2012 AUDI S7 oil temperature

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 11
- Never open the engine hood if you see or
hear steam, or if you see engine coolant
dr ipping from the engine compartment.
You could burn yourself . Let the engine
cool off first so that you cannot hear or
see any steam or engine coolant.
Q) Note
- Mount ing additional lights or accessories
i n front of the a ir inlets reduces the cool­
i ng effect of the rad iator . At h igh outside
temperatures or high eng ine load, the
engine could overheat.
- The front spo ile r has been designed to
proper ly distrib ute the cooling air wh en
t h e veh icle i s moving.
If the spoiler is
damaged, this cou ld red uce the cooling
effect and the engine co uld then over ­
heat . Ask yo ur authorized Audi dea ler fo r
ass istance.
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicates the engine RPM
(revolutions per minutes).
If engine R PM drops be low 1 ,500, you should
downshift to the next lower gea r. T he red area
at the end of the sca le indicates maximum
pe rmissib le engine RPM after the break- in pe­
riod. Before reach ing this area, move these­
lector lever to position "D/S (Drive)" or ease
your foot off the accelerator peda l.
(D Note
The tachometer needle should only br iefly
be in the red zone: you cou ld damage your
eng ine! The beginn ing of the red zone var­
ies depending on the e ng ine.
@ For the sake of the environment
Upshift ing early saves fuel and reduces en­
g ine noise.
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge only wo rks when the ignition is
on .
If the fuel level drops below 2.6 gallons (10 liters), the bottom LED turns red and the
indicator
light~ turns on ¢
page 20. The
bottom LED blinks red when the fue l level is
very low.
T he possible range based on the current f uel
level is shown in tab@¢
page 22, fig . 4 .
(D Note
Neve r run the tan k comp letely dry. An ir­
r egular supp ly o f fu el can cause engine
misfiring and fuel could enter the exha ust
system . The cata lytic converter could then
overheat and be damaged.
Warning/indicator Lights
Description
The ind icator lights in the instrument cluster
blink or turn on. They indicate funct ions or
malfunctions
q ,& .
Messages may appear with some indicato r
lights. A warning signal will sound at the
same time. The indicator lights and messages
in the center of the displays may be rep laced
by other d isplays . To show them again, select
the tab for ind icator lights and messages us­
ing the multifunction steering whee l
¢
page 22. I f there are several malfunc­
tions, you can display them one at a time us­
ing the thumbwheel.
Some indicators lights in the d isplay can tu rn
o n in seve ra l c olors.
&_ WARNING
- F ailure to heed warning l igh ts an d other
important vehicle in formation may resu lt
in serious personal inj ury or vehicle dam­
age .
- Whenever stalled or stoppe d for repair,
move the vehicle a safe d istance off the
road, stop the engine, and turn on the
emergency flasher
q page 42.
- The engine compartment of any motor
veh icle is a potentially hazardous area.
Before you check anything in the engine

72 On the road
By pressing the I STAR T ENGINE S TOP I button
without depressing the brake peda l, the igni­
tion is on and switched
off by pressing it
again .
After a cold engine is started, the re may be a
brief period of increased noise because oil
pressure must first bu ild up in the hydraulic
va lve adjusters. This is normal and not a cause
f or concern.
If the engine should not start immediately,
the starting process is automatically stopped
after a short time . Repeat starting procedure.
Driver m essag e in th e in strum ent clu ster
d is pl ay
P re ss brake pedal to sta rt engi ne
This message appears if you press the
I START ENGINE STOP ! button to start the en­
gine and do not depress the brake peda l. The
engine can on ly be started if the brake pedal
is depressed.
B C o nve nience ke y: Is ke y not in th e vehi­
cle?
This message appears a long with the B sym­
bol i f the master key is removed from the ve­
hicle with the engine r unning . It is intended
to remind you (e .g . when changing drivers)
not to continue the journey without the mas­
te r key .
If the master key is no longer in the vehicle,
you cannot switch on the ignit ion after stop­
ping the engine and yo u also cannot start the
engine again. Moreover, you cannot lock the
vehicle from the outs ide with the key.
S hift to P , o ther wise v ehicl e can roll away.
Doors do not lock if le ver i s not i n P.
This message appears for sa fe ty reasons
a long w ith an audib le warning tone if the
P
selector lever posit ion is not engaged when
stopping the eng ine with the
I STAR T ENGINE S TOP ! button. Select the P se­
lector lever posit ion. Otherwise the veh icle
could roll and it cannot be locked .
