coolant level AUDI Q7 2010 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 nced . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
@ Reset button for trip odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
@ !CHECK] button .... ...... ..... ......... ...... .
@ Instrument cluster illumination ................. .
(I) Tips 13
1
3
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 30. _,.

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 286 , "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

Driver information display
Driver messages and yellow symbols
If a yellow symbol appears in the display, a driver message is also
displayed automatically.
F o r 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.•
Red symbols
A red symbol means DANGER.
-Pull off the road.
- Stop the vehicle.
- Turn off the engine.
Fig. 17 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 .
17. 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 othe r for about
2 seconds .
An additional driver message can also be displayed by briefly pressing
the (
CHECK ] button.
The red symbols mean :
0
BRAKE
CCD>
Alternator malfunction
USA models:
Brake system malfunction
Canada models:
Brake system malfunction
Engine coolant level too
low/engine coolant temperature
too high
~ Engine oil pressure too low
Ad Blue
/8' Refill AdBlue*
f Faulty steering
Faulty ignition switch
(I) Tips
=> page29
=> page29
=> page29
=>page 30
=> page 30
=>page292
=> page 31
~page31
• If the warning/indicator light BRAKE (USA models)/ ((!)) (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. Please
note =>
page 29. .,_

• Speed warnings threshold 1 8 (USA models)/9 (Canada models)
and thresho ld 2
e , (USA mode ls)/ 0, (Canada models) are also s hown
as red symbols . The warning is always shown as a small symbol in the
upper area of the display ~
page 35. •
Alternator malfunction 0
If the D symbol in the instrument panel d isplay flashes, then there
is a malfunction in the alternator or the vehicle electronics . A warning
to the driver wi ll appear, too. The driver warning goes out after about
5 seconds, but it can be brought up at any time by pressing the
[CHECK] button again.
Us ua lly, you can sti ll d rive to the next dea le rship . T urn off all but the
most necessary e lectr ica l consumers, s ince these dra in the vehicle's
battery.
0 Note
If the _f-warning symbol (coolant system ma lfunction) a lso lights up
on the instrument panel during the trip~
page 30, then you have to
stop immediate ly and t urn off the engine. The coolant pump is no t
work ing 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 mode ls)/ CCD)
(Canada models) in the instrument cluster flashes, there is a
brake system ma lfunction. By press ing the
[CHECK ] button,
you can bring up a driver message which exp lains the
malfunction in more deta il.
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Dri
ver information display
Stop vehicle and check brake fluid Level
- Pull off the road.
- Stop the veh icle .
- Turn off the eng ine .
- Check th e brake flui d level =>
page 307.
-Contact your nearest authorized Audi dea ler or qualified
workshop if necessary.
Warning ! Fault in brake system. Contact
workshop
- Drive carefully to the neares t author ized Audi dealer or
qualified works hop and have the malfunction corrected
=> & .
If the ABS system malfunctions, the ABS warning/indicato r light illu­
minates together with the b rake system malfunction warning/ indi ­
cator light~& .
& WARNING
• Alw ay s ob serve the warning s in ~ page 28 6, "Engine c ompart­
m ent ", before opening th e hood and che cking the b rake fluid .
• Driving with low brake fluid is a safety hazard. Stop th e car and
get profe ssional a ssistan ce.
• USA model s: If the BRAKE warning light an d the \6:> warning
light com e on together, the rea r wheel s could lo ck up fir st under
hard braking . R ear wh eel lo ck -up c an cau se lo ss of vehi cle control
and an a ccident . Have your v ehicl e repair ed immedia tely by your
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified work shop. Dr ive slowly and
avoid sudd en, hard brake applications .
• Canada model s: If the brake warning light CCI» and the ABS
warning light come on togeth er, the rear wheels could lo ck up
fir st unde r hard b raking. Rea r wheel loc k-up c an cause lo ss of
~
Vehicle care Technical data

Driver information display
& WARNING (continued)
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.•
Engine cooling system malfunction -L
A malfunction in the engine cooling system must be
repaired as soon as possible.
When the .J_ 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 305.
-Add coolant if necessary~ page 306.
-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
D wa rning symbol (alternato r malfunction) also lights up on
the instrument panel~
page 29, 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 68, "Emer­
gency flasher
A".
• 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 286, "Engine compartment".
0 Note
Do not continue driving if the _f_ symbol illuminates. There is a
malfunction in the engine cooling system -you could damage your
engine .•
Engine oil pressure malfunction "l::,r:
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 pressure is too low. An additional driver message can also be
displayed by pressing the
[CH ECK) button:
Switch off engine ! Oil pressure too low
Immediate actions
-Pull off the road .

