2018 AUDI A7 light

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0 00 <..:l ' On Board Diagnostic
System (OBD)
The On-Board Diagnostic System monitors the
engine and transmission components that influ­
ence emissions.
F ig . 178 Footwell o n le ft s ide of th e vehicle: con nectio n
port fo r th e On -Board Diagnostic System (OBD)
On -Board Diagnostic S ystem
Eng ine data can be read out using a special test
device at the On-Board D iagnost ic System con·
nection port
9 fig. 178.
Ind icat or light
If thE' ¢..ift indicator light blinks or turns on, there
is a malfunction that is causing poor emissions
quality and that could damage the catalytic con­
verter .
Drive s lowly to an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thor ized Audi Service Facility to have the mal­
function corrected .
The indicator light can also turn on if the fuel fill­
er cap is not closed correct ly
9 page 190 .
A WARNING
Incorrect use of the connection port for the
On-Board Diagnostic System can cause mal­
functions, which can then result in acc idents
and ser io us injuries .
- Only allow an author ized Audi dealer or au­
tho rized Aud i Serv ice Facility to read out the
engine data.
-
Chec king and Filling
Engine compartment
Working in the engine compartment
Special care is required if you are working in the
engine compartment
For wo rk in the engine com part ment , such a s
che cking and filling fluids, there i s a ris k of i n­
jur y, sc alding, a cci dent s, and b urn s. For t his
r easo n, foll ow all the w arnings and g en e ral
s afe ty pre ca ution s pro vided in the f ollowing
in ­
formati on. The engine compartm ent i s a dan­
ge rou s area in the vehicle .
9 &..
A WARNING
-Turn the engine off.
- Sw itch the ignition off.
- Set the parking brake.
- Select the P se lector lever position .
- Let the eng ine 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 unt il no steam or coolant is
escaping.
- Keep children away from the eng ine 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 c ircuits 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 ris k 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 .
- Do not remove the eng ine cover under any
circumstances . This increases the risk of
bu rns .
- If tests need to be performed with the en­
g ine runn ing, there is add it iona l danger due
to mov ing components (such as the ribbed
~
193

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0 00 <..:l ' Opening/closing the hood
The hood is released from inside the vehicle.
Fig. 17 9 Drive r footwell: release leve r
Fig. 1 80 Rocker sw itc h under the hood
Make sure the w iper arms are not raised up from
the windshield . Otherwise the pa int could be
damaged .
Opening the hood
.. With the driver's door open, pu ll the leve r be­
low the instrument panel in the direct ion of the
arrow ¢ fig. 179 .
Checking and Filling
.. Raise the hood slightly ¢.&_ .
.. Press the rocker switch under the hood upward
¢fig. 180. This releases the catch .
.. Open the hood.
Closing the hood
.. Push the hood down unt il yo u over ride the
force of the strut .
.. Let the hood fall lightly into the latch. Do not
press it in.
¢ .&_ .
A WARNING
-
-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 unt il no steam or coolan t is
escaping.
- For safety reasons, the hood m ust always be
closed securely while driv ing . Because of
this, always check t he hood afte r closing i t
t o make sure it is latched correct ly . T he
hood is latched if the front corners cannot
be lifted.
- If you no tice that the hood is not latched
while you are d riving, stop immed iately and
close it, because drivi ng when the hood is
not latched increases the r isk of an accident .
195

