2018 AUDI A7 oil level

Intellig ent T echn olo gy
A WARNING
When extending and retracting the rear spoil­
er, make sure there are no persons or objects
w ith in the spoiler range to reduce the risk of
injury .
A WARNING -
Driv ing at higher speeds w ithout the rear
spoiler dep loyed can impa ir hand ling cha rac­
ter istics, mak ing the veh icle h arder to con­
trol.
- Always make sure that the spoiler is de ­
ployed whe n driving at speeds ove r 85 mp h
(140 km/h) . If the rear spoiler warning/indi ­
cator lig ht in the instrument cluster comes
on, the rear spoi ler may not have deployed.
- Never drive at speeds higher than 85 mph
(140 km/h) if the spoiler is not deployed .
Have the spoiler inspected as soon as possi­
ble by an author iz ed Audi dealer or qualif ied
workshop.
- Always obey speed limits and other traffic
laws .
@ Note
-Never push on the vehicle on the rear spoi l­
er . T his cou ld cause damage.
- To prevent damage to the rear spoiler do not lean or p lace anyt hing on it.
- Only operate t he rear spoiler manually when
the luggage compartment lid is close and
the rear spoiler moving parts are not
blocked. Otherwise, damage could occur.
(D Tips
Clean the rear spoi ler compartment every 2 to
3 months . To function correctly, the rear
spoiler must be free of ice, snow and leaves.
126
Energy management
The starting ability is optimized
T he energy management sys tem manages the
electrical energy distribution and optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting the
engine.
When a vehicle with a conventional energy sys ­
tem is not driven for a long time, the veh icle bat­
tery is drained by equ ipment (for example, the
i mmob il izer). I n certa in circumstances, there
could may not be enough energy to start the en ­
gine.
Your vehicle is equipped with an intell igent ener­
gy management system fo r dist ributing elect rici­
ty. Thi s sign if icantly improves the start ing ab il ity
and increases the vehicle battery life .
The energy management system Is made up of
battery dia gno sis , idling current management ,
and dynamic energ y m ana gement .
Battery di agnosis
T he battery diagnos is determines the vehicle bat ­
tery cha rge level. The sensors detect the batte ry,
t h e battery cur rent, and the battery temperature .
The current cha rge level and the pe rformance of
t h e ve hicle battery are dete rm ined based on th is.
Idling current management
The idling current management decreases the
energy used while parked . With the engine
switched off , it ma nages the ene rgy distr ib ution
to the d ifferent e lectr ica l components . Data from
t h e battery d iagnosis is ta ken into a ccou nt for
t hi s.
Depend ing on the vehicle batte ry cha rge level,
electr ical eq uipme nt is switched off one item af ­
te r th e o ther to p revent the veh icle bat tery from
dra ining and to ma intain the starting ab ility.
Dynamic energy manag ement
While driv ing , dynam ic energy management dis­
t ributes the app ropr iate amo unt of energy to t he
electr ical eq uipme nt.
It contro ls the batte ry
c h arge level so tha t the amount of energy is no t
..,.

Checking and Filling
Engine compartment overview
The most important check points.
Fig. 181 Typical location of the rese rvoir and the engine o il filler open ing
(D Jump start po int(-) with hex head screw
~ page 202, ¢page 247
@ Jump start point(+) under the cover
~page 202, ¢page 247
® Engine oil label* w ith VW standard
¢ page 196
@ Brake fluid reservoir ((0)) ¢ page 201
® Engine oil filler opening(~)¢ page 198
@ Coolant reservoir (- L) ~ page 200
(j) Washer fluid reservoir (0) ¢ page 203
The engine oil fill er opening ® may be located in
a different area depending on the specific engine.
& WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS before check­
ing anything in the engine
compartment¢ &
in Working in the engine compartment on
page 193.
196
Engine oil
If the engine oil level is too low
If you need to add engine oil, use an oil that is
listed on the sticker.
The sticker is located at the
front of the eng ine
compartment¢ page 196,
fig . 181 .
If the recommended engine o il is not availab le,
in an emergency you may add a maximum of 1
quart(! liter) of ACEA C3 or API SN eng ine oi l
one time until the next oil change .
For more information on the correct eng ine oil
for your vehicle, contact an authorized Audi deal­
er or authorized Aud i Serv ice Facility . Have the oil
c h anged by an authorized Audi dealer or author­
i zed Service Facility.

