2018 AUDI A7 engine overheat

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Instruments and indicator ligh ts
Instruments and ind icator lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster overview
The instrument cluster is the central information center for the driver.
F ig. 3 Instrument cl uster overv iew
(D Engine coolant temperature gauge
@ Tachometer .. ............. .. .
- With
OFF status indicator ... . .
- With
READY status ind icator ..
@ Turn signals ............. .... .
@ Disp lay w ith
- Driver information system ... . .
- Indicator lig hts ....... ... .. .
® Speedometer
® Fuel level
@ Tips
9
10
68
68, 70
40
20
10
10
The instrument illumination for the needles
and d ials t urns on when the ignition is turned
on and the lights are turned off. The illumina­
tion fo r the ga uges reduces automat ical ly and
eventu ally turns off as brightness outside in­
creases . This function reminds the drive r to
turn the low beams on at the appropriate
time.
Coolant temperature indicator
ed on. To prevent engine damage, please observe
the following notes about the temperature rang­
es.
Cold ran ge
If only the LEDs at the bottom of the gauge turn
on, the engine has not reached operating tem­
perature yet. Avoid high eng ine speeds, full ac­
celerating and heavy eng ine loads.
Normal range
The engine has reached its operating tempera­
ture once the LEDs up to the center of the gauge
turn on.
If the . indicator light in the instru­
ment cluster d isplay turns on, the coolant tem­
perature is too
high ¢ page 14.
@ Note
-Aux iliary headlights and other accessories in
front of the coo ling-air intake impa ir the
cooling effect of the coolant . This increases
the risk of the engine overheating dur ing
high ou tside temperatures and heavy en­
gine load.
~ The coolant temperature display (D ¢ page 9,
~ fig . 3 only functions when the ignition is switch-
u ' 9

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-

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" 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

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" 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.
..,.
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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
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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.
.,.

