oil AUDI A7 2016 Owner's Manual

Checking and Fill in g
Engine compartment
Engine compartment overview
These are the most important items that you can check .
Fig. 188 Typica l layou t fo r con tainers and en gin e oil fille r cap
@ Jump start point( -) with hex head Engine oi L
screw . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230 , 265
@ Jump start point(+) under a cover
@ Brake fluid reservoir (0)) ...... .
@ Eng ine oil filler cap
('t::71) .. .. .. .
® Coolant expansion tank (-L) .... .
@ Windshield/headlight washer con -
t .
(~ ) amer ~ ................. . .
230,265
227
222
224
231
The engine oil filler neck (item @) may be locat­
ed in a different area depending on the version of
the engine .
A WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment, always read and heed all WARN­
INGS~.&.
in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 218.
220
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used must conform to exact speci ­
fications.
The service inte rval disp lay in the instr ument
cl us ter of your vehicle will inform you whe n it i s
time for an oi l change . We recommend that you
have your oil changed by an authorized A ud i Serv­
i ce Advisor .
If you have to top off the o il between oi l changes,
use the Audi oil quality standard specifie d in the
table . ..,.

M N <( (.J
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1"1
N \!) ,....,
Audi oil quality standard
G as oli ne
VW 502 00 or
engi ne vw 504 00
Diese l vw 507 00
eng in e
Using the proper engine o il is important for the
functiona lity and service life of the engine. Your
engine was factory-fi lled with a high-quality oil
which can usually be used throughout the entire
year.
@ Note
Your L imited New Vehicle Warranty does not
cover damage or malfunctions due to failure
to follow recommended maintenance and use
req uirements as set forth in the Audi Owner's
Manual and Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
- Use only a high quality eng ine oil that ex-
pressly complies w ith the Audi o il quality
standard specified for your veh icle's engine.
Using any other oil can cause serious engine
damage .
- Do not mix any lubricants or other additives
into the engine oil. Doing so can cause en­
gine damage.
(D Tips
If you need to add oil and there is none availa­
ble that meets the Audi o il quality standard
your eng ine requires, you may add a total of
no more than 0.5 quart/liter of a high-quality
"synthet ic"oil that meets t he followi ng speci­
fications.
- Vehicles with gaso line engine: ACEA A3 or
API SM with a viscosity g rade of SAE OW-30,
SAE SW-30 or SAE SW-40.
- Vehicles with diesel engine: AC EA C3 or
API CF with a v iscosi ty grade of SA E OW -30
or SA E SW-30.
- For more information abo ut eng ine oil that
has been approved for your vehicle, please
contact e ither your a uthorized Audi dea ler
or A udi Customer Relations at
1 (800) 822-2834 or visit our web site at
www.audiusa.com or www.aud icanada.ca.
Checking and Fillin g
Engine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on on ade­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool oil of
its moving ports.
In order to provide effective lubricat ion and cool­
i ng of internal engine components, all internal
combust ion eng ines consume a certain amount
of oil. Oil consumpt io n varies from eng ine to en­
gine and may change sign ificantly over the life of
the engine. Typi cally, engines wi th a specified
break -in period (see
¢ page 196) consume more
o il during the b reak-in period than they consume
after oil consumption has stabilized .
Under normal cond itions, the rate of oil con­
sumption depends on the quality and viscos ity of
the oil, the RPM (revolutions per min ute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient tem­
perature and road conditions. Further factors are
the amount of oil dilution from water condensa­
t ion or fuel residue and the ox idation level of the
o il. As any engine is subject to wear as mileage
builds up, the oil consumption may increase over
t ime unt il replacement of worn components may
become necessary.
With all these variables coming into play, no
standard rate of oil consumpt ion can be estab­
lished or spec ified . There is no alte rnative to reg­
u la r and freq uent checking of the oil level, see
Note .
