2016 AUDI RS7 SPORTBACK engine

Check ing and F illing
Using the proper engine oil is impo rtant for the
functionality and service life of the engine. Your engine was facto ry-filled with a h igh-quality oi l
which can usually be used throughout the entire
year.
@) Note
Your Limited New Vehicle War ranty does not
cover damage or malfunctions due to failure
to follow recommended maintenance and use
requirements as set forth in the Audi Owner's
Manual and Warran ty
& Maintenance booklet.
- Use only a high quality eng ine oil t hat ex-
p ressly complies with the Audi oil qua lity
standard specified for your vehicle's engine .
Using a ny o ther oil can cause serious engine
d am age.
- D o not mix any lubricants o r other addit ives
i nto the engine oil. Doing so ca n cause en­
g ine damage.
(D Tips
I f you need to add oil and there is none availa­
ble t hat meets the Audi o il quality standard
your eng ine requi res , you m ay ad d a tot al of
no more than 0.5 qu art /li ter o f a h igh-quality
"synthe tic"oil that meets t he following speci ­
fications.
- AC EA A3 o r API SM wi th a viscosity grade o f
SAE 0W-30, SAE SW-30 or SAE SW-40.
- F or more inform ation about engine o il that
has been approve d for your ve hicl e, please
contact eithe r you r a uthorized Audi dea le r
or A udi C ustome r Relat ions at
1 (800) 822-2834 or visit o ur web site at
www.audiusa.com or www.aud icanada.ca.
Engine oil consumption
T he engine in your vehicle depends on an ade­
quate amoun t of oil to lubricate and cool all of
its moving par ts.
In order to p rovide effective lubr ication and cool­
ing of internal engine components, all interna l
combustion engines consume a cer tain amount
of oil. Oi l co nsumption varies from engine to en ­
g ine and may change significant ly over the life of
the eng ine . Typically, eng ines with a specified
206
b reak -in period (see q page 188) consume more
oi l during the break-in period than they consume
after o il consumption has stab ilized.
U nder normal cond itions, the ra te of oil con ­
s u mption depends on the q ua lity and viscos ity o f
the oil , the RPM (revo lutions per minute) at
which the engine is operated, the amb ient tem­
perature and road condit ions. Further facto rs a re
the amount of o il di lution from wate r condensa­
tion or fue l resid ue a nd the oxidation level of the
o il. As any engine is subject to wear as mileage
builds up, the o il consumption may increase ove r
ti me until replacement o f wo rn components may
become ne cessary.
With a ll these va riables coming into p lay, no
standard rate of o il consumption can be estab­
li sh ed or spec ified . T he re is no alte rnative to reg­
u lar and freq uen t che cki ng of the oil level , see
Note .
If the yellow engine oil level warning symbo l in
the instr ument cluster
II lights up, yo u should
c h eck t he o il level as soon as poss ible
q page 207 . Top off the o il at your earlies t con­
venience
q page 207.
_& WARNING
Before you check a nyt hing in the en gine com ­
partment, always read and heed all WARN­
INGS
9 .&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 203.
((I) Note
D riving w it h an insuffic ient oil level is li ke ly to
cause severe damage to the engine.
(D Tips
- The oil pressure warning d isplay. is not
an indicator of the oil level. Do not rely on
it. Instead, check the oil level in your en­
g ine at regular intervals, preferably each
time you refuel, and always befo re going
on a long trip .
-If you have the impress ion your engine con­
sumes excessive amou nts of oil, we recom­
mend that yo u consult your Aud i dea le r to
have the cause of yo ur conce rn prope rly .,.