Key not recogni sed . H old bac k of ke y against
ma rked are a. See o wner' s manual.
If the indicator l ight turns on and this mes­
sage appears, there is a malf unct ion
¢ page 73.
Steering lock
The steering locks when you turn the eng ine
off using the I STAR T ENGINE S TOP I butto n
and open t he driver's doo r. T he loc ked s teer­
i ng helps prevent vehicle theft.
& WARNING ~
- Never a llow the engine to run in confined
spaces -danger of asphyx iat ion .
- Never turn
off the engine until the vehi­
cle has come to a complete stop .
- The brake booster and powe r steering
only work when the engine is running . If
the engine is
off, you have to use more
force when steering or brak ing . Because
you cannot steer and brake as you usual­ ly would, th is cou ld lead to crashes and
serious injuries .
(Q) Note
-Avo id h igh engine rpm, full thrott le and
heavy eng ine loads until the eng ine has
reached operating temperature -other­
wise you risk engine damage .
- The engine cannot be started by pushing
or towing the vehicle.
- If the eng ine has been under heavy load
for an extended per iod, heat builds up in
the engine compartment after the en ­
gine is switched
off -there is a risk of
damaging th e engine. Allow the engine
to run at idle for about 2 minutes before
switching it
off .
@ Tips
-If you open the driver's doo r with the ig­
nition on, a buzzer sou nds and the mes­
sage
Ignition i s on appears in the instru­
ment cl uste r display . Sw itch the ignition
off . ll-

220 Checking and filling
temperatures stay below freezing point for long periods.
Detergent additives in the oil w il l make fresh
oil look dark after the eng ine has been run­
ning for a short time . This is norma l and is not
a reason to change the oi l more often than
recommended.
Damage or malfun ctions due to lack of
maintenance
It
is essential that you change your oil at the
recommended intervals using only engine o il
that complies with Audi oi l standard
VW 502 00. Your Limited New Vehicle War­
ranty does not cover damage or malfunctions
due to fail ure to fo llow recommended mainte­
nance and use requ irements as set forth in
the Audi Owner's Manual and Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet . Your dealer will have to
deny warranty coverage unless you present to
the dea ler proof in the form of Service or Re­
pa ir Orders that all scheduled ma intenance
was performed in a timely manner.
Eng ine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an ade­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool all
of its moving parts.
In order to provide effective lubrication and
cool ing of internal engine components, all in­
ternal combustion eng ines consume a certain
amount of oil. Oil consumption varies from
engine to engine and may change significantly
over the life of the engine. Typically, engines
with a specif ied break-in period (see
¢
page 192) consume more oil during the
break-in period than they consume after oil
consumption has stabilized.
Under norma l conditions, the rate of oil con­
sumption depends on the quality and viscosity
of the oil, the RPM (revolutions per minute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient
temperature and road condit ions . Further fac­
tors are the amount of oil d ilution from water
condensat ion or fuel residue and the oxida­
tion level of the oil. As any engine is subject to wear as mi
leage builds up, the oil consump­
tion may increase over time until replacement
of worn components may become necessary.
With all these variables coming into play, no
standard rate of oil consumption can be es­
tablished or specified. There is no alternative
to regu lar and frequent checking of the o il lev ­
el, see
Note .
If
the yellow engine oil leve l warning symbo l
in the instrument cluster
II! lights up, you
shou ld check the oil leve l as soon as possible
¢
page 221. Top off the oil at your earliest
convenience ¢
page 221.
A WARNING '"---
Before you check anythi ng in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS¢
A in Working in the engine
compartment on page 216.
(D Note
Driving with an insufficient o il level is like­
ly to cause severe damage to the engine.
(D Tips
-The oil pressure warning display. is
not an indicator of the oil level. Do not
rely on it. Instead, check the oil level in
your engine at regular intervals, pref­
erably each time you refuel, and always
before going on a long trip.
- If you have th e impression your engine
consumes excessive amoun ts of oil, we
recommend that you consult your Audi
dealer to have the cause of your concern
properly diagnosed. Keep in mind that
the accurate meas urement of oil con­
sumption requ ires great care and may
take some t ime. Your Audi dealer has in­
structions about how to measure oil con­
sumption accurately.
-

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 .
The cooling system is sealed and generally re­
quires little attention .
