2014 AUDI A7 Owners Manual

Vehicl e ca re a nd cl eanin g 215
Component Situat ion Solution
Deco ra ti ve
Dirty Mild soap solutional, a cleaning solution suitab le for
p art s/ stainless steel, if necessary
tri m
P ai nt
Paint damage Refer to the paint number on the vehicle data label, re-
pair with touch up paint
c::> page 282
Spilled fuel Rinse with water immediately
Rust film Rust film1 remover, then protect with hard wax; for ques-
tions, refer to an authorized Audi dea ler or a qualified
workshop
Corrosion Have it removed by an authorized Audi dealer or a qua li-
fied workshop
Water no longer Protect with hard wax (at least twice per year)
beads on the surface
of clean paint
No shine even Treat
with suitable polish; then apply paint protectant if
though paint has the polish that was used does not contain any protec-
been protected/ tant
paint looks poor
Carbo n pa rts Dirty Clean the same way as pa inted parts c:>page 213, Car
washes
al Mild soap solut ion: max im um two tablespoons neutral soap in a lite r of water
C le aning int erio r
Component Situ ation Solution
W indo ws
Dirty Glass cleaner, then wipe dry
Deco rativ e Dirty Mi
ld soap solutional
parts/
trim
Pl as tic p art s
Dirty Damp cloth
Heavily soiled Mild soap solutional, solvent-free plastic cleaning solu -
tion, if necessary
Di sp lays Dirty Soft cloth with LCD cleaner
Cont rols Dirty Soft brush, then a soft cloth with a mild soap solutiona)
S af ety belts Dirty Mild soap solutional, allow to dry befo re letting them re -
tract
•
•

216 Vehicl e c are and cle aning
Component Situation Solution
Tex tile s,
Stains adhering to Vacuum cleaner
Vin yl, the surface
A lcan ta ra Water -based stains Absorbent cloth and mild soap solutiona>
such as coffee, tea,
blood, etc.
O il-based stains Apply a mild soap solutiona >, blot away the d issolved oil
such as oil, make- or dye, treat afterward w ith water, if necessary
up, etc.
Special stains such Special stain remover, blot with absorbent material,
as ballpoint pen, treat afterward with mild soap solutiona >, if necessary
na il polish, latex
pa int, shoe polish,
etc.
N atu ral l eathe r Fresh stains Cotton cloth with a mild soap solution a>
Water-based stains Fresh stains: absorbent cloth
such as coffee, tea, Dr ied stains: sta in remover suitable for leather
blood, etc.
Oil-based stains Fresh stains: absorbent cloth and stain remover suitable
such as oil, make- for leather
up, etc. dried stains: Oil cleaning spray
Special stains such Stain remover suitable for leather
as ballpo int pen,
na il polish, latex
paint, shoe polish,
etc.
Care Regular
ly apply conditioning cream that protects from
light a nd penetrates into the material. Use specially-col-
ored conditioning cream, if necessary.
Carbon part s Dirty Clean tlhe same way as plastic parts
a) Mil d soap so lution : m ax im um two ta b les poons neu tral soa p in a lite r of wate r
& WARNING
The windshie ld may not be treated with
water-repe lling windshield coating agents.
Unfavorab le conditions such as wetness,
darkness, or low sun can result in in­
creased glare. W iper blade chatter is also
possible .
(V Note
-Headlights /tail li ghts
- Never clean headlights or tail lights
w ith a dry cloth or sponge. - Do not use any cleaning product that
contains alcohol, because they could
cause cracks to form.
-W hee ls
- Never use any paint polish or other
abrasive mater ials.
- Damage to the protective layer on the
rims such as stone chips or scratches
must be repa ired immediately.
- Sen sor s/c ame ra len ses
-Never use warm or hot water to re-
move snow or ice from the camera
le ns. This could cause the lens to crack . ""

-Never use abrasive cleaning materials
or alcohol to clean the camera lens.
Th is could cause scratches and cracks .
-Window s
-Remove snow and ice on w indows and
exterior mirrors with a plastic scraper.
