2017 AUDI Q7 check engine light

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:E during this stop phase. The eng ine will restart
automatically when needed.
The Start/Stop system is automatically activ ated
as soon as the igni tion is switched on .
Basic requirements for Start /Stop mode
- The driver's door must be closed.
- The driver 's sea t belt much be fas tened .
- The hood must be closed .
- The vehicle must have driven faster than 2 mph
(3 km/h) since the last time it stopped.
- A trailer must not be hitched to the vehicle .
I f you leave the vehicle during a stop phase, the
e ngine can be restarted withi n app rox imately 30
seconds if the following requirements are met:
- The driver's door must be closed, the dr iver
must be wear ing the safety belt and the brake
peda l mus t be p ressed . Or:
- The driver's door must be closed, the bra ke
pedal mus t be pressed and a gear m ust be se­
lected .
(D Note
Always sw itch the Start/Stop system off when
driving through water~
page 84.
@ Tips
The engine stops shortly before the vehicle
comes to a stop
1>.
Stopping /starting the engine
Applies to: vehicles with Start/Stop system
Fig . 88 Inst rument cluste r: engine sw itched off (stop
p h ase )
ll Mark et-sp ecific
D rivi ng
.,. Brake the vehicle to a stop. The engine stops
shortly before the vehicle comes to a stop or if
the vehicle is stat ionary
l) . Keep your foot on
the brake pedal. The
[I] indicator light appears
in the status line at the bottom of the instru­
ment cluster display . T he need le in the tachom ­
eter also moves into the
READY1l posit io n .
.,. The engine starts again when you take your
foot off the brake pedal. The indicator light
t urns off .
Additional inform ation
The eng ine stops in the P, N and D selector lever
positions .
If you select the R position during a Stop phase,
the engine will star t again .
Se lect the P position quickly to prevent the en­
gine from sta rting unintentionally when shifting
through R .
You can determ ine for yourse lf if the eng ine will
stop or not by reducing or increasing the amount
of force you use to press the brake pedal. For ex­
ample, if you only lightly pre ss on the brake ped­
al in stop-and-go traffic or when turn ing, the en­
gine w ill not switch off when the vehicle is sta ­
t ionary . As soon as you press the brake down
harder, the engine w ill switch off .
(D Tips
- Press the brake peda l during a Stop phase
to keep the vehicle from rolling.
- The ignition will turn off if you press the
!S TART ENGINE STOPI button during a stop
phase . The needle in the tachometer moves
into the
OFF position.
Gene ral information
Applies to: vehicles with Start/Stop system
The standard Start/Stop mode can be canceled
for various system-related reasons .
Engine doe s not switch off
Before and during each stop phase, the system
checks if certain conditions have been met . If the
liJl,,
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:E: ' _& WARNING
-If you do not begin driving immediately or
the engine stalls after releasing the brake pedal, your vehicle may begin to roll back­
ward . Press the brake pedal or set the park­
ing brake immed iately.
- The intelligent technology of hill hold assist
cannot overcome the lim itations imposed by
natural physical laws. The increased comfort
offered by hill hold ass ist should not cause
you to take safety risks .
- Hi ll hold assist cannot hold the veh icle in
place on all hills (for example, if the ground
is slippery or icy).
- To reduce the risk of an accident, always
make sure the vehicle is situated safely
wh ile stat ionary.
Off road driving
General information
The electronic stabilization contro l (ESC) func­
tions were enhanced for driving offroad. Offroad
mode can be activated when driving in situat ions
where slippage or a differential lock function is
necessary
Q page 149. The hill descent ass ist is
a lso available, which automatically brakes the ve­
hicle and maintains a constant speed as a result
~page 150. In addition, your Audi prov ides con­
tinuous all wheel drive.
H owever , your Aud i is not a purely offroad vehi­
cle . Your vehicle was not designed to d rive unde r
extreme ope rating conditions such as driving in
an expedition style.
Only drive in terrain that is suitable for the vehi­
cle and your driving ability . Never take any un­
necessary risks!
Before driving offroad
- Check the eng ine oil level, the tire pressure, the
coolant level and the fluid level in the washer
fluid reservoir .
- Store pieces of luggage and other objects in the
luggage compartment and secure them from
s li ding out of place.
