2015 AUDI Q7 service

226 Intellig ent technol ogy
firm ly a few times from a mode rately high
speed ¢.&. .
Faults in the brake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake peda l travel, t hen one of the two bra ke
circ uits may have failed ¢.&. .
Low brak e flu id le vel
Malfunct ions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fluid level is too low . T he brake fluid
l eve l is monitored electronically .
Bra ke boo ster
The brake booster increases the pressure that
you generate w ith the brake pedal. It only op­
erates while the eng ine is running ¢,&. .
Brake lining we ar sta tu s
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the wheel. If neces­
sary, the wheel may be removed for this in­
spection ¢
page 307, Changing a wheel.
A WARNING
- You should perfo rm bra king maneuve rs
for the p urpose of clean ing the b rake
system on ly if road condit ions permit.
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an accident!
- Be fore descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmission into a lower
gear or lower driving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too often. This could cause the
brakes to get hot and dimin ish braking
efficiency .
- Do not "ride the brakes" by resting your
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake . Th is may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and inc reased
stopping distance.
- Under certain climat ic and operating
condit ions such as passing through wa­
ter, driving in heavy ra in or after wash ing
the vehicle, the effect iveness of the
brakes can be reduced . In winter, ice can accumu
late on the brake pads, linings,
discs and drums. Carefully app ly brakes
for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coat­ ings w ill be cleaned off after a few care­
ful brake applicat ions .
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can also affect braking efficiency .
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
b rake discs and pads with a few ca reful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
i n stall a diffe rent spoiler, be s ure the a ir
f low to the front brakes is not obs truct­
ed . Otherwise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system .
- Fai lure of one brake circuit will impai r
the braking capability resulting in an in­
creased stopping distance . Avoid driving
the vehicle and have it towed to the near­
est authorized Audi dea ler or qualified
workshop .
- Never let the ve hicle roll to a stop with
the engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, the
brake peda l must be pressed cons idera­
b ly harder to make up for the lack of
booster assistance.
Servotronic - advanced power steering system
The power steering systems uses the power of
the running engine to allow precise steering
with Little effort.
T he advanced Servotronic power steer ing sys ­
tem senses the road speed and electronica lly
adjusts power assistance to provide comforta­
ble and safe steering response exactly match­
ed to the vehicle speed.
Power s teer ing will not work if the engine is
off. As a result, the steering wheel will be hard
to turn.
T he powe r steering fluid level is checked d ur-
ing the sched uled maintenance services . ..,.

M N
0 ..J
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel.
11-Shut the engine off when you are not driving
the vehicle.
11-Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the
engine run at idle .
It makes sense to shut
off the engine in traffic
jams, when waiting for trains to pass at rail­
road cross ings, or at traffic lights that have
long waits on red. Turning the engine
off for
just 30-40 seconds saves more fuel than is
burned starting the engine again.
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fully when it is running at idle. However, wear
and noxious emissions are especially high
when the engine is warming up. So you should
drive away as soon as you start the engine and
avoid running at high rpms while the engine is
still warming up .
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af­
ter starting. If warning lights should come
on to indicate improper operation, they
wou ld go unheeded. Extended idling also
produces heat, which cou ld result in over­
heating or other damage to the vehicle or
other property .
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel .
11-Have your vehicle serviced at regular inter-
vals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
authorized Audi dealer helps to ensure that it
runs properly and economically. The condition
of your vehicle not only affects its safety and
ab ility to hold its value, it also affects fuel
consumption.
Check your oil each time you fill your tank.
Driving and environment 233
The amount of oil used is re lated to engine
load and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reach its lowest value after a certain
mileage has been driven.
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 miles
(S,000 kilometers) before you can properly
assess oil consumpt ion.
This also app lies to fue l consumption and en­
gine output.
(D Note
- Have your veh icle ma inta ined properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty
& Main­
t enance booklet. Lack of prop er mainte­
nance as well as improper use of the ve­
hicle will impair the function of the
emission cont ro l system and could lead
to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Emission Control System unless ap­
proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such
as heat shields, switches, ignition wires,
valves, which are designed to protect
your vehicle's Emission Control System and other important vehicle compo­
nents.
