2014 AUDI S7 lock

Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance .
Fig. 196 Eng ine compartment: cover on the coolant
expansion tank
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
alwa ys read and hee d all W ARN­
ING S ¢.&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 22
7 .
.,. Park your vehicle on a level surface.
.,. Switch off the ignit ion.
.,. Read the engine coolant level from the cool­
ant expansion tank¢
fig. 196, ¢ page 229 ,
fig. 193 .
With a cold engine, the coolant
level should be between the "min" and
"max" mar kings. When the engine is warm,
the leve l may be slightly above the "max"
marking.
The location of the coolant expansion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus­
tration¢
page 229 .
To obtain an accurate read ing, the eng ine
must be switched off.
The expans ion tank in you r vehicle is equipped
with an electric coolant level sensor .
When the coolant level is too low, the warning
light in the Auto -Check System ¢
page 17 will
illum inate u ntil you add coolant a nd the level
has been restored to normal. Even though
there is an electric coolant level sensor, we
still recommend you check the coolan t leve l
from time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cool ing
system. In the event of coolant loss, the cool-
Checkin g and fillin g 235
ing system should be inspected immediately
by your authorized Audi dealer . It is not
enough merely to add coolant.
In a
s ea led system, losses can occur on ly if
the boiling point of the coo lant is exceeded as
a result of overheating.
A WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of scald­
ing from hot coolant by follow ing these
steps.
- Turn off the engine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escap ing f lu id and steam by cover ing the
cap with a la rge, th ick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in
a counter-clockwise d irect ion while ap­
plyi ng light, downward pressure on the
top of the cap .
- To avo id being burned, do not sp ill anti­
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system
or hot engine parts. Under certa in cond i­
tions, the ethylene gly col in engine coo l­
a nt can catch fire.
(D Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sea L­
ant to your veh icle's engine coo lant . Add­
i ng radiato r repa ir flui d may adverse ly af­
fect the funct io n and performa nce o f your
cooling system and could result in damage
not covered by your New Vehicle Limited
War ranty.
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant .
Before you che ck anyth ing in the eng ine com­
partmen t,
alway s read and heed all WARN­
INGS ¢.&_ in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page
227 .
.,. Tur n off the engi ne.
.,. Let the engine cool down.

236 Check ing and filling
• Place a thick rag ov er the coolant expansion
tank ¢
page 235, fig . 196 and care fully
twist the cap counter-clockwise ¢ &_.
• Add coolant mixed in the correct ratio
¢ page 234, Coolant.
• Twist the cap on again tightly .
Replacement engine coolant must conform to
exact specifications ¢
page 234, Coolant .
We recommend using on ly coo lant addi-
tive
Gl2++, Gl3 or in an emergency Gl2 +. Do
not use a different additive. In an emergency
use plain water unt il you can get the correct
addit ive and can restore the correct ratio . This
should be done as soon as possible .
If you have lost a considerable amount of
coolant, then you should add cold antifree ze
and cold water only when the eng ine is co ld.
A lways use
new engine coolant when refi lling.
Do not fill coolant above the "MAX" mark. Ex­
cess coolant will be forced out t hrough the
press ure relief valve in the cap when the en­
gin e becom es hot.
A WARNING
- The coo ling system is under p ress ure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of
scalding from hot coolant by following
these steps .
- Tu rn o ff the eng ine a nd a llow i t to cool
down.
- Pr otect your f ace, hands and arms from
escaping f luid and steam by cover ing
the cap with a large, thick rag.
- Tu rn the cap slowly and very ca re fully
in a counte r-clockwise direct ion while
applying light, downwa rd p ress ure on
the top of the cap.
- To avoid being burned, do not spi ll an ­
tifreeze or coolant on the exhaust sys­
tem or hot engine parts. Under certa in
conditions, the ethylene glyco l in en­
g ine coolant can catch f ire.
- Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store an­
t ifreeze in its original container and well
out of the reach of children. -
If you drain the coo lant, it m ust be
caught and safely stored in a proper con­
tainer clearly marked "poison".
