2012 AUDI A7 brakes

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 15
believe that it is safe to do so, proceed
immediately at low speed to the nearest
authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair
facility and have the brake system i n­
spected .
- Always keep in m ind that after several
brake applicat ions, you will need greater
pressure on the brake peda l to stop your
vehicle . Do not re ly on stra ined brakes to
re spond w ith maxim um stopp ing power
in cri tic al situa tions. You mus t all ow for
increased bra king distances. The extra
distance used up by fading brakes could
lead to an accident.
PARK /(®) Electromechanical parking
brake
Th e warning/indicator light monitors th e
electrome chanical parking broke.
If the indicator light- (USA models) ti
(Canada models) turns on, the parking brake
was set . If the parking brake is set when the
ignit ion is off, th@ indicator light turns off af­
t er abou t 20 seconds.
The warning/indicator light will go out when
the park ing brake is released.
- (USA model s) /. (Canada model s)
Caution: Vehicle parked too steep
If the indi cator lig ht blinks and the message
appears, t here is no t eno ugh braking powe r to
keep the vehi cle from ro lling . The brakes have
overheated. The vehicle could ro ll away even
on a small incline .
Pres s brake p ed al to r elea se parkin g brake
To release the parking brake, press the b rake
pedal and p ress the button~ or start driving
with start ing ass ist a t the same time
r=.> page 75.
Pleas e release parking brake
To release the parking brake man ua lly, pre ss
t he brake pedal and press the button ~ at the
same time . The parking brake on ly release au ­
tomatically if the dr iver 's safety belt is fas­
tened.
ll'J Parking brake!
If the ll'J indicato r light turns on and this
mess age appears , the re is a parki ng b ra ke
malfu nction . Drive to your au thori zed A udi
dealer or qualified workshop immediately to
hav e the malfunctio n corrected .
-L Engine cooling system malfunction
A malfunction in the engine cooling system
must be repaired as soon as possible.
• Switch off engine and che ck coolant level
If the indica tor l ight turns on and the mes­
sage appears, the coolant temperature is too high or the coolant leve l is too low.
.,. Pull off the road .
.,. Stop the vehicle .
.,. Tu rn off th e engine.
.,. Check coolant level¢
page 223 .
.,. Add coo lant if necessary r=.> page 224.
.,. Con tinue driv ing on ly afte r the engine cool­
ant warning/indicator ligh t goes out .
.,. Contact yo ur authorize d Au di d ealer for as-
s istance if necessary.
I f the engine coo lant level is correct, then the
radiator fan may be the cause of the malfunc­
tion .
• Coolant temperature too high! Pl ease let
engine run with vehicle stationary
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appea rs in trailer mode*, let the eng ine
run a t idl e for a few minutes to cool down .
A WARNING
- If your vehicle should brea k down for
mechanical or other reasons, park at a
safe distance from moving traffic, tu rn
off the eng ine and turn on the hazard
warn ing lights
r=.> page 42, Emergency
flasher .
-
-Never open the hood if you see or hear
steam or coola nt escaping from the en­
g ine compartment -you r isk be ing scald­
ed . Wait unt il you ca n no longer see o r
hea r steam o r coolant escap ing . ..,.

18 Instruments and warning/indicator lights ;;./~ Electronic stabilization program
(ESP)
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic stabilization program.
When you sw itch the ignition on, the indicator
light
G1 turns on br iefly to check the function .
If the
G1 indicator lamp blinks while driving,
the ESP or ASR (Ant i- Slip Regulation) is active ­
ly regulating.
If the
ti) indicator lamp illuminates, the sys­
tem has switched the ESP off.
If the indicator light
I) turns on, the ESP was
switched to ESP sport mode with the button
[!] c> page 184. If this is case, you can reacti­
vate the ESP by switching the ignition off and
then on again. The warning/indicator light
should go out to show that the system is fully
functiona l again.
Stability program and ABS fault! See own ­
er's manual
If the indicator light DJ and the ABS indicator
light
B (USA mode ls) ;fl] (Canada models)
turn on and the message appears, there is a
malfunction in the ABS system or electron ic
differential lock. This also interrupts the ESP .
The brakes still function with their normal
power, but ABS is not active .
Drive to your authorized Aud i dealer immedi ­
ately to have the malfunction corrected .
If the battery term inals were disconnected
and re-connected, the vehicle was jump start­
ed or the battery is very weak, the ESP sensor
system goes through a learning process for
the first few yards. The warning/ind icator
l ight illuminates . Th e warn ing/ ind icator light
goes out as soon as the learning process is
comp lete.