If the yellow engine o il leve l warning symbo l in
the instrument cluster
Ill li ghts up, you should
che ck the o il level as soon as possible
¢ page 222. Top off the oil at your earliest con­
venience
¢ page 222.
A WARNING
--=-
Before you check anythi ng i n the engine com-
partment, always read and heed a ll WARN­
INGS
¢ &. in Working in the engine comport­
ment on page 218.
(D Note
Driving wit h an insufficient oil level is likely to
cause severe damage to the engine.
IJJ,,
221

Checking and Fill in g
@ Tips
-The oil pre ssure warning displ ay. is not
a n ind icato r of the oil le vel. Do no t rel y on
i t. In stead , che ck the oil level i n your en ­
gine at regular inte rvals, preferab ly each
tim e you r efu el, and alway s befor e going
on a long trip .
-If you have the impression your engine con­
sumes excess ive amounts of o il, we recom­
mend that you cons ult your Audi dealer to
have the cause of your concern prope rly di­
agnosed. Keep in mind that t he accurate
measurement of oil consumpt ion req uires
great care and may take some time . Your
A udi dealer has instructions about how to
measure oil consumption accurately.
Checking the eng ine oil level
The engine oil level can be checked in the Info­
tainment system
F ig. 189 Infotainment: o il level indicato r
• Park your vehicle on a level surface.
• Shut the engine off when it is warm.
• Switch only the ignit ion back on .
• Wait approximately two minutes .
• Se lect : the
ICAR I function button > (C ar)* Sys ­
tem s
control but ton > S er vic e & con trol > O il
le vel.
• Check the oil leve l in the Info tainment system
display ¢
fig. 189. Add engine oil if the bar of
the oil level indicator is near "min"
r::!;>page222.
Depending on the way the vehicle is driven and
the operating conditions, oil consumption can be
up to 1/2 quart per 600 miles (0.5 liter per
222
1,000 km). Consumption may be h igher within
the first 3,000 miles (5,000 km).
Because of t his, the engine oil Leve l must be
chec ked regu larly . It wo uld be best to check each
time you refuel your vehicle and before long
drives .
{!) Tips
The oil level indicator in the instr ument clus­
ter d isplay is only an informational display. If
the oil leve l is too low, a m inimum oil warning
appears in the instrument cluster. Add oil. If
the hood was opened, the current oi l Level is
shown in the instrument cluster the next ti me
the ignition is switched on.
Adding engine oil 'l:::1:
Fig. 190 Engine compart ment: cover on the engine oil fill­
er neck
Before you check anyth ing in the eng ine compart­
ment,
alwa ys read and h eed all WARN ING S
r::!;> .&. in Working in the engine compartment on
page 218.
• Shu t the eng ine off .
• Unscrew the cap~ to the eng ine oi l filling
hole
r::!;> fig. 190, r::!;> page 220, fig. 188.
• Carefully top off with 0 .5 quarts (0.S liters) of
the appropriate oil
r::!;> page 220.
• Check the oil level again after two minutes
r::!;> page 222, Checking the engine oil level.
• Top off the oil aga in, if necessary.
• Screw the cap back on the filling hole.
_&. WARNING
-Wh ile topping off, the o il must not come in
con tact with hot engine parts -fire hazard!

M N <( (.J
'SI: ,...., \!) ..,.,
N \!) ,....,
-The oil fi ller ca p m ust be prope rly secure d to
preve nt oil from being sprayed on t he hot
eng ine and exhaust system when t he engine
is runn ing -fire haza rd!
- If your skin has come i n contact w ith the en ­
gine oil, you m ust subsequently clea nse it
th oroughly.
@ Note
-Check the oil level using the MMI. If the
message
Please red uce oil le vel a p pears,
contact your author ized Audi dealer or other
qualified workshop to have excess o il ex­
tracted if necessary .
-Audi do es not recommend th e use of o il
additiv es. They ma y damage th e engin e
and ad ve rs e ly affect your New Vehicle War­
rant y.