To avoid scratches, move the scraper only in one direction and not back and
forth.
- Never remove snow or ice from w in­
dows and m irrors using wa rm or hot
wate r because this cou ld cause crac ks
to form.
- To avoid damage to the rear window
defogger, do not apply any stickers on
the heating wires on the inside of the
w indow .
-Dec or ati ve p arts /trim
-Never use chrome care or cleaning
products.
-Paint
-To reduce the risk of scratches, the ve-
hicle must be free of dirt and dust be­
fore polishing or waxing.
- To prevent paint damage, do not polish
or wax the veh icle in direct sunlight.
- To reduce the risk of paint damage, do
no t polish away rust film .
-Di splay s
-To avoid scratches, do not use dry
cleaning methods on displays .
-Controls
- Make sure that no flu ids enter the con-
trols, because this cou ld cause dam­
age .
-Safet y belts
- Do not remove the safety belts to clean
t hem.
- Never clean safety belts or their com­
ponents chemically or with cor ros ive
fluids or solvents and never a llow
sharp objects to come into contact
with the safety belts . This cou ld cause
damage to the belt webbing.
- If the re is damage to the webb ing, the
connections, the retractors or the buck­
les, have them rep laced by an author-
V ehicl e ca re a nd cl eanin g 217
ized A udi dealer or a qualified work­
shop.
- Te xtile s/Vin yl/ Alcant ara
- Never treat Vinyl/Alcantara w ith leath-
er care products, solvents, floor polish,
shoe polish, stain remover or s imilar
p rod ucts.
- To avoid damage, have stubborn stains
removed by an authorized Aud i deale r
or a qualif ied workshop.
- Never use steam cleaners, brushes,
hard sponges, etc. when cleaning.
- Objects w ith sharp edges such as zip­
pers, rivets on clothing or be lts can
cause damage to the surface.
- Open hook and loop fastene rs, for ex­
ample on cloth ing, can damage seat
covers. Make sure hook and loop fas­
tene rs a re closed.
- Natural leather
- Neve r treat leather w ith solvents, floor
polish, shoe polish, stain remover or
similar products.
- Objects with sharp edges such as zip·
pers, rivets on clothing or be lts can
cause damage to the surface.
- Never use steam cleaners, brushes,
hard sponges, etc. when cleaning.
- To help prevent the leather from fad­
ing, do not leave the vehicle in d irect
sunlight for long per iods of t ime. If
leaving the vehicle parked for long pe­
riods of time, you should cover the
leather to protect it from d irect sun­
light.
(D Tips
- Insects are easier to remove from paint
that has been freshly waxed.
- Regular waxing can prevent rust film
from forming.
•
•

218 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Fuel supply and filling
your fuel tank
Gasoline
Fuel supply
Appl ies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
Using the right fuel helps keep the environ­
ment clean and prevents engine damage .
Fuel recommendation
The fuel recommended for yo ur vehicle is un ­
l e aded premium
grade gasoline . Audi recom­
mends using TO P TI ER D ete rgent Gaso line
wi th a m inimum octane ra ting o f 91 A KI ( 95
RO N). Fo r more informa tio n o n TOP TIER De­
tergent Gasoline, p lease go to the o fficia l
websi te (www. topt iergas .com) .
The re commended gasoline octane rati ng for
your engine can a lso be fo und o n a label loc at­
ed on the ins ide of the fuel filler flap . This ra t­
ing may be specif ied as AK I or RO N.
Your veh icle may also be operated using un­
l eaded regular gasoline with a minimum oc ­
tane rating of 87 AKI/91 RO N. However, using
87 A KI/91 RON octa ne fue l wi ll slightly re ­
d uce eng ine perfo rmance .
Use unleaded ga soline only. U nleaded g aso­
l ine is available th rougho ut the USA, Canada,
a nd i n most E uropean countries . We recom ­
mend that you do not ta ke yo ur vehicle to
areas or co untries where unleaded gasoline
may not be ava ilable.
F or mo re informat io n on refue ling your ve hi­
cle, see~
page 220.
