2012 AUDI A7 engine coolant

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. .,.

_& 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 a llow itto cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by covering
the cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slow ly and very carefully
in a counter-clockwise direction while
applying light, downward pressure on
the top of the cap.
- To avoid being burned, do not spi ll an­
tifreeze or coolant on the exhaust sys­
tem or hot engine parts . Under certain
conditions, the ethylene glycol in en­
g ine coolant can catch fire .
- Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store an­
tifreeze in its or iginal containe r and we ll
out of the reach of children.
- If you drain the coolant, it must be
caught and safely stored in a proper con­
tainer clearly marked "poison".
(D Note
- Coolant pollutes the env ironment and
could cause an engine fire. Excess cool­
ant will be forced out through the pres­
su re relief valve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot.
- If, in an emergency, only water can be
added, the cor rect ratio between water
and antifreeze ¢
page 223 must be re­
stored as soon as possib le.
@ For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant should not be reused . A l­
ways dispose of used coolant while obse rv­
ing all environmental reg ulations.
Checkin g and fillin g 225
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by
itself.
An auxiliary electric radiator fan switches on
and
off depending on coolant temperature
and other vehicle operat ing cond it ions .
After you switch the engine
off, the auxiliary
fan can continue running for up to 10 minutes
- even with the ignition
off. It can even switch
on again later by itself ¢&. , if
- the temperature of the engine coo lant rises
due to the heat build-up from the engine in
the engine compartment, or
- the engine compartment heats up because
the vehicle is parked in intense sunlight.
_& WARNING
-To reduce the risk of personal injury nev­
er touch the radiator fan .
- The auxiliary electric fan is temperature
controlled and can sw itch on suddenly
even when the engine is not running.
- The a uxiliary radiator fan sw itches on au­
tomatically when the engine coo lant
reaches a certa in temperature and will
continue to ru n until the coolant temper­
ature drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
Fig. 173 En gin e compartment: mark ings on th e brake
fluid rese rvoir

2 70 General information
General information
Explanation of
technical data
Some of the technical data listed in this man ­
ual requires further explanation .
The technical data for your vehicle is listed in
the charts starting on
r:::>page 27 2. This sec ·
tion provides general information, notes and restrictions which apply to this data .
Vehicle identification
The key data is given on the vehicle identifica·
tion number (VIN) plate and the vehicle data
sticker.
Fig. 206 Veh icle Ide ntific atio n Number (VlN) p late: lo­
cation on driver 's sid e das h panel
Fig. 207 Th e vehicle identi fication label -inside the
luggage co mpa rtmen t
The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
is located on the driver's side so that it is visi­
b le from the outside through the windshield
r:::> fig . 206. You can also display the Vehicle
Identification Number of your vehicle in the
MMI. Select: Function button
ICAR ! > Car sys­
tems
> VIN number . The
vehicle identification label
is located in the luggage compartment in the
spare wheel wel l.
The label¢
fig. 207 shows the following vehi­
cle data :
(D Production control No .
@ Vehicle identification No.
® Type code number
@ Type designation/engine output in Kilo·
watts
® Engine and transmission code letter
@ Paint No./Interior
(f) Optional equipment No.'s
Vehicle data 2 to 7 are also found in your War·
ranty
& Maintenance booklet.
The safety compliance sticker
is you r assurance that your new vehicle com­
plies with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards which were in effect at the
time the vehicle was manufactured . You can
find this sticker on the left door jamb.
It
shows the month and year of production and
the ve hicle ident ification number of your vehi ·
cle (perforation) as well as the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR) .
The high voltage warning label
is located on the lock carr ier .
The spark ignition system complies with
the Canadian standard ICES-002.
Weights
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), and
the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for
front and rear are Listed on a sticker on the
left door jamb.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating includes the
weight of the basic vehicle plus full fuel tank,
oi l and coolant, plus maximum load, wh ich in·
eludes passenger weight (lSO lbs/68 kg per
Ill>