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively
high on short trips .
11-Try to avoid driving short distances w ith a
cold engine.
T he engine and cata lytic converter have to
reach their optimal operating temperature to
reduce fuel consumpt ion and noxious emis­
s ions effectively .
Just after starting, a co ld engine in a mid-size
car only achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 mi les
per gallon (30-40 l/l00km). After about a
half a mile, fuel economy climbs to 12 mpg
(20 l/100 km). After about
2.5 miles (4 km), liJI,
•
•

M N
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'SI: ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
-Blend must contain not more than 1S%
MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform
espec ially we ll for winter or summer driving.
During seasonal change-over, we suggest that
you fill up at busy gas stat ions where the sea­
sonal adjustment is more likely to be made in
time .
(D Note
-Methanol fuels which do not meet these
requirements may cause corrosion and
damage to plastic and rubber compo­
nents in the fuel system.
- Do not use fue ls that fail to meet the
specified criter ia in this chapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether
or not a particular fue l blend meets the
specifications, ask your service station or
its fuel supp lier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents
cannot be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance
problems resulting from the use of fuels
different from those specified are not
the responsibility of Audi and are not
covered under the New Vehicle or the Emission Control System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fuel economy
or driveability and performance prob­ l ems due to the use of one of these fuel
blends, we recommend that you switch
to unblended fuel.
Gasoline additives
Applies to vehicles : wit h gasoli ne e ng in e
A majo r concern among many auto manufac­
ture rs is carbon deposit build-up caused by
the type of gasoline you use.
Although gasoline grades differ from one manufacturer to another , they have certain
things in common. All gasoline g rades contain
substances that can cause deposits to collect
on vital engine parts, such as fuel injectors
and intake valves. Although most gasoline
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 249
brands include additives to keep engine and
fuel systems clean, they are not equally effec­
tive .
Audi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline . For more information on TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline, please go to the official
webs ite (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended per iod of using inadeq uate
fuels, carbon deposit build-ups can rob your
engine of peak performance.
CD Note
Damage or malf unct ion due to poor fuel
quality is not covered by the Audi New Ve­
hicle Limited Warranty.
Diesel fuel
Applies to veh icles: w ith diesel engine
Always use ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel)
No. 2. The ULSD No. 2 meets the ASTM D97S.
Diesel fuel with concentrations of biodiesel
highe r than S % such as Bll, B2O or BlOO are
strictly prohib ited .
Se rv ice stat ion fuel pumps are labeled with
the cor rect fuel informat ion for easy recogn i­
tion by the user. If the diesel fuel pump is not
labeled ask the station operator what fuel is
being dispensed before filling up your vehicle.
ULSD No. 2 may not be available outside the
USA and Canada. Be sure to check before trav­
eling to other countries .
ULSD No. 2 can become thicker in very cold
temperatu res, and this can impair the en­
gine's start ing and running. Depending on the
season, gas stations provide ULSD No. 2 that
flows better in cold temperatures so that you
can continue operating your vehicle as usua l.
CD Note
-Yo ur vehicle's diesel engine was de­
signed soley for use with ULSD No. 2.
Therefore, never use gasoline, heating oil, other fuels or flow improvers. These
conta in substances that will severely
damage the fuel system and the engine . .,.
•
•

250 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Such damage will not be covered by your
New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
- If you p ut any amount of incorrect fuel in
the fue l tank, do not start the engi ne un­
der any circumstances. Immediately con­
tact the nearest authorized Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facility for as­
s istance. These fuels contain substances
that can severely damage the fuel sys­
tem and the engine if the engine is start­
ed.
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
side panel behind the fuel filler flap.
If the power locking system should fail, you
can st ill open the flap manually -for detailed
instructions see
c;,page 252.
You can find the fue l tank capacity of your ve­
hicle in
c;,page 325.
