2012 AUDI A7 warning light

-make s ure there is enough distance to
sensors in the front and rear bumper,
- do not clean the camera lenses and the
area around them with the pressure
washer.
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens. This
could cause the lens to crack .
- Never clean the camera lens with abra ­
s ive prod ucts .
Waxing and Polishing
Wa xing
A good wax coating protects the vehicle paint
to a large extent against the environmental
factors listed under¢
page 200, Washing and
even against slig ht scratches.
You can use a liq uid ca r wax to protect your
paint as soon as one week after your vehicle
has been delivered.
Even if you regularly use a
wax ing process in
automatic ca r washes, we recommend that
you manua lly app ly a coat of wax to give the
pa int extra protection, particularly if water no
longer beads o n the clean paint.
Protect p lastic body pa rts with car wax in the
same way as the vehicle body.
D uring wa rm weather dead insec ts tend to
collect on the front bumper and on the for­
ward area of the hood . They are much easier
to remove from paint that is waxed
often.
P olish ing
P olish you r vehicle on ly if the pa int has lost its
shine and the g loss cannot be brought back
with wax.
If the po lish used does not conta in prese rva­
tive compounds , the paint must be waxed af­
terwa rds .
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 200.
Cleaning and protec tion 203
@ Note
Do not use car wax on
- matte o r anodized meta l trim
- rubber or rubber- lik e t rim.
Trim strips
Metal trim needs special care .
For environmental reasons, Audi fabricates
the b right t rim strips and trim p ieces from
pure chromium-free al uminum .
Dirt and marks on the trim strips shou ld be
removed w it h a
pH-balanced cleaning agent
(do not use a chrome cleane r). Audi dealers
ca rry clea ning products which have been test­
ed fo r use on your vehicle and are not ha rmfu l
to the environment.
T o avoid co rrosion on the exter io r trim st rips ,
o nly a pH-balanced solution should be used
for t he windsh ie ld washer.
A WARNING
A lways read and heed all WARN INGS and
other informat ion ¢
page 200 .
Plastic and vinyl
Plastic needs special care.
Use a clean, damp cloth or sponge to remove
dust and light su rface d irt. For other soil, use
a lukewa rm all-p urpose cleaning solution or a
mild saddle soap for v inyl tr im . Remove water
spots and t races of soap wi th a clean, damp
cl oth or sponge. Use a clean, soft cloth to rub
dry .
G rease , ta r or oil stains can be removed w it h a
cl ea n clot h or sponge soaked with a ll- purpose
cl eaner or with a so lvent designe d espec ia lly
to clean v inyl.
Oc cas iona lly app ly a color less v inyl or leathe r
preserva tive to re tain the ma ter ia l's lus ter
and pliabili ty .
•
•

-To he lp prevent d irt from scratching the
window, always scrape in a forward di­ rection -pushing the scraper away from
you -never back and forth.
Cast (light) alloy wheels
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care.
.,. Wash the whee ls with a sponge o r hose
brush every other week.
.. For deep cleaning afterwards, use only a
dedicated
a ci d-fr ee cast alloy wheel cleaner .
.,. Rub a coat of
liquid w ax onto the r ims every
three month. Be sure to reach and treat all parts of the rim .
To preserve the decorative appearance of the
cast alloy wheels, some special care is neces­
sary . In add it ion to road dirt and salt, brake
dust is also corros ive. If left on for too long,
brake dust ca n cause pitting .
Use only special
acid-free cleaners formulated
for alloy rims . Safe products are available at
your Aud i dealer. Never leave the cleaner on
the r ims longer than spec ified on the label. If
not rinsed off p romptly, the acid co nta ined in
some cleane rs can attac k the th reads on the
wheel bo lts.
Never use abras ive or metal polishing clean­
i n g agents. If the protective coat ing has been
chipped, e.g. by k icked up road dirt, touch it
up as soon as possib le.
A WARNING
- Moist ure and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency~
page 187, General
information .
Test the brakes caref ully
each time you wash the vehicle.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c:> page 200.
-
Cleaning and protec tion 205
Body cavity sealing
The body cavity sealing does not need to be
checked .
All body cav ities which could be affected by
corros io n have been thoroughly protected at
the factory .
This sealing does not require any inspection or additional treatment. If any wax should seep
out of the cavity when the ambie nt tempera­
ture is high, it can be removed with a plastic
scraper and a su itable solvent .
A WARNING
Solvents can be dangero us.
- Benz ine is flammab le and toxic. If you
use benz ine fo r removing the wax, keep
sparks, flame and lighted cigarettes
away. Never dump ben zine on the
groun d, into open streams or down sew­
age drains .
- Be s ure to obse rve all safe ty and environ­
men tal reg ulations. Fo llow all instruc­
tions on the container.
- Always read and heed all WAR NINGS and
o ther information
c:> page 200.
Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time.
The lower body shell of your Aud i is also thor­
oughly p rotec ted against cor ros io n.
Any damage to the undercoat ing caused by
road hazards should be repaired promptly .
A WARNING
Too much undercoating in the wrong pla­
ces can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustp roofing on or nea r the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalyti c con­
ver ter or heat shields. While driving, the
substance used fo r undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
•
•