The cooling system has been filled at the fac­
tory with a permanent coolant which does not
need to be changed. The coolant consists of a
mixture of water and the manufacturer's gly ­
col-based coolant additive G12++ antifreeze
with anticorrosion additives (50% for USA
models; 60% for Canadian models). This mix­
ture both assures the necessary frost protec­
tion and protects metal components in the
engine's cooling system from corrosion and
scaling. It also raises the boiling point of the
coolant.
Do not reduce the concentration of the cool­
ant in the summer by adding plain water.
The
proportion of coolant additive must be at
least 50% but not more than 60%
to main­
tain antifree ze protection and cooling efficien­
cy. If the coolant frost protection is too low,
the coolant could freeze and damage the vehi ­
cle heating and engine cooling system.
For year-round driving, antifreeze is added at
the factory for temperatures down to:
- -31 °F ( -3 5 °C) USA
- -40 °F ( - 40 °C) Canada.
You can mix the G12 ++ coolant additive with
other additives (G12+ or G12). Always check
with your authorized Audi dealer.
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
~ .&. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 216.
(D Note
- Before winter sets in, have the coolant
checked to see if the coolant additive in
Checking and filling 223
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 cold. If necessary, in­
crease the proportion of coolant additive
to 60% .
- When adding coolant additive to your
cooling system, remember :
- We recommend using only coolant ad­
ditive G12++ (check the label) for your
vehicle. This coolant additive is availa­
ble at authorized Audi dealers. Other
types of antifreeze can significantly re­
duce corrosion protection. The result­
ing corrosion can cause a loss of cool­
ant and serious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiator leak seal­
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant.
Adding radiator repair fluid may adverse­
ly affect the function and performance of
your cooling system and could result in
damage not covered by your New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance.
M AX f
MINf
Fig. 172 Engine compar tment: markings on the coo l­
an t expa nsion tank
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS ¢.&, in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 216 .
"' Park your vehicle on a level surface .
"' Switch off the ignition.
"' Read the engine coolant level from the
coolant expansion tank~
fig. 172. With a

242 Tires and wheels
& WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of con­
trol, a crash and serious personal injury!
- Never drive a vehicle when the tread on
any tire is worn down to the wear indica­
tors.
- Worn tires are a safety hazard, they do
not grip well on wet roads and increase
your risk of "hydroplaning" and loss of control.
- Always keep chemicals that can cause tire damage, such as grease, oil, gasoline
and brake fluid away from tires.
- Tires age even if they are not be ing used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then with special care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mount used tires on your vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in .
Fig. 180 Tir e specificat ion codes on the s idewall of a
t ire
No. Description
(!) Passenger car tire (where applicable)
@ Nominal width of t ire in millimeters
@ Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
© Rad ial
® Rim diameter code
@ L oad index and speed rating
(J) U.S. DOT tire identification number
@ Audi Original tire
@ Sever snow conditions
@ T ire ply composition and materials
used
Maximum load rating
Treadwear, traction and temperature
grades
Maximum permissible inflation pres­
sure
T he tires and rims are essential parts of the
vehicle 's design . The tires and rims approved
by Audi are spec ially matched to the charac­
teristics of the vehicle and can make a major .,..

Consumer Information
Warranty coverages
Your Audi is covered by the following war­
ranties :
- New Vehicle Limited Warranty
- Limited Warranty Against Corrosion Perfo-
ration
- Emissions Control System Warranty
- Emissions Performance Warranty
- California Emissions Control Warranty (USA
vehicles only)
- California Emissions Performance Warranty
(USA vehicles only)
Detailed information regarding yo ur warran ­
ties can be found in your
Warranty & Mainte­
nance booklet .
Operating your vehicle
outside the U.S.A. or
Canada
Government regulations in the United States
and Canada require that automobiles meet
specific emission regulations and safety
standards. Therefore, veh icles built for the
U.S.A. and Canada differ from vehicles sold in
other countries .
I f you p lan to take your vehicle outside the
continental limits of the United States or Can­
ada, there is the possibility that
- unleaded fuels for vehicles with cata lytic
converter may not be available;
- fuel may have a considerably lower octane
rating . Improper fuel may cause engine
damage;
- service may be inadequate due to lack of
proper service facilities, tools or testing
equipment;
- replacement parts may not be readily availa­
ble.
- Navigation systems for vehicles built for the
U.S.A. and Canada will not necessari ly work
in Europe, and may not work in other coun­
tries outside North America .
