2012 AUDI A7 light

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 15
believe that it is safe to do so, proceed
immediately at low speed to the nearest
authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair
facility and have the brake system i n­
spected .
- Always keep in m ind that after several
brake applicat ions, you will need greater
pressure on the brake peda l to stop your
vehicle . Do not re ly on stra ined brakes to
re spond w ith maxim um stopp ing power
in cri tic al situa tions. You mus t all ow for
increased bra king distances. The extra
distance used up by fading brakes could
lead to an accident.
PARK /(®) Electromechanical parking
brake
Th e warning/indicator light monitors th e
electrome chanical parking broke.
If the indicator light- (USA models) ti
(Canada models) turns on, the parking brake
was set . If the parking brake is set when the
ignit ion is off, th@ indicator light turns off af­
t er abou t 20 seconds.
The warning/indicator light will go out when
the park ing brake is released.
- (USA model s) /. (Canada model s)
Caution: Vehicle parked too steep
If the indi cator lig ht blinks and the message
appears, t here is no t eno ugh braking powe r to
keep the vehi cle from ro lling . The brakes have
overheated. The vehicle could ro ll away even
on a small incline .
Pres s brake p ed al to r elea se parkin g brake
To release the parking brake, press the b rake
pedal and p ress the button~ or start driving
with start ing ass ist a t the same time
r=.> page 75.
Pleas e release parking brake
To release the parking brake man ua lly, pre ss
t he brake pedal and press the button ~ at the
same time . The parking brake on ly release au ­
tomatically if the dr iver 's safety belt is fas­
tened.
ll'J Parking brake!
If the ll'J indicato r light turns on and this
mess age appears , the re is a parki ng b ra ke
malfu nction . Drive to your au thori zed A udi
dealer or qualified workshop immediately to
hav e the malfunctio n corrected .
-L Engine cooling system malfunction
A malfunction in the engine cooling system
must be repaired as soon as possible.
• Switch off engine and che ck coolant level
If the indica tor l ight turns on and the mes­
sage appears, the coolant temperature is too high or the coolant leve l is too low.
.,. Pull off the road .
.,. Stop the vehicle .
.,. Tu rn off th e engine.
.,. Check coolant level¢
page 223 .
.,. Add coo lant if necessary r=.> page 224.
.,. Con tinue driv ing on ly afte r the engine cool­
ant warning/indicator ligh t goes out .
.,. Contact yo ur authorize d Au di d ealer for as-
s istance if necessary.
I f the engine coo lant level is correct, then the
radiator fan may be the cause of the malfunc­
tion .
• Coolant temperature too high! Pl ease let
engine run with vehicle stationary
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appea rs in trailer mode*, let the eng ine
run a t idl e for a few minutes to cool down .
A WARNING
- If your vehicle should brea k down for
mechanical or other reasons, park at a
safe distance from moving traffic, tu rn
off the eng ine and turn on the hazard
warn ing lights
r=.> page 42, Emergency
flasher .
-
-Never open the hood if you see or hear
steam or coola nt escaping from the en­
g ine compartment -you r isk be ing scald­
ed . Wait unt il you ca n no longer see o r
hea r steam o r coolant escap ing . ..,.

16 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
-The engine compartment of any vehicle
is a dangerous area. Before you perform
any work in the engine compartment,
turn of the eng ine and allow it to cool.
Follow the warning stickers¢
page 210,
Engine compartment.
@ Note
Do not continue driving if the. symbol
illuminates. There is a malfunct ion in the
eng ine cooling system -you could damage
your eng ine .
0 Battery
This warning/indicator light detects a mal ­
function in the generator or in the vehicle's
electrical system.
The .warning/indicator light illuminates
when you sw itc h on the ignit ion and must go
out after the engine has started .
• Alte rnator fault: Batte ry is not being
c ha rged
I f the indicator light t urns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is a malfunction in the
generator or vehicle electr ica l system.
Drive to yo ur authorized Audi dea ler or quali ­
fied workshop immediately. Because the vehi ­
cle battery is discharging, turn off a ll unnec­
essary electrical equ ipment such as the radio.