206 Cleaning and protec tio n
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c> page 200.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road salt and other corrosive materials will
damage the material in the exhaust tail pipes
if they are not cleaned regularly . Do not clean
the tail p ipes with wheel cleaner, paint pol ish,
chrome po lish or other abrasive cleaners.
C lean the tail p ipes with car ca re p roducts
that are su itable for stain less stee l.
Your author ized Audi dealer can provide clean­
ing p roducts that have been tested and ap­
p roved fo r you r vehicle.
Care of interior
Infotainment components
The MMI/RSE* display may be cleaned with a
soft cloth and commercially-ava ilable "LCD
cleaner" . The cloth should be coated lightly
when the clean ing solution when cleaning the
d isplay.
The MMI/RSE* contro ls must be cleaned first
with a brush so t hat dirt does not ente r the
un it or enter between the buttons and the
housing. Then wiping the controls with a cloth
dampened with dish detergent and water is recommended.
CJ) Note
- To avoid sc ratch ing the disp lay, you
shou ld never clean it dry.
- To prevent damage, ma ke sure fluids do
not enter the controls.
Aluminum trim
Use only n eutral-pH products to remove spots
and deposits from aluminum surfaces.
Chrome care products and alkaline cleaners
will attack aluminum s urfaces and can dam­
age them over time.
A WARNING
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c> page 200.
Fabrics and fabric coverings
Fabr ics and fabric cover ings (e .g. seats, door
trim panels, etc.) should be cleaned at regular i ntervals w ith a vacuum cleaner. This removes
su rface di rt particles which could become em ­
bedded in the fabric through use. Steam
cleaners should not be used, because the
steam tends to p ush the dirt deeper into the
fabric and lock it there.
Normal clean ing
Generally, we recommend using a soft sponge
o r a lint-free microfiber cloth to the clean fab­
ric. Brushes shou ld only be used for carpets
and floor mats, since other fabric surfaces
could be harmed by brushes.
Norma l su rface stains can be cleaned using a
commercially available foam cleaner . Spread
the foam on the s urface of the fabric with a
soft sponge and work it in gently. Do not satu­
rate the fabric. Then pat the foam dry using
absorbent, dry cloths (e.g. m icrof iber cloth)
and vacuum it after it has dried completely.
Cle anin g sta ins
Stains caused by beverages (e .g. coffee, fruit
juice, etc.) can be treated with a mild deter­
gent solution. Apply the detergent solution
with a sponge. In the case of stubborn stains, a detergent paste can be applied directly to
the stain and worked into the fabric. After­
wards, use copious amounts of clean water to
remove the rema in ing deterge nt. Apply the
water wit h a damp clo th or sponge and pat
the fabric dry with an abso rbent, dry cloth .
Stains from choco late or makeup should have
detergent paste (e.g. ox-gall soap) rubbed in­
to them. Afterwa rds, remove the soap with
water (damp sponge) .
Alcohol can be used to treat stains from grease, o il, lipstick or a ballpoin t pen . Melted ..,.

