check engine light AUDI Q7 2012 Owner´s Manual

II
Low fuel level
¢page 35
fi.fl1::jfl1-j Kefill Ad Blue*
¢page255
-Ad Blue,/'
•
•
•
••NI@
AdBlue ma lfunction*
¢poge255
Battery voltage
¢poge36
Worn brake pads
¢poge36
Dy namic headlight range
control defective
¢poge36
Check eng ine oil level
¢poge36
Engine oil sensor malfunc­
tion
¢poge36
Engine speed limitat ion*
¢poge36
Diesel particulate filter *
clogged
¢poge37
A dapt ive lig ht* defec tive
¢poge37
-Ignition lock malfunction
¢poge37
W indshield wiper defective
¢poge37
Tire pressure monitoring
sys tem
Loss of air pressure
¢poge293
T ire pressure monitoring
system
System not availab le
¢poge293
Dri ver information di spla y 35
Battery in remote control
key
¢poge39
A utomat ic transm iss ion
malfunction
¢ page 141
...?c, Key not in vehicle
Applies to vehicles: with Convenience key
!!I Key not in vehicle
This reminder appears along with the !!I sym ­
bol if the master key is removed from the
ve­
hicle with the engine runn ing. It is intended
to rem ind you (e .g. whe n cha ng ing dr ive rs)
not to cont inue the journey without the mas­
te r k ey.
If the master key is no longer in the ve hicle ,
you cannot swi tch off t he ig nit io n after stop­
ping the engine an d you also cannot start the
engine aga in. What is mo re, you cannot lo ck
t he ve hicl e from the o utsi de.
@. D Light/rain sensor defective
fll Automatic headlights/ automatic wipers
defective
If t he symbol illumina tes, the l ight se nsor has
f ailed. For safe ty rea sons the low beams are
tu rned on permanently with t he switc h in
AU­
TO. However , yo u can cont inue to tu rn the
li g hts on and off using the light switch . In the
case of a defect in the rain sensor, t he wind ­
shield wiper lever functions are still availab le.
Have the light/rain senso r ch ecked as soon as
poss ible by an author ized Audi dealer .
6 Windshield washer fluid level too low
~ Please refill washer fluid
If the symbol illuminates, add w indshie ld
washe r fl ui d to the washer system and also to
t h e headlight washer system
¢ page 2 73 .
Bl Fuel supply too low
II Please refuel

36 Driver in formation d isplay
When this symbo l (I illuminates for the f irst
time, the fuel reserve in your vehicle is sti ll
between 2 .6 and 3 .2 gallons (10- 12 liters) .
Refue l as soon as possib le
¢ page 252.
If the symbol lights up, even when there is
ample fuel in the tank, and the text
T a nk sys ­
tem malfunct ion! Cont act wor kshop
appears
in the display, there is a fault in the system.
Contact a qualified workshop to have the fau lt
rectified.
t::l Battery voltage
If the battery's state of charge is not in the
optimal range, the
f• ) symbol is shown in the
d isplay and the dr iver message
Low battery
c harge : battery will be charg ed while driving
appears.
Wh ile this dr iver not ificat io n is displayed, you
have to be p repared for lim ited start ing capa­
b ili ty.
Driv er m essage appears and goes out
again
I f t his driver message appears after the igni ­
tion is turned o n or wh ile driving and it goes
out again after a while, the battery has been
adequately recharged .
Driver message app ears and does not go
out again
If th is driver notification appears after the ig ­
nition is turned on or while driving and does
not go out again, the battery's state of charge
is not in the opt imal range. Starting capability
is restricted. Have the battery checked by an
author ized Audi dealer as soon as poss ible .
{0 : Worn brake pads
El Brake pads !
If the warn ing light illum inates, immediately
contact your authorized Audi dealer or quali­
fied workshop to have all brake pads inspect­
ed . On USA models the wa rning light
El
l ) - : USA mod els only
comes on together with the warning light
- · Both sets of bra ke pads on an ax le
must a lways be rep laced at the same time.