Seek professional ass istance if the battery
charge level is too low .
(•i Low battery charge: b atte ry will be
cha rged while dri ving
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there may be limited starting
ab ility.
If th is message turns off after a litt le while,
the battery charged enough whi le driving.
I f the message does not turn off, have you r
author ized Audi dealer or qua lified workshop
correct the mal function.
,(,. Safety belts
This warning/indicator light reminds you to
put on your safety belt.
The . warning/indicator light illuminates
when the ignition is switched on to remind
the driver and any front passenger to put on
the safety belt. Addit ionally, an acoustic warn­
ing (gong) wi ll also sound .
For more Information¢
page 128, ~ Safety
belt warning light .
"l!::7": Engine oil pressure malfunction
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol
requires immediate service or repair . Driving
with a low-oil-pressure indication is likely to
inflict severe damage to the engine .
• Swit ch off engine and check oil le vel
If the indicator light turns on the message ap­
pears, the oil pressure is too low .
"" Pull off the road .
... Stop the vehicle.
... Tu rn off the engine .
... Check the engine oil level ¢ page 221.
"" If the eng ine oil level is too low, add eng ine
oil
¢ page 221. Make sure that the oil pres­
sure warning symbol. appears no longer
in the display befo re you start dr iv ing again .
"" If the eng ine o il level is co rrect and the i ndi­
cato r ligh t still turns on, tu rn the engine off
and do not cont inue dr iv ing. Seek professio­
na l assistance .
@ Tips
- The engin e oil pressure symbol. is
not an indicator for a low engine oil lev­
el. Do not rel y on it. In ste ad, check the
oil level in your engine at regula r inter­
vals, p referably each time you refuel ,
and always be fore going on a long tr ip.
- The yellow oil level warning indication
II requires oil refill or workshop se rv­
i ce without delay. Do not wait until the
red oil pressure warning. sta rts to

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 17
flash before you respond to the low oil level warning
Ill. By then, your engine
may already have suffered serious dam­
age.
~ . Engine oil level
• WARNING: Please add oil immediately
When the symbol and the driver message ap­
pear, the oil has to be replenished right now
,=;,page 218.
If the indicator light and the message appear,
add engine oil immediately
,=;, page 221.
II Add oil, max. x qt (l). You may continue
driving
When the symbol and the driver message ap­
pear, add the amount of oil appearing in the
display at the next opportunity
¢ page 218.
@ -Steering column lock
• Do not drive vehicle: Steering defective
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is an electronic steering
column lock malfunction. You cannot switch
the ignition on.
Do
not tow your vehicle because it cannot be
steered. Seek professional assistance.
l!l!I Steering lock: system fault. Please con­
tact dealer
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is an electronic steering
column lock malfunction .
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
A WARNING
-
Your vehicle must not be towed in the
event of a malfunction in the electronic
steering column lock because it cannot be
steered due to the locked steering.
If it is
towed with the steering locked, there is
the risk of an accident.
©-Engine start system
• Engine start system fault. Please con­
tact dealer
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, do
not switch the ignition off
because you may not be able to switch it on
again.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
II! Engine start system fault. Please con­
tact dealer
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is a malfunction in the en­ gine start system.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
t!i1 !i: Safety systems
The ffll (USA models)!Ei (Canada models) in­
dicator light monitors the safety systems e .g.
airbags, pretensioners and illuminates for a
few seconds each time you switch the ignition
on.
If the
ffl (USA models);Ei (Canada models)
indicator light does not go out, or if it illumi ­
nates while you are driving, or if it starts to
blink, then there is a malfunction somewhere
in the system.
If the light does not illuminate
when you switch the ignition on, this also
means there is a malfunction.
A WARNING ~
If you have a malfunction in the safety sys-
tems, contact your authorized Audi dealer
immediately. Otherwise the safety sys­
tems may not work properly in an acci­
dent .

18 Instruments and warning/indicator lights ;;./~ Electronic stabilization program
(ESP)
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic stabilization program.