(D Note
- Coo lant poll utes the environment and
cou ld cause an engine fire . Excess cool­
ant will be forced out through the pres­
sure relief valve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot .
- If, in an emergency, only water can be
added, the correct ratio between water
and antifreeze ¢
page 234 must be re­
stored as soon as possible .
® For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant should not be reused. Al­
ways d ispose of used coolant while observ ­
i ng all environmental regulations .
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by
itself .
An auxiliary electric radiator fan switches on
and off depending on coolan t temperature
and othe r vehicle operat ing condit ions.
After you switch the engine off, the aux iliary
fan can continue running for up to 10 m inutes
- even w it h the ignition off. It can even switc h
o n aga in later by itself¢
A, if
- the temper ature of the engine coo lant rises
due to the heat build-up from the engine in
the engine compartment, or
- the engine compartment heats up because
the vehicle is parked in intense sunlig ht.
A WARNING
- To reduce the risk of personal injury nev­
er touch t he rad iator fan .
- The auxiliary electric fan is temperat ure
controlled and can sw itch on suddenly
even when the engine is not ru nning .
- The auxiliary radiator fan sw itches on a u­
tomatically when the engine coo la nt
reaches a certai n temperature and wi ll ..,.

continue to run until the coolant temper­
ature drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
Fig. 197 E ngine co mpartment : cove r on the b rake fluid
r ese rvoir
Before you check anything i n the engine com­
partment,
a lw ays read and heed all W ARN ­
ING S 9 A in Working in the engine compart ­
ment on page
22 7.
~ Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir
9 fig . 197, 9 page 229,
fig. 193.
The brake fluid level must be be ­
tween the "MIN" and "MAX" markings .
The location of the brake fl uid reservo ir can be
seen in the engine compartment illustrat ion
9 page229.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adj ustment of the
b rake pads. This is not cause for alarm.
I f the brake fluid level falls
considerably be­
l ow the "MIN " mark, the brake wa rning/indi­
cator ligh t
1111 (U.S. models)/ . (Canadia n
models) will come on~
page 15 . Do not con­
tinue to operate the vehicle. The comp lete
brake system shou ld be thoroughly checked
by an authorized Audi dealer or other quali­
f ied fac ility and the cau se corrected.
If the
brake fluid level is too low, the brake warning/
indicator light will illuminate . Contact an au ­
thor ized Audi dealer
imm ediat ely .
Checkin g and fillin g 237
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi­
enced technician .
Brake fluid absorbs mois ture from the air. If
the wa ter content in the brake fluid is too
high , corrosion in the brake system may result
after a period of time . The boiling point of the
brake flu id will also dec rease considerably and
decrease braking pe rformance.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
ev ery two years. Always use new brake flu id
which conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle
Standard "F MVSS 116 DOT 4 ".
The brake fluid reservo ir can be d iff icult to
reach, the refore, we recommend that you
have the brake fluid changed by your author­
i zed
Audi dealer . Your dealer has t he correct
tools, the right brake fl uid and the know-how
to do this for you.
A WARNING
-
- Brake fluid is poisonous . It must be stor­
ed only in the closed original container
out of the reach of children!
- Brake failure can resu lt from o ld or inap­
propriate brake f luid. Observe these pre­
cautions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE
spec ificat ion
J 1 7 03 and conforms to
Federa l Moto r Ve hicl e Standard 116.
Always check with yo ur authorized Audi
dealer to make sure yo u are using the
correct bra ke fluid. The correct type of
brake f luid is also indicated on the
brake fluid reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use
of the brakes can cause a vapor lock if
the brake fluid is left in the system too
l ong . This can seriously affect the effi ­
c iency of the brakes as well as your
safety. Th is cou ld resu lt in an accident .
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your
vehicle .
.

250 Tire s and wheel s
used today are underinflated just by looking
at them.
Therefore, be sure to check tire pressures at least once a month and always before going
on a long tr ip. Make sure to take the number
of people and the amount of luggage into ac­
count when adjusting tire pressure for a trip -
even one that you would not consider to be
"long." See
c> page 251, Tires and vehicle
load limits
for more important information .
