2016 AUDI A7 check engine

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Trailer mode Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, p lease remember that
the additional load will affect durability, econo­
my and performance.
Trailer towing not only places more stress on the
vehicle, it also calls for more concentration from
the driver.
For this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
(D Note
If you are going to tow a trai ler, you must ac­
tivate the trailer operat ion mode
c::> page 201, Operating instructions.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suitable
for your vehicle and trailer and must be mounted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a
technically
sound
location. Use only a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ball mount. Always check with the trail­
e r hitch manufacturer to make sure that you are
using the correct hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it
does not interfere with the impact-absorbing
bumper system. No modifications should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems.
From time to time, check that all hitch mounting
bolts remain securely fastened .
When you are not towing a trailer,
remove the
trailer hitch ball mount. This prevents the hitch
from causing damage should your vehicle be
struck from behind
c::> &, .
Trailer mode
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a brak ing system,
check to be sure that it conforms to all regula­
tions.
T he trailer hydraulic brake system must not be di­
rect ly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic b rake
system.
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your veh icle
and the tra iler.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be sure
to check with your Aud i dealer for correct wiring,
switches and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you us­
ing the regular outside mirrors, then you
must in­
stall extended mirrors. It is important that you
always have clear vision to the rear .
A WARNING
--
After removing the trailer hitch, do not store
i t in your vehicle. In case of sudden braking,
the hitch could fly forward and injure you or
your passengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in
place to prevent it from sh ifting forward, back­
ward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer c::> &.
in Driving instructions on page 203 .
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder. It
is important that the cooling system's perform­
ance is up to the additional load. Make sure that
the cooling system has enough fluid . .,..
201

Trailer mode
Tire pressure
When tow ing a trailer, inflate the tires of your ve­
hicle to the cold tire pressure listed under " Full
load" on the label located on the driver's side B ­
pillar (visible when the door is open). Inflate
trailer tires to trailer and tire manufacturers'
specifications.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working properly .
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety cha ins are p roperly connect­
ed from the trailer to the hitch on the vehicle.
L eave enough slack in the chains to permit turn ­
ing corners. When you install safety chains, make
sure they will not drag on the road when you are
driving.
The chains should cross under the trai ler tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the hitch.
Adjusting the Audi drive select
Make su re the vehicle is on a level su rface before
h itching up the trailer and before adjusting the
tongue weight . The vehicle must be in
auto or
comfort driving mode and not raised
r::!> page 101, r::!> 0.
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered. In Info­
tainment, select:
ICARI function button > Lower
control button.
If you must drive under poor road conditions, you
can raise the vehicle
after coupling the traile r or
after adjusting the tongue weight c::!> page 103 .
(D Note
-Changes in temperature or load can affect
the height of the vehicle.
- Always select
auto or comfort mode. Other­
wise, the tongue load specified for your ve­
hicle will no longer be applicable.
202
· Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration .
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the follow ing:
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself
is not loaded .
.,. Be especially carefu l when passing other
vehicles.
.,. Observe speed lim its .
.,. Do not drive at the maximum permissib le
speed.
.,. Always app ly brakes early .
.,. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car results
i n a h ighly unstab le distribution of weight. If th is
cannot be avoided, dr ive at very low speeds only
to avoid the risk of losing steer ing control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and control.
This means that the tow vehicle shou ld be loaded
to the extent possible and permissib le, w hile
k eep ing the traile r as light as possible under the
circumstances. Whenever possible, transfer
some ca rgo to the luggage compartment of the
tow vehicle while observing tongue load require­
ments and vehicle loading considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to contro l the rig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or wind cond itions are unfavorab le -particular ly when
going downh ill.
Red uce vehicle speed
immediately if the trailer
shows the slightest sign of swaying .
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits . In some areas, speeds for
vehicles towing trai lers are lower than for regular
vehicles.
Always apply brakes early. When driving dow n­
hill, shift i nto a lower gear to use the engine

