2013 AUDI A7 coolant

Engine cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro ­
te cts the engine from freezing in the winter .
The cooling system is sealed and generally re­
qu ires 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 G13 ant ifreeze
w ith anticorrosion add itives (50% fo r USA
models; 60% for Canad ian models). This mix­
ture bot h assu res the ne cessary frost protec­
tion and protects metal components in the
engine's coo ling system from corrosion and
scaling. It also raises the boili ng po int of t he
coolant.
D o not red uce the concentration o f the coo l­
ant in the summer by adding plain water .
The
proportion of coolant addit ive must be at
least 50% but not mo re than 60 %
to main­
tain antifree ze protection and cooling efficien­
cy. If the coolant frost protection is too low,
the coolant cou ld freeze and damage the veh i­
cle heating and eng ine cooling system .
For year-round driving, antifree ze is added at
the factory for temperatures down to:
- -3 1°F (-35°C)USA
- -40 ° F ( - 4 0 °C) Canada.
A WARNING
Before yo u check anything in the engine
compartment , always read and heed a ll
WARNINGS
¢ & in Working in the engine
compartment on page 230.
(D Note
- Befo re winter sets i n, have the coolant
chec ked to see i f th e coo lant ad dit ive i n
you r vehicle is suffic ient to meet the cli­
mate cond itions . T hi s is especially impor­
ta nt if yo u live in a regi on whe re the w in-
-
Checkin g and fillin g 237
ter is ex treme ly co ld. If necessary, i n­
crease t he p ro po rtion of coo lant additive
to 60%.
- W hen a dding coolant additive to yo ur
cooling system , remembe r:
- We recommend us ing on ly coo la nt ad­
di tive G 12++ or G 13 (check the labe l)
fo r you r ve hicl e. This coolant additive is
a v ailabl e at author ized Aud i de alers.
Ot he r ty pes of antifree ze can signifi­
cantly reduce corros ion p rotec tion. The
r es ulting co rrosion can cause a loss of
coolant and serio us engine damage .
- Do not add any ty pe of rad iator leak seal ­
ant to you r vehicle's engine coo lant .
Add ing radiator repair flu id may adverse ­
ly affect t he fu nction and performance of
your cooling system and cou ld result in
damage not covered by yo ur New Ve hicle
L imited Warranty .
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance.
Fig. 19 2 Engine co mpart ment: cover on t he coo la nt
expansio n ta nk
Before you check a nyth ing in the eng ine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS <=>&.
in Working in the engine compart ­
ment on page 230 .
.,. Park yo ur vehicle on a level surface .
.,. Switch off the ignition .
.,. Read the e ngine coolant level from the
coo la nt expansion tan k<=>
fig . 192,
¢ fig. 189 . With a cold engine, the coolant
level s hou ld be be tween the "m in" and
" max" mar kings. Whe n the engi ne is w arm,
Ill>-

238 Checking and filling
the level may be slightly above the "max"
marking.
The location of the coolant expansion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus­
tration
¢ page 232.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine
must be switched off.
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped
with an electric coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning light in the Auto-Check System¢
page 16 will
illuminate until you add coolant and the level
has been restored to normal. Even though
there is an electric coolant level sensor , we
still recommend you check the coolant level
from time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling
system. In the event of coolant loss, the cool­
ing system should be inspected immediately
by your authorized Audi dealer.
It is not
enough merely to add coolant.
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if
the boiling point of the coolant is exceeded as
a result of overheating.
_& WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of scald­
ing from hot coolant by following these
steps. -
- Turn off the engine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by covering the
cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in
a counter-clockwise direction while ap­
plying light, downward pressure on the
top of the cap .
- To avoid being burned, do not spill anti­ freeze or coolant on the exhaust system
or hot engine parts. Under certain condi­
tions, the ethylene glycol in engine cool­
ant can catch fire .
(D Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak seal­
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant. Add­
ing radiator repair fluid may adversely af­
fect the function and performance of your
cooling system and could result in damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited
Warranty .
