2017 AUDI Q7 check engine light

Cockpit over view
Indicator lights
Description
The indicato r lights in the inst rument cluste r
b link or t urn on. They indicate funct ions or ma l­
functions .
Messages may appear with some indicator lights .
A wa rni ng signal w ill sound at the same time.
The indica to r lights and messages in the instru­
ment cluster display can be covered by other d is­
p lays. To show them again, select the second tab
with the mu ltifunction steering wheel
¢ page 12 .
If there are several malfunctions, you can display
them one at a time using the thumbwheel.
Some ind icator lights in the disp lay can display in
several colors .
& Central indicator light
If the . or Q indicator light turns on, check
the message in the instrument cluster .
Overview
Some indicator lights turn on briefly as a function
check when you switch the ign ition on . These sys­
tems are marked with a./ in the following tables .
I f one of these indicato r lights does not turn on,
there is a malfunction in that system .
Red indicator lights
22
--------------
Central indicator light
r=;, page 2 2,
Aud i pre sense*
r=;, page 117
USA models :
Brake system ,/
r=;, page 25
Canada models:
Brake system .I
r=;, page 25
USA models :
Electromechanica l parking brake
r=;, page 26
C anada models:
Ele ct romecha nical park ing brake
r=;, page 26
Cooling system
r=;, page 26
Engine o il pressure
r=;, page 27
Engine oil level
¢ page 27
Alterna tor
¢ page 27
Safety be lt
¢ page 27
El ectromechanical power steer ing,
a ll-wheel steering* ,/
¢page 152
Steering lock
¢page 28
Engine start system
r=;, page 28
Transmission
¢ page 95
Hood
¢page 28
Adaptive cruise contro l* ,/
r=;, page 109
Traffic jam ass ist*
¢ page 114
Air suspension*
r=;, page 28
Night vision assist*
r=;, page 132
Night vision assist*
r=;, page 132
Ad B lue*
r=;, page 318
Ad Bl ue*
¢ page 318
Yellow indicator lights
--------------
Centra l indicator light
r=;, page 22
Electronic Stabilization Contro l
(ESC)
¢ page 29

u co ...... N r-... N ...... 0
0
:E: ' '
D
AUTO
Canada models:
E lect romechanical pa rking bra ke
¢page 26
H ill descent assist
c::;,page 150
Child safety lock
c::;,page43
U SA models :
Speed warning system*
c::;,page 102
C anada model s:
Speed warning system *
¢page 102
Active lane ass ist*
¢page 124
Audi side assist*
c::;, page 131
Camera-based traffic sign recogni­
tion*
c::;, page 105
Night vision assist*
c::;, page 134
H igh beam assistant*
c::;, page 49
High beams
c::;, page 49,
High beam assistant*
c::;, page 49
BRAKE /(©) Brake system
If th is ind icator lig ht turns on, there is a malfunc­
tion in the brake system.
1111 (USA models ) /. (Canada models )
B ra ke s: stop vehicle a nd check bra ke fluid le vel
Stop the vehicle and check the brake fluid leve l.
See an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility for assistance if necessary .
1111 (USA mod els ) /. (Canada mod els)
Brak es: malfuncti on! Stop vehicle safel y
If the indicator light turns on and th is message
appears, there is a malfunction in the brake
boos ter.
Coc kpit o ve rv iew
If the ABS ind icator light 9 (USA models) I
liJ (Canada models), the ESC indicator light Bl
and the brake system indicator light 1111 (USA
models)
I . (Canada models) all turn on and
t hi s message appears, then the ABS, ESC and
braking d istribution are malfunctioning
c::;, &. .
Do not continue dr iving. See an author ized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Fac ility for as­
s istance
c::;, &. .
1111 (USA model s) /. (Canada model s) Park­
ing brake : malfunction! Safe ly stop vehicle. See
owne r's manual
- If the indicator light and the message appear
when the vehicle i s stationar y or after switch­
ing the ignition on ,
check if you can release the
parking brake. If you cannot release the park­
ing brake, see an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facil ity. If you can release
the parking brake and the message st ill ap­
pea rs, see an author ized Audi dealer or author­
i zed Aud i Service Faci lity immediately to have
t he ma lfu nction corrected.
- If the ind icator light and message appear
wh ile
driv ing ,
the hill start ass ist or emergency brak­
ing function may be ma lf u nctioning. It may not
be possible to set the par king b rake o r re lease
it once it has been set. Do not park you r vehicle
on hills . See an authorized Audi dea le r or au ­
thorized A udi Service Facility for assistance.
