coolant level AUDI Q7 2011 Owner´s Manual

Instruments and warning /indicator lights
Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster and controls
The instrument cluster is your central source of informa ­
tion.
Fi g. 2 O ver view of th e in stru men t clust er
© Coolant temperature gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
@ Tachometer with t ime and date d isplay . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 11
® Warning/indicator lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
© Driver information system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
© Speedomete r with odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
© Fuel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
(j) Park ing system adva need . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
@ Reset button for trip odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
@ !CHECK] button .... ...... ..... ......... ...... .
@ Instrument cluster illumination ................. .
(I) Tips
13
13
The illum inat ion for the instrument cluster lights up whenever you
switch o n the ignition with the
vehicle headlight s off. As the daylight
fades, the instrument cluste r illum ination likewise d ims automati­
cally and w ill go out completely when the outside light is very low .
T his featu re is mean t to remind you to switch on the headligh ts when
outs ide light conditions become poor .•
Engine coolant temperature gauge
The engine coo lant gauge ~ fig . 2 © only works when the ignition is
on. To p revent damage to yo ur engine, ple ase note the following
important po ints:
Engine cold
As long as the needle rema ins at or close to the bottom of the gauge,
t he engine s till has not rea ched its operat ing tem perature. Avo id high
eng ine speeds, heavy eng ine loads and heavy t hrottle app lications.
Normal temperature
When the eng ine has reached its ope rating temperature, the needle
w ill move into the midd le of the gauge and remain t he re.
If the
eng ine is working hard at high outs ide temperatures, the needle may
r ise up. This is no need to worry as long as the
_t_ warning light in th e
instr ument cluster does not illuminate.
Warning light in the instrument cluster -t
When the _L warning light in the instrument cluster starts to flash,
this can mean one of two things: e ithe r th e coolan t
temperature is
too high, or the coolant
level is too low=> page 35. _,.

If the needle is well in the upper area of the gauge, the coolant
tempe rat ure is too high.
Stop the vehicle , switch the engine off and
allow the engine to cool.
If the warning light comes on again after
driving a short distance, contact an authorized dealer.
& WARNING
• Alway s observe th e warning in=> page 290 , "Engine comp art ­
ment ", before opening the hood and checking the engine coolant
level.
• Never open the engine hood if you see or hear steam, or if you
s ee engin e coolant dripping from the engine compartment. You
could burn yourself. Let the engine cool off first so that you cannot
hear or see any steam or engine coolant .
0 Note
• Mounting additiona l lights or accessories in fron t of the a ir inlets
reduces the cooling effect of the radiator . At high outside tempera­
t ur es o r high engine load, the engine could overheat.
• The front spo iler has bee n des igned to prope rly d istribute the
coo ling air when the vehicle is moving.
If the spoiler is damaged, this
cou ld reduce the coo ling effect and the eng ine could then overheat .
Ask your author ized A udi dealer for assistance .•
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicat es th e engine RPM (revolutions
per minutes).
Th e ta chomete r@ ::::> page 1 0, fig. 2 is the left of the tw o large clock­
type displays.
Th e engine tu rns at a speed
1,000 times the si ng le dig it in the
display, e.g. if the need le is po int ing at the "2 " the engi ne is t urning
at 2,000 RP M.
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Instruments and warning
/indicator lights
If e ngine RPM drops below 1,500, you s hould dow nsh ift to t he next
lower ge ar. T he re d area at t he e nd of the s cale i ndic ates m aximum
permissible e ngine RPM after the break-in per iod . Before reaching
this area, move the selector lever to posit ion "D (Drive)" or ease yo ur
foot off the accelerator pedal.
0 Note
T he tachome ter needle s houl d not move into the red range. If it does,
then only fo r a very short period of time . You could damage your
e n g in e by driv ing at h igh RPM .
c£> For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early saves fuel a nd reduces e ngine noise. •
Digital clock with date display
Date and time of day can be set in the MM I.
Fig. 3 Instrumen t
cluster with digital
clock
Th e d ate, t ime o f day, and time and date fo rmat c an be se t in the
MMI. You can find o ut more in the MMI manual.
Vehicle care Technical data

For example, if the transmission selector lever is not in the P position
when the engine is turned off, the following message appears:
Shift to P otherwise vehicle can roll away. Doors do not lock if
you are not in P.
The ignition key can only be removed with the selector in this posi­
tion . This and other messages are brought up if a function cannot be
carried out.
