2018 AUDI A7 check engine light

Instrum ent s and ind icat or light s
-The front spoiler also he lps to distribute
cooling air while driving . If the spoiler is
damaged, the cooling effect w ill be im­
paired and the r isk of the engine overheat­
i ng will increase. See an author ized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Fac ility for
ass istance.
Tachometer
The tachometer displays the engine speed in rev­
olutions per minute (RPM) .
You should shift to the next lowest gear when
the speed is below 1,S00 RPM. The beginn ing of
the red zone in the tachometer indicates the maximum permissible engine speed for all gears
once the engine has been broken in and when it is
warmed up to operating temperature. Before
reaching the red zone, yo u should shift into the
next higher gear, choose the Dor S se lector lever
position, or remove your foot from the accelera ­
tor peda l.
@ Note
The needle in the tachometer @ ¢ page 9,
fig. 3
may only be in the red area of the gauge
for a short time or there is a risk of engine
damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early he lps you to save fuel and re ­
duces operating noise.
(D Tips
Applies to: Sa nd RS mode ls
The engine speed is limited when the eng ine
is cold - the full engine output is not availa­
ble. When the engine is at operating temper­
ature, the red area in the tachometer moves
to a highe r RPM range .
Fuel level
The display @ only wo rks when the ignition is
sw itched on. If the fuel level d rops below 2 .6 gal
(10 li ters), a red L ED w ill tur n on and t he
rD indi ­
cator light will turn
on ¢ page 17. The LED
blinks red when the fuel leve l is very low .
10 The possible range based on the cu
rrent fue l lev ­
e l is shown in
tab @¢ page 20 , fig . 4 .
Fo r th e tank capacity i n your veh icle, refe r to the
Techn ica l
Data ¢ poge 254.
@ Note
Never drive until t he tank is comp lete ly emp­
ty. The ir reg ular supply of fuel t hat res ults
from tha t ca n cause engine m is fires. Uncom ­
b usted fue l w ill then enter the exhaust sys ­
tem . This can cause overheating and damage
to t he catalyt ic converter .
Indicator lights
Description
The indicator lights in the instrument cluster
blink or tur n on. They ind icate functions or mal ­
functions .
Messages may appear w ith some indicator lights.
A war ning s ignal will sound at the same time.
The ind icator lights and messages in the instr u­
ment cluster disp lay can be covered by ot her dis ­
plays . To show them again, se lect the tab for in­
dicator lights and messages using the mu ltifunc­
tion steering
wheel ¢ page 20 . If there are sev­
eral malfunctions, you can display them one at a
time us ing the thumbwheel.
Some indicator lights in the display can disp lay in
several colors.
Central indicator light
App lies to : vehicles wit h mo nochrome d isp lay
If a message appears together with a central in­
dicator light . or
0. the central ind icator light
will indicate the priority of the warning. If a
wh ite ind icator light a lso appears, the centra l in­
dicator light w ill have its ow n colo r. Fo r example,
i1' ii ::ippea rs togethe r wi th • • read the descr ip ­
tion
for • .
Overview
Some indicator lights turn on briefly as a function
check when you switch the ignition on. These sys­
tems are marked with
a./ in the fo llow ing tab les. 1111-

a co .... N
" N .... 0 00 \.J ' 1111 (USA models ) /. (Canada models) Stop
vehicle and check brake fluid level.
Stop the veh icle and check the brake fluid level.
See an authorized Aud i dealer or aut horized Aud i
Service Facility for assistance if necessary .
1111 (USA models ) /. (Canada models)
Brakes : malfun ction! Please stop vehicle safely
If the ABS indicator light fJl) (USA models) /
¢0) (Canada mode ls), the ESC indicator light Jj),
and the brake system ind icator light 1111 (USA
models)
I . (Canada mode ls) all turn on and
this message appears, then the ABS, ESC and
braking distribution are
malfunctioning ¢.&. .
Do not continue driving. See an authorized Aud i
deale r or autho rized Aud i Service Facility for as­
sistance
¢ .&. .
1111 (USA models ) /. (Canada models) Park­
ing brake : System fault! See owner's manual.
- If the indicator light and the message appear
when the vehicle is stationary or after switch­
ing the ignition on ,
check if you can release the
parking bra ke .
