2016 AUDI A7 ignition

Fuel and Refueling
Fuel and Refueling
Gasoline
Fuel supply
A pp lies to veh icles: w ith gaso line engine
Using the right fuel helps keep the environment
clean and prevents engine damage.
Fuel r eco mmendation
The f uel recommended for your vehicle is unlead­
ed premium
grade gaso line. A udi recommends
using TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline with a min i­
mum octane rating of 91 AKI (95 RON). For more
info rmation on TOP TIER Detergent Gasoli ne,
p lease go to the official website
(www.toptiergas.com).
The recommended gasoline octane rating for
your engine can a lso be found on a label located
on the ins ide of the fue l filler flap. This ra ting
may be specified as AKI or RON.
Your vehicle may also be operated using unlead­
ed regula r gasol ine with a minimum octane rat­
ing of 87 AKl/91 RON. However, using 87 AKl/91
RON octane fue l will slight ly reduce eng ine per­
for mance.
Use unleaded ga soline only. Unleaded gasoline
is available th roughout the USA, Canada, and in
most European cou ntries. We recommend t hat
you do not ta ke yo ur vehicle to a reas or coun tries
where unlea ded gaso line may no t be ava ilab le.
For mo re info rmat ion on refueli ng your ve hicle,
see
¢page 212.
Octane rat ing
Octane rating ind icates a gaso line's ability to re­
sist engine damaging "knock" caused by prema­
ture ignition and detonation. The refore, buying
the co rrect g rade of gasoline is very importa nt to
he lp p revent possible eng ine damage a nd a loss
of eng ine pe rforma nce.
Gasoline most commonly used in the Un ited
States and Canada has the following octane rat­
i n gs that ca n usually be found on the filler pump:
- Prem ium G rade: 91 - 96 AKI
210
- Regular Grade: 8 7 -90 AKI
E xplanation of the abb revia tions:
AKI = Anti Knock Index= (R+M)/2 = (RON+MON)/
2
RON= Research Octane Number
M ON= M otor Octane Number.
{[) Note
-Do not use a ny fue l w ith o ctane rat ings low­
er th an 8 7 AKI or 91 R ON othe rwi se e xpe n­
sive engine damage w ill occur .
- Do
not use le ade d gas oline . The u se of le ad­
e d gasoline will severely damage your veh i­
cle's cataly tic conver ter and i ts ab ility to
cont rol exha ust em issions.
Blended gasoline
App lies to vehicles: wit h gaso line e ngi ne
U se of g asoline cont aining alcohol or MTBE
(methyl tert iary butyl ether)
You may use unleaded gasoline blended with a l­
cohol or MTBE (commonly referred to as oxygen­
ates) if th e b le nded mixture mee ts the following
c riteria :
Blend of gasoline methanol (wood alcohol or
methyl alcohol)
- Anti -knoc k index must be 8 7 AKI or higher.
- Blend must contain no more t han 3% metha-
nol.
- Blend must contain more than 2% co -solven ts.
Blend of gasoline and ethanol (grain alcohol or
ethyl alcohol)
- Anti-knoc k index mus t be 87 AKI or higher.
- Blend must not conta in more than 15% etha-
nol.
Blend of gasoline and MTBE
- Anti-knoc k index mus t be 87 A KI or high er.
- Blend mus t contain no t mo re tha n 1S % M TBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perfo rm es ­
pecially well for winter or s ummer dr iv ing . Dur-
i ng seasonal change-over, we suggest that you .,..

