2012 AUDI Q7 warning lights

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 17
o Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (M IL) is part
of the On-Board Diagnostic (OBD II) system.
The symbol
f• lights up when the ignition is
turned on and will turn off after the engine
has started and has sett led at a constant idle
speed. Th is ind icates that the MIL is working
properly.
The warning light illuminates when there is a
malfunction in the engine electronic system .
Contact your author ized Audi dealer and have
the ma lfunction corrected.
An improperly closed fuel filler cap may also
cause the MIL light to illuminate (only vehi­
cles with gasoline engine)
c:> page 253.
For more informat ion c:> page 2 7.
0 Adaptive Air Suspension
Applies to vehicles: with Adaptive Air Suspension
This II warning/indicator light has the fol­
l owing functions:
- It illuminates for a few seconds after the ig­
nition is turned on as function check and
then goes out .
- If the warning/ind icator light illuminates or
blinks continuously, there is a system fau lt
in the Adaptive A ir Suspension . A system
fault can result in limited ride comfort and
low ground clearance . Drive safely to the
nearest authorized Aud i dealer or qualified
workshop, and have the fault corrected .
- If the warning/ind icator light flashes, you
should not drive the vehicle. The flash ing
warning/ind icator light po ints to an extreme
High level. A very
pronounced lifting of the
vehicle (extreme High level) can resu lt, fo r
example, when a heavy load is removed
from the vehicle. As soon as the leve l has re­
turned to normal, the warning/indicator
light stops flashing, and you can drive away.
- If the warning/ind icator light flashes in con­
junction with the
II warning/indicator
light, you sho uld not drive off immediately
i n order to prevent damage to the under­
body. The two warning/ind icator lights flashing together points to an extreme Low
level. A very
pronounced lowering of the ve­
hicle (extreme Low leve l) can result, for ex­
ample, from a heavy load. As soon as the
level has retu rned to normal, the warning/
ind icator lights stop flashing, and you can
drive away.
(D Note
If the warning/indicator light flashes in
conjunction with the
II warni ng/indica­
tor light, you should not dr ive the veh icle
because low-lying vehicle parts can bot­
tom out as you drive over uneven ground
and be damaged as a result.
~ Adaptive Air Suspension
Applies to vehicles: with Adaptive Air Suspension
This II warning/ indicator light has the fol ­
lowing functions:
- It illuminates for a few seconds after the ig­
nition is turned on as function check and
then goes out.
- It comes on for approximately 15 seconds
as a warning of
reduced ground clearance , if
the dynamic mode is activated and if the ig­
nition is switched on
r:!;> page 150, Chassis
controls.
- If the warning/indicator light flashes in con­
junction with the
II warning/indicator
light, you should not drive the vehicle imme­
diately in order to prevent damage to the
underbody. The two warn ing/ indicator
lights flashing together points to an ex­
treme Low level. A very
pronounced lower­
ing
of the vehicle (extreme Low level) can re­
sult, for example, from a heavy load. As
soon as the level has returned to normal,
the warning/indicator lights stop flashing,
and you can drive away.
(D Note
If the warning/indicator light flashes in
conjunction with the
II warning/indica­
tor light, you should not drive the vehicle

20 Instrum ent s a nd w arn in g/i ndic ato r light s
lock up first under hard braking. Rear
wheel lock-up can cause loss of vehicle
control and an accident. Have your vehi­
cle repaired immediately by your author­
ized Audi dealer or a qualif ied workshop.
Drive slowly and avo id sudden, hard
brake applicat ions.
- If the brake warning/indicator light does
not go out after a few seconds and the
par king brake re leased, or lights up while
yo u are driving, the fluid level in the
brake fluid reservo ir is too low . If you be ­
lieve that it is safe to do so, proceed im­
mediately at low speed to the nearest
authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair
facility and have the brake system in­
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 rely on stra ined brakes to
respond w ith maximum stopp ing power
in critical situations. You must a llow for
increased bra king distances . The extra
distance used up by fading brakes could
lead to an accident .

