2016 AUDI RS7 SPORTBACK engine overheat

could burn yourself. Let the engine cool off
first until you can no longer see or hear
steam or coolant escaping .
0 Note
- Mounting additional lights or accessories in
front of the air inlets reduces the cooling ef­
fect of the radiator. At h igh outside temper­
atures or high engine load, the engine could
overheat .
- The front spoiler has been designed to prop­
erly distribute the cooling air when the veh i­
cle is moving . If the spoiler is damaged, this
could red uce the cooling effect and the en­
gine could then overheat. Ask your author­
iz ed Audi dealer for assistance.
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine speed in rev­
olutions per minute (RPM).
You should shift to the next lowest gear when
the speed is below 1500 RPM . The beginning of
the red zone in the tachometer indicates the
maximum permissib le engine speed for all gea rs
once the engine has been broke n in. Before
reaching the red zone, you should shift into the
next higher gear, choose the Dor 5 selector lever
position , or remove your foot from the accelera­
tor pedal.
(D Note
The needle in the tachometer@Q
page 10,
fig. 3
may only be in the red area of the gauge
for a short time or there is a risk of engine
damage. The beginning of the red range in
the gauge depends on the engine operating
tern perature.
@ For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early helps you to save fuel and re­
duce operating noise.
{!) Tips
The engine speed is limited when the engine
is cold - the full engine output is not availa­
ble. When the engine is at operating temper-
Instruments and indicator lights
ature, the red area in the tachometer moves
to a higher RPM range.
Fuel level
The fuel gauge only works when the ignition is
on. If the fuel level drops below 2.6 gallons (10
liters), the bottom LED turns red and the indica­
tor light
tD turns on Q page 20. The bottom
LED blinks red when the fuel level is very low .
The possible range based on the current fuel lev­
el is shown in tab@¢
page 22, fig. 4.
For the tank capacity in your vehicle, refer to the
Technical Data¢
page 260.
(D Note
Never drive until the tank is comp letely emp­
ty. The irregu lar supply of fuel that resu lts
from that can cause the engine to misfire. Un­
combusted fuel w ill then enter the exhaust
system. This can cause overheating and dam­
age to the catalytic converter .
Indicator lights
Description
The indicator lights in the instr ument cluster
blink or turn on. They indicate functions or mal­
funct ions ¢& .
Messages may appear with some indicator lights .
A warning signal will sound at the same time.
The indicator lights and messages in the center of the displays may be replaced by other disp lays.
To show them again, select the tab for indicator
lights and messages using the multifunction
stee ring wheel ¢
page 22. If there are several
malfunctions, you can display them one at a time
using the thumbwheel.
Some indicato rs lights in the d isplay can turn on
in several colors .
_&. WARNING
- Failure to heed warning lights and other im­
portant vehicle information may result in
serious personal injury or vehicle damage.
11

Instruments and indicator lights
For more information ¢page 28.
!?) Engine speed limitation
(II Maximum engine speed XXXX rpm
The engine speed is automatically limited to the
speed displayed in the instrument cluster. This
protects the engine from overheating.
The engine speed limitation deactivates once the
engine is no longer in the critical temperature
range and you have released the accelerator ped­
al.
If the engine speed limitation was activated by
an engine control malfunction, the~ indicator
light also turns on. Make sure the engine speed
does not go above the speed displayed, for exam­
ple when downshifting. Drive to an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility im­
mediately to have the malfunction corrected.
(D Tips
The engine speed is limited when the engine
is cold -the full engine output is not availa­
ble. When the engine is at operating temper­
ature, the red area in the tachometer moves
to a higher RPM range .
-Engine oil sensor
• Oil level! Sensor defective
If the symbol illuminates, contact your author­
ized Audi dealer and have the oil sensor inspect­
ed. Until you have this done, check the oil level
each time you refuel just to be on the safe side
¢page 207 .
f Engine warm-up request
n Please warm up engine
Fuel has entered the engine oil, either from low
outside temperatures or frequent short drives.
Drive until the engine is warm so that the fuel in
the engine oil will evaporate . Avoid high engine
speeds, full accelerating and heavy engine loads
when doing this.
20
~ Fuel tank system
II] Please refuel
If the indicator light turns on for the first time
and the message appears , there are about 2.6
gallons (10 liters) of fuel left in the tank .
111 Fuel tank system malfunction! Please con­
tact dealer
There is a malfunction in the fuel tank system.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunction corrected.
(D Tips
More information on refueling is available on
page
¢ page 199.
· <9 Washer fluid level
g, "$ Please refill washer fluid
Fill the washer fluid for the windshield washer
system and the headlight washer system* when
the ignition is switched off ¢
page 216.
• Windshield wipers
m Windshield wiper defective
There is a malfunction with the windshield wip­
ers.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunction corrected.
~ /0* Defective light bulb warning
If the J:i indicator light turns on, a light has
failed. The message indicates the location of the
light. If the
I) indicator light also turns on, then
a rear fog light has failed. The position of the in­
dicator light corresponds with the location on the
vehicle .
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the malfunction corrected .
Vehicle lights: Malfunction

