2011 AUDI Q7 warning light

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-We recommend using only coolant additive Gl2 ++ (check the
l a bel) for yo ur vehicle. This coolant ad dit ive is available at au tho·
r ized 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 coo lant . Adding radiator repa ir 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 coolant Level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a quick
glance .
Fig. 2 37 En gin e
c o mpar tmen t: C oolant
ex pansion tank
Before you c heck anything in the eng ine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Working in
the e ngine compartment" on
page 301.
- Turn off the ignit ion .
- Let t he eng ine cool down .
- Place a thick rag over the coolant expans ion tank
~ fig . 237 and carefully twist the cap counter ·clockwise
~ & -
Vehicle OP-eration
-Read the engine coolant level in th e open coo lant expan ·
sion tank ~ fig . 2 3 7 . With a cold engine, th e coolant level
should be between the "min" and "max" ma rkings . Whe n
the engine is warm , the level may be slight ly above the
"max" marking .
The location o f the coo lant expans ion tank can be seen in the engine
compartment illustration=>
page 302 .
To obt ain an accurate reading , the engine must be sw itched off.
Th e expans ion t an k in your vehicle is equippe d with an electric coolant
level sensor.
When the coolant lev el is too low, the warning light in the Auto·Check
System=>
page 35 will blink until you add coolant and t he level has
been resto red to normal. Even though there is an electric coolant
level sensor, we st ill recommend you check the coolant leve l from
time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the coo ling system . In the event of
coo lant loss , the cooling system sho uld be inspected immed iate ly by
your authorized Aud i dea ler . It is not enough mere ly to add coolant.
In a
s ealed system, losses can oc cu r only if the boiling point of the
coolant is exceeded as a result of ove rheating .
& WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and can get ve ry hot. Reduce
the ri sk of scalding from hot coolant by following the se steps.
• Turn off the engine and allow it to cool down .
• Protect your face, hand s and arms from e scaping fluid and
s team b y co ve ring the cap with a large, thi ck r ag.
• Turn the cap slowly and ver y carefully in a counter-clockwise
direction whil e applying light , downward pre ssure on the top of
thecap .
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

llft!I __ C_ h_ e_c _k _i _ n _g ~ a_n _d_ f_il _l_in _ g _________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nu ed )
• To avoid being burned, do not spill antifreeze or coolant on the
exhaust system or hot engine part s. Under certain condit ion s, 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
c oo lant. Addi ng radia tor repa ir fluid m ay adverse ly affe ct the func­
tion and performance of your cooling system and could result in
damage not cove red by y our New Vehicle Lim ited Warr anty. •
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anyt hing in th e eng ine co mpart ment ,
always read and heed all WARNINGS => & in "Wor king i n
t h e e ngine compa rtment" on
page 301.
- Tur n off the eng ine.
- Let t he engi ne c ool d ow n.
- Place a thic k rag over th e coolan t expans ion tank
=> pag e 309, fi g. 237 and carefully twist t he cap cou nter ­
cl ockwi se
=> &.
- Add coo lant.
- Tw ist the ca p on aga in
tightly .
Replacement eng ine coolant must conform to exact specifications
=>
page 308, "Coolant". Even in a n emergency, if coolant addi tive
Gl2 ++, Gl2 + or Gl2 is not available, do not use a different addit ive.
Use plain wate r in st ead until you can get the cor rec t additive an d can
restore the correct ratio. This shou ld be done as soon as possible. If
you have lost a considerable amount of coolant, then you sho uld
a d d c old an tifr ee ze and cold wa ter only when the e ngine is cold.
Always use
new engine coo la nt when refilling.
Do not fill coolant above the "MAX" mark. Excess coolant will be
fo rced o ut thr ough the p re ssur e relief v alve in the c ap 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
s team by covering the cap with a large, thi ck rag .
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully
in a counter-clockwise
direction while applying light, downward pre ssure 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 glycol in engine coolant can catch fire.
• Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store antifreeze in its original
container and well out of the reach of children.
• If you drain the coolant , it mu st be caught and safely stored in
a proper container clearly marked "poison ".