Defective light bulb warning
The defective light bulb warning tells you
when a vehicle light bulb has become defec­
tive.
Fig . 14 D isplay : defective lig ht bu lb warn ing
The defective light bu lb warning monitors the
function of the light bulbs . If th is symbol
ii
illuminates, a brake light, a turn signal (front
or rear), a headlight, the backup light, a fog
light or a rear fog light has failed.
A WARNING
- light bu lbs are pressurized and could ex­
plode while they are being changed caus­
ing serious personal injury.
- Work w ith due care when handling the
high-voltage section of gas discharge
(xenon) lights. Fa ilure to do so could re­
sult in dea th o r se rious injury.
(D Tips
Have the bulb replaced or the connection
repa ired by you r autho rized Aud i Service
department.
Dri ver inform ation di spl ay 23
Service interval display
The service interval display reminds you when
your next service is due .
Fig . 1 5 Display: Serv ice interva l d isplay
T he schedule for the nex t oi l change or inspec­
tion is ca lculated automatica lly and disp layed
accordingly. The disp lay works in two stages:
Service reminder
30 days before t he nex t se rvice is due, a serv­
i ce reminde r appea rs in the display whe n you
turn on the ignition
~fig. 15.
After about 5 seconds the display switches
back to norma l. The distance and time re­
mai ning are updated each time the ignit ion is
turned on unt il t he da te d ue for se rv ice is
reached.
Service due
When the due date fo r se rvice is reached, the
mes sage
Se rv ice due! appears in the instr u­
ment cluster immed iate ly after yo u tur n on
the ignit ion. Addit iona lly, a warning tone
sounds. After about
5 seconds the disp lay
switches back to normal.
Calling up the service schedules
If or when an oil change o r inspection is due,
can be shown in the MMI display by selecting
the service in terval d isplay in the car menu .
Se lect funct io n button
ICARI > contro l button
S ys tem s* > Service inter val display or I CAR I>
control button Car sy stems * > Servicing &
checks > Service inte rvals .

32 Driver information display
warning goes out after about 5 seconds, but it
can be brought up at any time by pressing the
I CHECK ! button again.
Usually , you can still drive to the next dealer­
ship. Turn off all but the most necessary elec­
trica l consumers, since these drain the vehi­
cle's battery.
(D Note
If the . warning symbol (coolant system
malfunction) also lights up on the instru­
ment panel during the trip
¢ page 32,
then you have to stop immediately and
turn off the engine. The coolant pump is
not working anymore -danger of damage
to the engine!
BRAKE/( ©) Brake system malfunction
A malfunction in the brake system must be
repaired as soon as possible .
If the warning/indicator light-(USA
models)/ . (Canada models) in the instru­
ment cluster flashes, there is a brake system
malfunction. By pressing the
I CHECK ! button,
you can bring up a driver message which ex­
plains the malfunction in more detail.
Stop vehicle and check brake fluid level
> Pull off the road .
> Stop the vehicle.
> Turn off the engine.
> Check the brake fluid level¢ page 268 .
> Contact your nearest authorized Audi dealer
or qualified workshop if necessary.
Warning! Fault in brake system. Contact
workshop
> Drive carefully to the nearest authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop and have
the malfunction corrected ¢
&_.
If the ABS system malfunctions, the ABS
warning/indicator light illuminates together
with the brake system malfunction warning/ indicator light¢&. .
A WARNING
-Always observe the warnings in
¢ page 248, Engine compartment, be­
fore opening the hood and checking the brake fluid .
- Driving with low brake fluid is a safety
hazard . Stop the car and get professional
assistance .
-USA models: If the - warning light
and the
B warning light come on to­
gether, the rear wheels could lock up
first under hard braking. Rear wheel lock­
up can cause loss of vehicle control and
an accident. Have your vehicle repaired
immediately by your authorized Audi
dealer or a qualified workshop. Drive
slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake ap­
plications.