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cle where temperatures remain below freezing
for extended periods.
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh oil
l ook dark after the engine has been running for a
short time. This is norma l and is not a reason to
change the oil more often than recommended.
Because of the problem of proper disposa l, along
with the special tools and necessary expertise re­
quired, we strong ly recommend that you have
your oil changed by an authorized
Audi dealer or
a qualified service station .
If you choose to change your oil yourself, please
note the following important information:
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of personal injury if you
must change the engine oil in your veh icle
yourself:
- Wear eye protection.
- To reduce the risk of burns from hot engine
o il, let the eng ine cool down to the touch.
-
-When removing the oil drain plug with your
fingers, stay as far away as possible. Always
keep your forearm parallel to the ground to
help prevent hot oil from running down your
arm.
- Drain the oil into a container designed for
this purpose, one large enough to hold at
least the total amount of oil in your engine .
- Engine oil is poisonous. Keep it well out of
the reach of children.
- Cont inuous contact w ith used engine oil is
harmful to your sk in. Always protect your
sk in by washing oil off thoroughly w ith soap
and water.
@ Note
Never mix oil addit ives with your engine o il.
These additives can damage your eng ine and
adversely affect your Audi Limited New Vehi­
cle Warranty.
Checking and Filling
@) For the sake of the environment
-Before changing your oi l, first make sure
you know where you can properly dispose of
the used oil.
- Always dispose of used engine oi l properly.
Do not dump it on garden soil, wooded
areas, into open streams or down sewage
drains.
- Recycle used engine o il by tak ing it to a used
eng ine oil collection fac ility in your area, or
contact a service station .
Cooling system
Coolant
The engine cooling system is filled wit h a mixture
of purified water and coolant additive at the fac ­
tory. This coolant must not be not changed.
T he coolant level is monitored through
the . in­
dicator light
r=;, page 14. However, we do recom­
mend occasionally checking the coolant leve l
manua lly.
If you must add coolant, use a mixture of water
and coolant additive. Mixing the coo lant additive
with distilled water is recommended.
Coolant additive
The coolant additive is made of anti-freezing and
corrosion protection agents. Only use the follow­
ing coolant additives. These additives may be
mixed with each other .
Coolant additive Specification
Gl2evo
TL 774 L
Gl2++ TL 774 G
Gl3 TL 774
J
The amount of coolant additive that needs to be
mixed with water depends on the climate where
the vehicle wi ll be operated .
If the coolant addi ­
tive percentage is too low, the coolant can freeze
and damage the engine.
.,.
199

Checking and Filling
Coolant Freeze protec-
additi ve tion
Warm min. 40% min. -13 °F
regions max. 45% (-25 °C)
Cold min. 50% max. -40
°F
regions max. 55% (-40 °C)
([) Note
- Before the start of winter, have an author­
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility check if the coolant additive in your
vehicle matches the percentage appropriate
for the climate. This is especially important
when driving in colder climates.
- If the appropriate coolant additive is not
available in an emergency, do not add any
other additive. You could 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 .
Adding coolant
F ig. 183 Engine compartment: coolant expans ion tank
cover
Observe the safety precautions~ page 193,
Working in the engine compartment .
Checking the engine coolant level
• Park the vehicle on a leve l surface .
• Switch the ignition off.
• Read the coolan t leve l on the coo la nt expansion
tank
~page 196, fig . 181. The coolant level
must be between the MIN and MAX markings
200
when the engine in cold. When the engine is
warm it can be slightly above the MAX marking .
Adding coolant Requirement: there must be a residual amount of
coolan t in the expansion tan k
~CD -
• Let the engine cool down .
• Place a cloth over the coolant expansion tank
cap and unscrew the cap counterclockw ise
~ & -
... Add coo lant m ixed in the cor rect ratio
~ page 199 up to the MAX marking.
• Make sure that the fluid level remains stab le .
Add more coolant if necessary .
• Close the cap securely.
Coolant loss usually ind icates there is a leak . Im­
mediate ly drive your vehicle to an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi 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 overheat ing
and being pushed out of the cooling system .
A WARNING
- The cooling system is under pressure. Do
not open the coo lant expansion ta nk cap
when the engine is hot. This increases the
risk o f bur ns.
- The coolan t addi tive and the coolant can be
dangerous to your health. For t his reason,
keep the coolant in the original container
and away from children. There is a risk of
poisoning.
- 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 injury.
(D Note
Do not add coolant if the expansion tank is
empty. A ir cou ld enter the cooling system and
damage the engine. If this is the case, do not
continue driving. See an authorized Audi deal­
er or authorized Audi Serv ice Facility for assis­
tance.