a co .... N
" N .... 0 00 \,;J ' Audi rec ommends
~ Castrot /lftlg;'f.E@t Frtrrr.::--.~lri,'lAl.
A ud i recomm ends using the Lo ng Life h igh ­
perfo rm ance eng ine oil from Aud i Genu ine
Parts .
Checking the engine oil level
The engine oil level can be checked in the Info­
tainment system
Observe the safety precautions¢ A in Working
in the engine compartment on page 193.
~ Park your vehicle on a level surface.
~ Shut the engine off when it is warm.
~ Switch only the ignition back on.
~ Wait approx imately two minutes.
~ Select: the ICARI function button > ( C ar)* Sys ­
tem s
control button > Service & control > O il
l e v el.
~ Read the o il level in the I nfota inme nt system.
Add eng ine oil if the ba r in the oil leve l ind ica ­
tor is just before
"min"¢ page 198.
(UJ) Note
The engine oil leve l mus t not be unde r the
"min" mark ing, as this will increase the risk of
engine damage.
(D Tips
The o il level indica tor in the disp lay is on ly an
informationa l display. If the o il level is too
low, a minimum oi l warning appears in the in ­
strument cluster. Add oil and close the hood.
The current oil level is d isplayed in the Info­
tainment system the next t ime the ignition is
sw itched on.
(D Tips
The engine oil consumption may be up to
0.5 quart/600 m iles (0.S liter/1,000 km), de­
pending on driving style and operating condi­
tions. In RS models, the o il consumption may
be up to 1 qt/600 mi (0 .8 l/ 1,000 km). Con­
sumpt io n may be h igher du ring the first
3,00 0 miles (5, 000 km). Be cause of this, the
eng ine o il level must be checked reg ularly. It
Ch eck ing and F illing
is best to check each time you refue l yo ur ve ­
hicle and before long drives.
- In order to p rov ide effective lubrication and
cooling of interna l engine components, a ll
internal comb ustion engines consume acer ­
tain amount of oil. Oi l consumption var ies
from engine to engine and may change sig­ nifica ntly over the life of the engine. Typi­
cally, eng ines with a specif ied break-in peri­
od consume more o il du ring the break-in pe­
r iod than they consume afte r oil cons ump­
tion has stabilized.
- Under norma l condit ions, the rate of oil
c ons umption depends on the q ual ity and
vis cos ity of the oil, the R PM (revo lutions per
m in ute) a t which the engine is operated, the
ambient temperature and road conditions .
Furt her factors are the amount of oi l di lu­
tion from water condensat ion or fue l resi ­
due and the oxidation level of the oil. As any
eng ine is subject to wear as m ileage builds
up, the oil consumption may increase over
t ime until replacement of worn components
may become necessa ry.
- With all these var iables com ing into play,
no sta ndard rate of o il consumption can be
established o r specified. There is no a lter na­
ti ve to c hec king the oil leve l reg ula rly and
frequently.
- If you have the impress ion your engine co n­
sumes excessive amo unts of o il, we recom ­
mend that yo u consult an author ized A udi
dea ler to have the cause of your concern
properly diagnosed . Keep in mind that the
accurate measurement of o il consumption
requires great care and may take some
time. An authorized Aud i dealer has instruc­
tions about how to measure o il consump­
tion accurately.
- You can find informat ion on engine oil and
eng ine o il capacit ies for the USA at
www .aud i usa .com/he lp/ma intenance, o r
for Ca nada at www.aud i.ca/ca/web/en/
cu stomer -area/ ca re -and -m a i ntena nee/ au di­
serv i ce -sched u les. htm l, or ca ll
800 -8 22-2834 .
197

