2014 AUDI A7 ESP

234 Check ing and filling
@ For the sake of the environment
- Before changing your oil , first make sure
you know where you can properly dispose
of the used o il.
- Always dispose of used engine oil proper­
l y. Do not dump it on garden soi l, wood­
ed areas, into open streams or down
sewage dra ins.
- Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a
used engine oil collection facility in your
area, or contact a service station .
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.
The cooling system is sea led and generally re­
q uir es little attention .
The cooling system has been filled at the fac ­
tory with a pe rmanent coolant which does not
need to be c hanged. The coolant consists of a
mixture of spec ia lly conditioned water and the
manufacturer 's glyco l-b ased coo lant add i-
tive G l3 antifreeze with ant icorrosion addi ­
tives (50% for USA models ; 60% for Canadian
mod els). This mixture both assures the nec es­
sary frost protection and protects metal com­ ponents in the engine's cooling sys tem from
corrosion and scaling . It a lso raises the boil­
ing point of the coolant .
Do not red uce the concentration o f the coo l­
ant in the summer by adding plain water.
The
proportion of coolant add itive mu st be at
l e a st 50 % but not more than 60 %
to main­
tain antifreez e protection and cooling efficien­
cy . If the coolant frost prote ct ion is too low,
the coo lant cou ld freeze and damage the veh i­
cle hea ting and eng ine cooling system.
For yea r-round d riving, antifreeze is added at
the fac to ry for temperatures down to:
-- 31°F( -35°C)USA
- -40 °F ( -40 °C) Canada. If
you must add coolant, use a mixture o f wa ­
ter and coolant additive . Mixing the coo lant
additive with distilled water is recommended.
A WARNING
-
Before you c heck anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed a ll
WAR NINGS
c::, & in Working in the engine
compartment on page 22
7 .
(D Note
- Before winter sets in, have the coo lant
checked to see if the coolant additive in
your vehicle is sufficient to meet the cli­ mate conditions . This is especia lly impor­
tan t if you live in a reg io n where the win­
t er is ex treme ly cold. If ne cessa ry, i n­
crease the pr opo rtion of coo lant add itive
t o 60%.
- Whe n adding coolant additive to yo ur
c oolin g sys tem, remembe r:
- We recommend using on ly coolant ad ­
d itive Gl2++ or Gl3 (check the label)
for your vehicle . This coolant additive is
ava ila ble at autho rized Aud i deale rs.
Other types of antifreeze ca n sig nifi­
ca ntly reduce co rr os io n protection. The
r es ult ing co rrosion c an c ause a los s o f
coolant and serious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of rad iator leak seal­
a n t to y our vehicle 's engine coolant.
Add ing radiator repai r fl uid may adverse ­
ly affect the function and performance of
your cooling system and co uld resu lt in
damage not covered by yo ur New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
-

238 Checking and filling
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal
of brake fluid as we ll as the special tools
required and the necessary expertise, we recommend that you have the brake fluid
changed by your author ized Audi dealer.
Battery
General information
Under normal operating conditions, the bat­
tery in your Audi does not need any mainte­
nance. With
high outside temperatures or
long daily drives we recommend that you have
the electro lyte level checked by a service fa­
cility . The electrolyte level should also be
checked each time the battery is charged
<=:> page 240.
Have the battery checked when you take your
vehicle in for service . You are well adv ised to
replace a battery that is older than 5 years .
With certain types of airbag deployment, the battery is disconnected from the vehicle elec­
tr ical system for safety reasons
c::> & in Re­
pair, care and disposal of the airbags on
page 165.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle functions (power window regu­
lators, for example) are lost if the battery ter­
minals are disconnected. These functions have
to be relearned after the battery terminals are
connected again. To prevent this , the battery
should only be disconnected from the vehicle
e lectrica l system when absolutely necessary
for repairs.
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of severa l days or weeks, electrical compo­
nents are gradually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and main­
tains starting capability over a longer period
c::> page 202. Some of the convenience func­
tions may not operate, such as the interior
lights or power seat adjustment. The conven- ience
functions will be available again when
you switch on the ignition and start the en­ gine.