F or more informat ion about the ESP
c>page 184.
ABS/(8) Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
This warning/indicator light monitors the ABS
and the electronic differential lock (EDL) .
The warning/indicator light B (USA mod­
els)
l ti] (Canada models) w ill come on for a
few seconds when the ign ition is switched on .
The light will go out after an automatic check
sequence is comp leted.
There is a malfunction in the ABS when:
-The warning/indicator light does not illumi­
nate when you switch the ignition on.
- The warning/indicator light does not go out
after a few seconds.
- The warning/indicator light i lluminates
while driving.
The ESP indicator light also illum inates if
there is a ma lfunction in the ABS . The mes­
sage
Stability prog ram and ABS fault! See
owner's manual
a lso appears in the instru­
ment cluster d isp lay and a warning tone
sounds .
The brake system will still respond even
without the assistance of the ABS system.
See your authorized Audi dealer as soon as
possible to restore full braking performance .
For more information regarding the ABS
~page 184.
Malfunction in the brake system
If the brake warning light c> page 14 and the
ABS warning illum inate
together there may be
a malfunction in the ABS, and there may also
be a malfunction in the brake system itself
c> .,&. . The ABS will not work and you will no­
ti ce a change in braking response and per­
formance.
In the event of a malfunction in the brake
system
the warning/ind icator light -
(USA models)/ . (Canada models) in the in­
strument cluster flashes
c> page 14.
Malfunction in the electronic differential
lock (EDL)
The EDL works together with the ABS. The
ABS wa rning light will come on if there is a

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 19
malfunction in the EDL system¢ page 18 4.
See your authorize d Audi dealer as soon as
possible.
A WARNING
- If
the m (USA mode ls)l li] (Canada
mode ls) warn ing light does n ot go out,
or if it comes on while driving, the ABS
system is not working properly . The vehi­
cle can then be stopped only with the
standard bra kes (without ABS). You will
not have the protection ABS provides.
Contact you r Audi dealer as soon as pos­
sible.
- USA models: If the - warning l ight,
the
Ii] warning light and the m warn­
ing light come on together, the rea r
wheels co uld lock up first unde r hard
braking. Rear wheel lock-up can cause
loss of vehicle control and an accident .
Have your vehicle repaired immediately
by your autho rized Aud i dea ler or a quali ­
fied workshop . Drive slowly and avoid
sudden, hard bra ke applications.
- Canada models: If the b rake warn ing
light ., the
DJ warning light and the
ABS wa rning light
rl] come on together ,
the rear w heels could lo ck up fi rst under
h ard bra king . Rear wheel lock-up can
cause loss of vehicle control and an acci­
dent. Have yo ur vehicle repaired immed i­
ately by your authorized A udi dealer or a
qualified workshop. Dr ive slowly and
avo id sudden, hard brake applicat ions .
(0) Worn brake pads
£1 Bra ke pad s!
If the warn ing light illum inates, immediately
contact your authori zed A udi dealer or quali­
fied workshop to have all brake pads inspect­
ed. O n USA models the warning light
£1
comes on together with t he war ning light
- · Both sets of brake pads on an axle
mus t always be replaced a t the same time.
1) - : USA m odels on ly
A WARNING
Driving w ith bad brakes can cause a colli­
sion and ser ious personal in ju ry .
- If the warn ing light
£1 and the warning
light
11111> with the message Brake
pads!
comes on in the instrument cluster
disp lay, imm ediately contact your au­
thori zed A udi dealer or qualified work­
shop to have all b rake pads checked or
replace d if necess ary.
EPC Electronic power control
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic power control.
The ~ warning/ind icator light (E lectronic
Power Cont rol) illuminates when you switch
the ignit io n on as a fu nction chec k.
(D Tips
If this war ning/ indicator l ight illum inates
while yo u are d riving, then there is a mal­
funct io n in the engine electronics. Have
the malf unct ion corrected as soon as pos­
si bl e by your au thori zed A udi dealer or
q ualified repa ir facility .
Ci Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp ( MIL) is pa rt
of the On -Board Diagnostic (OBD II) system.
The symbol
fllllijj lights up when the ign ition is
switched on and will tur n off after the engine
has started and has settled at a consta nt idle
speed . This indicates that the MIL is work ing
properly.
The warning lig ht illuminates w hen there is a
malfu nction in the e ng ine electron ic system .