Driving
After driving offroad
-After driving offroad, remove branches and
other debris from the radiator grille, under­
body, and wheels . Look especially for foreign
objects (such as stones) that may be stuck in
the tire tread.
- Clean the vehicle body and underbody and in­
spect the vehicle for possible damage.
- Clean the windows, headlights, tail lights and
the license plate if they are dirty.
- Per form a brake test (especially after driving
through water).
_& WARNING
- Be especially cautious and aware when driv­
ing under difficu lt cond it ions and when off­
road. Veh icle damage and injuries may occur
when dr iv ing at excessively high speeds or
with incorrect driving maneuvers.
- Always adjust your speed and driving style
to the roads, terrain, traffic and weather
conditions . Drive especially slowly if there is
low visibility when offroad.
- Please note that the wheels can sp in more
and the vehicle can swerve when in offroad
mode, espec ially when the road is slippery
or has loose surface material.
- Driving stability is reduced when in offroad
mode.
@ For the sake of the environment
Avoid harming the environment and show
consideration for nature .
(D Tips
Only drive where it is permitted and always
stay on the prov ided roads and paths .
Explanation of technical terms
The following data is based on idea l conditions .
T he values may vary depending on the load,
ground composition and the environment. The
driver is therefore responsible for deciding
whether a vehicle can hand le a specific situation
¢ £ . ~
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:E: ' characteristics of your vehicle, which could
cause a crash resulting in serious injury or
death.
Operating instructions
Trailer towing weights
The maximum permissible unbraked trailer
weight is 1,650 lbs (750 kg) .
The maximum permissible braked trailer weight
is:
- Q7 2.0: 5,500 lbs (2,500 kg)
- Q7 3 .0: 7,700 lbs (3,500 kg)
These specifications apply when driving on roads having an incline of less than 12% .
Permissible tongue load
For best vehicle handling under these changed
conditions, adjust the trailer load so that the
tongue load is at the maximum allowable or
slightly lower . You can get an approximation of
the tongue load with a bathroom scale or you can
measure the load at a trucking company or
weighing station.
The maximum permissible load on the ball hitch may not exceed:
- Q7 2.0: 550 lbs (250 kg)
- Q7 3 .0: 770 lbs (350 kg)
It is recommended to use the maximum permis­
sible load. Please also observe the information
¢page 343, ¢page 347.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in
place to prevent it from shifting forward, back­
ward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer¢.&.
in Messages on page 100.
Ball mount
The trailer hitch may only be used with suitable ball mount and ball. Installation of the hitch ball
must be carried out in accordance with the manu­
facturer's instructions .
Trailer towing
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder. It
is important that the cooling system's perform­
ance is up to the additional load. Make sure that
the cooling system has enough fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the tire pressure listed under "Full
load" on the label <:!;>
page 343. Inflate trailer
tires to trailer and tire manufacturers' specifica­
tions.
Lights
The headlight settings should be checked with
the trailer attached before driving off. 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.
Setting drive select(air suspension)*
Make sure the vehicle is on a level surface before
hitching the trailer and before adjusting the
tongue weight. The driving mode must be in
Au­
to or Comfort ¢page 134, ¢ (D
If you would like to drive in the Dynamic driving
mode, then you must select this mode before
hitching the trailer and before adjusting the
tongue weight. Please note that your vehicle will
lower and the ground clearance is reduced.
If you have to drive through difficult road condi­
tions, you can raise the vehicle again after hitch­
ing the trailer or after adjusting the tongue
weight
¢ page 136.
(D Note
Vehicles with air suspension*:
99

Check ing and F illing
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.
F u el r eco mmend ati on
The fuel recommended for your vehicle is unle ad­
e d 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 offic ial website
(www.toptiergas .com).
The recommended gasoline octane rating for
your engine can also be found on a label located on the ins ide of the fuel filler flap . This rating
may be specified as AK I or RON .
Your veh icle may also be operated using unlead­
ed regular gasoline with a minimum octane rat ­
ing of 87 AKl/91 RON. However, using 87 AKI/91
RON octane fuel w il l slightly reduce engine pe r­
forma nce.