When you sw itch the ignition on, the indicator
light
G1 turns on br iefly to check the function .
If the
G1 indicator lamp blinks while driving,
the ESP or ASR (Ant i- Slip Regulation) is active ­
ly regulating.
If the
ti) indicator lamp illuminates, the sys­
tem has switched the ESP off.
If the indicator light
I) turns on, the ESP was
switched to ESP sport mode with the button
[!] c> page 184. If this is case, you can reacti­
vate the ESP by switching the ignition off and
then on again. The warning/indicator light
should go out to show that the system is fully
functiona l again.
Stability program and ABS fault! See own ­
er's manual
If the indicator light DJ and the ABS indicator
light
B (USA mode ls) ;fl] (Canada models)
turn on and the message appears, there is a
malfunction in the ABS system or electron ic
differential lock. This also interrupts the ESP .
The brakes still function with their normal
power, but ABS is not active .
Drive to your authorized Aud i dealer immedi ­
ately to have the malfunction corrected .
If the battery term inals were disconnected
and re-connected, the vehicle was jump start­
ed or the battery is very weak, the ESP sensor
system goes through a learning process for
the first few yards. The warning/ind icator
l ight illuminates . Th e warn ing/ ind icator light
goes out as soon as the learning process is
comp lete.
F or more informat ion about the ESP
c>page 184.
ABS/(8) Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
This warning/indicator light monitors the ABS
and the electronic differential lock (EDL) .
The warning/indicator light B (USA mod­
els)
l ti] (Canada models) w ill come on for a
few seconds when the ign ition is switched on .
The light will go out after an automatic check
sequence is comp leted.
There is a malfunction in the ABS when:
-The warning/indicator light does not illumi­
nate when you switch the ignition on.
- The warning/indicator light does not go out
after a few seconds.
- The warning/indicator light i lluminates
while driving.
The ESP indicator light also illum inates if
there is a ma lfunction in the ABS . The mes­
sage
Stability prog ram and ABS fault! See
owner's manual
a lso appears in the instru­
ment cluster d isp lay and a warning tone
sounds .
The brake system will still respond even
without the assistance of the ABS system.
See your authorized Audi dealer as soon as
possible to restore full braking performance .
For more information regarding the ABS
~page 184.
Malfunction in the brake system
If the brake warning light c> page 14 and the
ABS warning illum inate
together there may be
a malfunction in the ABS, and there may also
be a malfunction in the brake system itself
c> .,&. . The ABS will not work and you will no­
ti ce a change in braking response and per­
formance.
In the event of a malfunction in the brake
system
the warning/ind icator light -
(USA models)/ . (Canada models) in the in­
strument cluster flashes
c> page 14.
Malfunction in the electronic differential
lock (EDL)
The EDL works together with the ABS. The
ABS wa rning light will come on if there is a

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 19
malfunction in the EDL system¢ page 18 4.
See your authorize d Audi dealer as soon as
possible.
A WARNING
- If
the m (USA mode ls)l li] (Canada
mode ls) warn ing light does n ot go out,
or if it comes on while driving, the ABS
system is not working properly . The vehi­
cle can then be stopped only with the
standard bra kes (without ABS). You will
not have the protection ABS provides.
Contact you r Audi dealer as soon as pos­
sible.
- USA models: If the - warning l ight,
the
Ii] warning light and the m warn­
ing light come on together, the rea r
wheels co uld lock up first unde r hard
braking. Rear wheel lock-up can cause
loss of vehicle control and an accident .
Have your vehicle repaired immediately
by your autho rized Aud i dea ler or a quali ­
fied workshop . Drive slowly and avoid
sudden, hard bra ke applications.
- Canada models: If the b rake warn ing
light ., the
DJ warning light and the
ABS wa rning light
rl] come on together ,
the rear w heels could lo ck up fi rst under
h ard bra king . Rear wheel lock-up can
cause loss of vehicle control and an acci­
dent. Have yo ur vehicle repaired immed i­
ately by your authorized A udi dealer or a
qualified workshop. Dr ive slowly and
avo id sudden, hard brake applicat ions .
