2014 AUDI A7 ignition

Instrument s and warning /indicator lights 11
Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster and controls
The instrument cluster is your central source of information.
Fig. 3 Overv iew of the instrument cluster
CD Coolant temperature gauge .. .
@ Tachometer (eng ine rev counter)
@ Turn signals ............... .
@ Display with
®
®
-Driver information system .. .
- Wa rning/ind icator lights
Tachometer Fuel gauge
@ Tips
11
12
46
24
12
12
The instrument illumination (for dials and
needles) turns on when the ignition is on
and the vehicle lights are turned off. As
the daylight fades, the illumination of the
dials likewise dims automatically and wil l
go out completely when the outside light
is very low. This feature is meant to rem ind
you to switch on the headlights when out­
side light conditions become poor.
Engine coolant temperature gauge
The engine coolant gauge CD¢ page 11, fig. 3
only works when the ignition is on. To prevent
damage to your eng ine, please note the fol­
l owing important points:
Engine cold
If only the LEDs at the bottom of the gauge
turn on, the eng ine has not reached operating
temperature yet . Avoid high engine speeds,
heavy engine loads and heavy throttle applica­
tions.
Normal temperature
The engine has reached its operating temper­
ature once the LEDs up to the center of the
gauge turn on under normal driving cond i­
t ions. The LEDs higher up may turn on when
the engine is under heavy load or the exterior
temperature is high. This is no need to worry
as long as the. warning light in the instru­
ment cluster does not illuminate. If the LEDs
in the upper area of the disp lay and the indica­
tor light . in the instrument cluster display
turn on, the coolant temperature is too high
¢page 17.
A WARNING
-Always observe the warn ing in
¢ page 22 7, before opening the hood
and checking the engine coolant level.

12 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
-Never open the engine hood if you see or
hear steam, or if you see engine coolant
dripping from the engine compartment.
You could burn yourself . Let the engine
cool off first until you can no longer see
o r hear steam or coo lant escaping.
@ Note
- Mounting additional lights or accessories
i n front of the a ir inlets reduces the cool­
i ng effect of the rad iator . At h igh outside
temperatures or high eng ine load, the
engine could overheat.
- The front spo iler has been designed to
proper ly distribute the cooling air when
t h e ve hicle is moving.
If the spoiler is
dam aged, th is co uld red uce the cooling
effect and the engine co uld then over­
heat . Ask your authorized Audi dea ler for
assistance .
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicates the engine RPM
(revolutions per minutes).
If engine RP M drops be low 1,500, yo u should
downshift to the next lower gear. The red a rea
at the end of the sca le indicates maximum
perm iss ib le engine RPM after the break-in pe­
riod. Before reaching this area, move these­
lector lever to position D/S (Drive) or ease
your foot off the accelerator pedal.
(D Note
The tachometer needle should on ly br iefly
be in the red zone: you could damage your
engine! The beginn ing of the red zone var­
ies depending on the engine .
@ For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early saves fuel and reduces en­
gine noise.
Fuel gauge
The fuel gauge only works when the ignition is
on .
If the fuel level d rops below 2 . 6 ga llons (10 liters), the bottom LED turns red and the
indicator light
Em turns on
¢ page 22. The
bottom LED blinks red when the fuel level is
very low.
T he possible range based on the current fuel
level is shown in tab@<=>
page 24, fig . 4 .
(D Note
Never run the tank completely dry. An ir ­
r egular supply of f uel can cause engine
misfiring and fuel could enter the ex ha ust
system . The catalytic converter could then
overheat and be damaged.
Warning/indicator Lights
Description
The ind icator lights in the instrument cluster
blink or turn on. They indicate funct ions or
malfunctions <=>,& .
Messages may appear with some indicato r
lights. A warning signal will sound at the
same t ime. The indicator lights and messages
in the center of the displays may be rep laced
by other d isplays . To show them again, select
the tab for ind icator lights and messages us­
i ng the multifunction steering wheel
Q page 24. If t here are several malfunc­
t ions, you can display them one at a time us­
ing the thumbwheel.