Always use an accurate tire pressure gauge
when checking and adjusting inflation pres­
sures . Check all of the t ires and be sure not to
forget the spare tire . If the pressure in any tire
i s too high when the tire is "cold," let air out
of the tire slowly with the edge of the tire
gauge and keep checking the pressure unt il
you reach the pressu re that is correct for the
l oad (passengers and luggage) and kind of
driving you plan to do.
I f the p ress ure in any tire is too low, note the
d ifference between the pressure in the cold
tire and the pressure you need and add the a ir
that you need to reach the correct pressure for
the vehicle load (passengers and luggage) for
the tires on your veh icle as listed on the on
you r veh icle and in this manual and the k ind
of dr iving you plan to do.
Ne ver e xceed the m aximum inflation pre s­
su re li sted on the ti re sidewall for an y rea ­
son.
Remember that the vehicle manufacturer, not
the tire manufacturer, determines the correct
tire p ressure fo r the t ires on your vehicle .
It is important to check the tire pressu re when
the tires are cold.
- Read the requ ired t ire p ress ure from the tire
pressure label. The ti re pressu re labe l is lo ­
cated on the drive r's side 8-pi llar.
- T urn the valve stem cap counter- clockwise
to remove i t from the tire valve.
- Place the air pressu re gauge on the valve .
- The tire pressures should only be checked
and adjusted when the tires a re cold . The slightly raised pressures of warm tires must
not be reduced.
- Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying.
- Reins tall the valve stem cap on the va lve.
When sh ould I check the tire pressure?
The correct tire pressure is especially impor­
tant at h igh speeds. The pressure should
the refore be checked at least once a mo nth
and always before starting a jo urney. Do not
f orget to c heck the ti re p ress ure fo r the spare
whee l
i=;,poge 265.
When should I adjust the tire pressures?
Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
ca rrying. After changing a whee l
or replaci ng
whee ls yo u have to adj ust the ti re press ures
on all whee ls. In addition, you m ust then
store the new tire pressures in the tire pres­
s u re monito ring system*
c> page 261.
A WARNING ~
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinfla-
tion can lead sudden tire fa ilure, loss of
control, collision, serious personal injury
or even death.
- When the warn ing symbol
RI] appears in
the instrument cluster, stop and inspect
the t ires.
- Incorrect tire pressure and/or underinfla­
tion can cause increased tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability .
- Inco rrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can a lso lead to sudden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowou t and sudden de­
flation, ca us ing loss of veh icle cont ro l.
- The drive r is responsible for the co rrect
tire pressures for all tires on the veh icle.
T he applicable pressure values are loca t­
ed on a sticke r on the dr iver's s ide 8-pil­
lar .
- On ly when all tires on the vehicle are fil­
led to the correct pressu re, the t ire pres ­
sure monitoring* system can work cor­ rectly.

Driving with different tires reduces vehi­
cle handling and can lead to a loss of
control.
- If the spare tire is not the same as the
tires that are mounted on the vehicle -
for example with winter tires -only use
the spare tire for a short period of time and drive with extra care. Refit the nor­
mal road wheel as soon as safely possi­
ble.
- Never drive faster than the maximum
speed for which the tires on your vehicle
are rated because tires that are driven
faster than their rated speed can fail
suddenly.
- Overloading tires cause heat build-up,
sudden tire failure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation and loss of control.
- Temperature grades apply to tires that
are properly inflated and not over or un­
deri nflated.
- For technical reasons it is not always
possible to use wheels from other
vehicles -in some cases not even wheels
from the same vehicle model.
- If you install wheel trim discs on the ve­
hicle wheels, make sure that the air flow
to the brakes is not blocked. Reduced air­
flow to the brakes can them to overheat, increasing stopping distances and caus­
ing a collision.
- Run flat tires may only be used on
vehicles that were equipped with them at the factory . The vehicle must have a
chassis designed for run flat tires. Incor­
rect use of run flat tires can lead to vehi­
cle damage or accidents. Check with an
authorized Audi dealer or tire specialist
to see if your vehicle can be equipped
with run flat tires. If run flat tires are used, they must be installed on all four
wheels. Mixing tire types is not permit­
ted.
