2013 AUDI Q7 check engine

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-

If you be lieve your e ngine uses too much oil,
w e recommend that you consult your author­
ized Audi dealer so that the cause of your con ­
cern can be properly diagnosed . Keep in mind
that accurate measurement of oil consump­ tion requires great care and may take some
time . Your Aud i dealer has inst ruct ions for
how to measure oil consumption acc urately .
_& WARNING
Stop! Before work ing in the engine com­
pa rtment, always read and heed all WARN­
IN GS
¢ .& in Working in the engine com­
partment on page 264.
The engine com­
partment of any motor ve hicle is
a poten ­
tially dangerous a rea and can cause ser i­
ous pe rsonal injury.
(D Note
- The eng ine depends on oi l to lubr icate
and cool a ll of its moving parts . The en­
gine o il m ust be checked regu larly and
kept at the required leve l.
- Make it a habit to have the engine oil lev­
el checked every time you fill the fue l
ta nk.
- Too litt le engine oil may ca use severe en­
gine damage.
Checking the engine oil level
The dipstick indicates the engine oil level.
F ig. 244 Illust rat io n of p rinc ip le 1: Ma rkers on o il dip­
s tick
Checkin g and fillin g 269
Fig . 2 45 Il lust rat io n of p rin ciple 2: Ma rke rs o n oil d ip ­
s tick
Befo re you check anyt hing in the engine com ­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS ¢ A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 264 .
Determining oil level
.,. Park yo ur vehicle so that it is horizonta lly
level.
.,. While at operating state tempe rature,
briefly let the engine run at idle and then
shut it off.
.,. Wait approx. two minutes.
.,. Pull out the oil dipstick . W ipe off the oil
d ipstick with a clean cloth, and sl ide it back
in as far as it w ill go.
.,. Pull it back out and read off the o il level
r=> fig. 244 or ¢ fig. 2 45. Top off the eng ine
oil, if applicable ¢
page 2 70 .
Oil level within range (v
.,. Do not add oil.
Oil le vel within range@
.,. You can add oil. Afterwards, the oil leve l
sh ould be within range @.
Oil le vel within range 0
.,. Yo u must add oil. Afterwards, the oil leve l
should be within range @.
T he oil leve l needs to be checke d at regu lar in ­
terva ls. The best t imes to do this are whenev -
er yo u refuel and prior to long trips.
Depend ing o n the way the vehicle is dr iven
and t he ope rat ing con ditions, o il co nsu mption
can be up to 1 q uart per 1,200 mi les ( 1 liter
Ill>

2 70 Ch eck ing and filling
per 2,000 km). Consumption may be higher
within the first 3,000 mi les (5,000 km).
Adding engine oil "1:::7':
0 N ;:;
"' "' a:>
F ig . 2 46 Eng ine com part men t: cove r on the eng ine o il
filler neck
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
al way s read and h eed all W ARN ­
ING S
¢.&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 264 .
.. Unscrew the cap 't::r. to the engine oil fill ing
hole¢
fig. 246, ¢ page 266, fig . 243.
.. Carefully top off with the appropriate o il in
0 .5 liter doses .
.. Check the oil level aga in after two minutes
¢ page 269.
.. Top off the oil again, if necessary.
.. Screw the cap back on the filling hole and
s li de the oil dipstick in as far as it will go.
& WARNING
Stop! Before working in the engine com­
partment, always read and heed a ll WARN­
INGS
¢ .& in Working in the engine com­
partment on page 264 .
The engine com­
partment of any motor ve hicle is a poten­
tially dangerous a rea and can cause ser i­
ous personal injury.
& WARNING
Spilled o il is a fi re hazard.
- The oil fille r cap must be prope rly se­
cured to prevent oil from being sprayed
on the hot engine and exhaust system
w hen the eng ine is r unning.
-
(D Note
- The oil leve l m ust not be above range 0
- danger of converter or engine damage !
Contact an authorized dealership to draw
off oil, if necessary.
- Audi does not recommend the use of oil
additives. They ma y damage the engine
and adversely aff ect your New Vehicle
Warranty .
~ For the sake of the environment
-Under no circumstances can the oil come
in contact with the sewage network or
the so il.
- Observe and follow legal regulations
when dispos ing of empty oil containers.
Changing the engine oil
Engine oil must be changed at intervals listed
in the Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
The engine oi l and oil fi lter m ust be changed
accord ing to the mileage and time intervals
specified in your vehicle's Warranty
& Mainte­
nance booklet . Do not exceed these intervals -
harmful s ludge and deposits from old engine
o il can reduce engi ne pe rformance and can
lead to expens ive engine repa irs.
Chang ing oi l at regular intervals is so very im­
po rtant because t he lubricat ing propert ies of
o il decrease gradually du ring normal vehicle
use.
If you are not sure when to have the oi l
changed, ask your a uthorized Audi Servi ce Ad­
visor .
U nder some c ircumstances the engine oil
sho uld even be changed more often than
specified for normal use. Change o il more of ­
ten if you often dr ive short distances, ope rate
the ve hicle in dusty a reas or mostly under
stop-and-go t raff ic conditions, or when you
u se your vehicle where temperatures stay be­
low free zing point for long periods.
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh
oi l look dark after the engine has been run-
ning for a short time . T hi s is normal and is not
IJ,,