Brake boo ster : res tricted . Yo u can continu e d riv­
ing . Pl eas e conta ct Service
T here is a ma lf u nction in the brake booster. The
brake booste r is ava ilable, but its effectiveness is
red uced. Br aking behavior may be d ifferent from
how it normally f un ct ions and the brake pedal
may vibrate .
D rive to an authori zed A udi dealer or autho rized
A udi Se rvice Fac ility immed iate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
A WARNING
- Read and fo llow the warnings in
c::;, page 322, Working in the engine com­
partment
before opening the hood and
checking the brake fluid level.
25

Cockpit over view
- If the brake system indicator light does not
turn off or it turns on while driv ing, the
brake fluid level in the reservoir is too low,
and this increases the risk of an acc ident .
Stop the vehicle and do not continue dr iv­
ing . See an author ized Audi dealer or au­
tho rized Aud i Serv ice Facility fo r ass istance.
- If the bra ke system indicator light turns on
together with the ABS and ESC ind icator
l igh ts, the ABS/ ESC regula ting func tion may
be malfunctioning. Fun ctions that stabili ze
the vehicle are no longer ava ilable . This
could cause the vehicle to swerve, which in­
c reases the risk that the ve hicle w ill slide.
Do not continue driving. See an author ized
Audi dealer or author ized Audi Service Facili­
ty for assistance.
PARK/( ®)/ !® Electromechanical parking
brake
If t h e - (USA models) I. (Canada models)
i nd ic ator lig ht t urns on , the par king brake was
se t.
I f t he - (USA models)/ . (Canada mode ls) in­
d ica tor light is blin king , the bra king fo rce has not
bu ilt up e nou gh o r it has decre ased. Select the P
selec to r l eve r posit ion to secure the veh icle .
Make sure the indicator light is off befo re yo u
start driving.
Ill Parking brake: malfunction! Plea se contact
Service
There is a malfunc tion in the park ing brake . Dr ive
to a n author ized Audi dealer or author ized A udi
Serv ice Fa cil ity immedi ately to h ave t he m alfunc­
t ion cor rec ted .
II (USA models )/ (Ci1) (Canada model s) Parking
brake: caution! Vehicle parked too steep
There is not enoug h braking force to hold the ve­
h icle in place. The brakes have over heated. The
ve hicle co uld ro ll away eve n on a small i ncline.
Ill (USA models )/ ¢Cil)J (Canada models ) Parking
brake : applied
26
If this message appears, press the brake pedal
first and then release the parking brake if neces­ sa ry.
Ill (USA model s)/ ¢Ci1) (Canada models) Parking
brake: emergency braking
The eme rgency brak ing func tion was tr iggered .
Please re lease parking brake
Release the parking brake if this message ap­
pears.
Please press brake pedal to relea se parking
brake
To release t he pa rking brake , press the brake
pedal and press the ~ button at t he same time,
o r start driving with hill start assis t
q page 88,
Starting to drive.
(D Tips
For addi tiona l informat ion on the parking
brake, see~
page 8 7.
-L Cooling system
• Turn off engine and check coolant level. See
owner 's manual
The coo lant level is too low.
Do not con tinue dr iv ing and switch the e ng ine
off. Che ck the coolant leve l
q page 328 .
- If the coo lant level is too low, add coolant
q page 328 . Only continue driving once the in­
dicato r ligh t turns off.
• Coolant temperature: too high . Let engine
run with vehicle stationary
Let the engine run at idle fo r a few min utes to
cool off, until the indicator lig ht turns off .
- If the indicator light does not tu rn off, do no t
continue driving the vehicle. See an authorized
Audi dea le r or a uthori zed Audi Service Facility
for assistance.
A WARNING
- Never open the hood if you can see or hear
steam or coolant escaping from the engine

u co ...... N r-... N ...... 0
0
:E: ' compartment. This increases the risk of
burns. Wait until you no longer see or hear
steam or coolant escaping .
- The engine compartment in any vehicle can
be a dangerous area. Stop the eng ine and
allow it to cool before working in the engine
compartment. A lways follow the informa ­
t io n found in
¢ page 322, Working in the
engine compartment.
(I) Note
Do not continue driving if the. indicator
light turns on as this increases the risk of en ­
gine damage.
~ Safety belt
The . indicator light stays on unt il the drive r's
and front passenger's safety be lts are fastened.
Above a certain speed, there will also be a wa rn ­
ing tone .
@ Tips
For addit iona l information on safety be lts ,
see
¢ page 265.
t3 Generator/vehicle battery
I f the . or(•) indicator light turns on, there is a
malfunct ion in the generato r o r the veh icle elec­
tr ica l system .
