2014 AUDI A7 check engine

22 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
®'-Diesel particulate filter clogged
Applies to vehicles: with diesel engine and diesel particu­
late filter
II Particulate filter: System fault See own­
er's manua l
When the. symbol ill uminates, you can a l­
ter your driving style to assist the fi lter self­
clean ing p rocess . D rive for approx imately 15
minu tes wi th the sel ector leve r in the S pos i­
tion at a m inimum speed of 37 mph (60 km/
h ) a nd an engine speed of app rox imately
2, 000 R PM. The tempe ratu re i ncrease th at
will resu lt fro m t his can bur n off t he soo t in
the fil ter. The symbol wi ll switch off when the
clean ing is successf ul. Afte r a successful
cleaning, there is no need to br ing the car to
an author ized dealer or qualif ied worksh op
beca use this is part of normal vehicle opera­
ti on .
I f the symbo l
Ill does not switch off, see
your author ized dealer or other qualified
workshop to have the prob lem cor rected.
For more in format io n on the diesel pa rticu ­
late filte r, refer to¢ page 205.
A WARNING
Always adapt yo ur s peed to the cu rrent
weat her, road and traffic conditions. Y ou
sh ould never disobey t raffic laws in order
t o follow driv ing recomm endations .
!'7i Engine speed limitation
Applies to vehicles: with engine speed limitat ion
Ill Engine speed maximum XXXX RPM
-
The engine speed is automatically lim ited to
the speed disp layed in the dr ive r information
system. This protects t he e ng ine from over ­
h eat ing.
The engine speed limitation deactivates once
the eng ine is no longer in the crit ica l tempera­
ture range and you have released the acce lera ­
tor peda l once.
If t he engine speed limitation was act ivated
by an eng ine control malfunction, the ind ica- tor
light ~ also tu rns on . Ma ke s ure that the
s p eed does not go a bove the s peed disp layed .
Drive to y our authorized A udi dealer immedi ­
ate ly to have the ma lfunction corrected.
~"" Engine oil sensor
l!I Oil level! Sensor defective
If the symbol illuminates, contact yo ur au­
t h orized Audi dea ler and have the oil sensor
i nspected . U ntil yo u have this done, check t he
o il level each time you refue l just to be on the
saf e side
c> page 232.
EltJ Fuel level indicator
Ii] Please refuel
If the indicato r light turns on f or the first
t ime and the message appea rs, there are
abo ut 2.6 ga llons (10 lite rs) o f fuel left in the
tan k. Time to refuel <=>
page 220 .
llD Tank system malfunction! Contact dealer
If the indicator light turns on and this mes­
sage a ppears, there is a malf unct ion in the
tank system.
D rive to your au thori zed A udi dealer immedi ­
ate ly to have the ma lfu nction corrected.
Co Windshield washer fluid level
• Please refill washer fluid
If the symbol illum ina tes, ad d windshie ld
washe r fl ui d to t he washer system/headlight
washe r system * ¢
page 241 .
4J:> Windshield wipers
£~$ Windshield wiper defective
T he re is a malfunction with t he windshie ld
wipe rs .
Dr ive to your au th o riz ed A udi de aler i mme di­
ately to have the m alfunction correc ted.

Removing the mechanical key
Fig. 18 R emo te contro l master key : remov ing the me­
chanica l key
• Press the release button @ c:> fig. 18.
• Pull the mechanica l key @ out of the master
key.
Using the mechan ica l key, you can:
- lock and unlock the storage compartment
on the passenger's side
c::> page 61.
- lock and unlock the vehicle manually
c::>page 37 .
-lock the front and rear passenger doors me­
chanically
c:> page 38.
Master key battery replacement
F ig . 19 Remote master key: Removing the battery
holde r
Check light in the master key
The check light @ in the master key provides
information about different cond itions .
• The check light comes on briefly once when
a button is pressed, and during an "inquiry"
by the conven ience key system .