0 Note
• Coolant poll utes the environment and could cause an engine fire.
Excess coolant w ill be forced o ut thro ugh the pressure relief va lve in
t he c ap when t he e ngine becomes hot.
• If, i n an emergency, only water can be added, the co rrect ratio
between wate r and an tifreeze=>
page 308 mus t be res to red as soo n
as possib le. _..

Checking and filling -
------------- ------=------=:;______,.J,,...
<£> For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant sho uld not be reused. A lways dispose of used coolan t
w hile observing a ll enviro nmental regulations .•
Radiator fan
The radia tor fa n switc hes on a utoma tically by itself
The radiator fan is driven by the engine via the V-belt. The v iscous
cl utch reg ulates the spee d of t he fan accord ing to t he tem pera ture o f
the coolant.
An aux ili ar y e lec tric r adi ator fan* sw itches on and o ff depend ing o n
coo la nt temperat ure and other vehicle operating conditions.
After you switch the engine off, the auxiliary fan can continue r unning
for up to 10 minutes -eve n w it h t he igni tion o ff.
It can even swit ch on
again later by itse lf => & , if
• t he tem pera ture of the e ngi ne coola nt rises due to the hea t build­
up from the eng ine in the engine compa rtment, o r
• th e engine compar tmen t heats up because the ve hicl e is parked in
intense s unlight.
& WARNING
• To reduce the risk of personal injury never touch the radiator
fan .
• The auxiliary electric fan is temperature cont rolled and can
switch on suddenly even when the engine i s not running.
• The auxiliary radiator fan switche s on automatically when the
engine coolant reaches a certain temperatu re and will continue to
run until the coolant temperature drops. •
Vehicle OP-eration
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake flu id l eve l can be checke d with a quick gl ance .
Fig . 238 E ngine
compa rtment : Brake
fluid rese rvoir
Before you check a nyt hin g i n th e eng ine compa rtment ,
always read and heed all WARNINGS=> & in " Working in
the e ng ine compartmen t" on
page 301 .
-Read the brake fluid level from t he bra ke flu id reservoir
=> fig. 238 . T he bra ke fluid leve l must be between the
" MIN " and "MAX" markings.
Th e brake fl uid rese rvoir is located at the rear partition of t he engine
compartment on the left side=>
page 302.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some time due to the auto­
m atic adjus tment o f th e brake pads. This is no t ca use for alarm .
If the brake fluid level falls
considerably below the "MIN" mark, t he
brake warn ing/i nd icator lig ht ( U.S. models :
BRAKE, Canadian mode ls:
ill ) will come on=> page 20 and=> page 34. Do not continue to
operate the vehicle . The complete brake system s hould be thorough ly
che cked by an au thori zed Aud i dea le r o r q ua lified wor kshop a nd the
cause corrected.
If t h e brake fl uid leve l is too low, the brake .,,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Ill Checking and filling
---=-----=----------------
warning/ind icator light will illum inate . Contac t an authorized Aud i
de aler
immediately .
[ i ] Tips
T he b rake fl uid reservoir is located unde rneath t he cover. •
Changing brake fluid
Have the b rake fluid chan ged by an exp eri enc ed t echni ­
cian.
B ra ke flui d absorbs mois ture fro m th e air . If the w ater con ten t in the
brake fl uid is too high, corros io n in th e brake system may result afte r
a p eriod of time. The boil ing po int of the br ake fl uid will also de cre as e
cons iderab ly and decr ease brak ing performa nce.
Th erefo re, the brake fl uid m ust be changed
every two years. Always
use new br ake fluid w hich conforms to Federal Motor Veh icle Stan­
dard "FMVSS 1 16 DOT
4" .
The b rake fl uid reservo ir can be diffi cult to rea ch, there fore, we
recommend that you have the brake fluid c hanged by your author ized
Audi dealer. Your dea ler has the correct tools, the rig ht b rake f luid
and the k now-how to do t his for you .
& WARNING
• Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored only in the closed
original container out of the rea ch of children!