The label on the inside of the fue l filler flap
tells you the cor rect fuel for your vehicle. Fo r
more information about fuel specifications,
see
c::> page 248.
Your veh icle fuel tank has an on-board refuel­
ling vapor recovery system. This feature helps
to prevent fu el vapors from escaping from the
tank and polluting the environment while you refuel your vehicle. In order to fill the tank
properly whi le protecting the environment,
please follow t his refueling procedure careful­
ly .
A WARNING
Under normal operating conditions, neve r
carry additiona l fuel containers in you r car.
Gas canisters and other containers used to
transport fuel can be dangerous. Such con­
tainers, full or empty, may leak and could
cause a fire in a collision. If you must
transport fue l to use for yo ur lawn mower,
snow blower, etc., be very careful and al­
ways observe local and state laws regard­
ing the use, transportation and storage of such
fuel containers . Make certain the con­
tainer meets industry standards (ANSI/
ASTM F852 -86).
(D Note
Never drive your vehicle until the fue l tank
is completely empty. The irregu lar supply
of fue l can cause misfiring. Gasoline could
enter the exhaust system and damage the
catalytic converter .
Refuelling
Fig. 233 Right rear vehicle s ide: Opening the fuel filler
flap
Fig . 234 Fu el cap hooked on the opened fuel filler flap
When adding fuel, the ignit ion and any cellu­
lar phones in the veh icle must be switched
off. When activating the central locking, the
fuel filler flap is automatically un locked or
locked. Refuel the vehicle with the ignit ion
turned
off.
Taking the fuel cap off
.,. To open the fue l filler f lap, press on the left
side of the f lap
c;, fig. 2 33 -arrow-.
.,. Unscrew fuel filler cap coun ter-clockw ise
and hang it on the fuel filler flap
c;, fig. 234 . .,._

258 Checking and filling Engine compartment
These are the most important items that you can check .
Fig. 242 Typical layo ut for containers, engine oil di pstick and engin e oil fille r cap
(D W indshield/head light washer
t . (
;R ) con ainer ,.... .............. .
@ Coolant expansion tank (-L) .. .
@ Engin e oi l filler cap ('t".:r.) . .. .. .
©
®
®
(j)
Eng ine oil dipstick .......... .
Brake fluid reservoir
((0)) ..... .
Power steering reservoir ... .. .
Jump start connector( +) under 270
263
261
260
265
226
a cover,( ·) with hex head screw 268,317
The position of the engine o il fi lling hole and
the engine oil dipstick
r=;, fig. 242 (position ®
and @) can vary according to the type of en­
gine .
_&. WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS ¢.&.
in Working in the engine
c ompartment on page 256.
-
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used must conform to exact
specifications .
The service interva l disp lay in t he instrument
cluster of your vehicle will inform you when it
is time for an oil change . We recommend that
you have your oil changed by an authorized Audi Service Advisor.
If you have to top
off the oil between oil
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
engine

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Using the proper engine oil is important for
the functionality and service life of the en­
g ine. Your engine was factory -filled with a
h igh-quality oil which can usually be used
t h roughout the entire year.
Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not cover damage or ma lf u nctions due to
fa ilure to follow recommended mainte­
nance and use requirements as set forth in
the Audi Owner's Manual and Warranty
&
Ma intenance booklet .
- Use only a high quality eng ine oil that ex­
pressly complies w ith the Audi o il quality
sta ndard specified for your veh icle's e n­
gine . U sing any other oil can cause seri­
ous eng ine dam age.
- Do not m ix any l ubrica nts o r othe r addi­
tives into the eng ine oi l. Doing so can
ca use eng ine damage.
I f you need to add oil and there is no ne
availab le tha t mee ts the Audi o il qua lity
s t andard your engine requires, yo u may
add a tota l of no more than 0 .5 quart/ liter
of a high -quality "synthetic"oil t hat meets
the following specifications.
- Vehicles with gaso line engine: ACEA A3
or API S M with a viscosity grade of
SAE OW-30, SAE SW-30 or SA E SW-40.
