2013 AUDI Q7 warning light

24 6 Cl eaning 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 filtering 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 the Panoramic sliding s unroof.
Factory installed antennas must not be re­
moved.
I f you have installed additional accessories 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
Please take note of the following po ints
before going through an automatic car
wash with your vehicle, so that you can avoid damage to your vehicle .
- Compare the track of your vehicle with the distance between the gu ide rails of
the fac ility- there is a risk of damage to
the whee ls and t ires.
- Compare the height and w idth of your
vehicle with the height and width of the
tunnel at the facility.
- Fold the exte rior mirrors flat - there is a
risk of damag ing the exte rior m irrors.
Power folding exterior mirrors* mus t not
be folded in or out by hand. Use the pow­
er function!
- Do not al low the wiper blade to fall onto
the windshield after the vehicle is dried -
there is a risk of damag ing the paint on
the hood.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information ¢
page 245.
Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of water is needed when washing a vehi­
cle by hand .
.,. Before you start washing, make sure you
have read and understood the WARNINGS
¢ .&. in General information on page 245 .
.,. First soak all dried d irt unt il it is soft, then
r inse it off .
.,. As you clean you r vehicle , start w it h the
roof and work your way down to the bottom,
using a sponge, a sponge g love or a clean
brush.
.,. Rinse the sponge or the sponge glove often,
flushing it clean each time.
.,. Use spec ial car shampoo only for very per­
sistent d irt .
.,. Rinse the car thoroughly wit h water .
.,. Use a chamo is leather to gently w ipe the ex-
ter ior d ry.
Use a separate sponge for cleaning the
wheels, door s ills and other regions exposed
to road dirt . In this way, you will not scratch
the pa int with coarse pa rticles imbedded in
the sponge the next time you wash the car.
A WARNING ~ -
- Do not clean the underside of the chas­
sis, fenders, wheel covers , or other ha rd
to reach pa rts without protect ing your
hands and arms . You may cut yourself on
sharp-edged metal parts.
- Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 245.
(D Note
- Never try to remove dirt, mud or dust if
the surface of the ve hicle is dry . Never
use a dry cloth or sponge, s ince this
co uld scratch your vehicle's paint or win ­
dows .
- Never wash your car in bright s unlight.
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 shut.
- Never use sponges designed to remove
insects , or any kitchen scouring sponges
or similar products. They can damage
your paint finish .
- You should remove debris (such as in­
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regular basis, for example when refuel­
ing your vehicle. 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 .
@) For the sake of the environment
In the interest of the environment, the ve­
hicle should only be washed in special
wash bays .
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 observ e a few simple rules.
" Before using the power washer , make sure
you have read and understood the WARN­
INGS ~.&.
in General information on
page 245.
" Always follow the operating instructions for
the pow er wash er.
" Make su re that the jet on the spray hose
produces a "fan shaped spr ay" .
" Do
not hold the spray nozzle too close to
soft materials .
When cleaning the vehicle with a power wash­
er
always follow the operating ins truc tions.
T his applies particularly to the
operating
pressure
and the spraying distance. Maintain
a sufficient distance to soft materials such as
rubber hoses and sound/vibration deadening
materials (particularly on the underside of the
engine hood). Do not use a jet which sprays
water in a
direct stream or one that has a ro­
tating
jet.
Water temperature should not exceed 140 °F
(60 °().
Cleaning and protection 247
A WARNING
Never wash tires with a jet that sprays wa­
ter in a direct stream . This could cause in­
visible damage to the tires and weaken
them, even if the spray is from a relatively
long distance and for a short time . Dam­
aged and weakened tires can fail and cause
accidents and personal injury.
(D Note
To avoid damaging your vehicle, always make sure that there is sufficient distance
between the spray head and soft materials
like rubber hoses, plastic parts and sound­
deadening materials. Never aim the spray
head at the same point for a long time.
This also applies to cleaning headlights
and painted bumpers. Remember : the
closer the nozzle is to the surface of the
material, the greater the stress on the ma­
terial.
Sensors and camera lenses
- Remove snow with a hand brush and remove
ice with a de-icing spray that does not con­
tain solvents.
- Clean the sensors (adaptive cruise control*,
parking system*) with a cleaning solution
that does not contain solvents and a soft
cloth.
- Dampen the camera lens with a household
alcohol-based glass cleaner, and then wipe
the lens clean with a dry cloth.
(D Note
- If you wash your vehicle with a pressure
washer,
- make sure there is enough distance to
sensors in the rear bumper .
- do not clean the camera lenses and the
area around them with the pressure
washer .
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens. This
could cause the lens to crack .
•
•