• Brake failure can result from old or inappropriate brake fluid.
Observe these precautions:
-Use only brake fluid that meets SAE specification
J 1703 and
conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 116. Alway s check
with your authorized Audi dealer to make sure you are using
the correct brake fluid. The correct type of brake fluid is also indicated on the brake fluid reservoir .
& WARNING (co ntinued )
-The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use of the brakes can
cause a vapor lock if the brake fluid is left in the system too
long . This can seriously affect the efficiency of the brakes as
well as your safety . This could result in an accident.
0 Note
B rak e fluid will dam age the pai nt of yo u r ve hicl e.
<£> For the sake of the environment
Beca u se of the pr oblem of pro per dispo sal o f b rak e fl uid as we ll a s
the spec ia l too ls req uired and the necessary expertise, we recom ­
me nd that you h ave t he brake f luid chan ged b y yo ur a uth oriz e d Audi
dea ler. •
Battery
General information
Under normal operat ing co ndit io ns, the battery in your Aud i does not
need any maintenance. With high outs ide temperatures or long daily
dr iv es we re comme nd that yo u have th e ele ct rolyte level checked by
an a uth orized Audi dealer o r qualified wor kshop. The electro lyte leve l
s ho uld a ls o be che cked e ach time the batte ry is ch arge d=>
page 315.
Have the batte ry chec ked when yo u take yo ur vehicle in for serv ice.
Yo u ar e well advised to rep lace a batte ry that is older th an 5 years .
W ith certa in types of airbag deployme nt, the ba ttery is disconnected
from the vehicle e lectrica l system for safety reasons=>
& in "Repair,
c are and dis posa l o f the air bag s" on
page 225. ~

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Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle f unct ions (powe r window regula to rs, fo r ex am ple) are
lost if the batt ery t ermina ls are disconnec ted . These func tions hav e
to be re lea rne d after the battery term ina ls a re co nnecte d aga in . To
prev en t th is, t he battery should only b e disconn ecte d from th e
vehicle e lectr ica l system when absol ute ly necessary for repairs .
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive your veh icle over a period of seve ra l days o r wee ks,
el ect rical compo nents are g radually cu t back or swi tched off . This
re duces ene rgy consumption an d maintains start in g ca pability ove r a
lo nger pe riod=>
pag e 263.
Take into consideration t hat when you unlock your vehicle, some
c onvenie nce func tions, such a s the m aster key remote function or
power seat ad justment , may not be ava ilab le. T he conven ience func ­
t ions wi ll be available again when you turn on the ignition and st art
t he engin e.
Winter operation
Dur ing the w inter months, batte ry capac ity tends to decrease as
t empe ra tures drop . This is beca use mo re powe r is also co nsu med
w hile starting, and the headlights, rear w indow defogger, etc ., are
used more often .
Avoid unnecessa ry power consu mptio n, part icularl y in city tra ffic o r
w hen trave ling on ly short distances . Let your author ized A udi deale r
ch eck t he capa city of the vehicle ba ttery before w inter sets in
=>
page 315. A well charged battery will not only prevent start ing
pro blems when the we ather is co ld, but wi ll a lso la st l onge r.
[ i J Tips
If you r ve hicl e is left s tandi ng for seve ral weeks at extremely low
tempe ratures, t he ve hicle battery should be removed and stored
w here it will no t free ze . T his will preven t it fr om being dam age d and
having to be replaced .•
Safety first
Working on the battery
B e es pec ially ca reful when workin g on o r nea r the
batt ery.
The battery is located un de r th e d rive r's se at . B efo re yo u
ch eck a nyth ing under the driv er's sea t,
read and heed all
WARNINGS =>& .
Always heed the safety warnings , when wo rking on the vehicle
battery or the ve hicle elect rical system to p reve nt injury .
The following WARNINGS are very important when
working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYMBOLS and safety pre ­
cautions when working on the battery.
@
Always wear eye protection.
Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Always wear
gloves and eye protection.
No
- sparks
- flames
• smoking .
When a battery is charged, it produces hydrogen
gas which is explosive and could cause personal injury.
