2016 AUDI RS7 SPORTBACK check 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 .
The cooling system is sealed and generally re­
q ui res little atte ntion .
The cooling system has been filled at the factory
with a permanent coolant which does not need to
be changed . The coolant consists of a mixture of
specially condit ioned water and the ma nufactur ­
er's glycol-based coolant additive G13 an tifreeze
with ant icor rosion additives
(50% for USA mod­
e ls;
60% fo r Canadia n models). This m ix tu re
bo th ass ures the necessa ry fros t prote ction and
protects metal componen ts in the engi ne's coo l­
ing system from corrosion and scaling .
It also
raises the boiling point of the coolant.
D o not red uce the con cen trat ion of the coolant in
the summer by adding p lain wa ter.
The propor­
tion of coolant additive mu st 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 vehicle heating and en­
g ine cooling system .
For year-round driving, antifreeze is added at the
factory for temperatures down to:
- -3 1 °F ( -3 5 °C) USA
- -4 0 °F ( - 40 °C) Canada.
If yo u m ust add coo lant, use a m ixt ure of water
and coolant addit ive. Mixing the cool ant additive
with d istilled w ater is recommended .
_& WARNING
Before you che ck anythi ng in t he eng ine com­
pa rtment, a lways read and heed a ll WARN­
INGS
~ .& in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 203 .
(D Note
-Before winter se ts in, have the coo lant
checked to see if the coolant additive in your
vehicle is sufficient to meet the c limate con -
Checking and Filling
ditions. This is especia lly important if you
live in a region whe re the winter is extreme­
ly cold. If necessary, increase the propo rtion
of coolant addit ive to
60%.
- Whe n adding coolant additive to your cool­
ing system, remember :
- We recommend us ing o nly coola nt addi­
tive G 12++ or G13 (c hec k the label) for
y o ur vehi cle. Thi s coo lant ad ditive is av ail­
abl e at a uth orized Au di dea le rs. Ot her
types o f ant ifreeze ca n sign ifican tly re ­
d uce corrosion protection. The resu lting
cor ros ion can cause a loss of coolant and
se rious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant
to your vehicle's engine coolant . Adding ra­
diator repair fluid may adversely affect the
function and performance of your cooling system and could result in damage not cov ­
ered by your New Veh icle Limited War ra nty .
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a
quick glance .
Fig. 186 E ngine compar tmen t: cover on t he coo lant expan­
s io n t ank
Befo re you check anything in the engine compart­
me nt,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
~ .&. in Working in the engine compartment on
page 203.
" Park your veh icle on a leve l s u rface.
" Sw itch off the ig nit ion .
.. Read the eng ine coolant leve l from the coo lant
expansion tan k
r=;,fig. 186, r=;,page 205,
fig . 183.
W ith a cold eng ine, the coolant level ..,.
209

Checking and Filling
should be between the "min " and "max" mark­
ings. When the engine is warm, the level may
be slightly above the "max" marking.
The location of the coolant expansion tank can be
seen in the engine compartment illustration
<::> page 205.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must
be switched off.
The expansion tank in your vehicle is equipped
with an electric coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning
light in the Auto-Check System <::>
page 15 will il­
luminate until you add coolant and the level has
been restored to normal. Even though there is an
electric coolant level sensor, we still recommend
you check the coolant level from time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cooling
system. In the event of coolant loss, the cooling
system should be inspected immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer. It is not enough merely
to add coolant.
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if the
boiling point of the coolant is exceeded as a re­
sult of overheating.
A WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and can
get very hot. Reduce the risk of scalding from
hot coolant by following these steps.
-Turn off the engine and allow itto cool down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from es­ caping fluid and steam by covering the cap
with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in a counter-clockwise direction while applying
light, downward pressure on the top of the
cap.
- To avoid being burned, do not spill anti­
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system or
hot engine parts . Under certain conditions,
the ethylene glycol in engine coolant can
catch fire .
210
(D Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant
to your vehicle's engine coolant. Adding radia­
tor repair fluid may adversely affect the func­
tion and performance of your cooling system
and could result in damage not covered by
your New Vehicle Limited Warranty .
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anything in the engine compart­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
<::>.& in Working in the engine compartment on
page 203 .
.. Requirement: There must be a residual amount
of coolant in the expansion tank
i:::>Q) .
.. Turn off the engine .
.. Let the engine cool down .
.. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank <::>
page 209, fig. 186 and carefully twist
the cap counter-clockwise
c::> &,.
.. Add coolant mixed in the correct ratio
<::> page 209, Coolant up to the MAX marking.
.. Make sure that the fluid level remains stable.
Add more coolant if necessary.
.. Twist the cap on again
tightly.
Replacement engine coolant must conform to ex­
act specifications <::>
page 209, Coolant.
We recommend using only coolant additive G12+
+, G13 or in an emergency G12+ . Do
not use a
different additive. In an emergency use plain wa­
ter until you can get the correct additive and can
restore the correct ratio. This should be done as
soon as possible.
If you have lost a considerable amount of cool­
ant, then you should add cold antifreeze and cold
water only when the engine is cold.
Always use
new engine coolant when refilling.
Do not fill coolant above the "MAX" mark . Excess
coolant will be forced out through the pressure
relief valve in the cap when the engine becomes
hot.
~

