2015 AUDI A7 adding oil

204 Driving and en vir onm ent
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc ., make certain that
low-lying parts such as spoilers and exhaust
system parts do not bottom out and get dam­
aged.
This is especially true for vehicles with low­
slung chassis (sports chassis) * and fully load­
ed veh icles .
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when driving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- T he water must not be any higher tha n the
bottom o f the vehicle body.
- Do not d rive faster than wa lking speed.
_& WARNING
After d riving through water, m ud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because o f wet brake rotors and pads . Dry
the brakes first by braking carefully to re­
store the full braking effect.
(]) Note
-Vehicle components such as the eng ine,
transmission, suspension or e lectr ica l
system can be severe ly damaged by driv­
ing through water.
- Always switch
off the Start-Stop-System
when driving through water¢
page 81.
(D Tips
-Check the depth o f the water before driv ­
ing through it.
- Do no t stop the veh icle, dr ive in reverse
or switch the engine
off when driving
through water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles
may create waves that raise the water
level and make it too deep fo r your vehi­
cle to drive through safely.
-
- Avoid driving through salt water because
it can cause corrosion .
Catalytic converter
Applies to vehicles : w ith gasoli ne e ngi ne
It is very important that your emission con­
trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in on environmentally sound manner.
.. Always use lead-free gasoline ¢ page 217,
Fuel supply .
.. Never run the tank down all the way to emp­
ty.
.. Never put too much motor o il in your eng ine
¢ page 229, Adding engine oil~-
.. Never try to push- or tow-sta rt your vehicle.
The catalytic converter is an efficient "clean­
u p" dev ice built into the exhaust system of
the ve hicle. The cata lytic conve rter bu rns
many of the pollutants in the exha ust gas be­
f ore they are re leased into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is c rit ically
important fo r the life of the catalyt ic convert­
er and prope r fu nct ion ing of the engine.
A WARNING
-
The temperature of the exhaust system is
h igh, both when driving and after stopping
the engine.
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once
they have become hot . This could result
in burns .
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exha ust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fue l spill or other material which can
cause a fire .
- Do not app ly additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields. Dur ing driv ing, the
substance used fo r undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
~

226 Check ing and filling
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open flames . Fluids in the engine com­
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im­
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and persona l in ­
jury while the engine is running or being started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repa ir
with the engine running:
- Fi rst, fully apply the parking bra ke,
move se lec to r lever to P (Pa rk) .
- Always use extreme caution to preven t
clot hing, jewe lry, or long h air from ge t­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V -belts
or other moving parts, or from contact­ ing hot parts. Tie back hair before
start ing, and do not wear cloth ing that
will hang or droop into the eng ine.
- Min imize exposure to emission and
chemica l hazards¢ ,&..
A WARNING
California Propos ition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certa in veh icle components conta in
or emit chemicals known to the State of
Califor nia to cause cancer and b irth de­
fec ts a nd reproduct ive ha rm. In addition,
certain fluids conta ined in vehicles and
certa in prod ucts of co mponent wear co n­
ta in o r emi t chemicals known to the
State o f Ca lifornia to cause can cer and
birth defects or ot her reproductive harm. -
Battery posts, terminals and re lated ac­
cessories conta in lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cance r and reproduc­
tive harms. Wash hands after handling .
(D Note
When adding flu ids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper conta iner
or f iller opening, otherwise serious dam­
age to vehicle systems w ill occur.
® For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly. If
you see spots from oil or other ve hicle flu­
i ds, have yo ur vehicle inspected by a n au­
thori zed Audi dea le r.
Closing the engine hood
.,. Pull the hood down un til the pressure from
t he struts is reduced.
.,. Let the hood
drop down and latch in p lace .
Do not try to push it shut; it may fail to en­
gage ¢&_ .
A WARNING
-
A hood that is not completely latched
could fly up and b lock your view while dr iv­
ing.
- When you close the engine hood, check it
to make sure the safety catch has p roper­
ly engaged. The hood sho uld be flush
with the surrou nding vehicle body pa rts.
- If you notice while driv ing t hat the hood
is not s ecured prope rly, stop at onc e and
close it.