- Vehicles with diesel engine: ACEA C3 o r
API CF with a v iscosity grade of
SAE OW-30 or SAE SW-30.
- Fo r more information abo ut engine oi l
that has been approved for your vehicle, p lease contact either your a uthori zed
Audi dealer or Audi Customer Relations
at 1 (800) 822 -2834 or visit our web site
at www.a udiusa.com or
www.aud ica nada .ca.
Eng ine oil consumption
To provide effect ive lub rication and cooling for
internal engine pa rts, all inte rnal combust ion
engines use some oil. Oil consumption varies
Checkin g and fillin g 259
from engine to engine and may change ove r
the life of the engine. Engines tend to use
more o il during the break-in period than they
do afterward, when o il cons umption has sta­
bili zed. Depending on the way the vehicle is
driven and the operati ng conditions, oil con ­
sumption can be up to 1 quart per 1,200
mil es(! lite r per 2,000 km) . Consumption
may be higher wi thin the fi rs t 3,000 m iles
(5,000 km) .
Un der normal cond itions, the rate of oil con­
sumption depends on o il quality as well as v is­
cosity, engine speed (rpm), outs ide tempera­
ture, road condi tions, the amount of oil d il u ­
t ion caused by condensed water or fue l resi­
due, and oxidation of the oi l. Oi l consump tion
may inc rease with engine wear over time, un ­
ti l replacement of worn engine parts may be ­
come necessary.
Beca use of all these variables, there is no
standard or "norma l" rate of o il cons umption .
We urge you to check the engine oil le vel at
regular intervals, p referably e very time you
fill the fuel tank, and always before a long
trip .
The oil p ressure wa rning light. is not an
indicato r of low engine oil le vel. If the wa rn ­
ing light does not go out after starting, or
flash es while dri ving (above 1500 rpm ), a
buzzer will sound . It indicates that the oil
pres sure is too low. Stop the engine immedi­
ately, che ck the engine oil level and add oil if
n ec ess ary. If the engine oil level i s normal,
but the light continues to flash , do not keep
driving or let the engine idle, as dam age may
occur .
If you believe yo ur engine uses too much o il,
we recommend that you consul t your author ­
ized Audi dea ler so that the ca use of yo ur con­
cern can be proper ly diagnosed . Keep in mind
that acc urate measurement of oil consump­
tion req uires great care and may take some
time . Your Audi dealer h as ins truc tions for
how to measure oil consumption accurately .
I),
•
•

26 2 Ch eck ing and filling
8_ WARNING
Stop! Before working in the engine com­
partment, always read and heed all WARN ­
INGS
~ .&. in Working in the engine com­
partment on page
256 . The engine com­
partment of any motor veh icle is a poten­
tially dangerous area and can cause ser i­
ous personal injury.
8_ WARNING ,,,__
If you must change the engine oil in your
vehicle:
- Always wea r eye protection .
- T o reduce the ris k of burns from hot en-
gine oil let the engine cool down to the
touch.
- Whe n removing the oil drain plug with
yo ur fingers, stay as far away as poss ible.
Always keep your forearm paralle l to the
ground to he lp prevent hot oil from run­
ning down your arm.
- Drain the oi l into a container designed
for this pu rpose, one large enough to
hold at least the total amount of oil in
your engine.
- To reduce the risk of poisoning, never use
empty food or beverage containers that
might m islead someone into dr ink ing
from them.
- Engine oil is poisonous. Keep it well out
of the reach of children.
- Cont inuous contact with used engine oil
is harmful to your skin. Always protect
your sk in by washing thoroughly with
soap and water .
(D Note
Never mix oil additives with your engine
oil. These additives can damage your en­
gine and adverse ly affect your Audi Limit­
ed New Vehicle Warranty.
@i For the sake of the environment
- Before changing the oil, first make sure
you know where you can properly dispose of the old oil.
-
.
- Always dispose of used oil p roperly. Nev ­
er dump it on garden soil, in wooded
areas, into st reams or down sewage
dra ins.