Winter operation
During the winter months, battery capac ity
tends to decrease as temperatures drop. This
is because more power is a lso consumed whi le
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 distances. Let your authorized Audi
deale r check the capacity of the vehicle bat ­
tery before winter sets in
c::> page 240 . A well
charged battery will no t only prevent star ting
problems when the weather is cold, but will
also last longer .
@ Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for several
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the
vehicle battery should be removed and
stored where it w ill not freeze. This will
prevent it from be ing damaged and having
to be replaced .
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
The battery is located in the luggage compart­
ment under the floor . Before you check any­
thing in the luggage compartment,
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.

cracked and weakened when the battery
froze.
- Charge the battery in a well ventilated
area. Keep away from open flame or elec­
trical spark. Do not smoke. Hydrogen gas
generated by the battery is explosive.
- To reduce the danger of explosion, never
connect or disconnect charger cables
while the charger is operating.
- Fast charging a battery is dangerous and
should only be attempted by a compe­
tent technician with the proper equip ­
ment .
- Battery acid that may spill during charg­
ing should be washed off with a solution
of warm water and baking soda to neu­
tralize the acid.
0 Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to
start the engine . This will seriously dam ­
age sensitive electronic components, such
as control units, relays, radio, etc., as well
as the battery charger.
Battery replacement
The new battery must have the same specifi­
cations and dimensions as the original equip­
ment battery.
Intelligent energy management in your vehi­
cle is responsible for distributing the electri­
cal energy throughout your vehicle
q page 202. The intelligent energy manage­
ment system will keep the engine battery
charged better than vehicles without this sys­
tem. To make sure the additional electrical en­
ergy is available once again after you have
changed the battery, we recommend that you install batteries of the same type and manu ­
facture only (the same as those installed at
the time your vehicle was delivered). Specifi­
cations are listed on the battery housing. Your
authorized dealer must code the battery in
the energy management system to enable you
to use the energy management functions cor­ rectly after replacing the battery.
Checking and filling 241
The new battery must have the same capacity,
voltage (12-volts), amperage, construction and plug sealing.
When installing the battery, make sure the ig ­
nition and all electrical consumers are switch­
ed off.
(D Note
Make sure the ventilation hose on the side
of the battery is connected, otherwise
fumes or battery acid can leak out.
- Vehicles with the Start-Stop-System* are
equipped with a special cycle-proof AGM
battery. Installing a different type of
battery can cause problems in the vehi­
cle electrical system. When replacing the
vehicle battery, always install one with
the same specifications as the original
battery.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal
of a battery, we recommend your author­
ized Audi dealer change the battery for
you. Batteries contain sulfuric acid and lead and must always be disposed of prop­
erly in compliance with all environmental
regulations. Disposing of vehicle batteries
improperly is very dangerous to the envi­
ronment.
Windshield/headlight
washer container
Fig. 199 E ng in e compar tment: cov er on th e w in ds hield
and headl ig ht* washer fluid reservoir
II-
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Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle .
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle . Tires are,
however, one of the most important parts of a
vehicle, particularly considering the compara­
tively small patch of rubber on each tire that
assures that a ll- important contact between
you, your vehicle and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, mak ing
sure that your vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry mo re weight than they can safely han­
d le, avoiding damage from road hazards and
r eg ularly inspect ing t ires for damage i nclud­
ing cuts, slashes irregu la r wear and ove rall
condition are the most important things that
you can do to he lp avoid sudden tire failure in­
cluding tread separat ion and blowouts.
A voidin g damage
If you have to d rive over a curb or similar ob­
stacle, drive very slow ly and as close as possi ­
b le at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chemicals includ ing grease, o il ,
gasoline and brake fluid off the t ires .
I nspect the t ires regularly for damage (cuts,
cracks or b listers, etc.). Remove any fo reign
bod ies embedde d in the treads.