Some indicato rs lights in the d isplay can turn
on in severa l co lors.
A WARNING
- F ailure to heed w arning l igh ts and other
important vehicle in forma tion may res ult
in ser io us personal inj ury or vehicle dam­
age .
- Whenever stalled or stopped for repair, move the vehicle a safe d istance off the
road, stop the engine, and turn on the
emergency flasher<=>
page 45.
-The engine compartment of any motor
veh icle is a potentially hazardous area.
Before you chec k anything in the engine

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 13
compartment, stop the engine and let it
cool down. Always exercise extreme cau­
t ion when working under the hood
c> page227.
@ Tips
Ma lf u nctions or faults wi ll be identified ei­
ther with a red symbo l (pr iority 1 -Dan­
ger!) or with a yellow symbol (pr iority 2 -
Warn ing).
Overview
Some ind icator lights turn on briefly to check
the function of that system when you switch
the ignition on. These systems are ma rked
with a ,/ in the following tables. If one of
these indicator lights does not turn on, there is a malfunction in that system.
Red indicator lights
Red symbols indicate a prio rity malfunction -
D anger!
- Pull off the road.
- Stop the vehicle.
-Turn off the engine.
- Check the ma lf u nctioning system . Contact
your authorized Audi dea ler or a qualified
workshop for assistance.
USA models :
Bra ke malfunction,/
c> page 15
Canada models:
Brake malfunction,/
c>page 15
USA model s:
Electromechan ica l park ing brake
c> page 16
Canada models :
Electromechanica l park ing brake
c> page 16
Engine cooling system
c> page 17
Engine oi l pressure
c> page 18
Engine o il leve l
c>page 18
Battery
c>page 17
Safety be lt
c> page 17
Electromec hanical steering ,/
c>page 201
Electronic steering co lumn lock
c> page 18
Engine start system
c> page 18
Central indicato r light
c>page 19
USA model s: Speed warning sys­
tem
c> page 84
Canada model s: Speed warning
system
c> page 84
Adaptive cruise contro l* ,/
c> page 88
Air suspension*
c>page 19
Pedestrian warning *
c>page 105
Rear spo iler
c> page 199
Refill Ad Blue*
c> page 223
AdBlue malfunction*
c>page 223
Yellow indicator lights
Yellow symbo ls indicate a priority 2 mal func ­
tion -Wa rning!

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 15
a
Ad Blue ,o
Centra l ind icator light
¢page 19
Elect romechan ica l steering ./
¢page 20 1
Air suspension*
c::;, page 19
Sport different ial*
c:;,page23
Rear spoiler
.:;,page 199
Refill Ad B lue*
c:;,page223
r4l'il.nH.dBl ue malfu ncti on*
c::;, page 2 2 3
Other indicator lights
11
II
•
I
•
•
•
T u rn signa ls
c:;, page24
Canada models: Cruise control*
c:;,page84
A dapt ive cr uise c ontrol *
.:;,page BB
Adaptive cr uise control *
.:;,page BB
Adaptive cr uise control *
c:;,pageBB
Au di active lane ass ist*
c:;, page96
Start -Stop-System *
¢pa ge 81
Start -Stop -System *
c:;,pageBl
Hi gh beam
¢page 46
BRAKE /((J)) Brake system
The light illuminates when the ignition is
swi tched on.
It goes o ut after the e ngine has
b een st arte d. T his indi ca tes that t he br ake
warning ligh t is functioni ng pro perly.
If the brake warning light does not light up
when the engine is cranking, there may be a malfunction in the electrical system. In this
case, contact your Audi dealer.
If t he brake sys tem wa rn in g/ indi ca to r l ight
t u rns o n, there i s a br ake sys te m malfu nction .
1111 (USA models) /. (Canada models )
Stop vehicle and check brake fluid level
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, proceed as fo llows:
.,. Pull
off th e road .
.,. Stop the vehicle.
.,. Tur n
off the engi ne.
.,. Chec k th e b rake fluid level
c::;, page 23 7 .
