2018 AUDI A7 check engine

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
..,.

a co .... N
" N .... 0 00 \.J ' authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
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
M N
-N ~
"' a,
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

Wheels
Displaying tire pressures/temperatures
Applies to: vehicles with tire pressure monitoring system
Requirement: the ign ition must be switched on.
.,. Select : the ICARI function button > Car systems
> Service & control> Tire pressure monitor>
Display tire pressure .
The current tire pressures are shown in green and
yellow numbers in the Infotainment system:
- Green: the current tire pressure and the speci­
fied tire pressure are approximately the same.
- Yellow: the current tire pressure is too low
compared to the specified tire pressure.
The specified tire pressure is the last tire pres­
sure that was stored
9 page 226 .
Note that the tire pressure also depends on the
temperature of the tire. The tire pressure in­
creases as the engine becomes warmer while
driving.
A WARNING
Read and follow the important information
and notes
q page 225.
@ Tips
The tire pressure or temperature are not dis ­
played in adaptation mode. Dashes --.-- are
shown in place of the pressure and tempera ­
ture.
CD Tire pressure loss
App lies to: veh icles with tire pressure mon itoring system
Fig. 192 Display : in dic ato r light with a me ssage
226
-
If the (D] indicator light turns on, the pressure in
at least one tire is too low or new sensors were
not adapted:
RE indicator lights turns on after turning the
ignition on
The tire pressure is too low compared to the
specified pressure.
.,. Check and store the tire pressure(s) the next
time it is possible
9 page 226.
RE indicator light turns on while driving
Wheels with new sensors were not adapted or
the tire pressure has reached a critical level com­
pared to the specified pressure.
.,. Avoid unnecessary steering and braking maneu-
vers.
.,. Adapt your driving sty le to the situation.
.,. Stop as soon as possible and check the tire(s).
.,. If it is possible to continue driving, see an au-
thorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility immediately and have your tire(s) re­
paired or replaced.
A WARNING
Read and follow the important information
and notes ¢
page 225.
Storing new tire pressures
Applies to: vehicles with tire pressure mon itoring system
Correctly stored tire pressure specifications are
necessary for reliable tire pressure monitoring.
.,. Check the tire pressures in all wheels .
-
.,. Correct the tire pressure if necessary. Refer to
the tire pressure Label for the recommended
tire pressure for your vehicle
c> page 215,
fig . 190 .
Only correct the pressure in tires
whose temperature is approximately the same
as the ambient temperature. If the tempera­
ture of the tire is higher than the ambient air
temperature, the tire pressure must be in­
creased approximately 3 PSI (0,2 bar) above
the value on the sticker .
.,. Switch the ignition on .
.,. Select: !CAR ! function button > Car systems>
Tire pressure monitoring
> Store tire pressure . ..,.

a co .... N
" N .... 0 00 \.J ' Emergency situations
General
This chapter is intended for trained emergency
crews and working personnel who have the nec­
essary tools and equipment to perform these
operations.
Starting by pushing or
towing
~ Note
Vehicles with an automatic transmission can­
not be started by pushing or towing.
Starting with jumper
cables
If necessary, the engine can be started by con­
necting it to the battery of another vehicle .
If the engine should fail to start because of a dis­
charged or weak battery, the battery can be con­
nected to the battery of
another vehicle, using a
pair of jumper cables to start the engine.
Jumper cables
Use only jumper cables of sufficiently large cross
section
to carry the starter current safely. Refer
to the manufacturer's specifications.
Use only jumper cables with
insulated terminal
clamps which are distinctly marked :
plus(+) cable in most cases colored red
minus(-) cable
in most cases colored black.
A WARNING -
Batteries contain electricity, acid, and gas.
Any of these can cause very serious or fatal in­
jury. Follow the instructions below for safe
handling of your vehicle's battery .
-Always shield your eyes and avoid leaning
over the battery whenever possible.
-A dead battery can freeze at temperatures
around 32 °F (0 °C) . If the vehicle battery is
frozen, you must thaw it before connecting
the jump start cables. If you do not, this in-
Emergency situations
creases the risk of an explosion and chemi­
cal burns. After jump starting the vehicle,
drive to an authorized Audi dealer or author­ ized Audi Service Facility immediately to
have the vehicle battery checked.
- Do not allow battery acid to contact eyes or
skin . Flush any contacted area with water
immediately.
- Improper use of a booster battery to start a
vehicle may cause an explosion .
- Vehicle batteries generate explosive gases .
Keep sparks, flame and lighted cigarettes
away from batteries.
- Do not try to jump start any vehicle with a
low acid level in the battery .
- The voltage of the booster battery must also
have a 12-volt rating . The capacity (Ah) of
the booster battery should not be lower
than that of the discharged battery. Use of
batteries of different voltage or substantial­
ly different "Ah " rating may cause an explo­
sion and personal injury.
- Never charge a frozen battery. Gas trapped
in the ice may cause an explosion.
- Never charge or use a battery that has been
frozen. The battery case may have be weak­
ened.
- Use of batteries of different voltage or sub­
stantially different capacity (Ah) rating may
cause an explosion and injury. The capacity
(Ah) of the booster battery should not be
lower than that of the discharged battery.
- Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
c>page 193.
@ Note
- Applying a higher voltage booster battery
will cause expensive damage to sensitive
electronic components, such as control
units, relays, radio, etc.
- There must be no electrical contact between
the vehicles as otherwise current could al­
ready start to flow as soon as the positive
( + ) terminals are connected.
247