(0) Worn brake pads
£1 Bra ke pad s!
If the warn ing light illum inates, immediately
contact your authori zed A udi dealer or quali­
fied workshop to have all brake pads inspect­
ed. O n USA models the warning light
£1
comes on together with t he war ning light
- · Both sets of brake pads on an axle
mus t always be replaced a t the same time.
1) - : USA m odels on ly
A WARNING
Driving w ith bad brakes can cause a colli­
sion and ser ious personal in ju ry .
- If the warn ing light
£1 and the warning
light
11111> with the message Brake
pads!
comes on in the instrument cluster
disp lay, imm ediately contact your au­
thori zed A udi dealer or qualified work­
shop to have all b rake pads checked or
replace d if necess ary.
EPC Electronic power control
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic power control.
The ~ warning/ind icator light (E lectronic
Power Cont rol) illuminates when you switch
the ignit io n on as a fu nction chec k.
(D Tips
If this war ning/ indicator l ight illum inates
while yo u are d riving, then there is a mal­
funct io n in the engine electronics. Have
the malf unct ion corrected as soon as pos­
si bl e by your au thori zed A udi dealer or
q ualified repa ir facility .
Ci Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp ( MIL) is pa rt
of the On -Board Diagnostic (OBD II) system.
The symbol
fllllijj lights up when the ign ition is
switched on and will tur n off after the engine
has started and has settled at a consta nt idle
speed . This indicates that the MIL is work ing
properly.
The warning lig ht illuminates w hen there is a
malfu nction in the e ng ine electron ic system .
Contact your aut horized Audi dealer and have
the malfunction cor rected.
An improperly closed fuel filler cap may a lso
cause the MI L light to illuminate ¢
page 213.
For more information ¢page 27.

20 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
!?' Engine speed limitation
Ap plies to vehicles: wit h eng ine spee d limi tation
(ii Engine speed maximum XXXX RPM
The engine speed is automatically limited to
the speed displayed in the driver information
system. This protects the engine from over­
heating.
The engine speed limitation deactivates once
the engine is no longer in the critical tempera­
ture range and you have released the accelera­
tor pedal once.
If the engine speed limitation was activated by an engine control malfunction, the indica­
tor light~ also turns on. Make sure that the
speed does not go above the speed displayed .
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
~ . Engine oil level
II! Add oil, max. x qt (l) . You may continue
driving
When the symbol II and driver message ap­
pear, add the amount of oil appearing in the
display at the next opportunity
c:> page 221.
~ .... Engine oil sensor
• Oil level! Sensor defective
If the symbol illuminates, contact your au­
thorized Audi dealer and have the oil sensor inspected. Until you have this done, check the
oil level each time you refuel just to be on the
safe side<=>
page 221.
Bil Fuel level indicator
Ji Please refuel
If the indicator light turns on for the first
time and the message appears, there are
about 2.6 gallons (10 liters) of fuel left in the
tank . Time to refuel
<=> page 212.
Ji Tank system malfunction! Contact dealer
If the indicator light turns on and this mes­
sage appears, there is a malfunction in the
tank system.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
o Windshield washer fluid level
B Please refill washer fluid
If the symbol illuminates, add windshield
washer fluid to the washer system/headlight
washer system*
c:> page 230.
~ Windshield wipers
,,., Windshield wiper defective
There is a malfunction with the windshield
wipers.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected .
~/0$ Defective light bulb warning
fa-If the indicator light turns on, a bulb has
failed. The message indicates the location of
the bulb.
[I-if a rear fog lamp has failed, the indicator
light turns on to indicate the location on the
vehicle .
Vehicle lights: malfunction
If the message appears, there is a malfunc ­
tion in the headlights or light switch .
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected .
A WARNING
-
-Light bulbs are pressurized and could ex-
plode while they are being changed caus­
ing serious personal injury.
- Work with due care when handling the
high-voltage section of gas discharge
(xenon) lights. Failure to do so could re­
sult in death or serious injury.