If you cannot release the park­
i ng bra ke, see an a utho rized Aud i deale r or au­
tho rized Aud i Serv ice Facility. If yo u can re lease
the parking brake and the message still ap ­
pears, see an authorized Audi dea ler or author­
ized Audi Service Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
- If the indicator light and message appear
while
driving ,
the hill start assist or emergency brak­
ing function may be malfunctioning. It may not
be poss ible to set the parking brake or release
it once it has been set . Do not park your veh icle
on hills . See an author ized Audi dealer or au­
tho rized Aud i Serv ice Facility fo r ass ista nce.
Applies to: USA models
If the 1111 and Ell turn on at the same t ime, the
brake pads are worn
out¢ page 16 .
A WARNING
-Read and follow the warn ings in
¢ page 193, Working in the engine com­
partment
before opening the hood and
checking the brake fluid leve l.
Instruments and indicator lights
-If the brake system indicator light does not
turn off or it turns on wh ile driving, the
brake flu id leve l in the reservoir is too low,
and this increases the risk of an accident .
Stop the vehicle and do not continue driv­
ing . See an authorized Aud i dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility for assistance.
- If the brake system indicator light turns on
together with the ABS and ESC indicator
lig hts, the ABS/ ESC regulat ing function may
be malfunctioning . Functions that stabilize
the vehicle are no longe r availab le. Thi s
could cause the vehicle to swerve, which in­
creases the risk that the vehicle will slide .
Do not cont inue driving. See an authorized
Aud i dealer or authorized Aud i Serv ice Facili­
ty for assistance.
PARK /(®) Electromechanical parking brake
If the -(USA models)/ . (Canada models)
i ndicator light turns on, the parking brake was
set .
-(USA models) /. (Canada models) Cau·
tion: Vehicle parked too steep
If the indicator light blinks and the message ap ­
pears, there is not enough braking power to se­
cure the vehicle. The brakes have overheated. The
vehicle could roll away even on a small incline.
-(USA models) /. (Canada models) Press
brake pedal to release parking brake
To release the parking brake, press th e brake
pedal and press
the~ button at the same time
or start driving with hill start
assist ¢ page 74.
El Parking brake!
There is a malfunct ion in the parking brake. Drive
to an a uthorized Aud i dealer or autho rized Aud i
Service Facility immediate ly to have the malfunc ­
t io n corrected.
(D Tips
For additional information on the parking
brake,
see¢ page 72.
13

Instruments and indicator lights
_}_ Cooling system
• Turn off engine and check coolant level
The coolant level is too low.
Do not continue driving and switch the engine
off. Check the coolant level
9 page 200.
- If the coolant level is too low, add coolant
9page 200. Only continue driving once the in­
dicator light turns
off.
• Coolant temperature too high! Please let en­
gine run with vehicle stationary
Let the engine run at idle for a few minutes to
cool
off, until the indicator light turns off.
-If the indicator light does not turn off, do not
continue driving the vehicle . See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility
for assistance.
_& WARNING
- Never open the hood if you can see or hear
steam or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment. This increases the risk of
burns. Wait until you no longer see or hear
steam or coolant escaping.
- The engine compartment in any vehicle can
be a dangerous area. Stop the engine and
allow it to cool before working in the engine
compartment. Always follow the informa­
tion found in
9 page 193, Working in the
engine compartment.
@ Note
Do not continue driving if the. indicator
light turns on as this increases the risk of en­
gine damage.
, ft Front safety belt
The. indicator light stays on until the driver's
and front passenger's safety belts are fastened.
Above a certain speed, there will also be a warn­
ing tone.
14
(D Tips
For additional information on safety belts,
see ¢
page 138.
E::::I Alternator/vehicle battery
• Electrical system: malfunction! Battery is
not being charged
There is a malfunction in the alternator or the ve­
hicle electrical system .
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately. Because the ve­
hicle battery is discharging, turn off all unneces­
sary electrical equipment such as the radio. See
an authori zed Audi dealer or authori zed Audi
Service Facility if the battery charge level is too
low .
r•j low battery: Battery will be charged while
driving
The starting ability may be impaired.
If this message turns off after a little while, the
vehicle battery charged enough while driving.
If the message does not turn off, have an author­
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty repair the malfunction .
~ Engine stop while driving
• Engine stopped: No power steering and
brake support.
There is a malfunction in the engine or in the fuel
supply system.
More force is needed to steer and brake the mov­
ing vehicle when the engine is stopped . If the ve­
hicle is rolling, try to bring it to a stop off to the
side from moving traffic. See an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility for as­
sistance.
