2013 AUDI Q7 check engine light

242 Trailer towing
Weight Rating will also change the per­
formance and handling characterist ics of
your vehicle, which could cause a crash result ing in serious injury or death .
- The Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ing for your
vehicle would be exceeded if your vehicle
is simultaneously equipped with Panor ­
am ic sliding sunroof; th ird-row seating;
t railer towing equipment (factory or
dealer-installed) , and running boards
(deale r-installed) . UNDER NO CIRCUM ­
STANCES MAY ALL SUCH ITEMS BE IN­
STALLED ON THE SAME VEHICLE.
Operating instructions
MAX 6.9"
MAX175mm
E
Ill E Ill ... Q) m
Fig. 233 Permi tted ba ll pos it ion of t he t ra iler h itc h
Trailer towing weights
With a factory-installed trailer hitch, the
maximum permissible trailer weight is 6,615
l bs (3,000 kg) . Th e maximum permissible un­
braked trailer weight is 1,650 lbs (750 kg).
With an
aftermarket trailer hitch, the maxi­
m um permissible trailer weight is 5,512 lbs
(2,500 kg) . These specifications apply when
driving on roads having an incline of less than
12%.
Permissible tongue load
F or best vehicle handling under these
changed condit ions, adjust the trailer load so
that the tongue load is at the maximum al­
lowable or slightly lower . You can get an ap ­
prox imation of the tongue load w ith a bath­
room scale or you can measure the load at a
trucking company or weighing station .
With a
factory-installed trailer hitch, the
maximum permissible load on the ball h itch may not exceed 662 lbs
(300 kg). With an
af­
termarket
trailer hitch, the maximum permis­
s ib le load on the ba ll hitch may not exceed
551 lbs (250 kg). It is recommended to use
the maximum permissible load.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held secure ly
in place to prevent it from shifting forward,
backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢&. in Driving instructions on page 243.
Ball mount
The trailer hitch may only be used w ith suita­
ble ball mount and ball¢
fig. 233. In stalla­
tion of the hitch ball must be carried out in ac­
cordance with the manufac turer's instruc­
tions. At the height dimension of 1.5 in
(38.5 mm) a tolerance of +/- 0.5 in (12. 7 mm)
is permissib le.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work ha rd­
er . It is important that the cooling system's
performance is up to the additional load .
Make sure that the cooling system has enough
fluid .
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, infla te the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressu re listed under
" Full l oad" on the tire pressure label. The tire
pressure label is located on the driver's side B­
pillar . Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire
manufacturers' spec ificat ions .
Lights
The headlight settings shou ld be checked with
the trai ler attached before driving
off. Check
to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly con­
nected from the trai ler to the h itch on the ve ­
hicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to per­
mit turning corners. When you install safety
IJ,,

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 "'

268 Checking and filling
VW 502 00 (vehicles with gasoline engine) or
VW 507 00 (vehicles with diesel engine).
Changing the engine oil
The engine oil and oil filter must be changed
according to the m ileage (ki lometers) and
time intervals specified in your vehicle 's War­
ranty
& Maintenance booklet. Do not exceed
these intervals -harmful deposits from old
engine oil can reduce engine performance and
can lead to expensive engine repairs.
Changing the oil at the recommended inter­
va ls is so very important because the lubricat ­
ing properties o f oi l decrease gradually during
normal vehicle use. If you are not sure when
you have your o il changed, ask your author­
i z ed Audi Service Advisor.
Under some ci rcumstances the engine oi l
should even be changed more frequently .
Change oi l more often if you drive mostly
short distances, operate the vehicle in dusty
areas or mostly under stop-and-go traffic con­
d itions, or when you use your vehicle w here
temperatures stay below freez ing point for
l ong periods .
Detergent additives in the o il w ill make fresh
oil look dark after the engine has been run­
ni ng for a short time . This is normal and is not
a reason to change the oil more often than
recommended.
Damage or malfunctions due to lack of
maintenance
It is essential that you change your oil at the recommended intervals using only engine oil
that complies with Audi oi l standard
VW 502 00 (vehicles with gasoli ne engine) or
VW 507 00 (veh icles with diese l engine) . Your
Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not cover
damage or malf unctio ns due to failure to fol­
lo w recommended maintenance and use re­
quirements as set forth in the A udi Owner's
Manual and Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
Your dea ler will have to deny warranty cover­
age unless you present to the dealer proof in
the form of Service or Repa ir Orders that all scheduled maintenance was
performed in a
timely manner.
Engine oil consumption
To provide effective lubrication and cooling for
internal engine parts, all internal combustion
engines use some o il. Oil consumption varies
from engine to engine and may change over
the life of the engine. Engines tend to use
more o il during the break-in period tha n they
do afterward, when oil consumption has sta­
bilized. Depending on the way the vehicle is
driven and the operating conditions, oil con­
s u mption can be up to 1 quart per 1,200
miles (1 liter per 2,000 km) . Consumption
may be higher within the first 3,000 m iles
(5,000 km) .
Under normal conditions, the rate of oil con­
sumption depends on oil quality as well as vis­
cosity, engine speed (rpm), outs ide tempera­
ture, road conditions, the amount of oil dilu­
t ion caused by condensed water or fue l resi­
due, and ox idat ion of the oil. Oil co nsumption
may increase with engine wear over time, un­
t il replacement of worn engine pa rts may be­
come necessary.
Because of all these variables, there is no
standard or "norma l" rate of oil consumption .
We urge you to check the engine oil level at
regular intervals, preferably every time you
fill the fuel tank, and always before a long
trip.
The oil pressure warning light. is not an
indicator of low engine oil level. If the warn­
ing light does not go out after starting, or
flashes while driving (above 1500 rpm), a
buzzer will sound. It indicates that the oil
pressure is too low . Stop the engine immedi·
ately, check the engine oil level and add oil if
necessary. If the engine oil level is normal,
but the light continues to flash, do not keep
driving or let the engine idle, as damage may
occur .
II-