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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To avoid fuel spilling or evaporating from the fuel
tank always close fuel filler cap properly and
completely. An improperly closed fuel filler cap
may also cau se the MIL lamp¢
page 28 to come
on.
A WARNING
Improper refueling or handling of fuel can
cause fire, explosion and severe burns .
- Fuel is highly flammable and can cause se­
vere burns and other injuries .
- Failure to shut the engine off while refuel­
ing and/or to insert the pump nozzle fully
into the fuel filler neck could cause fuel to
spray out of filler neck or to overflow . Fuel
spray and overflowing fuel can cause a fire .
- Never use a cellular telephone while refuel­
ing. The electromagnetic radiation can
cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors and
cause a fire.
-
-Never get back into your vehicle while refu­
eling.
If in exceptional circumstances you
must get back in your vehicle while refuel­
ing, make certain that you close the door
and touch metal to discharge static electric­
ity before touching the filler nozzle again.
Static electricity can cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors released during refueling.
- Never smoke or have an open flame any­ where in or near your vehicle when refueling
or filling a portable fuel container.
- For your safety, we strongly recommend that you do not travel with a portable fuel container in your vehicle . The container, full
or empty may leak and could cause a fire,
especially in a crash .
- If, under exceptional circumstances, you
must transport a portable fuel container,
please observe the following:
- Never fill a portable fuel container while it
is anywhere in or on the vehicle (for exam­
ple, in the luggage compartment, or on
the trunk). Static electricity can build up while filling and can ignite fuel vapors
causing a fire.
- Always place a portable fuel container on
the ground before filling.
Fuel and Refueling
- Always keep the filler nozzle completely
inside the portable container before and
during filling.
- If filling a portable container made of
metal, the filler noz zle must always be in
contact with the container. This will help prevent static electricity from discharging
and cause a fire.
- Never spill fuel inside the vehicle or lug­
gage compartment . Fuel vapors are highly
flammable.
- Always observe local and state/provincial laws regarding the use, storage and trans­
portation of fuel containers.
- Make certain the fuel container meets in ­
dustry standards (ANSI/ ASTM F852 -86) .
(D Note
If any fuel has spilled onto the car, it should
be removed immediately to prevent damage
to the paint.
@) For the sake of the environment
As soon as the correctly operated nozzle
switches off automatically for the first time,
the tank is full. Do not try to add more fuel
because fuel may spill out . In addition, the
expansion space in the fuel tank will be filled -
causing the fuel to overflow when it becomes
warm and pollute the environment.
(D Tips
- Running your engine while refuelling may
cause vapors to escape or even cause fuel to
spill out of the tank. This would then shut
off the fuel nozzle before the tank is full.
- Do not refuel your vehicle with the ignition
switched on. The fuel gauge may otherwise
not indicate the correct fuel level after refu­
elling.
- Diesel vehicles* are equipped with a diesel
misfueling protector. It allows the vehicle to
be fueled only with a diesel fuel pump noz­
zle . A worn or damaged nozzle or a nozzle
that is too small may not be able to open
the diesel misfueling protector. If this is the .,..
213

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.

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.

M N <( (.J
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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
@ Tips
-The oil pre ssure warning displ ay. is not
a n ind icato r of the oil le vel. Do no t rel y on
i t. In stead , che ck the oil level i n your en ­
gine at regular inte rvals, preferab ly each
tim e you r efu el, and alway s befor e going
on a long trip .
-If you have the impression your engine con­
sumes excess ive amounts of o il, we recom­
mend that you cons ult your Audi dealer to
have the cause of your concern prope rly di­
agnosed. Keep in mind that t he accurate
measurement of oil consumpt ion req uires
great care and may take some time . Your
A udi dealer has instructions about how to
measure oil consumption accurately.
Checking the eng ine oil level
The engine oil level can be checked in the Info­
tainment system
F ig. 189 Infotainment: o il level indicato r
• Park your vehicle on a level surface.
• Shut the engine off when it is warm.
• Switch only the ignit ion back on .
• Wait approximately two minutes .
• Se lect : the
ICAR I function button > (C ar)* Sys ­
tem s
control but ton > S er vic e & con trol > O il
le vel.
• Check the oil leve l in the Info tainment system
display ¢
fig. 189. Add engine oil if the bar of
the oil level indicator is near "min"
r::!;>page222.
Depending on the way the vehicle is driven and
the operating conditions, oil consumption can be
up to 1/2 quart per 600 miles (0.5 liter per
222
1,000 km). Consumption may be h igher within
the first 3,000 miles (5,000 km).
Because of t his, the engine oil Leve l must be
chec ked regu larly . It wo uld be best to check each
time you refuel your vehicle and before long
drives .
{!) Tips
The oil level indicator in the instr ument clus­
ter d isplay is only an informational display. If
the oil leve l is too low, a m inimum oil warning
appears in the instrument cluster. Add oil. If
the hood was opened, the current oi l Level is
shown in the instrument cluster the next ti me
the ignition is switched on.
Adding engine oil 'l:::1:
Fig. 190 Engine compart ment: cover on the engine oil fill­
er neck
Before you check anyth ing in the eng ine compart­
ment,
alwa ys read and h eed all WARN ING S
r::!;> .&. in Working in the engine compartment on
page 218.
• Shu t the eng ine off .
• Unscrew the cap~ to the eng ine oi l filling
hole
r::!;> fig. 190, r::!;> page 220, fig. 188.
• Carefully top off with 0 .5 quarts (0.S liters) of
the appropriate oil
r::!;> page 220.
• Check the oil level again after two minutes
r::!;> page 222, Checking the engine oil level.
• Top off the oil aga in, if necessary.
• Screw the cap back on the filling hole.
_&. WARNING
-Wh ile topping off, the o il must not come in
con tact with hot engine parts -fire hazard!

