2017 AUDI A7 check engine

Driving
Stopping/starting the engine
Applies to: ve hicles w ith Start/Stop system
F ig. 78 Instrument cluster: eng ine sw itched off (stop
phase)
• Brake the ve hicle to a stop. The engine stops
shortly before the vehicle comes to a stop or if
the vehicle is stationary
l l. Keep your foot on
the brake pedal. The
[IJ indicator light appears
in the information line at the bottom of the in­
strument cluster display. The needle in the
tachometer also moves into the
RE ADV1> posi­
tion .
• The eng ine starts again when you take your
foot off the b rake pedal. The indicator light
turns off.
Add itional informat ion
The engine stops in the P, N and D selector lever
positions .
If you select the R position dur ing a stop phase,
the engine will start again.
Shift to P quick ly to prevent the engine from
starting unintent ionally when shifting through R.
You can determ ine fo r you rself if the engine will
stop or not by reducing or increasing the amo unt
of force you use to press the brake pedal. For ex­
ample, if you only lightly press on the brake ped­
al in stop-and-go traff ic or when turning, the en­
g ine will not switch off when the vehicle is sta­
tionary. As soon as you press the brake down
harder , the eng ine will switch off .
l) Market -specifi c
72
@ Tips
-Press the brake peda l during a Stop phase
to keep the vehicle from rolling.
- The ignition w ill turn off if you press the
I START ENGINE STOPI butto n du ring a stop
phase. The needle in the tachometer moves
into the
OFF position.
General information
App lies to: vehicles wit h Start/Stop syste m
The standard Start/Stop mode con be canceled
for various system-related reasons.
Engine do es not switch off
Before and dur ing each stop phase, the sys tem
checks if certain conditions have been met.
If the
rjJ indicator light appears in the instrument clus­
ter display, the eng ine will not be stopped, for
example in the following situat ions:
- The engine has not reached the minim um re­
quired temperature for Start/Stop mode.
- The interior temperature selected by the A/C
system has not been reached.
- The outside tempe ra tu re is extremely high/low.
- The windsh ield is being defrosted® .
- The parking system* is be switched on .
- The vehicle battery charge level is too low.
- The steering wheel is turned at a sharp angle or
is moving.
- After engaging the reverse gear.
- On sharp inclines.
Engine automatically restarts
The standard S tart/Stop mode w ill be canceled
d uring a stop p hase in the following si tuations.
The eng ine restarts without any action by the
driver.
- The vehicle ro lls, fo r example while on a slope .
- The inte rior tempe rature differs from the tem-
pe rat ure selected in the A/C system.
- The windsh ield is being defrosted® .
- The brake pedal is pressed several times in a
row .

Trailer towing
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation.
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that
the additional load will affect durability, econo­my and performance.
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on the
ve hicle, it also ca lls for more concentration from
the dr iver.
F or this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
@ Note
If you are going to tow a trailer, you must ac­
tivate the tra ile r operation mode
¢ page 82, Operating instructions.
Technical requirements
Traile r hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trai ler weight. The hitch must be suitab le
for your ve hicle and tra iler and must be mounted
securely on the vehicle 's chassis at a
technically
sound
locat ion . Use on ly a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ba ll mount . Always chec k w it h t he t rail ­
er hitch man ufactur er to make s ure t hat you a re
using the co rrect hi tc h.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch m ust be installed i n such a way that it
does not interfere with the impact -absorbing
bumper sys tem . N o mod ificat ions should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and b rake systems .
Fr om t ime to t ime, che ck t hat all hitch mo unti ng
bol ts rem ain securely faste ned.
W hen you are not tow ing a tra iler, remove the
tra ile r hitc h ba ll mount . This prevents the hitch
from ca using damage shou ld your veh icle be
s truck from behind¢ &..
82
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped wi th a bra king sys tem,
c h ec k t o be sure that it con forms to all regu la ­
tions.
The trailer hydrau lic br ake system mus t not be
directly connecte d to the vehicle's hydr auli c
brake system .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle
a nd t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be sure
to check w ith your Aud i dea ler for correct wir ing,
switches and relays.
Mirrors
If you a re unab le to see the traffic behind you us­
i ng the regular outs ide mir rors, then you
must in­
stall extended mirrors. It is important that you
always have clear vision to the rear.
