2018 AUDI Q7 check engine

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::r - Engine compartment
Working in the engine compartment
Special care is required if you are working in the engine compartment
F or wo rk in th e en gine co mpartm en t, suc h as
ch eck ing and filli ng flu id s, th ere is a r isk o f in­
jur y, sca lding, ac cident s, a nd b urn s. Fo r this
re aso n, follow all the warning s and gener al
s af ety pr ecau tions pr ovided in the f ollowin g in­
f o rm ation . The engine comp artm en t is a d an­
g ero us ar ea .
¢ ,&. .
A WARNING
- T urn the engine off.
- Swit ch the ign ition off.
- Set the parking brake .
- Select the "P" selector lever posit ion .
- Let the engine cool down.
- Never open the hood when there is steam or coolant escaping from the eng ine compart­
ment, because there is a risk that you could
be burned . Wait until no steam or coolant is
escaping.
- Keep children away from the engine com­
partment .
- Never spill flu ids on a hot engine. These flu­
ids (such as the anti -freezing agent con­
tained in the coolant) can ignite .
- Avoid short circu its in the electrical system .
- When working in the engine compartment,
remember that the radiator fan can sw itch
on even if the ign ition is switched off, which
increases the risk of injury .
- Never open the cap on the coolant expan­
sion tank when the eng ine is warm. The
cooling 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 engine cover under any circumstances . This increases the risk of
burns.
- If tests need to be performed w ith the en­
gine running, there is additional danger due
to moving components (such as the ribbed
Ch eck ing and F illing
be lt, alternator and radiator fan) and from
the high-voltage ignition system.
- Do not under any circumstances activate the
throttle inadvertently (for example, by hand
from the engine compartment) if the veh i­
cle is stat ionary but the eng ine is running
and a gear is engaged . Otherwise, the veh i­
cle will start to move immed iately and this
could result in an acc ident.
- Pay attent ion to the following warnings
when work on the fue l system is required :
- Do not smoke .
- Never wor k nea r open flames .
- Always have a working fi re extingu isher
nearby.
- All work on the battery or electrical system
in your veh icle can result in inju ries, chemi­
cal burns, acc iden ts or bu rns . Because of
this, all work m ust be performed
onl y by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility.
- To reduce the risk o f electric shock and in ­
jury, never touch the following components
when the engine is running or is being start­
ed:
- Ign it ion cable
- Other components in the electronic high -
voltage ign ition system
- If you must check or perform work on the
engine wh ile it is running:
- Set the parking brake first and then se lect
the "P" selector lever position .
- Always proceed w ith 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 .
- lim it your exposure to exhaust and chemi­
cals to as short a time as possible
¢ ,&. .
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
319

Checking and Filling
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of Cali­
forn ia to cause cancer and birth defects and
reproduct ive harm . In addition, certain flu­
ids contained in veh icles and certain prod­
ucts of compo nent wear contain or emit
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm .
- Battery posts, termina ls 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 .
(D Note
When filling flu ids, be sure not to mix the flu ­
ids up . Otherwise severe ma lfunctions and en­
gine damage w ill occur .
@ For the sake of the environment
You shou ld 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 author ized Audi Service Facility to be
checked .
Opening/closing the hood
The hood is released from inside the vehicle.
Fig . 261 D river footwell : release leve r
320
Fig. 262 Unlocked hood : lev er
Make sure the wiper arms are not raised up from
the windshie ld. Otherw ise the paint could be
damaged .
Opening the hood
"'With the driver's door open, pull the lever be ­
low the instrument panel in the direction of the
arrow ~
fig. 261 .
"' Raise the hood slightly~ &-
"' Press the lever~ fig. 262 in the direction of the
arrow. This releases the hooks .
"' Open the hood.
Closing the hood
"' Push the hood down until you over ride the
force of the struts .
"' Let the hood fall lightly into the latch .
Do not
press it in.