• Electrical system: malfunction! Safel y stop
v ehicle
Do no t cont inue d riving and switc h the eng ine
off. See an a utho rized Aud i de aler or aut hor ized
Aud i Service Facility for assistance .
(•) Electrical system: malfunction! R estart not
po ssible . Plea se conta ct Service
The vehicle battery was disconnected from the
ve hicle electrical system and will no longer
charge . Drive to an author ized A udi dealer or au­
thor ized Audi Se rvice Fa cility immed iate ly.
Do not stop the engine, or you will not be able to
start it aga in . If you can no longer sta rt the en­
g ine , see an authori zed Audi dealer or authorized
Aud i Service Fac ility for assistance.
Coc kpit o ve rv iew
(•) F.lectrical sy stem: malfunction! Please con­
tact Se rvice
Drive to an authori zed A udi dealer or autho riz ed
A udi Service Facility immed iate ly. Because the ve­
hicle battery is discharging, turn o ff all unneces­
sary el ectrical equipment such as the radio . S ee
an a utho rized Aud i dea ler or authorized Audi
Service Facility if the battery charge level is too low.
(•) Electrical sy stem: low battery charge. Bat­
tery will be charged while d riv ing
T he s tarting ability may be impa ired.
If this message tu rns off after a little whi le, the
vehicle battery cha rged e nough while driving.
If the message does not turn off and stay off
whe n driving, have an author ized Audi dealer or
autho rized Aud i Serv ice Facility repa ir the mal­
funct ion.
't:::?: Engine oil pressure
• Turn off engine . Oil pres sure t oo low
Stop the engine and do not cont in u e d rivi ng.
Check the eng ine oi l level
¢ page 326.
-If the eng ine o il level is too low, add engine oil
¢ page 326 . Only continue driving once the in­
d icator light turns off .
- If the engine o il level is correct and the indica­
tor light still turns on, turn t he e ngine off and
do not cont inue driving . See an authorized Aud i
deale r or a uthorized Aud i Service Facility fo r as­
sis tance .
(D Tips
The oil pressure warni ng is not an oil level in­
dicator. Always check the oil level regularly .
~ Engine oil level (MIN)
• Pleas e add oil immediatel y.
Add engine oil immediately ¢ page 326.
El Please add max. x qt (l) oil. You can contin·
ue d riv ing
Ill-
27

Cockpit over view
d::, Engine control
II Dri ve sys tem: malfunction! P lea se conta ct
Servic e
There is an engine control malfunction .
Drive s low ly to an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thor ized Audi Service Fac ility to have the engine
checked .
W Engine control (diesel engine)
Applies to: vehicles w ith diesel engines
The engine is preheat ing if the El indicato r light
turns on when the ign ition is switched on.
If the indicator light does not turn on or bli nks
while driving, there is an eng ine control malfunc ­
tion .
Immediately drive slowly to an authori zed Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Serv ice Facility to have
the malfunction corrected.
o Malfunction indicator lamp (MIL)
The malfunction indicato r lamp (M IL) is part of
the On-Board Diagnostic System (080 II). The
¢..ij c;ymbol turns on when the ign ition is switched
on and t urns off again on ce the eng ine is started
and r unning at a steady id le speed . This indicates
that the MIL is functioning correctly.
The indica to r li ght turns on if there is a malfunc­
tion in the engine electronics . See an a uthorized
Aud i dea ler o r authorized Audi Serv ice Facility to
have the ma lfunction corrected . For additiona l
information, see
c> page 21.
The indicator light can also turn on if the fuel fi ll­
er cap is not closed correctly ~
page 316.
effls> Diesel particulate filter
Applies to: veh icles w ith diesel engine and diesel particulate
filter
II Particul ate filt er: malfunction! See own er' s
manual
The diesel pa rticulate fi lter requires regene ra­
tion. To suppo rt the fil ter's se lf-cleani ng f unc­
tion :
30
Drive app roximate ly 15 m inutes at a minimum
speed of 37 mph (60 km/h) with the se lector lev­
er in S, and ma intain an engine speed of approxi­
mately 2,000 RPM. The result ing temperature in­
crease can burn off the soot in the filter. The ind i­
cator light will turn off when the cleaning has completed successfully .
If the indicator light does
not turn off, drive im­
med iate ly to an authorized Audi dealer or author­
i zed Audi Se rvice Facility to have the malfunct ion
corrected .
A WARNING
Always adapt your speed to the cur rent
weather, road and traffic cond it ions. You
should never d isobey traffic laws in order to
follow dr iving recommendations.
