2018 AUDI Q7 check engine light

Cockpit overv ie w
{QJ Note
To prevent scratches on the g lass covering the
head -up d isp lay, do not place any ob jects in
the projection opening.
(D Tips
- Sung lasses with polarization fi lters and un ­
favorab le lighting conditions can have a
negative effect on the display.
- An optimum display depends on t he seat
position and the height adjustment of the
head-up display.
- A specia l windshield is needed for the head ­
u p d isp lay f unction.
- For information on cleaning, see¢
table In ­
terior cleaning on page 353.
Indicator lights
Description
The indicato r lights in the inst rument cl uste r
blink or t urn on. They indica te funct ions or ma l­
f u nctions.
M essages may appea r with some indicator lights.
A wa rni ng sig nal w ill sound at the same t ime.
The indicato r lights and messages in the ins tru ­
ment cluster display can be covered by other d is ­
p lays. To show them again, select the second tab
with the mu ltifunction stee ring wheel
¢ page 12.
If there are several malfunctions, you can d isplay
them one at a time using the thumbwheel.
Some indicator lights in the disp lay can display in
several colors.
& Central indicator light
If the . or Q indicator light turns on, check
the message in the instrument cluster .
Overview
Some indicator lights turn on briefly as a function
check when you switch the ign ition on . These sys­
tems are marked wit h a./ in the following tables.
I f one of these indica to r ligh ts does not tur n on,
there is a ma lfu nction in t hat system.
18
Red indicator lights
--------------
Centra l indicator light
¢ page 18,
Audi pre sense*
¢page 112
USA models:
Brake system ./
¢page 21
Canada mod els:
B rake system ./
¢page 21
USA models:
Electromechanical parking brake
¢ page22
Ca nada model s:
E lectromechanical parking brake
¢ page 22
Cooling sys tem
¢page 22
Eng ine o il p ress ure
¢page 23
Engine o il level (MI N)*
¢ page24
Alternator
¢page 23
Safety be lt
¢ page 23
Electromechanical power steering,
all-wheel steering* ./
¢page 146
Steering lock
¢ page24
Eng ine sta rt system
¢page24
Transmission
¢page 90
Hood
¢page24
Adaptive cruise contro l*./
¢ page 104
Traffic jam assist*
¢page 109

Cockpit overv ie w
- If the indicator light and message appear while
dri ving ,
the hi ll start assist or emergency brak ­
ing function may be malfunctioning. It may not
be possib le to set the parking b rake or release
it once it has been set. Do not park your veh icle
on h ills . See an author ized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Aud i Serv ice Facility for ass istance .
Brake booste r: limited funct ionality. You can
cont inue dri ving. Please contact Se rvice
There is a malfunction in the brake booster. The
brake booster is available, but its effectiveness is
reduced . Braking behav ior may be diffe rent from
how it normally functions and the brake pedal
may v ibrate .
Drive to an a uthorized Aud i dea le r or a uth orized
Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to have the
malfunct io n corrected.
A WARNING
- Read and follow the warn ings in
~ page 319, Working in the engine com­
partment
before open ing the hood and
che ck ing the b rake fl uid level.
- If the brake system indicator light does not
tu rn off o r it t urns on while driv ing, the
br ak e fluid level in the reservoir is too low,
and this inc reases the risk of an acc iden t.
Stop the vehicle and do no t continue dr iv ­
ing. See an authorized Audi dealer or au­
tho rized Audi Service Facility for assistance .
- If the bra ke sys tem indicator light turns on
together with the ABS and ESC indicator
lights, the ABS/ESC regulating function may
be malfunctioning. Functions that stabilize
the vehicle are no longer ava ilable. This
could cause the veh icle to swe rve, wh ich in ­
creases the risk that the vehicle w ill slide .
Do not continue driving . See an author ized
Audi dealer or author ized Audi Se rvice Facil i­
ty for assis tance .
PARK/{®)! ~ Electromechanical parking
brake
If the -(USA models) I. (Canada mod els)
indicator light t urns on, the park ing brake was
set .
22
If the -(U SA mode ls) . (Canada models) in ­
dicator light is blinking, the braking force has not
built up enough or it has decreased. Se lect t he
"P" se lector lever position to secure the ve hicle.
Make sure the indicator light is off before you
start driving .
rlJ Parking brake: malfunction! Please contact
Ser vice
There is a ma lf u nction in the parking brake. Drive
to an authorized Audi dea ler or a uthorized Audi
Se rvice Fac ility immed iate ly to have the ma lfunc­
tion corrected.