• If the check light does not come on, the bat­
tery is dead and has to be replaced. In addi­
t ion, when the battery is dead the
I!! sym­
bol appears in the instrument cluster dis-
Opening and closing 33
play as well as the message: Please change
key battery .
Master key battery replacement
• Pull the mechanical key out of the master
key
c::> page 33.
• Press the release button @ on the battery
holder and at the same time pull the battery
holder out of the master key in the direction
of the arrow.
• Install the new battery CR 2032 with the
"+" sign facing down.
• Push the battery holder carefully into the
master key .
• Install the mechanical key.
@ For the sake of the environment
Dispose of dead batteries properly so as
not to poll ute the environment.
(D Tips
The replacement battery must be the
same specification as the original.
, Electronic immobilizer
The immobilizer helps to prevent unauthor­
ized use of your vehicle.
A comp uter chip inside your key automatica lly
deactivates the electronic immobilizer when
the key is inside the vehicle. When you remove
the key from the vehicle, the electronic immo­
bilizer is automatically activated once again .
A WARNING
-
Always take the key with you when you
leave the vehicle. The key can disarm the
e lectronic engine immobilizer and permit
an unauthorized person to start the engine
and enable operation of the vehicle sys­
tems such as power window or power sun­
roof leading to serious personal injury.
(D Tips
- Th e vehicle cannot be started if an unau­
thorized key is used. The vehicle may not
start if another radio device such as a key .,.

.. To activate the child safety lock for the left/
right rear door, press the left/right button
Ii]
in the driver's door ¢ fig. 30. The light in the
button w ill turn on.
.. To deactivate the child safety lock for the
left/right rear door, press the left/r ight but­
ton
1±1 in the driver's door. The light in the
button turns off.
The follow ing features are switched off:
- The interior door handles in the rear doors,
- The power windows in the rear doors.
I n order to activate the child safety lock on
the left and the right s ide, press the two safe­
ty buttons
Ii] in succession.
Power windows
Controls
The driver can control all power windows.
Fig. 31 Section of the driver 's doo r: Cont rols
l(l 0 0 0
"' m
All power window switches are provided with
a two-position function :
Opening the windows
.. Press the switch to the first stop and hold it
until the window reaches the desired posi­
tion.
.,. Press the switch br iefly to the
second stop
to automatically open the window.
Closing the windows
.. Pull the switch to the first stop and hold it
until the window reaches the desired posi­
t ion.
.. Pull the switch briefly to the
second stop to
automatically close the window .
Opening and closing 41
Power window switches
@ Driver's door
® Passenger's door
© Left rear door
@ Right rear door
.,&_ WARNING
-When you leave your vehicle - even if on­
ly briefly - always take the ignit ion key
with you. This applies particularly when children remain in the vehicle. Otherwise
the children could start the engine or op­
erate electrical equipment (e.g. power
windows). The power windows are func­
tional until the driver's door or passeng­
er's doo r has been opened.
- Be careful when closing the w indows.
Check to see that no one is in the way, or
serio us injury could result!
- When locking the vehicle from outside,
the vehicle must be unoccupied since the
windows can no longer be opened in an
emergency .
{D Tips
-When you open the doors, the windows
automatically lower abo ut 10 mm.
- When the window in the driver's or pas­
senger's door is complete ly open, it will
raise approximately 25 mm when the
door is opened. The window will lower
again when you close the door.
- After the ignition has been switched off,
the windows can sti ll be opened or
closed for about 10 minutes. The power
windows are not switched off until the
dr iver's door or passenger's door has
been opened .
What to do after a malfunction
The one-touch open and close function must
be reactivated if the battery has been discon­
nected.
.. Pull and ho ld the power window switch until
the window is fully closed. .-

76 On the road
column will continue moving as long as you
are pressing the switch.
There must be at least 10 inc hes (25 cm) be­
tween you r chest and the center of the steer ­
ing whee l.
If you cannot sit more than 10 in­
ches (25 cm) from the steering whee l, see if
adapt ive equipment is available to help you
reach the pedals and increase the distance
from the steer ing wheel.