_________________________________________________ O_ n_ t_ h_ e_ r _o_ a_d _ __.fflll
0 Note
Do not stop the engine immediately 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
Applies to veh icle s: with Con venie nce ke y
Starting the engine with the {START) button
This button switches on the ignition and starts the
engine.
Fig . 123 Convenience
key: ENGINE START
button
The [START] button is provided with two-stage operation
=:> fig. 123.
Switching the ignition on
- Press the [ START] button once to the first stage to switch
on only the ignition .
Gasoline engine: Starting the engine
-Step on the brake.
Contro ls a nd e quip ­
m en t Vehicle
OP-eration
-Move the selector lever to the P or N position =:>& .
- Press the
[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 plug indicator light
illuminates when the glow plug system is active.
- When the indicator light switches off, press the
[START] button down to the second 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 immediately, stop trying after 10 seconds
and then try to restart the engine about 30 seconds later.
Glow plug system*
Diesel engines are equipped with a glow plug 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.
Th e glow plug indicator light will only illuminate for approximately 1
second when the engine is warm or the outs ide temperature is higher
than 46 °F (8 °C). That means you can start the engine
immediately.
& WARNING
Never allow the engine to run in confined spaces· danger of
asphyxiation.
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 252. 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 253. 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.
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_in --= g:-. a_n _d_ f_i _ll _i_n -=g =-- ____.•
- 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 35 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 297.
- Turn off the ignit ion .
- Let t he eng ine cool down .
- Place a thick rag over the coolant expans ion tank
~ fig . 235 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 . 235 . With a cold engine, the 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 expansion tank can be seen in the engine
compartment illustration=>
page 298 .
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 30 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 occu 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-clo ckwise
direction whil e applying light , downward pre ssure on the top of
thecap .
~
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

___________________________________________ C_ h _ e_c _k _ i_n -=g .._ a_n _ d_ f_i _ll _i _ n -=g '-- ....... JIII
<£> For the sake of the environment
Dra ined coolant sho uld not be reused. A lways dispose of used coolan t
w hile observing a ll enviro nmental regulations .•
Radiator fan
T he 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. •
~ehicle 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 . 236 Engine
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 co mpartmen t" on
page 297.
- Read the brake fluid level f rom t he bra ke flu id reservoir
~ fig. 2 36 . The 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 298.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some time due to the auto­
m atic adjus tmen t of th e br ake 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 29 . 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

___ C_ o_n_ s _ u_m_ e_ r_ I_ n_ f_o _r_ m_ a_ t_io _ n _____________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nu ed )
• The engine compartment of any motor veh icle is a potentially
hazardous area . Never reach into th e area around or touch the
radiator fa n. It is temperature controlled and can switch on
s uddenly -even when the engine is off and the ignition key has
been remo ved. The radiator fan switches on autom atically when
the coolant rea ches a certain temperature and will continue to run
until the coolant tempe rature drops.
• Always remove the ignition key before anyone gets under the
vehicle.
• Always support your vehicle with safety stands if it i s neces sary
to work unde rne ath the vehicle. The jac k supplied with the vehicle
is not adequate for thi s purpose and could collap se cau sing
serious personal injury.
• If you must work underneath the vehicle w ith the wheels on
the ground , always ma ke sure the vehicle is on level ground , th at
the whe els are alway s securely blocked and that the engine cannot
be started .
• Always make sure the transmi ssion selector l ever (automatic
tran smission) is in "P" (Park position ) and the par k brake is firmly
applied.
W For the sake of the environment
• Changing the engine settings will adversely affect e miss io n levels.
Th is is detrimenta l to the environment and increases fuel consump­
ti on.
• Always observe enviro nmental regulations when disposing of old
eng ine o il, use d brake fl uid, dirt y engine coo lant, s pent ba tt er ies or
worn out t ires.
• Undep loyed a irbag modules and pretens ioners migh t be classified
as Perchlorate Mater ia l -spec ial handling may apply, see
www.dts c.ca .g ov/h azar douswas te/pe rchlo ra te . When the veh icle or
parts of the rest raint system including a irbag modu les sa fety belts
w ith pretens ioners are sc rapped, all applicable laws and regulat io ns must be observed
. Your authorized Aud i dealer is familiar with these
re qui remen ts and we recomme nd that you have your dealer perfo rm
this serv ice for you .•
Additional accessories,
modifications and parts
replacement
Additional accessories and parts
replacement
A lway s con sul t an autho rized Audi dealer before
purchasi ng a ccess ories.
Your vehicle incorporates the latest safety design feat ures ens uring a
hig h stand ard of active and passive s afe ty.
T hi s safety co uld be compromised by no n-app roved changes to the
vehicle. Fo r this reason, if parts have to be replace d, p lease observe
the following points when installing addit ional accessories :
Approved Audi accessories and genuine Aud i parts are available from
a u thor ized Aud i deal ers.
T hese dea lers a lso have the necessary fac ilities, tools and tra ined
speci alists to inst all the parts and ac cessor ies p ro p er ly.
& WARNING
Using the wrong spar e parts or u sing non-approved ac ce ss ories
can cause damage to the vehicle and serious personal injury .
• Use only acces sories expressly approved by Audi and genuine
Audi spare parts
• The se parts and acces sorie s have been specially designed to be
used on your vehicle . _,.