fill up at busy gas stations where the seasonal
adjustment is more likely to be made in time.
(D Note
- Methanol fuels which do not meet these re­
quirements may cause corrosion and dam­
age to plastic and rubber components in the
fuel system.
- Do not use fue ls that fail to meet the speci­
fied criteria in this chapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether or
not a particular fuel blend meets the speci­
fications, ask your service station or its fuel
supplier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents can­
not be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance prob­
l ems resulting from the use of fuels differ­
ent from those specified are not the respon­
s ibility 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 problems due
to the use of one of these fuel blends, we
recommend that you switch to unb lended
fuel.
Gasoline additives
A ma jor concern among many auto manufactur­
ers is carbon deposit build-up caused by the type
of gasoline you use.
Although gasol ine grades differ from one manu­
facture r to another, they have certa in things in
common. All gasoline grades contain substances
that can cause deposits to collect on vita l engine
parts, such as fuel injectors and intake valves. Al­
though most gasoline brands include additives to
keep engine and fuel systems clean, they are not
equally effective .
Audi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent Gas ­
oline. For more information on TOP TIER Deter-
M gent Gasoline, please go to the official website N
j (www .toptiergas.com).
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Fuel and Refueling
After an extended period o f using inadequate
fuels, carbon deposit build-ups can rob your en­
gine of peak performance .
(D Note
Damage or malfunction due to poor fuel qual­
ity is not covered by the Audi New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
Diesel fuel
Applies to vehicles: with diesel engine
Always use ULSD (Ultra Low Su lfur Diesel) No. 2.
The ULSD No. 2 meets the ASTM 0975.
Diesel fuel with concentrations of biodiese l high­
er than 5
% such as Bl 1, B20 or 8100 are strictly
prohibited.
Service station fue l pumps are labeled with the
correct fue l information for easy recognit ion by
the user .
If the d iese l fue l pump is not labe led
ask the station operator what fuel is being dis­
pensed before fi lling up your vehicle.
ULSD No. 2 may not be available outside the USA
and Canada . Be sure to check before traveling to
other countries.
ULSD No. 2 can become thicker in very cold tem­
peratures, and this can impair the engine'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 oper­
ating your vehicle as usual.
@ Note
- Your vehicle's diesel engine was designed
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 . Such damage will not be
covered by your New Vehicle Limited War­
ranty.
- If you put any amount of incorrect fuel in
the fuel tank, do not start the engine under
any circumstances. Immediately contact the
nearest authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility for assistance.
211

Fuel and Refueling
These fuels contain substances that can se ­
verely damage the fuel system and the en­
gine if the engine is started.
Refueling
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
side pane l beh ind the fuel filler flap .
If the power locking system should fail, you can
still open the flap manually - for detailed instruc­
tions see
¢page 214.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your vehicle
in
¢ page 272 .
The label on the inside of the fuel filler flap tells
you the correct fuel for your vehicle. For more in­
formation about fuel specifications, see
¢ page 210 .
Your vehicle fuel tank has an on board refuelling
vapor recovery system. This feature helps to pre­
vent fuel vapors from escaping from the tank and polluting the environment while you refue l your
vehicle. In order to fill the tank properly whi le
protec ting the environment, please follow this
refueling procedure carefully.
8_ WARNING
Under normal operating conditions, neve r ca r­
ry additional fuel containers in your car. Gas
canisters and other containers used to trans­
port fuel can be dangerous. Such containers,
full or empty, may leak and could cause a fire
in a collision. If you must transport fuel to
use for your lawn mowe r, snow blower, etc.,
be very careful and always observe loca l and
state laws rega rding the use, transportation
and storage of such fuel containers. Make cer­
tain the con tainer meets industry standards
(ANSI/ASTM F852 -86).
(D Note
Never drive you r vehicle until the fuel 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.
212
Refuelling
Fig. 180 R ig ht rea r ve hicle side : Opening the fuel fill er flap
Fig. 181 Fuel fille r flap w ith attac hed fuel cap
When act ivating the central locking, the fuel fill­
er flap is automatically unlocked or locked . Re­
fuel the veh icle with the ignition switched
off.
Taking the fuel cap off
.. Press the left side of the fuel f iller flap to open
it ¢
fig. 180-arrow-.
.. Unscrew fuel filler cap counter-clockwise and
hang it on the fuel filler flap
~ fig . 181 .
.. Check the label on the ins ide of the fuel filler
flap to determine if the vehicle must be fue led
w ith gasoline or diesel fuel.
Refuelling procedure
.. Insert the fuel nozzle from the gasoline pump
into the fuel filler neck as far as it will go .
.. Select a medium refuelling rate so that the
nozzle switches off automatically when the
tank is full.
Putting the fuel cap back on
.. After filling your tank, twist the fuel filler cap
clockw ise as far as it will go .
.. Close the fuel filler flap . ..,_