Automatic transmission
-Before driving down a steep slope, reduce
your speed and shift into a lower gear with
"tiptron ic".
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
pedal too often or too long when driving
down a hill. Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substantially re­
duces braking performance, increases brak­
ing distance or causes complete failure of
the brake system.
- To prevent the vehicle from rolling back
when stopping on inclines, always hold it in
place with the brake pedal or parking brake.
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with a
slipping clutch. The clutch opens automati­
cally when it becomes too hot from the
overload. An indicator lamp
[i'J illuminates
and a driver message appears
¢ page 105
when the clutch is overloaded.
- If the engine must remain running, never
have any driving position engaged when
checking under the hood. Make sure these­
lector lever has securely engaged and is
locked in P with the parking brake set
¢ page 203. Otherwise, any increase in en ­
gine speed may set the vehicle in motion,
even with the parking brake applied .
@ Note
-When stopping on an incline, do not try to
hold the vehicle in place by pressing the ac­
celerator pedal while a driving gear is se­
lected . This can cause the transmission to
overheat and can damage it . Activate the
parking brake or press the brake pedal to
prevent the vehicle from rolling.
- Allowing the vehicle to roll when the engine
is stopped and the selector lever is in N will
damage the transmission because it is not
lubricated under those circumstances.
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re­
leased automatically only when the driver's
safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
104
· Hill descent control
The hill descent control system assists the driver
when driving down declines .
Hill descent control is activated when the selec­
tor lever is in D/S and you press the brake pedal.
The transmission automatically selects a gear
that is suitable for the incline. Hill descent con­
trol tries to maintain the speed achieved at the
time of braking, within physical and technical
limitations. If may still be necessary to adjust the
speed with the brakes.
Hill descent control switches off once the decline
levels out or you press the accelerator pedal.
On vehicles with the cruise control system*
Q page 77, hill descent control is also activated
when the speed is set.
A WARNING
Hill descent control cannot overcome physical
limitations, so it may not be able to maintain
a constant speed under all conditions. Always be ready to apply the brakes.

Manual shift program
Using the manual shift program you can man­
ually select gears.
)
Fig. 116 Ce nter conso le: sh ifting the gears man ually
Fig. 117 Stee rin g whee l: Shi ft paddles
Gear selection with selector lever
The tiptronic mode can be selected either with
the vehicle stationary or on the move.
.. Push the selector leve r to the right from D/S.
An M appears in the instrument cluste r display
as soon as the transmiss ion has shifted .
.. To upshift , push the selector lever forward to
the p lus position
0 ~ fig. 116.
.. To downshift, push the lever to the minus posi-
tion
0 -
Gear selection with shift paddles
The shift paddles are activated when the selector
lever is in D/S or the tiptronic manual shift pro­
gram .
.. To upshift , touch the shift padd le on the right
G~fig.111 .
.. To downshift, touch the shift paddle on the left
0-
.. If you do not press a shift padd le within a short
time while in the D/S position, the transmission
will return to automatic mode. To keep shifting
Automatic transmission
using the shift paddles, move the selector lever
to the right out of the D/S position.
When accelerating, the transmission does
not
automatica lly shift to the next gear shortly be­
fore the maximum permitted engine RPM is
reached.
If you have selected a lower gear than the current
one, the automatic transmission will shift down
only when the engine wi ll not be over-revved.
With kick-down, the transmission shifts into a
lower gear depending on speed and engine RPM.
@ Tips
Tiptronic is inoperative when the transmission
i s in the fail-safe mode.
Kick-down
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration .
When you depress the accelerator pedal beyond
the resistance point, the automat ic transmission
downsh ifts into a lower gear, depending on vehi­
cle speed and engine speed. The upsh ift into the
next higher gear takes place once the maximum
specified engine speed is reached.
& WARNING
Please note that the drive wheels can spin if
kick-down is used on a smooth slippery road -
there is a risk of skidding.
Transmission malfunction
DI Transmission: Press brake pedal and select
gear again
Press the brake pedal and select the desired se­
lector lever position again. You can then continue
driv ing.
DI Transmission overheating: Please drive con­
servatively
T he transmission temperature has increased sig­
nificantly due to the sporty driv ing manner. Drive
in a less sporty manner until the temperature re­
tu rns to the normal range and the indicator light
switches of.
II>-
105

