2012 AUDI Q7 engine

oils available today provide better engine lu­
brication that can outlast traditional petrole­
um-based oils, making them a smart choice
for use throughout the life of your Audi.
Whether you use synthetic or petroleum­based engine oil, the oil that you use must
conform to Audi's oil quality standard
VW 502 00 (vehicles with gasoline engine) or VW 507 00 (vehicles with diesel engine) to
help keep your vehicle's engine running
smoothly and help prevent the formation of harmful deposits , sometimes called "sludge,"
that over time can lead to expensive repairs.
At the time of printing, engine oils available in
the U .S . and Canada that meet the exacting
specifications of Audi oil standard VW 502 00 (vehicles with gasoline engine) or VW 507 00
(vehicles with diesel engine) are synthetic en­
gine oils. This does not mean, however, that
every synthetic engine oil will meet Audi oil
standard VW 502 00 (vehicles with gasoline
engine) or VW 507 00 (vehicles with diesel
engine). So always be sure that you use an ap­
proved oil.
To help prevent the formation of harmful de­ posits use only oil with the following specifi­
cations printed on the oil container :
-Audi oil standard VW 502 00 (gasoline en­
gine)
- Audi oil standard VW 507 00 (diesel en-
gine)
Oil container labels may carry the specifica­
tion singly or in combination with other desig­
nations and oil quality standards.
Viscosity
Engine oils are graded according to their vis­
cosity . The proper viscosity grade oil for your
engine depends on climactic or seasonal con­
ditions where you drive. You can use oil with a
viscosity grade of SAE SW40 ac ross all tem­
perature ranges for normal driving conditions.
However, if engine oil viscosity grade SAE
SW40 is not available, you can also use viscos­
ity grade SAE SW-30 or SAE OW-40 as long as
it meets Audi oil quality standard VW 502 00
Checking and filling 261
(vehicles with gasoline engine) or VW 507 00
(vehicles with diesel engine) specifications.
Because engine oil that meets the Audi oil
standard may not be available everywhere
when you need it, we strongly recommend
that you always carry with you an extra quart (liter) of oil that expressly conforms to the
VW 502 00 (vehicles with gasoline engine) or
VW 507 00 (vehicles with diesel engine) spec­
ification, in case you have to top
off the oil
while on the road.
Applies to vehicles with gasoline engine on­
ly: Only if the level of the oil is at or below the
minimum mark on the oil dipstick -and no oil
that expressly conforms to Audi oil standard
VW 502 00 specificat ions is available - may
you top
off with a high quality engine oil, pref­
erably synthetic-based, that meets ACEA A3
or API SM specifications, but even then, only in viscosity grades SAE SW-40, SAE SW-30, or
SAE OW-40 . However, during the entire time
between oil change intervals, never top off
with more than a total of 0.5 qt/liter engine
oil that does not conform to Audi oil specifica­
tion VW 502 00.
Applies to vehicles with diesel engine only:
Only if the level of the oil is at or below the
minimum mark on the oil dipstick - and no oil
that expressly conforms to Audi oil standard
VW 507 00 spec ifications is available - may
you top
off with a high quality engine oil, that
meets ACEA C3 or API CF specifications, but
even then, only in viscosity grades SAE
5W-40, SAE 5W-30, or SAE OW-40. However,
during the entire time between oil change in­
tervals, never top off with more than a total
of 0 .5 qt/liter engine oil that does not con­
form to Audi oil specification VW S07 00.
For more information about engine oil that
has been approved for your vehicle, please
contact either your authori zed Audi dealer or
Audi Customer Relations at 1 (800) 822-2834
or visit our web si te at www.audiusa .com or
www .audicanada .ca. Here you will also find a
current list of oils (manufacturers, brand
names etc.) that conform to Audi oil standard
lilJJ,,
•
•