A WARNING
=
Driving w it h bad brakes can cause a colli-
sion and ser ious personal in jury.
- If the warn ing light
El and the warning
light
11111> with the message Brake
pads!
comes o n in the inst rument cluster
d isp lay, immediately contact your au­
thor ized Audi dealer or qualified wo rk­
shop to have all b rake pads checked or
re placed if ne cessa ry.
~(i) Headlight range control
II He adlight range control defective !
-
If the symbol illuminates, the dynamic head­
li ght rang e control is no longer work ing prop­
erly. Have the system checked and repa ired at
yo ur aut horized Aud i dea le r.
~ -Engine oil level
l!I Plea se check oil level
When the symbol illuminates, check the en­
gine o il leve l as soon as possible
¢ page 263.
T op off t he oil at your ear liest opportu nity
¢ page 264 .
't::r.~ Engine oil sensor defective
II Oil level ! Sensor defective
If the symbol illum ina tes, contact yo ur au ­
thorized Aud i dea le r and have the oil sensor
inspected. Unti l yo u have this done, check t he
oi l level each time you refue l just to be on the
safe s ide
¢ page 263.
!?) Engine speed limitation
Applies to vehicles: wit h engine speed limitatio n
II! Do not e xceed ma x. engine speed of X XXX
rpm .,,.

The IPJ symbol illuminates when there is an
engine control malfunction. The indicator
light ~ in the instrument cluster also illum i­
nates. The engine speed is limited to the
speed d isplayed in the driver information sys­
tem. Keep in mind that the eng ine speed will
not exceed the value displayed in the drive r in­
formation system, for example when down­
shifting.
Please go to an authorized Aud i dealer or oth­
e r qualified workshop to have the malfunction
repaired.
~ Diesel particulate filter clogged
Applies to vehicles: with diesel engine and diesel part icu­
late filter
1,1 Particulate filter See owner's manual
When the. symbo l illuminates, you can al­
ter your driving style to assist the filter self­
cleaning process. Drive for approx imately
15
minutes with the selector lever in the S pos i­
tion at a min imum speed of 37 mph (60 km/
h) and an engine speed of approx imately
2,000 RPM. The temperature increase that
w ill result from this can burn
off the soot in
the filter. The symbol wi ll switch
off when the
cleaning is successf ul. After a successful
cleaning, there is no need to bring the car to
an author ized dealer or qualified workshop
because this is part of normal vehicle opera­
tion .
If the symbo l
II does not switch off, see
your authorized dealer or other qualified
workshop to have the prob lem corrected.
F or more information on the diesel particu­
late filter, refer to¢
page 229.
A WARNING
Always adapt yo ur speed to the current
weather, road and traffic condit ions. You
should never disobey traffic laws in order
to follow driv ing recommendations.
-
Driver information display 37
~O Adapt ive light defective
Applies to vehicles: with adaptive light
ml adaptive light defective
When this symbol ml ill uminates, it means
that adaptive light is defective. Go to an au­
thorized deale rship to have the headlights or
the control unit for the adaptive light re­
paired.
~ Ignition lock malfunction
If the!! symbol in the display comes on,
there is a ma lfunction in the e lectronic igni­
tion lock. An additional driver message can be
displayed by pressing the
I CHECK! button:
Ignition lock defective
11> Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or quali­
fied workshop at your earl iest convenience
t o have the malfunction corrected .
~ Windshield wipers faulty
fl Windshield wiper defective
When this symbo1 (.j illuminates, it means
that the electronics for the windsh ield wipers
are defective. Please go to an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop to have the
winds hield wiper system repaired.

Clear vision Lights
Switching the headlights on and off
In the "AUTO" position, a light sensor auto·
matically switch es t he head· and taillights on
and off in r espons e to light conditions .
Fig. 53 Instrument pane l: lig ht sw itch
The ligh t sw itch m ust not be overturned pas t
the stops in
eit her direct ion .
Sw itching on automatic headlight control
,.. Turn the light switch to AUTO ¢ fig . 53 .
Swi tching on the side m ark e r lights
,.. Turn the light switch to :;oo:;.