Contact your aut horized Audi dealer and have
the malfunction cor rected.
An improperly closed fuel filler cap may a lso
cause the MI L light to illuminate ¢
page 213.
For more information ¢page 27.

-Compartment in the rear center armrest
- Storage in the trim panels in the luggage
compartment
A WARNING
- Always remove objects from the instru­
ment panel. Any items not stored could
slide around inside the vehicle while driv­ ing or when accelerating or when apply­
ing the brakes or when driving around a
corner.
- When you are driving make sure that
anything you may have placed in the cen­
ter console or other storage locations cannot fall out into the footwells. In case
of sudden braking you would not be able
to brake or accelerate.
- Always keep the lid of the compartment
for (sun)glasses* closed while driv ing to
reduce the risk of injury dur ing a sudden
braking maneuver or in the event of an
accident.
- Any articles of cloth ing that you have
hung up must not in terfere with the driv ­
er's view . The coat hooks are designed
only for lightweight clothing. Never hang
any clothing with hard, pointed or heavy
objects in the pockets on the coat hooks.
During sudden braking or in an accident -
especially if the airbag is deployed -
these objects could injure any passen­ gers inside the vehicle.
- To reduce the r isk of personal injury in an
acc ident or sudden stop, always keep the
glove compartmen t closed while dr iv ing.
- Read and fo llow all WARNINGS
~ page 159, Important safety instruc ­
tions on the side airbag sys tem.
- Hang clothes i n such a way that they do
not impair the dr iver's v is ion.
- The coat hooks must only be used for
lightwe ight cloth ing. Do not leave any
heavy or sharp edged obje cts in the pock ­
ets which may interfere with the side cur ­
tain airbag deployment and can cause persona l injury in a cras h.
- Do not use coat hangers for hanging
clothing on the coat hooks as this can in-
Sea ts a nd s to rage 57
terfere with proper deployment of the
side curtain a irbags in an acc ident.
- Do not hang heavy objects on the coat
hooks , as they could cause personal in­
jury in a sudden stop.
(D Note
Objects located on the rear shelf that rub
against the rear window could damage the heating wires for the rear window defog­
ger.
Roof rack
Description and mounting locations
Additional cargo can be carried with a roof luggage rack.
F ig . 58 Roof rack attachment points
... Always read and follow the instructions pro ­
vided by the roof rack manufacturer when
the roof rack system must be installed .
If luggage or cargo is to be carried on the
roof, you must observe the following:
- To enha nce the vehicle's streamlined design,
rai n gutters have been mo lded into t he roof.
I t is not possible to use normal roof racks .
On ly install a roof rack specifically designed
for your veh icle. Contact the nearest Aud i
dealer for information on approved modular
roof racks for your veh icle.
- On ly use roof racks approved for your vehi­
cle. These approved roof racks are the basis
for a complete roof rack system. Addit ional
attachments or carrier systems are needed
to transport luggage and sports equipment .
IJll-

7 4 On the road
Electromechanical
parking brake
Operation
The electromechanical parking brake replaces
the hand brake.
Fig. 78 Center conso le: Park ing brake
~ Pull on the switch ®> r::!;> fig. 78 to apply the
parking brake. The indicator light in the
switch illuminates.
~ Step on the brake pedal or the accelerator
pedal and press the switch
®) at the same
t ime to release the parking brake . The indi­
cator light in the switch goes out.
Your veh icle is equipped with an electrome ­
chan ical parking brake . The parking brake is
designed to prevent the vehicle from rolling unintent ionally and replaces the hand brake.
In addition to the normal functions of a tradi­
tional hand brake, the electromechan ical
parking brake provides various convenience
and safety functions.
When starting from rest
-The integral starting assist helps you when
dr iv ing by automatically releasing the park ­
ing brake
r::!;> page 75, Starting from rest.
- When sta rting on inclines, the starting as­
s ist prevents the vehicle from unintentional­
ly rolling back . The brak ing force of the
parking brake is not released until sufficient
dr iv ing force has been built up at the
wheels .
Emergency brake function
An emergency brake ensures that the veh icle
can be slowed down even if the
normal brakes
fail ¢
page 76, Emergency braking.
Indicator lights
-If the parking brake is closed with the ign i­
tion
switched on the indicator lights come
on - (USA mode ls)/ . (Canada models)
in the instrument cluster and in the switch.
- If the pa rking brake is closed with the ign i­
tion
switched off the indicator lights come
on - (USA mode ls)/ . (Canada models)
in the instrument cluster and in the switch
for about 20 seconds.