Consumer Information 273
@ Note
Audi cannot be responsible for mechanical
damage that could result from inadequate
fuel, serv ice or parts availab ility.
Audi Service Repair
Manuals and Literature
Audi Offic ial Factory Service Manuals and Lit ­
erature are published as soon as possible after
model introduct ion. Service manuals and lit­
erat ure are available to order from the Audi
T echnical Literature Ordering Center at:
www.audi.techliterature.com
Maintenance
' General
Your vehicle has been designed to help keep
maintenance requirements to a m inimum.
However, a certain amount of regular mainte­
nance is still necessary to assure your vehicle's
safety, economy and reliability . For detailed
vehicle maintenance consult your Warranty &
Maintenance booklet.
Under difficult operating conditions , for ex­
ample at extremely low outside temperatures,
in very dusty regions, when towing a trailer
very frequently, etc., some serv ice work
shou ld be pe rformed between the intervals
specified. This applies particularly to:
- oil changes, and
- cleaning or replacing the air filter.
® For the sake of the environment
By regularly maintaining your veh icle, you
help make sure that emission standards
are maintained, thus min imiz ing adverse
effects on the environment .
Important considerations for you and
your vehicle
The increasing use of electronics, sophistica t­
ed fuel injection and emission contro l sys-
tems, and the genera lly increasing technica l ..,_
•
•

Defrosting (windows)
automatic climate control ... ... .. .. .. 68
climate control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Determining correct load limit ... .. .. . 239
Dimensions .... .. .. .... ... .. .... .. . 271
Dimming the rearview mirror . ... .. .. .. 48
Distance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Door/rear lid warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Doors Power child safety lock ....... ... .. .. 37
Driver information system CD/radio display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Door/rear lid warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Efficiency program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Exterior temperature display ... .. .. .. 22
On-board computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Driver seating position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119
drive select .. .. ........... .. .. .. .... 96
Adaptive dampers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Cornering light .............. ... ... . 96
Safety belt tensioner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Driving safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Driving through water ........ .. .. .. . 194
Driving time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Duplicate key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Dust filter
refer to Pollutant filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
E
Easy entry feature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Efficiency program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Fuel economy messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Other equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Electrical accessories (sockets) . . . . . . . . . 55
Electro-mechanical power assist .. . ... . 189
Electromechanical parking brake Emergency braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Operation .. ... .. .. ...... .. .. .. .. .. 74
Parking .. ............ ...... .... ... 75
Releasing and closing ........ .... ... 74
Starting assist ........... .... .. .. .. 75
Starting from rest ........ .. .. .. .. .. 75
Starting off with a trai ler ............. 75
Warning/indicator lights ......... .. .. 15
Electronic differential lock (EDL) .. ... .. 184
Warn ing/ indicator lights ..... .. .. .. .. 18
Index 281
Electronic immobilizer . . . . . . . . . . . . 25, 30
Electronic power control (EPC) warning/indicator light ............. . 19
Electronic speed limiter .......... .... . 28
E lectronic stabilization program (ESP) .. 184
Warning/indicator lights ............. 18
Emergency actuation Doors ...... .. .. ................. . 35
Power sunroof . .. .... ........... .. . 40
Rear lid ........................... 37
Emergency brak ing ... . .. .. .. .... .... . 76
Emergency flasher ... .............. .. 42
Warning/indicator lights ........ .. .. . 21
Emergency release Selector lever ...... ............... 107
Emergency starting .. .............. . 264
Emergency towing . ................. 266
Emergency warning triangle ...... .. .. 252
Energy management . ............... 190
Engine Compartment . ..... ............... 218
Coolant ... .. .. .. ............... .. 223
Data ..... .. .. .. ................. 272
starting . .. .. .. .... .. .. ...... ...... 71
Starting with jumper cables ........ . 264
Stopping ........ .. ................ 73
