2014 AUDI A7 check engine light

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. .-

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 .

@ Tips
The consumption estimates as published by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, wh ic h will vary depend ing upon vehi­
cle load and speed, road and weather con­
ditions, tr ip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating.
~ Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating . If you anticipate what is go ing to
h appen next, you will need to b rake less and,
thus, accelerate less. Let the vehicle coast
wheneve r poss ible -fo r example when you see
that the nex t tr affic light is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
~ T ry and keep well below your car's max imum
speed.
Accelerating gent ly reduces fuel consump­
tion, engine wear, and does not dist urb the
environment.
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and en­
g ine no ise increase d ispropo rtionately at high
speeds. If you dr ive at approxima tely three
q uarters of top speed, fue l consumption will
be red uced by one ha lf. Never dr ive faste r
than the posted speed limit and wea ther con­
d itions permit.
Reducing unnecessary idling
E ven when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel.
~ S hu t the engine off when you a re not dr iv ing
t h e vehi cle.
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 207
~ Do not warm up the vehicle by lett ing the
engine run at id le .
T he id ling phase is au toma tic ally red uced for
vehicles with the Start/S top system . It is eff i­
cient to switch off the engine in vehicles with­
out the Start-Stop-System when stopped at
railroad crossings and long red lights. Turning
the engine off for just 30-40 seconds saves more fuel than is burned by start ing the en-
. . gme again .
It takes a long t ime for the engine to warm up
fully when it is run ning at id le. However, wear
and noxious emissions are especia lly high
when the eng ine is warm ing up. So you should
dr ive away as soon as you start the engine and
avo id running at high rpms whi le the engine is
sti ll warming up.
(L} Note
Do not leave eng ine idling unattended af­
ter start ing.
If wa rni ng lights sho uld come
o n t o indi cate improper ope rat ion, t hey
wo uld go unheeded. Extended idlin g also
produces heat, wh ich could res ult in ove r­
heating or other damage to the veh icle or
other p roperty .
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a
lot of fuel.
~ Have your ve hicle servi ced at reg ular i nter-
vals .
By havi ng your ve hicle regu la rly se rviced by an
Audi dealer he lps to ensu re tha t it ru ns prop­
erly and economically . The condition of your
vehicle not on ly affects its safety and ability to
ho ld its va lue, it a lso affects
fuel consump­
tion .
Check your oil each t ime y ou fill your tank.
The amou nt of o il used is re lated to engine
l oad and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reac h its lowest value after a certa in
mileage has been d riven. .,..
•
•

Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a tra iler, p lease remember
that the addit ional load will affect durab ility,
economy and performance .
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
F or this reason, a lways fo llow the operating
and driving instructions provided and use
common sense.
(D Note
If you are going to tow a trai ler, you must
ac tivate the trailer operation mode
c::> page 209, Operating instructions.
Technical requirements
Traile r hitch
Use a weig ht-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer we ight. The hitch must be suita­
b le for your veh icle and trailer and must be
mounted securely on t he ve hicle's chassis at a
technically sound location . Use only a trail er
hi tch w ith a removab le ball moun t. A lways
check wi th t he tra ile r hi tch man ufa ctur er to
make sure that you are using the cor rect
h itch.
Do not us e a bumper hitch .
The hitch m ust be installed in such a way that
i t does not interfe re with the impac t-absorb­
i ng bumper syst em. No mod ificat ions should
b e made to the vehi cle e xhaus t and br ake sys­
tems . From t ime to time, check th at a ll hitc h
mo unt ing bo lts rem ain securely fas tened.
When you are not towing a trail er, remove the
tra ile r hi tch ball moun t. T h is prevents the
hi tch from causing damage sho uld your ve hi­
cle be str uck from behind~ .&.
Trailer towin g 209
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equippe d wi th a bra king sys­
tem, check to be s ure that i t conforms to all
regulations .
T he trailer hyd ra u lic bra ke sys tem mus t not be
d irec tly connec ted to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains be tween your ve hicle
and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Trai ler lights must meet all reg ulations. Be
su re to c heck with your Audi dea ler for correct
wir ing, switches and relays .
Mirrors
If you a re unable to see the traffic behind you
u sing the regula r outside mirrors, then you
must insta ll extended mir rors. It is important
t h at you
always have clea r vis io n to the rear.
_&. WARNING
-
Afte r removi ng the trailer hitch , do no t
s tor e i t in yo ur v ehicl e. In case of sudden
b raki ng, the hi tch co uld fly forwar d and in­
j ur e you o r yo ur pass enge rs.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A tra ile r fo r you r vehi cle is l imited to a typi cal
cla ss 1 o r class 2 tr ailer.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the tra ile r is held secure ly
in place to p revent it from shift ing fo rward,
ba ckward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
c::> .& in Driving instructions on page 211 .
Engine cooling sy stem
Towing a t railer ma kes the engine wor k hard­
er . It is impo rtant that the cooling system's
performance is up to the additional load.
•
•