Storing tires Mark tires when you remove them to indicate
the direction of rotation . T his ensures you to
be ab le to mount them correctly when you re­
i nstall them .
When removed, the wheels or t ires should be
sto red in a cool, d ry and preferably dark place .
Store tires in a vertical pos ition if they are not
mounted on rims, in a horizontal pos it ion if
they are mounted on rims .
Tires an d wheel s 243
New tires
New ti res have to be broken in¢& .
The tread depth of new t ires may vary, accord­
ing to the type a nd make of t ire and the tread
patte rn.
H idden damage
Damage to tires and r ims is ofte n not readily
visible . If you notice unusual v ib rat ion or the
vehicle pulls to one s ide, th is may ind icate
that one of the t ires has been damaged . T he
ti res m ust be chec ked immed iate ly by an au­
thorized Audi dea le r or q ua lified wor kshop .
Unidirectional tires
A un idirectional tire can be identified by ar­
rows on the sidewa ll, that po int in the direc­
tion the t ire is designed to rotate. You mus t
f ol low the specified di rection o f rotation . T his
is necessary so that these tires can develop
their optimum characteristics regarding grip, road noise, wear and hydrop laning resistance.
For more information
¢ page 271.
A WARNING
New tires or t ires that are o ld, worn or
damaged cannot provide maximum con­
trol and braking ability .
-
-New tires tend to be slippery and must
be broken in. To reduce the r isk of losing
control, a co llision and ser ious personal
in ju ries, d rive with special ca re for the
fi rst 350 m iles ( 560 km).
- Driving with worn or damaged tires can
lead to loss of control, sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
fl ation, cras hes and se riou s personal in­
juries . Have worn or damaged t ires re­
placed immediate ly.
- Ti res age even if they are not being used
and can fai l sudden ly, especially at hig h
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith special care and at low
speed.
•
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24 4 T ire s and wheel s
-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
you 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 t ire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- If you notice unusual vibration or if the
vehicle pulls to one side when driving, 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 summer and winter tires
are designed for the cond itions that are
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means t he comb ined we ight (in excess of
those sta ndard items which may be rep laced)
of au toma tic tra nsmission, power steer ing,
power brakes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that th ese
items are availab le as factory -installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not) .
Aspect ratio
means t he ratio of the he ight 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 overall handling on dry pavement .
Bead
means the part of the ti re that is made of
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the
tire . typ
ica l in those seasons . Audi recommends
using winter tires during the winter
months . Low temperatures signif icant ly
decrease the e lasticity of summer tires,
which affects tract ion and brak ing ability.
If summer tires are used in very co ld tem­
peratures, cracks ca n form on the tread
bars, res ulting in permanent tire damage
that can cause loud driving no ise and un­
balan ced t ires. Audi is not responsible for
th is type of damage .
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire p ressu re recommended by t he
vehicle manufacturer fo r a tire of a des igna ted
s iz e that has not bee n driven for more than a
coup le of miles (k ilometers) at low speeds in
t h e three hour period before the tire pressure
is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
mea ns the we ight of a motor ve hicl e w ith
standard equipment including the max imum
capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi ­
tioning and additional weight of optiona l
equipment.
Extra load tire
me ans a t ire design to operate at higher loads
and at h igher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standard tire . Extra load tires may
be identified as "XL", "x l" , "EXTRA LOAD", or
"RF" on the sidewall.
Gross A xle Weight Rating ("GAWR ")
means the lo ad -c a rry ing c apac ity of a s ingle
axle system , measured a t the tire-ground in­
terfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR ")
mea ns the maximum total loaded we ight of
t h e ve hicl e. .,.

Tires and wheels 247
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load fo r various d esignated seat ing
capaci tie s
Designated seating capacity , Vehicle normal load , number Occupant distribution in a nor-
number of occupants of occupants mally loaded vehicle
4 2 2 in front
5
3 2 in front, 1 in back seat
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle.