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS ¢&. in Working in the engine compart ­
ment on page 230.
.. Turn off the engine .
.. Let the engine cool down.
.. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank ¢
fig. 192 and carefully twist the cap
counter-clockwise ¢,&. .
.,. Add coolant.
.. Twist the cap on again
tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to
exact specifications ¢
page 23 7, Coolant. We
recommend using only coolant additive G12+
+, G13 or in an emergency G12+. Do
not use a
different additive. In an emergency use plain
water until you can get the correct additive
and can restore the correct ratio. This should
be done as soon as possible .
If you have lost a considerable amount of
coolant , then you should add cold antifreeze
and cold water only when the engine is cold.
Always use
new engine coolant when refilling.
Do not fill coolant above the "MAX" mark. Ex­
cess coolant will be forced out through the
pressure relief valve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot.
_& WARNING
-= -- The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of ..,_

scalding from hot coo lant by following
these steps.
- Turn
off the engi ne and a llow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escapi ng fl uid and steam by cover ing
the cap with a large, thick rag .
- Turn the cap slowly and very ca refully
i n a cou nte r-clockw ise dir ect ion while
a pply ing lig ht, downwa rd p ress ure on
the top of the cap.
- To avo id being burned, do no t sp ill an­
tifree ze o r coolan t on t he exh aust sys­
tem or ho t engine parts . Un der certain
conditions, the ethylene glyco l in en­
gine coolant can catch fire .
- Antifree ze is poisono us. Always store an­
tifreeze in its or iginal co ntainer and we ll
o ut o f the reac h of children.
- If you drain the coolant , it must be
caught and safely stored in a p roper con ­
tainer clear ly marked "poison".
(D Note
- Coolant po llutes the env ironment and
could ca use a n engine fire . Excess coo l­
ant wi ll be forced out through the pres ­
sure re lief va lve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot.
- If, in an emergency, only water can be
added , the correct ratio between water
and antifreeze¢
page 237 must be re­
stored as soon as possib le .
@ For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant should not be re used . Al­
ways dispose of used c oolant while observ­
ing all envir onmental regulations .
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automa tically by
itself
An auxiliary e lectric radiator fa n switches on
and
off depending on coolant temperature
and other ve hicle operating conditions.
Checkin g and fillin g 239
After you switch the engine off, the auxi liary
fan can continue running for up to 10 minutes
- even w ith the ign ition off. It can even switch
o n again later by itself¢.& , if
- the temperature of the engine coo lant rises
due to the heat build- up from the engine in
the engi ne compartment, or
- the engine compa rtment heats up because
the vehicle is parked in intense sunlight.
&_ WARNING
--To reduce the risk of persona l in ju ry nev-
er touch the radiator fan .
- The a uxiliary electric fan is tempe rat ure
contro lled and can switch on suddenly
even when the engine is not ru nning.
- The a uxiliary radiator fan sw itches on a u­
tomatically when the engine coo lant
reaches a certai n temperature and will
cont inue to ru n until the coo lant temper­
atur e drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
N
N
N
.,; 0:, a,
Fig. 193 Engin e co mpa rt m ent: cove r on t he bra ke fluid
reservo ir
Before you check anything in the eng ine com­
partment,
alw ays r ead and heed all WARN­
INGS c:> A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 230 .
.. Read t he brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir
c:> fig. 193, c:> fig. 189. The
brake fluid level must be between the "MIN"
and "MAX" markings. .,..

(D Note
Do not mix engine coolant antifreeze or
any other add itives to fi ll u p the w ind­
shie ld washer reservoir.
Checkin g and fillin g 245
•
•

-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
yo u 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.
- If you notice unusual vibration or if the
vehicle pulls to one side when d riving, al­
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so
and check the wheels and tires for dam­
age .
(D Note
Please note that summe r and wi nte r tires
are designed for the cond itions that are
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight means the comb ined weight (in excess of
those sta ndard items which may be rep laced)
of au toma tic transmission, power steer ing ,
power brakes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that these
items are availab le as factory-installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not) .