Octane rating
Octane rating ind icates a gaso line's abili ty to
res ist eng ine dam ag ing "knoc k" ca use d by
premature ign ition and detona tion. Therefore,
buy ing the correct grade of gaso line is very
important to he lp prevent possible engine
damage and a loss of engine performance.
Gasoline mos t commonly used in the Unite d
States and Canada has the following octane r
atings t hat can usu a lly be found on the fi ller
pump:
- Premium Gra de: 91 -96 A KI
- Regular Grade : 87 -90 AKI
Explanation of the abbreviations:
AKI = Anti K nock In d ex = (R+M )/2 = (RON
+ MON)/2
R ON= Resear ch Octane Numb er
MON = Motor Octane Num ber .
(D Note
-Do not use a ny fue l w it h o ctane rat ings
lower tha n 87 A KI or 91 RO N othe rwise
expensive engi ne damage w ill occur.
- Do
not use leaded gasoli ne. The use of
leaded gasoline w ill severely damage
yo ur v ehicle's cata lytic co nve rter and its
ability to co ntrol exha ust em issions .
Blended gasoline
Applies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
Use of gasoline containing alcohol or
MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether )
You may use unleaded g asoline blende d wi th
alcohol o r MTBE (commonly referred to as
oxygenates) if the blende d mixture meets t he
f o llow ing criteria:
Blend of gasoline methanol (wood alcohol or
methyl alcohol)
- Anti -kno ck index must be 87 A KI or higher.
- Blend must contain no more t han 3% meth-
anol.
- Blend must contain more than 2% co -sol -
vents.
Blend of gasoline and ethanol (grain alcohol
or ethyl alcohol)
- Anti -knock index must be 87 AKI or higher .
- Blend must not conta in mo re tha n 10%
ethanol.
Blend of ga soline and MTBE
- Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or higher. IJll,

-Blend must contain not more than 15%
MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform
especially well for winter or summer driving. During seasonal change-over, we suggest that
you fill up at busy gas stations where the sea­
sonal adjustment is more likely to be made in
time.
(D Note
- Methanol fuels which do not meet these
requirements may cause corrosion and
damage to plastic and rubber compo­
nents in the fuel system.
- Do not use fuels that fail to meet the
specified criteria in this chapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether
or not a particular fuel blend meets the
specifications, ask your service station or
its fuel supp lier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents
cannot be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance
problems resulting from the use of fuels
different from those specified are not
the responsibility of Audi and are not
covered under the New Vehicle or the Emission Control System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fuel economy
or driveability and performance prob­ lems due to the use of one of these fuel
blends, we recommend that you switch
to unblended fuel.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufac­
turers is carbon deposit build-up caused by
the type of gasoline you use.
Although gasoline grades differ from one manufacturer to another , they have certain
things in common. All gasoline grades contain
substances that can cause deposits to collect
on vital engine parts, such as fuel injectors
and intake valves. Although most gasoline brands include additives to keep engine and
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 219
fuel systems clean, they are not equally effec­
tive.
Audi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline. For more information on TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline, please go to the official
website (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended period of using inadequate
fuels, carbon deposit build-ups can rob your
engine of peak performance.
Q) Note
Damage or malfunction due to poor fuel
quality is not covered by the Audi New Ve­
hicle Limited Warranty.
Diesel fuel
Applies to veh icles: w ith diesel engine
Always use ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel) sul­
fur content 15 ppm or less.
The ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel) meets the
ASTM-D-975 (grade 2).
Diesel fuel with a higher concentration than
ULSD-Diesel No. 2 ASTM 0975 and Bio-die­
sel with a higher concentration than 5
% like
B11, B20 or B100 are strictly prohibited.
Service station fuel pumps are labeled with
the correct fuel information for easy recogni­
tion by the user. If the diesel fuel pump is not
labeled ask the station operator what fuel is
being dispensed before filling up your vehicle.
Service stations offering Diesel fuel are gener­
ally located on truck routes or major high­
ways. Directories of Diesel fuel stations are
usually available at Diesel fuel stations.
Some states in the USA require permits to
purchase Diesel fuel. Check with your State
Motor Vehicle Department.