Fig. 2 00 Tire pressu re lab el: located o n drive r's side B­
p ill ar
Tire pressure generally refers to the amo unt
of air in a t ire that it needs it to do its job and
safely car ry the combined load of the entire
vehicle and its contents . T ire pressure is
measured in kilopascals (kPa) , the interna ­
tional measu ring unit and in pounds per
s quare inch (PSI). Tire p ressure is based in
part on the vehicle's design and load limit -
the greatest amount of weight that the vehi ­
cle can carry safely and the t ire size . The prop­
er tire pressure is frequent ly referred to as the
" recommended cold tire inf lation pressure ."
Air in the tires expands when the ti re heats up
beca use of internal fri ct ion when it flexes in
use. The tire p ressure is higher when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "cold ." It is the
inflat ion p ressure in a "cold" ti re that counts.
Therefore, you should never let air out of a
warm tire to match "cold tire inflation p res­
sure" recommendations. The t ires would then
be underinflated and could fail suddenly .
Maintaining proper tire pre ssure is one of the
most important things you can do to help
avoid sudde n tire failure . Underinflated t ires
are a majo r cause of sudden tire failure . Keep­
i ng tires at the r ight pressure is also impor-
-"' --~ -- ,e
• (:::=~. ~: I =: I :,.. I)( ::: ) l3 n,........,..,.__...,~ ........ ....,_...... • ... _ .. , ....................................... ..,_ "" ..
-""u
--
-...........
- KPA. a PSI
-KPA. a PSI
-KPA. a PSI
Fi g. 201 Ti re pres sure label
tant for safe and respons ive ve hicle hand ling,
tra ction, braking and load carrying.
Tir e pre s­
sure s are parti cul arly important when the
v ehicle i s being dr iven at higher sp eed s, and
then e speciall y when hea vily loaded even
withi n the pe rmissible load -carrying capaci­
t ies app roved for your veh icle .
The recommended t ire pressures for your Audi
depend on th e kind of tires on your vehicle
and the n umber of passengers and/or amount
of luggage you will be transporting.
The tire pressure label is located on the driv­
er 's side B-pillar. The tire pressure labe l lists
the recommended cold tire inflat ion pressures
for the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and tires that were on your veh icle at
the time it was manufactured .
If you wish to imp ro v e co mfort when operat­
ing the vehicle at normal lo ad (up to 2 /3*
occup ants ), you can adju st ti re pres sures to
those specified for normal v ehicle load . Be­
fore operating the vehicl e at maximum load ,
you must increase th e tire pre ssu res to tho se
spe cified for maximum v ehicl e load
¢ ,&. . IJi,,-

248 Tires and wheels
Bear in mind that the tire press ure monitoring
system* can only monitor the tire pressures
you have stored . The system does not recog ­
n ize the load condit ion of yo ur vehicle.
T he effectiveness of the tire p ressu re monitor ­
ing system * will be impaired if you store nor­
mal load pressures but the n operate the vehi ­
cle at its max imum load
c:> &. .
See the i llustra tion c:> fig. 2 00 for the location
of the la b el on dr iver's side B-pillar (co lor of
the act ua l labe l and exact location on the ve ­
h icle w ill vary slig htly).
Model / Tire designation
Note that the fo llowing ta ble is acc urate at
t h e time of going to press and is s ubject to
c h ange . In the event of d iscrepancies, the t ire
pressure label is located on the d river's side B­
pillar always takes precedence.
T he table below lists t he recommen ded cold
t ir e inflat ion pressu res for the Audi mode l
cove red by your Owner's Lite rat ure at the vehi ­
cle's capacity weig ht and the t ire sizes instal­
l ed on the respective models as or ig inal
equipmen t, or as a factory opt ion.