Driver messages and red symbols
If a red symbol appears in the display, a driver message can be shown
by pressing the (CHECK] button.
For example, the symbol for a problem with engine oil pressure~
appears in the display .
If you then press the I CH ECK] button, the
following driver message appears in the display:
Switch off engine ! Oil pressure too low
The driver message in the display goes out after about 5 seconds . The
driver message can be displayed again by briefly pressing the
[CHECK] button .
Driver messages and yellow symbols
If a yellow symbol appears in the display, a driver message is also
displayed automatically.
For example, the symbol ., appears in the display, indicating low
windshield washer fluid level. The following message also appears:
Please refill washer fluid
The driver message disappears after a few seconds. The driver message can be displayed again by briefly pressing the [ CHECK]
button. •
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Driver information display
Red symbols
A red symbol means DANCER.
-Pull off the road.
- Stop the vehicle.
- Turn off the engine .
Fig. 24 Display:
engine coolant level
warning (priority 1)
Check the malfunctioning system. Contact your autho­
rized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop for assistance.
Red symbols indicate a priority 1 malfunction -Danger!
With a priority 1 malfunction, a large symbol appears in the center
area of the display~ fig . 24 . When the symbol appears,
three
warning tones sound in succession. The symbol continues to blink
until the malfunction has been repaired.
If there are
more than one priority 1 malfunctions, the symbols
appear one after the other for about 2 seconds .
An additional driver message can also be displayed by briefly pressing
the
I CHECK ] button.
The red symbols mean:
Vehicle care Technical data

Driver information d isplay
0 Alternator ma lfunction =>page 34
BRAKE
USA model s: =>page 34
Brake system malfunction
<CD >
Can ad a m odel s: ::>page 34
Brake system malfunction
- --
-~-
Engine coolant level too => page 35
low/engine coolant temperature
-too high
~ Engine o il pressure too low ::> page36
Ad Blue /7 =>page296
Ad Blue c,,,.c AdBlue malfunction * =>page296
•
~ ....
Faulty steering =>page 36
© Faulty ignition switch =>page37
~
[ i J Tips
• If the warning/indicator light BRAKE (USA models)/ «D> (Canada
mode ls) in the instrument cluster flashes, the re is a brake system
malfunction. By press ing the [ CHECK] button, you can bring up a
dr iver message which explains the ma lfunct ion in more deta il. Please
note =>
page 34 .
• Speed wa rnings threshold 1 9 (USA mode ls)/ 0 (Canada models)
and threshold 2
8 , (USA mode ls)/ 8, (Canada models) are also shown
as red symbols . T he warning is a lways shown as a sma ll symbol in the
upper area of the display=>
page 31. •
Alternator malfunction 0
If the D symbol in the instrument panel display flashes, then there
is a malfunction in the a lternato r or the veh icle electronics. A warning
to the driver will appear, too. The driver warning goes out after about
5 seconds, but it can be b ro ught up at any time by pressing the
I CHECK] button again .
Usua lly, you can still drive to the next dealership. Turn off a ll but the
most necessary electr ica l consumers, since these drain the veh icle's
battery.
0 Note
If the _ f_ warning symbol (coolant system malfunction) also lights up
on the instrument panel dur ing the trip=>
page 35, then you have to
stop immediately and turn off the engine. The coolant pump is not
working anymore -danger of damage to the engine! •
Brake system malfunction
A malfunction in the brake system must be repaired as
soon as possible.
If the warning /indicator light BRAKE (USA models)/ (CD)
(Canada models) in the instrument cluster flashes, there is a
brake system malfunction. By pressing the
[CHECK] button,
you can bring up a driver message which explains the malfunction in more detail.
Stop v ehicle and check brake fluid level
- Pull off the road.
- Stop the vehicle.
- Turn off the engine .
- Check the brake fluid level:::::,
page 311.

- Contact your nearest authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop if necessary.
Warning ! Fault in brake system. Contact
workshop
- Drive carefully to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop and have the malfunction corrected
=>& .
If the ABS system malfunctions, the ABS warning/indicator light illu­
minates together with the brake system malfunction warning/indi­
cator light:::::, &.
& WARNING
• Always observe the warnings in:::::, page 290, "Engine compart­
ment", before opening the hood and checking the brake fluid.
• Driving with low brake fluid is a safety hazard. Stop the car and
get professional assistance.
