2016 AUDI A7 service

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).
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1
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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
case, try turning the nozzle before inserting
it in the fuel fi ller neck, use a different fuel
pump or see your authorized Audi dea ler or
authorized repair facility for assistance.
- The fuel filler flap of your vehicle is not
l ocked when you lock the vehicle from the
inside .
Fuel filler door emergency release
If the central locking system is faulty, the fuel
filler door can be unlocked manually.
Fig. 182 Right side tri m in the luggag e compartme nt: re·
mov ing the trim
"' ~ 0
<.:l "'
Fig. 183 Luggage compartment: Fuel filler door emergen­
cy release
Removing the side trim
• To remove the right side tr im, first remove the
retainer from the mounts
r:!.> fig. 182.
• Turn both locking mechanisms 90° to the Left
using a coin or a similar object and remove the
locking mechanisms.
• Tilt the retainer upward and pu ll the tr im out.
Lay the trim down on its side, because there is
an electrical wire for the socket* on the back.
214
Fuel filler door emergency release
• Loosen the strap from its bracket and pull on it
r:!.> fig. 183 r:!.>{2) . You can now open the fuel fill­
er door as usu al
r:!.> page 212.
(D Note
Only pull on the Loop until you feel resistance.
You will not hear it release. Otherwise you
could damage the emergency release mecha­ nism.
Selective catalytic reduction
General information
Applies to vehicles: with selective catalyt ic red uction
In vehicles with selective catalytic reduction, a
urea solution (AdB lue) is injected into the ex­
haust system before a nitrogen oxide catalytic
converter to reduce nitrogen emissions.
The Ad Blue is carried in a separate tank in the ve­
hicle. The Ad Blue usage accounts for approxi­
mately O. 5 % to 2. 5% of the diesel fuel that is
used.
When a message about refilling the AdBlue ap­
pears in the instrument cluster display, you must
refill the Ad Blue yourself or have it refilled by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility
r:!.> page 215.
{!) Tips
-The instrument cluster d isp lay indicates the
distance remaining that can be driven
r:!.>page 215. If the AdBlue tank is com­
pletely empty, the engine will not start
again after the ignition is switched off.
- Ad Blue is requ ired by law to operate this ve­
hicle.

M N <( I.J "". rl I.O
"' N I.O rl
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

Fuel and Refueling
CJ) Note
-Only use Ad Blue that conforms to the
standard ISO 22241-1. Do not mix any addi­
tives with the AdBlue and do not di lute it
with water.
- Do not add Ad Blue to the diesel tank or add diesel fuel to the AdBlue tank. Mixing can
lead to damage to the engine and the Ad Bl­
ue tank system .
- Ad Blue attacks surfaces such as painted ve­
hicle components, plastic and carpet . Re­
move the fluid as quickly as poss ible with a
damp cloth and plenty of cold water. If the
AdBlue has already crysta llized, use warm
water and a sponge. Ad Blue residue that is
not removed will crysta llize and can damage
the affected su rface.
- Do not store refill bottles or canisters per­
manently in the vehicle. If the container
l eaks, the escaping Ad B lue cou ld damage
the vehicle interior.
- Do not allow Ad Blue to come into contact
with clothing. If there is contact with the
fluid, flush immediately with plenty of wa­
ter.
{D) Tips
Follow the Ad Blue manufacturer's instruc­
tions for use and storage.
Refilling AdBlue with a bottle
Applies to veh icles: w ith selective catalyt ic reductio n
"' Remove the cap from the refill bottle c:> .&. in
Filling AdB/ue on page
215, c:> (D in Filling
AdB/ue on page
216.
"' Position the bottle on the filler tube and turn
the bottle clockwise until it stops turning.
"' Press lightly against the bottom of the bottle
to empty it. Continue pressing the bottom of
the bottle unti l it is empty or until fluid stops
flowing into the tank.
"'T urn the bott le to the left without pressing on
the bottom.
"' Close the filler neck
c:> page 217, Completing
AdBlue refill .
216
(D Tips
-You can obtain refill bottles from an author ­
ized Audi dea ler or authorized Audi Service
Facility.
- A refill bottle contains approximately O.S
gallon (1.9 liters) of Ad B lue.
· Refilling Ad Blue with a canister
App lies to vehicles : wit h selective cata lyt ic reduction
®
+®
Fig. 185 Canis te r w ith hose
N ::> "' Remove the cover on the refill canister c:> .&. in
Filling AdBlue on page
215, c:> (D in Filling
AdBlue on page 216.
"'Secure the end of the hose (Don the opening in
the canister @by turning the hose to the right.
"' Remove the cap@from the other end of the
hose @.
"' Posit ion the end of the hose @on the filler
neck in the vehicle and turn the hose to the
r ight to tighten it.
"' Lift the canister up and then tip it. Continue
holding the canister in a tipped position until it
is empty or until no more fluid flows into the
tank.
"' Remove the canister and close the filler neck
c:> page 217, Completing AdBlue refill.
(D Note
Only use ref ill canisters that are approved for
your vehicle. Using other systems can cause Ad Blue to leak .
0) Tips
-An authorized Aud i dealer or authorized
Audi repa ir facility can tell you which refill
canisters are approved for your veh icle.

