to life!
• Never leave children unsupervised in the vehicle. Children
could release the parking brake or move the gearsh ift lever out of
gear . The vehicle could start to roll away and cause an acc ident.
• No matter what the season is, the temperature in a parked
vehicle can reach dangerous levels .
0 Note
• Please e xercise care whe n you pa rk your ve hicle i n par king areas
with parking barrie rs or curbs . Parking barriers and curbs vary in
hei ght a nd could damage you r bum per a nd rela ted componen ts as
the front of your vehicle moves over a barrier or curb that is too
high , as you park o r as y ou bac k out o f a par king s pot. In o rde r to b e
sure that no such damage can occur, you may wish to stop short of
h av ing the fr ont tir es of you r car touch th e parkin g bar rier or cu rb.
• Pl ease a lso exercise exceptional care when you drive up o r down
s tee p ra mp s or drive over curbs o r other ob stacl es, for wh ich th e
vehic le is not designed, because com ponents of the vehicle c lose to
th e gr oun d, suc h as bump er cove rs, s poile rs and suspens io n an d
e x haust syst em compon ents, may become damaged. •
Starting on hills
Hill hold assist ma kes it eas ier to start on hil ls.
T he system is activated when the b ra ke peda l is depressed
for a few
seconds .
Fo r thi s, the veh icle must be stand ing in uphill d riv in g
di rection.
A ft er r elea sin g the bra ke ped al, t he br ake po wer i s held f or a
brief
moment to prevent the vehicle from rolling back when startin g. At
t hi s t ime, yo u ca n ea sily begi n to move yo ur vehicle.
& WARNING
• If you did not begin moving immediately after relea sing the
brake pedal , under certain c ircumstances , the vehicle would begin
to roll backward . Depress the brake pedal immediately or engage
the parking brake .
• Should the engine stall , depress the brake pedal immediately
or engage the parking brake . .,_

Checkin g and fillin g -
-----------------=---------
•
& WARNING
Befo re you c heck anythin g in th e engine comp artme nt, a lways
r e ad and heed all WARNING S
~ & in "Workin g in the en gine
co mp art m ent " o n page 331 . •
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 powerplant that was built
to exacting specifications. This engine needs the right kind of
engine oil that meets specifications regarding quality and viscosity
so that it can run smoothly and reliably . Choos ing the right oil and
changing oil within the time and mileage intervals printed in your
vehic le's Warranty
& Maintenance booklet matters a lot more today
than it did years ago. Audi has developed a special quality standard for engine oil that will help assure that your vehicle's engine will get
t he lubr ication it needs for proper operation .
Modern engine lubrication has taken a quantum leap in the last few
years . Many synthetic oi ls availab le today provide better engine
lubrication that can outlast traditional petroleum-based oils,
making them a smart choice for use throughout the life of your Audi.
Whether you use synthetic or petroleum -based engine oi l, the oi l
that you use must conform to Audi's oi l quality standard VW 502 00
t o help keep your vehic le's engine running smoo th ly and help
prevent the formation of harmful deposits, sometimes called
"s ludge," that over time can lead to expensive repairs.
At the time of printing, engine oi ls avai lable in the U.S. and Canada
that meet the exacting specifications of Audi oil standard VW 502 00
are synthetic engine oils . This does not mean, however, that every synthetic engine oil will meet Audi oil standard VW 502 00
. So
a lways be sure tha t you use an approved o il.
To help prevent the formation of harmful deposits use only oil with
the fo llowing specifications printed on the oil container:
Audi oil standard VW 50 2 00
Oil container labels may carry the specification singly or in combi
nation with other designa tions and oil quality standards .
Viscosity
Engine oils are graded according to their viscosity. The proper
viscosity grade oi l for your engine depends on c limactic or seasona l
conditions where you drive. You can use oil with a viscosity grade of
SAE 5W40 across all temperature ranges for normal driving condi
tions .
However, if engine oil viscosity grade SAE 5W40 is not available, you
can a lso use viscos ity grade SAE 5W-30 or SAE 0W -40 as long as it
meets Audi oil qua lity standard VW 502 00 specifications .
Because engine o il that meets the Audi o il standard may not be
avai lable everywhere when you need it, we strongly recommend
that you a lways carry with you an extra quart (l iter) of oil that
express ly conforms to the VW 502 00 specification, in case you have
to top off the oil while on the road .
Only if the level of the o il is at or be low the minimum mark on the
oi l dipstick - and no oil that expressly conforms to Audi oi l standard
VW 502 00 specifica tions is avai lable -may you top off wit h a high
quality engine oi l, preferably synthetic-based, that meets ACEA A3,
ACEA A5 or ACEA 85, AP I SL or ILSAC GF -3 spec ifications, but even
then, only in viscosity grades SAE 5W-40 , SAE 5W -30, or SAE 0W -40 .