~ .&_ .
A WARNING
-Never open the hood when there is steam or
coo lant escaping from the engine compart­
ment, because there is a risk that you could
be burned. Wait until no steam or coolant is
escaping.
- For safety reasons, the hood must always be
closed securely while driving . Because of
this, always check the hood after closing it
to make sure it is latched correctly . The
hood is latched if the front corners canno t
be lifted .
- If you notice that the hood is not latched
while you are driving, stop immed iate ly and
close it, because driving when the hood is
not latched increases the r isk of an accident . ..,.

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:E ' -If the hood is not latched completely, it
could fly up while you are driv ing and ob­
struct your vision.
Engine compartment overview
The most important check points.
Chec king and Filling
Fig . 2 63 Typ ical location of the reservoir a nd t he eng ine o il filler ope ning
@ Jump start point(+) under a cover,(-) with
hex head screw
c::> page 32 7 c::> page 369
@ Coolant expans ion tank ( - L) c::> page 325
@ Engine oi l label * with VW standard
<=:> page 321
© Engine oil filler opening ('t=:r.) c::> page 322
® Brake f luid reservoir ((0)) c::> page 326
® Washer fluid reservoir (~) c::> page 328
The coolant expansion tank @and the engine oil
fi ller opening ©
c::> fig. 263 may be located in dif­
ferent places depending on the engine version.
A WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS before check­
ing anything in the eng ine compartment
c::> page 319.
Engine oil
If the engine oil level is too low
If you need to add engine oil, us e an oil that i s
li sted on the st icker.
The sticker is located at the
front of the engine compartment
c::> page 321 ,
fig. 263.
If the recommen ded engine o il is not avai lab le,
in an emergency you may add a maximum of 1
quart
( l liter) of ACEA C3 or API SN eng ine oi l
one time until the next oil change.
F or more i nformation on the correct eng ine oil
for yo ur vehicle, contact an author ized A udi deal­
er or authorized Aud i Service Facility . Have the o il
c h anged by an authorized Audi dealer or author-
i z ed Service Facility.
ll>
321

Check ing and F illing
A ud i rec ommends
f;; Castrot //g{g{E{g ?r,w_:;-...7dri,'1AL
Audi rec ommends usi ng the Long Life high ­
perform ance eng ine oil from Aud i Genu ine
Part s.
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 319.
~ 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 in the Infota inment system: the I MENU I
button > Ve hicle > left contro l button > Ser vic e
& chec ks > Oil level.
~ Read the oi l level in the display . Add engi ne oil
if th e ba r in the oil leve l ind icator is j ust before
"min" ¢
page 323.
{U) Note
The engine o il leve l must not be unde r the
"min" marking, as this will increase the risk of
engine damage .
(D Tips
The oil level indicato r in the display 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 oi l and close the hood.
The current oil leve l is d isplayed in the Info­
tainment system the next time the ignition is
sw itched on.
(D Tips
The engine oil consumption may be up to
0.5 quart/600 m iles (0.5 liter/1,000 km), de­
pending on driving style and operating condi­
tions. Consumpt ion may be h igher during the
first 3,000 miles (5,000 km). Because of this, the engi ne oil level m ust be chec ked regular·
Ly. It is best to c hec k each t ime yo u refuel
your veh icle and before long dr ives.
322
- In order to prov ide e ffective lubrication and
cooling of interna l engine components, a ll
internal comb ustion engines consume acer ­
tain amount of oil. Oil consumption var ies
from engine to eng ine and may change sig­
nificantly over the life of the engine. Typi·
cally, eng ines with a specified break-in per i·
od consume mo re o il during the break-in pe·
r iod than they consume afte r oil cons ump·
t ion has s tabilized.
- Under no rma l co nd it ions, the rate of oil
c ons umption depends on the q ual ity and
vis cos ity of the oil, the RPM (revo lutions per
min ute) a t which the engine is operated, the
ambient temperature and road conditions .