Checking and filling Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the
vehicle .
Fig. 191 Dr iver footwell: release lever
Fig. 192 Rocker switch under the hood
Make sure the wiper arms are not raised up
from the w indshield. Otherw ise the paint
could be damaged.
.. Pull the lever under the instrument panel in
the d irect ion of the arrow
~ fig. 191.
.. Raise the hood slightly~ &-
.. Press the rocker switc h under the hood up­
ward
~ fig. 192. This re leases the catch .
.. Open the hood .
A WARNING
Hot engine coo lant can burn you.
- To reduce the r isk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment . Wait until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fully opening the hood.
Checkin g and fillin g 22 7
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in
the engine compartment.
Wh ene ve r y ou must p erform an y wor k in the
e ng ine com pa rtm ent , for e xample checking
a nd filling diff ere nt fluids, th ere is a risk of
inju ry, burn s and accid ent s. To pr eve nt per­
so nal injury alwa ys observ e the foll owing
WARNING S. The engin e compartment of an y
v e hicle i s a h az a rdou s are a
~ ,&.
h WARNING
To help avoid injury, before yo u check any ­
thing under the hood:
- Turn off the engine.
- Sw itch off the ignition.
- Apply the parki ng brake.
- Move selector leve r to P (Park).
- Always let the engine cool down. Hot
components w ill burn skin on contact .
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coo la nt escaping from the engine
compa rtment. Wait unt il no steam or
coolant can be seen o r heard before care­
fu lly opening the hood.
- Keep ch ildren away from the engine com­
pa rtment.
- Never sp ill fluids on hot engine compo­
nents . They can cause a fire .
- Never touch the rad iator fan. The auxili­
ary electric fan is temperat ure controlled
a nd can sw itch on suddenly .
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm. The cool­
a nt system is p ressu rized and hot cool­
a nt cou ld spray o ut.
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by plac ing a
thick rag ove r the cap when you open the
coo lant rese rvoir.
- Do not remove the engine cover under
any circumstances. This inc reases the
ris k of burns.
- If work on the fue l system o r the elec tri ­
cal system is necessary:

Checking and fillin g 229
Engine compartment
Engine compartment overview
These are the most important items that you can check.
Fig. 193 Typical l ayout for conta iners and engine o il filler cap
@ Jump start poin t(-) with hex
head screw .. ....... ... .. .. . 240, 276
@ Jump start point(+) under a cov-
®
©
®
©
er .. .. ... ..... ...... ...... 240, 276
Brake fl uid reservo ir
((0)) . . . . . 237
Engine oil filler cap
("1:::r.) . . . . . 232
Coolant expansion tank
(-L) .. .
Windshield/headlight washer
t . ('"') con ainer O ...... .... ... .
235
241
The engine oil filler neck (item@) may be lo­
cated in a d ifferent a rea depend ing o n the
ver­
sion of the eng ine.
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
c::> &. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 227.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine in your Audi needs the right kind
of oil.
The engine in your Audi is a sophisticated
powerplant that was built to exacting specifi­
cations. This eng ine needs the right k ind of
engine oil that meets specifications regarding
quality and viscosity so that it can r un
smooth ly and reliably. Choosing the right o il
and changing oil within the t ime and mileage
intervals p rin ted in you r vehicle's Wa rranty
&
Maintenance booklet matters a lot more to­
day than it did years ago . Audi has deve loped
a specia l quality sta ndard for engine oil that
will help assure that your vehicle's engine will
get the lubrication it needs for proper opera­
tion.