A WARNING
Afte r remov ing the tra ile r hi tch, do not s to re
i t in yo ur vehicle. In cas e of sudden brak ing,
the hit ch could fly fo rwa rd and injure you or
your pas sengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A tra ile r f or yo ur vehicle is lim ite d to a typical
cla ss 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trai ler is held sec urely in
place to p revent it from shifting forward , back­
ward or si deways .
Never allow a pas senger to ride in a trailer ¢ &.
in Driving instructions on page 84.
Engine cooling system
Towing a tra ile r makes the engine wor k harder . It
i s impo rtant that the cooling system's perform­
ance is up to the additional load. Ma ke sure that
the cooling system has enoug h fluid.
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\.J ' Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the tire pressure listed under "Full
load" on the label
¢page 221. Inflate trailer
tires to trailer and tire manufacturers' specifica­
tions .
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly connect­
ed from the trailer to the hitch on the vehicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to permit turn­
ing corners. When you install safety chains, make
sure they will not drag on the road when you are
driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the hitch.
Adjusting the Audi drive select
Make sure the vehicle is on a level surface before
hitching up the trailer and before adjusting the
tongue weight. The vehicle must be in
auto or
comfort driving mode and not raised
¢page 105, ¢0 .
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered. In Info­
tainment , select:
ICARI function button> Lower
control button.
If you must drive under poor road conditions , you
can raise the vehicle
after coupling the trailer or
after adjusting the tongue weight ¢page 107.
0 Note
-Changes in temperature or load can affect
the height of the vehicle.
- Always select
auto or comfort mode. Other­
wise, the tongue load specified for your ve­
hicle will no longer be applicable.
Trailer towing
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration .
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car results
in a highly unstable distribution of weight. If this
cannot be avoided, drive at very low speeds only
to avoid the risk of losing steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and control.
This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded
to the extent possible and permissible, while keeping the trailer as light as possible under the
circumstances . Whenever possible, transfer
some cargo to the luggage compartment of the
tow vehicle while observing tongue load require­
ments and vehicle loading considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig . Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or wind
conditions are unfavorable -particularly when
going downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trailer
shows the slightest sign of swaying .
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds for
vehicles towing trailers are lower than for regular
vehicles.
Always apply brakes early . When driving down ­
hill, shift into a lower gear to use the engine
braking effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Air suspension*
When driving with a trailer, activate the trailer
mode of the air suspension. Switch the air sus ­
pension trailer mode on when you are towing a
trailer. This will limit the regulation by the air
suspension while driving . Select in the MMI:
I CAR ! function button > (Car)* systems control
button
> Vehicle settings > Air susp.: towing >
On. 1J,,
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\.J ' intervals and ensures a better reaction time fo r
the brakes in wet weather.
The braki ng effect can also be red uced if you are
driving on salted roads and you do not apply the b rakes for long periods of time . The layer of salt
on the brake rotors and pads must be worn off
f irst when the brakes are app lied.
Due to its surface, the ceramic bra ke rotor* ab­
sorbs moisture in certa in situations. There fore,
there will temporarily be less braking force than
when the brakes are dry . You can compensate for
this by pressing the brake pedal harder.
Cor rosion
L eaving the vehicle parked fo r long periods of
time, low mi leage and avoiding heavy braking
can contribute to corrosion on the brake rotors
and to dirty brake pads.
I f you usually avo id heavy braking or if there is
corrosion present , occasional heavy braking at
high speeds is recommended to clean the brake
rotors and pads
q ,& .
Brak e system malfunct ion
if you notice that the brake pedal travel has sud­
denly increased, then a brake c ircui t in the dual­
circuit brake system may have malfunctioned. Drive to an authorized Audi dea ler or a uthorized
Aud i Service Facility immediately to have the
problem corrected. On the way there, drive with
reduced speed and keep in mind that you w ill
need a longer distance to stop and you w ill need
to p ress the b rake pedal harde r.
L ow brake fluid level
When the brake fl uid level is low, malfunct ions in
the brake system may occur . The brake f lu id level
is electronically monitored.
Br ak e boost er
The brake booster amplifies the pressure you ap­
p ly to the brake peda l. It only works when the en­
g ine is running.
A WARNING
- Only apply the brakes for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system whe n road and
-
Intellig ent Technology
traffic conditions permit. You must not en­
danger other road users. This increases the
risk of an accident.
- Never let the vehicle roll while the engine is
stopped because this increases the risk of an
accident.
- New brake pads do not ach ieve the ir full
braking effect during the first 250 m i
(400 km). They m ust be "broken in" first.