Us e un leade d gaso lin e onl y. Unleaded gasoline
is availab le throughout the USA , Canada, and in
most European countries . We recommend that
you do not ta ke your vehicle to areas or co unt ries
where un leaded gaso line may not be availab le.
For more information on refueling your vehicle,
see
¢page 316.
Octan e rating
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
he 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
i n gs that ca n usually be found on the filler pump:
- Premium Grade: 91 - 96 AKI
314
- Regu la r Grade: 87 - 90 AK I
Explanation of the abbreviations:
AKI = Anti Knock Index = (R +M)/2 = (RON +MON)/
2
RON = Research Octane Number
MON = Motor Octane Number.
{[) Note
-Do not use a ny fue l w ith o ctane ratings low­
er than 87 AKI or 91 RON othe rw ise expen­
sive engine damage wi ll occur .
- Do
not use leaded gasoline. The use of lead­
ed gasoline will severely damage your vehi­
cle's catalyt ic converter and its ability to
control exhaust emissions .
Blended gasoline
Applies to: vehicles with gasoline engine
Use of gaso lin e conta ining alcoho l or MTBE
(meth yl tertia ry butyl 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 g asoline methanol (wood alcohol o r
m eth yl 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 ga soline and ethanol (grain alcohol or
ethyl alc ohol )
- Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or h igher .
- Blend must not conta in more than 15% etha-
nol.
Blend of gas oline and M TBE
- Anti-knock index must be 87 AK I or h igher .
- Blend must contain not mo re than 1S% MTB E.
S easonall y adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform es­
pecially well for winter or summer dr iv ing . Dur-
i ng seasonal change-over, we suggest that you .,..

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:E -Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of Cali­
fornia to cause cancer and birth defects and
reproductive harm. In addition, certain flu­
ids contained in vehicles and certain prod­
ucts of component wear contain or emit
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
- Battery posts , terminals and related acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms.
Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
When filling fluids, be sure not to mix the flu­
ids up. Otherwise severe ma lfunctions and en­
gine damage will occur.
@ For the sake of the environment
You shou ld regularly check the ground under
your vehicle in order to detect leaks quickly . If
there are visible spots from oil or other fluids, bring your vehicle to an authorized Audi deal­
er or author ized Audi Service Facility to be
checked.
Opening and closing the hood
The hood is released from inside the vehicle.
Fig. 265 Drive r foo twe ll: release leve r
Checking and Filling
Fig. 266 Unloc ked hood : lever
Make sure the wiper arms are not raised up from
the windshield. Otherwise the paint could be
damaged .
Opening the hood
"With the driver's doo r open, pull the lever be ­
low the instrument panel in the direction of the
arrow
q fig . 265 .
" Ra ise the hood slightly ¢.&_ .
" Press the lever
q fig. 266 in the direct ion of the
arrow. This releases the hooks .
"O pen the hood .
Closing the hood
" Push the hood down until you override the
force of the struts.
" Let the hood fall lightly into the latch.
Do not
press
it in. ¢ .&_ .
A WARNING ,..___
-Never open the hood when there is steam or
coo lant escaping from the engine compart ­
ment, because there is a risk that you could
be burned. Wait until no steam or coolant is
escaping .
- For safety reasons, the hood must always be
closed securely while driving . Because of
this, always check the hood after closing it
to make sure it is latched correctly . The
hood is latched if the front corners cannot
be lifted.
- If you notice that the hood is not latched
while you are driving, stop immediately and
close it, because driving when the hood is
not latched increases the r isk of an accident . .._
323

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:E: ' If you must add oil between oil changes, use an
oil that matches the Audi oil quality standard listed on the st icker. The sticker is located at the
front of the engine compartment
c> page 324,
fig . 267.
Audi re comm end s
Ocastrot /[g/j;t{E'g Frtw.::<.. ·-:dr,,JA.L
A ud i recommends Longlife h igh perform ance
e ngin e oil from Audi Genui ne Part s
Using the proper engine oil is important for the
functionality and service life of the eng ine. Your
engine was factory -filled with a high-quality oil
which can usua lly be used throughout the entire
yea r.
Note
Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not
cover damage o r malfunctions due to failure
to follow recommended maintenance and use requirements as set fo rth in the Aud i Owner's
Manual and Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
- Use only a high q ual ity eng ine oil that ex-
pressly complies with the Aud i oil q uality
standard specified for your vehi cle's engine .