272 Che cking and filling
For year-round driving, antifreeze is added at
the factory for temperatures down to:
- -31° F(-35°C)USA
- - 40 °F ( - 40 °C) Canada.
_& WARNING
-
Before yo u check anything in the e ngine
compar tment, alw ays read and heed all
WARN INGS
¢.&. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 264 .
(D Note
- Befo re win ter se ts in, have the coolan t
che cked to see if t he coolant ad dit ive in
you r vehicle is s ufficien t to mee t the cli ­
mate conditions. T his is especially impor­
tant if yo u live in a region where the w in­
ter is extremely co ld. If necessary, in­
crease the proport io n of coolant additive
to 60%.
- When adding coolant addit ive to your
cooling system, remember:
- We recommend using only coolant ad­
ditive G1 2++ o r G13 fo r your vehicle.
Thi s coo lant add itive is available at au­
thorized A ud i dealers. Other types of
antifreeze can significantly reduce cor­
rosion protection. The res ulting corro ­
sion can cause a loss of coo lant and se­
r ious eng ine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiator leak sea l­
ant to your ve hicle's engine coo lant.
Adding rad iator repair fluid may adve rse­
ly affec t the function and perfo rmance of
you r cooling system and could result in
damage not cove red by your New Vehicle
Limited Wa rranty.
Checking the engine coolant level
T he engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance .
Fig . 2 4 7 Engin e compa rtm en t: Coo lant expansio n ta nk
Befo re you check anyth ing in the en gine com­
partment,
alway s read and h eed all WARN­
INGS ¢ A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 264.
.,. Park yo ur vehicle on a level surf ace .
.,. Tur n off the ignition.
.,. Let the engine cool down.
.,. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank ¢
fig. 24 7, ¢ page 266, fig . 243 and
carefull y twist the cap counter-clockwise
¢,&. .
.,. Read the engine coolant level in the open
coo lant expansion ta nk. W ith a cold eng ine,
the coolant level should be between the "min " and "max " mar kings. When t he en­
g ine is wa rm, the level may be slightly above
the "max" mark ing.
T he locat ion of the coo lant expansion tan k
c an be see n in the engine compartmen t illu s­
t ration
¢ page 266.
T o obtain an accu rate reading, the engine
must be switched off.
The expansion tank in your veh icle is equipped
with an electr ic coo lant level senso r.
When the coolant leve l is too low, the warning
light in the Auto-Check System¢
page 32 will
blink unti l you add coolant and the level has
been resto red to normal. Even though there is
an electric coo lant level senso r, we still rec­
ommend you check the coolant level from
time to t ime .

