2012 AUDI Q7 ignition

If the engine compartment is cleaned at any
time with grease removing solutions
1>, or if
you have the engine washed, the anti-corro­
sion treatment is almost always removed as
well. It is therefore essential to have a long­
lasting corrosion protection reapplied to all
surfaces , seams, joints and components in the
engine compartment .
.8, WARNING
Be aware: The engine compa rtment of any
motor vehicle is a potentially h azardous
area .
- Before working in the engine compart­
ment, be s ure to read the informat ion
~ page 258 .
-Before reaching into the front plenum
pane l, always remove the ignition key .
Otherwise, the windshield wiper system
cou ld unintentiona lly be switched on,
poss ibly causing personal injury from the
moving wiper linkage.
- Never reach into the area around or
touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary fan
is temperature controlled and can switch
on suddenly- even when the ign it ion is
off .
- Do not wash, wax or dry the engine w ith
the engine running . Moving or hot parts
could inju re you .
- Do not clean the underside of the chas­
sis, fenders, wheel covers, or other hard
to reach parts w ithout protecti ng your
hands and arms. You may cut yourse lf on
s harp-edged metal parts .
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
othe r information
~ page 239.
l) Use o nly the co rr ect clean in g s olu tio ns. Ne ve r use ga s­
o line or d ie sel fuel.
Cleaning and protec tion 249
•
•

container meets industry standards (ANSI/
ASTM F852 -86).
(D Note
Never drive yo ur vehicle unt il the fuel tank
is complete ly empty. The irregular supply
of fuel can cause misfiring . Gasoline could
enter the exhaust system and damage the
catalyt ic converter.
Refuelling
F ig. 220 Righ t rear vehicle side: Opening th e fue l fill er
flap
F ig. 221 Fu el cap hooked on the opened fuel filler flap
When adding fuel, the ignition and any cellu­
lar phones in the vehicle must be sw itched
off. When activating the central locking, the
fuel filler flap is automatica lly unlocked or
locked. Refuel the ve hicle w ith the ignition
turned
off.
Tak ing th e fu el cap off
• To open the fuel filler flap, press on the left
s ide of the flap¢
fig. 220 -arrow- .
• Unscrew fuel fil ler cap counter-clockwise
and hang it on the fuel fille r flap ¢
fig. 221.
• Check the label on the inside o f the f uel fill­
er flap to determine if the vehicle must be
fueled with gasoline or diesel fuel.
Fuel suppl y and filli ng your fuel t ank 25 3
Refuelling p ro cedur e
• Insert the fuel nozz le from the gasoline
pump into the fuel fi ller neck as far as it wi ll
go .
• Select a medi um refue lling rate so that the
nozz le switches off automatically when the
tank is full.
Pu tting th e fuel cap bac k on
• After fi lling your tank, twist the fuel filler
cap clockwise as far as it wi ll go.
• Close the fue l filler flap.
T o avoid fuel spill ing or evaporating from the
fuel tank always close fuel filler cap proper ly
and completely. An improperly closed fuel fill­
er cap may also cause the MIL lamp¢
page 2 7
to come on (only vehicles with gasoline en­
gine).
A WARNING
Improper refueling or handling of fuel can
cause fire, explosion and severe burns.
- Fuel is highly flammable and can cause
severe burns and other injur ies.
- Failure to shut the engine off wh ile refu­
eling and/or to insert the pump nozzle
fully into the fuel filler neck could cause
fue l to spray out of filler neck or to over­
f low. Fue l spray and overflowing fue l can
cause a fi re.
- Never use a cel lu lar telephone while re­
fueling. The electromagnetic rad iation
can cause sparks that can ignite f uel va­
pors and cause a fire.
- Never get back into your vehicle whi le re­
fueling. If in exceptional circumstances
you must get back in your vehicle while
refueling, make certain that you close
the door and touch metal to discharge
stat ic electricity before touching the fill­
er nozzle again. Static e lectricity can
cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors re leased du ring refuel ing .
- Never smoke or have an open flame any­
where in or near your veh icle when refu-
eling or filling a portab le fue l conta iner.
ll>

