2012 AUDI A7 headlights

10 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
Instruments and warning/indicator Lights
Instruments
Instrument cluster and controls
The instrument cluster is your central source of information.
Fig. 3 Overv iew of the inst rument cluster
CD Coolant temperature gauge ...
@ Tachometer (engine rev counter)
@ Turn signals ........... .. .. .
© Display with
- Driver information system .. .
- Warning/ind icator lights
® Tachometer 10
11
43
22
11
@ Fuel
gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
@ Tips
The instrument illumination (for dials and
needles) turns on when the ignition is on
and the vehicle lights are turned off . As
the daylight fades, the illumination of the
dia ls likewise dims automatically and will
go out completely when the outside light
is very low. This feature is meant to rem ind
you to switch on the headlights when out­
side light conditions become poor.
Engine coolant temperature gauge
The engine coolant gauge CD c:> page 10, fig. 3
only works when the ignition is on . To prevent
damage to your engine, please note the fol­
l owing important points:
Engine cold
If only the LEDs at the bottom of the gauge
turn on, the engine has not reached operating
temperature yet. Avoid high engine speeds, heavy engine loads and heavy th rottle applica­
t ions.
Normal temperature
The engine has reached its operating temper­
ature once the LEDs up to the center of the
gauge turn on unde r normal driv ing cond i­
t ions . Th e LEDs higher up may turn on when
the engine is under heavy load or the exterior
temperature is high. This is no need to worry
as long as the . warning light in the instru­
ment cluster does not illuminate . If the LEDs
in the upper area of the disp lay and the indica­
tor light . in the instr ument cluster display
turn on, the coolant temperature is too high
c:> page 15.
A WARNING
-Always observe the warn ing in
c:> page 210, Engine compartment, be­
fore open ing the hood and checking the
engine coolant level.

20 Instruments and warning/indicator lights
!?' Engine speed limitation
Ap plies to vehicles: wit h eng ine spee d limi tation
(ii Engine speed maximum XXXX RPM
The engine speed is automatically limited to
the speed displayed in the driver information
system. This protects the engine from over­
heating.
The engine speed limitation deactivates once
the engine is no longer in the critical tempera­
ture range and you have released the accelera­
tor pedal once.
If the engine speed limitation was activated by an engine control malfunction, the indica­
tor light~ also turns on. Make sure that the
speed does not go above the speed displayed .
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
~ . Engine oil level
II! Add oil, max. x qt (l) . You may continue
driving
When the symbol II and driver message ap­
pear, add the amount of oil appearing in the
display at the next opportunity
c:> page 221.
~ .... Engine oil sensor
• Oil level! Sensor defective
If the symbol illuminates, contact your au­
thorized Audi dealer and have the oil sensor inspected. Until you have this done, check the
oil level each time you refuel just to be on the
safe side<=>
page 221.
Bil Fuel level indicator
Ji Please refuel
If the indicator light turns on for the first
time and the message appears, there are
about 2.6 gallons (10 liters) of fuel left in the
tank . Time to refuel
<=> page 212.
Ji Tank system malfunction! Contact dealer
If the indicator light turns on and this mes­
sage appears, there is a malfunction in the
tank system.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
o Windshield washer fluid level
B Please refill washer fluid
If the symbol illuminates, add windshield
washer fluid to the washer system/headlight
washer system*
c:> page 230.
~ Windshield wipers
,,., Windshield wiper defective
There is a malfunction with the windshield
wipers.
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected .
~/0$ Defective light bulb warning
fa-If the indicator light turns on, a bulb has
failed. The message indicates the location of
the bulb.
[I-if a rear fog lamp has failed, the indicator
light turns on to indicate the location on the
vehicle .
Vehicle lights: malfunction
If the message appears, there is a malfunc ­
tion in the headlights or light switch .
Drive to your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected .
A WARNING
-
-Light bulbs are pressurized and could ex-
plode while they are being changed caus­
ing serious personal injury.
- Work with due care when handling the
high-voltage section of gas discharge
(xenon) lights. Failure to do so could re­
sult in death or serious injury.

