Expert Service for German Vehicles in Hollywood, FL

Audi Dashboard Warning Lights Repair Service: Being Alert!

Audi Dashboard Warning Lights
Every generation and model of Audi will have slightly different dashboard warning lights. The extensive chart below illustrates every warning light that you are likely to see on a 2017 Audi Q7, as well as a thorough description of what that light (and accompanying message) actually means. While this information was taken directly from the owner’s manual of a 2017 Q7, this guide is no substitute for your Audi’s actual owner’s manual. Keep that manual handy to double check the answers you find below.

A Mercedes Benz E350 car
Electrical System

Central Indicator Light – Check the message in the instrument cluster for additional information.
The message Audi pre-sense and a warning tone will warn you about danger.

The dashboard of an Audi car with a red warning light illuminated, indicating a problem with the brake system

Brakes: stop vehicle and check brake fluid level.
Stop the vehicle and check the brake fluid level. Contact your Audi dealer for assistance.
Brakes: malfunction! Please stop vehicle safely.
If this message appears, there is a malfunction in the brake booster. Do not continue driving. Contact your Audi dealer for assistance.
Parking Brake: malfunction! Safely stop vehicle. See owner’s manual.
Is the vehicle stationary? Try to release the parking brake. If you can’t, contact your Audi dealer for assistance. If you are able to release the parking brake, but the indicator stays on, contact your Audi dealer for assistance. If the indicator light and message appear while driving, the hill start assist or emergency braking function may be malfunctioning. Do not set the parking brake or park on a hill. Contact your Audi dealer for assistance.
Brake booster: restricted. You can continue driving. Please contact Service.
The brake booster is available, but its effectiveness is reduced. Drive carefully to your Audi dealer for assistance.

If the indicator light turns on, the parking brake was set. If the indicator light is blinking, the braking force has not built up enough or it has decreased. Select the “P” selector lever position to secure the vehicle.

Audi Dashboard Warning Lights Cooling system

Turn off engine and check coolant level. See owner’s manual.
Do not continue driving, switch engine off, and check coolant level. If the coolant level is too low, add coolant (refer to your owners manual). Only continue driving when the indicator light turns off.
Coolant temperature: too high. Let engine run with vehicle stationary.
Let the engine run at idle for a few minutes to cool off, until the indicator light turns off. If it does not turn off, contact your Audi dealer for assistance.
Note: Do not continue driving if this indicator light turns on as this increases the risk of engine damage.

Dashboard warning lights in an Audi car showing a red engine oil pressure warning light illuminated

Turn off engine. Oil pressure too low.
Stop the engine and do not continue driving. If the engine oil level is too low, add engine oil. Only continue driving once the indicator light turns off.
If the oil level is correct and the indicator light is still on, turn the engine off and do not continue driving. Contact your Audi dealer for assistance.

A Dashboard warning lights of a Audi displaying a low engine oil level symbol

Add oil immediately.
Add engine oil immediately (please refer to your owner’s manual for details.
Note: Add engine oil a half-quart at a time and re-check, you do not want to over-fill.

Electrical System: malfunction! Safely stop vehicle.
Do not continue driving and switch the engine off. Contact your Audi dealer for assistance.

Seat belt warning lights of a car

The indicator light stays on until the driver’s and front passenger’s safety belts are fastened. Above a certain speed, there will also be a warning tone.

Steering: malfunction! Please stop vehicle.
The power steering may have failed. Do not continue driving. Contact your Audi dealer for assistance.
Steering: malfunction! Please stop vehicle. Pay attention to distance at side.
The all-wheel steering may have failed. Stop the vehicle in a safe location with enough space on the sides as soon as possible. Do not continue driving. Contact us for assistance.

Audi Dashboard Warning Lights Steering lockRed

Steering: malfunction! Please stop vehicle.
There is a malfunction in the electronic steering lock. You cannot turn the ignition on. Do not tow your vehicle because it cannot be steered. Contact your Audi dealer for assistance.

Dashboard warning lights indicating potential issues with the engine start system

Engine start system: malfunction! Please contact Us.
Do not switch the ignition off because you may not be able to switch it on again. Drive to German Car Depot immediately to have the malfunction corrected. If your Audi wont start, call us, and we will arrange for a tow.

The Audi clutch warning lights

Transmission: malfunction! Please stop vehicle and shift to P.
Do not continue driving. Select the “P” selector lever position and contact us for assistance.

Audi Hood is Not Secure Light

Warning! Hood is not locked. Stop vehicle and check the lock.
The hood locking mechanism is not engaged correctly. Stop immediately and close the hood.

Audi dashboard warning lights of Adaptive cruise control system

Driver assistance
Adaptive cruise control – the automatic braking is not enough to maintain a sufficient distance to a vehicle driving ahead. You must intervene.

A highlighted warning light indicates congestion or Traffic Jam assist

Driver assistance
Adaptive cruise control – the automatic braking is not enough to maintain a sufficient distance to a vehicle driving ahead. You must intervene.

A dashboard red warning light indicating an issue with the air suspension system is illuminated

Air suspension: malfunction. Safely stop vehicle. Steering and ground clearance limited.
Due to a system malfunction, you vehicle’s ground clearance is very low at the front or rear axle. Contact German Car Depot for assistance.
Air suspension: malfunction! You can continue driving slowly. Speed limited to max. 35mph.
There is a malfunction that can result in restricted driving stability. Drive to German Car Depot for assistance.
Air suspension: service mode. Vehicle can be moved but handling may be impaired.
Carefully drive to German Car Depot to have the service mode deactivated.

Audi dashboard red warning lights illuminated at night with the night vision assistant feature active
Night Vision Assist pedestrian warning. The pedestrian is highlighted in red in the instrument cluster and a warning tone sounds.
Audi car dashboard displaying warning lights illuminated in red, including a symbol for the night vision assistant and an animal warning symbol
Night vision assist wild animal warning. The animal is highlighted in red in the instrument cluster and a warning tone sounds.
Refill with at least X qt AdBlue. Engine start not possible. See owner’s manual
The AdBlue tank is empty. Fill the AdBlue or you will not be able to re-start the vehicle again once you stop it.
A warning light for the AdBlue fluid, which is a fluid used in the car's emissions control system.
AdBlue malfunction! No engine start possible. See owner’s manual.
The system has determined that the tank was filled incorrectly or that there is a malfunction. Drive immediately to German Car Depot or you will not be able to start the engine again once you stop it. If your Audi wont start, call us, and we will arrange for a tow.
A yellow brake warning light
Central Indicator Light – Check the message in the instrument cluster for additional information.
Yellow warning light indicating an issue with Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) on an Audi car dashboard
Electronic Stabilization Control – If the indicator light blinks the ESC or ASR (Anti-Slip Regulation) is actively regulating. If the indicator light stays on, the system has switched the ESC off. You can turn the ignition off and then on again to turn ESC back on. The indicator light turns off when the system is functioning fully.
Stabilization control (ESC/ABS): malfunction! See owner’s manual.
There is a malfunction in the ABS or electronic differential lock. This also causes the ESC to malfunction. ABS is not active. Drive carefully to German Car Depot for assistance.
A yellow warning light illuminated on an Audi dashboard indicating that the electronic stabilization control (ESC) is off
Stabilization control (ESC): offroad. Warning! Reduced stability.
Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) was switched off using the “ESC Off” console button. Turn ESC back on by pressing the button again.