2013 AUDI A7 check oil

Error messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Trailer hitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Homelink ® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 8
Universal remote control . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Safety fir st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Driving Safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Gene ral notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130
Proper occupant seating posit ions . . . 131
Driver and passenger side footwell . . . 135
Pedal area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135
Stowing luggage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Report ing Safety Defects . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Ge neral notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 40
Why safety be lts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 43
Safety bel t pre tens io ners . . . . . . . . . . 147
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 9
I mpo rtan t th ings to know . . . . . . . . . . 1 49
Fr ont airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 53
M on itoring the Advanced Airbag
System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
K nee airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Side curta in a irbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Child Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
Important things to know . . . . . . . . . . 17 5
C hi ld safety seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181
Install ing a child safety seat . . . . . . . . 186
L ATC H Lower ancho rages and tethe rs
for ch ild ren . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Addit ional Information 193
Audi pre sense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
P reven tat ive passenger p rotection 194
Vehicle operat ion . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Intelligent technology . . . . . . . . 196
N ot ice about da ta re cor ded by veh icle
control mod ules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Elec tronic Stabilization Control (ESC) . 196
Rear spoiler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Table of contents 3
El ectro -mechan ica l powe r ass ist . . . . . 201
Driving with your q uattro ® . . . . . . . . . 201
Energy management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202
Driving and environment . . . . . 20 4
The first 1,000 miles (1,500 km) and
afterwards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Catalytic converter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205
Avoid damaging the vehicle . . . . . . . . . 205
Drivi ng throug h wate r on roads . . . . . 206
Operate your vehicle economically and
min imize poll ution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206
Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
D rivi ng wit h a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209
T rai le r tow ing tips .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 211
Vehicle care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Cleaning and protection . . . . . . 213
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Care of ex terior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 213
Care of inte rior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
Fuel supply and filling your
fuel tank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
225
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Fuel tan k. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Checking and filling . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Engine hood . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Engine compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Engine o il . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
E n gine cooling system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Brake fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 240
Windsh ie ld/headlight washer
co nta iner . .. .. .. .. .. ........... . 244
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
T ires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 246
T ire pressu re mo nitor ing system 264
Do -it-yourself service . . . . . . . . . 26 7
What do I do now? . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
E mergency warn ing triangle . . . . . . . . 267
Vehicle tool kit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 269
•
•

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 13
compartment, stop the engine and let it
cool down. Always exercise extreme cau­
t ion when working under the hood
<=> page 224, Engine compartment
@ Tips
Ma lf u nctions or faults wi ll be identified ei­
ther with a red symbo l (pr iority 1 -Dan­
ger!) or with a yellow symbol (pr iority
2 -
Warn ing).
Overview
Some ind icator lights turn on briefly to check
the function of that system when you switch
the ignition on. These systems are ma rked
with a ,/ in the following tables. If one of
these indicator lights does not turn on, there
is a malfunction in that system.
Red indicator lights
Red symbols indicate a prio rity malfunction -
D anger!
- Pull off the road.
- Stop the vehicle.
-Turn off the engine.
- Check the ma lf u nctioning system . Contact
your authorized Audi dea ler or a qualified
workshop for assistance.
USA mode ls:
Brake ma lf u nction,/
c::>page 15
Canada models:
Brake malfunction,/
c::>page 15
USA models:
- Electromechanical parking brake
____ ,
D
<=> page 16
Canada models:
Electromechanical parking brake
<=>page 16
Engine cooling system
c::> page 16
Engine oil pressure
c::> page 18
Engine oil level
Q page 18
Battery
<=>page 17
Safety belt
<=>page 17
Electromechanical steering ,/
<=> page 201
Electronic steering column lock
<=>page 18
Engine start system
<=>page 18
Speed warning system
<=>page 83
Adaptive cruise control*,/
<=>page88
Air suspe nsion*
Qpage 19
Pedestrian warning*
Qpage 105
Rear spoiler
c::>page 198
Yellow indicator lights
Yellow symbo ls indicate a prior ity 2 malfunc­
tion - Wa rning!
m
l:ml
El
fl
USA models: Safety systems
<=> page 19
Canada models: Safety systems
c::> page 19
Electronic Stabilization Control
(ESC) ,/
<=>page 19
Electronic Stabilization Control
( E SC) ,/
c::> page 19

18 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
9:::r. Engine oil pressure malfunction
The re d engin e oil pr essure warning symbol
require s immediat e ser vice or repair . Driving
with a low-oil- pre ssure indicat ion is lik ely to
inflic t seve re damage to the engine .