Always keep the battery well out of reach of chil­
dren.
& WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on the electrical system ,
there i s the risk of injury, accident and even fire. Read and heed
the following WARNINGS: .,_
Vehicle care Technical data

___ C_ h_ e_c _k _i _ n _g ~ a_n _d_ f_il _l_in _ g _________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nu ed )
• Always wear eye protection. Do not let battery acid or any lead
particles get on your skin or clothing. Shield your eyes. Explo sive
gases can cause blindness or other injury.
• Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Sulfuric acid can cause
blindnes s and severe burns .
- Always wear gloves and eye protect ion. Do not tilt the
battery because acid could leak out of the ventilation open­
ings.
- If you get battery acid in your eyes or on your skin , immedi­
atel y rinse with cold water for several minutes and get medical
attention.
- If you should ingest any battery acid, seek medical attention
immediately.
• Do not expose the battery to an open flame, elect ric sparks or
an open light .
• Do not smoke.
• Do not int erchange the positive and negative cab les .
• When working on the battery, be sure not to short-cir cuit the
terminals with tools or other metal obje cts. This would cause the
battery to heat up very quickly, which could lead to damage or
explosion and per sonal injury .
• When a battery is charged , it produces hydrogen gas which i s
e xplosive and could cause personal injury.
• Always keep the battery well out of the reach of children .
• Before work is done on the electrical system, disconnect the
negative ground cable.
• Befo re performing any work on the electrical system , swit ch
off the engine and ignition as well as any electrical equipment .
The negative cable on the battery must be disconnected. If you are
ju st going to replace a light bulb, then it is enough to switch off
the l ights.
& W ARNING (continued )
• Before di sconnecting the battery , switch off the anti-theft
alarm system! Otherwise you w ill set off the alarm .
• When disconnecting the battery, first disconnect the negative
cable and then the po sitive cable .
• Before reconnecting the battery , make su re all electri cal
consumers are sw itched off . Reconnect the positive cable first and
then the negative cable. Never interchange the cables - this could start a fire!
• Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out battery. It could
e x plode! If a battery has frozen, then it must be replaced. A
di scharged battery can freeze o ver at 32 °F (0 °C ).
• Make sure the vent hose is always attached to the open ing on
the side of the battery .
• Never use batte ries which are damaged . There is the danger of
an explosion! Alway s repla ce a damaged battery .
& WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
• Battery posts , terminals and related accessorie s contain lead
and lead compounds, chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive problems. Wash hands after
handling.
0 Note
• Do not disco nne ct the vehi cle battery when t he ign it ion is
switched on o r when the engine is running, otherwise, you wi ll
da mage e le ctronic compone nts in t he e lec trica l system .
• If your ve hicle is go ing to stan d for a long period of time witho ut
bei ng d rive n, protect the ba tte ry from "freezing", ot herwis e it w ill be
damaged and will then have to be replaced.•

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& WARNING (continued)
• To reduce the danger of explosion, never connect or disconnect
charger cables while the charger is operating.
• Fast charging a battery is dangerous and should only be
attempted by a competent technician with the proper equipment.
• Battery acid that may spill during charging should be washed
off with a solution of warm water and baking soda to neutralize
the acid.
CD Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to start the engine. This will seri­
ously damage sens it ive electronic components, such as control units,
relays, radio, etc ., as well as the battery charger.•
Battery replacement
The new battery must have the same specifications and
dimensions as the original equipment battery.
Intelligent energy management in your veh icle is responsible for
distributing the electrical energy throughout your vehicle
~ page 263. The intelligent energy management system will keep
the engine battery charged better then vehicles without this system .
To make sure the additional electrical energy is available once again
after you have changed the battery, we recommend that you install
batteries of the same type and manufacture only (the same as those
installed at the time your vehicle was delivered). Specifications are
listed on the battery housing. Your authorized dealer must code the
battery in the energy manageme nt system to enable you to use the
energy management functions correctly after replacing the battery.