.,. Con tact your nea rest au tho rized repair fa-
cility if necessary .
Warning! Fault in brake system. Contact
dealer
If the ABS indicator light~ (USA models)/
(I] (Canada mode ls), the ESC ind icator light
Jj] and t he b rake system indicator light
1111 ( U SA mode ls)/ . (Canada mode ls) tur n
o n and the message a ppears, the A BS, ESC
and braki ng d istr ib utio n are no t wo rki ng
c::;, ,&. .
Carefully drive to your author ized Audi dealer
i mmediat ely to have the ma lf u nct ion correct­
ed ¢,&. .
1111 (USA models )/. (Canada models)
Parking brake: system fault! Please contact
dealer
- If the ind icator light and the message ap -
pea r
when stationary or after switching the
ignition on ,
ch eck if yo u can release the
pa rk ing brake . Afte r releasing the parking
bra ke, ca refully d rive to your au thor ized
Au di dealer i m media tely to have the mal­
fu nction cor rected. If y ou can not rele ase th e
p arki ng br ake, see k profession al assi stance . .,..

16 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
- If the indicator light and the message ap­
pear
while dri ving , the emergency braking
function may not be available. It may not be
poss ible to set the parking brake or release
it once it has been set. Seek professional as­
s istance .
(USA models): If the warning light
1111 and
the warning light
EiJ appear together, imme­
diately contact your authorized Aud i dealer or
qualified workshop to have all brake pads in ­
spected
~ page 21 .
When the light comes on, an audib le warning
signal is also given.
.&_ WARNING
- Always observe the warnings in
~ page 22 7, before opening the hood
and checking the brake fluid .
- Driv ing with low brake fluid is a safety
hazard. Stop the car and get professional
assistance.
- If the 1111 (USA models)/ . (Canada
mode ls) brake system indicator light
tu rns on together with the ABS and ESC
indicator lights, the ABS/ ESC regu lating
function may have failed. Functions that
stabilize the vehicle are no longer availa­
ble. This could cause the vehicle to
swerve and increase the risk of sliding.
Drive carefu lly to the nearest authorized
Audi dealer or other qualif ied workshop
and have the malfunction corrected .
- If the brake warning/indicator light does
not go out after a few seconds and the
park ing brake is released, or lights up
wh ile you are driv ing, the fluid level in
the brake f luid rese rvoir is too low . If you
believe that it is safe to do so, proceed
immedi ately at low speed to the nearest
authorized Aud i dealer o r qualified repair
facility and have the brake system in­
spected.
- Always keep in mind that after several
brake applications, yo u will need g reater
pressure on the brake peda l to stop your
vehicle. Do not re ly on stra ined brakes to
respond w ith maximum stopp ing power in critical situations
. You must allow for
increased braking distances. The extra
distance used up by fading brakes could lead to an accident .
PARK/(®) Electromechanical parking brake
The warning/indicator light monitors the
electromechanical parking brake .
If the indicator light -(USA models) /.
(Canada mode ls) turns on, the parking brake
was set. If the parking brake is set when the
ignition is off, the indicator ligh t turns off af­
ter about 20 seconds .
The warning/indicator light w ill go out when
the parking brake is re leased.
- (USA model s) /. (Canada m odel s)
Caut ion: Vehicle parked too steep
If the indicator l ight b links and the message
appea rs, there is not enough braking power to
keep the vehicle from roll ing. The b rakes have
overheated . The vehicle could roll away even
on a sma ll incline.
Pre ss brak e ped al to relea se parking brake
To re lease the park ing brake, press the brake
peda l and press t he button
@ii or sta rt driving
with sta rting assist at the same time
~ page 80.
Please re le ase parking brak e
To release the park ing brake manually, press
the brake pedal and press the button
@ii at the
same t ime. The parki ng brake only releases
automat ica lly if the driver's safety belt is fas­
tened .
Ill Parking b rake!
If the Iii indicator lig ht t urns on and this
message appears, there is a parking brake
malfunction . Drive to your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop immediately to
have the malfunct ion corrected.