Intelligent Technology
-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
brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications .
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you in­ stall a different spoiler, be sure the air flow
to the front brakes is not obstructed. Other­
wise the brake system could overheat reduc­
ing the effectiveness of the entire brake sys­
tem.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impair the
braking capability resulting in an increased
stopping distance. Avoid driving the vehicle
and have it towed to the nearest Audi dealer
or qualified workshop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with the
engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, the
brake pedal must be pressed considerably
harder to make up for the lack of booster
assistance.
Electromechanical
steering, dynamic
steering
The electromechanical steering supports the
driver's steering movements.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed .
Indicator lights and messages
• Do not drive vehicle: Steering defective
If this indicator light turns on and stays on and
this message appears, the power steering may
have failed .
Stop the vehicle in a safe location as soon as pos­
sible. Do
not continue driving. See an authori zed
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility for
assistance.
'Jij Steering: System fault You can continue
driving
184
If the indicator light turns on and the message
appears, the steering may be more difficult to move or more sensitive than usual. The steering
wheel may also be at an angle when driving
straight.
Drive slowly to your authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility to have the mal­
function corrected.
':r-ij Dynamic steering: Initializing
If the indicator l ight is blinking and this message
appears, dynamic steering* is being initialized.
The steering wheel will be easy to move after
starting the engine. Re-initialization might be
necessary if the steering wheel was moved hard
to the left and right while the veh icle was not
moving. The display turns off if the initialization
was successful.
(D Tips
- If the . or ':r-ij indicator light only stays on
for a short time, you may continue driving.
- The dynamic steering stability systems
opage 180 are not availab le in the event of
a system malfunction.
- For additional information on dynamic
steering, refer to
c> page 95.
All wheel drive (quattro)
Applies to: vehicles with all wheel drive
In all wheel drive, all four wheels are powered.
General information
In all wheel drive, the driving power is divided be­
tween all four wheels. This happens automatical­
ly depending on your driving behavior as well as
the current road conditions. Refer to
c> page 180,
Electronic Stabilization Control (£SC).
A center differential distributes the driving power
variably to the front and rear axle. It works to­
gether with selective wheel torque control, which
activates when driving through curves
<=> page 181 . With the sport differential*, power
distribution to the rear wheels is variable and can
be adjusted with drive select
q page 95 . .,..

CD Note
-Vehicle components such as the engine,
transm ission, suspension or electrical sys­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water.
- Determine the depth before driv ing through
water.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or
switch the eng ine off when dr iving through
water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming veh icles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep for your vehicle to drive
through safely .
- Avo id d riving through salt water (corrosion).
Warming up and cooling
down
By carefully warm ing up and cool ing down your
veh icle, you can he lp ensure that it is not over­
stressed un necessa rily during sporty driving.
When warming up, the vehicle is dr iven at a max­
i mum eng ine speed of 6000 RPM in order to raise
the eng ine oi l temperature to a min imum of
140 °F (60 °C). The tires a lso on ly reac h their f ull
road ho ld ing capability once they have warmed
up .
The cooling fan can continue to run in your vehi­ cle after the engine is swi tched off. Howeve r,
d riving the vehicle to cool it dow n is particularly
important. D uring sporty dr iv ing, the engine and
brakes, the exhaust system, and the transmission
a ll become extremely hot. Before you park the
ve hicle, you shou ld drive it for a few m iles/kilo­
meters at light load in the low rpm range to al­
low it to cool down.
Driving and the envir onment
Catalytic converter
Applies to: veh icles w ith gasoli ne e ngi ne
It is very important that your emission control
system (catalytic converter) is functioning prop­
erly to ensure that your vehicle is running in an
environmentally sound manner .
.. Always use lead-free gasoline¢ page 198,
Fuel supply.
.. Never run the tank down all the way to empty.
.. Never put too much motor o il in yo ur engine
¢ page 20 7, Adding engine oil 9:::r. .
.,. Never try to pus h- or tow-start your veh icle.
The catalytic co nverter is an efficient "clean-up"
device built into the exhaust sys tem of t he ve hi­
cle. The catalyt ic conv erter b urns ma ny of the
po llutants in the exhaust gas before they are re­
leased into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of un leaded fuel is cr itically im­
po rtant fo r the life of the catalytic converte r and
prope r fu nct io ni ng of the eng ine.
_&. WARNING
The tempe ra tu re o f th e exh aus t sys tem is
hi gh, bot h when driv ing and a fter stopping
the engine.
- Never tou ch the e xhaus t tail pipes on ce they
have become hot. This cou ld res ult in burns.
- Do not p ark or operate the vehicle in ar eas
where the hot exhaus t sys tem may come in
contact w ith dry grass, b rush, fuel spill or
other mate rial which can ca use a fire.
- Do not app ly additiona l undercoating or
r u stp roofing on or near the exhaust mani­
fold, exha ust pipes, cata lytic converter or
heat shields. D uring driving, the substance
used for undercoat ing could overheat and
cause a fire.
CD Note
- Be aware that just one tank fi lling with
leaded fuel w ill already seriously degrade
the performance of the catalytic converter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil leve l
¢page 207.
189