• Switch off engine and check oil level
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears , the oil pressure is too low.
,,. Pull
off the road.
"' Stop t he ve hicl e.
,,. Turn
off the engine.
"' Check the engine oil level¢ page 235 .
• If the engi ne oil leve l is to o low, add engine
o il ¢
page 235 . Make sure that the oil p res ­
s ur e warning symbol. appea rs no longe r
i n t he d is pl ay before y ou sta rt driving again .
• If the engi ne oil leve l is c orre ct and t he ind i­
cat or lig ht still t urn s on, tur n t he eng ine
off
and do not conti nue d riving . Seek p ro fessio ­
nal assistance .
(D Tips
- The engine oil pressure symbol. is
not an indicator 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 level warning indication
II requires oil refill or workshop serv ­
ice without delay . Do not wait until the
red oil pressure warning. starts to
flash before you respond to the low oil level warning
11-By then, your engine
may already have suffered serious dam­
age.
~ . Engine oil level
• WARNING: Please add oil immediately
When the sy mbo l and t he dr ive r message a p­
pear, the oil has to be reple nis he d rig ht no w
¢page 232.
If t he in dicator light and the message appear,
a dd engine oil imme diate ly
¢ page 235 .
II Add oil, max. x qt (l). You may continue
driving
W hen the sy mb ol an d the d river message a p­
pear, add the amoun t of oil appe aring in the
display at the nex t op port unity ¢
page 232.
® -e Steering column lock
• Do not drive veh icle: Steering defective
If t he indic ato r ligh t turns on an d the mes ­
sage a ppears, there is an e lec tronic stee ring
co lumn lock malfunct io n. You cannot switc h
t h e i gnit io n on.
Do
not tow yo ur vehicle becau se it c annot b e
stee red. See k professiona l assistance .
!Ill Steering lock: system fault. Please con­
tact dealer
If th e indicato r light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is an e lectronic steering
co lu mn l ock malfunct io n.
Drive to y our auth orized A udi dealer immedi­
ately to hav e th e malfunction corr ecte d.
A WARNING
-~
Yo ur v ehicl e m ust no t be tow ed in t he
event of a malfu nction in the elec tronic
stee ring colum n lock be cau se it ca nno t be
s teere d due to th e l ock ed steeri ng. If it is
towe d wit h the s teeri ng locke d, there is
the r isk o f an accide nt.
© -e Engine start system
• Engine start system fault . Please con­
tact dealer
If the indica to r ligh t turns on and the mes­
sage appears, do
not switch the ig nition off
because you may not be a ble to sw itch it on
again.
Dr ive to your au thor ized A udi dea ler immed i­
ate ly to have the ma lfunction corrected.
Ill Engine start system fault . Please con­
tact dealer

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 21
(0 ) Worn brake pads
rl] Brak e pad s!
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
rl]
comes on togethe r with the warn ing light
.. . Both sets of b rake pads on an axle
must always be replaced at the same time .
~ WARNING
Driving with bad brakes can cause a coll i­
sion and serious personal injury.
- If the warning light rl] and the wa rning
light ..
1> with the message Bra ke
pads !
comes on in the instrument cluster
display, immediately contact your au­
thorized Aud i dea ler or qualified work­
shop to have all brake pads checked or
replaced if necessary .
EPC Electronic power control
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic power control .
The Im warning/ indicator light (Electron ic
Power Control) illuminates when you switch
the ignition on as a function check .