diagnosed. Keep in mind that the accurate
measurement of oil consumption requires
great care and may take some time. Your
Audi dealer has instructions about how to measure oil consumption accurately.
Checking the engine oil level
The engine oil level con be checked in the Info­
tainment system
Fig. 184 Infotainment: oil level indicator
~ Park your vehicle on a level surface .
~ Shut the engine off when it is warm .
~ Switch only the ignition back on.
~ Wait approximately two minutes.
~ Select: the ICARI function button > (Ca r)* Sys­
tems
control button > Service & control > Oil
level.
~ Check the oil level in the Infotainment system
display ¢
fig. 184. Add engine oil if the bar of
the oil level indicator is near "min"
¢page 207.
Depending on the way the vehicle is driven and
the operating conditions, oil consumption can be
up to 1 quart per 600 miles (0.8 liter per 1,000
km) . Consumpt ion may be higher within the first
3,000 miles (5,000 km).
Because of this, the engine oil level must be
checked regularly . It would be best to check each
time you refuel your veh icle and before long
drives .
(D Tips
The oil level indicator in the instrument clus­
ter display is only an informational display. If
the oil level is too low, a minimum oil warn ing
Checking and Filling
appears in the instrument cluster. Add oil. If
the hood was opened, the current oil level is
shown in the instrument cluster the next t ime
the ignition is switched on.
Adding engine oil 9:::7:
Fig. 185 E ngine compar tmen t: cover on the engine oil fill­
er neck
Before you check anything in the engine compart­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
¢.,&. in Working in the engine compartment on
page 203 .
~ Shut the engine off .
~ Unscrew the cap~ to the engine oil filling
hole
q fig . 185, ¢page 205, fig. 183 .
~ Carefully top off with 0.5 quarts (0.5 liters) of
the appropriate oil
q page 205.
~ Check the oil level again after two minutes
q page 207, Checking the engine oil level.
~ Top off the oil again, if necessary.
~ Screw the cap back on the filling hole.
A WARNING
--While topping off, the o il must not come in
contact with hot engine parts - fire hazard!
- The oil filler cap must be properly secured
to prevent oil from being sprayed on the hot
engine and exhaust system when the engine
is running -fire hazard!
- If your skin has come in contact with the en­
g in e oil, you must subsequently cleanse it
thoroughly.
(D Note
- Check the oil level using the M MI. If the
message
Please reduce oil level appears,
contact your authorized Aud i dea ler or other .,.
207

Check ing and F illing
q ualified workshop to have excess oil ex­
tracted if necessary .
-Audi does not recommend the use of oil
addit ives. They may dam age the eng ine
and ad ve rs ely affe ct your New Vehicle
W arranty .
@ For the sake of the environment
-Under no circ umstances can the o il come in
contact with the sewage network or the soil.
- Observe and follow legal regu lations when
disposing of empty oil containers.
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that hove your oil changed by on
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified service sta­
tion .
Before you check anyth ing in the eng ine compart­
ment,
a lway s read and heed all WARNINGS¢.&.
in Working in the engine comportment on
page 203.
The engine oil must be changed accord ing to the
i n tervals specified in your Wa rranty
& Mainte­
nance booklet . This is very important because the
lubricat ing properties of oi l diminish gradually
during normal vehicle use.
Under some circ umstances the engine oil should
be changed more frequently. Change oil more of­
ten if yo u drive most ly short distances, operate
the vehicle in dusty areas or under predominantly
stop-and-go traffic condit ions, or have your vehi­
cle where temperatu res remain below freezing
for extended periods .
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh oil
look dark after the engine has been running for a
short t ime. Th is is normal and is not a reason to
cha nge the oil more often than recommended.
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal, along
with the special tools and necessary expertise re­
qu ired, we strongly recommend that you have
your oil changed by an authorized
Audi dealer or
a qualified se rvice station .
If you choose to change your o il yourself , please
note the following important information:
208
A WARNING
-
To reduce the risk of persona l injury if you
must change the eng ine oil in your vehicle
yourself:
- Wea r eye protect ion.
- To reduce the r is k of b urns from hot engine
-
oil, let the engine cool down to the touch.
- When removing the oil drain plug with your
fingers, stay as far away as possible. Always
keep your forearm parallel to the ground to
he lp prevent hot oil from run ning down your
arm.
- Drain the oil into a container designed fo r
this purpose, one la rge enough to hold at
least the tota l amount of oil in you r engine.
- Engine oil is poisonous. Keep it well out of
the reach of children .
- Continuous contact with used engine o il is
ha rmf ul to your skin . Always protect your
skin by washi ng oil off thoroughly with soap
a nd water.
(D Note
Never mix oil additives with you r engine oil.
These add itives can damage your e ngine and
adverse ly affect yo ur Audi Limi ted New Vehi­
cle War ranty.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Be fore chang ing your oi l, first make sure
you know where you can p roperly dispose of
t h e used oil.
- Always dispose of used e ngine o il properly .
Do not dump it on gard en so il, wooded
areas, into open streams or down sewage
drains.
- Recycle used e ngine o il by ta king it to a used
eng ine oil collect ion fac ility in yo ur area, or
c ont act a servi ce st ation.

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