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 17
-L Engine cooling system malfunction
A malfunction in the engine cooling system
must be repaired as soon as possible.
• Switch off engine and check coolant level
If the indicator light turns on and the mes ­
sage appears, the coo lant temperature is too
high or the coo lant level is too low.
.. Pull
off the road.
.. Stop the vehicle .
.. Turn
off the engine.
.. Check coolant level
c> page 235.
.,. Add coolant if necessary c> page 235 .
.. Continue driving only after the eng ine cool­
ant warn ing/ indicator light goes out .
.. Contact your authorized Audi dealer for as-
sistance if necessary .
If the engine coolant level is correct, then the
radiator fan may be the cause of the malfunc­
tion .
• Coolant temperature too high! Please let
engine run with vehicle stationary
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears in trailer mode*, let the engine
run at idle for a few m inutes to cool down.
A WARNING
- If your veh icle should break down for
mechanical or other reasons, park at a
safe distance from moving traffic, turn
off the engine and turn on the hazard
warning lights¢
page 45, Emergency
flasher.
- Never open the hood if you see or hear
steam or coolant escaping from the en­
gine compartment -you risk being scald­
ed. Wait until you can no longer see or
hear steam or coo lant escaping .
- The engine compartment of any vehicle
is a dangerous area. Before you perform
any work in the engine compartment,
turn of the eng ine and allow it to cool.
Follow the warning stickers¢
page 227.
@ Note
Do not continue driving if the . symbol
ill uminates . There is a malfunction in the
engine cooling system -you could damage
your engine.
D Battery
This warning/indicator light detects a mal­
function in the generator or in the vehicle 's
electrical system .
The .warn ing/ indicator light illuminates
when you switch on the ignition and must go
out after the eng ine has started .
• Alternato r fault : Battery is not being
charged
If t he indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is a malfunction in the
generator or vehicle electrical system .
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer or quali­
fied workshop immed iate ly. Because the vehi­
cle battery is discharging, turn off all unnec ­
essary e lectrical equipment such as the radio.
Seek professiona l assistance if the battery
charge level is too low.
(•) Low battery: battery will be charged
while driving
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there may be limited starting
ability .
If this message turns off after a little while,
the battery charged enough while driving.
If the message does not turn
off, have your
authorized Aud i dea ler or qualified workshop
correct the malfunction.
4t Safety belts
This warning/indicator light reminds you to
put on your safety belt.
The . warn ing/ indicator light illum inates
when the ignition is switched on to remind
the driver and any front passenge r to put on ..,.

18 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
the safety belt. Additionally, an acoustic warn­
ing (gong) will a lso sound.
For more Information
~ page 140, ~ Safety
belt warning light.
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol
requires immediate service or repair. Driving
with a low-oil-pr essur e indication is likely to
inflict severe damage to the engine.
• Swit ch off engine and ch ec k oil l evel
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, the oil pressure is too low .
., Pull off the road.
., Stop the vehicle.
., Turn off the engine .
., Check the engin e oil level ¢ page 232 .
., If the engine oil level is too low, add engine
oil ¢
page 232 . Make sure that the oil p res­
s u re warning symbol. appears no longe r
in the disp lay before you start dr iving again.
• If the engine oil level is correct and the indi­
cato r light sti ll turns on, turn the engine off
and do not continue driving. Seek professio­
nal assistance.
(D Tips
- The engine oil pressu re symbol. is
not an indicator for a low eng ine oil lev ­
el. Do not rel y on it. Inst ead , che ck the
oil l evel in your engin e at regular int er­
val s, pref erably each tim e you refu el,
and alwa ys bef ore going on a long trip .
- The yell ow oil le vel warning indication
I'll requires oil refill or wo rkshop serv ·
ic e without del ay . Do n ot wait unti l the
red oil p re ss ur e w arning. start s to
fla sh before you re spond t o the low oil
le vel warning
II. By then, your engine
may al ready have suffered serious dam­
age .
~ .. Engine oil level
• WARNING: P lease add oil immediately
If the indicator light and the driver message
appear, add engine oi l immediate ly
¢ page 229 .