Sw itching on the headlights and high
be am
,.. Turn the light switch to io .
,.. Push the high beam lever forward towards
the instrument panel
9 page 60 .
Switching off the light s
,.. Turn the light switch to 0.
The headlights only wo rk when the ignition is
sw itched on. While s tart ing the engine or
when switching
off the ignition, the head ·
lights will go
off and on ly the s ide marker
lights will be on .
Afte r star ting t he engine, the headlights are
automatically adjusted* to the load and angle
of the vehicle (for example, during accelera ·
tion, braking). This prevents oncoming traffic
from experiencing unnecessary headlight glare from your headlights.
Clear vi sion 5 7
If the system is not ope rat ing properly, a
warning symbol in the Auto-Check Control is displayed ¢
page 36.
With the side ma rker ligh ts or he ad ligh ts
switched on, the symbol next to the light
switch i lluminates
:oo :.
Daytime running lights
- USA model s:
The daytime runn ing lights
w il l come on automatically whe n the igni­
tion is t urne d on and the l ight sw itch
¢
fig. 53 is in the O position or the AUTO po ­
sition (only in daylight conditions). The
Day­
time running lights
function can be turned
on and
off in the MMI menu E xter ior l ight ·
ing
¢ page 58.
- Canada models: The dayt ime running lights
w ill come on automatically when the igni·
tion is turned on and the light switch
¢
fig. 53 is in the O position o r the AUTO po ·
sition (only in daylight condit ions) ¢ .&. .
Automatic headlight control
In the switch position AUTO the automatic
headlight control
i s turned on. The low
beams and tail lights are turned on automati·
ca lly through a light sensor as soon as amb i­
ent b rightness (e.g . when driving into a t un­
nel) fa lls below a value p reset a t the factory.
When ambien t brightn ess increases ag ain ,
the low beams are turned
off ag ain automati­
ca lly ¢ .&. .
In the
AUTO posi tion the low beams a re
swi tched
off au tom ati cally when the igni tion
is tur ned
off.
Light Sensor Malfunction
In the event of a light sensor malfunction, the
dr ive r is notified in the instrument cluster dis­
play:
f'gl Automatic head lights / automatic wip ers
defective
For safety reasons the low beams are turned
o n permanently with the switch in
AUTO .
However, you can conti nue to turn the lights
o n and
off using the light switch . Hav e the II>

224 Intellig ent technol ogy
8_ WARNING
Although the ABS is very effective, always
remember that bra king capability is limit­
ed by t ire traction . Always adjust your dr iv­
ing spee d according to the road and t raffic
co nditions. Do no t let t he extra sa fety af­
forded by the ABS tempt you into ta king
extra risks. The ABS cannot overcome the
laws of physics.
@ Tips
- If ABS is not functioning prope rly, a
warning light will come on. See
¢page 18 .
-If a fault occurs in the ABS, the EDL is al­
so not functioning. This is indicated by
the ABS warning light .
Brake assistant
The brake assistant is designed to achieve the
optimum braking effect .
The brake assistant helps to increase the ef­
fective b rak ing power and thus to achieve a
shorter stopp ing distance. If the driver
presses the brake pedal very quickly, the brake
assistant automatica lly boosts the braking
force to the maximum level, up to the point where the anti-lock brake function (ABS) inter­
venes to stop the wheels from locking. You
should then keep the brake pedal pressed un­
til the veh icle has braked to the required
speed . The brake assistant sw itches itself off
as soo n as you re lease the brake pedal.
Automatic full braking a ssist
This funct ion allows full brak ing in spite of
h igh brake pedal forces (e .g . when the brakes
a re severely stressed because the vehicle is
fully loaded) . The driver notices th is function
throug h a reduction of pedal force and in­
creased pedal trave l. When the brake peda l is
r e leased, fu ll braking assis t switc hes off again
automatically.
I f the re is an ABS fa il ur e, the brake ass ista nt
and automatic full b rak ing ass ist are not avai l­
ab le . The brake assistant wi
ll not be operative if
there is a ma lfunction in the ABS .