@ For the sake of the environment
-Under no circumstances can the o il come in
contact with the sewage network o r the soil.
- Observe and follow lega l regu lations whe n
dispos ing of empty oil conta iners.
Changing the engine oil
We recommend that have your oil changed by an
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified service sta ­
tion.
Before you check anything in the engine compart­
ment,
alw ay s re ad and heed all WARNINGS c> .&.
in Working in the engine compartment on
page 218 .
The engine oil must be changed according to the
interva ls specified in your Warranty
& Mainte­
n ance booklet . This is ve ry important because the
lub ricat ing propert ies of o il diminish gradually
du ring normal vehi cle use.
Unde r some circumstances the engine o il should
be changed more frequently. Change oil more of­
ten if you d rive mostly short distances, ope rate
the vehicle in dusty areas or unde r predom inantly
s top-a nd-go tr aff ic condit io ns, o r have you r vehi ­
cle whe re temperatures rema in below freezing
for extended periods .
Checking and Fillin g
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh oil
l ook dark after the engine has been running for a
sho rt time. Th is is norma l and is not a reason to
change the oi l more often than recommended.
Beca use of the p roblem of p roper disposal, along
with t he specia l too ls and necessary expertise re ­
quired, we strongly recommend that yo u have
yo ur o il changed by an authorized
Audi dealer or
a qua lified service station.
If y ou choo se to change your oil yourself , please
note the following important informat ion:
A WARNING "--
To reduce the risk of personal in jury if you
must change the eng ine oi l in your vehicle
yourself:
- Wear eye protect ion.
-
- To reduce the risk of burns from hot eng ine
oil, let the engine coo l down to the touch.
- W hen removing the o il dra in p lug with your
f ingers, stay as far away as possib le. Always
keep yo ur forearm parallel to the ground to
he lp prevent hot o il from running down your
arm.
- Dra in the oil into a container designed for
this purpose, one la rge enough to hold at
least the tota l amou nt of oil in yo ur engine.
- Engine oil is poisonous . Keep it we ll out of
the reach of ch ild ren .
- Continuous contact wit h used eng ine o il is
harmful to your skin. Always protect your
skin by washing oil off thoro ughly wi th soap
a nd water .
«I) Note
Never mix oil additives with yo ur engine oil.
These additives can damage your engine and
adverse ly affect your Aud i Limited New Vehi­
cle Warranty.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Before changi ng your oil, first make sure
you know where you can prope rly dispose of
the used oi l.
- Always dispose of used eng ine oi l properly.
Do not dump it o n ga rden soi l, wooded
223

Checking and F ill in g
areas, into open streams or down sewage
drains.
- Recycle used engine o il by taking it to a used
engine oil collection facility in your area, or
contact a service station.
Cooling system
Coolant
T he engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro ­
tects the engine from freezing in the winter .
The cooling sys tem is sealed and generally re­
qu ires little attention .
T he cooling system has been filled at the facto ry
with a permanent coo lant wh ich does not need to
be changed . T he coolan t consists of a mixture of
specially condit ioned water and the manufactur ­
er's glycol-based coolant addit ive Gl3 ant ifreeze
with a nticorrosion add itives (50% fo r USA mod­
e ls · 60% for Canadian mode ls). Thi s m ix tu re both
'
assures the ne cessary fros t protection and pro -
t ects meta l components in t he engine's cooling
system from corrosion and scaling. It a lso raises
the boiling point of the coolant.
D o not reduce the concentr ation o f the coo lant in
the summer by addi ng p la in water.
The propor­
tion of coolant additive must be at least 50 %
but not more than 60 %
to maintain antifreeze
protection and cooling efficiency .
If the coolant
frost protection is too low, the coolant could
freeze and damage the ve hicle heati ng and en­
g ine cooling system .
For year-round driving, antifreeze is added at the
factory for tempera tures down to:
- -3 1 °F (- 35°C)USA
- - 4 0 °F ( - 4 0 °C) Canada.