M N <( I.J "". rl I.O
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@ Tips
-The oil pressure warning display. i s
not an indicator of the oil level. Do not
rely on it. Instead , check the oil level in
your engine at regular intervals, pref­
erably each time you refuel , and always
before going on a long trip .
-If you have the impression your engine
consumes excessive amounts of oil, we r ecommend that you consult your Audi
dealer to have the cause of your concern
properly diagnosed. Keep in mind that
the accurate measurement of oil con­
sumption requires great care and may
take some time. Your Audi dealer has in ­
structions about how to measure oil con­
sumption accurately.
Checking the engin e oil lev el
Fig . 194 D isp lay : o il lev el indicato r
"' Park your vehicle on a level surface .
"' Sh ut the engine off when it is warm.
.. Switch only the ignition back on.
.. Wait approximately two min utes .
.. Select:
ICARI funct ion button> ( Car)* sys­
tems
contro l button > Se rvicing & checks >
Oil level.
.. Check the oil level in the display¢ fig. 194 .
Add engine oil if the bar of the oil level indi­
cator is near "min" ¢
page 229 .
Depending on the way the vehicle is driven
and the operating conditions, oil consumpt ion
can be up to 1/2 quart per 600 m iles (0 .5 liter
per 1,000 km) . Consumption may be higher
within the first 3,000 miles (5,000 km).
Checking and filling 229
@ Tips
The oil level indicator in the MMI Display is
on ly an information display. If the oil level
i s low, a minimum oil warn ing appears in
the instrument cluster. Add oil
c» page 229. If the hood has been opened,
the current oil level is shown in the instru­
ment cluster the next time the ignition is
switched on.
Adding engine oil '1:::1:
Fig . 195 En gin e compart ment: cove r on the eng ine oil
filler neck
Before you check anything in the eng ine com­
partment ,
always read and heed all WARN·
INGS
¢ A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 225 .
.. Shu t the engine off .
"'U nscrew the cap
hole
¢ fig. 195, ¢page 227 , fig. 193 .
.. Carefully top off with 0 .5 quarts (0 .5 liters)
of the appropr iate oil
¢ page 227.
.. Check the oil level again after two minutes
¢ page 229, Checking the engine oil level .
"'Top off the o il aga in, if necessary .
.. Screw the cap back on the fi lling hole .
_&. WARNING
-While topping off, the oil must not come
in contact with hot engine parts -fire
hazard!
- The oil filler cap must be prop erly se­
cured to prevent oil from being sprayed
on the hot engine and exhaust system
when the engine is running -fire hazard! .,.

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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. .,.

A
A/C (automatic climate control) .... .. .. 72
A/C (climate control) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Accessories .. ............. .... .. .. . 296
Active lane assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Activating and deactiva ting . .. .. .. .. .. 96
C leaning the camera area ... ... .. .. . 2 13
Descript ion ...... ..... ... ... ... .... 95
Instrument cluster indicator light . . . . . 96
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Notes on instrument cluster display . . . . 96
Sett ing the steering wheel vibrat ion .. .. 97
Adaptive a ir s uspension/sport . ... .. .. . 102
Adapt ive cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
C lea ning the sensor ....... .. .. .. .. . 213
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Request for driver intervention . ... .. .. 91
Stop-and-go traffic .... ... .. .. .. .. .. 90
Adapt ive Lig ht (defective) ... .. .. .. .. .. 22
AdBlue .. .. .. ................. .. ... 221
F il ling . .. .. ................. .. ... 223
Messages in the instrument cluster dis -
play . .. .. .. .. ........ ... .. ... ... . 222
Adding Eng ine coolant ........... .... .. .. . 232
Eng ine oil .. .. ........... .. .. .. ... 229
W indshield washer fluid ....... ... .. 238
Addit ives
Eng ine oi l .. ............. .... .. ... 229
Adj usti ng
A ir dist ribution (au toma tic climate con-
trol) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
air distribution (cl imate control) ... .. .. 70
Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Instrument illum inat ion ... .. .. .. .. .. 47
Steer ing colum n elec trically .. .. .. .. .. 75
Steer ing colum n manually . .. .. .. .. .. 75
Temperature (automat ic climate co ntrol) 73
Temperature (climate control) .. ... ... 70
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 147, 168
Advanced Airbag System ... .. .. .. .. . 151
Advanced Airbag System components . 155
Care ...... ... ................ .... 163
M N Chi ld ren ... ... .. .. ...... .. .. .. .. . 175 <(
~ Chi ld restra ints ........... .. .. .. ... 175
~ Components (front airbags) .. .. .. .. . 155 1.1"1 ,...., 1.1"1 ,....,
Inde x 299
Danger of fitting a ch ild seat on the front
passenger seat ..... . ... ...... ... .. 149
•
Disposa l .. .. .. .. .. . .. ... .... ... .. 163 •
Front a irbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151, 153
How do the front airbags work? .... .. 157
How many a irbags does my vehicle
have? .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .... .... .... 155
How the Advanced Airbag System com-
ponents work togethe r ......... .... 15 7
Impo rtant sa fe ty instru ctions on the
knee airbag sys tem ... .. .... ... .. .. 166
Important t hings to know .... ... .. .. 147
Knee airbags ... .... . ... ...... ... .. 164
Monitoring .. .. .. ................. 159
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light ..... .. 160
Repairs ... .. .. .. .... ............. 163
Safety instructions .. .............. . 162
S ide a irbags ... .. .. . .. .... .... .. .. 166
S ide curtain airbags . ... ..... ... .... 169
Warning/ind icator lights ........ .. .. . 19
Warning/Indicato r lights ....... .. .. 159
When must the system be inspected? 159
A ircraft
Transpo rting your vehicle 289
A lcantara
Cleaning .. .. .. .. ................. 215
A ll-wheel drive .. .... . ... ...... ... .. 200
Winter tires ..... .. . .. .. ..... ... .. 267
Alternator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Amb ience lighting . ................. . 47
Anti -freeze
refer to Engine coolant . ..... ... .. .. 231
Anti- lock b raking system ............ . 195
Warning/ind icator lights ........ .. .. . 19
Anti-slip regu lation .. ........... .... 195
Warning/ind icator lights .. .. ... ... .. . 19
Anti-theft systems Electronic immobi lizer ....... ... .. .. . 32
Asht ray .... .. .. .. .. . ............... 59
Audi braking guard
refer to brak ing guard ............. .. 86
Audi drive select
refer to drive select ... ............. 102
A udi Se rv ice Repair Manuals and Liter a-
tu re .. ... .. .. .... .. . .. ... .... ... .. 294