8_ WARNING
-Please remember that the accident risk a l-
ways increases if you drive too fast, espe­
cially in corners or on a slippery road, or if
you follow the veh icle ahead of you too
closely. Increased r isk of an accident can­
not be compensated for even by the brake
assistant, so always maintain a safe speed.
Servotronic ® -
advanced power
steering system
The power steering systems uses the power of
the running engine to allow precise steering
with little effort.
The advanced Servotronic ® power steering
system senses the road speed and electron i­
cally adjusts power assistance to provide com­
fortab le and safe steering response exact ly
matched to the vehicle speed .
Power steer ing will not work if the engine is
off . As a result, the steering wheel will be hard
to turn .
The power steering fluid level is checked dur­
ing the scheduled maintenance services .
d) Note
If there is an electronic malfunction, ser­
votronic
will still function like a conven­
tiona l powe r steering system, providing a
constant steering support force that is no
l onger proportionate to the vehicle speed .
This is most not iceable when turning the
stee ring wheel at low speeds (fo r example
when pa rking), - more effort w ill be re­
q uired than us ua l.
- Be aware o f the different than usual
steering response and adjust your steer ­
ing force accordingly.
- Have the problem checked and set r ight
by an Audi dealer as soon as possible .

With the engine running
Although electrical energy is generated when
the vehicle is being driven, the battery can be­
come discharged. This happens most ly when
litt le energy is being generated and a great
deal consumed and the battery's state of
charge is not optimal.
To bring the energy balance back into equili­
brium, consumers which require especia lly
large amounts of energy are temporarily cut
back or switched off. Heating systems in par­
ticular requ ire a great deal of energy. If you
notice, for example, that the heated seats* or
the heated rear window are not heating, they h ave been temporar ily cut back or switched
off. These systems will be available again as
soon as the energy ba lance has been restored.
You will also notice that engine idle speed has
been increased slightly. This is normal and not
a cause for concern . By increasing engine idle
speed the additional energy required is gener­
ated and the battery is charged .
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display
If battery power drops into the range where it
can limit the ab ility of the engine to start, th is
is shown in the instrument cluster display
with the following driver message:
(•i Low battery charge: battery will be
charged while driving
This notification reminds you that the starting
capability of the engine may be limited. As
soon as you start driving again, the battery
will be recharged and the notification will go
out.
Driver notification appears and goes out
again
If th is driver notification appears after the ig­
nition is turned on or while driving and it goes
out again after a wh ile, the battery has been
adequately recharged.
Intelligent technology 22 7
Driver notification appears and does not
go out again
If this driver notification appears after the ig­
nition is turned on or whi le driving and does
not go out again, the battery's state of charge
is not in the optimal range. Starting ab ility is
restricted . Have the battery checked as soon
as possible by an authorized Aud i dealer or
qualified workshop.
•
•

236 Trailer to wing
-The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating for yo ur
Audi Q7 would be exceeded if your vehi­
cle is simultaneously equ ipped w ith Pan­
oramic sl iding sunroof; th ird-row seat­
ing; trailer towing equipment (factory or
dealer-installed), and running boards
(dea le r-installed) . UNDER NO C IRCUM­
STANC ES MAY AL L SUC H ITE MS BE IN­
STALLED ON THE SAM E VEH ICLE.
Operating instructions
MAX 6 .9 "
MAX175mm
E
"' E
"' .... a)
rt
Fig. 219 Permi tted ball p osit ion of the t ra iler hitc h
Traile r to wing we ight s
W it h a fac tor y-ins talled trailer hitch, the
maximum permissible trailer we ight is 6 ,615
lbs (3,000 kg) . The maximum permissible un­
braked trailer weight is 1,650 lbs (750 kg) .
W ith an aft er mar ket trailer hitch, the maxi­
m um permissible trailer we ight is 5,512 lbs
(2,500 kg) . These specifica tions apply when
driving on roads having an incline of less than
12%.