248 Cleaning and protection
-Never clean the camera lens with ab ra ­
sive products .
Waxing and Polishing
Waxing
A good wax coating protects the vehicle paint
to a large extent against the environmental
factors listed under
c:;, page 245, Washing and
even against slight scratches .
You can use a liquid car wax to protect your
paint as soon as one week after your vehicle
has been delivered.
Even if you regularly use a
waxing process in
automatic car washes, we recommend that
you manua lly app ly a coat of wax to give the
pa int extra protection, particularly if water no
longer beads on the clean paint.
Protect p lastic body parts with car wax in the
same way as the vehicle body.
During warm weather dead insects tend to
collect on the front bumper and on the for­
ward area of the hood. They are much easier
to remove from paint that is waxed
o~en.
Polishing
Polish your vehicle only if the paint has lost its
shine and the g loss cannot be brought back
with wax .
If the polish used does not contain preserva­
tive compounds, the paint must be waxed af­
terwards .
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
c:;, page 245.
(D Note
Do not use car wax on
- matte or anodized metal trim
- rubber or rubber-like trim .
Trim strips
Metal trim needs special care.
For environmental reasons, Audi fabricates
the bright trim strips and trim pieces from
pure chromium-free aluminum.
Dirt and marks on the trim strips should be
removed with a
pH-balanced cleaning agent
(do not use a chrome cleaner). Authorized
Audi dealers carry cleaning products which
have been tested for use on your vehicle and
are not harmful to the environment .
To avoid corrosion on the exter ior trim strips,
only a pH-balanced solution should be used
for the windsh ield washer .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other inform ation
c:;, page 245.
Plastic and vinyl
Plastic needs special care .
Use a clean, damp cloth or sponge to remove
dust and light surface dirt. For other soil, use
a lukewarm all-purpose cleaning solution or a
mild saddle soap for v inyl tr im . Remove water
spots and traces of soap with a clean, damp
cloth or sponge. Use a clea n, soft cloth to rub
dry.
Grease, tar or oil stains can be removed with a
clean cloth or sponge soaked with all-purpose
cleaner or with a so lvent designed espec ia lly
to clean vin yl.
Occas ionally apply a colorless vinyl or leather
preservative to retain the material's luster
and pliability .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c:;, page 245.
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral-pH products to remove spots
and deposits from a luminum surfaces .
ll-

250 Cleaning and protec tio n
Cast (light) alloy wheels
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care .
• Wash the whee ls with a sponge or hose
brush every other week.
• For deep cleaning afterwards, use only a
dedicated
aci d-fr ee cast alloy wheel cleaner .
• Rub a coat of
liq uid wax onto the r ims every
t h ree months. Be su re to reach and treat all
parts of the rim .
To preserve the decorat ive appearance of the
cast alloy whee ls, some specia l care is neces­
sa ry. In addit ion to road dirt and sa lt, b rake
d ust is a lso corros ive. If left on for too long,
b rake dust can cause pitting.
Use only specia l
acid-free cleaners formulated
for a lloy rims . Safe p roducts are available at
your author ized Audi dealer. Never leave the
cleane r on the rims longe r than specified on
the label. If not rinsed off promptly, the acid
contained in some cleaners can attack the
threads on the whee l bolts.
Never use ab rasive or metal polishing clean­
ing agents. If the protective coating has been
chipped, e .g. by k icked up road dirt, touch it
up as soon as possible.
A WARNING
- Moisture and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency¢
page 228, General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the veh icle .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 245.
-
Body cavity sealing
The body cavity sealing does no t need to be
checked.
A ll body cavities which co uld be affected by
corrosion have been thoro ughly protected at
the factory.
This sealing does not require any inspection or
addit ional treatment . If any wax should seep
out of the cav ity when the ambient tempera- ture is high, it can be removed with a p
lastic
scraper and a suitable solvent.
A WARNING
-Solvents can be dangerous.
- Benzine is flammab le and toxic. If you
use benzine for removing the wax, keep
sparks, flame and lighted cigarettes
away. Never dump benz ine on the
ground, into open streams or down sew­
age drains.
- Be sure to observe all safety and environ­
mental regulat ions . Follow all instruc­
tions on the container .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 245.
, Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time.
The lower body shell of your Audi is also thor­
oughly protected against corros ion.
Any damage to the undercoating caused by road hazards should be repaired prompt ly .
A WARNING
Too much undercoating in the wrong p la­
ces can cause a fire.
- Do not app ly additional undercoating or
r u stproof ing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields. While driving, the substance used for undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
'
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 245.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road salt and other corrosive materials will
damage the material in the exhaust tail pipes
if they are not cleaned regularly. Do not clean
the tail pipes with wheel cleaner, pa int polish,
chrome polish or other ab rasive cleaners.
Clean the tail pipes with car care products
that are suitable for stainless steel.