_& WARNING
If the engine stops while driving, you will
need to use more force to brake the vehicle.
This increases the risk of an accident. There
will still be power steering if the ignition is
-

a co .... N
" N .... 0 00 \,;J ' switched on w hil e the vehicle is rolling and
there is s ufficient batte ry char ge. Ot he rw ise,
you must use greate r fo rce w he n steer ing.
'l=;r: Engine oil pressure
• Turn off engine and check oil level
Sto p the eng ine and do not continue driving .
Chec k the engine oil leve l
q page 197.
-If the engine oi l leve l is too low, add engine oi l
¢page 198. Onl y cont inue driv ing once t he in­
dicato r light tur ns off.
- If the engi ne oil leve l is cor rect an d th e indic a­
tor light s till tur ns on, turn the eng ine off a nd
do not continue d riving . See an a uth o rized Audi
dealer or author ized A udi Se rvice Faci lity for as ­
s istance .
(D Tips
The o il press ure war ning i s not an o il level in­
dicator . Always c heck the oi l leve l regul arly .
~ " Engine oil level
Applies to: vehicles with oil level warning
• Please add oil immediately .
Add engine o il imme diate ly ¢page 19 6.
II Add oil max . x qt (I ). You may continue driv­
ing
Add th e disp layed amo unt of oil immed iate ly
¢pag e 196.
@-Steering lock
• Do not drive vehicle : Steering defective
There is a malfunction in the elec tronic stee ring
l oc k. You ca nnot turn t he igni tion o n.
Do
not tow your vehicle beca use it ca nnot be
steered. See an author ized A udi dealer or autho r­
i zed A udi Service Fac ility for assis tance.
!Ill Steering lock: System fault Please contact
dealer
There is a malfunction in the elect ronic stee ring
l oc k.
Instruments and indicator lights
Drive to an au thor ized A udi dealer or au tho riz e d
A udi Se rvice Fac ility immed iate ly to have the
malfu nction corrected.
A WARNING "---
Do not tow yo ur vehicle when there is a mal­
f u nct ion in the el ectro nic steer ing lock - t his
in creas es t he risk of an acc id ent.
© -Engine start system
• Engine start system fault. Please contact
dealer
Do not switch the ignition off because you may
not be able to switch it on again.
D rive to an authorized A udi dealer or aut ho rized
A udi Se rvice Facility immed iate ly to have the
malfu nction corrected.
II! Engine start system fault. Please contact
dealer
T he re is a m alfu ncti on i n th e engi ne st art in g sys ­
tem.
Dr ive to a n au thor ized A udi dealer or au tho riz e d
A udi Se rvice Faci lity i mmedia tely to h ave the
m alfu nction corr ecte d .
0 Air suspension
• Air suspension: System fault. You can con­
tinue driving slowly (max. speed 35 mph)
T he re is a mal fu n cti on t hat ca n res ult in r estric t­
ed driv ing st abili ty .
Dr ive to an au thor ized A udi d eal er or au tho riz ed
A udi Se rvice Faci lity i mmedia tely a t a m aximum
s p eed o f 35 mph ( 60 k m/h ) to h ave the ma lf u nc­
t io n co rre cte d.
• Air suspension: Service mode. Vehicle can
only be moved with restrictions
Caref ully drive to an aut ho rized Aud i dea le r o r
a ut ho rized Au di Serv ice Facili ty immedia tely to
have t he s ervic e mod e deac tiva ted.
II Air suspension: System fault .
15

a co .... N
" N
The brake pads are worn. D rive to an autho rized Aud i dea le r o r authorized
Aud i Service Fac ility immediately to have the
brake pads c hec ked.
Applies to: USA models
The liJ ind icator light turns on together w it h the
1111 indicator light.
EPC Engine control (gasoline engine)
If the 13:a ind icator ligh t turns on if there is a
mal function in the engine control.
D rive s low ly to a n author ized Audi dealer or au­
thor ized Audi Se rvice Fac ility to have the eng ine
checked.
! )\, Engine speed limitation
Applies to: vehicles with engine speed limitation
(Pl Maximum engine speed: XXXX rpm
The engine speed is automatically lim ited to the
speed d isplayed in the instr ument clus ter. T his
p rotects t he engine from overheating .
The engine speed limitat ion deactivates once the
engine is no longer in the c ritical temperature
range and you have released the acce le rato r ped ­
a l once .