I f you must add coo lant, use a m ixt ur e of wate r
a nd coolant add it ive. Mixing the coolant additive
w ith d istilled w ate r is recommended.
_& WARNING
Before yo u check any thing in t he engine com­
par tment, always read and hee d all WA RN -
224
INGS ~ &. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 218.
(D Note
- Be fore wi nter sets in, have the coo lant
checke d to see if the coolant additive in you r
vehicle is sufficient to meet the climate con­ ditions. This is espec ia lly impo rtant if you
live in a region where the winter is extreme­
ly cold . If necessary, increase the p roportion
of coolan t addit ive to 60% .
- Whe n adding coolant additive to your cool­
ing system, remember:
- We re commend usin g on ly cool ant addi­
tive Gl2++ o r Gl3 (chec k the label) fo r
your ve hicle. This coo lant additive is avai l­
ab le at aut horized Aud i dea le rs . Othe r
types of ant ifreeze can significant ly re­
d uce co rrosion protection. The resulting
corrosion can cause a loss of coolant a nd
serious e ngine damage .
- Do not add any type of rad iator leak sealant
to your vehicle's engine coolant. Adding ra ­
diator repa ir fl uid may adverse ly affec t the
func tion and perfo rmance of your cooling
system a nd could result in d amage not cov­
ere d by yo ur N ew Vehi cle Lim ited War ranty.
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with a
quick glance.
Fi g. 1 91 Eng ine co mpar tmen t: c over on t he coo la nt expa n­
sio n tan k
Befo re you check a nyth ing in the eng ine compart­
men t,
always read and he ed all WARNINGS
~ A in Working in the engine compartmen t on
page 218. ..,.

M N <( (.J
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1
N \!) ,....,
~ Park your vehicle on a level surface.
~ Switch off the ignition .
~ Read the eng ine coolant leve l from the coolant
expansion tank
c> fig. 191, c> page 220,
fig. 188.
With a cold engine, the coolant level
should be between the "min" and "max" mark­
i ngs. When the engine is warm, the level may
be s light ly above the "max" marking.
The location of the coolant expans ion tank can be
seen in the engine compartment illustrat ion
i=>page220.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must
be sw itched
off.
The expansion tank in you r vehicle is equipped
with an electric coolant level sensor.
When the coo lant level is too low, the warning
light in the Auto-Check System
c:> page 15 wi ll il­
l uminate unti l you a dd coolant and the level has
been restored to norma l. Even though there is an
e lectric coolant level sensor, we still recommend
you check the coolant level from time to time.
Coolant loss
Coolant loss may i ndicate a leak in the coo ling
system . In the event of coo lant loss , the cooling
system should be inspected immed iate ly by your
author ized Audi dealer. It is not enough merely
to add coolant .
In a
sealed system, losses can occur only if the
boiling point of the coo lant is exceeded as a re­
sult of overheat ing.
A WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and can
get very hot. Reduce the risk of scalding from
hot coolant by following thes e steps.
- Turn off the engine and allow it to coo l
dow n.
- Protect yo ur face, hands and arms from es­
caping fluid and steam by cove ring the cap
with a la rge, th ick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and ve ry carefu lly in a
counte r-clockw ise direct io n wh ile a pplying
light, downwa rd pr essur e on the top of the
c ap.
Checking and Fillin g
-To avo id being burned, do not sp ill anti­
freeze o r coolant on the exha ust system or
hot engine parts. Under certa in cond itions,
the ethylene glyco l in engi ne coo lant can
ca tch fire.
(D Note
Do not add any type o f radiator leak sea lant
to you r vehicle 's engi ne coolant . Add ing radia­
tor repair fluid may adversely affect the func­
tion and pe rformance of your coo ling system
and could r esult in damag e not cover ed by
your New Veh icle Limited Warranty.