Aspect ratio
means the rat io o f the height to the w idth of
the tire in percent . Numbers of 55 or lower in ­
dicate a low sidewall for improved steering re­
sponse and better overa ll handling on dry
pavement .
Bead
means the part of the t ire t hat is made o f
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the r im.
Bead separation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
components in the bead .
Cord means the strands forming the plies in the
tire.
Tire s an d wheel s 24 7
typica l in those seasons . Aud i recommends
using winter tires during the winter
months . Low temperatures signif icant ly
dec rease the e lasticity of summer t ires,
which affects tract ion and brak ing ability.
If summer t ires are used i n very co ld tem ­
peratures, cracks ca n form o n the tread
bars , res ulting in perma nen t tire damage
that can cause loud driving noise and un­
bala nced ti re s. Audi i s not respon sible for
th is type of damage .
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the t ire p ress ure recommended by t he
vehicle manufacture r fo r a tire o f a des ignated
s ize t hat has not bee n driven for more than a
coup le o f miles (k ilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire press ure
is m easured or adjusted.
Curb weight
me ans the we ight of a motor ve hicle with
st andard equipmen t incl ud ing the max imum
capacity of fuel, oi l, and coolant, air condi ­
tioning and additional weig ht of optiona l
equipment.
Extra load tire
means a t ire design to oper ate a t higher load s
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standa rd tire . Extra load tires may
be identified as "XL", "x l", "EXTRA LOAD", o r
"RF" on the sidewal l.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR")
me ans the load-ca rry ing capac ity of a single
axle system , measured at the tire -ground in­
te rfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ( "GVWR ")
mea ns the maximum total loaded we ight of
the ve hicl e. .,..
•
•

254 Tire s and wheel s
-The use of incorrect tire pressure values
can lead t o acci dents or other damage .
T herefore it is essential that t he driv er
o bserve the specified tire pressure values
for the ti res and the correct pressu res for
the f unct ion of the tire pressure mon itor­
ing system*.
- Always inflate tires to the recommended
and co rrect tire pressure befo re d riving
off.
- Driv ing with under inflated ti res bend
more, lett ing them get too hot resu lting
in t read separation, sudden t ire fa il u re
and loss o f control.
- E xcess ive speed and/ove rloading can
c ause heat bui ld-up, sudden t ire fail ure
and loss o f control.
- If the t ire p ress ure is too low or too high,
the tires w ill wear prematu rely and the
vehicle will not hand le we ll.
- If the t ire is no t flat and you do no t have
to change a wheel immed iate ly, drive at
reduced speed to the nearest service sta­
t ion to check t he tire pressure and add
air as required.
(D Note
Dr iving w ithou t va lve s tem caps can cause
damage to the tire va lves. To prevent this,
always make sure that facto ry installed
valve stem caps on all wheels are secure ly
mounted on the valve.
@ For the sake of the environment
Unde rinflated tires will a lso increase the
fue l cons umption.
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or
weight that any vehicle and any t ire ca n car ry .
A vehicle that is overloaded w ill not handle
well and is more difficult to stop . Over load ing
can no t on ly lead to loss of veh icle contro l,
b ut can also damage impor tan t par ts of the
vehi cle and can lead to s udden tire failure, in ­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation that
can cause the veh icle to crash. Your safety and that of your passengers also
depends on making sure that load limits are
not exceeded . Vehicle load includes everybody
and everything in and on the veh icle. These
load lim its are technically referred to as the
vehicle's
Gro ss Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes t he weight of the basic
vehicle, a ll factory installed accessories, a full
tank of fuel, o il, coolant and other fluids plus
maximum load. The max imum load incl udes
the number of passengers that the vehicle is
i ntended to car ry ("seat ing capac ity") with an
ass umed we igh t of 150 lbs (68 kg) for e ach
passenge r at a designated seating posi tion
and the total weight of any luggage in the ve ­
hicle . If you tow a trai ler, the weight of the
trai ler hitch and the tongue weight of the
loaded tra iler must be included as part of the
vehicle load.