I f the engine speed lim itation was activated by
a n eng ine contro l ma lfunction, the
13:a ind icator
l ight also turns on . Make su re t hat the speed
does not go above the speed displayed . Drive to
an authorized Audi dealer or authorized A udi
Service Facility immediately to have the malfunc­
tion corrected.
(D Tips
Applies to: Sand RS models
The engine speed is limited when the eng ine
is cold
-the full engine output is not availa­
ble. When the engine is at operating temper­
ature, the red area in the tachometer moves
to a higher RPM range.
~ .. Engine oil sensor
~ • Oil l evel! Sen sor def ectiv e
\.J ' In strum ents and ind icator ligh ts
The sensor to check the engine oi l level has
failed. Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or au ­
thorized Audi Serv ice Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
f Engine warm-up request
n Pleas e warm up engin e
Fuel has entered the engine oil, either from low
outside temperatures or frequent short drives.
Drive until the eng ine is warm so that the fuel in
the engine o il w ill evaporate. Avoid hig h engine
speeds, full accelerating and heavy engine loads
when doing this .
Bu Tank system
D Please refuel
If the indicator light turns on for the first time
and the message appears, there are about 2 .6
gallons ( 10 liters) of fuel left in the tank .
D Fuel tank system mal funct ion! Contact deal ­
e r
There is a ma lfunction in the fuel tank system.
Drive to an authorized A udi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
(D Tips
For addi tional informat ion on ref ueling, see
¢ page 190 .
<9 Washer fluid level
t-"$ JJlease refill washer fluid
F ill the was her fl uid fo r th e windsh ie ld washer
system and the headlight washer system* when
the ignition is switched off ¢
page 203.
$-. Windshield wipers
m Windshield wiper defecti ve
T he re is a ma lfunction with the windshield wip-
ers.
..,.
17

Opening and clo sin g
remain in the vehicle. Otherw ise the children
cou ld start the engine or operate electrical
equipment such as power windows.
(D Note
Protect the remote control key against high
temperatures and direct sunlight.
(D Tips
- The operation of the remote control key can be temporarily dis rupted by interference
from transmitters near the vehicle working
i n the same frequency range (such as a cell
phone or radio equipment). Always check if
your vehicle is locked!
- Using the mechanical key, you can:
- Lock/unlock the g love compartment.
- Manually lock/unlock the vehicle
r:::;,page 31 .
- Mechanically lock the doors c:> page 31.
-For an explanation on conformity with the
FCC regulations in the United States and the
Industry Canada regulations, see
r:::;, page258 .
Removing the integrated mechanical key
Fig. 16 Re mote con trol ma ste r key: re mo vin g t he mech an i·
cal key
" Press the release button @ r:::;, fig. 16.
" Pull the mechanica l key @ out of the remote
contro l key.
28
LED and batteries in the remote control key
Fig. 17 Remote con trol key : remo ving t he ba ttery h older
LED on the remo te control key
The LED @ informs you about the function of the
remote control key .
"If you press a button briefly, the LED blinks
once.
" If you press and hold a button longer (conven­
ience opening), the LED blinks several t imes .
" If the LED does not blink, the remote control
key battery is dead . The
Ill ind icator light and
the message
Plea se change key battery ap­
pea r. Replace the battery in the remote contro l
key .
Replacing the remote control ke y battery
" Remove the mechanical key c:> page 28 .
" Press the release button @ on the battery
holder and p ull the battery ho lde r out of the re­
mote contro l key in the direct ion of the a rrow
at the same time.
" Insert the new battery with the"+" facing
down .
"Slide the battery holder carefully into the re­
mote contro l key .
" Inser t the mechanical key.
@ For the sake of the environment
Discharged batter ies must be disposed of us ­
i ng methods that will not harm the environ­
ment. Do not dispose of them in household
trash.

a co .... N
" N
-Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep for your vehicle to drive
through safely.
-Avoid driving through salt water, because
this can cause corrosion.
Economical and environmentally-friendly
driving
The amount of fuel consumption, the environ­
mental impact and the wear to the engine,
brakes and tires depends mostly on your driving
style. With an anticipatory and economic driving
style, fuel consumption can be reduced by ap­
proximately 10-15%. The following tips will help
you conserve the environment and your money at the same time.
Anticipatory driving
A vehicle uses the most fuel when accelerating.
When you drive with anticipation, you do not
need to brake as often and so you accelerate less.
When possible, let your vehicle coast with a
gear
engaged, for example, when you notice that the
next traffic light is red. This produces an engine
braking effect, which helps to protect the brakes
and tires and reduces the emissions and fuel con­
sumption to zero (fuel shut-off during decelera­
tion) .