-Be fore yo u chec k any thing in the engine
compartment, a lways read and heed a ll
WARNINGS
c:::> page 193 .
(D Note
Impro per hook-u p of jum per cables c an r uin
the gene rato r.
-Always connect P OSITIVE( +) to POS ITIV E
( + ), and NEG ATIVE( -) to NEGATI VE( -)
g round post of t he battery manage r contro l
unit.
- Check that a ll sc rew p lugs on t he battery
ce lls are screwed in f irmly . If not, t ighten
plugs p rior to connecting clamp on negative
b attery termi nal.
- Please note t hat the procedure fo r con nect­
i ng a jumper cab le as desc ribed above ap­
pli es specifica lly to the case of yo ur vehicle
b eing jump starte d. W hen you are giv ing a
ju mp s ta rt to ano ther vehicle , d o
no t con­
ne ct t he negative( -) cable to the neg ative
(-) t ermin al on the disch arged b attery @
c:::> fig . 212 . In stead , securely connec t the
n egative ( -) cable to either a solid metal
com ponent that is firm ly bolted to the e n­
gine block or to the engine bloc k itsel f. If
the battery that is be ing charged does not
vent to the outs ide, escap ing battery gas
could ignite and ex plode!
Towing with a tow truck
General hints
Your Audi requires special handling for towing .
The follow ing informa tion is to be used by com­
mercia l tow tr uck operators who know how to op ­
e rate the ir equip men t sa fely.
- Never tow your Audi. Towing will cause dam­
age to the engine and transmission .
- Never wrap the safety chains or winch cables
around the brake line s.
- To prevent unnecessary damage, your Audi
must be transported with a flatbed tru ck .
a co -To load the vehicle on to the flatbed , use the ,...,
~ towing loop found in the vehicle tools and at-N ,...,
0 00 <.,;) ' Emergency situations
tach to the front or rear anchorage
c:::> pag e 249 and c:::>page 250 .
A WARNING
-
A veh icle bei ng towed is not safe for passen-
gers . N ever allow anyone to ride in a vehicle
being towed, for any reason.
Front towing loop
Fig. 213 Front bu mpe r: co ve r
Fig. 214 Front bu mper: i nst all ing the tow ing loop
T he t hreaded o pen ing for th e towing loop is lo­
cated be hind a cover on the r ight side of the front
bumper .
.,. Remove the towing loo p from the vehi cle too l
k it
c:::> page 2 3 3 .
.,. Press the cap inward with brief, force ful p res ­
su re
c:::> fig. 213 . The cap will loosen from the
bumper.
.,. T ighten the towing loop in the threaded open ­
ing until it sto ps
c:::> fig . 214 and then tighten it
w ith a wheel w re nch .
.,. After usi ng, p lace the tow ing loop back i n the
veh icle tool kit.
..,.
249

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

Consum er Info rmation
scope of maintenance and repairs which can be
carried out by vehicle owners.
Al so , sa fet y and
en vironment al
concerns place very strict limits
on the nature of repairs and ad justments to en­
g ine and transmission parts wh ich an owner can
perform .
Maintenance, adjustments and repairs usually re­
qu ire special tools, testing devices and other
equ ipment available to specially trained work­
shop personnel i n order to assure proper per ­
formance, reliab ility and safety of the veh icle and
its many systems .
Improper maintenance, adjustments and repairs
can impair the operation and reliab ility of your
veh icle and eve n void your vehicle warranty .
Therefo re, proof of servicing in accordance w ith
the ma intenance sc hedule may be a condition fo r
up hold ing a possible wa rra nty claim made wi thin
the warranty pe riod.
Above all , operational safety can be adversely af­
fected, c reating unnecessa ry risks fo r you and
your p assengers.
If in doubt about any servicing, have it done by
your author ized Audi dealer or any other properly
eq uipped and qualified workshop . We strongly
urge yo u to g ive your author ized Audi dealer the
opportu nity to pe rform a ll scheduled ma inte ­
nance and necessary repairs. Your dealer has the
facilities, origina l parts and train ed sp ecialists to
keep your veh icle running properly.
Performing limited maint enance yourself
The fo llow ing pages describe a limited number of
procedures w hich can be performed on your ve hi­
cle with ordinary tools, should the need arise and
trained personne l be unavai lable . Before pe r­
forming any of these procedures, always thor­
ough ly read a ll of the app licab le text and carefu l­
ly follow the instructions g iven . A lways rigorously
observe the
WARNING S provided .
Before you check anything in the engine com ­
partment , alw ays read a nd heed all WARNINGS
c> .&. and c> .&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 193 .
256
A WARNING
- Ser ious personal in jury may occur as a result
of imp roperly performed maintenance, ad­
justments or repairs .
- Always be extreme ly careful when work ing
on the vehicle . Always follow commonly ac­
cepted safety practices and general com­ mon sense. Never r is k personal in jury.
- Do not attempt any of the maintenance,
checks or repairs described on the following pages if you are not fu lly fam il iar with these
or other proce dures with respect to t he ve­
hicle, or are uncertain how to proceed.
- Do not do any work wi thout the prope r tools
an d equi pmen t. H ave the necessary wo rk
done by your authorized Au di dealer or an ­
other properly equipped and qualified work­
shop.
- The engine compartment of any motor vehi ­
cle is a potentially hazardous area . Never
reach into the area around or touch the radi­
ator fan. It is temperature controlled and
can switch on suddenly - even when the en­
gine is off . The radiato r fan switches on au­
tomatically when the coolan t reaches a cer­
tain tempe rature and w ill cont inue to run
until the coolant temperature d rops.
- Always sw itch off the ignition before anyone
gets under the vehicle.
- Always support your vehicle with safety
stands if it is necessary to work underneath
the vehicle. The jack supp lied with the veh i­
cle is no t adequate fo r th is pu rpose a nd
could collapse causing serious personal in­
jury .
- If you must wor k unde rneath the vehicle
w ith the wheels on the g round, always make
sure the vehicle is on level ground, that the
wheels a re always sec urely blocked and that
the engine cannot be started.
- Always make sure the transmission se lector
lever (automatic t ransm iss ion) is in P (Park
position) and the pa rk b rake is applied .
Ill>