Ill ( USA models )/¢@) (Canada model s) Parking
brake: warning! Vehicle pa rked too steep
There is not eno ugh braki ng for ce to ho ld the ve ­
hicle in p lace . T he brakes have ove rhea ted. The
vehicle could roll away even on a sma ll inc line.
Ill (USA model s)/ (C@) (Canada model s) Parking
brake : appli ed
If this message appears, press the brake pedal
first and then release the parking brake if neces­
sa ry .
II (USA models )/¢@) (Canada models) Parking
brake: emergency braking
The emergency braking function was triggered .
Please relea se parking b rake
Release t he pa rking bra ke if this message ap­
pears.
Plea se pre ss the brak e pedal to release the park­
ing brake
To release the parking brake, press the brake
pedal and press the~ button at t he same time,
or start driving with hill start assist~
page 83,
Starting to drive .
(D Tips
For additional informat ion on the parking
brake, see~
page 81.
-L Cooling system
• Turn off engine and check coolant level. See
owner' s manual
...

Cl a:, ...... N
" N ...... 0
0
::r ' The coolant leve l is too low .
Do not cont inue d riving a nd switc h the eng ine
off. Check the coolant leve l£:=?
page 324.
- If the coolant level is too low, add coolant
C? page 325. Only cont inue dr iv ing once the in­
dicato r light tur ns off.
• Coolant temperature: too high . Let engin e
run with vehicle stationary
Let the eng ine run at id le for a few minutes to
cool off, until the ind icator light turns off.
- If the indicator light does not turn off, do not
contin ue driving the vehicle. See an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized A udi Service Faci lity
for assistance.
A WARNING
- Never open the hood if you ca n see o r hear
steam o r coolan t escap ing from the eng ine
compartment. This inc reases the risk of
burns. Wa it unti l you no longe r see or he ar
ste am o r coolan t esca ping.
- The e ng ine compartmen t in any ve hicle can
be a dange ro u s area. Stop the eng ine and
a llow it to coo l before wo rking in the engine
compartmen t. A lways fo llow the informa ­
t ion foun d in£:=?
page 319, Working in the
engine comportment .
{Q) Note
Do not co ntinu e dr iving if the . indi ca tor
light tu rns o n as th is in creases t he ris k of en ­
gine damage .
,ft Safety belt
The . indicator light stays on unt il the driver's
and front passenger's safety be lts are fastened.
Above a certain speed, there w ill also be a warn­
in g tone .
(D Tips
For addit iona l information on safety be lts,
see£:=?
page 261.
Coc kpit o ver view
0 Generator/vehicle battery
If the . or(•) in d icator light t urns on, the re is a
malfu nction in t he gener ator or the vehicle e lec ­
t rical sys tem .
• Electrical system: malfunction! Safel y stop
vehicle
Do not continue dr iv ing and switch the engine
off . See an author ized Audi dealer or au thorized
A udi Se rvice Fac ility for assistance .
(•) Electrical system: malfunction! Restart not
possible . Please contact Service
The veh icle batte ry was disconnected from the
vehicle e lectr ica l system and will no longer
c h arge. Dr ive to an authorized Audi dea ler or au­
thorized Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately.
Do not stop t he eng ine, o r you w ill not be ab le to
start it again. If you can no longer start the en­ gine, see an aut horized Audi dea ler or authorized
Audi Service Fac ility for assistance .
(•) Electri cal system: malfunction! Ple ase con­
ta ct Service
Drive to an authorized A udi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediate ly. Because the ve ­
hicle battery is discharging, t urn off a ll unneces ­
sary electrical eq uipment such as the rad io. See
an authorized Aud i dea ler or authorized Audi
Service Facility if the battery cha rge leve l is too
low.
(•) Electrical system: low battery cha rge. Bat­
tery will be charged while driving
T he sta rting ability may be impai red .
If this message turns off after a little whi le, the
vehicle batte ry cha rged enough while driv ing.
If the message does not turn off and stay off
whe n driving, have an author ized A udi dealer or
a ut ho rize d Aud i Serv ice Facility rep air the mal ­
f unc tion.
"1::7-: Engine oil pressure
• Turn off engine. Oil pressure too low
23

Cockpit overv ie w
Stop the engine and do not continue driving.
Check the engine oil leve l¢
page 322.
- If the engi ne oil leve l is too low, add engine o il
r:!> page 322. On ly cont inue driv ing once the in ­
dicator light turns
off.