,&_ WARNING
-The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of scalding
from hot coolant by following these steps.
- Turn off the engine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by covering the
cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in a
counter-clockwise direction while applying light, downward pressure on the top of
the cap.
- To avoid being burned, do not spill ant i­
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system or
hot engine parts. Under certa in condi­
tions, the ethylene glycol in engine cool­
ant can catch fire.
- Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store anti­
freeze in its original container and well out
of the reach of children.
- If you drain the coolant, it must be caught
and safely stored in a proper container
clearly marked "poison" .
(D Note
-Do not add coolant if the expansion tank is
empty. Air could enter the cooling system
and damage the eng ine. If this is the case,
do not continue driving. Seek professional
assistance.
- Coolant pollutes the environment and could
cause an engine fire. Excess coolant will be
forced out through the pressure relief valve
i n the cap when the engine becomes hot .
- If, in an emergency, only water can be add­ ed, the correct ratio between water and an­
tifreeze
¢ page 209 must be restored as
soon as possible.
@ For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant should not be reused. Always
dispose of used coolant while observing all
environmental regulat ions.
-
Checking and Filling
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by it­
self .
An auxiliary electric radiator fan switches on and
off depending on coolant temperature and other
vehicle operating conditions.
After you switch the engine off, the auxiliary fan
can continue running for up to 10 minutes -even
with the ignition off. It can even switch on again later by itself ¢&. , if
- the temperature of the engine coolant rises due
to the heat build-up from the engine in the en­ gine compartment, or
- the engine compartment heats up because the
vehicle is parked in intense sunlight.
A WARNING
--
- To reduce the risk of personal injury never
touch the radiator fan .
- The auxiliary electric fan is temperature
controlled and can switch on suddenly even
when the engine is not running .
- The auxiliary radiator fan switches on auto­
matically when the engine coolant reaches a
certa in temperature and will continue to run
until the coolant temperature drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
Fig. 187 En g in e compar tment: cover on the b rake fluid
rese rvoir
Before you check anything in the engine compart­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
¢ & in Working in the engine compartment on
page 203 . .,.
211

Checking and Filling
"' Read the brake fluid level from the brake fluid
reservoir
¢ fig. 187, ¢page 205, fig. 183. The
brake fluid level must be between the "MIN"
and "MAX" markings.
The location of the brake fluid reservoir can be
seen in the engine compartment illustration
c>page205.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some time
due to the automatic adjustment of the brake
pads. This is not cause for alarm.
If the brake fluid level falls considerably below
the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/indicator
light
1111 (U.S. models)/ . (Canadian models)
will come on¢
page 14. Do not continue to oper­
ate the vehicle. The complete brake system
should be thoroughly checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or other qualified facility and the
cause corrected . If the brake fluid level is too
low, the brake warning/indicator light will illumi­
nate. Contact an authorized Audi dealer
immedi­
ately.
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experienced
technician.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air . If the
water content in the brake fluid is too high , cor­
rosion in the brake system may result after a pe­
riod of time. The boiling point of the brake fluid
will also decrease considerably and decrease
braking performance.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every
two years.
Always use new brake fluid which con­
forms to Federal Motor Vehicle Standard "FMVSS
116 DOT 4".
The brake fluid reservoir can be difficult to reach,
therefore, we recommend that you have the
brake fluid changed by your authorized
Audi
dealer.
Your dealer has the correct tools, the
right brake fluid and the know-how to do this for
you.
212
A WARNING
-
- Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored
only in the closed original container out of
the reach of children!
- Brake failure can result from old or inappro­
priate brake fluid. Observe these precau­
tions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE speci­
fication
J 1703 and conforms to Federal
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 fluid is also indi­
cated on the brake fluid reservoir .
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use of
the brakes can cause a vapor lock if the
brake fluid is left in the system too long .
This can seriously affect the efficiency of
the brakes as well as your safety. This
could result in an accident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your vehi­
cle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal of
brake fluid as well as the special tools re­
quired and the necessary expertise, we rec­
ommend that you have the brake fluid
changed by your authorized Audi dealer .
Battery
General information
Under normal operating conditions, the battery
in your Audi does not need any maintenance.
With
high outside temperatures or long daily
drives we recommend that you have the electro­
lyte level checked by a service facility. The elec­
trolyte level should also be checked each time
the battery is charged ¢
page 214.
Have the battery checked when you take your ve­
hicle in for service. You are well advised to re­
place a battery that is older than S years.