-Always make sure the transm ission se­
lector lever (automatic transmiss ion) is
in "P" (Park position) and the park brake
is firm ly app lied .
@) For the sake of the environment
-Changing the eng ine settings w ill ad­
versely affect em ission levels. This is det­
rimental to the environment and increas­
es fuel consumption .
- Always observe env ironmental regula­
tions when d isposing of old engine oil,
used brake fluid, dirty engine coolant,
spent batter ies or worn out t ires.
- Undeployed airbag modules and preten­
s ioners might be classified as Perchlo­
rate Material -specia l hand ling may ap­
ply, see www.dts c.ca .gov/hazardous­
waste/perch lorate. When the veh icle or
parts of the restraint system includ ing
airbag modules safety belts wit h preten­
sioners are scrapped, all applicable laws
and regulations must be observed. Your
a uthorized Audi dea ler is familiar w ith
these requirements and we recommend
that you have your dea ler perform this
serv ice for you .
Additional accessories,
modifications and
parts replacement
Additional accessories and parts
replacement
Always consult an authorized Audi dealer be­
fore purchasing accessories.
Your veh icle incorporates the latest safety de­
sig n featu res ensu ring a high standard of ac ­
tive and passive safety.
This safety could be compromised by non-ap­ proved changes to the veh icle. For this reason,
if parts have to be replaced, please observe
the following points when install ing addition­
a l accessories:
Con sumer In formation 275
Approved Audi accesso ries and genuine Audi
parts are available from authorized Audi deal­
ers.
T hese dea lers a lso have the necessary facili­
ties, tools and trained specialists to install the
parts and accessories proper ly.
A WARNING
Using the wrong spare parts or using non­
approved accessories can cause damage to
the vehicle and serious persona l injury.
- Use on ly accessories express ly approved
by Audi and genu ine Audi spare parts
- These parts and accessories have been
specially designed to be used on your ve­
hicle .
- Never install accessories such as tele­
phone cradles or beverage holders on air­
bag covers or within the airbag deploy­
ment zones . Do ing so will increase the
risk of injury if a irbags are triggered in an
accident!
- Before you check anything in the engine
compa rtment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
r:::;. page 210.
(D Note
-If items other than genuine Audi spare
parts, add-on equipment and accessory
items are used or if repair work is not
performed accord ing to spe cified meth­
ods, this can result in severe damage to
yo ur vehicle's engine and body (such as
corrosion) and adversely affect your vehi ­
cle's warranty .
- If emergency repairs must be performed
elsewhere, have the vehicle examined by
an authorized Audi dealer as soon as
possible.
- The manufacturer cannot be held liable
for damage wh ich occurs due to failure
to comply with these stipulations.
•
•

Manual shift program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Selector lever .................. ... 103
Shift buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Steering wheel with tiptronic . .. .. .. . 106
Automatic wipers .......... .. .. .. .... 45
Auto Safety Hotline ............ ... .. 126
Average consumption .......... ... .. .. 23
Average speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Avoid damaging the vehicle .. .. .. .. .. . 193
B
Battery ... .. .. ............. .. .. ... 226
Charging . .. ............. .... .. ... 229
Important warnings ...... .. .. .. .. . 227
Jump starting ............... ... ... 264
Location ... ... .. .. ...... .. .. .. .. . 227
l ow . .. .. .. .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. .. . 190
Replacing the battery ..... .. .. .. .. . 230
State of charge ........... .... .. ... 190
Winter operation ............ ... .. . 226
Working on the battery ....... ... .. . 227
Before driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Blended gasoline .......... .... .. .. . 211
Blower (automatic climate control) . . . . . . 68
Blower (climate control) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Body cavity sealing ............ ... .. . 205
Booster seats ............. .. .. .. .. . 172
Brake fluid Changing the brake fluid ....... ... .. 226
Checking the brake fluid level ... ... .. 225
What is the correct brake fluid level? .. 225
What should I do if the brake fluid warn-
ing light comes on? ....... .. .. .. .. . 225
Brake system Anti-lock braking system . ......... ... 18
Brake assist system .......... .... .. 184
Brake booster ............ .... .. .. . 188
Brake fluid .............. .... .. .. . 225
Brake fluid specifications for refill and re-
placement ................. ... ... 226
Brake light defective ......... ... .. .. 20
Brake pads . ............. .... .. ... 192
Electromechanical parking brake .. .. .. 74
Fluid reservoir ........... .... .. .. . 225
How does moisture or road salt affect the
brakes? .. ............ ...... .... .. 187
Index 279
Warning/indicator lights ............. 14
Worn brake pads symbol ............. 19
braking guard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Messages . .. .. .. .... ........... .. . 86
Settings .. .. .. .. ................. . 86
Break-in period .. .... .. .. ...... ..... 192
Brake pads ...... .. ............... 192
T ires ... .. .. .. .. ... .. .......... .. 192
Bulbs .... .. .. .. .. .. ............... 263
C
California Proposition 65 Warning ..... 217
Battery specific .. .... ............. 228
Capacities .. .. .. .. .... ........... .. 272
Engine oil ........................ 218
Car care .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .... ........ 200
Exterior ... .. .. .... ... .. ..... ..... 200
Interior . .. .... .. .. . .............. 206
Cargo area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Cargo net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Catalytic converter ................. . 193
Center armrest Cockpi t ..... .. ................... .
Sl
Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Emergency locking . ............... .. 35
Certification ...... .. ............... 276
Changing a wheel .. ............. .. .. 254
Changi ng engine oil .... ............. 222
Chassis (undercoating) ............... 205
Checking Engine coolant level ............ .... 223
Tire pressure . .. .. ................. 237
Child restraints Danger of using child restraints in the
front seat ........................ 139
Where can I get additional information
about child restraints and their use? .. 181
Child restraint system anchors ....... . 177
Child safety ....... .. ..... .......... 163
Convertib le locking retractor ......... 17 4
Important safety instructions for using
child safety seats . .. ........... .... 167
Important things to know when driving
with children .. .... ............... 163
Tether anchors ..... .............. . 180
Tether straps .. .. ................. 180
•
•