- If the engi ne oil level is cor rect and t he i nd ica­
tor lig ht st ill tur ns on, tur n the eng ine
off a nd
do no t continue driving. See an authorized Audi
dealer or authori zed A udi Se rvice Fac ility for as­
sistance .
(D Tips
The oil pressu re warning is not an o il level in ­
dicator. Always check the o il level reg ularly .
'1'.::r,. Engine oil level (MIN)
Applies to: vehicles with oil level warning
• Please add oil immediately .
Add engine oil immed iate ly r:!> page 322.
Ill Plea se add ma x. x qt (l) oil. You can contin­
u e dri ving
Add the maximum amoun t of oil indicated in the
d isplay as soon as possible ¢
page 322 .
@-Steering lock
• Steering: malfunction! Please stop vehicle
There is a malfunction in the electronic steering
lock . You cannot turn the ignition on .
Do
not tow your vehicle because it cannot be
steered. See an authorized Audi dealer or author ­
ized Audi Service Fac ility for assistance.
!\II Steering lock: malfunct ion! Please contact
Service
There is a malfunc tion in the elec tronic stee ring
loc k.
Dr ive to an a uth o rized Aud i dea le r or a uth o rized
Aud i Serv ice Fac ility immediately to have the
malfun ct io n corre cte d.
24
A WARNING
Do not tow your vehicle when there is a mal­
function in the electron ic steer ing lock -thi s
i ncreases the risk of an acc ident.
-e Engine start system
• Engin e start sy st e m: malfunction! Plea se
contact Service
Do not sw itch the ignition off because you may
not be able to switch it on again .
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have the
malfunction corrected .
=:3 Engine start system: malfunct ion! Please
conta ct Ser vice
-
There is a ma lf u nction in the engine star ting sys ­
tem.
D rive to an author ized A udi dealer or au tho riz ed
A udi Se rvice Fac ility immed iate ly to have the
malfunction correc ted.
~ Hood
• Warning! Hood i s not locked . Stop vehicle
and che ck the lock
If the indicato r light turns on and the message
appears, the hood locking mechanism is not en ­
gaged correctly .
Stop immediately and close t he hood
¢ page 32 0.
0 /Q Air suspension
Applies to: vehicles with air suspension
• Air suspension: malfunction. Safel y stop ve­
hicle. Steering and ground clearance limited
D ue to a sys tem m alfu nct ion, yo ur vehicle's
ground clearance is very low at the front or rear
axle* (in vehicles with all-wheel steering) . Be ­
ca use of this, the w heels no long er have enoug h
clearance to steer correctly.
See an author ized Audi dealer or au thori zed A udi
Service Facility for assistance.
...

Cockpit overview
A WARNING
Have the safety systems inspected immedi­
ately. Otherwise, there is a risk that the sys­
tems may not activate during a collision,
which increases the risk of serious injury or
death.
( CD ) Brake system
[I] Brakes overheating. Please shift to D
-
There was a heavy load on the brakes. Place the
selector lever in the "D/S" position in order to use
the engine braking effect and reduce the load on
the brakes.
~t~J/(O : Brake pads
II (USA models)/EiJ (Canada models) Brake
pads: wear limit reached. You can continue driv­
ing. Please contact Service
The brake pads are worn .
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility as soon as possible to have
the malfunction corrected.
~ Engine control
II Drive system: malfunction! Please contact
Service
There is an engine control malfunction.
Drive slowly to an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility to have the engine
checked .
W Engine control (diesel engine)
Applies to: vehicles with diesel engines
The engine is preheating if the II indicator light
turns on when the ignition is switched on.
If the indicator light does not turn on or blinks
while driving, there is an engine control malfunc­
tion.
Immediately drive slowly to an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility to have
the malfunction corrected.
26
!?i Engine speed limitation
(II Maximum engine speed: XXXX rpm
The engine speed is automatically limited to the
speed displayed in the instrument cluster. This
protects the engine from overheating.
The engine speed limitation deactivates once the
engine is no longer in the critical temperature
range and you have released the accelerator ped­
al once .
If the engine speed limitation was activated by
an engine control malfunction, the
II indicator
light also turns on . Make sure the engine speed
does not go above the speed displayed, for exam­
ple when downshifting . Drive to an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility im­
mediately to have the malfunction corrected.
