2015 AUDI A7 coolant

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Checking and fillin g 22 7
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 .. .. ..... ... .. .. . 237, 285
@ Jump start point(+) under a cov-
er .. .. ... ..... ...... ...... 237,285
@ Brake fl uid reservo ir ((0)) .... .
© Engine oil filler cap ("1:::r.) .... .
® Coolant expansion tank (-L) .. .
© Windshield/headlight washer
t .
(;;:;) con ainer ,..,, .. .... .. .. . .. . 234
229
23 1
238
The engine oil fille r neck (item @) may be lo­
cated in a d ifferent a rea depend ing o n the
ver­
sion of the eng ine.
WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
c::> &. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 225.
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used must conform to exact
specifications.
T he service interva l d isp lay in the instrument
cluster of yo ur vehicle will inform you when it
is time for an oil change. We recommend that
you have your oil changed by an authorized
Audi Serv ice Advisor .
If you have to top off the oi l between oi l
changes, use the Audi o il quality standard
spec ified in the table.
Audi oil quality standard
Gasoline
VW 502 00 or
engine vw 504 00
Diesel vw 507 00
eng ine

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-Always dispose of used engine oil proper­
ly. Do not dump it on garden soil, wood­
ed areas, into open streams or down
sewage drains.
- Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a
used engine oil collection facility in your
area, or contact a service station.
Engine cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro­
tects the engine from freezing in the winter.
The cooling system is sealed and generally re­
quires little attention .
The cooling system has been filled at the fac­
tory with a permanent coolant which does not
need to be changed . The coolant consists of a
mixture of specially conditioned water and the
manufacturer 's glycol-based coolant addi-
tive G13 antifreeze with anticorrosion addi­
tives (50% for USA models; 60% for Canadian
models) . This mixture both assures the neces­
sary frost protection and protects metal com­
ponents in the engine's cooling system from
corrosion and scaling.
It also raises the boil­
ing point of the coolant.
Do not reduce the concentration of the cool­
ant in the summer by adding plain water.
The
proportion of coolant additive must be at
least 50% but not more than 60%
to main­
tain antifreeze protection and cooling efficien ­
cy .
If the coolant frost protection is too low,
the coolant could freeze and damage the vehi­
cle heating and engine cooling system.
For year -round driving, antifreeze is added at
the factory for temperatures down to:
- -31°F(-35°C)USA
- -40 °F ( - 40 °C) Canada.
If you must add coolant, use a mixture of wa­
ter and coolant additive. Mixing the coolant
additive with distill ed water is recommended .
Checking and filling 231
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS ~&.
in Working in the engine
compartment on page 225.
(D Note
- Before winter sets in, have the coolant
checked to see if the coolant additive in
your vehicle is sufficient to meet the cli­
mate conditions. This is especially impor­
tant if you live in a region where the win­
ter is extremely cold. If necessary, in­
crease the proportion of coolant additive
to 60%.
- When adding coolant additive to your
cooling system, remember:
- We recommend using only coolant ad­
ditive G12++ or G13 (check the label)
for your vehicle. This coolant additive is
available at authorized Audi dealers.
Other types of antifreeze can signifi­
cantly reduce corrosion protection. The
resulting corrosion can cause a loss of
coolant and serious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiator leak seal­
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant.
Adding radiator repair fluid may adverse­
ly affect the function and performance of
your cooling system and could result in
damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance.
Fig. 196 Engine compa rtment: cove r on t he coola nt
expansion tank