Shift efficiently
Upshifting earlier is an effective way to save fuel.
Staying in a gear too long uses fuel unnecessari­
ly .
Press down on the accelerator pedal slowly and
avoid "kick-down".
Avoid full acceleration
You should rarely travel at the maximum vehicle
speed. High speeds cause a disproportionately
high increase in fuel consumption, emissions and
traffic noise. Slower driving saves fuel.
Reduce idling time
The Start/Stop system* helps to reduce the idling
time automatically. In vehicles without the Start/
8 Stop system*, it is efficient to switch the engine 00 \.J ' Driving
off when stopped at railroad crossings and long
red lights. Stopping the engine for 30-40 sec­
onds already saves more fuel than the amount of
extra fuel needed to restart the engine.
It takes a very long time in idle to warm the en­
gine up to operating temperature. Wear and
emissions are especially high in the warm-up
phase. Therefore, you should begin driving im­
mediately after starting the engine. Avoid high
RPMs while doing this .
Have maintenance performed regularly
By having maintenance performed regularly on
your vehicle, you can help to reduce fuel con­
sumption before you even start to drive. The maintenance condition of your vehicle not only
affects traffic safety and long-term value but al ­
so impacts
fuel consumption . A poorly main­
tained engine can lead to fuel consumption that
is 10% higher than normal.
Avoid short trips
The engine and emissions control system must
reach their optimal operating temperature to ef­
fectively reduce consumption and emissions .
A cold engine uses a disproportionately high amount of fuel. The engine reaches operating
temperature and consumption normalizes only
after approximately
2 .5 miles (4 km) .
Check the tire pressure
To save fuel, make sure the tires are always in­
flated to the correct pressure
Q page 215. The
fuel consumption can increase by S% if the pres­
sure is only 0.5 bar too low . Due to the increased
rolling resistance, low tire pressures will also
lead to greater tire
wear and will affect driving
behavior.
Do not drive on
winter tires year -round, as this
will consume up to 10% more fuel.
Eliminate unnecessary weight
Since every pound of extra weight increases fuel
consumption, a quick inspection of the luggage
compartment may be worth it to avoid unneces -
sary weight.
.,.
65

Driving
When not being used, a roof rack should be re­moved to decrease the wind resistance of the ve­
hicle. You will save approximately 12% of your
fuel when at speeds from 62- 7 5 mph
(100-120 km/h) .
Save energy
The engine drives the generator, which generates
electricity ; the fuel consumption also increases
with the demand for electricity. Therefore, switch electrical equipment off when you no longer
need it. Examples of equipment that uses a lot of
energy are air blowers at a high setting, the rear
window defogger and seat heating* .
@ Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after
starting. If warning lights should come on to
ind icate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also produces
heat, which could result in overheating or
other damage to the vehicle or other proper-
ty.
@ Note
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommenda­
tions in your Warranty
& Maintenance book­
let. Lack of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the emission control system and
could lead to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Emission Control System unless ap­ proved by the manufacturer .
- Do not alter or remove any device , such as
heat shields, switches, ignition wires,
valves, which are designed to protect your
vehicle's Emission Control System and other important vehicle components .
@ Tips
The consumption estimates as published by
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, which will vary depending upon vehicle
66
load and speed, road and weather conditions ,
trip length, etc.
Steering
Manual steering wheel position adjustment
Applies to: vehicles with manual steering wheel adjustment
The steering wheel posi tion is adjustable up and
down and forward and back .
Fig. 74 Lever on th e stee ring column
.,. Pull the lever in the direction of the arrow
~A -
... Bring the steering wheel into the desired posi­
tion .
.,. Push the lever against the steering column un ­
til it is secure.
A WARNING
Improper use of steering wheel adjustment
and improper seating position can cause seri­
ous personal injury.
-Adjust the steering wheel column only when
the vehicle is not moving to prevent loss of
vehicle control.
-Adjust the driver's seat or steering wheel so
that there is a minimum of 10 in (25 cm)
between your chest and the steering wheel
~page 130, fig. 140 . If you cannot main­
tain this minimum distance, the airbag sys­
tem cannot protect you properly .
- If physical limitations prevent you from sit­
ting 10 in (25 cm) or more from the steer­
ing wheel, check with your authorized Audi
dealer to see if adaptive equipment is avail-
able.
.,.