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.
A 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 c:;, A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 264.
Checking and filling 273
.. Turn off the engine .
.. Let the engine cool down.
.. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank
c:;, page 2 72, fig. 247 and carefully
twist the cap counter-clockwise c:;, &, .
.. Add coolant .
.. Twist the cap on again
tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to
exact specificat ions
c:;, page 2 71, 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.
A WARNING
- The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of
scalding 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
applying light, downward pressure on
the top of the cap.
- To avoid being burned, do not spill an­
tifreeze or coolant on the exhaust sys­
tem or hot engine parts. Under certain
conditions, the ethylene glycol in en­
gine coolant can catch fire.
- Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store an­
tifreeze in its original container and well
out of the reach of children. .,.
•
•

274 Che cking and filling
-If you drain the coolant, it must be
caught and safely stored in a proper con­
tainer clearly marked "poison".
(D Note
- Coolant pollutes the environment and
could cause an engine fire . Excess coo l-
ant will be forced out through the pres­
sure relief valve 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
c:;, page 271 must be re­
stored as soon as possible .
@ For the sake of the environment
Dra ined coolant should not be reused. Al­
ways dispose of used coolant while observ­ ing all environmental regulations.
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by
itself
The radiator fan is driven by the engine via the
V-belt . The viscous clutch regulates the speed
of the fan accord ing to t he temperature of the
coolant.
An auxiliary electric radiator fan* switches on
and off depending on coolant temperature
and other vehicle operating conditions.
After you switch the engine off, the auxiliary
fan can continue running for up to 10 minutes - even with the ignition off. It can even switch
on again later by itself
c:;, &. , if
- the temperature of the engine coolant rises
due to the heat build-up from the engine in
the engine compartment, or
- the engine compartment heats up because
the vehicle is parked in intense sunlight.
_&. WARNING
- To reduce the risk of personal injury nev­
er touch the radiator fan . -
The auxiliary electric fan is temperature
controlled and can switch on suddenly
even when the engine is not running.
- The auxiliary radiator fan switches on au­
tomatically when the engine coolant
reaches a certain temperature and will
continue to run until the coolant temper­
ature drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a
quick glance.
Fig. 248 Eng ine compart men t: cover on the brake fluid
reservoir
Before you check anyth ing in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS c:;, _&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 264.
.,. Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir
c::> fig. 248, c:;, page 266,
fig. 243.
The brake fluid level m ust be be­
tween the "MIN" and "MAX" markings.
The brake fluid reservoir is located at the rear
part ition of the engine compartment on the
left side
c:;, page 266.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the brake pads. This is not cause for alarm .
If the brake flu id level falls
considerably be­
low the
"MIN" mark, the brake warn ing/indi­
cator light ( U.S. models:
1111 , Canadian
models :. will come on
c::> page 19 and
c::>page 32. Do not continue to operate the ve-
hicle. The complete brake system should be ..,.

2 76 Chec king and filling
should only be disconnected from the vehicle
e lectrical system when absolutely necessary
for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive your vehicle over a pe riod
of several days or weeks, electrical compo­
nents are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and main ­
tains starting capab ility over a longer period
<=> page 231.
Take into consideration that when you un lock
your vehicle, some convenience functions, such as the interior lights or the power seat
adjustment, may not be available. The con­
venience functions will be available again
when you turn on the ignition and start the
engine .
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capacity
tends to decrease as temperatures drop . This
is because more power is also consumed while
starting, and the headlights, rear window de ­
fogger, etc., are used more often .
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, par­
ticularly in city traffic or when traveling only
short d istances . Let your authorized Audi
dealer check the capacity of the vehicle bat­
tery before w inte r sets in
<=> page 277. A well
cha rged battery w ill not only prevent starting
p rob lems when the weather is cold, but will
a lso last longer.
(D Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for several
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the
vehicle battery should be removed and
stored where it will not freeze . This wi ll
prevent it from being damaged and having
to be replaced.
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
The battery is located under the driver 's seat.
Before you check anyth ing under the driver 's
seat,
read and heed all WARNINGS c:> _&.
Always heed the safety warnings, when work­
ing on the vehicle battery or the vehicle elec­
trical system to prevent injury.
The following WARNINGS are very
important when working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYM­ BOLS and safety precautions when working
on the battery.
® Always wear eye protection .
b.. Battery acid contains sulfuric acid . Al­
~ ways wear gloves and eye protection.
~ No
\!:!Y -sparks
- flames
- smoking.
A When a battery is charged, it produces
~ hydrogen gas which is explosive and
could cause personal injury.
Always keep the battery well out of reach of children.
,&. WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on
the electrical system, there is the risk of
injury, accident and even fire . Read and
heed the following WARNINGS:
- Always wear eye protection. Do not let
battery ac id or any lead particles get on
your skin or clothing. Shield your eyes .
Exp losive gases can cause blindness or
other injury.
- Battery acid contains sulfuric acid. Sulfu­
ric acid can cause blindness and severe
burns.
- Always wear g loves and eye protection.
-
Do not tilt the battery because acid ~