Instruments and warning/indicator lights 21
@ Tips
Have the bulb replaced or the connection
repaired by your authorized Audi Service
department.
~()) Headlight range control
II Headlight range control: defective!
If
the symbol illuminates, the headlight range
contro l is no longer working properly . Have
the system checked and repa ired at your Aud i
dealer .
l§O Adaptive Light
Applies to vehicles: with Adapt ive Light
rlJ Audi adaptive light: system fault
If the indicator light turns on and this mes­
sage appears, there is a malfunction in the
adapt ive light system. The headlights still
function .
Go to an authori zed dea lership to have the
headlights or the control unit for the Adapt ive
Light repaired .
~D Light/rain sensor
f'al Automatic headlights/automatic wipers:
system fault
If
the indicator light turns on and th is mes­
sage appears, the light/ra in sensor is not
functioning correctly .
For safety reasons the low beams are turned
on permanent ly w ith the switch in
AUTO.
However, you can continue to turn the lights
on and off using the light switch. You can still
control all funct ions that are independent of
the rain sensor through the windshield wiper
l eve r.
Contact your author ized Audi dealer as soon
as possible to have the prob lem cor rected.
¢ Q Turn signals
The indicator light blinks when you use either
turn signal .
Whenever you use the left II or the right rl
turn signal, the indicator light blinks. When
you use the emergency flashers, both indica­
tor lights flash .
If one of the turn signa l light bulbs burn out,
the turn signal will blink twice as fast as nor­
mal. Carefully dr ive to your authorized Audi
dealer immed iately to have the malfunction
corrected. The ind icator light does not indi­
cate a malfunction if a turn signal on the tra il­
er or on the vehicle fails in trailer towing
mode.
(D Tips
For more information on the turn signals,
refer to
¢ page 43.
CRUISE/' (-) Cruise control
The warning/indicator light mi1'lm (USA mod­
els)/ll (Canada models) illuminates when
the cruise control is activated¢
page 77.

Clear vision Lights
Switching the headlights on and off
Fig . 32 Instrument pane l: lig ht sw itc h wit h all -weath­
er lights•
The headlights only wo rk when the ignition is
switched on. Wh ile start ing the eng ine o r
when switching off the ign ition, the head­
lights will go off and on ly the side marker
lights will be on .
If the system is not operating p rope rly, a
war ning symbol in the dr iver information dis­
p lay is d isplayed
c::> page 21 .
Light switch ·'t!- -
Tu rn the switch c::> fig . 32 to the correspond ing
position . When the lights a re switched on, the
:oo: symbo l tu rns on .
0 -The lig hts are off or the dayt ime runn ing
lights are on:
- USA models: The daytime running ligh ts
will come on automatically when the igni­
t ion is on and the light switch
c::> fig . 32 is in
the O posit ion or the AUTO position (only in
daylight cond itions). The Daytime running
light s function can be turned on and off in
the MMI
c::> page42, c::>A .
-Ca nada model s: The daytime running lig hts
will come on automa tically when the igni­
t ion is on and the light switch
c::> fig . 32 is in
the O position, the
:oo: pos ition or the AUTO
position (only in daylight conditions)
c::> A .
AUTO -Automatic headlights swi tch on and
off depend ing o n brightness, for example i n
tw ilight, during rain or in tunnels
c::> &. .
:oo: -Side marke r lights
io -Low beam headlights
~ -All-weather lig hts*
Clear vi sion 41
[Q!l -Rear fog lights* . When th e rear fog lights
a re on, the symbol
0$ on the switch will illu­
mina te.
All-weath er lights*
In vehicles with all-weather lights, the front
li ghts are adj usted automatically so that you
are less like ly to see glare from your own
headligh ts, for example when driving on a wet
road .
Automatic headlight range cont rol*
The head lights do not blind oncoming traffic
if the vehicle load changes . The headlight
range also ad justs automatica lly when brak­
i ng and accelerat ing .
Light function s
T he following light funct ions are avai lab le de­
pending on vehicle equipment and on ly func­
tion when the light switch is i n the AUTO posi­
tion. You c an deactiv ate these functions in the
MMI under Audi adaptive light
c::> page 42 .
Vehicles w ith Static cornering light* : the cor­
ner ing light sw itches on automatica lly when
the stee ring whee l is tu rned at a ce rta in angle
at speeds up to approx imately 44 mph (70
km/ h) and when the turn signa l is ac tiva ted a t
speeds up to approximately 25 mph (40 km/
h) . The area to the s ide of the vehicle is illumi­
nated bette r whe n turn ing .
Vehicles with Dynamic curve light* : the
curve
li ght only functions at speeds betwee n ap ­
proximately 6 mph (10 km/h) and 68 mph
(110 km/ h) and adapts itself to the cu rves in
the ro ad.
_& WARNING
- Autom atic headlig hts are only intended
to assist the driver. They do not relieve
the dr iver of his responsibility to check
the head lights and to turn them on man -
ually accord ing to the current light and
~