• USA models: If the BRAKE warning light and the S warning
light come on together, the rear wheels could lock up first under
hard braking. Rear wheel lock-up can cause loss of vehicle control
and an accident. Have your vehicle repaired immediately by your
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop. Drive slowly and
avoid sudden, hard brake applications.
• Canada models: If the brake warning light((]:» and the ABS
warning light come on together, the rear wheels could lock up
first under hard braking. Rear wheel lock-up can cause loss of
vehicle control and an accident. Have your vehicle repaired imme­
diately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop.
Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake applications. •
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Driver information display
Engine cooling system malfunction _
t_
A malfunction in the engine cooling system must be
repaired as soon as possible.
When the -L symbol in the display blinks, then either the
engine coolant
temperature is too high, or the coolant level
is too low. An additional driver message can also be displayed
by pressing the [CHECK] button:
Switch off engine and check coolant level
- Pull off the road .
- Stop the vehicle.
- Turn off the engine.
- Check coolant level :::>
page 309.
-Add coolant if necessary=> page 310.
-Continue driving only after the engine coolant
warning/indicator light goes out.
- Contact your authorized Audi dealer for assistance if
necessary.
If the engine coolant level is correct, then the radiator fan may be the
cause of the malfunction.
If the O warning symbol (alternator malfunction) also lights up on
the instrument panel:::::,
page 34, then the fan belt may be damaged .
& WARNING
• If your vehicle should break down for mechanical or other
reasons, park at a safe distance from moving traffic, turn off the
engine and turn on the hazard warning lights:::::,
page 70, "Emer-
gency flasher
A". ..,.
Vehicle care Technical data

Driver information display
& WARNING (continued)
• Never open the hood if you see or hear steam or coolant
escaping from the engine compartment -you risk being scalded.
Wait until you can no longer see or hear steam or coolant
escaping.
• The engine compartment of any vehicle is a dangerous area.
Before you perform any work in the engine compartment, turn of
the engine and allow it to cool. Follow the warning stickers
=> page 290, "Engine compartment".
0 Note
Do not continue driving if the_¥_ symbol illuminates. There is a
malfunction in the engine cooling system -you could damage your
engine. •
Engine oil pressure malfunction 't:::f:
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol requires
immediate service or repair. Driving with a low-oil-pres­
sure indication is likely to inflict severe damage to the
engine.
If the ~ symbol appears in the display and blinks, the oil
pressure is too low. An additional driver message can also be
displayed by pressing the
[CHECK] button :
Switch off engine! Oil pressure too low
Immediate actions
- Pull off the road.
- Stop the vehicle.
- Turn off the engine .
-Check the engine oil level with the dipstick => page 305.
Dipstick readings checks too low
- Top off oil to the proper level=> page 306 .
Make sure that the oil pressure warning symbol~
appears no longer in the display before you start driving
again.
Dipstick reading checks OK
- If the oil pressure warning symbol ~ starts flashing
again even though the engine oil level checks OK on the
dipstick,
do not continue driving and do not let the
engine run in idle.
Instead, contact your authorized Audi
dealer for assistance.
[I) Tips
• The engine oil pressure symbol~ is not an indicator for a low
engine oil level. Do not rely on it. Instead, check the oil level in your
engine at regular intervals, preferably each time you refuel, and
always before going on a long trip.
• The yellow oil level warning indication
~ requires oil refill or
workshop service without delay. Do not wait until the red oil pres­
sure warning ~ starts to flash before you respond to the low oil
level warning
..'!' . By then, your engine may already have suffered
serious damage. •
Steering malfunction i
If there is a malfunction in the electronic steering column
lock, the steering cannot be unlocked.
If the i symbol in the display blinks, there is a malfunction
in the electronic steering column lock. An additional driver
~

_________________________________________________ O_ n_ t_ h_ e_ r _o_ a_d _ __.ffl'I
& WARN ING (conti nued)
up be cause of intense s unlig ht or h eat build -up in the engin e
co mp artmen t.
0 Note
Do not stop the engine immediate ly after hard or extended driving .
Keep the engine running for approximately two minutes to prevent
excessive heat build -up. •
Starting and stopping the engine
with Convenience key
A ppli es to veh icles : w it h Con venien ce ke y
Starting the engine with the (START ) button
This button switches on the ignition and starts the
engine.
Fig. 126 C onven ience
k ey : E N GI NE STA RT
but ton
The [S TART] button is provided with two -stag e op eration
=:> fig. 126 .