Using any other oil can cause serious engine
damage .
- Do not mix any l ubricants o r other additives
into the engine oil. Doing so can cause en­
gine damage.
(D Tips
If you need to add oil and there is none availa ­
b le that meets the Audi oil quality standard
your eng ine requires, you may add a total of
no more than 0.5 qt (0.5 l) of a h igh-quality
"synthet ic" o il that meets the following speci­
fications .
- Vehicles with gasoline eng ine: ACEA A3 or
API SM with a viscosity grade of SAE OW-30,
SAE 5W -30 or SAE 5W-40 .
- Vehicles with d iesel eng ine : ACEA C3 or
API CF with a v iscosity grade of SAE OW-30
or SAE 5W -30 .
- For more information about engine o il that
has been approved for your vehicle, please
contact e ither you r authorized Audi dea le r
or A udi C ustome r Relat ions at
Ch eck ing and Filling
1 (800) 822 -2834 or visit our web site at
www.audiusa .com or www .audicanada .ca.
Engine oil consumption
The engin e in your v ehicl e dep ends on an ad e­
quat e amount of oil to lubricate and cool all of
its moving parts.
In order to provide effect ive lub rication and cool­
ing of inte rnal engine components, all inte rnal
combustion engines consume a certain amount
of oil. Oil consumption varies from eng ine to en­
gine and may change significantly over the life of
the engine. Typ ically, engines w ith a specified
break -in period (see
c> page 79) consume more
o il dur ing the break-in per iod than they consume
after oil consumption has stabilized .
Under normal cond itions, the rate of oil con­
sumption depends on the qua lity and viscos ity of
the oil, the RPM (revolutions per m inute) at
which the engine is operated, the amb ient tem­
perature and road condi tions. Further facto rs a re
the amo unt of oil di lution from water co ndensa­
tion or fue l resid ue a nd the oxidation level of the
oi l. As any engine is subject to wear as mileage
builds up, the oi l consumption may increase ove r
time unt il replacement of worn components may
become necessary.
With a ll these variab les coming into play, no
standard rate of oi l consumption can be estab­
lished or spec ified . There is no alternative to reg­
ular and frequent checking of the oi l level, see
Note .
If the y ellow engine oil leve l warning symbo l Bl
in the instrument cluster lights up, you should
check the o il level as soon as possible
c> page 326. Top off the o il at your earliest con­
venience
c> page 326 .
A WARNING
--Before you check anyth ing in the eng ine com-
partment, always read and heed all WARN­
I NGS
c> .&. in Working in the engine compart-
ment on page 322.
Ill>
325

Checking and Filling
areas, into open streams or down sewage
drains.
- Recycle used engine oil by taking it to a used
engine oil collection facility in your area, or
contact a service station .
Cooling system
Coolant
The engine cooling system is filled with a mixture
of pur ified water and coolant addit ive at the fa c­
tory. This coolant must not be not changed.
The coolant leve l is monitored through the. in­
d icator light~
page 26. Howeve r, we do recom­
mend occasionally check ing the coo lant level
manually.
I f you must add coolant, use a m ixt ure of water
a nd coolant addit ive. M ixing the coolant additive
with d istilled water is recommended .
Coolant additive
The coolant addit ive is made of anti-freez ing and
corros ion protection agents. Only use the fo llow­
ing coolant add it ives. These additives may be
mixed w ith each other.
Coolant additive Specification
G13
TL 774)
G12++ TL
774 G
The amount of coo lant additive that needs to be
mixed with water depends on the climate where
the vehicle will be operated. If the coolant addi­
tive percentage is too low, the coolant can freeze
and damage the eng ine.
Coolant Freeze protec-
additive tion
Warm min .40% m in. -13 °F
reg ions max. 45% (-25 °()
Cold min. 50% max. -40 °F
reg ions max. 55% (-40 °C)
- Befo re the start of winter, have an author­
i zed Audi dealer or authorized A udi Se rvice
Fac ility check if the coolant additive in your
328
vehicle matches the per cen tage appropriate
for the climate . This is especially important
when driving in colder climates.