Checking and Filling
-If you get battery acid in your eyes or on
your skin, immediately rinse with cold wa­
ter for several minutes and get medical at­
tention .
- If you should ingest any battery acid, seek
medical attention immediately.
- Do not expose the battery to an open flame,
electric sparks or an open light .
- Do not smoke.
- Do not interchange the positive and nega-
tive cables.
- When working on the battery, be sure not to
short-circuit the terminals with tools or oth­
er metal objects. This would cause the bat­
tery to heat up very quickly, which could lead to damage or explosion and personal
injury.
- When a battery is charged, it produces hy­
drogen gas which is explosive and could
cause personal injury.
- Always keep the battery well out of the
reach of children.
- Before work is done on the electrical sys­
tem, disconnect the negative ground cable.
- Before performing any work on the electri­
cal system, switch off the engine and igni­
tion as well as any electrical equipment. The negative cable on the battery must be dis­
connected. If you are just going to replace a
light bulb, then it is enough to switch off
the lights.
- Before disconnecting the battery, switch off
the anti-theft alarm system! Otherwise you
will set off the alarm.
- When disconnecting the battery, first dis­
connect the negative cable and then the
positive cable.
- Before reconnecting the battery, make sure
all electrical consumers are switched off.
Reconnect the positive cable first and then
the negative cable. Never interchange the
cables - this could start a fire!
- Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out bat­
tery. It could explode! If a battery has fro­
zen, then it must be replaced. A discharged
battery can freeze over at 32 °F (0 °C).
- Make sure the vent hose is always attached
to the opening on the side of the battery.
214
- Never use batteries which are damaged .
There is the danger of an explosion! Always
replace a damaged battery.
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Battery posts, terminals and related acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive problems.
Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
- Do not disconnect the vehicle battery when
the ignition is on or when the engine is run­
ning, otherwise, you will damage electronic
components in the electrical system.
- If your vehicle is going to stand for a long
period of time without being driven, protect
the battery from "freezing", otherwise it
will be damaged and will then have to be re­
placed .
- When opening the doors, the windows low­
er approximately 10 mm automatically. This
function is not available when the battery is
disconnected, which means there is a risk
that the door seal or the window could be
damaged.
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged bat­ tery.
Fig . 188 En g in e compartment: con nectors fo r a charger
and jump start cab les

Always r ead and h eed all W ARNING S below
~ A. and
¢A. in Working on the battery on
page 213.
.,. Switch off the ignition and all electrica l con­
sumers .
.,. Make sure the area is well venti lated when you
charge the battery.
.,. Open the engine hood
¢page 203.
.,. Open the red cover on the positive pole
¢fig . 188 .
.,. Connect the charger co nnectors according to
the instructions to the
j ump start bo lt s. (Bolts
under the red cover= "positive", Bolts with hex
head
= "negat ive") .
.,. Only now plug the mains lead for the charging
equipment into the wall outlet and turn it on
¢&_ .
.,. M ake s ure th e char ging rate is not o ver
30 amp s/14.8 Volt.
.,. When the battery is fully charged: Turn the
charg ing equipment off and remove the mains
lead from the wall outlet.
.,. Now remove the clamps for the charging equ ip-
ment.
.,. Close the red cover on the positive pole.
.,. Close the hood
¢ page 204.
A discharged battery can fre eze at temperatures
of only 32 F
0 (0 °C). A llow a frozen battery to
thaw comp lete ly before attempt ing to charge it
¢ ,&. However, we recommend not using a
thawed battery again because the battery casing
can be cracked due to ice formation and can leak
battery acid.
Battery chargin g (Ma ximum cha rging rate of
30 amp s/14 .8 Volt )
When charging at low voltages (e.g. with a trick­
le cha rger ),
the battery cables do not have to be
d isconnected first. The battery caps should
not
be opened when charging a battery .
It is not necessary to remove the battery from
the luggage compartment, and it is also not nec­
essary to disconnect the cables.
Check ing and Filling
Fast charging the batt ery (charging rate
ab ove 14.8 Volt )
For technical reasons do not use a battery charg­
er that uses vo ltage greater than 14.8 Volt to
charge your vehicle's battery.
A WARNING
=
Charging a battery can be dangerous .
-Always follow the operating instructions
provided by the battery charger manufactur­
er when charging your battery .
- Never charge a frozen battery. It may ex­
plode because of gas trapped in the ice. Al­
low a froze n battery to thaw out first .
- Do not reuse batter ies which were frozen.
The battery hous ing may have cracked and
weakened when the battery froze .
- Charge the battery in a well ventilated area.
Keep away from open flame or electrical
spark. Do not smoke . Hydrogen gas generat­
ed by the battery is explos ive.
- To reduce the danger of explosion, never connect or d isconnect charge r cables while
the charger is ope rating .
- Fast charg ing a battery is dangerous and
should only be attempted by a competent
technicia n w ith the prope r equipment.
- Batte ry acid that may spill during charging
should be washed off w ith a so lution of
warm water and baking soda to neutra lize
t he acid .
{[) Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to start
the e ngine. This will se riously damage sensi­
tive electronic components, such as control
units, re lays, radio, etc., as well as the bat tery
charge r.
Battery replacement
The new battery must have the same specifica­
tions and dimensions as the original equipment
battery .
Intelligent ene rgy manageme nt in yo ur vehicle is
responsib le for distr ib uting the electrica l energy
Iii>-
215