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 . ..,.

M N <( (.J
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1"1
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Audi oil quality standard
G as oli ne
VW 502 00 or
engi ne vw 504 00
Diese l vw 507 00
eng in e
Using the proper engine o il is important for the
functiona lity and service life of the engine. Your
engine was factory-fi lled with a high-quality oil
which can usually be used throughout the entire
year.
@ Note
Your L imited New Vehicle Warranty does not
cover damage or malfunctions due to failure
to follow recommended maintenance and use
req uirements as set forth in the Audi Owner's
Manual and Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
- Use only a high quality eng ine oil that ex-
pressly complies w ith the Audi o il quality
standard specified for your veh icle's engine.
Using any other oil can cause serious engine
damage .
- Do not mix any lubricants or other additives
into the engine oil. Doing so can cause en­
gine damage.
(D Tips
If you need to add oil and there is none availa­
ble that meets the Audi o il quality standard
your eng ine requires, you may add a total of
no more than 0.5 quart/liter of a high-quality
"synthet ic"oil that meets t he followi ng speci­
fications.
- Vehicles with gaso line engine: ACEA A3 or
API SM with a viscosity g rade of SAE OW-30,
SAE SW-30 or SAE SW-40.
- Vehicles with diesel engine: AC EA C3 or
API CF with a v iscosi ty grade of SA E OW -30
or SA E SW-30.
- For more information abo ut eng ine oil that
has been approved for your vehicle, please
contact e ither your a uthorized Audi dea ler
or A udi Customer Relations at
1 (800) 822-2834 or visit our web site at
www.audiusa.com or www.aud icanada.ca.
Checking and Fillin g
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on on ade­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool oil of
its moving ports.
In order to provide effective lubricat ion and cool­
i ng of internal engine components, all internal
combust ion eng ines consume a certain amount
of oil. Oil consumpt io n varies from eng ine to en­
gine and may change sign ificantly over the life of
the engine. Typi cally, engines wi th a specified
break -in period (see
¢ page 196) consume more
o il during the b reak-in period than they consume
after oil consumption has stabilized .
Under normal cond itions, the rate of oil con­
sumption depends on the quality and viscos ity of
the oil, the RPM (revolutions per min ute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient tem­
perature and road conditions. Further factors are
the amount of oil dilution from water condensa­
t ion or fuel residue and the ox idation level of the
o il. As any engine is subject to wear as mileage
builds up, the oil consumption may increase over
t ime unt il replacement of worn components may
become necessary.
With all these variables coming into play, no
standard rate of oil consumpt ion can be estab­
lished or spec ified . There is no alte rnative to reg­
u la r and freq uent checking of the oil level, see
Note .
If the yellow engine o il leve l warning symbo l in
the instrument cluster
Ill li ghts up, you should
che ck the o il level as soon as possible
¢ page 222. Top off the oil at your earliest con­
venience
¢ page 222.
A WARNING
--=-
Before you check anythi ng i n the engine com-
partment, always read and heed a ll WARN­
INGS
¢ &. in Working in the engine comport­
ment on page 218.
(D Note
Driving wit h an insufficient oil level is likely to
cause severe damage to the engine.
IJJ,,
221

