2015 AUDI A7 light

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We recommend using only coolant addi-
tive
Gl2++, Gl3 or in an emergency Gl2+. Do
not use a different additive. In an emergency
use plain water until you can get the correct
additive 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 engine is cold.
Always use
new engine coolant when refilling.
Do not fill coolant above the "MAX" mark. Ex­
cess coolant will be forced out through the pressure relief valve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot.
A WARNING
-The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of
scalding from hot coolant by following
these steps.
-Turn off the engine and allow itto cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by covering
the cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully
in a counter-clockwise direction while
applying light, downward pressure on
the top of the cap.
- To avoid being burned, do not spill an ­
tifreeze or coolant on the exhaust sys­
tem or hot engine parts. Under certain
conditions, the ethylene glycol in en­
gine coolant can catch fire.
- Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store an­
tifreeze in its original container and well
out of the reach of children.
- If you drain the coolant, it must be
caught and safely stored in a proper con­
tainer clearly marked "poison".
(D Note
- Do not add coolant if the expansion tank
is empty. Air could enter the cooling sys­
tem and damage the engine. If this is
Checking and filling 233
the case, do not continue driving. Seek
professional assistance .
- Coolant pollutes the environment and
could 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
c> page 231 must be re­
stored as soon as possible.
@ For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant should not be reused. Al­
ways dispose of used coolant while observ­ ing all environmental regulations.
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by
itself.
An auxiliary electric radiator fan switches on
and off depending on coolant temperature
and other vehicle operating conditions .
After you switch the engine off, the auxiliary
fan can continue running for up to 10 minutes
- even with the ignition off.
It can even switch
on again later by itself
c> .&, if
- the temperature of the engine coolant 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 sunlight.
A WARNING
-To reduce the risk of personal injury nev­
er touch the radiator fan.
- The auxiliary electric fan is temperature controlled and can switch on suddenly
even when the engine is not running.
- The auxiliary radiator fan switches on au­
tomatically when the engine coolant reaches a certain temperature and will
continue to run until the coolant temper­
ature drops.
•
•

234 Checking and filling
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
Fig . 197 Engine compartment: cove r on the brake fluid
reservo ir
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS ¢&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 225.
,.. Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir¢
fig . 197, ¢ page 22 7,
fig. 193.
The brake flu id level must be be­
tween the "MIN" and "MAX" markings.
The location of the brake flu id reservoir can be
seen in the engine compartment illust rat ion
¢ page 227.
The fluid level may drop
slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the
brake pads. This is not cause for alarm.
If the brake fluid level falls
considerably be­
low the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/indi­
cator light . (U.S. models)/ . (Canadian
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 A udi dealer or other quali­
fied facility and the cause corrected.
If the
brake fluid level is too low, the brake warning/
indicator light will illuminate. Contact an au­
thorized Audi dealer
immediately .
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi­
enced technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If
the water 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 decrease conside rably and
decrease braking pe rformance.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every two years . Always use new brake flu id
which conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle
Standard "FMVSS 116 DOT 4".
The brake fluid reservoir can be difficult to reach, therefore, we recommend that you
have the brake fluid changed by your author­
ized
Audi dealer. Your dealer has the correct
tools, the right brake fluid 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 fluid. Observe these pre­
cautions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SA E
specification
J 1703 and conforms to
Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 116.
Always check with your authorized Audi
dealer to make sure you are using the
correct brake 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
long. This can seriously affect the effi­
c ie ncy of the brakes as well as your
safety. This could resu lt in an accident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your
vehicle .

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@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the pr oblem of proper d isposa l
of brake flu id as we ll as the special tools
requ ired and the necessary expert ise, we
recommend that you have the brake fluid
changed by your author ized Audi dealer .
Battery
General information
Under normal operating conditions, the bat­
tery in your Audi does not need any mainte ­
nance. With
high outside temperatures or
long daily dr ives we recommend that you have
the electro lyte level checked by a service fa­
cility . The electrolyte level shou ld also be
checked each time the battery is charged
¢ page 237.
Have the battery checked when you take your
ve hicle in for service . You are well adv ised to
replace a battery that is older than 5 yea rs .
