2013 AUDI A7 warning lights

Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive you r vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, electrical compo ­
nents are grad ually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and main ­
tains starting capabi lity over a longer period.
Some of the convenience functions may not
operate, such as the inter ior lights or the
power seat adjustment . The conven ience
functions will be ava ilable again when you
switch on the ignit io n and start the engine.
With the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for example, with
the engine turned off or use other MMI func­
tions, the battery is being discharged .
If starting capability is jeopardized due to en­
ergy consumpt ion, the following warning ap­
pears in the MMI display:
Please start the engine soon or the system
will be turned off.
The warning indicates that the system will be
turned off automatically after 3 minutes. If
you wish to continue using the functions, you
have to start the engine.
With the engine running
Although electrical energy is genera ted when
the vehicle is being driven, the battery can be­
come discharged. This happens mostly when
litt le energy is being generated and a great
deal consumed and the battery's state of
charge is not optimal.
To bring the energy balance back into equili­
brium, consumers which require especially
large amounts of energy are temporarily cut
back or switched off. Heating systems in par­
ticular requ ire a great deal of energy. If you
notice, for example, that the heated seats* or
the heated rear window are not heating, they
have been temporarily cut back or switched
off. These systems will be ava ilabl e again as
soon as the energy ba lance has been restored .
You will also notice that engine idle speed has
been increased slightly. This is normal and not
a cause for concern . By increasing engine idle
Intelligent technology 203
speed the additional energy required is gener­
ated and the battery is charged.
•
•

Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
11-Try and keep well below your car's maxi-
mum speed.
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consump­ tion, engine wear, and does not disturb the
environment.
F ue l consumption, exhaust emissions and en ­
g ine noise increase disproportionately at high
speeds. If you drive at approximately three
quarters of top speed, fuel consumption will
be reduced by one half. Never drive faster
than the posted speed limit and weather con­
d itions permit .
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel.
11-Shut the engine off when you are not driv­
ing the vehicle.
"" Do not warm up the veh icle by letting the
engine run at idle .
The idling phase is automat ically reduced for
vehicles w ith the Start/Stop system . It is effi­
cient to switch
off the engine in vehicles with­
out the Start-Stop-System when stopped at ra il road crossings and long red lights. Turning
the eng ine
off for just 30 -40 seconds saves
mo re fuel than is burned by s tarting the en­
gine again.
It takes a long time fo r the engine to wa rm up
fu lly when it is running at idle. Howeve r, wear
and noxious emissions are especially high
when the engine is warming up. So you should
drive away as soon as you start the engine and
avoid running at h igh rpms while the engine is
still warming up.
CD Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af­
ter starting. If warning lights shou ld come
on to indicate improper operation, they
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 207
would go unheeded. Extended idling a lso
produces heat, which could result in over­
heating or other damage to the veh icle or
other property.
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel.
11-Have your vehicle serviced at reg ular inter-
vals .
By having your ve hicle reg ularly se rviced by an
Audi dealer he lps to ensure that it runs prop­
erly and economically . The condition of your
vehicle not only affects its safety and ability to
ho ld its va lue, it also affects
fuel co nsump ­
tion .
Chec k your oil e ach t ime you fill y our t ank.
T he amou nt of o il used is re lated to engine
load and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reac h its lowest value after a certa in
mileage has bee n driven.
You must drive your veh icle about 3,000 m iles
(5,000 kilometers) before you can properly
assess oil consumpt ion.
This also applies to fuel consumption and en­ gine output .
CD Note
-Have your veh icle ma inta ined properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty
& Ma in­
tenance book let . Lack of proper mainte­
nance as well as improper use of the ve­
hicle will impai r the function of the
em ission cont ro l system and cou ld lead
t o damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of
t he Emission Control System unless ap­
proved by the manufacture r.
- Do not alter or remove any devi ce, such
as heat shie lds, switches, ign ition w ires,
valves, which are designed to protect
your vehicle's Emission Control System
•
•

Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a tra iler, p lease remember
that the addit ional load will affect durab ility,
economy and performance .
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
F or this reason, a lways fo llow the operating
and driving instructions provided and use
common sense.
(D Note
If you are going to tow a trai ler, you must
ac tivate the trailer operation mode
c::> page 209, Operating instructions.
Technical requirements
Traile r hitch
Use a weig ht-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer we ight. The hitch must be suita­
b le for your veh icle and trailer and must be
mounted securely on t he ve hicle's chassis at a
technically sound location . Use only a trail er
hi tch w ith a removab le ball moun t. A lways
check wi th t he tra ile r hi tch man ufa ctur er to
make sure that you are using the cor rect
h itch.
Do not us e a bumper hitch .
The hitch m ust be installed in such a way that
i t does not interfe re with the impac t-absorb­
i ng bumper syst em. No mod ificat ions should
b e made to the vehi cle e xhaus t and br ake sys­
tems . From t ime to time, check th at a ll hitc h
mo unt ing bo lts rem ain securely fas tened.
When you are not towing a trail er, remove the
tra ile r hi tch ball moun t. T h is prevents the
hi tch from causing damage sho uld your ve hi­
cle be str uck from behind~ .&.
Trailer towin g 209
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equippe d wi th a bra king sys­
tem, check to be s ure that i t conforms to all
regulations .
T he trailer hyd ra u lic bra ke sys tem mus t not be
d irec tly connec ted to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains be tween your ve hicle
and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Trai ler lights must meet all reg ulations. Be
su re to c heck with your Audi dea ler for correct
wir ing, switches and relays .
Mirrors
If you a re unable to see the traffic behind you
u sing the regula r outside mirrors, then you
must insta ll extended mir rors. It is important
t h at you
always have clea r vis io n to the rear.
_&. WARNING
-
Afte r removi ng the trailer hitch , do no t
s tor e i t in yo ur v ehicl e. In case of sudden
b raki ng, the hi tch co uld fly forwar d and in­
j ur e you o r yo ur pass enge rs.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A tra ile r fo r you r vehi cle is l imited to a typi cal
cla ss 1 o r class 2 tr ailer.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the tra ile r is held secure ly
in place to p revent it from shift ing fo rward,
ba ckward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
c::> .& in Driving instructions on page 211 .
Engine cooling sy stem
Towing a t railer ma kes the engine wor k hard­
er . It is impo rtant that the cooling system's
performance is up to the additional load.
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•

Always apply brakes early. When driving
downhill, shift into a lower gear to use the en­
g ine braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of
the brakes a lone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge ¢ page 11
must be observed carefully. The coo lant tem­
perature can increase if you drive on long in­
clines in a low gear at high engine speeds. Re­
duce your speed immediately if the LEDs in
the top part of the display turn on .
For more information about indicator lights,
refer to.
c> page 16.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov­
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident . Never let anyone r ide in your car
who is not properly wearing the restra ints
provided by Aud i.
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle hand les different ly when towing
-
a trailer because of the additional weight and
d ifferent weight distribution . Safety, perform­
ance and economy w ill greatly depend on how
carefully you load your trailer and operate
your rig .
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopp ing and backing up in an area
away from traffic . Keep practicing until you
have become completely familiar with the way
your veh icle-trailer comb ination behaves and
responds .
Backing up is diff icult and requires practice .
Backing up with a tra iler genera lly requires
steer ing action opposite to that when backing
up your vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your ve­
hicle and the one in front of you. You will need
more room to stop. To compensate for the
Trailer towing 211
trailer, you wi ll need a larger than normal
turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot ac­
ce lerate as fast as you norma lly would be­
cause of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass. After passing, allow
plenty of room for your trailer before chang­
ing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
(0 Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in
period of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may re­
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the extra load¢
page 289.
Parking on a slope
Do not pork on a slope with a trailer . If it can­
not be avoided, do so only after doing the fol­
lowing:
When parking:
"' App ly the foot brake .
.,. Have someo ne p lace chocks under both the
veh icle and the trailer wheels.
"' With chocks in place, slowly release the
brakes until the wheel chocks absorb the
load .
.,. Turn the wheels towards the curb .
.,. Apply the parking brake.
.,. Select the P selector lever posit ion .
When restarting after parking:
.,. Apply the foot brake.
.,. Start the engine .
.,. Select the D/S se lector lever position .
.,. Release the parking brake and slowly pull
out and away from the wheel chocks.
.,. Stop and have someone retr ieve the wheel
chocks .
111>
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•