(!) Tips
If this wa rning/indicator light ill uminates
while you are dr iving, then there is a mal­
function in the engine electron ics . Have
the malfunction co rrected as soon as pos­
sible by you r autho rized Aud i dea le r or
qua lified repair fa cility.
o Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfunc tion Ind icator Lamp (M IL) is par t
of the On -Boa rd Diagnostic (OB D II) system.
The symbol ¢• tights up when the ignition is
switched on and w ill tur n off after the engine
has started and has sett led at a constant id le
1 ) - : USA mod els on ly
-
speed. This indicates that the M IL is work ing
properly .
T he wa rni ng lig ht ill uminates w hen the re is a
malfu nction in t he engine electron ic system .
Contact your a uth orized Audi dea ler and have
the malfunction corrected .
An imprope rly closed fuel fille r cap may a lso
ca use the M IL light to illuminate~
page 2 2 7 .
Fo r more information ~ page 29.
!?) Engine speed limitation
App lies to vehicles: wit h eng ine speed limitat ion
(I! Engine sp ee d maximum XXXX RPM
The eng ine speed is automatically limited to
the speed d isplayed in the driver information
system. Th is protects the engine from over­
heating.
The eng ine speed limitation deactivates once
the engine is no longer in the critical tempera­
tu re range and you have re leased the accelera­
tor pedal once.
If the engine speed limitation was activated
by an engine control malfunction, the indica­
tor light
Im a lso tu rns on. Make sure that the
speed does not go above the speed disp layed.
Drive to your authori zed A udi dealer immedi ­
ate ly to have the ma lfunction corrected.
~. Engine oil level
II Add oil, max. x qt (l). You may continue
dri ving
When the symbol II and driver message ap­
pear, add the amount of oil appearing in the
display at the next opportunity ~
page 235.
~tt• Engine oil sensor
Ill Oil level! Sensor defective
If the symbol illumina tes, contact yo ur au ­
thorized Audi dea ler and have the oil sensor
inspected. Until yo u have this done, check the .,..

22 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
oil leve l each time you re fuel just to be on the
safe side¢
page 235.
Bi) Fuel level indicator
II Please refuel
If the indicator light turns on fo r th e f irst
time and the message a ppears, there are
about 2 .6 gallons (10 liters) of f ue l left in the
tank . Time to refuel¢
page 226.
(I Tank sy stem malfunction! Contact dealer
If t he indicator light tu rns on and th is mes­
sage a ppears, t he re is a ma lfu nc tion in the
ta nk syste m.
D rive to yo ur autho rized Aud i deale r immedi­
ately to have the malfunction cor recte d.
<;;:> Windshield washer fluid level
-· Please refill wa sher fluid
If the symbol illum inates, add windshield
washer fluid to the washer system/headlight
washer system *¢
page 244.
~ Windshield wipers
t•5 Wind shield wiper defective
Th ere is a malfunct io n w ith the w indshield
wipers .
Drive to yo ur autho rized Aud i deale r immedi­
ately to have the malfunc tion cor rected .
i§il0$ Defective light bulb warning
ra'J -If the ind icator light turns on, a b ulb has
fa iled. The message indica tes the loca tion o f
the bulb .
II-if a rea r fog lam p has fa iled, the ind icator
light t urns on to indica te the locat ion on t he
ve hicl e.
Vehicle lights: malfunct ion
If the message appears, there is a mal func ­
ti on in the headlights or lig ht switch . D
rive to your authori zed A udi dealer immedi ­
ate ly to have the ma lfu nction corrected.
A WARNING
-- Light bu lbs a re p ress urized and could ex-
p lode w hile they are being changed ca us­
ing serio us pe rsonal i njury.
- Wo rk with due care when hand ling the
h igh-vo ltage sect io n o f gas discharge
(xenon) lights. Failure to d o so could re ­
sult in death or ser ious injury .
(D Tips
Have the b ulb re placed or the connect ion
r epaire d by y our authorized Audi Service
department .
§.0 Headlight range control
IS Headlight range cont rol : defective!
If the symbol illum inates, the headlig ht range
control is no longer work ing properly. Have
the system checked and repaired at you r A udi
deal er.