280 Index
Child safety lock Rear doors .... .... ...... .. .. .... ..
37
C hild safety seats .......... .... .... . 169
Booster seats .......... .. .. .. .. .. . 172
Conve rtible child seats .... .. .. .... . 170
Conve rtible locking retractor . ..... .. .
How do I properly install a child safety
. h. l ? seat in my ve 1c e. . ............... .
Infant seats .. ........... .. .. .... .
Installing .. ............... .. .... .
Installing a child restraint using the
LATCH system .. .... ...... .. .. .. .. .
174
167
169
174
179
L ATC H system ............. ... .. ... 179
Lower anchorages ............ .... . 178
Mounting and releasing the anchorage
hook .. .. .. ... .... ......... ..... .
179
Safety instructions ......... ... .... . 167
Cigarette lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Cleaning and protection ..... .. .. .... .
200
Alcantara (synthetic suede) . .. .. .. .. . 209
Eng ine compartment .... .. .. .. .... . 210
Exhaust tail pipes .......... ... .. .. . 206
Fabrics and fabr ic coverings .. .. .. .. . 206
Instrument panel ......... .. .. .... . 207
Inter ior .. .. ............. .. .. .. .. . 206
Lea ther .. .... ........... .... .... . 208
MMI display/controls ............... 206
Plastic and vinyl ................... 203
Plastic parts .. .......... ... .. .. .. . 207
Safety belts ............. .... .... . 209
trim strips 204
Trim str ips .... .. .. ... ... .. .. .. .. . 203
Climate control
Air vents ... .......... ..... .. .... .. 66
C limate controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
64
Climate control (four-zone)
Operation .. ................ ... .. ..
67
Climate control (three-zone)
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
C lock ... .. .. ............. .. .. .. .. .. 25
Closing Rear lid .. .. ................ ... ... . 35
Sliding/tilting sunroof ...... ..... .. ..
39
Cold tire inflation pressure ..... .. .... . 235
Com ing home ............. .. .. .... ..
43
Compact spare tire ...... .... ... .. .. . 253
Compartments .. ........ .. .. .. .... .. 55 Compliance
..... .. ... .. ........ .. ..
276
Consumer Information . . . . . . . . . . 126, 273
Consumption (fuel) ... .......... .. .. . 23
Contacting NHTSA
Convenience key ... ................ . . 126
33
Starting the engine ............. ... . 71
Stopping the engine (START ENG INE
STOP button) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
73
Switching the ignition on ....... .. .. . 71
U nlocking and locking vehicle ...... .. . 33
Co nvertible child safety seats ... .. .. .. 170
Convertib le locking retractor
Activating . .... .. .. ........... ....
176
Deact ivat ing ... ... .............. .. 177
Using to secure a child safety seat 1.74, 176
Coolant
refer to Engine coolant ............. 223
Cooling mode (automat ic climate control) 67
Cooling mode (climate control) . . . . . . . . . 65
Cornering light .... ... .......... .. .. .
96
Cruise contro l
Changing speed .. ............. .... .
77
Presetting your speed .......... .. .. . 78
Switching off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Switching on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Warning/ind icator lights .......... .. . 21
(upholder .... .. .. .. ........... .... . 55
D
Data ........ ... .. .. ... ........... . 272
Data recorder ... .. .. ........... .. .. 184
Date display .. .. .. ............. .... . 25
Daytime running lights ... ..... ... .. .. .
41
Declaration of compliance
Adaptive cruise control ........... ..
276
Audi s ide assist .. ............. .. .. 276
Cell phone package . ........... .. .. 276
Convenience key ... ................ 276
Electronic immob ilizer ....... ...... . 276
Homelink ® un iversal remote control .. 276
Remote control key
DEF What does this mean when it appears in 276
the tr ip odometer display? ....... ... . 25
Defective light bulb warning ...........
20