Tire pressure
Engine normal load condition full load condition
fronta > reara
>
front rear
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
A7 : 235/55 Rl 7 99Y
32 220 29 200 35 240
38 260 3.0 liter High Performance
6-cylinder 255/45 R18 99H
All Season
3 2 2 20 29 200 35 24 0 3 8 260
255/45 Rl8 99Y 32 220 29 200
35 2
4 0
38 260
High Perfo
rmance
255 /40 R19 lOOH XL
35 240 32 220 38 260 280 All Season 4 1
255/40 Rl9100YXL
36 2 50 32 220 38 260 41 280 High Performance
265/35 R20 99H XL
35 240
32 220 38 260 41
280 All Season
265 /35 R20 99Y XL
36 250 32 22 0 38 26 0 41 280 High Performance
S7: 255/40 Rl9 lOOY XL
39
270
33 230
42 290 42 290 4.0 liter High Performance
a-cylinder 265/35 R20 99V XL
High Performance
41 280 35 240 44 300 44 300
XL= reinforced or extra load tire. It may also appear as xl, EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire side-
wall.
al no
rm al load co ndi tio n r:::., page 24 7.
The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is
l ocated o n a label o n the dr ive r's side B -pillar .
Because technical changes may be made to
ve hicle equ ipment dur ing the model year, a l­
ways compare the tire size designation on the
tire pressure labe l on your vehicle w it h the t
ires on you r vehicle. Make sure that the tire
s ize informa tion on the vehicle labe l is the
same as the size o f the tires on the veh icle .

This is especially important if the vehicle be­l ongs to someone else or you bought the vehi­
cle with different rims/tires or you bought the
veh icle as a previously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on making sure that l oad limits are not exceeded . Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
vehicle. These load limits are technically refer­ red to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight
Rati ng ( "GVWR") . The Gross Axle Weight Rat­
i ng ("GAWR") is the maximum load that can
be applied at each of the veh icle 's two axles.
The G ross Vehicle We ight Rating and the
Gross Axle We ight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance sticker labe l located on the
driver's side B -pillar . The tire pressure label on
your Audi lists the maximum combined
weight of all of the occupants and luggage or
other cargo that the vehicle can carry. For the
locat io n of the tire pressure label¢
fig . 200 .
.,&. WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve ­
hicle control, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal inju ry, and even death.
- Carry ing more weight than yo ur vehicle
was designed to ca rry will p revent the
vehicle from hand ling p roperly and in­
crease the ris k of a loss of veh icle con­
t ro l.
- T he bra kes on a veh icle that h as been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance .
- T ires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly causing loss of con ­
tro l and a c rash.
- Always make sure that the tota l load be­
ing transported -includ ing the weight of
a tra iler hitc h and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the veh i­
cle heav ier than the veh icle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.
Tire s an d wheel s 249
.,&. WARNING
-Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
f lation can lead to a ser ious or fatal acci ­
dent .
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
f lation cause increased tire wear and can
affect the handl ing of the vehicle .
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin ­
f lation can a lso lead to sudden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
f lation , causing loss of veh icle cont ro l.
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires original­
ly installed on your vehicle is listed on the tire
pressure label located on driver's side 8-pil­ lar.
The recommended tire pressures are on the
t ire p ress ure label and i n the table
¢ page 247, Cold tire inflation pressure.This
means th at the pressure m ust be chec ked and
adjusted when the t ire has not been dr iven for
more than a couple of miles (kilometers) at
l ow speeds d uring the previous th ree ho urs .
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
as a result of internal frict ion as it flexes in
use. The tire pressure is higher when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "cold."
It is the inflation pressure in a "cold" tire that
counts. Therefore, you should never let a ir out
o f a warm tire to match "Cold t ire inflat io n
pressure" recommendat ions ¢
page 247 . The
ti res wou ld then be unde rinflated and co uld
fail suddenly .
The tire pressure label on your Audi lists the recommended co ld tire inflation pressures at
max imum capacity for the new, or ig inal
equipment tires that were on your ve hicle at
t h e time it was ma nufactu red. For the lo ca­
t ion o f the labe l¢
page 247, fig. 200.
Most t ires lose air naturally ove r time . They
can a lso lose some air if yo u drive over a pot­
ho le or hit a curb while par king.
It is usually
not poss ible to see whether the rad ia l t ires ...,
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