- Canada models: If the brake warning
light . and the ABS warning light
II]
come on together, the rear wheels could
lock up first under hard braking . Rear
wheel lock-up can cause loss of vehicle
control and an accident . Have your vehi­
cle repaired immediately by your author­
ized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop .
Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard
brake applications.
- L Engine cooling system malfunction
A malfunction in the engine cooling system
must be repaired as soon as possible.
When the. symbol in the display blinks,
then either the engine coolant
temperature is
too high, or the coolant
level is too low. An
additional driver message can also be dis­
played by pressing the
I CHECK! button:
Switch off engine and check coolant level
> Pull off the road.
> Stop the vehicle .
> Turn off the engine.
> Check coolant level¢ page 266 .
> Add coolant if necessary¢ page 267.
> Continue driving only after the engine cool-
ant warning/indicator light goes out.
1J>

~ Contact your authorized Audi dea ler fo r as -
sistance if necessary.
If the engine coolant level is co rrect, then the
radiato r fan may be the cause of the malfunc­
tion.
If the . warning symbo l (alternator mal­
f u nction) a lso l ights up on the instr ument
panel ¢
page 31, then the fan belt may be
damaged .
A WARNING
- If your vehicle should break down for
mechanica l or other reasons, park at a
safe distance from moving traffic, turn off the engine and turn on the hazard
warning lights¢
page 60, Emergency
flasher.
-
- Never open the hood if you see or hear
steam o r coolant escap ing from the en­
gine compartment - you risk being scald­
ed. Wait until you can no longe r see or
hear steam or coo lant escaping.
- The e ngine compartment of any ve hicle
is a da ngerous a rea. Before you perform
any wor k in the engine compar tment,
t ur n o f the eng ine and allow it to cool.
Follow the warning stickers¢
page 248,
Engine compartment .
(D Note
Do not cont in ue d riving if the . symbol
illuminates. There is a malf unct ion in the
engine cooling system -you co uld damage
your eng ine.
9=: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.
If the . symbo l appears in the disp lay and
b links, the oil press ure is too low . An addition ­
a l dr iver message can also be disp layed by
press ing the
I CH ECKi button:
Switch off engine! Oil p ressure too low
Dri ver information di spla y 33
Immediate act ions
~ Pull off the road.
~ Stop the vehicle.
~ T ur n off the engine .
~ Check the engine oil le vel with the dipstick
¢ page 263.
Dipstick readings check s too low
~ Top off oil to the proper level¢ page 264.
~ Make s ure that the oil pressure wa rning
symbo l. appears no longer in the display
before you start driving again.
Dipstick read ing checks OK
~ If the oil p ress ure warn ing symbol .
s t arts flashing aga in even though the en­
gine oil level checks OK on t he d ipstick,
do
not continue d riving and do not let the en­
gine run in idle .
Instead, contact your au­
thorized Audi dealer for assistance.
(D Tips
- The engine oil pressure symbol. is
not an indic ator for a low engine oil lev­
el. Do not rely on it . Instead, check the
oil level in your engine at regular inter­
vals, preferably each time you refuel,
and always before going on a long trip .
- The yellow oil lev el warn ing indication
1111 requires oil refill or workshop s erv­
ice without delay . Do not wait until th e
red oil pre ssure warning . start s to
flash before you r espond to the low oil
level warning
Ill . By then , your engine
may already have suffered serious dam­
age.
i Steering malfunction
If there is a malfunction in the electronic
steering column lock, the steering cannot be
unlocked .
If the I symbol i n the display blinks, there is
a malfunction in the electronic steering col­
u mn lock. An additional driver message can
a lso be displayed by pressing the
ICHECK I but-
ton:
~

36 Driver in formation d isplay
When this symbo l (I illuminates for the f irst
time, the fuel reserve in your vehicle is sti ll
between 2 .6 and 3 .2 gallons (10- 12 liters) .