§: D Adaptive Light
Applies to veh icles: w it h Adapt ive Light
l;J Audi adaptive light: system fault
If the indicator light turns on and this mes­
sage appears , there is a malfunct ion in the
adaptive ligh t syst em. The head lights s till
f unct ion.
Go to an author ized dealersh ip to have the
headlights o r th e control un it for the Adaptiv e
Li ght re paired .
@) Light/rain sensor
II Automatic headlights /automatic wipers :
system fault
If the indicato r ligh t turns on and this mes­
sag e appea rs, the light/ rain senso r is not
f unc tioni ng co rrec tly.
For safety reasons the low beams are t urned
o n pe rmanently with the sw itch in
AUTO . II>-

28 Instr uments and warning/indicator lights
Service interval display
The service interval display reminds you when
your next service is due .
Fig. 13 Instrument cluster: Service interva l d isplay
The schedule for the next oil change o r inspec­
tion is calculated automatically and displayed
according ly . The display works in two stages:
Service reminder
30 days before the next service is due, a serv­
ice reminder appears in the display when you
switch the ignition o n
c::> fig. 13.
After about 5 seconds the display sw itches
back to normal. The distance and time re­
maining are updated each time the ignition is
switched on until the date due for service is
reached.
Service due
When the due date for service is reached, the
message
Service due! appears in the instru­
ment cluster immediately after you switch the
ignition on. Additionally, a warn ing tone
sounds. After about 5 seconds the display
switches back to normal.
Calling up the service schedules
If or when an oil change or inspect ion is due,
can be shown in the MMI display by select ing
the service interva l disp lay in the car menu .
Select the
!CAR ! function button> (Car)* sys­
tems
control button > Servicing & checks >
Service interval displays. In new vehicles, the
schedule can only be called up after approxi­ mately S00 km.
Resetting the service interval display
Your authorized Audi dea ler will reset the cor­
responding service schedule after performing
the appropriate service on your vehicle. You
also have the possibility to reset the oil
change schedule after having performed an
oil change according to Audi specifications.
Select the
ICAR I function button> (Car)* sys­
tems
control button > Servicing & checks >
Service Intervals> Reset oil change interval.
(D Note
If you disconnect the battery term inals, no
calculations can be made for the service
i nterval display during th is time and no
serv ice reminder will appear. Remember
that observing the proper service in tervals
i s vitally important to extending the life of
your vehicle, particularly the engine, and maintain ing its value. Even if the mileage
driven is low, the maximum period of one
year from one service to the next must not
be exceeded.
(D Tips
-Do not reset the display between oil
changes, otherwise the display w ill be in ­
correct.
- The information in the Service Reminder
remains stored even when the vehicle
battery is disconnected.

Manual mod e
-Manua l dep loyment: Tapping b riefly on the
switch
¢ fig. 182 dep loys the rear spoiler.
- Manua l retraction: A t speeds up to abo ut
10 mph (20 km/h) , ret ract the rear spoiler
by pressing and holding the switch
¢ fig. 182 . At speeds between 10 mph (20
km/h) and 80 mph (130 km/h), retract the
rear spoiler by tapping on the switch
¢ fig . 182.
In dicat or light s
rJ /. R ea r spoiler: system m alfun ct io n!
The rear spoiler may not have extended due to
a ma lf u nction. This could change the vehicle 's
driving characteristics at high speeds . Do not
exceed 85 mph (140 km/h). Drive to your au­
thorized Audi dealer immed iate ly to have the
malfunction corrected. The co lor of the indica­
tor light depends on the vehicle speed.
A WARNING
Dr iv ing at higher speeds w ithout the rear
spoiler dep loyed can impair handling char ­
acteristics, making the veh icle harde r to
cont ro l.
- Always make sure that the spoiler is de­
ployed when driving at speeds over
85 mph (140 km/h). If the rear spoiler
warning/ind icator light in the i nstr u­
ment cluster comes on, the rear spoiler
may not have dep loyed .