262 Checking and filling
VW 502 00 (vehicles with gasoline engine) or
VW 507 00 (vehicles with diese l engine).
C hanging the engine oil
The engine oil and o il fil te r must be changed
according to the m ileage (ki lomete rs) and
time inte rva ls spe cified in your vehicle 's War­
ra nty
& Main ten ance booklet. Do not ex ceed
these in tervals - harmful depos its from ol d
engine o il can reduce engine performance an d
can lead to expensive engi ne re pairs.
C hanging the o il at th e recommen ded i nte r­
v al s is so very impor tant because t he lub ric at ­
ing p roperties o f oi l decrease gra dually du ring
norma l vehicle use . If you are not sure when
you have yo ur oil changed, ask yo ur aut ho r­
i z ed A udi Service Advisor.
Unde r some ci rc u ms tances the engine o il
should even be change d mo re frequently .
C hange o il more often if you drive mostly
short d istances, ope rate the vehicle in d usty
areas or mostly under stop-and-go traffic con­
d it ions, or when you use your veh icle w he re
tem peratures stay below freez ing poin t fo r
l ong periods .
Detergent addit ives i n the o il w ill make fresh
oil look dark after the eng ine has been run­
ni ng fo r a shor t time . This is no rma l and is not
a reason to change the o il mo re often tha n
r e co m men ded.
Damage or malfunctions due to lack of
maintenance
It is essential that yo u change your oil at the
recommended interva ls using only engine o il
that complies with Audi oi l standard
VW 502 00 (vehicles wi th gasoli ne e ngine) or
VW 507 00 (ve hicles with diese l engi ne) . Yo ur
Li m ite d N ew Vehicle Warranty does no t cove r
d am age or m alfu ncti ons due to f ailure to fol­
l ow recommended main tenance and use re­
q uir ements as set forth in the A udi Owne r's
M anual a nd Warra nty
& M aintenance book let.
Your dea ler will have to deny war ranty cover­
age un less yo u present to the dea le r proof in
the f orm of Service or Repa ir Orders that a ll scheduled mai
ntenance was perfo rme d in a
t imely man ne r.
Engine oil consumption
To prov ide effective l ubr ication and cooling for
i nter na l eng ine parts, a ll interna l combustion
engi nes use some o il. Oil consumption va ries
from eng ine to engi ne and may cha nge over
t h e life of the engine. Engines tend to use
more o il du ring t he b reak-in pe riod tha n they
do afterwa rd, w hen oil c onsum ption ha s sta­
b ilized. Dependi ng on the w ay the vehicle is
driven and the operati ng conditions, oil con ­
s u mption can be up to 1 q uart per 1, 200
miles (1 liter per 2,000 km) . Consumption
may be higher within the first 3,000 m iles
(5,000 km) .
Un der normal con ditions , the rate o f oi l con­
s u mption depen ds on o il quality as well as vis ­
cosity, engine spee d (rpm), outs ide tempera­
ture, road conditions, the amount of oil dil u­
t io n caused by condensed water or fue l resi ­
du e, and ox ida tion of the o il. Oil co nsu mp tion
may incr eas e with eng ine w ear ov er time, un ­
t il repl acemen t of w orn en gine p arts may be­
co me ne ce ssar y.
B eca use of all thes e var iables , there is no
sta nda rd o r "n orma l" ra te of o il cons umption .
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. i s not an
indicator of low engine oil level. If the warn ­
ing 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·
ately, check the engine oil level and add oil if
necessary. If the engine oil level is normal,
but the light continues to flash, do not keep
driving or let the engine idle, as damage may
occur .
II-

If you be lieve your engine uses too much oil,
w e recommend that you consult your author­
ized Audi dealer so that the cause of your con­
cern can be properly diagnosed . Keep in mind
that accurate measurement of oil consump­
tion requires great care and may take some
time . Your Aud i dealer has instruct ions for
how to measure oil consumption accurately .
_& WARNING
Stop! Before work ing in the engine com­
pa rtment, always read and heed all WARN­
INGS
¢ .& in Working in the engine com­
partment on page 258.
The engine com­
partment of any motor ve hicle is
a poten­
tially dangerous area and can cause ser i­
ous pe rsonal injury.
(D Note
- The eng ine depends on oi l to lubr icate
and cool a ll of its moving parts . The en­
gine o il m ust be checked regu larly and
kept at the required leve l.
- Make it a habit to have the engine oil lev­
el checked every time you fill the fuel
tank.
- Too little engine oil may ca use severe en­
gine damage.
Checking the engine oil level
The dipstick indicates the engine oil level.
Fig. 230 Ill ust rat io n of principle 1: Markers on o il dip­
s tick
Checkin g and fillin g 263
Fig . 231 Il lust rati on of p rin ciple 2: Ma rke rs o n oil d ip ­
stick
Before you check anyt hing in the engine com­
partment,
alway s read a nd heed all WARN­
INGS ¢ A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 258 .
Determining oil level
.,. Park yo ur vehicle so that it is horizonta lly
level.
.,. While at operating state tempe rature,
briefly let the engine run at idle and then
shut it off.
.,. Wait approx. two minutes.
.,. Pull out the oil dipstick . W ipe off the oil
d ipstick with a clean cloth, and sl ide it back
in as far as it w ill go.
.,. Pull it back out and read off the o il level
r=> fig. 230 or r=> fig. 231. Top off the eng ine
oil, if applicable ¢
page 264 .
Oil level within range (v
.,. Do not add oil.
Oil le ve l within range@
.,. You can add oil. Afterwards, the oil leve l
sh ould be within range@.
Oil le vel within rang e 0
.,. Yo u must add oil. Afterwards, the oil leve l
should be within range @.
T he oil leve l needs to be checke d at regu lar in ­
terva ls. The best t imes to do this are whenev -
er you refuel and prior to long trips.
Depend ing o n the way the vehicle is dr iven
and the ope rat ing cond it ions, o il co nsumption
can be up to 1 q uart per 1,200 mi les ( 1 liter
Ill>