~ Apply the product very sparing ly .
~ Wipe it off with a damp cloth.
If you have any questions abo ut cleaning and
caring for the leather in your vehicle, it is best
to contact your authorized Audi dealer, who
will be glad to help you and tell you about our
fu ll range of leather care products, such as:
- Leather cleaning and care kit
- Creams to care for colored leathe r
- Spot removers for ballpo int pens, shoe pol-
ish , etc.
- Oil/grease dissolv ing spray
- New and upcoming products.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~ page 200.
CD Note
- Never use chemical solvents (e.g. lighter
flu id, turpentine), waxes, shoe polis h or
s imilar products on the leather surfaces
i n your Audi.
- To avoid damage, have stubborn stains removed by a commerc ial cleani ng spe­
cia list .
Cleaning Alcantara ® (synthetic suede)
Appl ies to vehicles : wit h Alcantara upholstery
Removing dust and dirt
~ Moisten a cloth, squeeze out excess water
and wipe down the se at su rfaces .
Removing stains
~ Moisten a cloth w ith lukewarm water or
with diluted ethyl (rubb ing) alcohol.
~ Dab at the stain. Start at the outside and
work inwa rds.
~ Once the s tain is no longer visib le, use a
soft d ry cloth or t issue to soak up the mois ­
tu re .
D o not use leather cleaning produc ts on Al­
cantara.
You may use a suitable shampoo fo r removing
dust and dirt.
Cleaning and protec tion 209
D ust and gr it in the po res and seams can
scratch and damage th e surface. If the car is
l eft stand ing in the sun for long per iods, the
A lcantar a cover s should be protected aga inst
direct sunlight to prevent it from fad ing.
Slight co lor variations will develop in normal
use a nd are not an indication of mate rial dete­
rioration .
CD Note
- Never use chemical so lvents (e.g . lighter
fluid, tu rpenti ne), waxes, shoe polish or
simi lar p roducts on A lcantara ® surfaces .
- T o avoid damage, have stubborn sta ins
removed by a comme rcial clean ing spe­
cialist.
- Do not use b rushes, stiff sponges or sim­
ilarly abrasive cleani ng a ids.
Safety belts
Only well -maintained safety belts work relia ­
bly when needed .
~ Keep belts clean.
~ For cleaning, use a mild soap a nd wate r so l­
ution . Let belts dry thorough ly and away
from d irect sunlight .
~ Do not allow i nertia ree l safety belts to re­
tract before they are comp letely dry.
~ Check t he condition of your safety belts reg­
ularly .
Heavi ly so iled safety be lts may not ret ra ct
properly.
A WARNING ~
D amaged safety belts can break in a crash .
- Anyth ing th at m ight damage yo ur safety
be lts could mean tha t you and your pas ­
sengers would not be adequate ly pro­
tected in an accident.
- Safety belt performance depends on cor ­
rect insta llation . Never remove be lts
from the vehicle to clean them.
- Do not use chemical cleaning agents,
b leach or dyes. They have corrosive prop­
erties which weaken the webb ing .
•
•

216 Checking and filling
Checking and filling Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the
vehicle .
Fig. 167 Driver foo twell: release lever
Fig. 168 Rocker switch un der the hood
Make sure the wiper arms are not raised up
from the windshield. Otherwise the paint
could be damaged.
.,. Pull the lever under the instrument panel in
the direction of the arrow
~ fig. 167.
.,. Raise the hood slightly~.&_ .
... Press the rocker switch under the hood up­
ward
~ fig. 168. This releases the catch.
... Open the hood.
&_ 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 compartment . Wait until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fully opening the hood .
' Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in
the engine compartment.
Whenever you must perform any work in the
engine compartment, for example checking
and filling different fluids, there is a risk of injury, burns and accidents. To prevent per­
sonal injury always observe the following
WARNINGS. The engine compartment of any
vehicle is a hazardous area
~ ,&. .
/n.. WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check any­
thing under the hood:
- Turn off the engine.
- Switch off the ignition .
- Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever to "P" (Park) .
- Always let the engine cool down. Hot
components will burn skin on contact.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment. Wait until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fully opening the hood.
- Keep children away from the engine com­
partment.
- Never spill fluids on hot engine compo­
nents . They can cause a fire .
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxili­
ary electric fan is temperature controlled
and can switch on suddenly .
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm . The cool­
ant system is pressurized and hot cool­
ant could spray out.
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir.
- If work on the fuel system or the electri­
cal system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery.

218 Checking and filling
Engine compartment
Engine compartment overview
These are the most important items that you can check.
Fig. 169 Typ ical layout for contai ners and eng ine o il filler cap
(D Jump start point(-) with hex
head screw .... ............. 229, 264
@ Jump start point(+) under a cov-
er .. .. ............... .... . 229,264
®
©
®
®
Brake fluid reservoir ((0)) . . . . . 225
Engine oil filler cap ( Coolant expansion tank
(-L) ...
Windshield/headlight washer
223
t . (.'R) con ainer ,,.., ............ . . 230
The engine oil filler neck (item @) may be lo­
cated in a different area depending on the ver­
sion of the engine.
~ WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
¢ &. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 216.
-
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 specifi­
cations . This engine needs the right kind of
engine oil that meets specifications regarding
quality and viscosity so that it can run
smoothly and reliably . Choosing the right oil
and changing oil within the t ime and mileage
intervals printed in you r vehicle's Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet matters a lot more to­
day 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 the lubrication it needs for proper opera-
tion. ..,.