The break-in per iod ca n be cons iderably lon­
ge r fo r vehicles with ceram ic brake rotors* .
H owever, you can compensate fo r the
slightly reduced braking force by pressi ng
fi rm ly on the brake pedal. Avo id heavy b rak­
ing du ring the break -in pe riod.
- Ce rtain weathe r and ope rating condi tions
such as driving through water, dr iv ing in
heavy rain o r driv ing after was hing your ve­
hicle can impa ir the effect iveness of the
brakes. In the winter, ice may build up on
the brake pads, rotors and drums . Check
these components by braking carefully. Ap­
p lyi ng the brakes carefully several times
d ries the b rakes and removes ice build-up .
- The efficiency of the brakes can also be im­
pa ired by dr iv ing for long stretches on roads
covered with sa lt without using the bra kes .
You can remove salt deposits from the
b rake rotors and pads by carefully applying
t he brakes several times .
- I f the fron t spoiler is damaged o r yo u install
another spoi ler, make su re the front wheel
b rakes are ven tilated properly . Othe rw ise,
the brake system co uld overheat, which re­
duces their effectiveness .
- Fa ilure of a brake circuit impairs brak ing
pe rformance, which increases b raking dis­
tance. Avo id driving the vehicle and have it
towed it to the nearest a uthorized Audi
deale r or authorized Aud i Serv ice Facility.
- I f the brake booster is not working, yo u w ill
have to p ress much harder on the brake
pedal to compensate fo r the lack of the
booster.
Q) Note
- Never let the brakes "rub" by pressing the
peda l lightly when braking is not actually
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\.J ' Checking and Filling
Gasoline
Fuel supply
Applies to: vehicles with gaso line engine
Using the right fuel helps keep the environment
clean and prevents engine damage .
Fuel reco mm endati on
The fuel recommended for your vehicle is unlead­
ed pr em ium
grade gasoline. Audi recommends
using TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline with a mini­
mum octane rating of 91 AKI (95 RON). For more
information on TOP TIER Detergent Gasoline,
p lease go to the official website
(www.toptiergas .com) .
The recommended gasoline octane rating for
your engine can also be found on a label located
on the inside of the fuel filler flap . Th is rating
may be spec ified as AKI or RON.
Your vehicle may also be operated using unlead­
ed regular gasoline with a min imum octane rat ­
ing of 87 AKl/91 RON. However, using 87 AKl/91
RON octane fuel will slightly reduce engine pe r­
formance.
U se unlea ded gas oline only. Unleaded gasoline
is available throughout the USA, Canada, and in
most European count ries . We recommend that
you do not ta ke your vehicle to areas or countries
where un leaded gasol ine may not be availab le.
For more information on refueling your vehicle,
see
~ page 193.
Octane r ating
Octane rating indicates a gasoline's ability to re­
sist engine damaging "knock" caused by prema­
ture ignit ion and detonation . Therefore , buy ing
the correct grade of gasoline is very important to
h e lp prevent poss ible engine damage and a loss
of eng ine performance.
Gasoline most commonly used in the Un ited
States and Canada has the following octane rat­
ings that can usually be found on the filler pump:
- Premium Grade: 91 -96 AKI
Ch eck ing and Filling
- Regu lar Grade: 87 -90 AK I
E xplanation of the abb reviations:
AK I=
Anti Knock Index = (R +M)/2 = (RON +MON)/
2
RON = Research Octane Number
MON = Motor Octane Number.
(D Note
- Do not use any fue l w ith octane ratings low­
er than 8 7 AKI or 91 RON otherwise expen­
sive engine damage w ill occur .
- Do
not use leaded gasoline. The use of lead­
ed gasoline will severe ly damage your vehi­
cle's catalytic converter and its ability to
control exhaust emissions .
Blended gasoline
Applies to: vehicles with gasoline engine
Use of gas olin e con tainin g alcoh ol or MTBE
( meth yl t ert ia ry but yl ether )
You may use unleaded gasoline blended with al­
cohol or MTB E (commonly referred to as oxygen ­
ates) if the blended m ixture meets the follow ing
criteria:
Blend of gasolin e methanol (wood alcohol or
methyl alcoho l)
-Anti -knock index must be 87 AKI or h igher.
- Blend must contain no more than 3% metha-
nol.
- Blend must contain more than 2% co-solvents.
Blend of g asoline and ethanol (grain alc oh ol or
e th yl alcoh ol)
- Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or h igher .