a reason to change the oil more often than recommended.
A WARNING
Stop! Before working in the engine com­
partme nt, always read and heed all WARN­
INGS
q & in Working in the engine com­
partment on page 264.
The engine com­
partme nt of any motor veh icle is a poten­
tially dangerous a rea and can cause ser i­
ous pe rsonal injury.
A WARNING
If you must change the engine o il i n your
vehicle:
- Always wea r eye p rotection.
- To reduce the r isk of burns from hot en-
gine oil let the engine cool down to the
t ouch.
- When removing the oil drain plug with
yo ur finge rs, stay as far away as possible.
Always kee p your forea rm pa ra llel to the
ground to he lp prevent ho t oi l from r un­
ning down your arm.
- Drain the o il into a co nt ainer designed
f or this p urpose, one large enough to
hold at least the total amount of oil in
yo ur engine .
- T o reduce the r is k of po ison ing, never use
empty food or beverage containers that
might mis lead someone into drinking
from them.
- Engine oil is poisono us. Keep it well out
of the reach of chi ldren.
- Cont in u ous contact with used engi ne oil
is harmful to your skin. Always protect
yo ur sk in by washing tho ro ughly with
soap and water.
(D Note
Never mix oi l addit ives with your engine
oil. These additives can damage your en ­
gine and adverse ly affect your Audi Limit­
ed New Vehicle Warranty.
-
Checkin g and fillin g 2 71
@) For the sake of the environment
-Before changing the oil, first make sure
you know where you can prope rly dispose
of the old o il.
- Always dispose of used oil p ro perly. Nev­
er dump it on garden soil, in wooded
areas, into streams or down sewage
dra ins.
- Recycle used o il by tak ing it to a used en ­
gine oil collection facility in your area, or
contact a service station.
- We strongly recommend that yo u have
your oil cha nged by an authorized Audi
dealer or a qualified wo rkshop with the
special tools a nd expert ise required, and
proper m eans of disposa l.
Engine cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro­ tects the engine from freezing in the winter.
T he cooling sys tem is sealed and genera lly re­
quires little attention.
T he cooli ng system has bee n filled a t the fac­
t ory with a permanent coolant which does not
need to be c hanged . The coo lant cons ists of a
mixture of water and the manufacturer's gly ­
col-based coo lant additive G l3 antifreeze
with anticorrosion additives (50% for USA
models; 60% for Canadian mode ls). This m ix­
ture both assures the necessary frost protec­
tion and protects meta l compone nts in t he
engine's cool ing system from corros io n and
sca ling.
It also raises the boiling point of the
c oolant.
Do not reduce the concentration of the cool ­
ant in the s ummer by adding p lai n water .
The
proportion of coolant additive must be at
lea st 50 % but not more than 60 %
to main ­
tai n antifree ze pro te ct io n a nd coo ling eff icien­
cy .
If the coo lant fros t protection is too low,
the coo lant co uld freeze and damage the vehi-
cle heating and engine cooling system. .,..
•
•

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 ~