220 Checking and filling
temperatures stay below freezing point for long periods.
Detergent additives in the oil w il l make fresh
oil look dark after the eng ine has been run­
ning for a short time . This is norma l and is not
a reason to change the oi l more often than
recommended.
Damage or malfun ctions due to lack of
maintenance
It
is essential that you change your oil at the
recommended intervals using only engine o il
that complies with Audi oi l standard
VW 502 00. Your Limited New Vehicle War­
ranty does not cover damage or malfunctions
due to fail ure to fo llow recommended mainte­
nance and use requ irements as set forth in
the Audi Owner's Manual and Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet . Your dealer will have to
deny warranty coverage unless you present to
the dea ler proof in the form of Service or Re­
pa ir Orders that all scheduled ma intenance
was performed in a timely manner.
Eng ine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an ade­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool all
of its moving parts.
In order to provide effective lubrication and
cool ing of internal engine components, all in­
ternal combustion eng ines consume a certain
amount of oil. Oil consumption varies from
engine to engine and may change significantly
over the life of the engine. Typically, engines
with a specif ied break-in period (see
¢
page 192) consume more oil during the
break-in period than they consume after oil
consumption has stabilized.
Under norma l conditions, the rate of oil con­
sumption depends on the quality and viscosity
of the oil, the RPM (revolutions per minute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient
temperature and road condit ions . Further fac­
tors are the amount of oil d ilution from water
condensat ion or fuel residue and the oxida­
tion level of the oil. As any engine is subject to wear as mi
leage builds up, the oil consump­
tion may increase over time until replacement
of worn components may become necessary.
With all these variables coming into play, no
standard rate of oil consumption can be es­
tablished or specified. There is no alternative
to regu lar and frequent checking of the o il lev ­
el, see
Note .
If
the yellow engine oil leve l warning symbo l
in the instrument cluster
II! lights up, you
shou ld check the oil leve l as soon as possible
¢
page 221. Top off the oil at your earliest
convenience ¢
page 221.
A WARNING '"---
Before you check anythi ng in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS¢
A in Working in the engine
compartment on page 216.
(D Note
Driving with an insufficient o il level is like­
ly to cause severe damage to the engine.
(D 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, pref­
erably each time you refuel, and always
before going on a long trip.
- If you have th e impression your engine
consumes excessive amoun ts 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 meas urement of oil con­
sumption requ ires great care and may
take some t ime. Your Audi dealer has in­
structions about how to measure oil con­
sumption accurately.
-

224 Check ing and filling
cold engine, the coo lant level should be be ­
tween the "min" and "max" markings. When
the engine is warm, the level may be s light ly
above the "max" marking.
The location of the coolant expansion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus­
tration
c:> page 218.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must be switched
off.
The expansion tank in you r vehicle is equipped
with an e lectric coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning light in the Auto-Check System
c:> page 15 will
i l lum ina te unti l you add coolant and the level
has been restored to normal. Even though
there is an electric coolant level senso r, we
still recommend you check the coolant leve l
from time to time.
Coolant los s
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cool ing
system. In the event of coolant loss, the cool ­
ing system should be inspected immediately
by your authorized Audi dealer. It is not
enough merely to add coolant.
I n a
sea led system, losses can occur only if
the boiling point of the coolant is exceeded as
a result of overheat ing.
A WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of scald­
ing from hot coolant by following these
steps.
- Turn
off the engine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect yo ur face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by covering the
cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in
a counter-clockwise direction wh ile ap­
plying light, downward pressure on the
top of the cap.
- To avoid be ing burned, do not spill ant i­
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system
'
or hot engine parts. Under certain cond i­
tions, the ethylene glycol in engine coo l­
ant can catch fire.
(D Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sea l­
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant. Add­ i ng radiator repa ir fl uid may adverse ly af­
fect the funct ion and performance of your
cooling system and could result in damage
not covered by your New Veh icle L imited
War ranty.
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anyth ing in the eng ine com­
partment,
always read and heed all W ARN­
INGS c:> A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 216 .
.. Turn off the engine.
.. Let the engine cool down.
.. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank
c:> page 223, fig . 172 and carefully
twist the cap co unte r-clockwise c:> .&, .
.,. Add coolant .
.,. Twist the cap on aga in
tightly.
Replacement engine coo lant must conform to
exact spec ificat ions
c:> page 223, Coolant.
E ven in a n emerge ncy, if coolant add i-
t ive G12 ++, G 12+ or G12 is not available, do
not use a d iffe rent addit ive. Use plain water
instead unti l you can get the correct additive
and can restore the correct ratio . This shou ld
be done as soon as possible.
If you have lost a considerab le amount o f
coolant, then you sho uld add cold antifreeze
and co ld water on ly w hen the engine is cold.
Always use
new engine coo la nt whe n refilling.
Do not fill coola nt above the "MAX" mark . Ex­
cess coola nt will be fo rced out through the
pressure relief valve in the cap w hen the e n-
gine becomes hot. .,.