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 21
@ Tips
Have the bulb replaced or the connection
repaired by your authorized Audi Service
department.
~()) Headlight range control
II Headlight range control: defective!
If
the symbol illuminates, the headlight range
contro l is no longer working properly . Have
the system checked and repa ired at your Aud i
dealer .
l§O Adaptive Light
Applies to vehicles: with Adapt ive Light
rlJ Audi adaptive light: system fault
If the indicator light turns on and this mes­
sage appears, there is a malfunction in the
adapt ive light system. The headlights still
function .
Go to an authori zed dea lership to have the
headlights or the control unit for the Adapt ive
Light repaired .
~D Light/rain sensor
f'al Automatic headlights/automatic wipers:
system fault
If
the indicator light turns on and th is mes­
sage appears, the light/ra in sensor is not
functioning correctly .
For safety reasons the low beams are turned
on permanent ly w ith the switch in
AUTO.
However, you can continue to turn the lights
on and off using the light switch. You can still
control all funct ions that are independent of
the rain sensor through the windshield wiper
l eve r.
Contact your author ized Audi dealer as soon
as possible to have the prob lem cor rected.
¢ Q Turn signals
The indicator light blinks when you use either
turn signal .
Whenever you use the left II or the right rl
turn signal, the indicator light blinks. When
you use the emergency flashers, both indica­
tor lights flash .
If one of the turn signa l light bulbs burn out,
the turn signal will blink twice as fast as nor­
mal. Carefully dr ive to your authorized Audi
dealer immed iately to have the malfunction
corrected. The ind icator light does not indi­
cate a malfunction if a turn signal on the tra il­
er or on the vehicle fails in trailer towing
mode.
(D Tips
For more information on the turn signals,
refer to
¢ page 43.
CRUISE/' (-) Cruise control
The warning/indicator light mi1'lm (USA mod­
els)/ll (Canada models) illuminates when
the cruise control is activated¢
page 77.

22 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Driver information
display
Overview
Fig. 4 Driver informat ion system in the instrument
cluste r
Fig. S Display: example of the informat ion line
The driver information system contains infor­
mation @ that is displayed on tabs @
c:;, fig. 4. The following content is possible de­
pending on vehicle equipment:
@
Tab
1
2
3
®
Content
Vehicle functions :
On-board computer c::>page 23
Efficiency program* c> page 24
Digital speedometer
Cruise control*
c:;, page 77
Adaptive cruise control and Audi braking guard*
c::> page 79
Display darkened
Indicator lights and messages
Warning when a door, the hood or the rear lid is not closed
Service interval display
c:;, page 25
Speed warning system c:> page 77
Night vision assistant*
c:> page 98
-@ ®
Tab Content
4 Audio/video
5 Telephone*
6 Navigation*
The second and third tabs are only visible ifat
least one indicator light or message is shown
or if that system is switched on.
The status line © is located in the bottom
part of the display ¢
fig. 4. It displays the ex­
terior temperature, time, selector lever posi­
tion, trip odometer and odometer.
For some vehicle functions, you can access the
trip information from the temporary memory
c:> page 23 in the line (D c::> fig. 5.
A WARNING
--
-Never rely exclusively on the outside
temperature display to determine if a
road surface is icy or not. Keep in mind
that road surfaces , especially bridges
and overpasses, could be ice covered and
slippe ry even at an outside temperature
above 41 °F (+S °C).
- Always remember, even if the "snow­
flake" symbo l (ice warning) does not ap­
pear in the d isp lay, black ice cou ld be on
the road.
- Always reduce your speed and drive with
specia l care in cold weather conditions
when the chance of encountering icy
road surfaces increases.
(D Tips
- At temperatures below 14 °F (+ 5 °C) a
snowf lake symbol appears ahead of the
temperature display. It is intended to re­
mind the driver to pay special attention
to
ice on the road c:> .&.. If the vehicle is
stationary, or if you are driving at a very
low speed, the temperature shown in the
display might be slightly h igher than the
actual outside temperature. This is
caused by the heat being radiated from
th e engine.