Perm issible tongue load
F or best vehicle handli ng u nder these
changed condit ions, adjust the trailer load so
that the tongue load is at the maxim um al ­
l owable or slightly lower. Yo u can get an ap­
proximation of the tongu e load with a bath­
room scale o r you c an measu re the load at a
trucking company or weighing s ta tion.
With a factory-in stalled trailer hitch, the
maximum permissib le load on the ball hitch
may not exceed 662 lbs (300 kg). With an af­
termarket trailer hi tch, the maximum permis­
sib le load on the ball h itch may not exceed 551
lbs (250 kg) . It is recommended to use
the maximum permissible load.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the t ra iler is held secure ly
in place to prevent it from shift ing forward,
backward or sideways.
Nev er allow a pas seng er t o rid e in a trai ler
¢&. in Driving instructions on page 23 7.
Ball m ount
The trailer hi tch may only be used w ith suita­
ble ball mount and ball¢
fig. 219 . Installa ­
tion of the h itch ball must be carried out in ac­
cordance with the manufacturer's inst ruc­
tions . At the height dimens ion of 1.5 in
(38 .5 mm) a tolerance of+/- 0.5 in ( 12. 7 mm)
is permissible .
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard­ er . It is impo rtant that the cooling system's
performance is up to the additional load.
Make sure that the cooling system has enough
fluid.
T ire pressur e
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold ti re pressu re listed under
" F u ll load" on the tire pressure label. The tire
pressure label is located on the drive r's side B­
pillar . Inflate trailer tires to t railer and tire
manufacturers' specifications.
Lights
T he headlight settings should be checked wi th
t h e trai ler attached before d riving
off. Check
to make s ure both vehicle and trailer lights
are worki ng properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly con­
nected from the trai le r to the hitch on the ve­
hicle. Leave enough slack in the ch ains to pe r­
mit turning corners. When you install safety
chains, make sure they will not drag on the
road when you are driving. ..,.

248 Clea ning and protec tio n
• Dab at the stain . Start at the outside and
work inwards .
• Once the stain is no longer visible, use a
soft dry cloth or t issue to soak up the mois­
ture.
Do not use leather cleaning products on Al­
cantara.
You may use a suitable shampoo for removing
dust and dirt .
Dust and gr it in the pores and seams can
scratch and damage the surface. If the car is
l eft standing in the sun for long periods, the
A lcantara should be protected against direct
sunlight to prevent it from fading. Slight color
variations will deve lop in normal use and are
not an indication of material deterioration .
- Never use chemical solvents (e.g . lighter
fluid, turpentine), waxes, shoe polish or
s imilar products on Alcantara ® surfaces .
- To avoid damage, have stubborn stains
removed by a commerc ial cleaning spe­
cia list.
- Do not use br ushes, stiff sponges or sim­
i larly abrasive cleaning aids.
Safety belts
Only well-maintained safety belts work relia ­
bly when needed.
• Keep be lts clean.
• For cleaning, use a mild soap and water sol­
ution. Let be lts dry thoroughly and away
from direct sunlight.
• Do not allow inertia reel safety belts to re­
tract before they are completely dry.
• Check the condition of your safety belts
reg­
ularly.
Heavily soiled safety belts may not retract
properly .
A WARNING
Damaged safety belts can b reak in a crash . -
Anything that might damage your safety
be lts could mean that you and your pas­
sengers would not be adequately pro­
tected in an accident.
- Safety belt performance depends on cor­
rect insta llation. Never remove be lts
from the veh icle to clean them .
- Do not use chemical clean ing agents,
bleach or dyes. They have corrosive prop­
erties which weaken the webb ing.
- When clean ing your safety belts, inspect
them for damage . If you discover dam­
age, see your authorized Audi dealer .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 239.
' Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en­
gine comportment.
Alwa ys switch off the ign ition before clean ­
i ng the engine¢ .&, .
Plenum panel
Remove leaves from the plenum panel in front
of the windshield under the engine hood . This
prevents the water drain holes from becoming
blocked, and it prevents debris from enter ing
the vehicle interior through the heating and
ventilat ion ducts.