M N <( (.J
'SI: ,...., \!) ..,.,
N \!) ,....,
-The oil fi ller ca p m ust be prope rly secure d to
preve nt oil from being sprayed on t he hot
eng ine and exhaust system when t he engine
is runn ing -fire haza rd!
- If your skin has come i n contact w ith the en ­
gine oil, you m ust subsequently clea nse it
th oroughly.
@ Note
-Check the oil level using the MMI. If the
message
Please red uce oil le vel a p pears,
contact your author ized Audi dealer or other
qualified workshop to have excess o il ex­
tracted if necessary .
-Audi do es not recommend th e use of o il
additiv es. They ma y damage th e engin e
and ad ve rs e ly affect your New Vehicle War­
rant y.
@ For the sake of the environment
-Under no circumstances can the o il come in
contact with the sewage network o r the soil.
- Observe and follow lega l regu lations whe n
dispos ing of empty oil conta iners.
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by an
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified service sta ­
tion.
Before you check anything in the engine compart­
ment,
alw ay s re ad and heed all WARNINGS c> .&.
in Working in the engine compartment on
page 218 .
The engine oil must be changed according to the
interva ls specified in your Warranty
& Mainte­
n ance booklet . This is ve ry important because the
lub ricat ing propert ies of o il diminish gradually
du ring normal vehi cle use.
Unde r some circumstances the engine o il should
be changed more frequently. Change oil more of­
ten if you d rive mostly short distances, ope rate
the vehicle in dusty areas or unde r predom inantly
s top-a nd-go tr aff ic condit io ns, o r have you r vehi ­
cle whe re temperatures rema in below freezing
for extended periods .
Checking and Fillin g
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh oil
l ook dark after the engine has been running for a
sho rt time. Th is is norma l and is not a reason to
change the oi l more often than recommended.
Beca use of the p roblem of p roper disposal, along
with t he specia l too ls and necessary expertise re ­
quired, we strongly recommend that yo u have
yo ur o il changed by an authorized
Audi dealer or
a qua lified service station.
If y ou choo se to change your oil yourself , please
note the following important informat ion:
A WARNING "--
To reduce the risk of personal in jury if you
must change the eng ine oi l in your vehicle
yourself:
- Wear eye protect ion.
-
- To reduce the risk of burns from hot eng ine
oil, let the engine coo l down to the touch.
- W hen removing the o il dra in p lug with your
f ingers, stay as far away as possib le. Always
keep yo ur forearm parallel to the ground to
he lp prevent hot o il from running down your
arm.
- Dra in the oil into a container designed for
this purpose, one la rge enough to hold at
least the tota l amou nt of oil in yo ur engine.
- Engine oil is poisonous . Keep it we ll out of
the reach of ch ild ren .
- Continuous contact wit h used eng ine o il is
harmful to your skin. Always protect your
skin by washing oil off thoro ughly wi th soap
a nd water .
«I) Note
Never mix oil additives with yo ur engine oil.
These additives can damage your engine and
adverse ly affect your Aud i Limited New Vehi­
cle Warranty.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Before changi ng your oil, first make sure
you know where you can prope rly dispose of
the used oi l.
- Always dispose of used eng ine oi l properly.
Do not dump it o n ga rden soi l, wooded
223

Checking and F ill in g
areas, into open streams or down sewage
drains.
- Recycle used engine o il by taking it to a used
engine oil collection facility in your area, or
contact a service station.
Cooling system
Coolant
T he engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro ­
tects the engine from freezing in the winter .
The cooling sys tem is sealed and generally re­
qu ires little attention .
T he cooling system has been filled at the facto ry
with a permanent coo lant wh ich does not need to
be changed . T he coolan t consists of a mixture of
specially condit ioned water and the manufactur ­
er's glycol-based coolant addit ive Gl3 ant ifreeze
with a nticorrosion add itives (50% fo r USA mod­
e ls · 60% for Canadian mode ls). Thi s m ix tu re both
'
assures the ne cessary fros t protection and pro -
t ects meta l components in t he engine's cooling
system from corrosion and scaling. It a lso raises
the boiling point of the coolant.
D o not reduce the concentr ation o f the coo lant in
the summer by addi ng p la in water.
The propor­
tion of coolant additive must be at least 50 %
but not more than 60 %
to maintain antifreeze
protection and cooling efficiency .
If the coolant
frost protection is too low, the coolant could
freeze and damage the ve hicle heati ng and en­
g ine cooling system .
For year-round driving, antifreeze is added at the
factory for tempera tures down to:
- -3 1 °F (- 35°C)USA
- - 4 0 °F ( - 4 0 °C) Canada.
I f you must add coo lant, use a m ixt ur e of wate r
a nd coolant add it ive. Mixing the coolant additive
w ith d istilled w ate r is recommended.
_& WARNING
Before yo u check any thing in t he engine com­
par tment, always read and hee d all WA RN -
224
INGS ~ &. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 218.
(D Note
- Be fore wi nter sets in, have the coo lant
checke d to see if the coolant additive in you r
vehicle is sufficient to meet the climate con­ ditions. This is espec ia lly impo rtant if you
live in a region where the winter is extreme­
ly cold . If necessary, increase the p roportion
of coolan t addit ive to 60% .
- Whe n adding coolant additive to your cool­
ing system, remember:
- We re commend usin g on ly cool ant addi­
tive Gl2++ o r Gl3 (chec k the label) fo r
your ve hicle. This coo lant additive is avai l­
ab le at aut horized Aud i dea le rs . Othe r
types of ant ifreeze can significant ly re­
d uce co rrosion protection. The resulting
corrosion can cause a loss of coolant a nd
serious e ngine damage .
- Do not add any type of rad iator leak sealant
to your vehicle's engine coolant. Adding ra ­
diator repa ir fl uid may adverse ly affec t the
func tion and perfo rmance of your cooling
system a nd could result in d amage not cov­
ere d by yo ur N ew Vehi cle Lim ited War ranty.
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a
quick glance.
Fi g. 1 91 Eng ine co mpar tmen t: c over on t he coo la nt expa n­
sio n tan k
Befo re you check a nyth ing in the eng ine compart­
men t,
always read and he ed all WARNINGS
~ A in Working in the engine compartmen t on
page 218. ..,.