Refue l as soon as possib le
¢ page 252.
If the symbol lights up, even when there is
ample fuel in the tank, and the text
T a nk sys ­
tem malfunct ion! Cont act wor kshop
appears
in the display, there is a fault in the system.
Contact a qualified workshop to have the fau lt
rectified.
t::l Battery voltage
If the battery's state of charge is not in the
optimal range, the
f• ) symbol is shown in the
d isplay and the dr iver message
Low battery
c harge : battery will be charg ed while driving
appears.
Wh ile this dr iver not ificat io n is displayed, you
have to be p repared for lim ited start ing capa­
b ili ty.
Driv er m essage appears and goes out
again
I f t his driver message appears after the igni ­
tion is turned o n or wh ile driving and it goes
out again after a while, the battery has been
adequately recharged .
Driver message app ears and does not go
out again
If th is driver notification appears after the ig ­
nition is turned on or while driving and does
not go out again, the battery's state of charge
is not in the opt imal range. Starting capability
is restricted. Have the battery checked by an
author ized Audi dealer as soon as poss ible .
{0 : Worn brake pads
El Brake pads !
If the warn ing light illum inates, immediately
contact your authorized Audi dealer or quali­
fied workshop to have all brake pads inspect­
ed . On USA models the wa rning light
El
l ) - : USA mod els only
comes on together with the warning light
- · Both sets of bra ke pads on an ax le
must a lways be rep laced at the same time.
A WARNING
=
Driving w it h bad brakes can cause a colli-
sion and ser ious personal in jury.
- If the warn ing light
El and the warning
light
11111> with the message Brake
pads!
comes o n in the inst rument cluster
d isp lay, immediately contact your au­
thor ized Audi dealer or qualified wo rk­
shop to have all b rake pads checked or
re placed if ne cessa ry.
~(i) Headlight range control
II He adlight range control defective !
-
If the symbol illuminates, the dynamic head­
li ght rang e control is no longer work ing prop­
erly. Have the system checked and repa ired at
yo ur aut horized Aud i dea le r.
~ -Engine oil level
l!I Plea se check oil level
When the symbol illuminates, check the en­
gine o il leve l as soon as possible
¢ page 263.
T op off t he oil at your ear liest opportu nity
¢ page 264 .
't::r.~ Engine oil sensor defective
II Oil level ! Sensor defective
If the symbol illum ina tes, contact yo ur au ­
thorized Aud i dea le r and have the oil sensor
inspected. Unti l yo u have this done, check t he
oi l level each time you refue l just to be on the
safe s ide
¢ page 263.
!?) Engine speed limitation
Applies to vehicles: wit h engine speed limitatio n
II! Do not e xceed ma x. engine speed of X XXX
rpm .,,.

The IPJ symbol illuminates when there is an
engine control malfunction. The indicator
light ~ in the instrument cluster also illum i­
nates. The engine speed is limited to the
speed d isplayed in the driver information sys­
tem. Keep in mind that the eng ine speed will
not exceed the value displayed in the drive r in­
formation system, for example when down­
shifting.
Please go to an authorized Aud i dealer or oth­
e r qualified workshop to have the malfunction
repaired.
~ Diesel particulate filter clogged
Applies to vehicles: with diesel engine and diesel part icu­
late filter
1,1 Particulate filter See owner's manual
When the. symbo l illuminates, you can al­
ter your driving style to assist the filter self­
cleaning process. Drive for approx imately
15
minutes with the selector lever in the S pos i­
tion at a min imum speed of 37 mph (60 km/
h) and an engine speed of approx imately
2,000 RPM. The temperature increase that
w ill result from this can burn
off the soot in
the filter. The symbol wi ll switch
off when the
cleaning is successf ul. After a successful
cleaning, there is no need to bring the car to
an author ized dealer or qualified workshop
because this is part of normal vehicle opera­
tion .
