2011 AUDI Q7 light

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Checking and filling
Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the vehicle.
-Open the driver's door.
Fig. 231 Driver's side
footwell: engine hood
release lever
-Pull the release lever on the left under the instrument
panel => fig . 231 in the direction of the arrow .
The hood pops up slightly under spring pressure .•
Opening the engine hood
Fig. 232 Release lever
under the engine hood
Before opening the engine hood, make sure that the wind­
shield wipers are flat against the windshield. Otherwise, they
could damage the paint on the hood.
- Lift the hood slightly =>& .
- Pull up on the release under the hood => fig. 232. This
releases the catch.
- Open the hood all the way.
& WARNING
Hot engine coolant can burn you.
• To reduce the risk of being burned, never open the hood if you
see or hear steam or coolant escaping from the engine compart­
ment. Wait until no steam or coolant can be seen or heard before
carefully opening the hood. •

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& WARNING (continued)
-Always use extreme caution to prevent clothing, jewelry, or
long hair from getting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts or
other moving parts, or from contacting hot parts. Tie back hair
before starting, and do not wear clothing that will hang or
droop into the engine.
• Minimize exposure to emission and chemical hazards=:>
/1::..
& WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
• Engine exhaust, some of its constituents, and certain vehicle
components contain or emit chemicals known to the State of Cali­
fornia to cause cancer and birth defects and reproductive harm. In
addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and certain products
of component wear contain or emit chemicals known to the State
of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproduc­
tive harm.
• Battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain lead
and lead compounds, chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms. Wash hands after
handling.
0 Note
When adding fluids, a lways make sure that they are poured into the
proper container or filler open ing , otherwise serious damage to
vehicle systems wi ll occur.
ci> For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle floor pan from underneath
reg ular ly. If yo u see spots from oil or other vehicle fl uids, have your
vehicle inspected by an authorized Audi dea ler .•
Engine compartment
These are the most important items that you can check.
Fig. 233 Typical layout for containers, engine oil dipstick and engine oil filler
cap
© Windshield/headlight washer container ( q ) ... .... .
@ Coolant expansion tank (- L ) ..... ......... ... .. . .
® Engine oil f iller cap ("l!::r.) .......... ...... .. .. .. . .
© Engine oil dipstick (orange) ... .. .... .. .. ... . .. .. .
® Brake fluid reservoir ( ) ................. ... .. . .
©
0
Power steering reservoir ... .... .. .... .. ... ..... .
Jump start connector( +) u nder a cover,(-) with hex head 316
309
306
305
311
261
screw .. ... ... ...... ........ ......... .... .. .. 315,355
The position of the engine oil filling hole and the engine oil dipstick
=:> fig. 233 (position ® and ©> can vary according to the type of
eng ine.