Further factors are the amount of oi l di lu ­
t ion from water condensation or fuel resi­
due and the oxidation level of the oil. As any
eng ine is subject to wear as m ileage bu ilds
up, the oil consumption may increase over
t ime until replacement of worn components
may become necessa ry.
- With all these var iables comi ng into play,
no standard rate of o il consumption can be
established o r spe cified. There is no alter na­
t ive to c hec king the oil leve l reg ularly and
frequently.
- If you have the impress io n your e ng ine co n­
s u mes excessive amou nts of oi l, we recom ­
mend that yo u consult an authorized A udi
dea ler to have the cause of your concern
properly diagnosed . Keep in mind that the
acc urate measurement of o il cons umption
requires great care and may take some
t ime. An authorized Aud i dealer has instruc­
t ions about how to measure o il consump·
t ion accurate ly.
- You can find i nformat ion on engine oil and
eng ine oil capac it ies for the USA at
www.aud iusa.com/he lp/ma intenance, o r
for Canada at www.aud i.ca/ ca/web/en/
c u sterne r-area/ ca re -and-ma i nte na nee/ au di­
serv ice -sched u les. htm l, o r ca ll
800 -822 -2834 .

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::r - Adding engine oil
Fig. 264 Engine compa rtment : en gin e oil fille r opening
cover
Observe the safety p recautions r=:> .&. in Working
in the engine compartment on page
319 .
"'Turn the eng ine off.
"' Open the hood
r=:> page 320.
"'Unscrew the cap~ for the eng ine oi l filler
opening
r=;, fig. 264.
"' Carefully add 0.5 quart (0.5 liter) of the correct
oi l
r=;, page 321.
"'Close the engine oil filler opening cap.
"' Close the hood.
"' Restart the ignition after two mi nutes and read
the current o il level in the Infotainment system
r=:> page 322 , Checking the engine oil level.
"' Add more oil if necessa ry .
.8, WARNING
- Whe n add ing o il, do not let oil d rip on to hot
engine components . This increases the risk
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 out
onto the hot engine and exhaust system
when the eng ine is running, because this is
a fire hazard.
- Always clean skin thoroug hly if it comes into
contact with engine oil.
- Engine oil is poisonous and must be kept
out of reach of c hil d ren .
- Store the engine oi l securely in the original
container.
(Q) Note
- If the message Ill Plea se redu ce oil level
appea rs, there is too much oil in the engine
Ch eck ing and F illing
and there is a risk of catalyt ic converter and
engine damage . Do not start the engine.
Contact an authorized A udi dealer or au ­
thori zed Audi Service Fac ility to have excess
eng ine oi l extracted if necessary.
- Your Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not cover damage or malfunctions due to
failure to fo llow recommended mainte­
nance and use requ irements as set fort h in
the Audi Ow ne r's Manua l and War ranty
&
Ma intenance booklet.
- Use only a h igh quality engine o il that ex­
press ly complies with the Audi o il quality
s tandard spec if ied for yo ur vehicle's eng ine.
Us ing any othe r oi l can c ause ser io us eng ine
damage.
- Do not mix a ny addit ional lubr ican ts into
t he engine oil. Damage caused by such add i­
t ives is no t covered by the warranty .
@ For the sake of the environment
-Oil sho uld neve r en ter the sewer system or
c ome in to con tact w ith the ground.
- Pay attent ion to lega l requirements when
disposing of empty o il conta iners.
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by an
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified service sta­ tion.
Befo re you check anything in the engine compart­
ment,
a lwa ys read and heed all WARNINGS r=;, &.
in Working in the engine compartment on
page
319.
T he eng ine o il must be changed according to the
i nterva ls spec ified in your War ranty
& Ma inte­
nance booklet . This is ve ry importa nt because the
l u brica ting proper ties of oil dim inish g radua lly
during norma l vehicle use .