- If the appro priate coo la nt additive is not
availab le in an eme rgency, do not add any
ot her additive. You could damage the en­
gine. If this happens, only use water and re­
store the correct mixture ratio with the
specified coolant add itive as soo n as poss i­
ble.
- Only ref ill w ith new coolant.
- Radiator sealant must not be mixed with
the coolant.
Adding coolant
Fi g. 2 69 Engine compartment: re lease button on coolant
expansion tank
Observe the safety precautions ~.&, in Working
in the engine comportmen t on page 322.
Checking the engine coolant level
.. Park the vehicle on a level sur face .
.,. Switch the ignit io n off.
.,. Read the coolant level on the coolant expansion
tank
~ fig. 269.
.,. Th e coolan t level must be between the MIN and
MAX marki ngs when the engine in co ld. When
the engi ne is warm it can be sligh tly above the
MAX marking .
Adding coolant
Requirement: there must be a residua l amount of
coolan t in the expansion t ank
~CD -
.. Let the engi ne cool down .
.,. Place a clot h
over the coolant expansion tank
cap .

Check ing and F illing
edge of the reservoir and result in damage
to the vehicle .
- Do not get any bra ke fluid on the ve hicle
paint, beca use it will cor rode t he pa int .
Battery
General warnings about batteries
Because of the complex power s upply, a ll wor k
on batte ries such as disconnecting, rep laci ng,
etc. s hou ld
onl y be per formed by an auth or ized
Aud i dea ler o r autho rized Aud i Serv ice Facility
c;> .&. .
The te rm "vehicle battery " refers to the 12 Vo lt
b at tery i n your veh icle.
Detailed warnings for the vehicle battery:
®
Wear eye protection .
A
Battery acid is highly corrosive. Wear p ro-
tective gloves and eye p rotection.
@
F ire, sp arks , open flame and smo king a re
forbidden.
A
A highly explosive mixtu re of gases can
form when charging ba tte ries.
®
Keep c hildren away from battery acid and
batteries.
A WARNING
All work on the batte ry o r electrical system in
your vehicle can result in injuries, chemical
burns, accide nts o r burns. Because of this, a ll
wor k mu st be perf ormed
only by an au thor­
i z e d Aud i de aler o r authorized Aud i Se rv ice
Facility .
A WARNING
California Proposit io n 65 Warning:
- B attery posts, termin als and re late d a cces­
so ries contai n lead and lead compounds,
chem ica ls known to the State of California
to cause cance r and rep roduct ive p roblems.
Wash hands after handling.
330
(D Note
P rotect the vehicle battery aga inst freezing if
the ve hicle wi ll be par ked for long periods of
time so t hat it is not destroyed by "freezing"
c;> page 331.
@ For the sake of the environment
'8 Batteries conta in polluting s ubstances such
as sulfur ic acid and lead. Contact an aut ho r­
i zed Audi dealer or authorized A udi Service
Fac ility for more informat io n.
· Vehicle battery
The term "vehicle battery" refers to the 12 Volt
battery in your vehicle.
Not running the v ehicl e for long period s of
time
If you do not d rive your vehicle for severa l days o r
weeks, electrical equ ipment is gradually sca led
back or sw itched off . Th is reduces energy use and
ensures the vehicle will be ab le to s tart after long
per iods o f time
9 page 153. Some co nvenience
funct io ns, such as interio r lighting o r power seat
adjus tment, may not be av ail abl e un de r c ertain
c irc umstances. These convenience functions will
be available again once you switch the ignition on
and sta rt the engine .
E ven when ele ctrical eq uipment is swi tched off,
t h e eq uipment can still dra in the vehicle ba tte ry
i f the ve hicle is not driven for long periods of
time. Deep drai ning results in a chemica l reaction
that destroys the ins ide of the vehicle batte ry.
The vehicle battery must be cha rged every month
to reduce the risk of this happening
c;> page 331.
Contact an authorized Aud i dea ler or authorized
Audi Se rvice Fac il ity for more information.
Winter operation
Co ld weather places higher demands on the vehi­
cle battery. T his resu lts in reduced starting abili­
ty. Have the vehicle battery chec ked by an au­
thorized Aud i dea ler or authorized Audi Service
Fac ility befo re t he cold ti me of year.