232 Check ing and filling
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
a lways r ea d and heed all WARN­
INGS ¢ A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 225.
• Park your vehicle on a level surface.
• Switch
off the ignition .
• Read the eng ine coolant leve l from the cool­
ant expansion tank
c> fig. 196, c> page 22 7,
fig. 193. With a cold eng ine, the coolant
level should be between the "min" and
"max" markings. When the engine is warm,
the leve l may be slightly above the "max"
ma rk ing.
The location of the coolant expans ion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus­
tration ¢
page 22 7.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine
must be sw itched
off.
The expans ion tank in your vehicle is equipped
with an electric coolant level sensor.
When the coo lant level is too low, the warning
light in the Auto-Check System ¢ page l 6 will
i l luminate unti l yo u add coolant and the level
has been restored to normal. Even though
there is an electric coolant level senso r, we
still recommend you check the coolant leve l
from time to time .
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a lea k in the cooling
system. In the event of coolant loss, the cool­
ing system should be inspected immediately
by your author ized Audi dealer. It is not
enough merely to add coolant.
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if
the boiling point of the coolant is exceeded as
a result of overheat ing.
A WARNING
T he cooling system is unde r pr essure and
c an get ve ry hot. Reduce t he risk of s cald­
ing from hot coolant by followi ng these
steps .
- T urn
off the engine and allow it to cool
dow n. -
Protect your face, han ds and arms from
escaping flu id and steam by cover ing the
cap with a large, thick rag.
- Tu rn the cap slowly and very care fully in
a counte r-clockwise direct ion while ap­
plying lig ht, 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 par ts. Under certa in cond i­
tions, th e ethylen e glyco l in engine coo l­
a nt can catch fire.
(D Note
Do not add a ny type o f radiator leak sea l­
ant to your veh icle's engine coolant. Add­
i ng radiator r epa ir fluid may adv erse ly af­
fe ct the funct io n and perfo rma nce of you r
co oling syste m and could result in damage
not covered by your New Veh icle Limi ted
War ran ty.
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Befo re you check anyth ing in the eng ine com­
partment,
alway s read and heed all WARN·
INGS ¢ A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 225.
• Requirement: The re must be a r esidua l
amount of coolant in the e xpansion ta nk
¢(D.
•Tur no ff the engine.
• Le t the engine cool down.
• Place a thick rag ove r th e coo lant expansion
tank
¢ page 231, fig. 196 and carefully
twist the cap co unte r-clockwise c> &_ .
• Add coo lant m ixed in the correct rat io
¢ page 231, Coolant up to the MAX mark­
ing.
• Make s ure that the fl uid leve l remains sta-
b le. Add more coo la nt if necessary.
• Twis t the cap o n again
tightly.
Replacement engine coo la nt must confo rm to
exact spec ificat ions
¢ page 2 31, Coolant. .,.

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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.
•
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The washer fluid container is marked with the
symbol~ on its cap
¢fig . 199, ¢page 227,
fig. 193 .
.,. Before you check anything in the engine
compartment,
always read and heed all
WARNINGS ¢ A in Working in the engine
compartment on page 225 .
.,. Lift the filler cap tongue to add washer flu­
id. You can fill the container to the top .
.,. Press the cap back onto the filler neck after
filling the container .
You can f ind the reservoir
capacity in the table
in
¢page 292.
Clean water shou ld be used when filling up. If
possible, use soft water to prevent sca ling on
washer jets. Always add a glass cleaner solu­
tion (with frost protection in the winter).
CJ) Note
Do not mix engine coolant antifreeze or
any other additives to fill up the wind­
shield washer reservoir.
Checking and filling 239
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tire failure and loss of
control.
-Excessive speed and/over­ loading can cause heat
build -up, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
-If the tire pressure is too low or too high, the tires
will wear prematurely and
the vehicle will not handle
well.
-If the tire is not flat and you do not have to change a
wheel immediately, drive at
reduced speed to the near­
est service station to check
the tire pressure and add air as required.
(D Note
Driving without valve stem
caps can cause damage to
the tire valves. To prevent
this, always make sure that
factory installed valve stem caps on all wheels are secure­
ly mounted on the valve.
@ For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will also
increase the fuel consump­
tion.
Tires and wheels 255
Tires and vehicle load limits
'
There are limits to the amount of load or weight that any vehi­
cle and any tire can carry. Ave­
hicle that is overloaded will not
handle well and is more diffi­
cult to stop. Overloading can
not only lead to loss of vehicle
control, but can also damage important parts of the vehicle
and can lead to sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowout and
sudden deflation that can cause
the vehicle to crash.
Your safety and that of your passengers also depends on
making sure that load limits are
not exceeded. Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and every­
thing in and on the vehicle .
These load limits are technical­ ly referred to as the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the
weight of the basic vehicle, all
factory installed accessories, a
full tank of fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids plus maximum ""
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Technical data
Vehicle identification
F ig. 231 Veh ide Identificat ion Number (VlN) plate: lo ·
c ation on d river 's s ide das h pane l
XXXXX XX · X -XXXX XXX
~ fAllftlli. -llllll · NR. ~ W!ru -llllll -NO.
xx
XXXX XXXX XX X XXXXXXXX
XXX XXX
IYP /TYPE
XX XXXXXXX XX X X XX
XXX KW XXX
®i ~W.::·f :l~~ XXXX XXX XXX
©+ ::rw= xxxx I xxxx XXX I xx
M. · AUSSt I IJ'IIDIIS
~--
EOA 7D 5 4UB 6XM SSG SRW
2E H JOZ 1LB lA S 1BA
3FC SMU 7X l
FD A 9G3 OG7 OYH OJF
TL6 3 KA 8EH UlA X98 027
lXW 803 908 824 D2D
7T6 CV7 7KO 4X3 2K2
3L4 4KC 3YO 413 502
1S A 7GB 01A 4GO
XX. X XX X XX X XXXX
Fig. 232
The vehicle identification label - inside the
luggage co mpartment
Vehicle Identification Number (VlN)
The Veh icle Identification Number is located
in different p laces :
- under the w indshield on the driver's side
¢fig. 231.
- in the MMI: Select: Function button ICAR ! >
(Car)* systems> Servicing & checks > VIN
number.
-on the vehicle identification label.
Techni cal data 291
Vehicle identification label
The vehicle identification label is located in
the luggage compartment in the spare wheel
well.
T he label¢
fig. 232 shows the following vehi­
cle data :
(D Vehicle Identificat ion Number (VIN)
@ Vehicle type, engine output, transmission
® Engine and transmission code
© Paint number and interior
® Optional equipment numbers
The information of the veh icle identification
label can also be found in your Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet .
Safety compliance sticker
The safety compliance sticker is your assur­
ance that your new veh icle complies with all
applicable Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standards which were in effect at the time the
vehicle was manufactured . You can find this
sticker on the door jamb on the driver's side. It shows the month and year of production
and the vehicle ident ification number of your
vehicle (perforation) as well as the Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR) .
High voltage warning label
The high voltage warning label is located in
the engine compartment next to the engine hood release. The spark ignition system com­
plies with the Canadian standard ICES-002 .
Weights
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), and
the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for
front and rear are listed on a sticker on the
door jamb on the driver's s ide.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating includes the
weight of the basic vehicle plus full fuel tank,
oil and coolant, plus maximum load, which in ­
cludes passenger we ight (150 lbs/68 kg per
II>--