Checking and Filling
(D Note
If the vehicle will be parked for long periods
of t ime , protect it against the co ld so that it
will not be destroyed by "freezing"
c::> page 202 .
Vehicle battery
The term "vehicle battery " refers to the 12 Volt
bat tery in your vehicle.
Not running the vehicle for long pe riods of
t ime
If you do not drive your vehicle for several days o r
weeks , electri cal equipment is gr adually scaled
back or switched off . This reduces energy use and
ensures the veh icle w ill be able to start after long
periods of time
c::> page 126 . Some conve nience
functions, s uch as interior lighting or power seat
adj ustment, may not be available under certa in
circumstances. These convenience f unct ions w ill
be ava ilab le aga in once you switch the ignition on
and start the engine .
E ven w hen electrica l equ ipme nt is swi tched off,
the equipment can still d rain the vehicle battery
if the vehicle is not driven for long periods of
time . Deep draining results in a chemical reaction
that destroys the inside of the vehicle battery .
The vehicle battery must be charged every month
t o reduce the risk of this happening
c::> page 202.
Contact an author ized Audi dealer or authorized
Aud i Serv ice Facility for more information .
Winter operati on
Cold weather places higher demands on the vehi­
cle battery. This results in reduced start ing abili ­
ty . Have the vehicle battery checked by an au­
thor ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility before the co ld time of year .
202
Charging the vehicle battery
Fig. 18 5 En g in e compartment : co nn ectors fo r a cha rger
a n d jum p start cab les
Requireme nt: only use chargers with a maximum
charging voltage of 30 amp s/14.8 Volts.
The
vehicle battery cab les remain connected.
... Read the wa rnings c::> _& in General warnings
about batteries on page 201
and c::> ,& .
... Switch off the ign it ion and all electrica l equip ­
ment .
... Open the hood c::> page 195 .
... Open the red cover on the pos itive terminal
c::>fig. 185.
... Clamp the charger terminal clamps to the jump
start p ins accord ing to the instruct ions. (pin un­
der the red cover
= " positive ", pin with hexago­
nal head= "negat ive ").
... In sert t he power cable fo r th e cha rging dev ice
into the soc ket and switch t he devi ce on.
... At the end of the cha rging process, switch the
charger off and pull the power cable out of the
soc ket .
... Remove the charger terminal clamps.
... Close the red cover on the pos itive terminal.
... Close the hood c::> page 195 .
A WARNING
-A highly explosive m ix ture of gases can form
when charg ing batte ries . Only cha rge the
veh icle b attery in well -ventila ted areas.
- A drained vehicle batte ry can freeze at tem­
pe ra tu res around 32
QF (0 QC). A fro zen o r
thawed vehicle battery must no t be charged
a nd must not be used anymore. The battery
housing can c rack and battery ac id can leak
out if ice forms, which increases the risk of
an explosion and chemical burns. Contact an
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Service Facility for more information.
- Do not connect or disconnect the charging
cable while charging because this increases
the risk of an exp losion.
(D Tips
- Only charge the vehicle battery through the
connections in the engine compartment.
- Read all of the manufacturer's instructions
for the charger before charging the vehicle
battery.
Windshield washer system
Fig. 186 Engine compa rtment: washer flu id reservo ir cap
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The windshield washer reservoir O contains the
cleaning solution for the windshie ld and the
headlight washer
system* ¢ page 196, fig . 181.
The reservoir capacity can be found in
¢page 254.
To reduce the risk of lime sca le deposits on the
spray nozzles, use clean water with low amounts
of calc ium . A lways add window cleaner to the wa­
ter. When the outs ide temperatures are cold, an
anti -freezing agent should be added to the water
so that it does not freeze .
@ Note
-The concentration of anti-freezing agent
must be adjusted to the vehicle operating
cond itions in the respective climate. A con­
ce ntration that is too high can lead to vehi­
cle damage.
- Never add radiator anti-freeze or other addi­
tives to the washer fluid.
Checking and Filling
- Do not use a glass cleaner that contains
paint so lvents, because t his could damage
the paint.
Service interval display
The service interval display detects when your ve ­
hicle is due for service .
The service interval display works in two stages:
-Inspection or oil change reminder : afte r a cer -
tain distance driven, a message appears in the
instrument cluster display each time the igni­
tion is switched on or off. The remaining dis­
tance or time is disp layed briefly.
- Inspection or oil change due: if your vehicle
has reached an inspection or oil change interval
or both intervals at the same t ime, the mes­
sage
Inspection due! or Oil change due! or Oil
change and inspection due!
appears briefly af ­
ter switching the ignition on/off .
Checking service intervals
You can check the remaining distance or time un ­
til the next oil change or next inspection in the
Car menu. To do t his, select: the !CAR !function
button
> (Car)* Systems control button > Service
& control > Service intervals .
Resetting the indicator
An authorized Audi dea ler or a uthorized Audi
Service Facility w ill reset the service interval dis­
play after performing service.
If you have ch anged the oi l yourse lf, you must re ­
set the oil change interval.
T o reset the indicator, select : the
I CAR ! function
button
> (Car)* Systems control button > Service
& control > Service intervals . Turn the control
knob downward to
Reset oil change interval and
press the control knob.
@ Note
-Only reset the oi l change indicator if the oi l
was changed.
- Following the service intervals is critical to
maintaining the service life and value of
your vehicle, especially the engine. Even if
203