214 Cleaning and protec tio n
Automatic car wash
The vehicle can be washed in almost any
modern automatic car wash .
The vehicle paint is so durable that the vehicle
can normally be washed without problems in
an automatic car wash. However, the effect on
the paint depends to a large extent on the de­
sign of the facility, the filte ring of the wash
water, the type of wash and care mater ial , etc.
I f the pa int has a dull appearance afte r going
through the car wash or is scratched, bring
this to the attention of the operator immedi­
ately.
If necessary, use a different car wash.
Before going through a car wash, be sure to
take the usual precautions such as closing the
windows and power roof . Factory installed an­
tennas must not be removed.
I f you have installed additional accessor ies on
the vehicle - such as spoilers, roof rack, etc. -
it is best to ask the car wash operator if these
should be removed .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c;, page 213.
- Before washing the vehicle in an auto­
matic car wash, p lease make sure to re­
tract the exterior mirrors to prevent
them from being damaged. Power fold­
i ng exter ior mirrors* must not be folded
i n or out by hand . Always use the electri­
ca l power control.
- Compare the width of your vehicle with the width of the tunnel at the facility.
Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of water is needed when washing a vehi­cle by hand.
• Before you start washing , make sure you
have read and understood the WARNINGS
r:::;, _& ,
• First soak all dried dirt unti l it is soft, then
rinse it off.
• As you clean your vehicle, start w ith the
roof and work your way down to the bottom,
using a sponge, a sponge glove or a clean
brush .
• Rinse the sponge or the sponge g love often,
flushing it clean each time .
• Use spec ial car shampoo only for very per­
sistent d irt .
• Rinse the car thoroughly with water.
• Use a chamois leather to gently wipe the ex -
terior dry .
Use a separate sponge for cleaning the
whee ls, door sills and other regions exposed
to road dirt. In this way, you will not scratch
the paint with coarse particles imbedded in
the sponge the next time you wash the car.
A WARNING
'-
- Wash your vehicle only when the ign ition
is switched off to reduce the risk of a
crash .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c;, page 213 .
(D Note
-Never try to remove dirt, mud or dust if
the surface of the vehicle is dry. Never
use a dry cloth or sponge, since this
could scratch your vehicle's paint or win­
dows.
- Never wash your car in bright sunlight .
Drops of water act as magn ifying lenses
and may damage your paint .
- When you wash your car in the winter : if
you rinse your vehicle with a hose, be careful not to aim the stream of water
directly at locks, or at door or hatch
openings - they can freeze sh ut.
- Never use sponges designed to remove
insects, or any k itchen scouring sponges
or simi lar products. They can damage
your paint finish.
- Never use a dry cloth or sponge to clean
the headlights. Only use wet cloths or

sponges to prevent scratches. It is best
to use soapy water .
- You should remove debris (such as in­
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regular basis, for example when refuel­
ing your vehicle. Never clean the head­
lights w ith a dry cloth or sponge. Use a
wet cloth or sponge. It is best to use
soapy water .
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the vehicle in facilit ies specially
designed for that purpose. Th is w ill reduce
the risk of d irty water contaminated with
oil from entering the sewer system . In
some areas, washing veh icles outs ide of
t hese facilit ies is prohib ited.
Washing your vehicle with a power
washer
Cleaning the exterior of your car with a high­
pressure power washer is safe as long as you
observe a few simple rules .
.,. Befo re using the power washe r, make sure
you have read and understood the WARN­ INGS ¢
A. in General information on
page 213.
.,. Always fo llow the operating instructions for
the power washer .
.,. Make sure that the jet on the spray hose
produces a "fan shaped spray" .
.,. Do
not ho ld the spray no zzle too close to
soft mate ria ls .
Keep a d istance from soft materials such as
rubber hoses or insulat ing mater ial as we ll as
sensors and camera lenses .
When clean ing the vehicle w it h a power wash­
er
always follow the operating instructions.
This applies particularly to the operating pres­
sure and the spraying distance . Do not po int
the spray directly at t he sea ls around the side
windows, aro und the doors, o n the rea r lid or
on the sunroof *. L ikew ise, do not point it di­
rectly at tires, r ubber hoses, ins ulation mate­
rial or sensors ¢
page 216. Hold the spray
Cleaning and protec tion 215
nozzle at least 1.3 ft (0.4 m) away from the
vehicle.
Do no t use a high-p ressure power w asher to
remove snow and ice .
Do not use a jet which sprays wate r in a d irect
stream o r one that has a rotating jet.
Water temperature should not exceed 140 °F
(60 °() .
A WARNING
Neve r wash t ires with a jet that sprays wa­
ter in a direct stream . Thi s could cause in­
v isible damage to the t ires and we aken
them, even if the spray is from a re lative ly
l ong dis tance and for a short time. Dam ­
aged and wea kened tires can fail and cause
accidents and personal in jury.
(D Note
To avoid damaging yo ur vehicle, a lways
make sure tha t the re is sufficien t distance
between the s pray head and soft materia ls
lik e rubber hoses, plastic parts and sound­
deaden ing mater ia ls as well as sensors
and camera lenses. Never a im t he spray
head at the same point for a long time .
This also applies to cleaning headlights
and paint ed bumpers. Remembe r: the
closer the no zzle is to the surfa ce of the
m at eria l, the gre ater the s tress on the m a­
terial.
Caring for vehicles with matte finish
paint
App lies to vehicles : wit h matte finish paint
Vehicles with matte finish paint require spe ­
cial care due to the characteristics of the
paint.
Washing by hand
T o avoid d amaging the pain t when washing,
first remove dust and la rge particles from
your vehicle . Insects, grease spots and finger­
prints are best removed with a
special cleane r
for matte fin ish paint .
1111>
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•