II Add oil, m ax. x q t (l). Yo u m ay contin ue
driving
When the symbol and the driver message ap­
pear, add the amount of oil appearing in the
display at the nex t oppor tunity ~
page 229.
@-Steering column lock
• Do not dr ive veh icle : Stee ring defecti ve
If the indicator l igh t turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is an e lectronic stee ring
column lock malfunction . You cannot switch
the ignition on .
Do
not tow your vehicle because it cannot be
steered . See k professiona l assistance .
1;11 Steering lo ck : s ystem fault . Plea se con­
tact de ale r
If the indica tor light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is an electronic steering
column lock malfunct io n.
Drive to your authori zed Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the mal function corrected .
A WARNING
Your vehicle must not be towed in the
event of a malfunction in the electronic
steering co lumn lock because it cannot be
steered due to the loc ked steering. If it is
towed with the steering locked, there is
the r isk o f an accident .
©-Engine start system
• Engine st art syste m fault. Plea se con­
tact deale r
If the indicator l ight turns on and the mes­
sage appears, do
n ot switch the ignition off
because you may not be ab le to switch it on
again.
Drive to your authorized A udi dealer immed i-
a tely to have the ma lfunction corrected. ..,.

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 19
II! Engine start system fault. Please con­
tact dealer
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, there is a ma lfunction in the en­
gine start system.
Drive to your authorized Aud i dea le r immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
~ Air suspension
Appl ies to vehicles: with air suspension
• Air suspension: system fault. Can contin­
ue slowly with max. 35 mph .
There is a malfunct ion that can result in re­
stricted dr iv ing stab ility.
Carefully drive at a maximum speed of 35
mph (60 km/h) to your authorized Audi dealer
or qua lified workshop to have the malfunction
cor rected.
• Air suspension: service mode. Vehicle
can only be moved with restrictions
Carefully drive to your authorized Audi dealer
or qualified workshop immediately to have
the service mode deactivated .
II Air suspension fault
There is a system ma lfunction that can result
in restricted driving stability or reduced
ground clearance.
Dr ive to your a uthorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected .
II Air suspension: vehicle too low. Ground
clearance reduced
The ground clearance is very low due to a sys­
tem malfunct ion . Wait until the air suspen­
sion system has restored normal ground clear­
ance. Otherwise, conditions such as an uneven
road surface can lead to vehicle damage.
G:;/ !f Safety systems
The fl (USA models) ;EI (Canada models) in­
dicator light monitors the safety systems (e.g .
airbags, pretensioners) and illuminates for a few
seconds each time you switch the ignition
on .
If the fl (USA models);EI (Canada models)
indicator light does not go out, or if it illumi­
nates while you are driving, or if it starts to
blink, then there is a malfunction somewhere
in the system.
If the light does not illum inate
when you switch the ign ition on, th is also
means there is a malfunct ion.
A WARNING
If you have a malfunction in the safety sys­
tems, contact your authorized Audi dealer immediately. Otherwise the safety sys­
tems may not work properly in an acc i­
dent.
& Central indicator light
If the indicator light. or n turns on, check
the message in the instrument cluster .
nlft Electronic Stabilization Control
(ESC)
If the JjJ indicator light blinks while driving,
the ESC or ASR (Anti-Slip Regulation) is active ­
ly regulating.
If the
$.J indicator light turns on, the system
has switched the ESC off. In this case, you can
switch the ign ition off and then on to switch
the ESC on aga in. The indicator light turns off
when the system is functioning fu lly.
If the
1B indicator light turns on, ESC was re­
stricted using the
1 .$ OFF I button c> page 196.
Stabilization control (ESC/ABS): Fault! See
owner's manual
If the G) indicator light and the ABS indicator
light
fJ] (USA mode ls) ;flJ (Canada models)
turn on and the message appears, the ABS or electronic differential lock is malfunctioning.
This also causes the ESC to malfunction . The
brakes still function with their normal power,
but ABS is not active .
liJI,