Your authorized Audi dealer can provide clean­ing products that have been tested and ap­
proved for your vehicle .
Care of interior
MMI display
"' Clean the MMI disp lay with a soft clean
cloth and an LCD cleaner .
The MMI display can be cleaned with a profes­ sionally available "LCD cleaner". The cloth
should be s light ly dampened with the clean­
ing f lu id to clean the display.
(D Note
To avo id scratching the MM I display, you
should never clean it d ry.
MMI control console
"' First clean the MMI control console with a
brush to remove dust from the housing.
"' Then wipe the MMI contro l conso le with a
clean, soft, slightly damp cloth .
The MM I control console shou ld be cleaned
with a brush first so that no dirt is trapped be­
tween the buttons and the housing. We rec­ ommend giv ing the MMI control console a fi­
nal w ipe with a cloth mo istened with water
and d ish washing detergent.
Cl) Note
To prevent damage, make sure that no flu­ id ever gets into the MMI control console.
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral-pH products to remove spots
and depos its from alum inum surfaces .
C hr ome ca re produ cts and alkaline cleaners
will attac k alum in um s urfaces and can dam­
age them ove r time.
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
~ page 245 .
Cleaning and protec tion 25 1
Fabrics and fabric coverings
Fabr ics and fab ric cover ings (e.g. seats, door
trim pa ne ls, etc.) sho uld be cleaned at regular
intervals w ith a vacuum cleaner . This removes
s u rface dirt particles which could become em ­
bedded in the fabric throug h use. Steam
cleaners should not be used, because the
steam tends to push the dirt deeper into the
fabric and lock it there.
No rmal cl ean ing
Generally, we recommend using a soft sponge
or a lint-free microfiber cloth to the clean fab­ ric . Brushes shou ld only be used for carpets
and floor mats, since other fabr ic surfaces
could be harmed by brushes.
Normal s urface stains can be cleaned using a
commerc ially available foam cleaner. Spread
the foam on the surface of the fabric with a
soft sponge and work it in gently. Do not satu­
rate the fabric. Then pat the foam dry us ing
absorbent, dry cloths (e.g. m icrofiber cloth)
and vacuum it after it has dried completely.
Cleaning sta in s
Stains caused by beverages (e.g. coffee, fruit
juice, etc.) can be treated with a mild deter­ gent solution . Apply the detergent solution
with a sponge . In the case of stubborn stains,
a dete rgent paste can be applied directly to
the stain and worked into the fabric . After ­
wards, use copious amoun ts of clean wa ter to
remove the rema ining de tergent. App ly the
water with a damp cloth or sponge and pat
the fabric dry with an absorbent, dry clot h.
Stains from choco late or ma keup sho uld have
detergent paste (e.g . ox-gall soap) rubbed in ­
to them. Afterwards, remove the soap with
water (damp sponge) .
A lcohol can be used to treat sta ins from
grease, o il, lipstick or a ballpoint pen. Melted
grease or dye must be patted off using ab­
sorbent mater ial. It may be necessary to re­
treat the areas with detergent paste and wa­
ter.
•
•

254 Cleaning and protec tio n
- Leather cleaning and care kit
- Creams to care for colored leather
- Spot removers for ballpo int pens, shoe pol-
ish, etc .
- Oil/grease dissolving spray
- New and upcoming products.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
~ page 245.
{[) Note
-Never use chemical solvents (e.g. lighter
fluid, turpentine), waxes, shoe pol ish or
s imilar products on the leather surfaces
i n your Audi.
- To avoid damage, have stubborn stai ns
removed by a commerc ial cleaning spe­
cia list.
Cleaning Alcantara ® (synthetic suede)
App lies to vehicles : wit h Alca nta ra up holstery
Removing dust and dirt
"" Moisten a clot h, squeeze out excess water
and w ipe down the seat s urf aces.
Removing stains
"" Moisten a clot h w ith lukewarm water or
with diluted
ethyl (rubb ing) alcohol.
"" Dab at the stain. Start at the o utside and
wor k inwards.
"" Once t he stain is no longer v isib le , use a
soft dry cloth or t issue to soak up the mois ­
ture .
Do not use leather cleaning produc ts on Al ­
cantara .
You may use a suitable shampoo fo r removing
dust and dir t.
Dust and grit in the pores and seams can
scratch and damage the surface .
If the car is
l eft stand ing in the sun fo r long pe riods, the
A lcantara should be p rotected aga inst direc t
sun light to prevent it from fad ing. Slight color
variations will develop in normal use and are
not an indication of material deterioration.
(D Note
- Never use chemica l so lvents (e.g. lighte r
fluid, tu rpentine), waxes, s hoe polish or
sim ilar products on A lcantara® surfaces.
- To avoid damage, have stubbo rn stains
removed by a commercial clean ing spe­
cialist.
- Do not use b rushes, stiff sponges or sim­
ilar ly abrasive cleaning a ids.
Safety belts
Only well-maintained safety belts work relia­
bly when needed.
"" Keep belts clean .
"" For cleaning, use a mild soap a nd water so l­
ution. Let belts dry thorough ly and away
from d irect sunlight .
"" Do not allow inertia ree l safety belts to re­
tract before they are completely dry.
"" Check the condition of your safety be lts
reg­
ularly.
Heavily soiled safety belts may not retract
properly.
A WARNING
D amaged safety belts can break in a crash .
- Anyth ing that might damage your safety
be lts could mea n that you and your pas­
sengers would not be adequate ly pro­
tec ted in a n accident.
- Safety belt performance depends on co r­
rect insta llation. Neve r remove be lts
from the veh icle to clean them.
- Do not use chemical clean ing agents,
b leach or dyes. They have corrosive prop­
erties which wea ken the webb ing.
- When clean ing you r safety belts, inspect
them for damage. If you discover dam­
age, see yo ur authorized A udi dealer.
- Always read and heed a ll WAR NINGS and
other info rmation
~ page 245.