Check ing and F illing
Adding engine oil
F ig. 182 Engine co mpartment : en gin e oil fille r opening
cove r
Observe the safety precaut ions ¢&. in Working
in the engine comportment on page
193 .
"'Turn the eng ine off.
"' Open the hood ¢ page 195.
"'Unscrew the cap~ for the eng ine oi l filler
opening
¢ fig. 182.
"'Carefu lly add 0.5 quart (0 .5 liter) of the correct
oi l
¢pag e 196.
"'Close the engine oil filler opening cap .
"'Close the engine compartment lid.
"'Restart the ign ition after two mi nutes and read
the current o il level in the Infotainment system
¢ page 197 , Checking the engine oil level .
"'Add more oil if necessa ry .
,& WARNING
- Whe n add ing o il, do not let oil d rip onto hot
engine components . This increases the r is k
of a fire.
- Yo u m ust seal the cap on the oil fi lle r open ­
ing correctly so that oil does not leak o ut
onto the hot engine and exhaust system
when the eng ine is r unning, because this is
a fire hazard.
- Always clean skin thorough ly if it comes into
contact with engine oil.
- Engine oil is poisono us and must be kept
o ut of reach of chi ld ren.
- Store the engine oi l sec urely in the original
container.
(LlJ) Note
- If the message Ill Oil l evel i s too full.
Plea se redu ce oil le vel.
appears, there is too
198
much oil in the engine and the re is a r isk o f
cata lytic converter and engine damage. Do
not start t he engine. Contact an autho rized
Audi dealer or author ized Audi Service Fa­
cility to have excess eng ine o il extracted if
necessary .
- Your L imited New Vehicle Warranty does
not cover damage or ma lfunctions due to
failure to follow recommended mai nte­
nance and use requ irements as set fort h in
the A udi Owne r's Manual and War ranty
&
Ma inte nan ce bookle t.
- Use on ly a high quality engine o il that ex­
press ly complies with the A ud i oi l quality
s ta ndard spec ified fo r yo ur vehicle 's eng ine.
Us ing any othe r oi l c an cause ser io us eng ine
damage .
- Do not mix any add it io na l lubr ic a nts in to
t he engine oil. Damage ca used by such add i­
tives is not covered by the warranty .
@ For the sake of the environment
- Oil sho uld neve r en ter the sewer sys tem or
come in to contact with the g round .
- Pay attent ion to lega l re quir emen ts when
disposing o f emp ty o il conta iners.
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that hove your oil changed by on
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified servi ce sta ­
tion.
Befo re yo u check anything in t he engine compart ­
ment,
alway s read and h eed all WARNINGS ¢ &
in Working in the engine comportment on
page
193.
The eng ine o il must be changed according to the
i nte rvals spec ified in yo ur War ranty
& Ma inte ­
nance boo klet. This is ve ry important because the
l ubricating prope rties of oil diminish gradua lly
during norma l vehicle us e.
Un der some c ircumstances the engine oil should
be c hanged more freq uent ly. Change oi l more of ­
ten if you drive mostly s hort distances, operate
the ve hicle in dusty areas or under
predominantly ..,.

a co .... N
" N .... 0 00 \,;J ' stop-and-go traffic conditions, or have your vehi­
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.