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Messages in the instrument cluster display
Applies to vehicles: with selective catalyt ic reductio n
The display indicates if the Ad Blue level is low or
if there is a system malfunction .
AdBlue level low
You will be informed if the Ad Blue in the tank
drops be low a certain level.
Please refill Ad Blue. Range 1500 mi (2400 km )
This message appea rs whe n there is o nly enoug h
Ad B lue left to dr ive the d ist ance ind icated in the
d river i nfo rmation sys tem . Fill the AdBl ue.
Ad Blue ,0 Refill AdBlue! No restart in 600 mi
( 1000 km)! See owner 's manual
This message appea rs when there is o nly enoug h
Ad Blue left to dr ive the distance indicated in the
d river info rmation system . Fill the Ad Blue . Othe r­
wise the eng ine will not sta rt again if you s top it
once the di stan ce in dicated ha s been driven. You
can also check t he rem ain ing distance in the on­
board comp ute r*.
Refill Ad Blu e! No restart! See own -
er' s manual
This message appea rs whe n the AdBlue tank is
empty . Fill t he AdBl ue. Othe rw ise you w ill not be
ab le to start the engine aga in once yo u stop it.
T he AdBlue must be refi lled when t he amo unt in
the tank has reac hed the m inimum leve l
q page 215, Filling Ad Blue .
Incorrect filling/system malfunction
A message appears if the AdBl ue tank was filled
with a fluid other than AdBlue and the system has detected t hat the ta nk was f illed incor rectly,
or if there is a sys tem ma lf u nction .
Ad Blue -I' Ad Blue: System fault! No restart in
600 mi (1000 km). See owner's manual.
This message appea rs when it is only poss ible to
drive the d istance ind icated in the dr iver informa­
tion system. Drive to the nearest authori zed Audi
dealer or authorized Aud i Service Fac ility to have
the ma lfunction corrected . Otherwise the engine
w ill not start aga in if you stop it once the dis­
tance ind icated has been driven .
Fuel and Refueling
AdBlue: System fault No restart!
See owner's manual
T his mes sage ap pea rs if t he system h as detec ted
t h at the t ank was fi lled incor rectly o r tha t there
is a ma lf u nction . Drive immed iate ly to the near ­
est authorized A udi dealer or autho rized A udi
Se rv ice Facility to have the ma lf u nction co rrect ­
ed. Otherwise yo u will not be ab le to start the en­
gine aga in once you stop it .
Filling AdBlue
Applies to vehicles: with selective catalytic reduction
Fig. 184 Rig ht rea r ve hicle s ide: re m oving t he AdB lu e cap
The Ad Blue filler t ube is located near the diesel
filler t ube . Add at least 1.5 ga llons (5.7 liters) of
AdBl ue. This is the m inimum amount required to
ensure the system detects the refi lling a nd to
start the eng ine . Yo u can add a max imum of ap­
proximate ly 4.5 gallons (17 liters) .
Req uirement: The request to add Ad Blue must
appear in the instrument cluster display .
.. Switch t he ignit ion off .
.. Open the tank door
q page 212.
.,. Turn the tank cap counterclockwise w it h the lug
w rench from the vehicle too l kit to remove it
q fig . 184 .
.,. Fill the Ad Blue with th e bottl e ~ page 216 or
the caniste r<=>
page 216.
.&_ WARNING
Ad Bl ue can irri tate the skin , eye s and respira­
tory sys tem . If the re is con tact with t he flu id,
f lush imme diate ly w ith plenty of water. Co n-
su lt a physicia n if necessary. .,,_
215