264 Check ing and filling
per 2,000 km). Cons umption may be higher
within the first 3,000 mi les (5,000 km).
Adding engine oil "1:::7':
0 N ;:;
"' "' a:>
F ig . 232 Eng ine com part men t: cove r on the eng ine o il
filler neck
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
alway s read and h eed all WARN ­
INGS
¢ .&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 258 .
.. Unscrew the cap 't::r. to the engine oil fill ing
hole¢
fig. 232, ¢ page 260, fig . 229.
.. Carefully top off with the appropriate o il in
0 .5 lite r doses .
.. Check the oil leve l aga in afte r two minutes
¢ page 263.
.. Top off th e oil again, if necessary.
.. Screw t he cap back on the filling hole and
s li de the oil d ipst ick in as far as it will go.
& WARNING
Stop! Before working in the engine com­
partment, always read and heed a ll WARN­
INGS
¢ .& in Working in the engine com­
partment on page 258 .
The engine com­
partment of any motor ve hicle is a poten­
tially dangerous a rea and can cause ser i­
ous pe rsonal injury.
& WARNING
Spilled o il is a fi re hazard.
- The oil fille r cap must be prope rly se­
c u red to prevent oil from being sprayed
on the ho t engine and exhaust system
w hen the eng ine is r unni ng.
-
(D Note
- The oil leve l m ust not be above range 0
- danger of converter or engine damage !
Contact an authorized dea lership to draw
off oil, if necessary.
- Audi does not recommend the use of oil
additives. They may damage the engine
and adversely affect your New Vehicle
Warranty .
~ For the sake of the environment
-Under no circumstances can the oil come
in contact with the sewage network or
the so il.
- Observe and follow legal regulat ions
when dispos ing of empty oil containers.
Changing the engine oil
Engine oil mus t be changed at intervals listed
in the Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
The eng ine oi l and oil fi lter m ust be changed
accord ing to the mileage and time intervals
specified in your vehicle's Warranty
& Mainte­
nance booklet . Do not exceed these intervals -
harmful s ludge and depos its from old engine
o il can reduce engi ne pe rformance and can
lead to expens ive engine repa irs.
Chang ing oi l at regula r intervals is so very im­
po rtant because t he lubricat ing propert ies of
o il decrease gradually du ring normal vehicle
u se.
If you are not sure when to have the oi l
c h anged, ask your a uthori zed Audi Se rvi ce A d­
visor .
U nder some c ircumstances the engine oil
sho uld even be cha nged more often than
spec ified for normal use. Change o il more of ­
ten if you often dr ive short distances, ope rate
t h e ve hicle in dusty a reas or mostly under
stop-and-go t raff ic conditions, or when you
u se your vehicle where temperatures stay be­
low free zing point for long periods.
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh
oi l loo k dark after the engine has been run-
ning for a short time . T hi s is normal and is not
IJ,,