bottom of the bottle until it is empty or
until fluid stops f lowing into the tank.
~ Turn the bott le to the left without press ing
on the bottom.
Closing the filler tube
~ Turn the cap clockwise on the filler tube
with the lug wrench until you hear it tighten
completely.
~ Close the tank cover .
After filling
The vehicle must be driven . The system may
take up to two minutes to detect that the
Ad B lue has been filled.
~ If there was no AdBlue left in the tank and a
range of
O mi (0 km ) was displayed in the
instrument cluster, switch the ignition on
for about 15 seconds before starting the en­
gine .
.&_ WARNING
Ad Blue can irritate the skin, eyes and res­
piratory system. If there is contact with
the fluid, flush immediately with plenty of
water . Consult a physician if necessary .
(D Note
-Only use Ad Blue that conforms to the
standard ISO 22241-1. Do not mix any
additives with the Ad Blue and do not di­
lute it with water .
- Ad Blue is not a diesel additive. Do not
add it to the diesel tank. If Ad Blue is
mixed w ith diesel fuel, it can lead to
damage to the eng ine and the Ad Blue
tank system . The Limited New Vehicle
Warranty does not cover such damage.
- AdBlue attacks surfaces such as painted
vehicle components, plast ic and carpet.
Remove the fluid as quick ly as possible
with a damp cloth and plenty of cold wa­
ter . If the AdBlue has already crystal­
lized, use warm water and a sponge.
AdBlue residue that is not removed w ill
crystall ize and can damage the affected
surface .
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 257
-Do not store the refill bottle in the vehi ­
cle . If it leaks, the escaping Ad Blue could
damage the vehicle interior.
- Do not allow Ad Blue to come into con­
tact with clothing . If there is contact
with the fluid, flush immediate ly with
plenty of water .
(1) Tips
-Yo u can obtain refill bottles from any au­
thorized Audi dealer or other qualified
workshop .
- Follow the Ad Blue manufacturer's in­
struct ions for usage and storage. •
•

-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. Wa it 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.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or
open flames. Fluids in the engine com­
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im­
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal in­
jury while the engine is running or being
started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
-If you must perform a check or repair
with the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever to "P" (Park).
Checking and filling 259
-Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact­ ing 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
9 .&, .
&_ WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de­
fects and reproductive harm. In addition,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con­
tain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories contain lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc ­
tive harms. Wash hands after handling .
(D Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container
or filler opening, otherwise serious dam­
age to vehicle systems will occur.
@ For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly. If
you see spots from oil or other vehicle flu­
ids, have your vehicle inspected by an au­
thorized Audi dealer. •
•

266 Check ing and filling
For year-round driving, antifreeze is added at
the factory for temperatures down to:
- -31°F(-35°C)USA
- - 40 °F ( - 40 °C) Canada.
_& WARNING
-
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARN INGS
¢ .&. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 258.
(D Note
- Befo re winter se ts in, have the coolant
checked to see if t he coolant addit ive in
your vehicle is sufficient to meet the cli­
mate conditions. This is especially impor­
tant if you live in a region where the win­
ter is extremely co ld. If necessary, in­
crease the proport ion of coolant additive
to 60%.
- When adding coolant additive to your
cooling system, remember:
- We recommend using only coolant ad­ ditive G12++ or G13 for your vehicle.
Th is coo lant add itive is available at au­
thorized Audi dealers. Other types of
antifreeze can significantly reduce cor­
rosion protection. The resulting corro ­
sion can cause a loss of coo lant and se­
r ious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiator leak sea l­
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant.
Adding rad iator repair fluid may adve rse­
ly affect the function and performance of
your cooling system and could result in
damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited Wa rranty.
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance .
Fig . 233 Engine compartment : Coo lant expansio n ta nk
Before you check a nyth ing in the engine com­
partment,
alw ays re ad and h eed all WARN­
INGS ¢ A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 258.
.,. Park yo ur vehicle on a level surface.
.,. Turn off the ignition.
.,. Let the engine cool down.
.,. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank ¢
fig. 233, c> page 260, fig. 229 and
care full y twist the cap counter-clockwise
¢,&. .
.,. Read the engine coolant level in the open
coolant expansion tank. W ith a cold eng ine,
the coolant level should be between the "min" and "max" markings. When the en­
g ine is wa rm, the level may be slightly above
the "max" mark ing.
T he locat ion of the coolant expansion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus­
tration
¢ page 260.
To obtain an accu rate reading, the engine
must be switched off.
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped
with an electric coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning
light in the Auto-Check System¢
page 32 will
blink until you add coolant and the level has
been restored to normal. Even though there is
an electric coo lant level sensor, we still rec­
ommend you check the coolant level from
time to t ime.

268 Checking and filling
-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 environment and
could cause an engine fire . Excess cool-
ant will be forced out through the pres­
sure relief valve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot.
- If, in an emergency, only water can be
added , the correct ratio between water
and antifreeze
c:::> page 265 must be re­
stored as soon as possible .
@ For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant should not be reused. Al­
ways dispose of used coolant while observ­ ing all environmental regulations.
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by
itself
The radiator fan is driven by the engine via the
V-belt . The viscous clutch regulates the speed
of the fan accord ing to the temperature of the
coolant.
An auxiliary electric radiator fan* switches on
and off depending on coolant temperature
and other vehicle operating conditions.
After you switch the engine off, the aux iliary
fan can continue running for up to 10 minutes
- even with the ignition off. It can even switch
on again later by itself
c:::> &. , if
- the temperature of the engine coolant rises
due to the heat build-up from the engine in
t he engine compartment, or
- the engine compartment heats up because
the vehicle is parked in intense sunligh t.
_&. WARNING
- To reduce the risk of personal injury nev­
er touch the radiator fan. -
The auxiliary electric fan is temperature
controlled and can switch on suddenly
even when the engine is not running.
- The auxiliary radiator fan switches on au­
tomatically when the engine coolant reaches a certain temperature and will
continue to run until the coolant temper­
ature drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a
quick glance.
Fig. 234 E ngine compart men t: cove r on the brake fluid
reserv oir
Before you check anyth ing in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS c:::> _&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 258.
.,. Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir
c:::> fig. 234, c:::> page 260,
fig.
229. The brake fluid level m ust be be­
tween the "MIN" and "MAX" markings.
The brake fluid reservoir is located at the rear
partition of the engine compartment on the
left side
c:::> page 260.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the
brake pads. This is not cause for alarm.
If the brake flu id level falls
considerably be­
low the
"MIN " mark, the brake warning/indi­
cator light ( U.S. models: -· Canadian
models :. ) w ill come on
c:::>page 19 and
c:::>page 32. Do not continue to operate the ve-
hicle. The compl ete brake system should be ..,.