F or detai led information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
<::> page 54 .
In vehicles with the memory f unction* , the
steering column settings are stored together
with the seat position.
A WARNING
Improper use of steering wheel adjust­
ment and improper seating position can
cause se rious personal injury.
- Adjust the steer ing whee l column on ly
when the vehicle is not moving to pre­
vent loss of veh icle cont rol.
-
- Adjust the driver's seat or steering wheel
so that the re is a min imum of 10 inches
(25 cm) between your chest and the
steering wheel ¢
page 1311 fig. 148. If
you can not maintain this min imum dis­
tan ce, the airbag system cannot protect
yo u properly.
- If p hys ica l limi tations prevent y ou from
sitting 10 in ches (25 cm) o r more from
the steering wheel, check with yo ur au­
tho rized Aud i dealer to see if adaptive
equipment is availab le .
- If the steerin g wheel is aligned wi th you r
face, the supp lemental drive r's airbag
cannot prov ide as much protect ion in an
acc ident. A lways make sure that the
steering wheel is aligned with your
chest.
- Always hold the steering wheel with your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
t ions to reduce the risk of pe rsonal injury
if the d river 's airbag deploys.
- Never hold the steer ing whee l at the 12
o'clock posit ion or w it h your hands i nside the steering wheel rim or on the steering
wheel hub. Hold
ing the steer ing wheel
the wrong way can cause serious injuries
to the hands, arms and head if the driv­
er 's airbag deploys.
Easy entry feature
Applies to vehicles: with electrically adjustable steering
wheel
The easy entry feature makes it easier to en­
ter and exit the vehicle by automatically ad­
justing the steering wheel.
.. Select in the MM I: ICAR I fu nction button>
(Car )* sys tem s control b utton > V ehicle set­
ting s
> Seat s > Driver 's seat > Easy entry >
On .
When the easy ent ry feature is turned on, the
steering wheel moves up to the park position
when you switch
off the ignition. After you en­
ter the veh icle, the steering wheel moves to
the stored position as soon as you sw itch on
the ignit ion.
Starting and stopping
the engine
Starting the engine
This button switches on the ignition and
starts the engine.
Fig . 79 Center console: S TART ENGINE S TOP b utto n
Switching the ign ition on /off
• To switch the ign ition on/off, press the
I STAR T ENGINE ST OPI button . Do not p ress
the brake pedal while doing this . Diesel
veh icles are preheated while the ignit ion is
sw itched on . ..,.

82 On the road
Starting/stopping the engine
Applies to vehicles: with Start-Stop-Syste m
Fig. 82 Instrument duster : engine sw itched off (stop
phase)
.. Slow the vehicle to a stop using the brake
and keep pressing the brake pedal. The en­
gine w ill switch off. The
[IJ indic ator light
appears in the information line in the instru­
ment cluster display.
.. When you take your foot off the brake ped­
al, the engine restarts. The indicator light
turns off.
Additional information
The engine wi ll switch off in the P, D, N and S
positions as well as in manua l mode . In the P
position, the engine wi ll also remain off if you
take your foot off the brake pedal. The engine
starts again when you select another se lector
lever position and take your foot off the brake
pedal.
If you select the R pos ition during a Stop
phase, the engine will start again.
Shift from D to P quickly to prevent the engine
from start ing unintentionally when shifting
through R.
You can determine for yourself if the engine
will stop or not by reducing or increasing the
amount of force you use to press the brake
pedal. For example, if you only lightly press
on the brake pedal in stop-and and-go traffic
or when turni ng, the engine will not switch off
when the vehicle is stationa ry . As soon as you
press the brake down harder, the engine will
switch off.
General information
Applies to vehicles: with Start -Stop-System
The standard Start-Stop-mode can be cancel­
led for different system-related reasons.
Fig. 83 Instrume nt cluster: engine -S top te mporarily
un ava ilab le
Engine will not switch off
Before each stop phase, the system checks if
certain conditions have been met. For exam­
ple, the eng ine will
not be switched off in the
following situations :
- The engine has not reached the minimum
requ ired temperature for Start-Stop-mode.