(D Note
- For technical reasons, it is not generally
possible to use the wheel rims from oth-
Tires and wheels 257
er vehicles. This can hold true for wheels
of the same vehicle type.
- If the spare tire is different from the
tires that you have mounted on your ve­
hicle (for example winter tires or wide
profile tires), then use the spare tire for a
short period of time only and drive with
extra care. Replace the flat tire with the
tire matching the others on your vehicle
as soon as possible.
- Never drive without the valve stem cap .
The valves could get damaged .
(® For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accordance with the
local requirements.
Uniform tire quality grading
-Tread wear
- Tract ion AA A B C
- Temperature AB C
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire side wall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width
c;, page 254,
fig. 204.
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA,
Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Feder­
al Safety Requirements in addition to these
grades.
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course.
For example, a tire graded ISO would wear
one and one half (11/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual conditions of their use, how­
ever, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, serv­
ice practices and differences in road character-
istics and climate.
ll-
•
•

The speed rating letter code (c::> page 246) is
on the side wall of the tire
c::> page 254.
A WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower than your vehicle's max­
imum speed . Always know the maximum
speed before driving off. Never drive faster
than the speed permitted for your specific
winter tires . This will cause damage to the
tires leading to an accident and serious
personal injury to you and your passen­
gers.
A WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your vehicle
were designed can cause tire failure in­ cluding a blowout and sudden deflation,
loss of control, crashes and serious per­
sonal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately.
- Winter tires have maximum speed rating
that may be lower than your vehicle's
maximum speed .
- Never drive faster than the speed for
which the winter or other tires installed
on your vehicle are rated .
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and
traffic conditions. Never let the good ac­
celeration of the winter tires and all-wheel
drive tempt you into taking extra risks . Al­
ways remember :
- When braking, an all-wheel drive vehicle
handles in the same way as a front drive
vehicle.
- Drive carefully and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
cannot help under black ice conditions.
@l For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather condi­
tions permit. They are quieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumption.
-
Tires and wheels
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted only to the front
wheels , and only to certain tire sizes. Ask your
authorized Audi dealer on which tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
If you are going to use snow chains, then you
must install them on the front wheels at
least.
The snow chains must have low-profile links
and must not be thicker than 0.4 inch
(10,S mm) , including the lock.
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs
before putting snow chains on your vehicle
c::> (]) . For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bolts. These are avail­
able from authorized Audi dealers.
A WARNING ,..__
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi­
cle or installing them incorrectly can in­
crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different
sizes . Always make sure to follow the in­
structions provided by the snow chain manufacturer .
- When driving with snow chains never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains .
- Always observe local regulations.
(D Note
- Remove snow chains before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into direct con­
tact with the wheel rim, can scratch or
damage it. Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered . Check
the position of the snow chains after
driving a few yards and correct if neces­
sary. Follow the instructions from the
snow chain manufacturer when doing so.
- If the Adaptive Air Suspension* should
malfunction, do not mount or use snow ..,.
259
•
•

264 What do I do now?
What do I do now?
Emergency warning
triangle
App lies to vehicles: with emerge ncy warning triangle
The warning triangle is located on the inside
of the trunk lid .
-
"' M ~ 0 6
~ ~
Fig. 207 Tr unk lid: Warning triang le
.,. To open the cover , turn the locking mecha­
nism and pull the cover downward .
" m
.,. Remov e the warning triang le from its hold­
er.
The rear lid is only designed to hold the warn ­
ing triangle offered by the original accessories
program. If you would like to retrofit your ve­
hicle with a warning triangle, p lease contact
your authorized Audi dealer.
Vehicle tool kit
Vehicle tool kit and jack
The vehicle tool kit is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor cover.
Fig. 208 Lu ggage compartme nt: cargo floor cover
folded upward/spa re t ire
Fig. 209 Trunk lid: Veh icle tool kit
.,. Fold the floor to the seatback with the help
of the handle .