W ith certa in types of a irbag deployment, t he
b attery is d isconnected from the vehicle elec­
tr ica l system for safety reasons¢.&.
in Re ­
pair, core and disposal of the airbags on
page 163.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle functions (power w indow regu­
lators , for example) are lost if the battery ter­
m inals a re d isconnected. These func tions have
to be re lea rned after the batte ry term inals a re
connected agai n. T o prevent this , the bat tery
should only be d isconnec ted from the vehicle
e lec tric al system when absolu tely necessa ry
for repairs .
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive you r vehicle over a period
of severa l days or weeks, elec trical compo­
nen ts are gr adually cut b ack o r swi tched off .
This redu ces energy cons umption and main­
tains starting capab ility over a longer per io d
¢ page 201. Some of the co nvenience func­
tions may not operate, s uch as the inte rior
lights or power seat adjustme nt. The conven-
Checkin g and fillin g 235
ience funct ions w ill be available again when
yo u sw itch on the ign ition and start the en­
gine.
Winter operation
D ur ing the w inte r mon ths, bat tery ca pa city
tends to decrease as tempera tures drop . This
is beca use more power is a lso consumed wh ile
starting, and the headlights, rear window de­
fogger, etc., are used mo re often.
Avoid unnecess ary powe r consumpt ion, pa r­
ticu lar ly in city traffic o r when traveling only
sho rt distances. Let yo ur authorized A udi
dealer check the capacity of the vehicle bat ­
tery before w inter sets in¢
page 23 7. A well
charged battery will no t on ly prevent star tin g
problems w hen the weather is cold, but w ill
also last longer .
@ Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for seve ral
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the
vehicle battery s hou ld be removed and
stored where it will not freez e. This will
p reve nt it from be ing dam aged and having
to be repl aced .
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the bat tery.
The battery is located in the luggage compar t­
ment under the floor . B efo re you che ck any­
thi ng in the luggage compartment,
read and
heed all WARNINGS
¢ .&, .
Always heed the safety warnings , when work­
i ng on the veh icle batte ry or t he vehicle e lec­
t rical sys tem to p reven t inju ry.
The following WARNINGS are very
important when working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYM· BO LS and safety precautions when working
on the battery .
®
Always wear eye protection.
•
•

236 Check ing and filling
&
Batt ery aci d c ont ain s s ulfuric acid .
A lw ay s w ear gloves a nd eye protec-
ti on.
@
No
- spark s
- flame s
· sm okin g.
A
When a b atte ry is ch arged , it p rodu -
ce s hydr oge n ga s wh ich i s ex plosi ve
.
and co uld cause pe rso nal injur y.
®
Alway s keep the batt ery well out of
re ach of children.
A WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on
the electrical system, there is the r isk of
injury, acc ident and even fire. Read and
heed the following WARNINGS:
- Always wear eye protection. Do not let
battery acid or any lead part icles get on
your sk in or cloth ing . Sh ield your eyes .
Explosive gases can cause blindness or
other injury.
- Battery acid contai ns sulfur ic acid. Sulfu­
ric acid can cause blindness and severe
burns.
- Always wear gloves and eye protection.
Do not tilt the battery because ac id
could leak out of the vent ilation open­
ings.
- If you get battery acid in your eyes or
on your sk in, immediately rinse with
cold water for severa l m inutes and get
medical attention .
- If you should ingest any battery acid,
seek medical attention immediately .
- Do not expose the battery to an open
flame, electric sparks or an open light.
- Do not smoke.
- Do not interchange the positive and neg-
ative cab les.
- When working on the battery, be sure
not to short-circuit the terminals with
tools or other metal objects. This would
cause the battery to heat up very quickly,
wh ich could lead to damage or explosion
and personal injury. -
When a battery is charged, it produces
hydrogen gas which is explosive and
could cause personal injury.
- Always keep the battery well out of the
reach of children.
- Before work is done on the electrical sys­
tem, disconnect the negat ive ground ca­
ble.
- Before performing any work on the e lec­
trica l system, switch off the engine and
ignit ion as well as any electrical equip­
ment. The negative cable on the battery
must be disconnected .
If you are just go­
ing to replace a light bulb, then it is
enough to swi tc h off the lights.
- Before disconnecting the battery, switch
off the anti-theft alarm system! Other­
wise you wi ll set off the alarm.
- When disconnecting the battery, f irst
d isconnect the negat ive cab le and then
the posit ive c ab le.