- Never drive at speeds higher than
85 mph (140 km/h) if the spoiler is not
deployed. Have the spoiler inspected as
soon as possible by an authorized A udi
dealer or qualif ied workshop.
- Always obey speed limits and other traf­
fic laws.
A WARNING
Improper operation of the rear spoiler can
cause crushing injuries.
- Always make sure that nobody, especially
children, is in the way when the rear
spoiler is deployed or retracted.
Int ellig ent technolog y 199
@ Note
-Never push the vehicle or apply force to
the rear spoiler -it could be damaged.
- Only operate the rear spoiler manua lly
when the rear lid is closed . Otherwise,
damage cou ld occur.
(D Tips
C lean the spoiler compa rtment every 2 to
3 months. The spoiler compartment must
a lways be free of ice, snow, leaves or other
debris .
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Operating condition s and dri ving h abit s
The brakes on today's automobiles are still
subject to wear, depending largely on operat­
ing condit ions and driving habits ¢.&, . On
vehicles that are either driven mostly in stop­
and-go c ity traff ic or are dr iven hard, the
brake pads should be checked by your author­
ized Audi dea ler more often th an specified in
the
Warran ty & Maintenan ce boo kle t. Failure
to have you r brake pads inspected can result
in reduced brake performance .
On steep slopes, you sho uld use the braking
effect o f the engine . This way, you prevent un ­
necessary wear on the b rake system. If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the brakes
down cont inuous ly. Pump the brakes at inter­
vals.
Mo istur e or road salt
U nder certain conditions , for example, when
driving through water or very heavy rain , or
even after washing your vehicle, the braking
effect can be reduced due to moisture (or in
free zing cond itions ice) on the brake pads. A
few carefu l brake applications should dry off
the brake pads or remove any ice coatings .
When you are driving at higher speeds with
the windshield w ipers on, the brake pads will
Ill-
•
•

200 Intellig ent technol ogy
briefly touch the brake d iscs in regular inter ­
va ls so as to improve reaction time when brak­
ing on wet surfaces. You the driver wi ll not no­
tice anything.
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is driven on a salt-covered road and the brakes are not used . Here too,
you should clean off accumu lated salt coating
from brake discs and pads with a few careful
applicat ions of the brake¢,& .
Co rrosion
There may be a tendency for dirt to bui ld up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not dr iven regularly or
only for short trips with little use of the
brakes .
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if cor­ rosion has formed on the discs, it is advisable
to clean off the pads and discs by braking
firmly a few times from a moderately high
speed <=>,& .
Fa ul ts in th e brak e sys te m
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake pedal travel, then one of the two brake
circu its may have failed¢,& .
Low b rak e flu id l evel
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fl uid level is too low. The brake fluid
level is monitored electronically .
Brake booster
The brake booster wor ks w ith vacuum pres ­
sure which is created only when the engine is running
c> ,& .
Brake lining wear st atu s
Brake lining wea r may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the whee l. If neces­
sary, the wheel may be removed for this in ­
spection ¢ page 269, Changing a wheel .
_& WARNING
-You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road conditions permit .
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may ca use an accident!
- Before descend ing a steep grade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gear o r lower dr iving range. Do not ride
the br akes or ho ld the pedal down too
long o r too often . T his could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency .
- Do not "ride the brakes" by resting your foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake. This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance.
- Under certain climatic and operat ing
conditions such as passing through wa­
ter, dr iving in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced . In winte r, ice can
accumu late on the bra ke pads, lin ings,
d iscs and drums. Carefully app ly bra kes
for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coa t­
ings wi ll be cleaned off after a few care­
fu l brake applicat ions.
- Driving for an extended period of t ime on
salt -covered roads without using your
brakes can a lso affect braking efficiency .
Clean off accum ulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the a ir
f low to the front brakes is not obstruct­
ed. Otherwise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effective ness of
the entire brake system.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impa ir
the braking capab ility result ing in an in­
creased stopping distance . Avoid driving
the vehicle and have it towed to the near­
est A udi dealer or qualified workshop .
- Never let the vehi cle roll to a s top with
the eng ine shut off.