a reason to change the oil more often than recommended.
A WARNING
Stop! Before working in the engine com­
partme nt, always read and heed all WARN­
INGS
q & in Working in the engine com­
partment on page 258.
The engine com­
partme nt of any motor veh icle is a poten­
tially dangerous a rea and can cause ser i­
ous pe rsonal injury.
A WARNING
If you must change t he engine o il i n your
vehicle:
- Always wea r eye p rotection.
- To reduce the r isk of burns from hot en-
gine oil let the engine cool down to the
t ouch.
- When removing the oil drain plug with
yo ur finge rs, stay as far away as possible.
Always kee p your forea rm pa ra llel to the
ground to he lp prevent ho t oi l from r un­
ning down your arm.
- Drain the o il into a co nt ainer designed
f or this p urpose, one large enough to
hold at least the total amount of oil in
yo ur engine .
- T o reduce the r is k of po ison ing, never use
empty food or beverage containers that
might mis lead someone into dr inking
from them.
- Engine oil is poisono us. Keep it well out
of the reach of chi ldren.
- Cont in u ous contact with used engi ne oil
is harmful to your skin. Always protect
yo ur sk in by washing tho ro ughly with
soap and water.
(D Note
Never mix oi l ad dit ives with your engine
oil. These additives can damage your en ­
gine and adverse ly affect your Audi Limit­
ed New Vehicle Warranty.
-
Checkin g and fillin g 265
@) For the sake of the environment
-Before changing the oil, first make sure
you know where you can prope rly dispose
of the old o il.
- Always dispose of used oil p ro perly. Nev­
er dump it on garden soil, in wooded
areas, into streams or down sewage
dra ins.
- Recycle used o il by tak ing it to a used en ­
gine oil collection facility in your area, or
contact a service station.
- We strongly recommend that yo u have
your oil cha nged by an authorized Audi
dealer or a qualified wo rkshop with the
special tools a nd expert ise required, and
proper m eans of disposa l.
Engine cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro­ tects the engine from freezing in the winter.
T he cooling sys tem is sealed and genera lly re­
quires little attention.
T he cooli ng system has bee n filled a t the fac­
t ory with a permanent coolant which does not
need to be c hanged . The coo lant cons ists of a
mixture of water and the manufacturer's gly ­
col-based coo lant additive G l3 antifreeze
with anticorrosion additives (50% for USA
models; 60% for Canadian mode ls). This m ix­
ture both assures the necessary frost protec­
tion and protects meta l compone nts in t he
engine's cool ing system from corros io n and
sca ling.
It also raises the boiling point of the
c oolant.
Do not reduce the concentration of the cool ­
ant in the s ummer by adding p lai n water .
The
proportion of coolant additive must be at
lea st 50 % but not more than 60 %
to main ­
tai n antifree ze pro te ct io n a nd coo ling eff icien­
cy .
If the coo lant fros t protection is too low,
the coo lant co uld freeze and damage the vehi-
cle heating and engine cooling system. .,..
•
•

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.

Coolant loss
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 d ealer. 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 overheating.
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 coo l
down.
- Protect your 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
o r hot eng ine parts. Under certai n condi­
t ions, the ethy lene g lycol i n engine cool­
an t ca n ca tch fire.
(D Note
Do not add any type of rad iator leak seal­
ant to you r vehicle's eng ine coolant. Add­
ing radiator repair f luid may adversely af­
fec t the function and pe rformance of your
cooling system and could res ult in damage
not covered by your New Vehicle Limited
Warranty .
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anything in the engi ne com­
partment ,
alwa ys read and heed all WARN ­
INGS c:> A in Working in the engine compart ­
ment on page 258 .
Checking and fillin g 267
.. Turn off the engine .
.. Let the engine coo l down .
.. Place a thick rag over the coo lant expansion
tank
c:> page 266 , fig . 233 and carefully
twis t the cap coun ter-clockwise c:> &, .
.. Add coo lant .
.. Twist the cap on aga in
tightly.
Rep lacemen t engine coolant must conform to
exact spec ificat ions
c:> page 265, Coolant . We
recommend us ing on ly coo lant additive G12+
+, G 13 or in an eme rgency G12 +. Do
not use a
different additive. In an emergency use pla in
water until you can ge t the co rrect addi tive
and can restore the correc t ratio. This sho uld
be done as soon as possible.
If you have lost a cons iderab le amount of
coolant , the n you sho uld add cold ant ifree ze
and cold wate r on ly when the engine is cold.
Always use
n ew engine coolant when refilling .
Do not f ill coolant above the "MAX" mark. Ex­
cess coola nt will be forced out through the
pressure relief valve in the cap when the en ­
gine becomes hot .
A WARNING
- The cooling system is under pressure and
can get ve ry hot. Reduce the risk of
scalding from hot coolan t by following
these steps.
- Turn off the engine and allow it to coo l
down .
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by covering
the cap w ith a large, th ick rag .
- Turn the cap s lowly and very carefully
i n a counter-clockwise direction while
applying light, downward pressure on
the top of the cap.
- To avoid being burned, do not spill a n­
tifreeze o r coolant on the exhaust sys­
tem or hot engi ne pa rts. Under certain
c ond it ions, the ethy lene glycol in en­
gine coolant c an catch fire .
- Antifree ze is po isonous. Always s to re an­
tifree ze in its o rigina l container and well
ou t of the rea ch of child ren. .,.
•
•

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 ..,.