Con tro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
Switching the ignition on
-Press the I ST ART] button once to the first stage to switch
on only the ignition.
Gasoline engine: Starting the engine
- Step on the brake.
- Move the selector lever to the P or N position:::::,.
&-
- Press the I START ] button to the second stage to start the
engine.
Diesel engine : Starting the engine
- Step on the brake.
- Move the selector lever to the P or N position::::;,
&-
- Press the [START] button down to the first level to begin
the preheating process. The glow p lug indicator light
~
illuminates when the glow plug system is active .
- When the indicator light switches off, press the
[START] button down to the sec ond level to start the
engine.
After a cold engine is started, there may be a brief period of increased
noise because oil pressure must first build up in the hydraulic valve
adjusters . This is normal and not a cause for concern.
If the engine does not start immed iately, stop trying after 10 seconds
and then try to restart the engine about 30 seconds later.
Glow plu g syste m *
Diese l en gin es are equipped with a glow p lug system whose
preheating time is controlled by the coolant and outside tempera­
ture . Start the engine
immediately after the glow plug indicator light
switches off. .,,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Driving off road
Driving off road
Driving in difficult road conditions
and offroad
General information
T he ope ra ti on of the Ele ctro nic Stabilization P rogr am ( ESP ) is
expanded for operation away from paved roads. In s ituations where
slip or a different ia l lock in g f unct io n is requ ired, t he ESP offroa d
mode can be activated~
page 256. Hill descent control is also avail­
able in the ESP offro ad mode, wh ich a utomatically bra kes the vehicle
and thereby keeps speed consta nt when d ifferent whee l speeds are
de te cted when descend ing a hill~
page 257. Your Audi also has
permanent all-wheel drive in add ition.
However , your Audi is not a pure offroad ve hicle.
It was not bui lt for
dr iv ing un der extreme cond it ions, e.g. for t rips that ar e in th e natur e
of an exped it io n.
Drive only on road s and offroad sections which match the design of
your vehicle and your abilities as a driver. Never take risks!
Before driving offroad
• Check the eng ine oi l level, tire pressure, coolant level, and the
fluid level in the w indshiel d wa sher rese rvoir.
• Stow luggage items and other objects in the luggage compart ­
me nt, and sec ure t hem agains t slid ing ar ound.
After driving offroad
• After tr ips offroad, remove a ny tw igs and other foreign objects
from the gr ill, the underbody an d the whee ls. Pay special attention to
fore ign obje cts (sto nes) wh ich have be come lodge d in the tire tr ead.
• Clean the body and the vehicle unde rside, and ins pect t he vehicle
for possib le dam age. •
Clean dirty w indows, headlamp lenses, rear lights, and lic ense
plates.
• Perform a bra ke check (pa rticul arly afte r travell ing t hrough
wate r).
& WARNING
• Drive especially attentively and plan ahead in difficult road
condit ions and when offroad. E xcessive speed or incorrect maneu­
vers can cau se injurie s and damage to the vehicle .
• Always adapt your speed and driving style to road, offroad,
traffic, and weather condition s. Drive especially slowl y offroad
when your view is restricted.
• Please be aware that in ESP offroad mode, particularly on a
smooth and slippery road, the wheels may have an increased
tendency to spin and the vehicle may break away - danger of skid­ ding!
• Stability i s limited in the ESP offroad mode.
<i' For the sake of the environment
Avoid dama ge to t he e nvir onment and respect nature .
[ i ] Tips
O nly drive where i t is permi tted and st ay on mar ke d roads an d
paths .
Explanation of some technical terms
The follow ing data refer to ideal conditions. Depending on vehicle
load and g round condi tions a nd the enviro nment, t he num bers may ...

___________________________________________ C_ h _ e_c _k _ i_n -=g ~ a_n _ d_ f_i _ll _i _ n -=g =--- ......J•
-We recommend using only coolant additive Gl2 ++ (check the
l a bel) for yo ur vehicle. This coolant ad dit ive is available at au tho·
r ized Audi dealers . Other types of antifreeze can s ignificantly
reduce corrosion protection. The resulting corrosion can cause a
loss of coolant and serious engine damage .
• Do not add any type of radiator leak sealant to your vehicle's
eng ine coo lant . Adding radiator repa ir fluid may adversely affect the
function and performance of your cooling system and could result in
damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty .•
Checking the engine coolant Level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a quick
glance .
