2017 AUDI A7 overheating

co
co
....
Instruments and indicator lights
Instruments and indicator lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster overview
The instrument cluster is the central information center for the driver.
Fig . 3 Instru ment cl uste r overview
CD Engine coolant temperature gauge
@ Tachometer ...... .... ...... . .
- With
OFF status indicator . .. . .
- With
READY status ind icator ..
@ Turn signals ...... .... ....... .
© Dis p lay w ith
- Drive r information system . .. . .
- Indicator lig hts ..... .. . .. .. .
® Speedometer
® Fuel level
(D Tips
9
1 0
69
69, 7 1
41
21
10
10
The instrument illumination for the needles
and d ia ls t urns on when the ignition is turned
on and the lights are turned off. The ill umina ­
t ion fo r the g auges reduces aut omat ically and
eve ntu ally t urns off as brigh tness outside in­
creases . This f unction reminds the drive r to
tur n the low beams on at the approp riate
time.
Coolant temperature indicator
ed o n. To prevent engine damage, please observe
t h e following notes about the temperature rang­
es.
Cold range
If only the LEDs at the bottom of the gauge t urn
on, the engine has not reached operating tem­
perature yet. Avoid high eng ine speeds, full ac­
ce le rating and heavy e ngine loads.
Normal range
T he eng ine has reached its operating tempera­
ture once the L EDs up to the center of the gauge
turn on.
If the. indicator light in the inst ru­
ment cluster d isp lay turns on, the coolant tem­
perature is too high¢
page 14.
(D Note
-Aux iliary headlig hts and ot her accessories in
front of the coo ling-air intake impa ir th e
cooling effect o f th e coolant . This increases
t he risk of th e engi ne overheating dur ing
hig h ou tsid e tempera tures and heavy en ­
gine load.
~ The coolant temperature display CD¢ page 9,
~ fig. 3 only functions w hen the ignition is switch-
<..:> 'SI"
9

Instruments and indicator lights
-The front spoiler also he lps to distr ib ute
cooling air while driving . If the spoiler is
damaged, the cooling effect w ill be im­
paired and the risk of the engine overheat­
i ng will increase. See an author ized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Fac ility for
ass istance.
(D Tips
Applies to: ve hicles w ith d iese l engines
Due to the high eff ic iency of these engines,
the engine may not always reac h opera ting
t em perature i n cold outside tempe ra tur es.
This is normal and not a cause for con cern .
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine speed in rev ­
olutions per minute (RPM).
You shou ld shift to the next lowest gea r whe n
the speed is below 1,S00 R PM. T he begin ning of
the re d zone in the tachome ter ind icates the
maximum permissible engine speed fo r all gea rs
once the engine has been bro ken in and when it is
warmed up to operating temperature . Before
reaching the red zone, you should shift into the
next h igher gea r, c hoose the Dor S selecto r lever
position, or remove your foot from the accelera­
tor pedal.
CD Note
The needle in the tachometer @ c> page 9,
fig. 3
may only be in the red area of the gauge
for a short time or the re is a r isk of engine
damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early helps you to save fuel and re­
duce operating no ise.
(D Tips
Applies to: Sa nd RS mo de ls
The engine speed is limi ted when the eng ine
is cold -the full engine o utp ut is not availa­
ble. When the engi ne is at oper ating temper­
at ure, the re d a rea in the ta chome ter move s
t o a higher RPM r ang e.
10
· Fuel level
The display @ only wor ks w hen the ig nition is
swi tched on.
If th e fue l level drops below 2.6 g al
(1 0
L), a red L ED w ill tu rn on and t he HJ indica­
tor light wi ll turn o n
i=>page 18. The LED b links
red when the fue l level is very low .
The poss ible range base d on the cu rrent fue l lev­
e l is shown in tab@¢
page 21, fig . 4.
For th e tank capacity i n your veh icle, refe r to the
Techn ica l Da ta
c> page 2 62.
CD Note
Neve r drive until t he tank is complete ly em p­
ty. The irregu la r su pply of fuel that res ults
from tha t can cause engine misfires. Un co m ­
b uste d fue l w ill th en en ter the exhaust sys ­
tem . This c an cause overheating and damage
to the ca talyt ic converter .
Indicator Lights
· Description
The ind icator lights in the instrument cluster
bl ink or tur n on. They ind icate fu nctions or mal­
funct io ns.
Messages may appear w ith some indicator lights.
A war ning s ignal will sound at the same time.
The ind icator lights and messages i n the instru­
ment clus ter d isp lay can be cove red by ot he r dis ­
plays. To show them ag ai n, se lec t t he tab for in ­
dicator lights and messages using the mu ltifu nc­
tion steering whee l
c> page 21. If there are sev­
eral ma lfunctions, you can display them one at a
time us ing the thumbwheel.
Some indicator lights in the d isplay can disp lay in
severa l co lors .
Central indicator light
App lies to: vehicles wit h mo nochrome d isplay
If a message appears together with a central in­
dicator light . or
U. the centra l ind icator light
will indicate the priority of the warning. If a
white indicator light also appea rs, the centra l in­
dica tor light w ill have its ow n colo r. Fo r example, ..,.