The
Gros s Axle Weight R ating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each of the vehicle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ing and the
Gross Ax le Weight Rating are listed on the
safety comp liance sticker label located on the
driver's side B-pillar . Your Audi has 4 seat ing
pos itions, 2 in the front and 2 in the rear for
total seating capacity of 4 . In some vehicles
the re a re 5 seating pos it ions, 2 in the front
and 3 in the rear for tota l seating capacity of
5. Each seat ing position has a safety belt
¢ page 140, Safety belts .
T he fact that there is a n upper limit to yo ur
vehicle's G ross Vehicle Weight Rating means
t h at the total weig ht of whatever is bei ng car­
ried in the vehicle ( in cl udi ng the weight of a
trai ler hi tch and the tongue weight of the
l oaded trai le r) is limited . The more passen ­
gers in the vehicle or passengers who are
heavier than the standard we ights assumed
mean that less we ight can be carried as lug­
gage.
T he tire pressure label on your Audi also lists
the maximum combined weight of a ll of the
occupants and luggage or other cargo that .,..

-Always make sure the transm ission se­
lector lever (automatic transmiss io n) is
in P (Park position) and the park bra ke is
applied.
@) For the sake of the environment
- Changing t he eng ine settings w ill ad­
versely affect em ission levels. This is det­
rimental to the environment and increas­
es fuel consumption .
- Always observe env ironmental regula­
tions when d isposing of old engine oil,
used brake fluid, dirty engine coolant,
spent batter ies or worn out t ires.
- Undeployed airbag modules and preten­
s ioners might be classified as Perchlo­
r ate Mate rial -spec ia l hand ling may ap­
ply, see www.dts c.ca .gov/haza rdous­
was te/perch lorate. When the veh icle or
parts of the res traint system in cl ud ing
a irbag modules safety be lts wit h preten ­
sioners are scrapped, all applicable laws
and regulations must be observed. Your
a uthorized Audi dea ler is familiar w ith
these requirements and we recommend
that you have your dea ler perform this
se rv ice for you .
Additional accessories,
modifications and
parts replacement
Additional accessories and parts
replacement
Always consult an authorized Audi dealer be­
fore purchasing acce ssories.
Your veh icle inco rporates the latest safety de­
sig n featu res e nsu ring a high standard of ac­
tive and passive safe ty .
This safety could be comp romised by non-ap­
p roved changes to the ve hicle. For this reason ,
if pa rts have to be replaced, please observe
t he following points when ins tall ing addition­
a l accessories:
Con sumer In formation 29 1
Approved Audi accesso ries and genuine Aud i
parts are available from authorized A udi deal­
ers.
T hese de alers a lso have the necessary facili­
ties, tools and tra ined spec ialists to install the
parts and accessories proper ly .
A WARNING
Using the wrong spare pa rts or using non­
approved accessories can cause damage to
the vehicle and ser ious persona l injury.
- Use on ly accessories express ly approved
by Audi and ge nuine Audi spare parts
- These parts and accessories have been
specially designed to be used on yo ur ve­
hicle.
- Never install accessor ies such as tele­
phone crad les or beverage ho lders o n air­
bag covers or withi n the airbag deploy­
ment zones . Do ing so will increase t he
ris k of injury if a irbags are triggered in an
accide nt!
- Before you check anything in the engine
compa rtment, always r ead and heed a ll
W ARNINGS ~
page 224.
(D Note
-If items other than genu ine A udi spare
par ts, add-on equipmen t and accessory
items are used o r if repair wo rk is not
performed a ccord ing to spe cified met h­
ods, this ca n resu lt in s evere damage to
yo ur vehicle's engine and body (s uch as
co rrosion) and adversely affect yo ur vehi ­
cle's warranty .