Fig. 2 37 En gin e
c o mpar tmen t: C oolant
ex pansion tank
Before you c heck anything in the eng ine compartment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in "Working in
the e ngine compartment" on
page 301.
- Turn off the ignit ion .
- Let t he eng ine cool down .
- Place a thick rag over the coolant expans ion tank
~ fig . 237 and carefully twist the cap counter ·clockwise
~ & -
Vehicle OP-eration
-Read the engine coolant level in th e open coo lant expan ·
sion tank ~ fig . 2 3 7 . With a cold engine, th e coolant level
should be between the "min" and "max" ma rkings . Whe n
the engine is warm , the level may be slight ly above the
"max" marking .
The location o f the coo lant expans ion tank can be seen in the engine
compartment illustration=>
page 302 .
To obt ain an accurate reading , the engine must be sw itched off.
Th e expans ion t an k in your vehicle is equippe d with an electric coolant
level sensor.
When the coolant lev el is too low, the warning light in the Auto·Check
System=>
page 35 will blink until you add coolant and t he level has
been resto red to normal. Even though there is an electric coolant
level sensor, we st ill recommend you check the coolant leve l from
time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the coo ling system . In the event of
coo lant loss , the cooling system sho uld be inspected immed iate ly by
your authorized Aud i dea ler . It is not enough mere ly to add coolant.
In a
s ealed system, losses can oc cu r only if the boiling point of the
coolant is exceeded as a result of ove rheating .
& WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and can get ve ry hot. Reduce
the ri sk of scalding from hot coolant by following the se steps.
• Turn off the engine and allow it to cool down .
• Protect your face, hand s and arms from e scaping fluid and
s team b y co ve ring the cap with a large, thi ck r ag.
• Turn the cap slowly and ver y carefully in a counter-clockwise
direction whil e applying light , downward pre ssure on the top of
thecap .
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Checking and filling -
------------- ------=------=:;______,.J,,...
<£> For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant sho uld not be reused. A lways dispose of used coolan t
w hile observing a ll enviro nmental regulations .•
Radiator fan
The radia tor fa n switc hes on a utoma tically by itself
The radiator fan is driven by the engine via the V-belt. The v iscous
cl utch reg ulates the spee d of t he fan accord ing to t he tem pera ture o f
the coolant.
An aux ili ar y e lec tric r adi ator fan* sw itches on and o ff depend ing o n
coo la nt temperat ure and other vehicle operating conditions.
After you switch the engine off, the auxiliary fan can continue r unning
for up to 10 minutes -eve n w it h t he igni tion o ff.
It can even swit ch on
again later by itse lf => & , if
• t he tem pera ture of the e ngi ne coola nt rises due to the hea t build­
up from the eng ine in the engine compa rtment, o r
• th e engine compar tmen t heats up because the ve hicl e is parked in
intense s unlight.
& WARNING
• To reduce the risk of personal injury never touch the radiator
fan .
• The auxiliary electric fan is temperature cont rolled and can
switch on suddenly even when the engine i s not running.
• The auxiliary radiator fan switche s on automatically when the
engine coolant reaches a certain temperatu re and will continue to
run until the coolant temperature drops. •
Vehicle OP-eration
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake flu id l eve l can be checke d with a quick gl ance .
Fig . 238 E ngine
compa rtment : Brake
fluid rese rvoir
Before you check a nyt hin g i n th e eng ine compa rtment ,
always read and heed all WARNINGS=> & in " Working in
the e ng ine compartmen t" on
page 301 .
-Read the brake fluid level from t he bra ke flu id reservoir
=> fig. 238 . T he bra ke fluid leve l must be between the
" MIN " and "MAX" markings.
Th e brake fl uid rese rvoir is located at the rear partition of t he engine
compartment on the left side=>
page 302.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some time due to the auto­
m atic adjus tment o f th e brake pads. This is no t ca use for alarm .
If the brake fluid level falls
considerably below the "MIN" mark, t he
brake warn ing/i nd icator lig ht ( U.S. models :
BRAKE, Canadian mode ls:
ill ) will come on=> page 20 and=> page 34. Do not continue to
operate the vehicle . The complete brake system s hould be thorough ly
che cked by an au thori zed Aud i dea le r o r q ua lified wor kshop a nd the
cause corrected.
If t h e brake fl uid leve l is too low, the brake .,,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data