29 6 Con sum er Inf ormation
-Always make sure the transmission se­
lector lever (automatic transmiss ion) is
in P (Park position) and the park brake is
applied .
@) For the sake of the environment
-Changing the engine settings wi ll ad­
versely affect em iss ion levels. This is det­
rimental to the environment and increas­
es fuel consumption .
- Always observe env ironmental regula­
tions when dispos ing of old engine oil,
used brake fluid, dirty engine coolant,
spent batteries or worn out tires.
- Undeployed airbag modules and preten­
s ioners might be classified as Perchlo ­
rate Material -spec ial handling may ap­
ply, see www.dtsc.ca .gov/hazardous­
waste/perch lorate . When the veh icle or
parts of the restraint system including
airbag modules safety belts wit h preten ­
sioners are scrapped, all applicable laws
and regulations must be observed. Your
authori zed Aud i dea ler is familiar with
these requirements and we recommend
that you have your dealer perform this
serv ice for you .
Additional accessories,
modifications and
parts replacement
Additional accessories and parts
replacement
Always consult an authorized Audi dealer be­
fore purchasing accessories.
Your veh icle incorporates the latest safety de­
sig n featu res ensu ring a high standard of ac­
tive and passive safety .
This safety could be compromised by non-ap­ proved changes to the veh icle. For this reason ,
if pa rts have to be replaced , please observe
the following points when install ing addition­
a l accessories: Approved Audi accessories and genuine Aud
i
parts are available from authorized A udi deal­
ers.
T hese dea le rs a lso have the necessary facili­
ties, tools and trained specialists to install the parts and acc essories proper ly .
A WARNING
-Using the wrong spare parts or using non-
approved accessories can cause damage to
the veh icle and ser ious persona l injury.
- Use on ly accessories express ly approved
by Audi and gen uine Audi spare parts
- These parts and accessories have been
specia lly designed to be used on yo ur ve­
h icle .
- Never install accessor ies such as tele­
phone crad les or beverage ho lders on a ir­
bag covers or within the airbag deploy­
ment zones . Do ing so will increase the
risk of injury if a irbags are triggered in an
accident!
- Before you check anything in the engine
compa rtment, always read and heed a ll
WARNI NGS
9 page 225 .
(D Note
-If items other than genu ine Audi spare
parts, add-on equipment and accessory
items are used or if repair work is not
performed accord ing to specified meth­
ods, this c an resu lt in seve re damage to
your vehicle's eng ine and body (such as
corrosion) and adversely affect yo ur vehi ­
cle's warranty .
- If emergency repairs must be performed
elsewhere, have the vehicle examined by
an authorized A udi dealer as soon as
possible .
- The manufacturer cannot be held liable
for damage wh ich occ urs due to failure
to comply with these stipu lations.