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check a nyth ing in the eng ine compart­
me nt,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
c> .&. in Working in the engine compartment on
page 218.
~ Requirement: T here must be a residua l amount
of coolant in the expansion tank
c:> (D .
~Tu rnoff the engi ne.
~ Le t the eng ine cool down.
~ Place a thick rag ove r the coo lan t expansion
t ank
c:>page 224, fig. 191 and carefully tw ist
t he cap coun ter- clockwise
c:> .&, .
~ Ad d coo lant mixed in the correc t ra tio
c:> page 224, Coolant up to the MAX marking .
~ Make sure that the fl uid leve l remains stab le.
Add more coo lant if necessary.
~ Twist the cap o n again tightly.
Rep lacement engine coo lant must confo rm to ex­
act specifications
c> page 224, Coolant.
We recommend using only coo lant add it ive G1 2+
+ , G 13 or in an emergency G12+. Do
not use a
different additive. In an emergency use p lain wa­
ter unt il you can get the correct add itive and can
restore the correct ratio. This should be done as
soon as possib le.
If you have lost a considerab le amou nt of cool­
ant, then you shou ld add cold antifreeze and co ld
water only whe n the eng ine is co ld.
Always use
new engine coo lant w hen refilling.
225

M N <( I.J "". rl I.O
"' N I.O rl
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
Fig. 192 Engine compa rtment : cove r on the brake f luid
reservoir
N
N
-N ,::
~
Before you check anything in the engine compart­
ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS
¢ A in Working in the engine comportment on
page 218.
.,. Read the brake fluid level from the brake fluid
reservoir
¢ fig. 192, ¢page 220, fig. 188. The
brake fluid leve l must be between the "MIN"
and "MAX" markings .
The location of the brake f luid reservo ir can be
seen in the engine compartment illustration
¢page 220.
The fl uid level may drop slightly after some time
due to the automatic adjustment of the brake
pads. This is not cause for alarm.
I f the brake fluid level falls
considerably below
the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/indicator
light
1111 (U .S. models)/ . (Canadian models)
will come on ¢
page 14. Do not cont inue to oper­
ate the vehicle . The complete brake system
should be thoroughly checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or other qualified facility and the cause corrected. If the brake fluid level is too low,
the brake warning/indicator light will illuminate.
Contact an authorized Audi dealer
immediately .
Changing brake fluid
Hove the broke fluid changed by on experienced
technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If the
water content in the brake fluid is too high, cor-
Checking and Filling
rosion in the brake system may result after a peri­
od of time. The boiling point of the brake fluid
will also decrease considerably and decrease braking performance .
T herefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every
two years.
Always use new brake fluid which con­
forms to Federal Motor Vehicle Standard "FMVSS
116 DOT 4".
The brake fluid reservoir can be difficult to reach,
therefore, we recommend that you have the brake flu id changed by your authorized
Audi
dealer .
Your dea ler has the correct tools, the
right brake fluid and the know-how to do this for
you .
_&. WARNING
-.
- Brake fluid is poisonous . It must be stored
only in the closed original conta iner out of
the reach of children!
- Brake failure can resu lt from o ld or inappro­
p riate brake fluid. Observe these precau­
tions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE speci­
fication
J 1703 and conforms to Federa l
Motor Vehicle Standard 116. Always check
with your authorized Audi dealer to make
sure you are using the correct brake fluid .
The correct type of brake flu id is also ind i­
cated on the brake fluid reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use of
the brakes can cause a vapor lock if the
brake fluid is left in the system too long.
T his can seriously affect the efficiency of
the brakes as well as your safety. This
could result in an accident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your vehi­
cle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of prope r disposal of
brake fluid as well as the special tools re­
quired and the necessary expertise, we rec­
ommend that you have the brake flu id
changed by your authorized Audi dealer.
227

Wheels
Wheels and Tires
General information
.,.Che ck your tires regularly for
damage (punctures, cuts, cracks
and bulges). Remove foreign ob­
jects from the tire tread.