Defrosting (windows)
automatic climate control ... ... .. .. .. 68
climate control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Determining correct load limit ... .. .. . 239
Dimensions .... .. .. .... ... .. .... .. . 271
Dimming the rearview mirror . ... .. .. .. 48
Distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Door/rear lid warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Doors Power child safety lock ....... ... .. .. 37
Driver information system CD/radio display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Door/rear lid warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Efficiency program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Exterior temperature display ... .. .. .. 22
On-board computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Driver seating position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
drive select .. .. ........... .. .. .. .... 96
Adaptive dampers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Cornering light .............. ... ... . 96
Safety belt tensioner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Driving safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Driving through water ........ .. .. .. . 194
Driving time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Duplicate key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Dust filter
refer to Pollutant filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
E
Easy entry feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Efficiency program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Fuel economy messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Other equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Electrical accessories (sockets) . . . . . . . . . 55
Electro-mechanical power assist .. . ... . 189
Electromechanical parking brake Emergency braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Operation .. ... .. .. ...... .. .. .. .. .. 74
Parking .. ............ ...... .... ... 75
Releasing and closing ........ .... ... 74
Starting assist ........... .... .. .. .. 75
Starting from rest ........ .. .. .. .. .. 75
Starting off with a trai ler ............. 75
Warning/indicator lights ......... .. .. 15
Electronic differential lock (EDL) .. ... .. 184
Warn ing/ indicator lights ..... .. .. .. .. 18
Index 281
Electronic immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . 25, 30
Electronic power control (EPC) warning/indicator light ............. . 19
Electronic speed limiter .......... .... . 28
E lectronic stabilization program (ESP) .. 184
Warning/indicator lights ............. 18
Emergency actuation Doors ...... .. .. ................. . 35
Power sunroof . .. .... ........... .. . 40
Rear lid ........................... 37
Emergency brak ing ... . .. .. .. .... .... . 76
Emergency flasher ... .............. .. 42
Warning/indicator lights ........ .. .. . 21
Emergency release Selector lever ...... ............... 107
Emergency starting .. .............. . 264
Emergency towing . ................. 266
Emergency warning triangle ...... .. .. 252
Energy management . ............... 190
Engine Compartment . ..... ............... 218
Coolant ... .. .. .. ............... .. 223
Data ..... .. .. .. ................. 272
starting . .. .. .. .... .. .. ...... ...... 71
Starting with jumper cables ........ . 264
Stopping ........ .. ................ 73
Engine compartment ................ 218 Closing the hood . .. ........... .... 217
Opening the hood .... ...... ..... .. 216
Safety instructions .. .............. . 216
Working in the engine compartment .. 216
Engine coolant .. .. ................. 223
Adding coolant . ...... ............. 224
Checking the engine coolant level . .. .. 223
Expansion tank .... ............... . 223
Malfunction symbol ... .. ...... .... .. 15
Radiator fan . .. .. ................. 225
Temperature gauge ............ .... . 10
Engine oil .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. ..... ... .. 218
Adding ......... .. ............... 221
Additives .. .. .. .. .. . .. .... ........ 221
Changi ng ... .. ...... ........... .. 222
Checking the engine oil level ..... .... 221
Ind ications and conditions requiring ex-
tra checking ..... .. ............... 221
Indicator light ..... .............. .. 17
Oil consumption .. .. .............. . 220
•
•