- Blend must not conta in more than 15% etha-
nol.
Bl end of g asoline and MTBE
-Anti-knock index must be 87 AK I or h igher.
- Blend must contain not mo re than 15% MTBE.
Se asonall y adjust ed ga soline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform es­
pecially well for winter or summer dr iving . Dur-
ing seasonal change-over, we suggest that you ..,.
191

Check ing and F illing
fi ll up at busy gas stations where the seasona l
adjustm ent is more likely to be mad e in time .
0 Note
-Me thanol f uels which do no t meet these re­
quirements may cause corrosion and dam­
age to plastic and rubber components in the
fuel system .
- Do not use fuels that fail to meet the spec i­
fied criteria in this chapter .
- If you are unable to determine whether or not a particular fuel blend meets the spec i­
fications, ask your service station or its fuel supplier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents can­
not be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance prob­
lems resulting from the use of fue ls differ­
ent from those specified are not the respon­
s ibility of Audi and are not covered under
the New Veh icle or the Emiss ion Control
System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fuel economy or
driveability and performance problems due
to the use of one of these fuel b lends, we
r ecommend that you switch to unblended
fuel.
Gasoline additives
A ma jo r concern among many auto manufactur­
ers is carbon deposit build- up ca used by the type
of gasoline you use.
A lthough gasoline grades d iffer from one manu­
facturer to another, they have cer tain things in
common . All gaso line grades contain substances
that can cause deposits to collect on vita l engine
parts, such as fue l injectors and intake valves. Al­
though most gasoline brands include additives to
keep engine and fuel systems clean, they are not
equally effective .
Audi recommends using TOP TIE R Detergent Gas­
oline. For more information on TOP TIER Deter ­
gent Gasoline, please go to the official website (www.toptiergas .com) .
192
After an extended period o f using inadequate
fuels, carbon deposit bui ld-ups can rob your en­
gine of peak performance.
([) Note
Damage or ma lf u nction due to poor fue l qual ­
ity is not covered by the Audi New Vehicle
Limited Warranty .
Diesel fuel
Applies to: vehicles wi th diese l en gin e
Always use ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diese l) No. 2 .
The ULSD No. 2 meets the ASTM D97S.
D iesel fuel w ith concentrations of b iod iesel high­
er than 5 % such as B l 1, B20 or BlOO are st rict ly
prohibited .
Se rvice station fuel pumps are labe led wi th the
correc t fu el i nfo rmation for easy recogn ition by
the user . If the diesel fue l pump is not labe led
ask the station operator what fue l is being dis­
pensed before filling up your vehicle .
U LSD No . 2 may no t be ava ilable outside the USA
and Canada . Be s ure to check befo re t raveling to
other countries .
U LSD No . 2 can become th ic k e r i n very co ld tem­
peratures, and this can impa ir the e ng ine's s tart­
i ng and running . Depend ing on the season, gas
stations provide ULSD No . 2 that flows better in
cold temperatures so that you can continue oper­
at ing your vehicle as usual.
(D Note
- Your vehicle's diese l engine was designed
so ley for use with ULSD No . 2 . Therefore,
never use gasoline, heating oil, other fuels
or flow improvers. These contain substances
that will severely damage the fuel system and the engine. Such damage will not be
covered by your New Vehicle Limited War­
ranty.
- If you put any amo unt of incorrect fuel in
the fuel tank, do not start the engine under
any c ircumstances. Immed iate ly contact the
nearest author ized A udi dealer or author-
ized Aud i Serv ice Facility fo r ass istance .
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<..:l 'SI"
These fuels contain substances that can se­
vere ly 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 panel behind the fuel filler flap.
If the power locking system should fail , you can
still open the flap manually - for detailed instruc­
tions see
~ page 195 .
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your vehicle in
~ page 262 .
The label on the inside of the fuel filler flap tells
you the correct fuel for your vehicle. For mo re in­
formation about fuel specifications , see
~ page 191 .
You r vehicle fuel tank has an onboa rd refuelling
vapor recovery sys tem . This fea tu re helps to pre­
vent fuel vapors from escaping from the tank and polluting the environment while you refuel your
vehicle. In order to fill the tank properly while
protecting the environment, please follow this
refueling procedure carefully.
_& WARNING
Under norma l operating conditions, never car­
ry additiona l 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 mower, snow blower, etc.,
be very careful and always observe local and
state laws regarding the use, transportation
and storage of such fuel containers. Make cer­
tain the container meets industry standards
(ANSI/ASTM F852 -86).