Checking and Fill in g
Checking and Filling
Hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the vehi­
cle.
Fig. 1 86 Driver footwell: release lever
Fig. 187 Rocker sw itch under the hood
Make s ure the wiper arms are not ra ised up from
the windshield . Otherwise the paint could be
damaged .
.. Wi th the driver's door open, pu ll the lever un­
der the instrument panel in the direction of the arrow
c::> fig. 186.
.. Raise the hood s lightly c::> _A .
.. Press the rocker switch under the hood upward
Q fig. 187. This releases the catch.
.. Open the hood.
A WARNING
Hot engine coo lant can burn you.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if yo u see or hear steam or
coolant escap ing from the engine compa rt­
me nt. Wait until no steam or coo lant can be
218
seen or heard before carefully open ing the
hood.
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in the
engine compartment.
Whenever you mu st perform any w ork in the
engine comp artment , for example checking and
filling d iff erent fluid s, the re i s a risk of injury ,
burns and accidents. To p revent pe rsonal injur y
alwa ys ob serv e the follow ing WARNING S. The
engi ne compartment o f an y vehicle is a h azard ­
ous are a
i::>_6 .
A WARNING
To help avo id injury, before you check any­
thing under the hood:
- Turn off the engine.
- Switch off the ignition.
- App ly the parking brake.
- Move selector leve r to P (Park).
- Always le t the eng ine cool down. Hot com-
ponents wi ll burn skin on contact .
-
-To reduce the risk of bei ng bur ned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam o r
coo lant escaping from the engine compart­
ment . Wait unt il no steam o r coolant can be
seen or heard before carefully open ing the
hood.
- Keep c hildren away from the engine com­
partment .
- Never sp ill fluids on hot engine compo ­
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxiliary
electric fan is temperature cont ro lled and
can switch on suddenly.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap when
the engine is sti ll warm. The coolant system
is pressur ized and hot coo lant co uld spray
out.
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag ove r the cap w hen you open the
coo lant reservoir.

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-Do not remove the engine cover under any
circumstances. This increases the risk of
burns.
- If work on the fuel system or the electrical
system is necessary :
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open
flames . Fluids in the engine compartment
could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher imme­
diately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal injury
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 repair with
the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake, move
selector lever to P (Park).
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from getting
caught in the radiator fan, V-belts or other moving parts, or from contacting hot
parts. Tie back hair before starting, and do
not wear clothing that will hang or droop
into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and chemi­
cal hazards ¢.&. .
..&, WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of Cali­
fornia to cause cancer and birth defects and
reproductive harm. In addition, certain flu­
ids contained in vehicles and certain prod­
ucts of component wear contain or emit
Checking and Filling
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms.
Wash hands after handling .
([) Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container or
filler opening, otherwise serious damage to
vehicle systems will 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 vehicle fluids, have
your vehicle inspected by an authorized Audi
dealer .
Closing the engine hood
.,.. Pull the hood down until the pressure from the
struts is reduced.
.,.. Let the hood
drop down and latch in place. Do
not try to push it shut;
it may fail to engage
¢ ,& .
..&, WARNING
--A hood that is not completely latched could
fly up and block your view while driving .
- When you close the engine hood, check it to
make sure the safety catch has properly en ­
gaged . The hood should be flush with the
surrounding vehicle body parts .
- If you notice while driving that the hood is
not secured properly, stop at once and close
it .
-
219

Checking and Fill in g
Engine compartment
Engine compartment overview
These are the most important items that you can check .
Fig. 188 Typica l layou t fo r con tainers and en gin e oil fille r cap
@ Jump start point( -) with hex head Engine oi L
screw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230 , 265
@ Jump start point(+) under a cover
@ Brake fluid reservoir (0)) ...... .
@ Eng ine oil filler cap
('t::71) .. .. .. .
® Coolant expansion tank (-L) .... .
@ Windshield/headlight washer con -
t .
(~ ) amer ~ ................. . .
230,265
227
222
224
231
The engine oil filler neck (item @) may be locat­
ed in a different area depending on the version of
the engine .
A WARNING
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 218.
220
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used must conform to exact speci ­
fications.
The service inte rval disp lay in the instr ument
cl us ter of your vehicle will inform you whe n it i s
time for an oi l change . We recommend that you
have your oil changed by an authorized A ud i Serv­
i ce Advisor .
If you have to top off the o il between oi l changes,
use the Audi oil quality standard specifie d in the
table . ..,.