- If emergency repairs mus t be performed
elsewhere, have the veh icle examined by
an authorized Aud i dealer as soon as
possible.
- The manufacturer cannot be held liable
for damage wh ich occ urs due to failure
to comply with these stipu lations.
•
•

29 4 Index
A
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 9 1
Active lane ass ist ... ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 95
Activating and deactivating . . . . . . . . . . . 96
C leaning came ra area ... .. .. .. .. .. . 216
Descr ipt ion ... ........... .. .. .... .. 95
I nstrument cluster indicator light . . . . . 96
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Notes on instrument cluster display . . . . 96
Setting the steering wheel vibrat ion . . . . 97
AC (automatic cl imate control) . .. .. .. .. 71
AC (climate control) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Adaptive air suspension/sport . ... .. .. . 102
Adapt ive cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
C leaning sensors/cameras .. .. .. .... . 216
Messages ............... .. .. .. .. .. 93
Request for driver intervention . . . . . . . . 91
Stop-and-go traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Adapt ive Lig ht (defective) ... .. .. .... .. 22
Adding Eng ine coolant ............. .. .... . 238
Eng ine oil .. ..... ........... ... .. . 235
W indshield washer fluid .. ... .. .. .. . 244
Additives Eng ine oil ............... .. .. .. .. . 235
Ad justing
Air distribution (automatic climate con-
trol) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
air distribution (climate control) . .... .. 69
Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Instrument illum inat ion ... .. .. .. .. . . 46
Steer ing column electrically .. .. .. .. . . 74
Steer ing column manually ..... .. .... 74
Tempe ratu re (automat ic climate control) 72
Tempe ratu re (climate control) .. .. .. . . 69
A irbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149, 170
Advanced Airbag System ... .. .. .. .. . 153
Advanced Airbag System components . 157
Care ....... .......... ...... ... .. . 165
C hi ldren . ............... .. .. .... . 177
C hi ld restra ints ........... .. .. .. .. . 177
Components (front airbags) . .... ... . 15 7
Danger of fitting a child seat on the front
passenger seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Disposa l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153, 155
H ow do the front airbags work? . .... . 159 How many a
irbags does my vehicle
have? . ... .... .. .. ... .. ..... ... .. 157
How the Advanced Airbag System com -
ponents work together ......... .... 159
Important safety instructions on the
knee airbag system ................ 168
Important things to know . .. .. .. .. .. 149
Knee airbags . .. .. .......... ...... . 166
Monito ring .. .. . .. ............ .. .. 161
PASS ENG ER A IR BAG OFF light ... .. .. 162
Repairs ... .... .. .. ... .. . .... ... .. 165
Safety instr uctions . .. .. ..... .... . .. 164
Side airbags ..... .. ... ..... ... .. .. 169
S ide curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Warning/ind icator lights ........ .... . 19
Warning/Indicator lights ....... .... 161
When must the system be inspected? 161
Aircraft Transporting your vehicle ..... .. .. .. 283
All-wheel drive .. .. ............. .... 201
Win ter tires . .. . .. ............ .. .. 261
Alloy wheels .. .. .. .......... ...... . 218
Alternator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Amb ience lighting ................ ... 46
Anti-freeze
refer to Eng ine coolant ............ . 237
Anti- lock braking system . ..... ... .. .. 196
Warning/ind icator lights ........ .... . 20
An ti-s lip reg ulation ............. .. .. 196
Anti-theft systems Electronic immob ilizer ............. .. 33
Ashtray . ... .... .. .. ... .. ..... ... .. . 58
Audi braking guard
refer to b rak ing guard .......... .... . 86
Audi drive select
refer to drive select ............... . 102
Audi Serv ice Repair Manuals and Litera-
ture ... .... .... .. ............. .... 289
A UTO
automatic climate contro l . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Automatic headlights ... .... ... .. .. . 43
climate control ... .. ... ..... ... .. .. . 69
A uto Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Automat ic be lt retractor ........... .. 143
A utomatic car wash . .... ..... ... .. .. 214