Diesel fuel may not be available outside the
USA and Canada. Be sure to check before trav-
eling to other countries.
1J1>
•
•

220 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Winter operation
At temperatures below 20° F (-7° C), Diesel
fuel No.
2 loses its fluidity due to wax separa­
tion, which may clog the fuel filter or tank fil­
ter and keep the engine from running .
To help the filter from being clogged by wax,
the fue l filter in your vehicle is automatically
preheated. Preheating the fuel filter makes
operation of your vehicle possible with Diesel
fuel No. 2 down to -10° F (-24° C).
If you expect temperatures below
5° F
(-15° C)
ask your fuel dealer whether their
Diese l fuel No.
2 is sufficiently winterized for
the prevailing and expected temperatures.
If not winterized or insufficiently winterized
Diesel fuel has already thickened to the extent
that the engine will not start, warm the vehi­
cle up by leaving it in a heated garage.
It is normal that the engine noise leve l (die­
seling) is louder during the warm-up period in
winter. It is also norma l when whitish-blue
smoke comes out of the tailpipe after starting
and during warm-up . The amount of smoke
depends on the outs ide temperature.
Do not let your Diese l engine idle unnecessari ­
ly after a cold start. Driving off slowly will
shorten the warm-up period.
A WARNING
- Never use "starting assist fluids." They
may be potent ially explosive or cause a
"run-away" engine condition. This could
result in ser ious engine damage and per­
sonal injur y.
- Never use fuel line anti-freeze offered for
gasoline engines.
(D Note
- Your Diesel engine has been specifically designed to operate only on Ultra Low
Sulfur Diesel fuel. Therefore, never use
home heating oil or regular gasoline. The
properties of these fuels may cause seri­
ous damage to the fuel injection system
and to the engine. Using these fuels can
-
cause expensive engine repairs and will
also adversely affect your New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
- If Diesel fuel sho uld get on any rubber
hose, it must be wiped off immediately.
Then wash the contaminated hose por­
tion with soap and warm water. Do not allow D iesel fuel to remain on connect­
ing hoses . They may develop leaks and
cause serious damage.
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
side panel behind the fuel filler flap.
If the power locking system shou ld fail, you
can still open the flap manua lly -for detailed
instructions see
¢ page 223.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your ve­
hicle in
¢ page 283.
The label on the inside of the fuel filler flap
te lls you the correct fuel for your vehicle. For
more information about fuel specifications,
see
¢ page 218.
Your vehicle fuel tank has an on board refuel­
ling vapo r recovery system. This feature helps
to prevent fue l vapors from escaping from the
tank and polluting the environment while you refuel your vehicle. In order to fi ll the tank
proper ly while protecting the environment,
please fo llow this refueling procedure careful­
ly.
A WARNING
-Under normal operating conditions, never
carry addit ional fuel conta iners in your car .
Gas canisters and other conta iners used to
transport fuel can be dangerous. Such con­
tainers, full or empty, may leak and could
cause a fire in a collision.
If you must
transport fuel to use for your lawn mower,
snow blower, etc., be very careful and al ­
ways observe loca l and state laws regard­
ing the use, transportation and storage of
such fuel containers. Make certain the ..,.

container meets industry standards (ANSI/
ASTM F852 -86).
(D Note
Never drive your vehicle until the fuel tank
is complete ly empty. The irregular supp ly
of fuel can cause misfiring . Gasoline could
enter the exhaust system and damage the
catalyt ic converter.
Refuelling
Fig. 184 Right rear veh icle s ide: Opening t he fue l fill er
flap
F ig. 185 Fu el filler flap with at tached fue l cap
When activating the central locking, the fuel
filler flap is automatically un locked or locked .
Refuel the vehicle with the ign ition switched
off .
Taking the fuel cap off
.,. Press the left side of the fuel filler flap to
open it ¢
fig . 184 -arrow -.
.,. Unscrew fuel filler cap counter-clockwise
and hang it on the fuel fille r flap ¢
fig. 185 .