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" N .... 0 00 \.J ' Stopping/parking
If t he se lecto r lever is not in t he P posi tion when
you open the driver 's door, the vehicle could rol l.
The message
V ehicle ma y roll! Selector le ver not
in P
appears . A warning tone will a lso sound .
.,. Press and hold the brake pedal¢.&_ .
.,. Set the parking brake.
.,. Se lect the P selector lever position.
Unde r ce rtain c ircumstances, s uch as dr iv ing in
the mountains, i t may be useful to switch tempo­
rari ly to the manua l shift program in order to
manually adjust the gears to the driving condi­
tions
¢ page 78.
On inclines, activate the park ing brake fi rst and
then move the selector lever to the P position
¢ page 72 . Th is prevents the locking mechanism
from being loaded too heavi ly and wi ll make it
eas ier to move the se lector lever out of the P po­
sition .
A WARNING
-The veh icle can roll even if the ignition is
switched off .
-Never leave your vehicle with the engine
runn ing wh ile in gear .
-Do not press the accelerator pedal when
changing the selector lever pos ition wh ile
the vehicle is stationary and the engine is
ru nning .
-
-Please note that a sma ll amount of power is
t ransmitted if the vehicle is stopped tempo­
ra rily while in t he D/S or R selector lever po ­
s iti on. To redu ce the r isk of an accident, yo u
mus t continue press ing firmly on the brake
peda l w hil e the vehicle is stopped so that it
does not roll.
-Never engage the R o r P se lec to r level posi­
tions while driving .
It could cause a crash.
-Be fore dr iv ing dow n a steep s lope, red uce
yo ur speed and shift in to a lower gear with
"ti ptro n i c" .
-Do not ride the brakes o r press the brake
peda l too often or too long w hen driving
down hill. Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substantially re­
duces braking performance, increases brak-
Driving
ing distance or causes comp lete fai lure of
the brake system.
-If you m ust stop on an incline, a lways ho ld
the vehicle in place wit h the foot brake or
parking brake to prevent it from rolling
back .
-Never hold the vehicle on an incline with a
slipp ing clutch. The clutch opens automati­
cally when it becomes too hot from the
overload .
The@] indicator light turns on
a nd a message
appears~ page 79 when
the clutch is overloaded .
@ Note
-When stopping on an incl ine, do not try to
hold the ve hicle in place by pressing the ac­
celerator peda l wh ile a d riving gear is se­
lected. This ca n cause t he transmission to
over heat a nd can damage it. Se t the park ing
bra ke or p ress the brake pedal to p revent
t he vehicle from rolling.
-Allowing the vehicle to roll when t he engine
is stopped will damage the transmission be ­
cause it is not lubricated.
(D Tips
Fo r sa fety reasons, the park ing bra ke is re ­
l eased a utomatica lly on ly when t he driver 's
safety be lt is fastened.
Hill descent control
The hill descent control system assists the driver
when driving down hills .
Hill descent control is act ivated when the selec­
tor leve r is in the D or S position and yo u press
the brake peda l. The transmission a utomatica lly
selects a gear that is suitable for the hi ll. Hill de ­
scent control tries to maintain the speed ach ­
ieved at the time of braking, w ith in physical and
technical lim itations . If may still be necessary to
adjust the speed w ith the brake pedal.
Hi ll descent control switches off once the hill lev-
els out or you press the accelerator pedal.
.,..
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" N .... 0 00 \,;J ' The bars in the boost pressure indicator are red
¢page 23.
A WARNING
Please note that the wheels could spin on
slick or slippery roads when overboost is ac­
tive.
Launch control program
A ppl ies to: ve hicles with S tro nic
-
The launch control program provides the best
possible acceleration when starting from a stop.
Requirement: the engine must be at operating
temperature and the steering wheel must not be
turned.
.. Deactivate the Start/Stop system*¢ page 72.
The LED in the 10 ,r- l button turns on.
.. Switch the electronic stabilization control (ESC)
sport mode on
¢ page 121. The II indicator
light turns on.
.. Pull the selector lever b ack out of the D/S posi­
tion briefly to select the S position or select the
DYNAMIC driving mode in drive select
¢ page 106 .
.,. Press the brake pedal firmly with your left foot
and hold it all the way down for at least one
second.
.. At the same time, press the gas pedal all the
way down w ith your right foot until the engine
reaches and stays at a high RPM level.
.. Remove your foot from the brake pedal within
five seconds
¢ & ..
A WARNING
- Always adapt your driv ing to the traffic flow.
- Only use the Launch control program when
road and traffic conditions allow it and oth­
er drivers will not be endangered or both­
ered by your driving and the vehicle's accel­
eration.
- Please note that the drive whee ls can sp in
and the vehicle can break away when sport
mode is switched on, especially when the
road is s lippery.
Driving
-Once the vehicle has started moving, press
the
I ~ OFFI button briefly to turn the sport
mode
off.
(D Tips
- Th e transmission temperature may increase
significantly after using the launch control
program. If that happens, the program may
not be available for a few minutes. It will be
available again after a cool-down period.
- When accelerating using the launch control
program, all vehicle parts are subject to
heavy loads . This can lead to increased
wear .
Transmission malfunction
[i'J Transmission: Pres s brake pedal and select
gear again .
Press the brake pedal and select the desired se­
lector lever position again . You can then continue
driv ing .
[O] Transmission overheating: Please drive con­
servatively.
The transmission temperature has increased sig­
nificantly due to the sporty d riving manner. Drive
in a less sporty manner until the temperature re­
turns to the normal range and the indicator light
switches of .
[O] Transmission malfunction: You can continue
driving
There is a system malfunction in the transmis­
sion. You may continue driving. Drive to an au­
thori zed Audi dealer or authori zed Audi Service
Facility soon to have the malfunction corrected .
[O] Transmission malfunction: You can continue
driving with limited functionality
T here is a system malfunction in the transmis­
sion . The transmission is switching to emergency
mode. This mode only shifts into certain gears or
will no longer shift at a ll. The engine may sta ll.
Drive to an au thorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the malfunction corrected .
..,.
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" N .... 0 00 \.J ' intervals and ensures a better reaction time for
the brakes in wet weather.
The braking effect can also be reduced if you are
driving on salted roads and you do not apply the
brakes for long periods of time. The layer of salt
on the brake rotors and pads must be worn off
first when the brakes are applied.
Due to its surface, the ceramic brake rotor* ab­
sorbs moisture in certain situations. Therefore,
there will temporarily be less braking force than
when the brakes are dry. You can compensate for
this by pressing the brake pedal harder.
Corrosion
Leaving the vehicle parked for long periods of
time, low mileage and avoiding heavy braking
can contribute to corrosion on the brake rotors
and to dirty brake pads.
If you usually avoid heavy braking or if there is
corrosion present, occasional heavy braking at
high speeds is recommended to clean the brake
rotors and
pads ¢.&. .
Brake system malfunction
If you notice that the brake pedal travel has sud­
denly increased, then a brake circuit in the dual­
circuit brake system may have malfunctioned. Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
problem corrected. On the way there, drive with
reduced speed and keep in mind that you will
need a longer distance to stop and you will need
to press the brake pedal harder .
Low brake fluid level
When the brake fluid level is low, malfunctions in
the brake system may occur . The brake fluid level
is electronically monitored .
Brake booster
The brake booster amplifies the pressure you ap­
ply to the brake pedal. It only works when the en­
gine is running.
A WARNING
-Only apply the brakes for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system when road and
-
Intelligent Technology
traffic conditions permit. You must not en­
danger other road users. This increases the
risk of an accident.
- Never let the vehicle roll while the engine is
stopped because this increases the risk of an
accident.
- New brake pads do not achieve their full
braking effect during the first 250 mi
(400 km) . They must be "broken in" first.
The break-in period can be considerably lon­
ger for vehicles with ceramic brake rotors*.
However, you can compensate for the
slightly reduced braking force by pressing
firmly on the brake pedal. Avoid heavy brak­
ing during the break-in period.
- Certain weather and operating conditions
such as driving through water, driving in
heavy rain or driving after washing your ve­
hicle can impair the effectiveness of the
brakes. In the winter, ice may build up on
the brake pads, rotors and drums. Check
these components by braking carefully. Ap­
plying the brakes carefully several times
dries the brakes and removes ice build-up .
- The efficiency of the brakes can also be im­
paired by driving for long stretches on roads
covered with salt without using the brakes.
You can remove salt deposits from the
brake rotors and pads by carefully applying
the brakes several times.
- If the front spoiler is damaged or you install
another spoiler, make sure the front wheel
brakes are ventilated properly. Otherwise,
the brake system could overheat, which re­
duces their effectiveness.
- Failure of a brake circuit impairs braking
performance, which increases braking dis­
tance. Avoid driving the vehicle and have it
towed it to the nearest authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility.
- If the brake booster is not working, you will
have to press much harder on the brake
pedal to compensate for the lack of the
booster .
@ Note
-Never let the brakes "rub" by pressing the
pedal lightly when braking is not actually
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