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Wheels
Wheels and Ti re s
General information
.,,.Check your tires regularly for
damage (punctures, cuts , cracks
and bulges). Remove foreign ob­
jects from the tire tread .
.,,. If driving over curbs or similar
obstacles, drive slowly and ap ­
proach the curb at an angle.
.,,. Have faulty tires or rims re­
placed immediately .
.,,.Protect your tires from oil ,
grease and fuel.
.,,. Mark tires before removing
them so that the same running
direction can be maintained if
they are reinstalled .
.,,.Lay tires flat when storing and
store them in a cool, dry locat ion
with as litt le exposure to light as
possible .
&_ WARNING -
-Never drive faster than the
maximum permitted speed
for your tires. This could cause the tires to heat up too much .
This increases the risk of an
acc ident because it can cause
the tire to burst.
-Always adapt your driving to the road and traffic condi-
Wheels
tions. Drive carefully and re ­
duce your speed on icy or slip­
pery roads . Even winter tires
can lose traction on black ice .
@ N ot e
-Please note that summer and
winter tires are designed for
the condit ions that are typical
in those seasons. Audi recom­
mends using winter ti res dur ­
ing the winter months. Low
temperatures significantly de­ crease the e lasticity of summ­
er tires , which affects traction
and braking ab ility . If summer
tires are used in very cold
temperatures, cracks can form on the tread bars, resulting in
permanent tire damage that
can cause loud driving noise
and unbalanced tires.
-Burnished, polished or chromed rims must not be
used in winter driving condi­
tions . The surface of the rims
does not have sufficient corro­
sion protect ion for this and
could be permanently dam­
aged by road salt or similar
substances.
205

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0 00 <.,;) ' significantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure. Under-inf la­
tion also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread
life, and may affect the vehicle's handling and
stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver's re­
sponsibility to maintain correct tire pressure,
even if under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire pres ­
sure telltale .
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS
malfunction indicator to indicate when the sys­
tem is not operating properly . The TPMS mal­
function indicator is combined with the low tire pressure telltale . When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will flash for approxi­
mately one minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue upon
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as the mal­
function exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated,
the system may not be able to detect or signal
low tire pressure as intended. TPMS malfunctions
may occur for a variety of reasons, including the
installation of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly . Always che ck the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or
more tires or wheels on your vehicle to ensure
that the replacement or alternate tires and
wheels allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
Wheels
If the tire pressure monitoring system
indicator appears
Applies to: vehicles with Tire Pressure Monito ring System in­
dicator
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too low
or if there is a system malfunction.
Fig. 191 Ins trumen t cluster : indicator light w it h message
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monitor­
ing system compares the tire tread circumfer­
ence and vibration characteristics of the individu­
al tires.
If the pressure changes in one or more
tires, th is is ind icated in the instrument cluster
display with an indicato r light
[I] and a message .
If only one tire is affected, the location of that
tire will be indicated.
The tire pressures must be stored in the Infotain­
ment system again each time the pressures
change (switching between partial and full load
pressure) or after changing or replacing a tire on
your
vehicle ~ page 224. The tire pressure moni­
toring system only monitors the tire pressure you
have stored. Refer to the tire pressure label for
the recommended tire pressure for your vehicle
~ page 215, fig . 190.
Tire tread circumference and vibration character­
istics can change and cause a tire pressure warn­
ing if :
- the tire pressure in one or more tires is too low
- the tire has structural damage
- the tire was replaced or the tire pressure was
changed and it was not stored
~ page 224
- the spare tire* is installed
223