- Before reconnecting the batte ry, ma ke
sure all e lectr ica l consumers are sw itch­
ed off. Re connect the pos it ive cable first
and then the negative cable. Never inter ­
change the cables - this could start a fire!
- Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out
battery. It could exp lode! If a battery has
frozen, then it must be replaced . A dis­
charged battery can freeze over at 32
°F
(0 oc).
- Make sure the vent hose is always attach­
ed to the opening on the s ide of the bat­
tery.
- Never use batteries which are damaged.
There is the danger of an explosion! Al­
ways rep lace a damaged battery.
A WARNING
Ca lifornia Proposition 65 Warning:
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories conta in lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive problems . Wash hands after han-
dling.
~

238 Check ing and filling
cracked an d weake ned when the battery
froze.
- Charge the battery in a we ll ventilated
area. Keep away from open flame or elec­
trical spark. Do not smoke. Hydrogen gas
generated by the battery is explosive.
- To reduce the danger of explosion, never
connect or disconnect charger cables
wh ile the charger is operating.
- Fast charg ing a battery is dangerous and
should only be attempted by a compe­
tent technician w ith the proper equip­
ment.
- Battery acid that may spill during charg­
ing should be washed off w ith a solution
of warm water and baki ng soda to neu­
t rali ze the acid.
~ Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to
start the engine. This will seriously dam­
age sensitive el ect ronic components, such
as co ntrol units, relays, rad io, etc., as we ll
as th e batte ry charge r.
Battery replacement
The new battery must have the same specifi­
cations and dimensions as the original equip­
ment battery.
I ntell igent energy management in your vehi­
cle is respo nsible for d ist ributing the electr i­
cal energy throughou t you r vehi cle
~ page 201. The inte lligen t energy manage­
ment system w ill keep the engine battery
charged better than vehicles without t his sys­
tem . To make sure the additional electrical en ­
ergy is available once again after you have
changed the battery, we recommend that you
install batteries of the same type and manu­
facture only (the same as those installed at
the t ime your vehicle was delivered). Specifi­
cations a re listed on the battery hous ing. You r
author ized de aler m ust code the battery in
the energy management system to enable yo u
to use the energy managemen t fu nctions co r­
rectly after replacing the battery. T
he new battery must have the same capacity,
vo ltage ( 12-volts), amperage, construction
and plug sealing.
When ins tall ing t he battery, make su re the ig­
nition and a ll elect rical consume rs are switch ­
ed off.
(D Note
Make sure the ven tilat ion hose on the side
of the ba ttery is connecte d, otherwise
fumes or batte ry acid can lea k out .
- Ve hicles with the Start-S top-System * are
equip ped with a spec ial cycle-proof AGM
battery . Install ing a d iffe rent type of
battery can cause problems in the vehi­
cle e lectr ica l system. Whe n replac ing the
vehicle battery, always install one w ith
t he same specifications as the o rigi na l
battery.
@) For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal
of a battery, we recomme nd your author­
i zed Audi dealer change the battery fo r
you. Batteri es contain sulfur ic acid and
l ead and must a lways be di spo sed o f prop­
erly in comp liance wi th all envi ronmental
regulations. Disposing of vehi cle batter ies
imprope rly is very dange rous to the envi­
r onment.
Windshield/headlight*
washer container
F ig . 1 99 Engine compartment: cover on the windshield
a n d headl ight * was her fl ui d reservo ir
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If you wish to improve comfort
when operating the vehicle at normal load (up to 2/3* occu­
pants), you can adjust tire
pressures to those specified
for normal vehicle load. Before
operating the vehicle at maxi­ mum load, you must increase
the tire pressures to those
specified for maximum vehicle load
c> .&. .
Bear in mind that the tire pres­
sure monitoring system can on­
ly monitor the tire pressures
you have stored. The system does not recognize the load
condition of your vehicle.
The effectiveness of the tire pressure monitoring system
will be impaired if you store normal load pressures but then
operate the vehicle at its maxi­
mum load
c> .&. .
Tires and wheels 249
See the illustration c> fig. 200
for the location of the label on
driver's side B-pillar (color of
the actual label and exact loca­
tion on the vehicle will vary slightly).
Note that the following table is
accurate at the time of going to
press and is subject to change.
In the event of discrepancies,
the tire pressure label is locat­ ed on the driver's side B-pillar
always takes precedence.