- Recycle used oi l by taking it to a used en­
gine oil collection facility in your area, or
contact a service station.
- We strongly recommend that yo u have
your oil changed by an authorized Audi
dealer or a qualified workshop with the
special tools and expert ise required, and
proper means of disposal.
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.
T he cooling sys tem is sealed and genera lly re­
quires little attention.
The cooling system has been fi lled at the fac­
tory with a permanent coolant which does not need to be changed. The coo lant cons ists of a
mixtu re of specially conditioned water and the
manufacturer's g lycol -basedcoo la nt add
i-
tive G l3 antifreeze with anticorrosion addi ­
tives (SO% for USA mode ls; 60% for Canadian
models). This mixture both assures the neces­
sary frost protection and protects metal com­
ponents in the eng ine's cooling system from
corros ion and scaling.
It also ra ises the bo il­
i ng po int of the coolant .
Do not reduce the concentration of the cool­
ant in the summer by adding p lain wate r. Th e
proportion of coo lant additiv e mu st be at
l e as t 50 °/4 but not m ore than 60°/4
to main­
ta in ant ifreeze protect io n and cooling eff ic ien­
c y.
If the coo lant fros t 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
t h e factory fo r temperatures down to:
- -31°F(-35°C)USA
- - 40 °F ( - 40 °C) Canada.

26 6 Ch eck ing and filling
If the brake fluid level falls considerably be­
low the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/indi­
cator light (U .S . mode ls:
11111 , Canadian
models: .) will come on
<=> page 19 and
<=> page 32. Do not continue to operate the ve­
h icle . The complete brake system should be
thoroughly checked by an authorized Aud i
dea ler or qualified workshop and the cause
corrected. If the brake fluid level is too low,
the brake warning/indicator light will illum i­
nate . Contact an authorized Aud i dealer
im­
m ediatel y.
@ Tips
The brake fluid rese rvoir is located unde r­
neath the cove r.
Changing brake fluid
Hove the broke fluid changed by on experi­
enced technician.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the a ir . If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
h igh , corrosion in the brake system may result
after a per iod of t ime. The bo iling po int of the
brake fluid wi ll also decrease considerably and
decrease braking performance.
Therefore, the brake flu id must be changed
e ver y tw o year s. Always use new b rake fluid
which conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle
Standard "FMVSS 1 16 DO T 4".
The brake flu id reservo ir can be difficult to
reach, therefore, we recommend that you
have the brake f luid changed by you r author­
ized
Audi dea ler. Your dea ler has the correct
too ls, 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 i n the closed orig inal container
o ut of the reach of children!
- Brake fa ilure can result from old or inap­
propriate b rake fluid. Observe these pre­
caut ions: -
Use only brake fluid that meets SAE
specification
J 1703 and conforms to
Federa l 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 lu id is also ind icated on the
brake flu id reservoir.
- T he brake fluid must be new. Heavy use
of the bra kes ca n cause a vapo r lock if
the b rake 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. This co uld resu lt in an accident.
(D Note
Bra ke fluid will damage the paint of you r
vehicle .
(® For the sake of the environment
Because of the p rob lem of p roper disposal
of b ra ke fluid as well as the spec ial too ls
r equired and the necessary expertise, we
re commend that yo u have the brake fluid
changed by yo ur authorized Aud i dea ler.
Battery
General information
U nder normal ope rat ing cond itions , the bat­
tery in yo ur Audi does not need any ma inte­
nance. With
high o utside tempe ra tur es or
l ong dai ly drives we recommend that you have
the e lectrolyte level checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualif ied workshop. The elec­
trolyte level should also be checked each time
the battery is charged
<=> page 268.
Have the battery checked when yo u take your
vehicle in for service. You are well advised to replace a battery that is o lder than 5 years .
With certain types of airbag deployment, the battery is disconnected from the veh icle elec­
trical system for safety reasons<=>.&
in Re ­
pair , core and disposal of the airbags on
page 196.
~