(D Tips
Fo r additional informat ion on the d iesel pa r­
ticulate filte r, see
c> page 321.
!?>i Engine speed limitation
II) Engine spe ed maximum XXXX RPM
The eng ine speed is automatically limited to the
speed displayed in the inst rument cl uste r. This
pro tects the engine from overheati ng.
The eng ine speed limita tion deactivates once the
engine is no longe r in the critical temperatu re
r ange and you have re leased the accelerator ped­
al once .
If the engine speed limitation was activated by
an engine cont rol malfunct ion, the
II ind icator
li ght a lso turns on. Make s ure the engine speed
does not go above the speed displayed, for exam ­
ple when downshif ting . Drive to an authori zed
Audi dealer or au thorized A udi Service Fac ility im ­
med iate ly to have the ma lfunction corrected.
(D Tips
Depending on the engine: the engine speed
may be limited when the eng ine is co ld -the
full engine output will not be available. When
the eng ine is at operating temperature, the
II>

u co ...... N r-... N ...... 0
0
:E: ' red area in the tachometer moves to a higher
RPM range.
~ .... Engine oil sensor
• Oil le vel sy ste m: malfunction! Please co n­
tact Service
The sensor to check the engine oil leve l has
fa iled. Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or au ­
thorized Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have
the ma lfunction corrected .
• Oil le vel sen sor : o il change nece ssary. Plea se
contact Service
Fu el has en tered the eng ine oi l as a res ult of fre ­
q uent short dr ives . Avoid hig h engine speeds, full
acceleration and heavy engine loads . Drive to an
authorized Audi dealer or authoriz ed Audi Service
Facility immediately to have the oil changed .
• Oil pre ssure se nso r: malfunction ! Please
contact Service
There is a malfunction in the oil p ressure sensor.
D rive to an autho rized Aud i dea le r o r a uthorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
f Engine warm-up request
n Plea se w arm up eng ine
Fu el has entered the engine oi l, either from low
outside temperat ures or freq uent short drives.
Drive unti l the engine is warm so that the fue l in
the eng ine oil will evaporate. Avoid high engine
speeds, full acce lerating and heavy eng ine loads
when doing this.
Bil Tank system
ID'J Plea se r efuel
If the indicator light turns on for the f irst time
and the message appea rs, there are about 2.6
gal lons (10 liters) of fuel left in the tank .
li}'J Please refuel immediately
If the indicator lig ht turns on the message ap­
pears, the fue l tank is almost empty. Re fuel the
vehicle immediate ly.
Coc kpit o ve rv iew
li}'J Tank system : malfunction! Please cont act
Ser vic e
T he re is a m alfu nction in the f uel tank system.
Drive to an author ized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immed iate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
(D Tips
For more information on fuel ing, see
c:;, page 316.
~ Washer fluid level
m Plea se ad d wa sher fluid
Fill the washer fluid for the windsh ield washer
system and the headlight washer system * when
the ignit ion is switched off
9 page 331.
~ , Windshield wipers
$ vVindshield wipers : malfun ction ! Please con­
tact Service
The re is a ma lf u nction w ith the windshield wip­
ers .
Drive to an author ized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Fac ility immed iately to have the
malfunction corrected .
~ Driver's door
IJI Driver's door: malfun ction! Shif t to P before
leaving vehicle . See owner' s manual
The re is a ma lfunction in the d rive r's door . Select
t h e P selector leve r pos ition to secure the vehicle.
Drive to an au thorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immed iately to have the
malfu nction corrected.
-:cp:-Bulb failure indicator
If the II ind icator light tu rns o n, a bulb has
failed. The message indica tes the location of the
bulb. Replace the bulb immediately.
Vehicle light s: m alfunction! Please contact
Servi ce
31

Opening and clo sin g
remain in the vehicle. Otherw ise the children
cou ld start the engine or operate electrical
equipment such as power windows.
@ Tips
- The operation of the remote contro l key can
be temporarily disrupted by interfe rence
from transmitters near the vehicle working i n the same frequency range (such as a cell
phone or radio equipment) . A lways check i f
your vehicle is locked!
- For an explanation on conformity with the
FCC regulations in the United States and the
Industry Canada regulations, see
¢ page 384 .
Removing the mechanical key
Fig. 2 1 Remote cont ro l ma ster key: remov ing t he mec han i·
cal ke y
.. Press the release buttons@¢ fig. 21 and re­
move the mechanical key from the remote con­
trol key .
Using the mecha nica l key , you can:
- Lock/un lock the glove compartment.