.,. If driving over curbs or similar
obstacles, drive slowly and ap­
proach the curb at an angle.
.,.Have faulty tires or rims re­
placed immediately.
"'Protec t your tires from oil,
grease and fuel.
.,.Ma rk tires before removing
them so that the same running direction can be maintained if
they are reinstalled .
.,.Lay tires flat when storing and
store them in a cool, dry location
with as little exposure to light as
possible.
(D Note
-Please note that summer and
winter tires are designed for
the conditions that are typical
in those seasons. Audi recom­
mends using winter tires dur­
ing the winter months. Low
temperatures significantly de­ crease the elasticity of summ­
er tires, which affects traction
Wheels
and braking ability. If summer
tires are used in very cold tem­
peratures, cracks can form on
the tread bars, resulting in
permanent tire damage that
can cause loud driving noise
and unbalanced tires.
-Burnished, polished or
chromed rims must not be
used in winter driving condi­
tions. The surface of the rims
does not have sufficient corro­
sion protection for this and
could be permanently dam­
aged by road salt or similar
substances.
Tire designations
Fig. 195 T ir e designations on the sid e-
wall ,..
233

Wheels
Your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on making
sure that load limits are not ex­
ceeded. Vehicle load includes ev­
erybody and everything in and on
the vehicle. These load limits are
technically referred to as the vehi­
cle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic vehicle, all factory in­
stalled accessories, a full tank of
fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids
plus maximum load . The maxi­
mum load includes the number of
passengers that the vehicle is in­
tended to carry ("seating capaci­
ty") with an assumed weight of 150 lbs. (68 kg) for each passen­
ger at a designated seating posi­
tion and the total weight of any
luggage in the vehicle. If you tow
a trai ler, the weight of the trailer
hitch and the tongue weight of
the loaded trailer must be includ­
ed as part of the vehicle load.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating
("GAWR") is the maximum load
that can be applied at each of the
vehicle's two axles.
The fact that there is an upper
limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehi -
246
cle Weight Rating means that the
total weight of whatever is being
carried in the vehicle (including
the weight of a trailer hitch and
the tongue weight of the loaded
trailer) is limited. The more pas­
sengers in the vehicle or passen­
gers who are heavier than the
standard weights assumed mean
that less weight can be carried as
luggage.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
are listed on the safety compli­
ance sticker label located on the
driver's side B-pillar
c::> page 243,
fig. 197.
&_ WARNING ~
Overloading a vehicle can cause
loss of vehicle control, a crash
or other accident, serious per­
sonal injury, and even death.
-Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the vehicle
from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of the loss of
vehicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that
has been overloaded may not
be able to stop the vehicle
within a safe distance.

Fuses
Fuse panel® (red)
10 Rear seat entertainment
12
Rear spoiler (Sportback), tilt/open sunroof,
Panorama g lass roof
Fuse panel © (brown)
No. Equipment
1 Infotainment
2 I n fota inment
3
Infotainment , automatic d imm ing interior
rea rview mirro r
s TV tuner
6 Tank leak detection system
7 Sockets
8 Park ing heate r
10 Lu mba r su pport (front passenger's seat)
12 Infota inment
Fuse panel @ (black )
No. Equipm ent
Air suspens io n, adapt ive dampers, sport
l differentia l, e lectr om echanical parking
brake
2
Clu tch pedal position senso r/au tomatic
transmission
3 Seats
4 Rear w iper (Avant)
s Side assist
6 Engine sound
7 Infota inment/sound amplifier
8 Gateway
9 Sport differentia l
10 Climate control system
11
T ire press ure moni to ring sys tem/p ark ing
heater
12 Start-Stop-System
Fuse panel © (black )
No. Equipment
1 Special p urpose vehicles/rear seats
Fuse panel ® (black)
No. Equipment
1 Rear w indow defogge r
264