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Applies to vehicles with diesel engine only : Only if the level of t he
oil is a t or be low the m inimum m ark o n the o il d ipstick -and no o il
that express ly conforms to A udi o il standard VW 507 00 spec ifica ­
tions is available -may you top off with a high q ua lity engine oil , that
meets ACEA C3 o r API CF spec ifications, but even then, on ly in
viscosity gra des SAE 5W- 40, SAE SW -30, or SAE OW -40 . However,
dur ing t he e ntire time between o il change i nte rvals, neve r top off
w ith more than a tota l of 0.5 qt/liter engine oil that does not
c onfor m to Audi o il specification VW 5 07 00.
For more information about eng ine oi l th at has been approved for
your vehicle, please con tact either your au thorized A udi dea le r or
Aud i Customer Relations at 1 (800) 822 -2834 or vis it our web site at
www.aud iusa .com or www .aud icanada.ca . He re yo u w ill also find a
cu rrent list of oils (manufactu rers, brand names e tc.) that co nform to
Audi oil standard VW 502 00 (vehicles with gaso line e ngine) or VW
507 00 (vehicles w it h die sel eng ine).
Changing the engine oil
The eng ine oil and oil fi lter mus t be changed according to the mileage
(kilome ters) and t ime intervals specified i n your vehicle 's Warranty &
Ma intenance booklet . Do not exceed these interva ls - harmful
deposi ts from o ld engi ne oil can reduce engine pe rfo rmance and ca n
lead to expensive engine repa irs.
C hangi ng the oil at the recommende d interva ls is so very imp ortant
because the lubricating properties of o il decrease gradually during
normal ve hicl e use. If yo u ar e not sure w hen you have yo ur oil
changed, ask your author ized Audi Service Adv isor .
Under some circumstances the eng ine o il should even be changed
more fr eq uent ly. Chang e oil mor e of ten if you d rive mostly short
distances, operate the veh icle in d usty areas or mostly under stop­
and -go t raff ic condi tion s, or when you use yo ur vehicle where tempe r­
atures stay be low free zing po int for long periods.
De tergen t ad dit ives in the o il wi ll m ake fres h oil look dark a fter the
eng ine has bee n ru nning for a short t ime . This is normal and is not a
reason to ch ang e the oil mo re of ten t han re commended.
Damage or malfunctions due to lack of maintenance
It is essentia l that you change your o il at the recommended intervals
using only en gine oil th at com plies wi th A udi o il st and ard VW 502 0 0
(vehicles w ith gasoline eng ine) o r VW 507 00 (vehicles with d iesel
eng ine) . Your Limited New Vehicle Wa rranty does not cover damage
or ma lfunct ions due to fa ilure to follow recomm ended maintena nce
and use requirements as set forth in t he Au di Owner's Man ua l and
W arranty
& M aintenance boo klet. Y ou r deale r will have to deny
wa rranty coverage unless yo u present to the dealer proof i n th e form
of Se rvice o r Rep air O rders tha t al l sche dul ed main tena nce was
performed in a time ly ma nner. •
Engine oil consumption
To provide effective lubr ication a nd cooling for interna l eng ine parts,
a ll in ter na l c omb ustion e ngines use some oil. Oil cons umption v aries
from engine to engine and may change over the life of the eng ine .
E ngines te nd to use m ore oi l dur ing the b re a k-i n period t han t hey do
after ward, when oil consumption has stab ilized. Depending on t he
way the vehicle is driven and the operatin g cond itions, oi l cons ump ­
tion ca n be up to 1 qua rt pe r 1,200 m iles
(I liter per 2 ,000 km).
Consumption may be higher withi n th e first 3,0 00 miles (5,00 0 km).
Under nor mal co ndi tions, the rate o f oi l consu mptio n depe nds o n oil
quality as well as viscosity, engine speed ( rpm), o utside tempe rature,
roa d condi tion s, the amou nt of o il d ilution caused by co nde nsed
water or fu el residue, and oxidation of the oil. O il cons umption may
increase wi th en gine we ar ove r time, un til repl aceme nt of worn
eng ine pa rts may become necessa ry.
Because of all these var ia bles, there is no standa rd o r "norma l" rate
of oil consumption .
We urge you to check the engine oil level at
regular intervals, preferably every time you fill the fuel tank, and
always before a long trip .
The oil pressure warning light
~ is not an indicator of low eng ine
oil level. If the warning light does not go out after starting, or
flashes while driving (above 1500 rpm), a buzzer will sound . It
indicates that the oil pressure is too low. Stop the engine immedi- _.,,

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ately, check the engine oil level and add oil if necess ary. If the
engine oil level i s normal, but the light continues to flash , do not
keep driving or l et the engine idle , as damage may occur .
If you believe your engine uses too much oil, we recommend that you
cons ult your au thor ized Audi dealer so that the cause of yo ur conce rn
can be properly diagnosed. Keep in m ind that accurate measurement
of oil consump tion req uires gre at care a nd may ta ke some time. You r
Audi dealer has instructions for how to measure o il consumption
a ccu rately.
& WARNING
Stop! Befor e working in the engine compartment, alw ay s read and
heed all WARNINGS ~
& in "Working in the engine compart­
ment " on
page 301 . The engine compartment of any motor
vehicle is a potentially dangerous area and can cause ser ious
per sonal injury .
0 Note
• The engine depends on o il to lubr icate and coo l all of i ts mov ing
parts . The engine oil must be checked regularly and kept at the
req uire d level.
• Make it a hab it to have the engine oil level checked every t ime you
fill the f uel tank.
• Too little engine oil may cause severe eng ine damage .•
Vehicle OP-eration
Checking the engine oil level
The dipstick indi cates the engine oil level.
F ig. 234 Il lu st rati on
o f prin ciple 1 : M arke rs
o n oil dipsti ck
Fig . 235 I llustration
o f prin ciple 2 : M arker s
o n oil dip sti ck
Before you check anyt hing i n th e eng ine compartment ,
always read and heed all WARNINGS=> & in " Workin g in
t h e e ng ine compa rtme nt" on
page 301.
Determining oil level
- Park you r veh ic le so tha t it is h orizo ntally lev el.
- While at operating state te mperature, briefly let the
engine ru n at id le and then shut it of f.
- W ait appro x. two minutes .
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

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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

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& 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 -
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<£> 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
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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. ~