2018 AUDI A7 checking oil

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.

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 \.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

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" 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