.,. Turn the handwheel counter-clockwise
~ fig. 208 and remove the spare t ire to
reach the vehicle tool kit.
The onboard tool k it includes:
- Hooks to remove the wheel covers*
- Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt covers*
- Wheel bolt wrench
-Alignment pin for changing wheels
- Screwdriver with reversible blade
- Towing loop
-Jack
Before storing the jack, make sure it is wound
back down as far as it will go.
A WARNING
Improper use of the vehicle jack can cause
serious pe rsonal injuries.
- Never use the screw driver hex head to
tighten wheel bolts, since the bolts can­
not attain the necessary tighten ing tor­
que if you use the hex head, potentially
causing an accident .
- The factory-supplied jack is intended on­
ly for your vehicle model. Under no cir­
cumstances sho uld it be used to
lift
heavy veh icles or other loads; you risk in­
juring yo urself.
- Never start the engine when the vehicle
is raised, which could cause an accident.
- Support the vehicle securely with appro­
p riate stands if work is to be performed
underneath the vehicle; otherwise, there
is a potential risk for injury. .,.

-Never use the jack s upplied with your
Audi on another vehicle, particularly on a
heavier one. The jack is only suitable for
use on the vehicle it came w ith.
@ Tips
- Some of the on board items listed above
are provided on certain mode ls only or
are optional extras.
- Before you can raise your vehicle using
the jack, you must activate the jack ing
mode
c:> page 268.
Space-saving spare tire (compact spare
tire)
The spare tire/wheel is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor cover . It
is intended for short-term use only.
Taking out the sp are tire
... Fold the floor to the seatback with the help
of the handle.
... Turn the large screw~
page 264, fig . 208
counter-clockw ise .
.,. Take out the spare tire .
.,. Always store the vehicle too l kit, the jack*
and the replaced tire in the l uggage com­
partment
c::> page 136 .
Using the spare tire (compact spare tir e)
The compact spare tire is only intended for
emergenc ies until you can reach a repair shop.
Replace it as quick ly as poss ible with a stand­
ard wheel and t ire.
There are some restrict ions on the use of the
compact spare t ire. The compact spare t ire
h as been des igned specifically for you r type of
veh icle. It must not be swapped wi th a com­
pact spare tire from another type of vehicle .
Snow chains
For technica l reasons, the use of snow chains
on the compact spare tire is
not p ermitt ed .
If you do have to dr ive with snow chains and a
front tire fails, mount the spare wheel w ith
tire instead of a rear t ire . Install the snow
What do I do now? 265
chains on the rear tire and use it to rep lace
the defective front tire .
A WARNING
-Never use the spare t ire if it is damaged
or if it is worn down to the tread wear in­
dicators.
- If the spare tire is more than 6 years old,
use it only in an emergency and with ex­
treme caution and careful driv ing.
- The spare tire is intended only for tem­
porary and short-term use . It should be
replaced as soon as poss ible with the
normal wheel and tire .
- After mounting the compact spare t ire,
the t ire pressure must be checked as
soon as possible . The tire pressure of the
compact spare t ire must be 4. 2 bar; oth­
erwise, you risk having an a ccident.
- Do not dr ive faster than SO mph (80 km/
h). You ris k having an accident .
- Avoid full-throttle acceleration, heavy
brak ing, and fast cornering. You risk hav­
ing an accident .
- Never drive using more than one spare
wheel and ti re. You r is k having an acci­
dent.
- Normal summer or winter t ires must not
be mounted on the compact spare wheel
rim.
- For technical reasons, the use of tire
chains on the spa re tire is not permitted .
If i t is necessary to d rive with t ire chains,
the spare wheel must be mounted on the
front ax le in the event of a flat in a rear
tire. The newly available front whee l
must then be insta lled in place of the
rear wheel w ith the flat tire. Installing
the t ire cha in before mounting the whee l
and tire is recommended .
- Loose items in the passenger compart­
ment can cause serious personal injury
during hard brak ing or in an accident.
Never store the inflatable spare tire or
jack and tools in the passenger compart­ ment. •
•