a co ,...,
N
" N ,...,
0 00 <.,;) ' Raising the vehicle
Lifting with workshop hoist and with floor
jack
The vehicle may only be lift ed at the lifting
points illus tr at ed.
Fig. 218 Fro nt lift in g poin t
Fig. 219 Re ar lift ing poin t
.,. Read and heed WARNING c::> &, .
.. Activate the veh icle ja ck mode* in the M MI:
I CAR I funct ion button> (Car) * systems contro l
bu tton >
Servicing & checks > Air susp.: jack
mode > On .
.. Loca te lift ing po ints c::> fig . 218 and c::>fig . 219 .
.. Adju st lifting arms of wo rkshop hoist o r floo r
jack t o match vehicle li fting poin ts.
.. In se rt a rubb er pa d between the floor jack/
wor kshop ho ist a nd the lifting points .
T he vehicle ja ck m ode* mus t be activa ted so that
the au tomatic a djustment of the Ad aptive Air
Suspension * does no t make it more difficult to
raise the ve hicle wit h the floor jac k.
If you must lift your vehicle with a floor jack to
work underneath, be sure the vehicle is safely
supported on stands intended for this purpose . Emergency situations
Front lifting point
T he lifting poin t is locate d on the floor p an rein ­
f o rcement about at the same level as the ja ck
mounting point
c::> fig . 218 . Do not lift the vehi­
cle at the vertical sill reinforcement .
Rear lifting point
T he lifting p oin t i s lo cate d on the ve rtic al rei n­
f o rceme nt o f th e lower s ill for the on- bo ar d jac k
c::>fig. 219.
Lifting with vehicle jack
Refer to c::> pag e 238 .
A WARNING
- To reduce the r is k of se rious inju ry and veh i­
cle dama ge.
-Always lift the vehicle o nly at the specia l
wor kshop h oist a nd f loor jack lift points
il­
l ustrated c::> fig. 218 and c::> fig. 219.
-Failure to lift t he ve hicle at these points
could cause t he veh icle to tilt o r fall from
a lift i f th ere is a change in vehicle weight
dist ribution and balance . This might hap­
pen, fo r example, when heavy compo­
n en ts such as the eng ine block o r trans­
missi on a re removed .
- Whe n re mov ing heavy comp onents like
these, an ch or veh icle t o hois t or ad d co rre­
spon ding weig hts t o m aintai n the cen ter of
g ravi ty . Ot herw ise, the vehicle mig ht tilt or
slip off t he hoist, caus ing se rio us pe rsonal
i njur y .
(D Note
-Be aw are of the fo llow ing po ints b efor e lift­
ing the vehicle:
-The vehicle should never be lifted or
jacked up from underneath the engine oil
pan, the transmission housing, the front
or rear axle or the body side members.
This could lead to serious damage .
-To avoid damage to the underbody or
chassis frame, a rubber pad must be in­
serted between the floor jack and the lift
points .
.,.
251

a co .... N
" N .... 0 00 \,;J ' Engine compartment
Opening/closing the hood . . . . . . . . . . . . .
195
Overview ..... ................ ..... . 196
Safety precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193
Engine control (ind icator light) . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Engine oil Adding . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
196
Changing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198
Checking oil level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Temperature indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
En gin e sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Engine speed limitation (indicator light) 17
Engine Start/Stop mode
refer to Start/Stop system . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Engine warm-up request
I ndicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Environment Proper disposal of drained engine oil . . . .
198
Unleaded gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
EPC (engine control) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
E SC
Automatic post-collision braking system . 120
also refer to Electronic stabilization con-
tro l . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
120
ESP
refer to Electronic stabilization control . . 120
Event Data Recorder (EDR) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
Exterior lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
39
Exterior mirrors
Adjusting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
43
Dimming . .. .. ............... .. .. .. .. 43
Heating .. .. .. ............. .. .. .. .. .. 43
Exterior temperature display . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
F
Fastening
Booster seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 180
Convertible child safety seats . . . . . . . . . . 178
Infant seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Federa l Communications Commission (FCC)
258
Fl oor mats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Folding the rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Foot pedals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Index
For the sake of the environment
Environmentally-friend ly driving . . . . . . . .
65
Fueling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Leaks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194
Roof rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Warming up the engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Freeze protection
Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
199
Front airbags
Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
150
How they work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Frontal collisions and the laws of physics . . 139
Front center armrest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Front seats
Adjusting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
131
Child restraints in the front seat . . . . . . . . 14 7
also refer to Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
189
Additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Blended gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Current consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Fuel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9, 10
Fuel tank capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Gasoline additives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
190
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Saving fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
65, 105
Fueling
Fuel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10
Fuel tank capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254
Opening the fuel filler door . . . . . . . . . . . . 190
Fuses
Assignment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244
Replacing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
243
G
Garage door opener (Homelink) . . . . . . . . . . 37
Garment hook . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
53
Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Octane rating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
Recommendation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189
GAWR
refer to Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) 254
Glasses holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Glossary of tire and loading terminology . . 208
Glove compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
cooled . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
263