Check ing and F illing
througho ut your vehicle ¢ page 186 . The intelli­
gent energy management system wi ll keep the
engine battery charged better than veh icles with­
out this system . To make sure the addit ional
electrical energy is avai lab le once again after you
have changed the battery, we recommend that
you install batter ies of t he same type and manu­
facture on ly (the same as those insta lled at the
time your veh icle was delive red). Spec ificat ions
are listed on t he b attery housing. Your author­
i z ed dealer must code the battery in the energy
management system to enable you to use the en ­
ergy manag ement functions correctly after re­
p lacing the battery.
The new battery must have the same capac ity,
voltage (12 -vo lt), amperage, const ruction and
p lug sealing .
W hen insta lling the ba tte ry, make sure the igni ­
tion and all elec trical consumers are sw itched
off .
(D Note
Mak e sure the ve ntila tio n hose on t he side of
the batte ry is connecte d, othe rw ise f umes o r
battery acid can lea k out .
@) For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of pr oper disposal of
a ba ttery, we recommen d your au thor ized
Audi dea le r change the battery fo r you. Bat ­
teries contain su lf u ric acid and lea d and must
always be disposed o f prope rly in comp liance
w ith all environmental regulations. D isposing
of vehicle batteries improperly is very danger­
ous to the e nvironment.
216
Windshield washer
system
Fi g. 189 En gin e compar tm en t: was her flui d rese rvoir cap
.., N
-N ~ a, m
The w indshield washer reservoir O contains the
cleaning so lution for the windshie ld and the
headlight washer system *
9 page 205, fig. 183.
The reservoir capacity is found in 9 page 260 .
To reduce the risk of lime scale depos its on the
spray nozzles, use clean water with low amo unts
of calcium. Always add w indow cleaner to the wa­
ter. When the outside temperatures are cold, an anti-freez ing agent shou ld be added to the water
so that it does not freeze .
(D Note
-The concentration of ant i-f reez ing agent
must be adjusted to the ve hicle operat ing
conditions i n the respective cl imate . A con­
cen tration t hat is too high can lead to vehi­
cle damage.
- Never ad d radia tor an ti-freeze or other addi ­
t ives to the washer fluid .
- Do not use a glass cleaner t hat contains
paint so lvents, because th is could damage
the pain t.
Service interval display
The service interval display detects when your ve­
hicle is due for service .
The service interval d isplay wo rks i n two stages:
- Inspection or oil change rem inder: after a cer-
tain distance drive n, a message appears in the
instrument cluster display each t ime t he igni ­
tion is switched on o r off . The remaining d is-
t ance o r time is disp layed b riefly. .,..

-Inspection or oil change due: If your vehicle
has reached an inspection or oi l change interval
or both intervals at the same time, the mes­
sage
Inspection due! or Oil change due! or Oil
change and inspection due!
appears briefly af­
ter switching the ignition on/off .
Checking service intervals
You can check the remaining distance or time un­
til the next oil change or next inspection in the
Car menu. To do this, select: the
ICARI function
button
> (Car)* Systems control button > Service
& control > Service intervals.
Resetting the indicator
Your authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility will reset the service interval dis­
p lay after performing service.
I f you have changed the oil you rself, you must re­
set the oil change interval.
To reset the indicator, select: the
ICARI funct ion
button
> (Car)* Systems control button > Service
& control > Service intervals. Turn the contro l
knob downward to
Reset oil change interval and
press the control knob.
@ Note
-Only reset the oil change indicator if the oil
was changed .
- Following the service inte rvals is critical to
maintain ing the service life and va lue of
your vehicle, especially the engine . Even if
the mileage on the vehicle is low, do not ex­
ceed the time for the next serv ice.
- Calcu lating the time to the next o il change
i s interrupted when the vehicle battery is
disconnected. If the veh icle is not driven for
a long period of time, check the ma inte­
nance schedule so that you can follow the
maintenance intervals.
Checking and Filling
217