However, during the enti re time between oi l cha nge interva ls, never
top off with more than a total of 0.5 qt/ liter engine oi l that does not
conform to Audi oil specification VW 502 00.
For more information about engine oi l that has bee n approved for
your vehicle, p lease contact either your authorized Audi dea ler or
Audi C ustomer 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 .._
Vehicle care I t •

-~_C_ h_e _c _ k_ i_n ...:::g::;...._ a_n_ d_ f_ i_ll _in -'g:::;.._ ___________________________________________ _
current list of oils (manufacturers, brand names etc.) that conform
t o Audi oi l standard VW 502 00 .
Changin g the engine oil
The engine oil and oil filter must be changed according to the
mi leage (ki lometers) and time intervals specified in your vehicle's
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet. Do not exceed these interva ls -
harmful deposits from old engine oil can reduce engine perfor
mance and can lead to expensive engine repairs.
Changing the oi l at the recommended intervals is so very important
because the lubricating prope rties of oi l decrease gradual ly during
normal vehicle use . If you are not sure when you have your oil
changed, ask your author ized Audi Serv ice Advisor.
Under some circumstances the engine oil should even be changed
more frequently. Change oil more often if you dr ive mostly short
distances, operate the vehicle in dusty areas or mostly under stop
and -go t raffic conditions, or when you use your vehicle where
temperatures stay be low freezing point for long per iods.
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.
Damag e or malfunctions due to lack o f mainten anc e
It is essentia l that you change your oi l at the recommended interva ls
using on ly engine oil that complies with Audi oil standard
VW 502 00. Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not cover damage or ma lfunctions due to failure to follow recommended
main tenance and use requirements as set forth in the Aud i Owner's
Manual and Warranty
& Maintenance booklet. Your dealer wi ll have
t o deny warranty cove rage unless you present to the dealer p ro o f in
the form of Service or Repair Orders that all schedu led maintenance
was pe rformed in a timely manner. •
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an adeq uate
amount of oil t o lubric ate and c ool all of its m oving parts.
In order to provide effective lubrication and coo ling of interna l
engine components, al l interna l combustio n eng ines consume a
certain amount of oil. Oil consumption varies from engine to engine
and may change significant ly over the life of the engine . Typ ically,
engines with a specified break-in period (see=>
page 2971 consume
more oil du ring the break-in period than they consume after oil
consumption has stabi lized .
Unde r normal conditions, the rate of oil consumption depends on
the quality and v iscosity of the oil, the RPM (revolutions per minute)
at which the engine is operated, the ambient temperature and road
cond itions. Fur ther factors are the amount of oil di lu tion from wate r
condensation or fue l residue and the oxidation leve l of the oi l. As
any engine is subject to wear as mileage bu ilds up, t he oil consump
tion may increase over time until replacement of worn components
may become necessa ry .
With all these variables coming into play, no standard rate o f oi l
consumption can be established or specified . There is no alternative
t o regula r and frequent checking of the oil level, see
Note .
If the yel low engine oil level warning symbo l in the instrument
clus ter lights up, yo u should check the oil level as soon as
possible
with the oil dipstick=> page 335. Top off the oil at your
ea rliest convenience =>
page 336.
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine compartment , always
read and heed all WARNING S
=> & in "Working in the engine
compartment " on
page 331.
![AUDI Q7 2009 Owner´s Manual Checking and filling -
---------------------=----"=---------
0 Note
Driving with an insufficient oil level is likely to cause severe damage
to the engine.
[ i] Tips
• The oil pre AUDI Q7 2009 Owner´s Manual Checking and filling -
---------------------=----"=---------
0 Note
Driving with an insufficient oil level is likely to cause severe damage
to the engine.
[ i] Tips
• The oil pre](/manual-img/6/40274/w960_40274-336.png)
Checking and filling -
---------------------=----"=---------
0 Note
Driving with an insufficient oil level is likely to cause severe damage
to the engine.
[ i] 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, preferably each time you refuel, and always before
going on a long trip.
• If you have the impression your engine consumes excessive
amounts of oil, we recommend that you consult your Audi dealer to
have the cause of your concern properly diagnosed. Keep in mind
that the accurate measurement of oil consumption requires great
care and may take some time . Your Audi dealer has instructions
about how to measure oil consumption accurately. •
Checking the engine oil level
Fig. 284 Illustration of
principle 1: Markers on
oil dipstick Fig
. 285 Illustration 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 331.
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=> fig. 284 or
=> fig. 285. Top off the engine oil, if applicable
=>
page 336.
Oil level within range @
- Do not add oil.
Oil level within range @
-You can add oil. Afterwards, the oil level should be within
range @. _,,,
Vehicle care I I irechnical data