U nder some c ircumstances the engine oil s hou ld
be c hanged more freq uent ly. Cha nge o il more of­
ten if you dr ive mostly s hort d istances, operate
the vehicle in dusty areas or under p redominantly
stop-and -go traffic conditions, or have your ve hi­
cle where temperatures remain be low free zing
for extended periods.
323

Check ing and F illing
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh oi l
look dark after the engine has been running for a
short t ime. Th is is norma l and is not a reason to
change the oil more often than recommended.
Because of the prob lem of p roper disposa l, along
with the special tools and necessary expertise re­
qu ired, we strongly recommend that you have
your oil changed by an authorized
Audi dealer or
a qualified service station .
If you choo se to change your oil your self , 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 oi l drain plug with your
fingers, stay as far away as poss ible. A lways
keep your forearm paralle l to the ground to
help prevent hot oi l from running down your
arm.
- Drain the oil into a container des igned for
this purpose, one large enough to hold at least the total amount of oil in your eng ine .
- Engine oil is poisonous. Keep it well out of
the reach of chi ldren .
- Cont inuous contact w ith used engine oil is
harmful to yo ur sk in. A lways protect your
sk in by washing o il off thoroug hly w ith soap
and water.
@ Note
Never mix o il add it ives wit h your engine o il.
These additives ca n damage your eng ine and
adversely affect your Aud i Lim ited New Veh i­
cle Warranty.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Before changing your oil, f irst make sure
you know w here yo u can properly dispose of
the used oil.
- Always dispose of used engine oil properly. Do not dump it on garden soi l, wooded
324
areas, into open streams or down sewage
drains.
- Recycle used engine o il by ta king it to a used
engine oi l collection facility in yo ur a rea, or
contact a service station.
Cooling system
Coolant
The eng ine cooling system is filled w ith a mixtu re
of p urified wate r and coolant additive a t the fac­
tory. This coolan t m ust no t be no t changed.
The coo lant level is mon itored through th e . in­
dicator light
r=;, page 22. However, we do recom­
mend oc cas io nally checking the coolant leve l
manu ally.
If you must add coolant, use a mixture of water
and coolant additive . Mix ing the coo lant add itive
with dist illed wate r is recommended.
Coolant additive
The coolant additive is made of anti-freezing and
corrosion protection agents . Only use the follow­
i ng coolant additives . These add itives may be
mixed wi th each other.
Coolant additive Specification
G12 evo TL 774 L
G12 ++ TL 774 G
G 13
TL 774 J
The amou nt of coolant addit ive that needs to be
mixed with water depends o n the c lima te where
t h e ve hicle w ill be operated. If the coo lant add i­
t ive pe rcen tage is too low, the coolan t ca n freeze
and damage the engine.
Coolant Freeze protec-
additive tion
Wa rm min
. 40% min. -13 °F
regions max
. 45% ( -25 °C)
Cold min. 50% max. -40 °F
regions max. 55% (-40 °C)

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:E ' (D Note
-Before the start of winter, have an author­
ized Audi dealer or author ized Audi Service
Facility check if the coolant additive in your
vehicle matches the percentage appropriate
for the climate . Th is is especially important
when driving in co lder 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 wa te r and re­
store the co rrect mixture ratio with the
spec ified coo lan t additive as soon as possi­
ble .
- Only refill with new coo lant.
- Radiator sealant must no t be mixed with
the coo lant.
Adding coolant
Fig . 26 5 Eng ine compartme nt: release button on coolant
expansion tank
Observe the safety precautions ¢ page 319,
Working in the engine compartment .
Checking the engine coolant level
.,. Park the vehicle on a level surface .
.,. Swi tch the ign ition off.
... Read the coolant leve l on the coo lant expansion
tank¢
fig . 265.
... The coolant level must be between the MIN and
MAX markings 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
coo lant in the expans ion tank
¢ (D .