- Manually lock/u nlock the veh icle
c::;, page 39.
- Emergency lock the doors c::;, page 39 .
36
LED and battery in the remote control key
Fig. 22 Remote con tro l key : remo ving t he ba tte ry h olde r
Fig. 23 Remo te control key (rea r sid e): remov ing t he b at·
t ery ho lde r
LED in the remote control key
The L ED @ informs you of the remote con trol key
func tion.
"' If you press a bu tton briefly, the LED blinks
once .
"'If you press and hold a b utton (co nvenience
open ing/clos ing), the LED b links several times.
"' If the LED does not blink, the remote contro l
key battery is dead. The
Ill indicator light tu rns
on and the message
Remote control key : re­
place key battery
appears. Replace the battery
i n the remote control key.
Replacing the remote control k ey batte ry
"'Press the release buttons @¢ fig. 22 and re ­
move the mechan ica l key.
"' Press the release buttons ©
c::;, fig. 23 on the
battery holder while pull ing the battery holder
out of the remote control key in the direction of
the arrow .
"' Insert the new battery with the'' +" symbo l fac·
ing down.
"' Slide the battery holde r carefully into the re·
mote co ntro l key .

Driving
engaged, for examp le when you notice that the
next traffic light is red . This produces an engine
braking effect, wh ich helps to protect the brakes
and tires and reduces the emissions and fuel con­
sumpt ion to zero (fuel shut-off during decelera­
tion) .
Shift efficientl y
Upshifting earlier is an effective way to save fuel.
Staying in a gear too long uses fue l unnecessari­
ly .
Press down on the acce lerator peda l slowly and
avoid "k ick -down".
Avoid full acceleration
You sho uld rarely t ravel a t the maximum vehicle
speed. High speeds cause a disp ropor tionately
h igh increase in fuel consumption, emissions and
traffic noise . Driving more slowly saves fue l.
Reduce idling time
The Start/Stop system* helps to reduce the id ling
time automatically. In vehicles wi tho ut the Start/
Stop system*, it is efficient to switch the engine
off when stopped at rai lroad crossings and long
red lights . Stopping the engine for 30 -40 sec ­
onds already saves more fuel than the amount of
extra fuel needed to restart the eng ine.
I t takes a very long time in idle to wa rm the en ­
gine up to operating temperature . Wear and
emissions are especially high in the wa rm -up
phase. Therefore, yo u should begin driving im­
mediately after starting the engine. Avoid high
RPMs while do ing th is .
Have ma intenance performed regularly
By having maintenance performed regu larly on
your veh icle, you can help to reduce f uel con­
sumpt ion before yo u even start to dr ive. The
maintenance condition of your vehicle not only
affects traffic safety and long -term value but a l­
so impacts f uel consumption . A poorly main­
tained engine can lead to f uel consumpt ion that
is 10% higher tha n normal.
80
Avoid short trips
The eng ine and exh aust clean ing syste m mus t
r each their op tima l operating temperatu re to ef­
fectively reduce consumption and emissions.
A cold engine uses a d isp roportion ately high
amoun t of fue l. The e ngine re aches opera ting
temperat ure and cons umption norma lizes on ly
after approximate ly 2.S mi les ( 4 km).
Check the tire pressure
To save fue l, ma ke sure the t ires are always in­
flated to the corre ct press ure
~ page 343. The
f uel consumpt ion c an increase by S% if the p res­
s ur e is only 0 .S bar too low. Due to the inc reased
rol ling resistance, low tire pressures w ill also
l ead to greater tire wear and will affect driving
behavior.
Do not drive on winter tires year -round, as this
will consume up to 10% more f ue l.
Eliminate unnecessary weight
Since eve ry po und of ext ra weight increases f uel
consump tion, a quick inspect io n of the luggage
compartment may be wo rth it to avoid unneces ­
sary weight .
When not be ing used, a roof ra ck sho uld be re­
moved to decrease the w ind resis tance of the ve­
hicle . This will save yo u approx ima tely 12% fue l
at speeds from 62 -7S mph (100 -120 km/h) .
Save energy
The engine d rives the generator, which generates
electri city; the f uel consumpt ion also increases
with t he deman d for e lec tricity . T he refore, sw itch
electrica l eq uipment o ff when you no longe r
need it . Examples of eq uipment that uses a lot of
energy are air blowers at a high setting, the rear
window defogger and seat heating* .
CJ) Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after
starting. If warning lights s hould come on to
i ndicate imprope r operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also prod uces
h eat, which could result in overheating or
other damage to the vehicle or othe r proper­
ty .