Engine compartment ................ 218 Closing the hood . .. ........... .... 217
Opening the hood .... ...... ..... .. 216
Safety instructions .. .............. . 216
Working in the engine compartment .. 216
Engine coolant .. .. ................. 223
Adding coolant . ...... ............. 224
Checking the engine coolant level . .. .. 223
Expansion tank .... ............... . 223
Malfunction symbol ... .. ...... .... .. 15
Radiator fan . .. .. ................. 225
Temperature gauge ............ .... . 10
Engine oil .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. ..... ... .. 218
Adding ......... .. ............... 221
Additives .. .. .. .. .. . .. .... ........ 221
Changi ng ... .. ...... ........... .. 222
Checking the engine oil level ..... .... 221
Ind ications and conditions requiring ex-
tra checking ..... .. ............... 221
Indicator light ..... .............. .. 17
Oil consumption .. .. .............. . 220
•
•

28 2 Index
Oil grades . ...... ..... ... .. .. .... . 218
Oil level symbol ....... ... .. .. .... .. 20
Pressure malfunction . .... ... .. .... . . 1 6
Recommended oil check intervals ..... 221
Sensor defective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Specification and viscos ity ... ... .. ... 218
Engine speed limitation ... .. .. .. .... . . 20
E ng ine start system (indicator lights) .... 17
Environment Break- in period ........... .. .. .... . 192
Catalytic converter ................. 193
D isposing of your vehicle battery ..... 230
D riving at high speeds ..... .. .. .. .. . 195
D riving to m inim ize pollution and no ise 194
F uel ... ...... ............. ...... . 213
F uel economy .. . ...... ... .. .. .... . 194
L eaks under your veh icle ... .. .. .. .. . 2 16
L etting the vehicle stand and warm up . 195
Proper disposal of dra ined brake fluid . 226
Proper disposal of dra ined engine coo l-
ant . .. .. .... ........ ...... ... .. . 224
Proper disposal of dra ined engine
oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 1, 222
Recycl ing used engine oil ... .. .. .. .. . 22 1
Un leaded fuel ............ .. .. .. .. . 211
What should I do wi th an old ba ttery? . 230
ESP (Electronic stabilization program) Warn ing/ indicato r lights . ....... ..... 18
Event Data Recorder ( EDR) ..... .. .... . 184
E xha ust tail p ipes .......... .. .. ..... 206
Expansion tank ............. .... .... 223
Exterior lighting . .. ..... ... .. .. .... .. 41
E xterio r m irrors
Ad just ing ............... .. .. .. .. .. 47
Di mm ing . ... ............ .. .. .. .. .. 48
H eating ..... .. .. ..... ... .. .. .... .. 47
E xte rio r temperatu re d isplay ... .. .. .. . . 22
F
Fastening
Booster seats ............... ... ... 172
Conve rtible c hild safety seats ... .. .. . 170
I nfant seats ... .......... .. .. .. .. . 169
Fastening eyes . ........... .. .. .... .. 62
Fl oor mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Foot pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123 F
or the sake of the environment
Gasoline fumes and the environment . . 213
Red ucing engine noise by early upshift-
ing ... .... .... .. .................. 10
Refueling . ................... .... 213
Sav ing fuel by early ups hifting ...... .. 10
Fo ur-zone automatic climate control ... . 67
Front a irbags
Descrip tion ................... .... 141
How they work ................ .. .. 14 7
Frontal collis ions and the laws of phys ics 129
F ront seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Adjusting . ....................... 120
Child restraints in the front seat .. .... 139
F uel
Additives . ..... .. ... .. ..... .... . .. 211
B lended gaso line ... ... ..... ... .. .. 211
C urrent consumption ............... . 23
Economy messages (effic iency program) 24
Fuel filler flap emergency release . .... 214
Fuel filler neck . .. ................ . 212
Fuel gauge .. .. .. ... .. .. ... ..... .. . 11
Gasoli ne .. .. .. .. .. .... .... .... ... 211
Gasoli ne add it ives ............... .. 212
Low fue l level symbol .......... .. .. . 20
Octane rat ing .... .. .... .... ... .. .. 211
Recommendation .... .. ..... .... . .. 211
Ref uel ling ..... .. .. ... ..... ... .. .. 213
Reserve ... ...... ................. . 11
Tank capac ity ................. 11,272
F uses
Assignment ..... .. ... ..... ... .. .. 260
Replacing ..... .. ... .. ..... .... . .. 260
G
Garage door opener (HomeLink ®) . ... .. 115
Garment hooks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Gas discharge lamps ............. .... 263
Ga uges
E ngine coo lan t temperature . . . . . . . . . . 10
Fuel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Speedometer .... .. .... .... ... .. .. . 25
Tachometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Tr ip odometer .................. .. . 25
Genera l illustr ation ... .......... .. .. .. 8
Generator (warning/indicator lights) .... 16
G lossary of tire and loading terminology 232