Chec king and Filling
.,. Let the engine cool down.
... Place a cloth over the coolant expansion tank
cap.
... Push the release button
¢fig. 265 and carefu l­
ly unscrew the cap to the left until you feel re­
sistance ¢.&, .
.,. Push the release button aga in and remove the
cap comple tely .
.,. Add coo lant m ixed in the cor rec t rat io
¢page 324 up to t he MAX mar king.
... Ma ke sure that t he f luid level remains stab le .
Add mo re coolant if necessary .
... Tu rn the cap to the right to secure it until you
fee l res istance a second time.
Coola nt loss usually in dicates there is a leak . Im­
mediate ly drive your vehicle to a n authorized
Audi dealer or authorized A udi Service Facility
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 ex pansion tan k cap
when t he engine is hot. This increases the
ris k of burns .
- Th e coolan t addi tive and the coolan t can be
dangerou s to yo ur he alt h . Fo r th is reason,
keep the coolant in the original cont ainer
an d away from children. There is a risk of
poisoning .
- When working in the engine compar tment,
remember that t he radiator fan can switch
on even if the ignition is switched off, which increases the risk of injury .
{U) Note
Do not add coolant if the expansion tank is
empty. There may be air in the cooling sys­
tem, which increases the risk of engine dam ­
age. If this is the case, do not cont inue driv­
i ng. See an authorized A udi dealer or author­
i zed Audi Service Facility for assistance .
-
325

Checking and Filling
Brake fluid
N
N
~ N ,l: CX) al
Fig. 266 Engine compartment: cap on brake flu id reservo ir
Observe the safety precautions c> .&. in Working
in the engine compartment on page 319.
Checking the br ake fluid l evel
~ Read the brake fluid level on the brake fluid
reservo ir
c> page 321, fig . 263 . The brake fluid
level must be between the MIN and MAX mark­
ings
Q ,&. .
The brake fluid level is mon itored automat ically .
Chan ging the b ra ke fluid
Have the brake fluid changed regularly by an au­
thorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Servic e
Facility .
A WARNING
-If the brake fluid level is be low the MIN
marking, it can impair the braking effect
and dr iving safety, which increase the risk of
an accident. Do not cont inue d riving . See an
authorized Aud i dealer or autho rized Audi
Service Facility for assistance .
-If the brake fluid is o ld, bubbles may form
in the b rake system du ring heavy b raking.
T his would impair brak ing performance and
driving safety, which increases the risk of an
accident.
- T o ensure the brake system functions cor­
rectly, only use brake fluids t hat comply
with VW standard 501 14 or
FMVSS-116 DOT 4 .
(D Note
-If the brake fluid level is above the MAX
mark ing, brake fluid may leak out over the
326
edge of the reservoi r and result in damage
to the vehicle.
- Do not get any brake fluid on the vehicle
paint, because it will corrode the paint.
Battery
General warnings about batteries
Because of the comp lex power supp ly, all wo rk
on batter ies such as d isconnecting, replacing,
etc., sho uld
onl y be performed by an autho rized
Audi dealer or au thorized A udi Servi ce Fac ility
Q _& .
The term "vehicle battery" refers to the 12 Volt
ba ttery in your vehicle.
Detail ed warnings for th e vehicle battery :
Always wear eye protection.
&
Battery acid is highly corros ive. Always
wear protective gloves and eye protection .
So
®
Fire, sparks, open flame and smoking are
forbidden .
£
A highly explosive m ixture of gases can
form when charging batter ies.
®
Always keep children far away from bat-
tery electrolyte and the battery.
~
Always follow the instructions in the oper -
ating manual.
A WARNING
All work on the battery or electrical system in
your vehicle can result in injuries, chemical burns, accidents or burns. Because of this, all
work must be performed
on ly by an author­
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Fac ility .
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Battery posts, term inals and related acces­
sories conta in lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive problems.
Wash hands after handling.
~