M N <( (.J
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1
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~ Park your vehicle on a level surface.
~ Switch off the ignition .
~ Read the eng ine coolant leve l from the coolant
expansion tank
c> fig. 191, c> page 220,
fig. 188.
With a cold engine, the coolant level
should be between the "min" and "max" mark­
i ngs. When the engine is warm, the level may
be s light ly above the "max" marking.
The location of the coolant expans ion tank can be
seen in the engine compartment illustrat ion
i=>page220.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must
be sw itched
off.
The expansion tank in you r 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
c:> page 15 wi ll il­
l uminate unti l you a dd coolant and the level has
been restored to norma l. Even though there is an
e lectric coolant level sensor, we still recommend
you check the coolant level from time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may i ndicate a leak in the coo ling
system . In the event of coo lant loss , the cooling
system should be inspected immed iate ly 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 coo lant is exceeded as a re­
sult of overheat ing.
A WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and can
get very hot. Reduce the risk of scalding from
hot coolant by following thes e steps.
- Turn off the engine and allow it to coo l
dow n.
- Protect yo ur face, hands and arms from es­
caping fluid and steam by cove ring the cap
with a la rge, th ick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and ve ry carefu lly in a
counte r-clockw ise direct io n wh ile a pplying
light, downwa rd pr essur e on the top of the
c ap.
Checking and Fillin g
-To avo id being burned, do not sp ill anti­
freeze o r coolant on the exha ust system or
hot engine parts. Under certa in cond itions,
the ethylene glyco l in engi ne coo lant can
ca tch fire.
(D Note
Do not add any type o f radiator leak sea lant
to you r vehicle 's engi ne coolant . Add ing radia­
tor repair fluid may adversely affect the func­
tion and pe rformance of your coo ling system
and could r esult in damag e not cover ed by
your New Veh icle Limited Warranty.
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check a nyth ing in the eng ine compart­
me nt,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
c> .&. in Working in the engine compartment on
page 218.
~ Requirement: T here must be a residua l amount
of coolant in the expansion tank
c:> (D .
~Tu rnoff the engi ne.
~ Le t the eng ine cool down.
~ Place a thick rag ove r the coo lan t expansion
t ank
c:>page 224, fig. 191 and carefully tw ist
t he cap coun ter- clockwise
c:> .&, .
~ Ad d coo lant mixed in the correc t ra tio
c:> page 224, Coolant up to the MAX marking .
~ Make sure that the fl uid leve l remains stab le.
Add more coo lant if necessary.
~ Twist the cap o n again tightly.
Rep lacement engine coo lant must confo rm to ex­
act specifications
c> page 224, Coolant.
We recommend using only coo lant add it ive G1 2+
+ , G 13 or in an emergency G12+. Do
not use a
different additive. In an emergency use p lain wa­
ter unt il you can get the correct add itive and can
restore the correct ratio. This should be done as
soon as possib le.
If you have lost a considerab le amou nt of cool­
ant, then you shou ld add cold antifreeze and co ld
water only whe n the eng ine is co ld.
Always use
new engine coo lant w hen refilling.
225