2018 AUDI A7 service

Airbag system
must be performed by qualified workshops
only. Make sure that any airbag service ac­
tion is entered in your Audi Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG RE·
PLACEMENT RECORD .
-For safety reasons in severe accidents, the
alternator and starter are separated from
the vehicle battery with a pyrotechn ic circuit
interrupter.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupt­
er must only be performed by a qualified
technicians who have the experience, in­
formation and special tools necessary to
perform the work safely.
- If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter is
scrapped, all applicable safety precautions
must be followed .
@ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and pretension­
ers might be classified as Perchlorate Materi­
al
-special handling may apply , see
www .dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo ­
rate . When the vehicle or parts of the re­
straint system including airbag modules and
safety belts w ith pretensioners are scrapped,
all applicable laws and regulations must be
observed . Your authorized Audi dealer is fa­
miliar with these requirements and we recom­
mend that you have your dealer perform this
service for you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced Airbag System
performs in a crash. For example, using tire-rim
comb inations not approved by Audi, lower ing the
vehicle, chang ing the stiffness of the suspension,
including the springs, suspension struts , shock
absorb ers etc . can change the forces that are
measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the
electronic control unit . Some suspension changes
can, for example, increase the force levels meas­
ured by the sensors and make the airbag system
deploy in crashes in which it would not deploy if
the changes had not been made. Other kinds of
162
changes may reduce the force levels measured by
the sensors and prevent the airbag from deploy­
i ng when it should .
& WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension including
use of unapproved tire-rim combinations can
change Advanced Airbag performance and in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury in a
crash .
- Never install suspension components that do not have the same performance charac­
teristics as the components origina lly instal­
led on your vehicle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations that have
not been approved by Aud i.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
Applies to: vehicles with knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen­
tal protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants.
Fig . 157 D river 's knee airbag
The driver knee airbag is in the instrument panel
underneath the steering wheel ¢
fig. 157, the
airbag for the passenger is at about the same height in the instrument panel underneath the
glove compartment.
The knee airbag offers add itional protect ion to
the driver's and passenger's knees and upper and lower thigh areas and supplements the protec­
tion prov ided by the safety belts .
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also
deploy in frontal coll is ions when the deployment
..,.

Checking and Filling
-If you a re unable to determine whether or
not a particular fuel blend meets the speci­
fications, ask your service station or its fuel
supplier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents can­
not be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance prob­
lems resulting from the use of fuels differ­
ent from those specified a re not the respon­
sibility of Audi and are not covered under
the New Vehicle or the Emission Control System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fuel economy or
driveability and performance problems due
to the use of one of these fuel blends , we
recommend that you switch to unblended
fuel.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufactur­
ers is carbon deposit build-up caused by the type
of gasoline you use.
Although gasoline grades differ from one manu­
facturer to another, they have certain things in
common. All gasoline grades contain substances
that can cause deposits to collect on vital engin e
parts, such as fuel injectors and intake valves. Al­
though most gasoline brands include additives to keep engine and fuel systems clean, they are not
equally effective .
Audi recommends using TOP TI ER Dete rgent Gas­
oline. For more information on TOP TIER Deter­
gent Gasoline , please go to the official website
(www .toptiergas .com) .
After an extended per iod of us ing inadequate
fuels, carbon deposit build-ups can rob your
en­
gine of peak performance.
(D Note
Damage or malfunction due to poor fuel qual­
ity is not covered by the Audi New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
190
Refueling
Fueling procedure
Fig. 17 4 R ig ht re ar sid e o f th e ve hicle: o penin g th e fu el
filler door
Fig. 175 F uel fille r doo r with at tached fuel cap
The fuel filler door is unlocked or locked by the
central locking system.
.,. Press on the left side of the fuel filler door to
open
~ fig. 174.
.,. Unscrew the tank cap counterclockwise .
.,. Place the cap from above on the open fuel filler
door
~ fig.175.
.,. Insert the fuel pump nozzle all the way into the
fuel filler neck .
.,. Begin fueling. Once the fuel pump nozzle turns
off the first time, the fuel tank is full. Do not
continue fueling, or else the expansion space in
the tank will be filled with fuel.
.,. After the fuel pump has switched off, wait five
seconds before removing it to allow the rest of
the fuel to finish dripping into the fue l tank.
.,. Turn the fuel cap clockwise until you hear it
lock.
.,. Close the fuel filler door and then press on the
left side until it latches.
The correct fuel type for your vehicle can be
found on a label located on the inside of the fuel
.,.

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N
" N ,...,
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

Checking and Filling
belt, alternator and radiator fan) and from
the high-voltage ignition system.
- Do not under any circumstances give gas in­
advertently (for example, by hand from the
engine compartment) if the vehicle is sta­
tionary but the engine is running and a gear
is engaged. Otherwise, the vehicle will start
to move immediately and this could result
in an accident.
- Pay attention to the following warnings list­
ed when work on the fuel system or on the
electrical equipment is required.
- Do not smoke.
- Never work near open flames.
- Always have a working fire extinguisher
nearby.
- All work on the battery or electrical system
in your vehicle can result in injuries, chemi­
cal burns, accidents or burns. Because of
this, all work must be performed
only by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility.
- To reduce the risk of electric shock and in­
jury, never touch the following components when the engine is running or is being start­
ed:
- Ignition cable
- Other components in the electronic high-
voltage ignition system
- If you must check or perform work on the
engine while it is running:
- Set the parking brake and place the selec­ tor lever in the P (park) position first.
- Always proceed with extreme caution so that clothing, jewelry or long hair do not
become caught in the radiator fan, fan
belt or other moving components or do
not come into contact with hot compo­
nents. Tie back long hair before beginning
work and do not wear clothing that can
hang down into the engine.
- Limit your exposure to exhaust and chemi­
cals to as short a time as
possible~ &..
A WARNING
California Proposition 6S Warning:
194
-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.
@ Note
When filling fluids, be sure not to mix the flu­
ids up. Otherwise severe malfunctions and en­
gine damage will occur.
@ For the sake of the environment
You should 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 authorized Audi Service Facility to be
checked.

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.

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" 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