Driving and th e en vironm ent
- Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
complete ly empty . The engine cou ld mis­
fire . Unburned fuel could also get into the
exhaust system and this cou ld cause the
catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not sw itch off the ignition while the vehi­
cle is moving.
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle un­
der these cond itions, as otherwise fuel can
reach the catalytic converter. This could re­
sult in overheating of the converter, requ ir­
i ng its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis­
sion Control System :
- Have your veh icle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommen ­
dations in your Warranty
& Maintenance
book let.
- Lack of proper maintenance as well as im ­
proper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the emission control system and could lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Control System is op­
erating properly, the exhaust gas can have a
sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under some op­
erating states. This depends on the sulfur
content of the fuel be ing used . Using a differ­
ent brand of fuel may help, or filling the tank
w ith lead-free super grade gasoline.
Placing your vehicle out
of service
If you would like to take your vehicle out of serv­
ice for a longer time, contact your authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility.
They will advise you of important measures, such
as corrosion protection, maintenance and stor­
age procedures. Also follow the information
about the battery
c:> page 212.
190
Economical and environ­
mentally-friendly driving
General
Your personal style of driving will determine the
economy of your vehicle, as well as exhaust and
noise levels.
Fuel economy, env ironmental impact, and wear
on your engine, brakes and tires large ly depend
on three factors:
- your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitations
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your fuel
consumption by 10-15 percent. This section will
give you some tips on how you can help the envi­
ronment and your pocketbook.
(j) Tips
The consumption estimates as published by
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the road, which will vary depending upon vehicle
l oad and speed, road and weather conditions,
trip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler­
ating.
~ Avoid unnecessary accelerat ing and braking .
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler­ ating. If you anticipate what is going to happen
next, you will need to brake less and, thus, accel­
erate less . Let the vehicle coast whenever possi­
ble -for example when you see that the next traf­
fic light is red.

Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and im­
proves your mileage.
11-Try and keep well below your car's maximum
speed.
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consumption, engine wear, and does not disturb the environ­ment.
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and engine
noise increase disproportionately at high speeds.
If you drive at approximately three quarters of
top speed, fuel consumption will be reduced by
one half. Never drive faster than the posted
speed limit and weather conditions permit.
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling i t 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 en-
gine run at idle .
It makes sense to shut off the engine in traffic
jams, when waiting for trains to pass at railroad crossings, or at traffic lights that have long waits
on red . Turning the engine off for just 30-40 sec ­
onds 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 eng ine is warm ing 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.
CD Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after
starting.
If warning lights should come on to
indicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also produces
heat, which could result in overheating or
other damage to the vehicle or other proper­
ty.
Driving and the environment
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel .
11-Have your vehicle serviced at regular intervals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
Audi dealer helps to ensure that it runs properly and economically. The condition of your vehicle
not only affects its safety and ability to hold its
value, it also affects
fuel consumption .
Check your oil each time you fill your tank.
The amount of oil used is related to engine load
and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new en­
gine to reach its lowest value after a certain mile­
age has been driven.
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 miles (5,000 kilometers) before you can properly as­
sess oil consumpt ion.
This also applies to fuel consumption and eng ine
output .
CD Note
-Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommenda­
tions in your Warranty
& Maintenance book­
let. Lack of proper maintenance as wel l as
improper use of the vehicle w ill impair the
function of the emission control 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 components.
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively high
on short trips .
11-Try to avoid driving short distances with a cold
engine. .,.
191