2 70 Chec king and filling
should only be disconnected from the vehicle
e lectrical system when absolutely necessary
for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive your vehicle over a pe riod
of several days or weeks, electrical compo­
nents are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and main ­
tains starting capab ility over a longer period
c;, page225.
Take into consideration that when you un lock
your vehicle, some convenience functions, such as the interior lights or the power seat
adjustment, may not be available. The con­
venience functions will be available again
when you turn on the ignition and start the
engine .
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capacity
tends to decrease as temperatures drop . This
is because more power is also consumed while
starting, and the headlights, rear window de ­
fogger, etc., are used more often .
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, par­
ticularly in city traffic or when traveling only
short d istances . Let your authorized Audi
dealer check the capacity of the vehicle bat­
tery before w inte r sets in
¢ page 271. A well
cha rged battery w ill not only prevent starting
p rob lems when the weather is cold, but will
a lso last longer.
(D Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for several
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the
vehicle battery should be removed and
stored where it will not freeze . This wi ll
prevent it from being damaged and having
to be replaced.
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
The battery is located under the driver 's seat.
Before you check anyth ing under the driver 's
seat,
read and heed all WARNINGS c:;, _&.
Always heed the safety warnings, when work­
ing on the vehicle battery or the vehicle elec­
trical system to prevent injury.
The following WARNINGS are very
important when working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYM­ BOLS and safety precautions when working
on the battery.
@!) Always wear eye protection .
b.. Battery acid contains sulfuric acid . Al­
~ ways wear gloves and eye protection.
~ No
\!:51 -sparks
- flames
- smoking.
A. 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 children.
,&. WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on
the electrical system, there is the risk of
injury, accident and even fire . Read and
heed the following WARNINGS:
- Always wear eye protection. Do not let
battery ac id or any lead particles get on
your skin or clothing. Shield your eyes .
Exp losive gases can cause blindness or
other injury.
- Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Sulfu­
ric acid can cause blindness and severe
burns.
- Always wear g loves and eye protection.
-
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, immediately 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, electric sparks or an open light.
- Do not smoke.
- Do not interchange the positive and neg-
ative cables.
- When working on the battery, be sure
not to short-circuit the terminals with
tools or other metal objects. This would cause the battery to heat up very quickly,
which could lead to damage or explosion
and personal injury.
- When a battery is charged, it produces hydrogen gas which is explosive and
could cause personal injury.
- Always keep the battery well out of the
reach of children.
- Before work is done on the electrical sys­ tem, disconnect the negative ground ca­
ble .
- Before performing any work on the elec­
trical system, switch off the engine and
ignition as well as any electrical equip ­
ment . The negative cable on the battery
must be disconnected. If you are just go­
ing to rep lace a light bulb, then it is
enough to switch off the lights.
- Before disconnecting the battery, switch
off the anti-theft alarm system! Other­
wise you will set off the alarm.
- When disconnecting the battery, first
disconnect the negative cable and then
the positive cable.
- Before reconnecting the battery, make
sure all electrical consumers are switch­
ed off. Reconnect the positive cable first
and then the negative cable. Never inter­
change the cables -this could start a fire!
- Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out
battery. It could explode! If a battery has
frozen, then it must be replaced. A dis-
Checking and filling 2 71
charged battery can freeze over at 32 °F
(0 oc) .
-Make sure the vent hose is always attach­
ed to the opening on the side of the bat­
tery .
- Never use batteries which are damaged.
There is the danger of an explosion! Al­
ways replace a damaged battery.
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories contain lead and lead com­ pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc ­
tive problems . Wash hands after han­
dling.
(D Note
- Do not disconnect the vehicle battery
when the ignition is switched on or when the engine is running, otherwise, you will
damage electron ic components in the
electrical system.
- If your vehicle is going to stand for a
long period of time without being driven,
protect the battery from "freezing", oth­
erwise it will be damaged and will then
have to be replaced.
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged
battery.
Fig. 235 E n gin e compart men t: Co nnectors fo r charger
and j umper ca bles ..,_