.,. Check the label on the inside of the fuel fi ll­
er flap to determine if the vehicle must be
fueled with gasoline or diesel fu el.
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 221
Refuelling procedure
.,. Insert the fuel nozzle from the gasoline
pump into the fuel filler neck as far as it wi ll
go .
.,. Select a medium refuelling rate so that the
nozz le switches off automatically when the
tank is full.
Putting the fuel cap back on
.,. After filling your tank, twist the fuel filler
cap clockwise as far as it wi ll go.
.,. Close the fue l filler flap.
T o avoid fuel spilling or evaporating from the
fuel tank always close fuel filler cap properly
and completely . An improperly closed fuel fill­
er cap may also cause the MIL lamp¢
page 30
to come on.
A WARNING
Improper refue ling or handling of fuel can
cause fire, explosion and severe burns.
- Fuel is highly flammable and can cause
severe burns and other injur ies .
- Failure to shut the engine off while refu­
eling and/or to insert the pump nozzle
fully into the fuel filler neck could cause
fue l to spray out of filler neck or to over­
flow. Fuel spray and overflowing fuel can
cause a fire.
- Never use a cellular telephone while re­
fue ling. The electromagnet ic rad iation
can cause spa rks that can ignite fuel va­
pors and cause a fire.
- Never get back into yo ur vehicle while re­
fueling.
If in exceptional circumstances
you must get back in your vehicle while
refueling, make certain that you close
the door and touch metal to discharge stat ic electricity before touching the fill­
er nozzle again. Static electricity can
cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors
released during refueling.
- Never smoke or have an open f lame any­
where in or near your veh icle when refu-
eling or filling a portab le fuel conta iner. .,.

222 Fuel su ppl y and fillin g yo ur fu el t an k
- For your safety , we strongly recommend
that you do not travel with a portable
fuel container in your vehicle. The con­
tainer, full or empty may leak and could cause a fire, especially in a crash.
- If, under exceptional circumstances, you
must transport a portable fuel container,
please observe the following:
- Never fill a portab le fuel container
while it is anywhere in or on the vehicle
(for example, in the luggage compart­
ment, or on the trunk). Static electrici­
ty can build up while filling and can ig­ n ite fuel vapors causing a fire .
- Always place a portable fuel container
on the ground before filling.
- Always keep the fi ller nozzle complete­
ly inside the portable container before
and during filling.
- If filling a portable container made of
metal, the filler nozzle must always be
in contact with the container . This will
help prevent static electricity from dis­
charging and cause a fire .
- Never sp ill fuel inside the vehicle or
luggage compartment. Fuel vapors are
h ighly flammable.
- Always observe local and state/provin­
cial laws regarding the use, storage
and transpo rtation of fuel conta iners.
- Make certa in the fuel container meets
industry standards (ANSI/ ASTM
F8S2-86).
@ Note
If any fuel has spilled onto the car, it
should be removed immed iately to prevent
damage to the paint .
@) For the sake of the environment
As soon as the correctly operated nozzle
sw itches off automatically for the first
time, the tank is full . Do not try to add
mo re fuel because fuel may spill out. In
add it ion, the expans ion space in the fuel
tank will be f illed -causing the fue l to overflow when it becomes warm and pol­
lute the environment .
(D Tips
-Running your engine whi le refue lling
may cause vapors to escape or even
cause fuel to spi ll out of the tank. This
would then shut off the fue l nozzle be­
fore the tank is full.
- Do not refuel your vehicle with the igni­
tion switched on. The fuel gauge may
otherwise not ind icate the correct fuel
level after refuelling .
- Diesel vehicles* are equipped with a die­ sel misfueling protector. It allows the
vehicle to be fueled only with a diesel
fuel pump nozzle. A worn or damaged nozzle or a nozzle that is too small may
not be ab le to open the diesel misfueling
protector. If this is the case, try turning
the nozzle before insert ing it in the f uel
filler neck, use a different fuel pump or
see your authorized Audi dea ler or au­
thorized repair facility for assistance.
- The fuel fi ller f lap of your vehicle is not
locked when you lock the vehicle from
the inside.