2012 AUDI Q7 warning light

260 Checking and filling
Engine compartment
These are the most important items that you can check .
Fig. 229 Typical layout for containers, engine oil di pstick and engin e oil fille r cap
(D W indshield/head light washer
t . (
;R ) con ainer ,.... .............. .
@ Coolant expansion tank (-L) .. .
@ Engin e oi l filler cap ('t".:r.) . .. .. .
©
®
®
(j)
Eng ine oil dipstick (orange) . .. .
Brake fluid reservoir
((0)) ..... .
Power steering reservoir ... .. .
Jump start connector( +) under 273
266
264
263
268
224
a cover,( ·) with hex head screw 271,308
The pos ition of the engine o il fi lling hole and
the engine oil dipstick
r=;, fig. 229 (position ®
and @) can vary according to the type of en­
gine .
_&. WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS ¢.&.
in Working in the engine
c omportment on page 258.
-
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 sophist icated
powerplant that was built to exacting specifi­
cations. Th is engine needs the right kind of
engi ne oil that meets specifications regard ing
quality and v iscosity so that it can run
smooth ly and reliab ly. Choosing the right oil
and changing oil within the time and mileage
intervals printed in your vehicle's Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet matters a lot more to­
day tha n it did years ago . Audi has developed
a spec ia l quality standard for eng ine oil that
will help assure that your vehicle's engine w ill
get the lubr ication it needs for proper opera­
t ion .
Modern engine lubr ication has taken a quan ­
tum leap in the last few years. Many synthetic "'

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-

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 ..,.

thoroughly checked by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop and the cause
corrected .
If the brake fluid level is too low ,
the brake warning/indicator light will i llum i­
nate. Con tact an au thori zed Aud i dealer
im ·
mediately .
@ Tips
The brake fluid reservoir is located under­
neath the cover.
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi­
enced technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moist ure from the a ir. If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
h igh, corrosion in the brake system may result
after a per iod of t ime . The bo iling po int of the
brake fluid w ill also decrease considerably and
decrease b raking performance .
Therefore, the brake flu id must be changed
every two years . Always use new brake fluid
which conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle
Standa rd "FMVSS 116 DOT 4".
The brake f lu id reservoir can be difficult to
reach, therefore, we recommend that yo u
have the brake f lu id changed by your author­
i zed
Audi dea ler . Your deale r has the co rrect
too ls, the right b rake fluid and the know-how
to do this fo r you.
_& WARNING
- Br ake fluid is po isonous . It must be s to r­
ed only in the closed orig inal con tainer
o ut of the reac h of c hildren!
- Br ake f ailure can resu lt from old or in ap ­
propr iate b ra ke fluid. Observe these pre ­
caut ions:
- Use on ly brake fluid that meets SAE
specif ication
J 1 703 and conforms to
Federal Motor V ehicle Sta ndard 116.
A lways check wi th you r auth o riz ed Audi
deale r to ma ke s ure you are using the
correct brake flu id . T he correc t type of
Checkin g and fillin g 269
brake f luid is also ind icated on t he
brake f luid rese rvoir.
- The bra ke fl uid must be new. Heavy use
of the brakes can cause a vapo r lock if
the brake fluid is left in the system too
l ong. This can seriously affect the effi­
c iency of the brakes as well as your
safe ty. This co uld resu lt in an accide nt.
(1) Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your
vehicle.
@) For the sake of the environment
Because o f the prob lem of proper disposal
of brake fluid as well as the spec ial too ls
required and the necessary expertise, we
recomme nd that you have the brake flu id
changed by you r autho rized Aud i deale r.
Battery
General information
U nder normal operating cond itions, the bat­
tery in your Audi does not need any ma inte­
nance. With
high outside temperatures or
long da ily drives we recommend that you have
the e lectrolyte level chec ked by an au thorized
Audi dealer or qualified wo rkshop . The elec­
t ro lyte level should also be che cked each time
t h e battery is cha rged
~ page 271.
Have the battery checked when you take your
vehicle in for se rv ice . You a re well advised to
replace a battery that is o lde r th an 5 years .
With certain types of airbag deployment, the ba tte ry is disconnected from the ve hicle elec­
t rical sys tem for safety reasons
~ A in Re­
pair, care and disposal of the airbags on
page 193.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle fu nctions (power window regu ­
lators, fo r example) are lost if the battery te r­
mina ls are disconn ected . T hese functions have
to be relearned after the bat tery termina ls are
conne cte d ag ain. To p revent t his, the battery .,. •
•

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 ..,_