A WARNING
-Do not press the accelerator pedal inadver-
tently if the vehicle is stationary but the
engine is running and a gear is selected .
Otherwise the vehicle w ill start to move
i mmediately and could result in a crash.
(D Note
If the symbol . in the display or the indi­
cator light
1111 (USA models)/ . (Cana­
da models) in the instrument cluster flash­
es, there is a ma lfunction in the brake sys­
tem. Please refer to the detailed descrip­
tion of the indicator lights
r::!;> page 14.
- If the indicator light- (USA mod-
els)/ . (Canada models) or
IIJ tur ns
on, there may be a malf unct ion in the
parking brake
¢page 15.
(0 Tips
-Yo u can apply the parking b rake at any
time - even with the ign ition sw itched
off . The ignition must be on in order to
release the parking brake.
- Occasional noises when the parking
brake is applied and released are normal
and are not a cause for concern .
- When the vehicle is parked, the parking
brake goes through a self-test cycle at
regu lar intervals. Any associated noises
are normal.

Cruise control
Switching on
Applies to vehicles: with cr uise contro l
The cruise control system makes it possible to
drive at a constant speed starting at 20 mph
(30 km/h).
0
•
~
0
Fig . 79 Contro l lever with set button
Fig. 80 Display: Selected speed
• Pull the lever to position (D ¢ fig. 79 to
switch the system on.
• Drive at the speed you wish to set.
• Press button @to set that speed.
The stored speed and the indicator light
lff;(1)~1~ (US models) 111 (Canad ian models) ap­
pear in the instrument cluster display
¢ fig. 80. The display may vary, depending on
the type of display in your vehicle . The indica­
tor
light ll in the instrument cluster also illu­
minates.
This information is also shown briefly in the
Head-up Display*.
The speed is kept constant via an engine out­
put adjustment or active brake intervention .
On the road 77
A WARNING
-Always pay attention to traffic even when
the cruise control is switched on. You are
always responsible for your speed and
the distance between your veh icle and
other veh icles .
- For safety reasons, the cruise contro l
should not be used in the city, in stop­
and-go traffic, on twisting roads and
when road conditions are poor (such as
ice, fog, gravel, heavy rain and hydro­
planing) -risk of accident .
- Turn off the cruise control temporarily
when entering turn lanes, highway exit
lanes or in construction zones .
- Please note that inadvertently "resting"
your foot on the accelerator pedal causes the cruise control not to brake. This is
because the cruise control is overridden
by the driver's acceleration.
- If a brake system malfunction such as
overheating occurs when the cruise con­
trol system is switched on, the braking
function in the system may be switched off. The other cruise control functions re­
ma in active as long as the indicato r light
mmlm (US models) !Iii (Canadian mod­
e ls) is on.
(D Tips
The brake lights illuminate as soon as the
brakes decelerate automatically.
Changing speed
Applies to vehicles: wi th cruise co ntrol
• Press lever in the 0 or 0 direction
¢ page 77, fig. 79 to increase or decrease
your speed .
• Release the lever to
save that speed.
Change speed in in crements of 1 mph (1 km/
h) by lightly pressing the lever. If you keep the
lever pressed down, you will a lter your speed
in 5 mph (10 km/h) increments.
You can also press the accelerator pedal down
to increase your speed, e.g . if you want to
II>

Adaptive cruis e control an d bra kin g guard 79
Adaptive cruise control
and braking guard
Introduction
App lies to vehicles: with adaptive cruise co ntrol
The adaptive cruise control system assists the
driver by regulating vehicle speed and helping
to maintain a set distance to the vehicle
ahead, within the limits of the system. If the
system detects a moving veh icle up ahead,
adaptive cruise control can brake and then ac ­
celerate your vehicle . T his helps to make dr iv­
ing more comfortable both on long highway
stretches and in stop-and-go traffic.
Aud i brak ing guard can warn you about an im­
pending col lision w ith a vehicle up a head that
is slower or has s lowed down and start slow­
ing your vehicle down with the brakes
¢page 85.
Adaptive cruise control and Audi brak ing
guard have technica l limitations that you
must know, so p lease read this sect ion care­
fu lly, understand how the system works and
use them properly at all times.