- The interior temperat ure se lected by the A/C
system has not been reached.
- The outside temperatu re is extremely high/
low .
- The windshield is being defrosted
i=:> page 71, i=:> page 7 3.
- The parking system* is switched on.
- The battery charge level is too low.
- The steering wheel is sharply turned or
t here is a steering movement.
- After engaging the reverse gear.
- On sharp incl ines.
The
r,J indicator light appears in the informa­
t ion line in the instrument cluster display
¢fig . 83.
Engine automatically restarts
T he stop phase is interrupted in the following
situations, for example . The engine restarts
without any action by the driver .
- The interior tempera ture varies from the
temperature selected in the A/C system .

112 Automatic Tran sm iss ion
8_ WARNING
-The vehicle can also roll when the engine
is stopped .
- Unintended vehicle movement can cause
serious injury.
- Never leave your vehicle with the engine running whi le in gear. If you must leave
your vehicle when the engine is running, act ivate the park ing brake and move the
selector lever to P.
- Power is st ill transmitted to the wheels
when the eng ine is running at idle . To
prevent the vehicle from "creeping", you
must keep your foot on the b rake when
the engine is runn ing and the se lector
lever is in D/S or R or "tiptronic" mode is
selected .
- Do no t press the accelera tor pedal when
changing the selector lever position
whi le the vehicle is stationary and the
engine is running.
- Never shift into
R or P whi le driving.
- Be fore driv ing down a steep slope, re -
duce you r speed and shift into a lower
gear with "tiptronic".
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
peda l too often or too long when driving
down a hill. Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substant ially re­
duces braking performance, increases
braking d istance or causes comp lete fail­
ure of the brake system.
- To prevent the veh icle from rolling back
when stopping on inclines, always hold it in place with the brake peda l or parking
brake.
- Never hold the veh icle on an incl ine with
a slipp ing clutch . The clutch opens auto­
matically when it becomes too hot from
the ove rload. An ind icator lamp
[O] illu­
minates and a dr iver message appears
¢ page 114 when the clutch is overload ­
ed.
- If the eng ine must remain running, never
have any driving position engaged when
checking under the hood. Make sure the
selector lever has securely engaged and is locked in P w
it h the park ing brake set
¢ page 227. Otherw ise, any increase in
engine speed may set the vehicle in mo­
tion, even with the parking brake ap­ plied.
(D Note
- When stopping on an incl ine, do not try
to hold t he vehicle in place by pressing
the acce lerator pedal while a driving gear
is se lected. This ca n cause the transmis­
sion to ove rheat and can damage it . Acti­
vate the pa rking brake or press the bra ke
peda l to preven t the vehicle from roll ing.
- Allowing th e vehicle to ro ll when the en­
gine is stopped and the selecto r lever is
in N will d amage the tr ansmission be­
cause it is not l ubricated unde r those cir ­
cumstances .
(D Tips
Fo r saf ety reaso ns, the pa rking br ake is re­
l eased automatically on ly when the d riv­
er's safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Hill descent control
Appl ies to vehicles: wit h S t ronic/tiptro nic
The hill descent control system assis ts the
driver when driving down declines.
Hill des cent con trol is activated when these­
lector lever is in D/S and yo u press the brake
peda l. The transmission automatica lly selects
a gear that is suitable for the incline . Hi ll de ­
scent contro l tries to maintain the speed ach ­
ieved at the time of braking, within phys ica l
and technical lim itations. If may st ill be nec­
essary to adjust the speed with the brakes .
Hill descent cont ro l switches off once the de­
cline leve ls out or you press the acce lerator
pedal.
On vehicles with the cruise contro l system*
¢ page 84, hill descent control is also activat-
ed when the speed is set. .,..