Instruments and indicator lights
If the i ndicator lig ht does not tu rn of f, drive im ­
mediately to an a utho rized Audi dea le r or author­
ized A ud i Service Fac ility to have the malfunction
corrected.
A WARNING
Always ada pt yo ur speed to the cu rrent
weathe r, road and t raffic conditi ons. You
should never disob ey traffic laws in orde r to
follow drivi ng r ecomme nda tions .
@ Tips
For add it iona l information on the diese l par­
tic ulate fi lter, se e
¢page 199.
!?'i Engine speed limitation
Applies to: vehicles with engine speed limitation
Ill Maximum engine speed: XXXX rpm
The engine speed is automatica lly lim ited to the
speed d isplayed in the instrument cluster. T his
p rotects the e ng ine from overheating .
The engine speed lim itation deactivates once the
engine is no longer in the critical temperature
range and you have released the acce le rato r ped­
al once .
I f the engine speed lim itation was activated by
an eng ine contro l ma lf u nction,
the @B indicator
light also t urn s on. Make su re that the speed
does not go above t he speed d is p layed . Drive to
a n author ized A udi dealer or au thor ized A udi
Serv ice Facili ty im medi ately to have t he m alfunc­
tion cor rec ted.
(D Tips
Applies to: Sand RS models
The e ngi ne sp eed is lim it e d whe n the eng ine
is cold -the full engine o utpu t is not av ail a­
ble. When the engine is at operating temper­
ature, the re d area in th e tachometer moves
to a highe r RPM ra nge.
_ ..., Engine oil sensor
• Oil level sensor: system fault!
18
The sensor to check the en gine o il level has
failed. Drive to an authorized A udi dealer or au­
t h orized Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to have
the malfunct ion corrected.
f Engine warm -up request
n Please warm up engine
F u el has entered t he engine oil, eithe r from low
outside temperatures or frequent sho rt d rives.
D rive until the eng ine is wa rm so that the f uel in
the e ngine o il w ill evaporate . Avoid hig h eng ine
speeds, f ull accelerating a nd heavy engine loads
wh en doi ng this .
5) Tank system
Ii] Please refuel
If the indicato r light turns on for the first time
and t he message appea rs, the re are abou t 2.6
gallons ( 10 li ters) of f uel left in t he tank .
Ii] Fuel tank system malfunction! Please con­
tact dealer
There is a ma lf u nction in t he f uel tank system.
Dr ive to an au thor ized A udi d ealer or au thorize d
Audi Se rvice Facility immediate ly to have the
malfunction cor rected.
(D Tips
'
For add it ion al in format ion on ref ueli ng, see
¢ pag e 193 .
~ Washer fluid level
f"j i>lease add washer fluid
Fill the w ashe r flui d fo r th e win dsh ie ld was her
system and the he adlight washer sys tem* when
t h e ignit io n is switched off¢
page 209 .
• Windshield wipers
m Windshield wipe r: system fault!
There is a m alfu ncti on with the win dshi eld wip -
ers . ..,.