(D Note
Never drive your vehicle until the fuel tank is
completely empty. The irregular supply of
fue l can cause misfiring. Gasoline could enter
the exhaust system and damage the catalyt ic
converter.
Checking and Filling
Fueling procedure
Fig. 176 Righ t re ar sid e of the v ehicl e: openin g th e fu el
fille r door
Fig. 177 Fue l filler doo r with at tached fuel cap
T he fue l filler door is unlocked or locked by the
central locking system.
Opening the fuel cap
"' Press on the left side of the fue l filler door to
open ~
fig. 176 .
"'U nscrew the tank cap counterclockwise.
"' Place the cap from above on the open fuel filler
door ~
fig. 177.
Closing the fuel cap
"' Sc rew the tank cap on to the right on the filler
neck until it cannot turn any farther.
"' Then press on the left s ide of the tank door un-
til it latches.
Once the pump nozzle switches off, the fuel tank
is "full ". Do not fill the tank mo re . Otherwise the
expans ion space in the tank w ill be filled .
The correct fuel type for your vehicle can be
found on a label located on the inside of the fuel
filler door. Fo r additional informa tion on fuel,
see
~ page 191.
193

Checking and Filling
The fuel tank capacity of your vehicle is listed in
the
Technical Data section ~ page 262.
To avoid fuel spilling or evaporating from the fuel
tank always close fuel cap properly and com­
pletely. An improperly closed fuel filler cap may
also cause the MIL lamp~
page 25 to come on.
A WARNING
Not paying attention when fueling or han­
dling fuel incorrectly can lead to fires, explo­
sions or serious injuries .
- Fuel ignites easily and can cause serious burns and other injuries .
- If you do not switch the engine off when fu­
eling and/or do not insert the fuel no zzle
completely into the tank opening, fuel can
leak out or run over . Leaked fuel can ignite
and start a fire .
- Do not use the telephone while fueling. The
electromagnetic rays can cause sparks,
which can ignite fuel vapors and start a fire .
- Do not sit in your vehicle while fueling . If
you must make an exception and enter your
vehicle again while fueling, close the door
and touch metal to discharge static electric­ity before touching the fuel nozzle . Static
electricity can create sparks, which can ig­
nite vapors when fueling.
- Do not smoke or have an open flame in the
area when fueling your vehicle or filling a
fuel container because this increases the risk of an explosion.
- For your safety, carrying fuel containers in
your vehicle is not recommended. Whether
full or empty, the container can leak and
cause a fire in the event of an accident.
- If you must make an exception and trans­
port a fuel container, note the following:
- Never fill the fuel container with fuel
while it is in or on the vehicle. Static elec­
tricity is discharged when filling which can
cause the fuel vapors to ignite and in­
creases the risk of an explosion.
- Always place a fuel container on the
ground before filling.
- Always hold the fuel nozzle completely in
the fuel container when filling.
194
-If the fuel container is made of metal, the
fuel nozzle must always be in contact with
the container when filling it with fuel. This
prevents static electricity from discharg­
ing .
-Never spill fuel in the vehicle or the lug­
gage compartment . Evaporated fuel is ex ­
plosive and increases the risk of serious in­
jury or death .
- Follow legal requirements when using, storing and transporting fuel containers .
- Make sure the fuel container conforms to industry standards (ANSI/ASTM F852-86).
(D Note
-Remove spilled fuel from vehicle paint im­
mediately, because it can damage paint.
- Never drive until the fuel tank is completely
empty. The irregular supply of fuel that re­
sults from that can cause engine misfires.
Uncombusted fuel will enter the exhaust
system and increase the risk of damage to
the catalytic converter .
(D Note
Applies to: vehicles with diesel eng ines
If the fuel tank runs completely empty, the
ignition must remain switched on for at least
30 seconds after refueling before starting the
engine. It may take longer than usual for the
engine to start, even up to a minute. This is
because the air must first bleed out of the
fuel system when starting the engine.
@ For the sake of the environment
Do not overfill the fuel tank, otherwise fuel
can leak out when the vehicle is warming up.
(y Tips
The fuel filler door on your vehicle does not lock if you lock the vehicle from the inside.
(D Tips
Applies to: veh icles with diesel e ngin es
Diesel vehicles are equipped with a misfueling
guard
l) . It allows the vehicle to be fueled on-
ly with a diesel fuel pump nozzle . .,.