2012 AUDI Q7 check oil

232 Driving o ff road
Driving off road
Driving in difficult road
conditions and offroad
General information
The operation of the E lectronic Stability Con­
trol (ESC) is expanded for operation away
from paved roads. In situations where slip or a
d ifferential locking function is required, the
ESC offroad mode can be act ivated
c::;, page 219 . Hill descent control is also availa­
ble in the ESC offroad mode, which automati­
cally b rakes the vehicle and thereby keeps
speed constant when diffe rent wheel speeds
a re detected when descending a hill
c::;, page 220. Your Audi also has permanent
a ll-whee l drive in addition.
H oweve r, your Aud i is not a pure off road vehi­
cle .
It was no t built for d riving unde r extreme
conditions, e .g. fo r trips that are in the natu re
of an expedit ion .
Dri ve only on road s and offroad section s
which match the de sign of y our vehicl e and
y ou r abilitie s as a dri ver. Never take risks!
Before driving offroad
- Check the eng ine oil level, ti re p ressu re ,
coolant level , and the fluid level in the w ind­
shield washe r reservo ir.
- Stow luggage items and o ther objects in the
luggage compartment, and secure t hem
against s liding aro und .
After driving offroad
- After trips offroad, remove any twigs and
othe r foreign objects from the grill, the un­
derbody and the wheels. Pay spec ia l atten­
t ion to fo re ign objects (stones) which have
be come lodged in the tire tread.
- Clean t he body a nd the veh icle unders ide,
and in spec t the veh icle for poss ible damage.
- Clean dirty w indows , headlamp lenses , rear
l ights, and li cense plates .
- Perfo rm a brake check (part icularly after
t ravel ling th rough water) .
A WARNING
-Drive especially attentively and plan
a head in d iff icu lt road conditions and
when off road. Excessive speed o r inco r­
rect maneuvers can cause injuries and
damage to the vehicle.
-
- Always adapt your speed and driving
style to road, offroad, t raff ic, and weat h­
er cond itions. Drive e specially slowly off­
ro ad when you r view is res tricted.
- Please be awa re that in ESC off road
mo de, particularly on a smoo th and s lip­
pe ry road, the wheels may have an in­
crease d tendency to sp in and the vehicle
may b reak away - danger of skidding!
- Stabili ty is limited in the ESC off roa d
mode .
@) For the sake of the environment
Avoid damage to t he environmen t an d re­
s pect na tu re .
(D Tips
Only d rive w here it is permitte d and stay
on marked road s and pat hs.
Explanation of some technical terms
The following data refe r to ideal cond itions.
Depend ing on veh icle load and gro und condi ­
tions and the environment, the numbers may
vary. It is the driver's responsibility to decide
whether a vehicle can overcome a specific s it­
uat io n
c::;, ,&. .
Gradient angle
The number of meters in alt itude ga ined over
a distance of 109.4 yards or 100 meters
(grade) are given as a percentage or degrees.
Information about the gradient the vehicle
can climb under its own power (depends in
part on the road surface and engine power) .
Max imum pe rm itt ed grade : 3 1
°
Later al angle (slope of vehicle )
Indicates the angle up to which the vehicle
can be driven diagonally or across the fall line ..,.

248 Clea ning and protec tio n
• Dab at the stain . Start at the outside and
work inwards .
• Once the stain is no longer visible, use a
soft dry cloth or t issue to soak up the mois­
ture.
Do not use leather cleaning products on Al­
cantara.
You may use a suitable shampoo for removing
dust and dirt .
Dust and gr it in the pores and seams can
scratch and damage the surface. If the car is
l eft standing in the sun for long periods, the
A lcantara should be protected against direct
sunlight to prevent it from fading. Slight color
variations will deve lop in normal use and are
not an indication of material deterioration .
- Never use chemical solvents (e.g . lighter
fluid, turpentine), waxes, shoe polish or
s imilar products on Alcantara ® surfaces .
- To avoid damage, have stubborn stains
removed by a commerc ial cleaning spe­
cia list.
- Do not use br ushes, stiff sponges or sim­
i larly abrasive cleaning aids.
Safety belts
Only well-maintained safety belts work relia ­
bly when needed.
• Keep be lts clean.
• For cleaning, use a mild soap and water sol­
ution. Let be lts dry thoroughly and away
from direct sunlight.
• Do not allow inertia reel safety belts to re­
tract before they are completely dry.
• Check the condition of your safety belts
reg­
ularly.
Heavily soiled safety belts may not retract
properly .
A WARNING
Damaged safety belts can b reak in a crash . -
Anything that might damage your safety
be lts could mean that you and your pas­
sengers would not be adequately pro­
tected in an accident.
- Safety belt performance depends on cor­
rect insta llation. Never remove be lts
from the veh icle to clean them .
- Do not use chemical clean ing agents,
bleach or dyes. They have corrosive prop­
erties which weaken the webb ing.
- When clean ing your safety belts, inspect
them for damage . If you discover dam­
age, see your authorized Audi dealer .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 239.
' Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en­
gine comportment.
Alwa ys switch off the ign ition before clean ­
i ng the engine¢ .&, .
Plenum panel
Remove leaves from the plenum panel in front
of the windshield under the engine hood . This
prevents the water drain holes from becoming
blocked, and it prevents debris from enter ing
the vehicle interior through the heating and
ventilat ion ducts.
Cor rosion protection
The engine compartment and transmission
have been corrosion -protected at the factory .
Good anti- corrosion treatment is very impor­
tant, particu larly in the w inter.
If the vehicle
is frequently driven on salt treated roads, the
entire engine compartment and plenum panel
shou ld be thoroughly cleaned at the end of
winter and retreated to prevent salt damage.
At the same time, the underside of the vehicle
should be washed as well. ..,_

-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. •
•

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 "'

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,,