Cor rosion protection
The engine compartment and transmission
have been corrosion -protected at the factory .
Good anti- corrosion treatment is very impor­
tant, particu larly in the w inter.
If the vehicle
is frequently driven on salt treated roads, the
entire engine compartment and plenum panel
shou ld be thoroughly cleaned at the end of
winter and retreated to prevent salt damage.
At the same time, the underside of the vehicle
should be washed as well. ..,_

258 Checking and filling
Checking and filling Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the
vehicle .
Fig . 2 27 Dr iver' s side footwe ll: e ngin e hood re lease
lever
.. Open the drive r's door.
.. Pull the release lever on the left under the
inst rument panel
c> fig . 227 in the d irect ion
of the ar row .
The hood pops up s light ly under spring pres­
sure.
Opening the engine hood
Fig. 228 Re lease lever under the e ng ine hood
Before opening the engine hood, make s ure
that the windshie ld w ipers are flat against the
windshie ld. Otherwise, they co uld damage the
pa in t on the hood.
.. Lift the hood s light ly
c> _& .
.. Pull up on the release under the hood
¢ fig. 228 . This releases the catch .
.. Open the hood all the way.
A WARNING
-Hot eng ine co olant can burn you.
- To reduce the risk of being b urned, never
o pen the hood if you see or hear steam
or coo la nt escapi ng from the eng ine
compa rtment . W ait unt il no steam or
coo lant can b e se en o r heard before care­
fu lly openi ng the ho od.
Closing the engine hood
.. Pull the hood down un til the pressure from
t he stru ts is reduced .
.. Let the hood
drop down and la tch in p lace.
Do not try to push it shut; it may fail to en­
gage
c> _& .
A WARNING
--
A ho od t hat is not completely latched
could fly up an d block your vi ew while dr iv­
i ng.
- W hen you close the engine hood, ch eck it
to make sure the safety catch has proper­
ly engaged . The hood should be flush
wit h the surrou nding vehicle body parts.
- If you notice while dr iv ing t hat t he hood
is not s ecured properly, stop at once and
close it .
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in
the engine compartment .
Whenever you must perform any wo rk in the
engine compartment, for example checking
and filling different fluids, th ere is a risk of
injury, burns and accidents. To pr event per­
sonal injury alway s observe the following
WARNINGS. The engine compartm ent of any
vehicle is a hazardous area
c> &, .
A WARNING
To he lp avo id i njury, before yo u check any­
thi ng under the hoo d:
- Tu rn off the eng ine .
- Remove the igni tion key.

260 Checking and filling
Engine compartment
These are the most important items that you can check .
Fig. 229 Typical layout for containers, engine oil di pstick and engin e oil fille r cap
(D W indshield/head light washer
t . (
;R ) con ainer ,.... .............. .
@ Coolant expansion tank (-L) .. .
@ Engin e oi l filler cap ('t".:r.) . .. .. .
©
®
®
(j)
Eng ine oil dipstick (orange) . .. .
Brake fluid reservoir
((0)) ..... .
Power steering reservoir ... .. .
Jump start connector( +) under 273
266
264
263
268
224
a cover,( ·) with hex head screw 271,308
The pos ition of the engine o il fi lling hole and
the engine oil dipstick
r=;, fig. 229 (position ®
and @) can vary according to the type of en­
gine .
_&. WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS ¢.&.
in Working in the engine
c omportment on page 258.
-
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used in your Audi needs the
right kind of oil.
The engine in your Audi is a sophist icated
powerplant that was built to exacting specifi­
cations. Th is engine needs the right kind of
engi ne oil that meets specifications regard ing
quality and v iscosity so that it can run
smooth ly and reliab ly. Choosing the right oil
and changing oil within the time and mileage
intervals printed in your vehicle's Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet matters a lot more to­
day tha n it did years ago . Audi has developed
a spec ia l quality standard for eng ine oil that
will help assure that your vehicle's engine w ill
get the lubr ication it needs for proper opera­
t ion .
Modern engine lubr ication has taken a quan ­
tum leap in the last few years. Many synthetic "'