co
co
.... N
" N .... 0
00
\.J ' Drive to an autho rize d Aud i dea ler o r a uth orized
Aud i Service Facility immediately to have the
mal funct ion corrected.
~/0$ Defective light bulb warning
If the S :I indicato r light turns on, a light has
fa iled . The message ind icates the location of the
l ight . If the
IJ ind icator lig ht also t urn s on, then
a rea r fog ligh t has fai led. The pos ition of the in­
d ic a tor light cor respon ds w it h the location o n the
ve hicl e.
Drive to an autho rized Aud i dea ler o r a uthorized
Aud i Service Fac ility immediately to have t he
m alfunct io n correcte d.
Vehicle lights: Malfunction
There is a malfunction in the hea dlights or the
light switch.
D rive to an autho rized Aud i dea le r o r a uth orized
Au di Service Faci lity immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected .
~(D Dynamic headlight range control
Applies to: veh icles with dynamic headlight range control
El Headlight range control : system fault!
There is a malfunction in the hea dlight range
control system, w hich may ca use g la re for othe r
drivers.
Dr ive to an aut ho rize d Aud i de aler o r a uth orized
Au di Service Facility immediately to have t he
malfunct ion corrected.
~ o Light/rain sensor
II Automatic headlights / automatic wipers:
System fault
The light/rain senso r is malf unct ion ing.
The low beams remain swi tched on at all ti mes
for safety reasons when t he lig ht sw itch is in the
AUTO posi tion. However, you can continue to
turn the lights on an d off using the light sw itch.
You can still control a ll functions that are in de­
pendent of the ra in sensor thro ugh the w ind­
shie ld wiper lever.
Instruments and ind icator lights
D rive to an au thori zed A udi dealer or au tho riz ed
Audi Se rvice Facility immed iate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
Q Adapt ive dampers
Applies to : vehicles with adaptive dampers
II Suspension: System fault! You can continue
driving
T he re is an ada ptive damper malfunction.
Dr ive to an au thor ized A udi dealer or au tho riz ed
A udi Service Facility immed iate ly to h ave the
malfu nction co rrected.
!- I Sport differential
Applies to: vehicles with sport differential
Ill Sport differential: System fault
T he re is a m alfu n cti on w ith the s po rt diff erential.
D rive to an author ized A udi dealer or au thori zed
A udi Se rvice Faci lity i mmed iate ly to have the
malfu nction correcte d.
111 Sport differential: Overheating
The transmission temperature has inc reased sig ­
nificantly due to the sporty dr iv ing ma nner. Drive
in a less s po rty manner unt il t he temperatu re re­
tu rns to the norma l ra nge and t he i nd icator light
swi tc h es of.
A WARNING
-
Conta ct yo ur a uthori zed Au di d eal er or a
qu alified w orkshop if the sport di fferential i s
f a u lt y or m alfunct ionin g. T he rep air mus t be
p erforme d by tr ained personne l using the cor ­
r ect oi l in order to ensure safety .
¢i ¢ Turn signals
If the Bl or 1B indicator lig ht blinks, the turn
s ignals a re act ivated. I f both ind icator lights are
blinking, the emergency flashers are activated .
If an indicator light blinks twice as fast as usual,
a turn signal b ulb has fai le d. Carefully d rive to an
a utho rized Aud i dea le r or authori zed Aud i Serv ice
Facility immed iate ly to have the ma lfunction cor-
rected . ..,.
19

co
co
.... N
" N .... 0
00
<.,;) 'SI"
lead to greater tire wear and will affect driving
behav ior.
Do not drive on
winter tires year-round , as this
will consume up to 10% more fuel.
Eliminate unnecessary weight
Since every kilogram of extra weight increases
fuel consumption, a quick inspection of the lug­
gage compartment may be worth it to avoid un­
necessary weight.
When not being used, a roof rack should be re­ moved to decrease the wind resistance of the ve­
hicle. You will save approximately 12% of your
fuel when at speeds from 62-75 mph (100-120 km/h).
Save energy
The engine drives the generator, which generates
electricity; the fuel consumption also increases
with the demand for electricity. Therefore, switch
electrical equipment off when you no longer
need it. Examples of equipment that uses a lot of
energy are air blowers at a high setting, the rear
window defogger and seat heating*.
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 .
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 well as
improper use of the vehicle will 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,
Driving
valves , which are designed to protect your
vehicle's Emission Control System and other
important vehicle components.
(D 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
load and speed, road and weather conditions,
trip length, etc .
Steering
Manual steering wheel position adjustment
Applies to: vehicles with manual steering wheel adjustment
The steering wheel position is adjustable up and
down and forward and back.
Fig. 74 L eve r o n t he stee ring col umn
"'Pull the lever in the direction of the arrow
Q &_ .
"' Bring the steering wheel into the desired posi­
tion.
"' Push the lever against the steering column un­
til it is secure.
_& WARNING
~ -
Improper use of steering wheel adjustment
and improper seating position can cause seri ­
ous personal injury.
-Adjust the steering wheel column only when the vehicle is not moving to prevent loss of
vehicle control.
- Adjust the driver's seat or steering wheel so
that there is a minimum of 10 in (25 cm) between your chest and the steering wheel
II>
67