264 Checking and filling
Checking and filling
Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the
vehicle.
F ig . 2 41 Driver's side footwell: engine hood re lease
lever
.. Open the driver's door.
.. Pull the release lever on the left under the
inst rument panel
c> fig. 241 in the d irect ion
of the ar row .
The hood pops up s light ly under spring pres­
sure.
Opening the engine hood
Fig. 242 Re lease lever under the eng ine hood
Before opening the engine hood, make s ure
that the windshie ld wipers are flat against the
windshie ld. Otherwise, they co uld damage the
pa int on the hood.
.. Lift the hood s light ly
c> _& .
.. Pull up on the release under the hood
¢ fig. 242. This releases the catch.
.. Open the hood all the way.
A WARNING
-Hot eng ine co olant can burn you.
- To reduce the risk of being b urned, never
o pen the hood if you see or hear steam
or coo la nt escaping from the eng ine
compa rtment. Wait unt il no steam or
coo lant can b e seen o r heard before care­
fu lly openi ng the ho od.
Closing the engine hood
.. Pull the hood down un til the pressure from
t he stru ts is reduced .
.. Let the hood
drop down and la tch in p lace.
Do not try to push it shut; it may fail to en­
gage
c> _& .
A WARNING
--
A ho od t hat is not completely latched
could fly up an d block your vi ew while dr iv­
i ng.
- W hen you close the engine hood, c heck it
to make sure the safety catch has p roper­
ly engaged . The hood sho uld be flush
wit h the surrou nding vehicle body parts.
- If you notice while dr iv ing t hat t he hood
is not s ecured properly, stop at once and
close it.
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in
the engine compartment .
Whenever you must perform any wo rk in the
engine compartment, for example checking
and filling different fluids, th ere is a risk of
injury, burns and accidents. To pr event per­
sonal injury alway s observe the following
WARNINGS. The engine compartm ent of any
vehicle is a hazardous area
c> &, .
A WARNING
To he lp avo id i njury, before yo u check any­
thi ng under the hoo d:
- Tu rn off the eng ine .
- Remove the igni tion key.

266 Checking and filling
Engine compartment
These are the most important items that you can check .
Fig. 243 Typical layout for containers, engine oil di pstick and engine oil fille r cap
CD W indshield/head light washer
. ( ") container O ......... ... .. . 279
@ Coolant expansion tank (-L) ... 272
® E
ng ine oi l filler cap ('t".:r.) ... .. . 270
© Eng ine oil dipstick (orange) . .. . 269
® Brake fluid reservoir ((0)) ...... 274
® Power steering reservoir ... .. . 230
(j) Jump start connector(+) under
a cover, ( -) with hex head screw
277, 314
The position of the engine o il fi lling hole and
the engine oil dipstick
r=;, fig. 243 (position ®
and @) can vary according to the type of en­
gine .
_&. WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS ¢.&.
in Working in the engine
comportment on page 264.
-
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used in your Audi needs the
right kind of oil.
The engine in your Audi is a sophist icated
powerplant that was built to exacting specifi­
cations. This engine needs the right kind of
engi ne oil that meets specifications regard ing
quality and v iscosity so that it can run
smooth ly and reliab ly. Choosing the right oil
and changing oil within the time and mileage
intervals printed in your vehicle's Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet matters a lot more to­
day than it did years ago . Audi has developed
a spec ia l quality standard for eng ine oil that
will help assure that your vehicle's engine w ill
get the lubrication it needs for proper opera­
t ion .
Modern engine lubr ication has taken a quan ­
tum leap in the last few years. Many synthetic "'