If the symbo l
II does not switch off, see
your authorized dealer or other qualified
workshop to have the prob lem corrected.
F or more information on the diesel particu­
late filter, refer to¢
page 229.
A WARNING
Always adapt yo ur speed to the current
weather, road and traffic condit ions. You
should never disobey traffic laws in order
to follow driv ing recommendations.
-
Driver information display 37
~O Adapt ive light defective
Applies to vehicles: with adaptive light
ml adaptive light defective
When this symbol ml ill uminates, it means
that adaptive light is defective. Go to an au­
thorized deale rship to have the headlights or
the control unit for the adaptive light re­
paired.
~ Ignition lock malfunction
If the!! symbol in the display comes on,
there is a ma lfunction in the e lectronic igni­
tion lock. An additional driver message can be
displayed by pressing the
I CHECK! button:
Ignition lock defective
11> Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or quali­
fied workshop at your earl iest convenience
t o have the malfunction corrected .
~ Windshield wipers faulty
fl Windshield wiper defective
When this symbo1 (.j illuminates, it means
that the electronics for the windsh ield wipers
are defective. Please go to an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop to have the
winds hield wiper system repaired.

42 Openin g and clo sing
readiness light, located in the upper part of
the driver's door panel, will start to blink.
- T he vehicle interior lights turn off.
Unlocking and l ocking with Conven ience
k ey*
On vehicles which a re equipped w ith the C o n­
ve nience k ey*
authorization system, the
doors are unlocked without a key by means of
a proximity sensor in the door handle. The
doors are simi larly locked without a key using
the locking button. Each door has a proximity
sensor and a locking button .
Automatic l ock ing
The automatic locking feature locks all the ve­
hicle doors and the rear lid when you drive
faster than 9 mph (15 km/h). This function can be turned on and off in the MMI
C entr al
lo cking
Menu c:> page 44.
You can un lock the vehicle from the inside by :
- removing the key from the ign it ion sw itch
(the vehicle will automat ica lly unlock itself)
or
- pressing the unlock part of the power lock
switch @or
- pull ing the door handle (twice to open the
rear doors).
Unintent ionall y locking yourself out
In the following cases there safeguards to
prevent you locking your remote master key in
the vehicle :
- The veh icle does not lock with the power
locking sw itch
c:> page 44 if the driver's
door is open.
- On vehicles with Convenience key* , if the
most recently used master key is in the lug­
gage compartment, the rear lid is automati­
cal ly unloc ked aga in after it is closed.
Do not lock your vehicle with the
r e mot e m as ­
t e r k ey or Convenienc e key*
until all doors
and the rea r lid are closed. In t his way you
avoid locking yourse lf out accidenta lly.
A WARNING
- When you lock your vehicle from outside,
nobody- espec ially children -should re ­
main inside the vehicle . Remember,
when you lock the vehicle from the out­
side the windows cannot be opened from
the inside.
- When you leave the veh icle, always re­
move the ignition key and take it with
you . This will prevent passengers (chil­
dren, for example) from accidentally be ­
ing locked in the vehicle should they acci­
dentally press the power locking switch
in the front doors.
- Do not leave children inside the vehicle
unsupervised. In an emergency it would
be imposs ible to open the doors from
the outside without the key.
(D Tips
- In the event of a crash with airbag de­
ployment all locked doors will be auto­
matically unlocked to give access to the
vehicle occupants from the outside.
- If the power locking system sho uld mal­
function, you can lock each door individ­
ually using the vehicle key
c:> page 45 .
-If the power locking system shou ld fa il,
you can still open the fuel tank flap in an
emergency
c:> page 2 55 .
-You are well advised not to keep va lua­
bles inside an unattended vehicle, v is ible
or not. Even a properly locked vehicle
cannot p rov ide the secur ity of a safe .