200 Intelligent technology
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobi les are sti ll
subject to wear, depending largely on operat­
ing conditions and driving habits
c:> ,&. On
vehicles that are either driven mostly in stop­
and-go city traffic or are driven hard, the brake pads should be checked by your author­
ized Audi dealer more often than specified in
the
Warranty & Maintenan ce booklet . Failure
to have your b rake pads inspected can result
in red uced brake performance.
On steep slopes, you shou ld use the brak ing
effect of the engine. This way, you prevent un­
necessary wear on the brake system. If you
must use yo ur brakes, do not hold the brakes
down continuously. Pump the brakes at inter­
va ls.
Moisture or road salt
Unde r certain conditions, for example, when
driving through water or very heavy rain, or
even after washing your vehicle, the braking
effect can be red uced due to moisture (or in
freezing conditions ice) on the brake pads. A
few careful brake applications should dry off the brake pads or remove any ice coatings.
When you are driving at higher speeds with
the windshield wipers on, the brake pads will
briefly touch the brake discs in regular inter­
vals so as to improve reaction t ime when brak­
ing on wet surfaces. You the driver will not no­
tice anything .
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is dr iven on a salt-covered
road and the brakes are not used . Here too,
you should clean off accumulated salt coat ing
from brake discs and pads with a few careful
applications of the brake
c:> ,& .
Corrosion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on the
discs if the car is not driven regu larly or
o n Ly for short trips with litt le use of the
brakes.
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if cor­
r osion has formed on the discs, it is advisable
to clean off the pads and discs by braking
firmly a few times from a moderately h igh
speed
c:> .&. .
Faults in the brake system
If you shou ld notice a sudden increase in
brake pedal travel, then one of the two brake
circuits may have fai led
c::> .&. .
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occu r in the brake system if
the brake fluid level is too low. The brake fluid
l evel is monitored electronically.
Brake booster
The brake booster works with vacuum pres­
su re which is created only when the eng ine is
running
c::> ,& .
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spect ion of the condition of the brake pads
t hr ough the open ings in the wheel. If neces­
sary, the wheel may be removed for this in­
spect ion
c:> page 266, Changing a wheel.
.8_ WARNING
-You shou ld perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road conditions permit.
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an accident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gear or lower driving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too
long or too often . This could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency.
- Do not "ride the brakes" by resting your
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake. This may cause the brakes to

206 Driving and en vir onm ent
8_ WARNING
- Do not park your vehicle over flammable
materials such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel par­
t icu late filter could start a fire .
- Do not apply an underbody protectant in
the exhaust system area or a fire could start.
Avoid damaging the vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certain that
low-lying parts such as spoilers and exhaust
system parts do not bottom out and get dam­
aged.
This is especia lly true for vehicles with low­
slung chassis (sports chassis)* and fully load­
ed vehicles.
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when dr iving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the bottom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than wa lking speed.
8_ WARNING
After driving through water, mud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because of wet brake rotors and pads. Dry
the brakes f irst by brak ing carefully to re­
sto re the full braking effect.
(D Note
- Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmission, suspension or electrical
system can be severely damaged by driv­
ing through water.
- Always switch off the Start-Stop-System
when driving through water~
page 81.
-
(D Tips
-Check the depth of the water before d riv­
ing through it .
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse
or switch the engine off when driving
through water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles
may create waves that raise the water
level and make it too deep for your vehi­
cle to drive through safely.
- Avoid driving through salt water because
it can cause corrosion.
Shutting down vehicle
If you would like your vehicle to remain inop­
erative for a longer period of time, contact an
Audi or other specialized dealer. They can ad­
vise you on necessary precautions e .g. corro ­
sion prevention, maintenance and storage .
Pay attention to additional information con­
cern ing the battery. Refer to
~ page 238.
Operate your vehicle
economically and
minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex­
haust and noise levels.
Fuel economy, env ironmental impact, and
wear on your eng ine , brakes and tires largely
depend on three factors:
- your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitations
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your
fuel consumption by 10-15 percent . This sec­
tion will give you some tips on how you can
help the environment and your pocketbook.