The table below lists the rec­ ommended cold tire inflation pressures for the Audi model
covered by your Owner's Litera­
ture at the vehicle's capacity
weight and the tire sizes instal­
led on the respective models as
original equipment , or as a fac-
tory option. ..,.
•
•
'

Tires and wheels 253
pressures. Check all of the tires It is important to check the tire •
and be sure not to forget the pressure when the tires are • '
spare tire. If the pressure in any cold.
tire is too high when the tire is -Read the required tire pres-
"cold," let air out of the tire sure from the tire pressure la-
slowly with the edge of the tire bel. The tire pressure label is
gauge and keep checking the located on the driver's side B-
pressure until you reach the pillar.
pressure that is correct for the -Turn the valve stem cap coun-
load (passengers and luggage) ter-clockwise to remove it
and kind of driving you plan to from the tire valve.
do. -Place the air pressure gauge
If the pressure in any tire is too on the valve.
low, note the difference be- -The tire pressures should only
tween the pressure in the cold be checked and adjusted when
tire and the pressure you need the tires are cold. The slightly
and add the air that you need to
raised pressures of warm tires
reach the correct pressure for must not be reduced.
the vehicle load (passengers -Adjust the tire pressure to the
and luggage) for the tires on load you are carrying.
your vehicle as listed on the on -Reinstall the valve stem cap
your vehicle and in this manual on the valve.
and the kind of driving you plan
When should I check the tire
to do.
pressure?
Never exceed the maximum in-
The correct tire pressure is es-
flation pressure listed on the
pecially important at high
tire sidewall for any reason.
speeds. The pressure should
Remember that the vehicle therefore be checked at least
manufacturer, not the tire man- once a month and always be-
ufacturer, determines the cor- fore starting a journey. Do not
....
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Tire pressure indicator appears
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction.
Fig. 205 Display: underinflation warning
Fig. 206 Display: System malfunction
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni­
toring system compares the tire tread circum­ ference and vibration characteristics of the in­
dividual tires. If the pressure decreases in one
or more tires, this is indicated in the instru­
ment cluster with a warning symbol
rD] and a
message
c:> fig . 205.
The tire pressure monitoring system must be
reset via MMI each time the pressures are ad­
justed (e.g. when switching between partial
and fu ll load pressure) or after changing or re­
placing a tire on your vehicle
c:> page272 . The
TPMS indicator only monitors the tire pres­
sure that you have previously stored. You can
find the recommended tire pressures for your
vehicle on the label on driver's side 8-pillar
c:>page247.
Tire tread circumference and vibration charac­
teristics can change and cause a tire pressure
warning if:
- the tire pressure in one or more tires is too
low,
Tires and wheels 2 71
- the tire has structural damage,
- the tire pressure was changed, wheels rotat-
ed or replaced but the TPMS was not reset
c:>poge272.
- the spare tire* is mounted .
Warning symbols
[I] Loss of pressure in at least one tire¢.& .
Check the tire or tires and replace or repair if
necessary. The indicator light
rD] in the instru­
ment cluster also illuminates <=:>
page 12.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires
and resetTPMS via MMI.
l!I (Tire Pressure Mon itoring System) Tire
pressure! System malfunction .
Ifljl appears
after switching the ignition on or while driving
¢
fig. 206 and the indicator light rD] in the in­
strument cluster blinks for approximately one
minute and then stays on, there is a system
malfunction. Attempt to store the correct tire
pressure
c:> page 272. If the indicator light
does not turn off or if it turns on shortly
thereafter, immediately drive your vehicle to
an authorized Audi dealer or authorized repair
facility to have the malfunction corrected.
_& WARNING
- If the tire pressure indicator appears in
the instrument cluster display, one or
more of your tires is significantly under­
inflated. Reduce your speed immediately
and avoid any hard steering or braking
maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible and
check the tires and their pressures. In­
flate the tire pressure to the proper pres­
sure as indicated on the vehicle's tire
pressure label<=:>
page 247 . Driving on a
significantly under-inflated tire causes
the tire to overheat and can lead to tire
failure. Under-inflation also is likely to
impair the vehicle's handling and stop­
ping ability.
- The driver is responsible for maintaining
the correct tire pressures. You must check the tire pressures regularly.
.