a co .... N
" N .... 0 00 \.J ' @ For the sake of the environment
-Changing the engine settings wi ll adversely
affect emission leve ls. Th is is detrimental to
the env ironment and increases fuel con ­
sumption.
- A lways observe environmenta l regu lations
when disposing of old engine o il, used brake
flu id, d irty engine coolant, spent batteries
or worn out tires.
- Undeployed airbag modules and pretension­
ers might be classified as Perchlorate Mate­
rial -spec ial handl ing may apply, see
www .dtsc.ca .gov/hazardouswaste/perch lo­
r ate. When the vehicle or pa rts of t he re­
stra int system includi ng a irbag mod ules
s af ety be lts with pretens ioners a re scrap ­
ped, a ll applicab le laws and regulations
must be observed. Your a uthorized Audi
dealer is fam iliar with these requirements
and we recommend that you have your dea l­
er perform this service for you.
Accessories and
technical changes
Additional accessories and parts
replacement
Always consult on authorized Audi dealer before
purchasing accessories.
Audi ve hicles that are constructed with advanced
materials like Steel/Aluminum (Hybrid construc­
tion), Aluminum (Aud i Space Frame), and/or Alu­
minum/Carbon Fiber (Ultra Advanced Light
We ight Materials) are as unique as the ir dr ivers .
Therefo re, the ava ilability of certain parts needed
for repa ir , restorat ion, or reconstruction w ill be
rest ricted , or pa rts will be unava ilable, if the ve ­
hicl e is not repa ired at an a uthorized Aud i co lli­
sion repair facility . This includes but is not limi t­
ed to structura l parts which require specia lized
training and equipment to restore their crash ­
worthiness back to the original NHTSA and IIHS performance.
Your vehicle incorporates the latest safety design
features ensuring a high standard of active and passive safety.
Con sum er In form ation
This safety could be compromised by non -ap ­
proved changes to the vehicle. For t his reason, if
parts have to be rep laced, p lease observe the fol ­
lowing points when install ing additional accesso­
ries:
Approved Audi accessories and genuine Audi parts are avai lab le from authorized Aud i dea lers.
T hese dea le rs a lso have t he necessa ry fa cilit ies,
tools and trained specialists to install the pa rts
and accessories proper ly .
A WARNING
--
Using the wrong spare parts or using non -ap­
p roved accessories can cause damage to the
vehicle and serious personal injury.
- Use on ly accessories expressly approved by
Aud i and genuine Audi spare parts
- These parts and accessor ies have been spe­
cially designed to be used on your vehicle.
- Do not use license p late brac kets in the
front area that are d ifferent from the one
installed at the factory, or add additional
li­
cense plate brackets.
- Never install accessor ies such as telephone
cradles or beverage holders on airbag covers
or w ith in the airbag deployment zones . Do­
ing so will increase the risk of injury if a ir­
bags a re tr iggered in an accident!
- Before you check anyth ing in the eng ine
compa rtment, always read and heed all
WARN INGS
~page 193.
@ Note
- If items other than genu ine Audi spare
parts, add-on equipment and accessory
items are used or if repa ir work is not per­
form ed according to specified methods, th is
c an result in seve re damage to you r vehi­
cle's eng ine and body (s uch as cor rosion)
and adve rsely affec t your ve hicle's warranty.
- If emergency repa irs m ust be pe rformed
elsew here, have the vehicle ex am ined by an
authorized A udi dealer as soon as possib le .
- Th e manufac ture r ca nnot be he ld liable fo r
damage wh ic h occur s d ue to fail ure to com ­
ply with these stipulations.
257