216 Cleaning and protec tio n
Apply the product using a micr ofib er cl oth. To
avoid damaging the paint surface, do not use
too m uch pressure.
R inse the vehicle t ho roughly with water . Clean
the vehicle sta rting at the top and working to­
ward the bottom using a
neutra l sh ampoo
and a soft mi crofiber cloth . Stop frequently to
rinse the cloth thoroughly.
C lean the wheels and sill panels last. Use a
clean
s pon ge on these areas .
R inse the vehicle tho roughly aga in and let it
a ir dry.
If there are any wa ter spo ts, they can
be removed using a
leather cloth .
Clean again with the spe cial clean er for matt e
finish paint
if ne cessary.
Removing stubborn d irt
B ird d ropping s or tree sap are best removed
with plenty of water and a m icrofiber cloth .
You should r inse
off ga soli ne res idue immedi­
ately with plenty of water.
A WARNING
- Wash your ve hicle only when the ignition
is switched
off to reduce the risk of a
crash .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and othe r information
c:::> page 213.
([) Note
-Do not treat vehicle parts painted w ith
matte f inish paint us ing polish ing mate­
r ials or hard wax. These products could
cause damage to the appea rance or sur­
face that cannot be repaired.
- Never use p rotective wax.
It can destroy
the matte fin ish effect .
- Do not p lace any st ickers or magnetic
s igns on vehicle parts painted with
matte finish paint. The pa int could be
damaged when the st ickers or magnets
a re removed.
- To preven t pa int damage, do not wash
the veh icle in direct s unl igh t. -
To prevent damage to the pa int surface,
do not use insect remova l sponges,
rough kitchen sponges or sim ilar items .
- Yo u should remove debris (such as in­
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regu lar basis, for example when refuel­
ing your vehicle. Only clean the head­
lights using a wet cloth or sponge, never
a dry one. Cleaning with soapy water is
recommended.
(D Tips
For more information on special cleaning
products designed for matte finish paint,
seeyourAud idea~~
Sensors and camera lenses
- Remove snow with a hand brush and remove
ice with a de -icing spray that does not con­
tain so lvents.
- Clean the senso rs (adaptive c ruise control*,
park ing system*) w ith a cleaning so lution
tha t does not contain so lvents and a soft
cloth .
- The camera lens or the area in front of the
camera lens is norma lly cleaned by the
windshield wipers (Audi active lane assist*)
or head light wipers (night vision system *).
If the lens or the area is exceptionally dirty,
clean the area with glass cleaner and a soft,
dry cloth .
(D Note
-If you wash your vehicle with a pressure
washer,
- make sure there is eno ugh distance to
sensors i n the fron t and rear bumper,
- do not clean the camera lenses and the
ar ea a round them with the p ress ure
washer.
- N ever use warm or hot wate r to remove
snow or i ce from the camera lens. This
cou ld cause the lens to crack.
- Never clean the camera lens wi th abra­
sive products.

234 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 204) 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
sho uld check the oil leve l as soon as possible
c:> page 235. Top off the oil at your earliest
convenience
c:> page 235.
A WARNING '"---
Before you check anythi ng in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
c:> A in Working in the engine
compartment on page 230.
(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 amounts 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.
-