M N <( (.J
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
Data ...... .. .... .. .... ... .. .. ... 293
Start-Stop -System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
start ing . ... .... ...... ... .. .. .. .. .. 76
Starting with jumper cab les .. .. .. .. . 285
Stopping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
E ng ine compartment .... ... .. .. .. .. . 22 7
C losing the hood . ..... ... .. .. .. .. . 226
Opening the hood ..... ... .. .. .. .. . 225
Safety instructions ........ .. .. .. .. . 225
Working in the engine compartment . . 225
E ng ine coolant ... ...... ... .. .. .. ... 231
Adding coolant . .. ..... ... .. .. .. ... 232
Chec king the engine coolant leve l .. .. . 23 1
Expansion tank ........... .... .. .. . 231
Malfunct ion symbo l ....... .. .. .. .. .. 16
Radiator fan .............. ... ... .. 233
Temperature gauge ........... ... ... 11
Engine oil ... .... .. .... ... .. .. .. ... 227
Adding .. .. ............. .... .. ... 229
Addit ives . .. ............. .... .. .. . 229
Changing .. .. ... .. ... ... .. .. .. ... 230
Checking the eng ine o il level .. .. ... .. 229
I ndications and cond it ions requ iring ex-
tra check ing ............. .... .. ... 229
I ndicator ligh t . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
O il cons umption .......... .. .. .. .. . 228
P ressu re mal func tion ... ... .. .. .. .. .. 17
Recommended oil check intervals . ... . 229
Sensor defect ive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Specification and viscos ity .. .. .. .. .. . 227
E ng ine sound ............. .... .. .. . 10 2
Eng ine speed limitat io n ........ .. .... . 21
Engine start -stop mode
refer to Start-Stop-System . .. .. .. .. .. 83
E ng ine star t sys tem (indicator l igh ts) .. .. 18
Env ironment
Break- in period ........ ...... .... .. 203
Cata lytic converter ........... .... .. 204
D iese l par ticul ate fi lter .... .. .. .. .. . 205
Di sposing of yo ur vehicle ba ttery .. .. . 238
D riving a t high speeds .. ... .. .. .... . 206
D riving to minimize pollution and noise 205
Fu el . .... .. .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. ... 219
F ue l economy ............ .... .. ... 205
Leaks under your veh icle ... .. .. .. .. . 225
Lett ing the veh icle stand and warm up . 206
Proper disposal of dra ined brake flu id . 234
Inde x 303
Proper disposal of d rained eng ine cool -
ant . ... .. .. .. .... . ... ...... ... .. 232
Proper disposal of d rained eng ine
o il . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229, 230
Recycling used engine oil ............ 229
Un leaded fuel .. ... ................ 217
What should I do with an o ld battery? . 238
Event Data Recorder (EDR) . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
E xhaust tail pipes
Cleaning .. .. .. .. .. . .............. 213
Expansion tank .. ... ...... .......... 231
Exterior lighting ..... . .. .. ..... ... .. . 44
E xte rior m irrors
Adjus ting . .. .. .. .... ........... .. . 50
Di mming . ... .. .. .. .. .. ...... ... .. . 51
Heating ... .. .... ... .. .. ..... ... .. . 50
Exterior temperature display ........... 24
F
Fastening
Boos ter seats .. .. .. . .. .... .... .. .. 182
Co nvertib le child safety seats ........ 180
Infan t seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Floor mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Foot peda ls ... .. .... . ... ...... ... .. 133
Fo r the sake of the environment
Gasoline fumes and t he env ironme nt .. 219
Red ucing engine noise by early upshift -
i ng ....... .. .. .. ... ............ ... 11
Ref ueling ... .... ... .. .. ..... ... .. 219
Saving f uel by early upshifting ... .. .. . 11
Fo ur- zone automatic climate control . .. . 72
Front airbags Descrip tion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
How they work . ......... ......... . 157
Frontal coll isions and the laws of physics 139
Fron t seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Adjus ting . .. .. .. .. ............... 13 0
Child rest rain ts in the front seat . ... .. 149
Fuel Additives .. .. .. .... .......... ..... 217
B lended gaso line . ............. .... 217
C u rrent cons umption .. ......... .... . 25
E conomy messages (eff icien cy program) 26
F uel fi ller flap emergency release ... .. 221
F uel fi ller neck ..... . .. .. ..... ... .. 219
Fuel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
•
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