General information
General information
Ap plies to vehicles: with adaptive cruise co ntrol
Fig. 81 Fr ont of th e ve hicle : sensors an d video camera
The areas that contain the radar and ultrason­
ic sensors and the video camera
¢ fig. 81
must never be covered by stickers, or other
things or coated with dirt, insects, snow or ice
that will interfe re with the adapt ive cru ise
control system and Audi braking guard . Re­
move snow with a hand brush and remove ice with a de-icing spray that does not contain
solvents.
T
he function of the Adaptive cruise cont ro l
system and A udi braking guard is limited un­
der some conditions.
- Objects can on ly be detected when they are
w ith in sensor range
¢page 81, fig. 84 .
-The system has a limited ability to detect
objects that are a shor t distance ahead,
off
to the side of your vehicle or moving into
your lane from the front or moves into your
lane from the side .
-When driving through curves
¢ page 80.
- Some kinds of veh icles are hard to detect;
for examp le motorcycles, veh icles with high
ground clearance or overhanging loads may
be detected when it is too late or they may
not be detected at a ll.
- Stationa ry objects
c::> page 80.
A WARNING
Improper use of the adaptive cruise con­
trol can cause collisions, other accidents
and serious personal injury.
- Never let the comfort and convenience
that adaptive cruise control and Audi brak ing guard offer distract you from the
need to be alert to traffic conditions and
the need to remain in full control of your
veh icle at a ll t imes,
- Always remember that the adaptive
cru ise cont rol and Aud i brak ing guard
have lim its -they will not s low the vehi­
cle down or maintain the set d istance
when yo u drive towards an obstacle or
someth ing on or near the road tha t is not
mov ing, such as vehicles stopped in a
traffic jam, a stalled or disabled vehicle.
If registered by the radar sensors, vehi­
cles or obstacles that are not moving can
trigger a collision warning and if con­
f irmed by the video camera, an acute col­
lision warning.
- Always remember that the adaptive
cru ise contro l cannot detect a vehicle
that is driving towards you in your traffic
-
lane and that it cannot detect narrow ..,.

80 Adaptive cruise control and braking guard
vehicles such as motorcycles and bicy­cles.
- The adaptive cruise control system can ­
not detect people, animals and cannot
detect objects or traffic that crosses your
lane of travel.
- Never drive at speeds that are too fast
for traffic, road and weather conditions.
- Never use adaptive cruise control when
you cannot drive safely at a steady speed, including on winding roads or
when road conditions are poor (for exam ­
ple, in construction sites, on ice, gravel,
in fog, heavy rain or on wet roads that in­
crease the risk of hydroplan ing).
- Never follow a veh icle so closely that you
cannot stop your vehicle safely. The
adaptive cruise control cannot slow or
brake the vehicle safely when you follow
another vehicle too closely . Always re­
member that the automatic braking
function cannot bring the vehicle to a sudden or emergency stop under these
conditions.
- Never rest your foot on the accelerator
pedal, especially when the adaptive
cruise control is being used. Pressure on
the accelerator will override the adaptive cruise control braking function and pre­
vent the brakes from being applied when adaptive cruise contro l detects a situa­
tion when the brakes must be applied.
- Never use adaptive cruise control when
the radar sensors cannot accurately de­
tect vehicles moving in traffic. The radar
sensor's vision can be reduced by heavy
rain, ice, snow, heavy road spray and re­
flections from guard rails, tunnel entran­
ces, etc. These and similar conditions can
prevent vehicles from being accurately
detected and in some cases they may not
be detected at all .
- Always turn off adaptive cruise control
when entering turn lanes, exit lanes and
construction zones or in similar situa­
tions because the vehicle will automati­ cally accelerate to the stored speed when
the road ahead is clear. -
To prevent unintended operation, always
switch ACC off when it is not being used.
(D Note
The sensors can be moved by impacts or
damage to the bumper, wheel housing and
underbody. Damage in these areas could
change the way the adaptive cruise control
system and Audi braking guard work to­
gether . Have your authorized Audi dealer
check to make sure that the adaptive
cruise control system is working properly if
your vehicle had a minor frontal impact or
was damaged in the area of the sensors.
In curves
Applies to vehicles: wi th adaptive cruise control
Fig. 82 Exampl e: dri ving into a curve
When driving into a curve c:::> fig. 82 and out of
a curve, the adaptive cruise control may react
to a vehicle in the next lane and apply the brakes. You can override or prevent the brak­
ing by pressing the accelerator pedal briefly.
Stationary objects
Applies to vehicles: with adaptive cruise control
Fig. 83 Exam ple: object changing la nes a nd stat io na ry
ob ject .,..