(D Tips
Depending on the engine: the engine speed
may be limited when the engine is cold -the
full engine output will not be available. When
the engine is at operating temperature, the
red area in the tachometer moves to a higher
RPM range.
~ ... Engine oil sensor
• Oil level system: malfunction! Please con­
tact Service
The sensor to check the engine oil level has
failed . Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
• Oil level sensor: oil change necessary. Please
contact Service
Fuel has entered the engine oil as a result of fre­
quent short drives. Avoid high engine speeds, full
acceleration and heavy engine loads. Drive to an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility immediately to have the oil changed.
• Oil pressure sensor: malfunction! Please
contact Service
There is a malfunction in the oil pressure sensor.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized .,.

Cl a:, ...... N
" N ...... 0
0
::r ' engaged, for example when you notice that t he
next traffic light is red . This produces an engine
b raking effect, wh ich he lps to protect the brakes
and tires and reduces the emissions and f uel con­
sumpt ion to zero (fuel shut-off dur ing decelera­
tion) .
Shift efficientl y
Upshifting earlier is an effective way to save fue l.
Staying in a gear too long uses fue l unnecessari­
ly .
Press down on the acce lerator peda l slowly and
avoid "kick -down".
Avoid full acceleration
You sho uld rare ly t rave l at the maxim um vehicle
speed. High speeds cause a d isp roportiona tely
hi gh increase in fuel consump tion, emissions and
traffic noise . Driving more slowly saves f uel.
Reduce idling time
The Start/Stop system* he lps to reduce the id ling
time automatically. In vehicles wi thout the Sta rt/
Stop system*, it is efficient to switch the engine
off when stopped at ra ilroad 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 eng ine.
I t takes a very long time in idle to wa rm 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 do ing th is .
Have maintenance perf ormed regularly
By having maintenance performed regu larly on
your ve hicle, you can he lp to reduce fuel con ­
sumpt ion before you even start to drive. The
maintenance condition of your vehicle not only
affects traffic safety and long-term value but a l­
so impacts fuel consumption . A poorly main­
tained engine can lead to fuel consumpt ion that
i s
1 0% hi gher tha n normal.
Driving
Avoid short trips
T he eng ine and exh aust cleaning system mus t
r each their optima l operat ing temperatu re to ef ­
fectively reduce consumption and emissions.
A cold engine uses a d isp roportionately high
amoun t of fue l. The engine re ac h es operat ing
temperat ure and cons umption norma lizes on ly
after approximate ly 2.5 mi les (4 km) .
Check the tire pressure
To save fuel, ma ke sure the t ires are always i n­
flated to t he correct pressure~
page 340. The
fuel consumpt io n can increase by
5% if the pres ­
s u re is on ly
0 .5 bar too low. Due to the increased
rolling resistance, low tire pressures wi ll also
l ead 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
S ince eve ry po und of ext ra weight increases f uel
co nsump tion , a quick inspect io n of the luggage
compartment may be worth it to avoid unneces ­
sary weight .
When not be ing used , a roof rac k sho uld be re­
moved to decrease the w ind resis tance of the ve ­
hicle . This will save you approximately
12% fu el
at speeds from
62 -75 mph (100 -120 km/h) .
Save energy
The eng ine d rives the generator, which generates
electric ity; the fuel consumpt io n also increases
wi th the dema nd for e lec tric ity . T he refore, sw itch
electrical eq uipment off when you no longer
need it . Examples of eq uipment 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 sho uld come on to
i ndicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also produces
heat, which could resu lt in overheating or
other damage to the veh icle or other proper ­
ty .
75

Checking and Filling
Checking and Filling Fuel
Gasoline grade
A pp lies to: ve hicles w ith gasoline engines
The correct gasoline grade is stated on the inside
of the fuel filler door .
The vehicle is equipped with a catalytic converter
and must only be driven with
unleaded gasoline.
Audi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent Gas­
oline. Additional information on TOP TIER Deter­
gent Gasoline can be found on the official web­
site (www .toptiergas.com).
The individual gasoline grades are differentiated
by
octane ratings. This value is given with (R +M)/
2 equating to AKI or in RON.
The following headings match the corresponding
sticker in the fuel filler door .
UNLEADED FUEL ONLY MIN. (R+M)/2 87
Regular/ MIN. RON 91 Regular
Use regular gasoline with minimum 87 AKI/
91 RON
i::>@ .
The max imum eng ine power is only reached if
p rem ium gasol ine 91 AKI/ 95 RON is used.