co
co
.... N
" N .... 0
00
\.J ' -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 switch off the ignition while the vehi­
cle is moving.
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle un­
der these conditions, 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 vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommen­
dations in your Warranty
& Maintenance
book let.
- Lack of proper maintenance as we ll 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
erat ing states. This depends on the su lfur
content of the fuel being used. Using a differ­
ent brand of fue l may help, or filling the tank
w ith lead-free super grade gasoline .
Diesel particulate filter
Applies to: veh icles with diesel engine
The diesel particulate filter filters nearly all of
the soot particles out of the exhaust. The filter
cleans itself automatically under normal driving
conditions . If the filter cannot clean itself (for ex­
ample , because you are only driving short distan­
ces), the fi lter becomes clogged with soot and
the
II symbo l for the diesel particulate filter il­
luminates
¢ page 17.
A WARNING
-Do not park your vehicle over flammable
materials such as grass or leaves because
-
Checking and Filling
the high temperature of the diesel particu­
late filter could start a fire.
- Do not apply an underbody protectant in the
exhaust system area or a fire could start.
Engine compartment
Working in the engine compartment
Special care is required if you are working in the
engine compartment
For work in the engine compartment, such as
checking and filling fluids, there is a risk of in­
jury, scalding, accidents, and burns. For this
reason, follow all the warnings and general
safety precaution s provided in the following in·
formation . The engine compartment is a dan­
gerous area on the vehicle.
¢ ,&..
A WARNING
= =--
- Turn the engine off.
- Switch the ignition off.
- Set the parking brake.
-Select the P selector lever position.
- Let the engine cool down.
- Never open the hood when there is steam or
coolant escaping from the engine compart­
ment, because there is a risk that you could
be burned. Wait until no steam or coolant is
escaping .
- Keep children away from the engine com­
partment .
- Never sp ill fluids on a hot engine. These flu­
ids (such as the freeze protection contained
in the coolant) can catch fire.
- Avoid short circuits in the electrical system.
- When working in the engine compartment,
remember that the radiator fan can switch
on even if the ignition is switched off, which
increases the risk of personal injury.
- Never open the cap on the coolant expan­
sion tank when the engine is warm . The
coo ling system is under pressure.
- To protect your face, hands, and arms from
hot steam or coolant, cover the cap with a
large cloth when opening.
199

Check ing and F illing
The coolant leve l is monitored through the. in­
dicator light ¢
page 14. However, we do recom­
mend occasionally check ing the coo lant level
manually.
I f you must add coolant, use a mixture of water
and coolant additive. Mixing the coolant additive
with d istilled water is recommended.
Coolant additiv e
The coolant addi tive is made of anti-freezi ng and
corros ion protection agents. Only use the fo llow­
ing coolant additives . These additives may be
mixed with each other.
Coolant additive Specification
Gl3 TL 774)
Gl2++
TL 774 G
The amount of coolant add itive that needs to be
mixed w ith water depends on the climate where
the vehicle will be operated. If the coolant addi­
tive percentage is too low, the coolant can freeze
a nd damage the engine.
Coolant
Freeze protec·
additive tion
Warm reg ions min. 40% m in. -13 ° F
max. 45% (-25 °C)
Cold regions min. 50% max . -40 °F
max . 55% (-40 °C)
([)
Note
-Before the start of winter, have your author­
ized Audi dealer or authorized A udi Se rvice
Fac ility check if the coolant additive in you r
vehicle matches the percentage approp riate
fo r the clim ate. Thi s is especially important
when driving in co lder climates .
- If the approp riate coolant additive is not
available in an emergen cy, do no t add any
other additive. You cou ld damage the en ­
gine. If this happens, only use water and re­ store the correct mixture ratio with the
spec ified coolant additive as soon as possi­
ble.
- Only refill with new coo lant.
- Radiator sealant must not be mixed w ith
the coo lant .
206
· Adding coolant
F ig. 186 En gin e compartment : coolant exp ansion tank
cover
-N
-~
~
Observe the safety precautions ~ .&. in Working
in the engine compartment on page 199.
Check ing the engin e coolant level
Park the vehicle on a leve l surface.
.,. Switch the ignit ion off.
.,. Read the coolant level on the coolant expansion
tank ¢
page 202, fig . 184. The coolant level
must be betwee n the MIN and MAX mark ings
when the e ngine in co ld. When the engine is
wa rm it c an be slightly above the MAX marking.
Adding coolant
Requirement: there must be a residual amount of
coolant in the expansion tank ¢(D .
.,. Let the engine cool down .
.,. Place a cloth over the coolant expansion tank
cap and unscrew the cap counterclockw ise
¢ .8_ .
.,. Add coo lant m ixed in the correct rat io
¢ page 205 up to t he MAX mar king.
.,. Make sure that the f luid level remains stab le.
Add mo re coolant if necessary.
.,. Close the cap securely .
Coolant loss usually ind icates there is a lea k. Im­
med iate ly dr ive your vehi cle to a n author ized
Audi dealer or author ized A udi Service Fac ility
and have the cooling system inspected . If the
cooling system is not leaking, a loss can come
from the coolant boiling through overheating
and being pushed out of the cooling system.