If it is not possible to use a battery of this type, the new battery must
have the same capacity, voltage (12 volts), amperage, construction
and plug sea ling. When
installing the battery, make sure the ignition and all electrical
consumers are turned off.
CD Note
Make sure the vent ilation hose on the side of the battery is
connected, otherwise fumes or battery acid can leak out.
~ For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal of a battery, we recom­
mend your authorized Audi dealer change the battery for you.
Batteries contain sulfu ric acid and lead and must always be disposed
of properly in compliance w ith all environmental regulations.
Disposing of vehicle batteries imprope rly is very dangerous to the
environment. •
Windshield/headlight washer
container
Fig. 240 Engine
compartment: Wind­
shield and headlight*
wa sher fluid container
The washer fluid container is marked with the symbol Q on
its cap. .,

Tires and wheels -_____________ --=-=--=.:..:......:..::....:.=----Vf'II
gauge and keep chec king the press ure until you reach t he press ure
th at i s cor rect fo r t he lo ad ( pass en ge rs and l uggage) and kind of
dr iving you plan to do .
If the press ure i n any t ire is too low, note the difference betwee n th e
pressu re in t he cold tire a nd the pressure you need and add the air
that you need to reach the correct pressure for t he ve hicle load
( pass enge rs and lugg age) f or th e tires on yo ur vehicle as l ist ed on t he
on your vehicle and in this manua l and the kind of driving you p lan to
do.
Never exceed the maximum inflation pressure listed on the tire
sidewall for any reason.
Remember that the ve hicle m anufac tur er, no t the tire manufa cture r,
determines t he correct tire press ure for the t ires on your veh icle.
It is important to check the tire pressure when the t ires a re co ld .
• Read the requ ired t ire pr essure from t he t ire pr essure lab el. T he
tire pressure labe l is locate d on t he driver's side 8- pillar. Th e tire pres­
s u re labe l lists t he re com men ded col d tire inflat io n pr essures fo r the
vehicle at its maxim um capac ity we ight and the t ires t hat were on
yo ur vehicle at the t ime it was ma nufact ured. For r ecom mende d tire
pressures fo r norma l load cond it ions, please see chapter
=> page 322.
• Turn the valve stem cap co unter -clockw ise to remove it from the
t ire v alve.
• Place the air press ure gauge on the valve.
• The tire p ressures sho uld on ly be checked and adjusted wh en the
tires are cold. The slightly raised press ures of wa rm tires must not be
re du ced.
• Adjust the tire p ress ure to the loa d you are ca rry ing.
• Reinstall the valve stem cap o n the valve .
When should I check the tire pressure?
The correct tire press ure is especially important at high speeds. The
pressu re shoul d there fore be c hec ke d at least once a mo nth a nd
Safety first
always before start ing a journey . Do not forget to check t he t ire pres­
s u re for the spare w heel.
When should I adjust the tire pressures?
Adju st the tir e pre ssure to the load y ou ar e carry ing. A fter ch anging a
wheel
or replac ing wheels you have to adjust t he t ire p ressures on all
w heels. I n addition , you m ust th en s tore the new tire press ures i n the
t ir e pressu re monitoring system=>
page 339.
& WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can lead sudden tire
failure, loss of control, collision, serious pers onal injury or even
death.
• When the warning symbol appears in the instrument
cluster, stop and inspect the tires.
• Incorrect tire pressure and/or underinflation can cause
increased tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability.
• Incorrect tire pressure s and/or underinflation can also lead to
sudden tire failure, including a blowout and sudden deflation,
causing loss of vehicle control.
• The driver is responsible for the correct tire pressures for all
tires on the vehicle. The applicable pressure values are located on a sticker on the driver's side B-pillar.
• Only when all tires on the vehicle are filled to the correct pres­
sure, the tire pressure monitoring system can work correctly.
• The use of incorrect tire pressure values can lead to accidents or
other damage. Therefore it is essential that the driver observe the
specified tire pressure values for the tire s and the correct pres­
sures for the function of the tire pressure monitoring system.
• Always inflate tires to the recommended and correct tire pres-
sure before driving off. .,_
Vehicle care Technical data