UNLEADED FUEL ONLY PREMIUM MIN. (R
+M)/2 91 / SUPER MIN. RON 95
Using premium gaso line with minimum 91 AKI/
95 RON is recommended.
If premium gasoline is not available, you can also use regular gasoline 87 AKI/ 91 RON . However
this does reduce th e engine powe r slight ly.
0 Note
- Fillin g the tank just one time with leaded
fuel or other metallic additives will cause
permanent deter iorat ion to the catalytic
converter function.
- When gasoline with an octane rat ing that is
too low is used , h igh speeds or heavy engine
load can lead to engine damage.
310
(D Tips
The vehicle may be filled with fuel that has a
h igher octane rating than what is required by
the eng ine.
Blended gasoline
App lies to : vehicles wi th gaso line e ngi ne
Use of gasoline containing alcohol or MTBE
(methyl tertiary butyl ether)
You may use unleaded gasoline blended with al ­
cohol or MTBE (commonly referred to as oxygen­
ates) if the blended mixture meets the following
criteria:
Blend of gasoline methanol (wood alcohol or
methyl alcohol)
- Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or h igher.
- Blend must contain no more than
3% metha-
nol.
- Blend must contain more than
2% co-solvents.
Blend of gasoline and ethanol (grain alcohol or
ethyl alcohol)
-Anti-knock index must be 87 AK I or h igher.
- Blend must not conta in more than 15% etha-
nol.
Blend of gasoline and MTBE
- Anti -knock index must be 87 AKI or higher.
- Blend must not contain more than 15% MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform es­
pecially well for winter or summer dr iv ing . Dur­
i ng seasonal change-over, we suggest that you
fill up at busy gas stat ions where the seasonal
adjustment is more lik ely to be made in t ime.
@ Note
- Methanol fuels which do not meet these re­
quirements may cause corrosion and dam­
age to plastic and rubber components in the
fuel system.
- Do not u se fue ls that fail to meet the speci-
fied criteria in this chapter. ...

Checking and Filling
Fuel filler door emergency release
If the central locking system is faulty, the fuel
filler door can be unlocked manually.
•
Fig . 256 Lu ggage compartment: removing the light cover
•
Fig . 257 Luggage compartment: fuel fi ller door emergency
r ele ase
The emergency release mec hanism is located be ­
h ind the r ight light cover in the luggage compart­
ment .
.. Use a screwdriver to remove the light cover
.:>fig . 256 .
.. Loosen the loop from the retainer and then pull
on the loop carefully
c> fig. 257 i=> @. The filler
doo r is released .
.. Press on the left side of the fuel fille r door to
open it
c> page 312, fig . 254.
@ Note
O nl y pull on the loop until you feel resistance .
You will not hear it release. Otherwise yo u
co uld damage the emergency re lease mecha­
nism .
314
Selective catalytic
reduction (AdBlue/DEF)
General information
App lies to: vehicles with selective catalytic reduct ion
In vehicles with selective catalytic reduction, a
urea solution (AdBlue/DEF) is injected into the
exhaust system in front of a nitrogen oxide cata­ l ytic converter to reduce nitrogen em issions. The
urea solution is known as Ad Blue or DEF (Diesel
Exhaust Fluid) . The informat ion that follows w ill
u se the name Ad B lue .
The Ad Blue is carried in a separate tank in the ve­
hicle. The AdBlue consumption depends on the
dr iv ing behavior and veh icle operat ing cond i­
tions .
It is within a range of 1.0 L -3.0L every 600
miles (1,000 km). In some cases, the consump­
tion may a lso differ from this range depending
o n the dr iving behavior and vehicle operat ing
cond it ions.
When a message about refi lling the AdBlue ap­
pears in the instrument cl uster display, you must
refi ll the Ad B lue yourse lf or have it refilled by an
authorized Aud i dea le r o r a utho rized Audi Service
Facility
c> page 315.
(D Tips
- T he d isp lay ind icates the dista nce rema ining
that can be dr iven
c> page 314 . If the Ad Bl ­
ue tank is completely empty, the engine will
not start again after the ignition is switched
off .
- Ad Blue is required by law to operate this ve ­
hicle .
Messages in the instrument cluster display
App lies to: vehicles with selective cata lyt ic reduct ion
The display indicates if the Ad Blue level is low or
if there is a system malfunction.
AdBlue level low
You w il l be informed in the instrument cl uster
display if the Ad Blue in the tank drops below a
ce rtain level. Ad d at a minim um the amount of
AdBlue shown in the message: .,..