42 Clear vision
visibility conditions. For example, fog cannot be detected by the light sensors.
So always switch on the headlights
io
under these weather conditions and
when driving in the dark.
- Crashes can happen when you cannot see
the road ahead and when you cannot be
seen by other motorists . Always turn on
the headlights so that you can see ahead and so that others can see your car from
the back.
(D Note
The rear fog lights should only be turned
on in accordance with traffic regulation, as
the lights are bright for following traffic.
@ Tips
-In the event of a light sensor malfunc­
tion, the driver is notified in the instru­
ment cluster display~
page 21.
-You will hear a warning tone if you open
the driver door when the exterior lights
are switched on.
- Please observe legal regulations when
using the lighting systems described .
Emergency flasher
The emergency flasher makes other motorists
aware that you or your vehicle are in an emer­
gency situation.
Fig. 33 Center console : emerge ncy flasher switch
• Press the switch~~ fig. 33 to turn the
emergency flashers on or off.
When the emergency flasher is on, all four
turn signals blink at the same time. The turn signal
indicato r lights ¢ Q in the instrument
cluster, as well as the light in the emergency
fl asher switch ~ blink likewise. The emergen­
cy flashers also work when the ignition is
turned off.
The emergency flashers will turn on automati­
cally if you are in an accident where the airbag
has deployed .
(D Tips
You should turn on the emergency flashers
when:
- you are the last vehicle standing in a traf­
fic jam so that any other vehicles coming
can see you, or when
- your vehicle has broken down or you are
in an emergency situation, or when
- your vehicle is being towed by a tow
truck or if you are towing another vehicle
behind you.
· Adjusting the exterior lighting
The settings ore adjusted in the MMI.
• Select: I CAR I function button > Car systems
control button > Vehicle settings> Exterior
lighting.
Automatic headlights
You can adjust the following settings in the
Automatic headlights menu :
Headlights activation time -You can adjust if
the headlights switch on
Early , Med. or Late
according to the sensitivity of the light sensor .
Audi adaptive light* -You can switch adaptive
light
On and Off .
Daytime running lights
USA models:
You can switch the daytime run­
ning lights
on and off.
Canada models:
The function cannot be
turned off.
It is activated automatically each
time the ignition is switched on. This menu
item is shown "greyed out".

44 Clear vis ion
Interior lights
Front and rear interior lighting
Fig. 35 Head liner: Fron t int eri or ligh ts
Fig. 36 Rear headlin er: R ead in g light
Press the appropriate b utton ~ fig. 35:
El -Interior lighting on/off
[j) -Door contact switch . The inter io r l ight ing
turns on automatically when you unlock the
vehi cle, open a doo r or switch the ignition off .
The interior lighting turns off several seconds
after you close the doors , when you lock the
vehicle or when you switch the ignition on.
When a door is open, the light t urns off after
a few minutes.
51 -Reading lights o n/off
~ -Sw itch ing the rear readi ng lights on/off
from the co ckpit.
I .,.. REAR !* -Switch ing the rear reading lights
on/off from the cockp it .
Ambience lighting
Appl ies to vehicles: wit h ambience lighting
You can adj ust the brightness for the amb i­
ence lighting. .,.
Select in the MM I: ICARlfunction button>
C ar sys tem s control button > Vehicle set­
ting s
> Interio r light ing > Brightne ss .
.,. To increase or reduce the brightness, turn
the knob and press it .
T he ambience lighting turns on when you turn
the headlights on while the ignition is switch­ ed on.
@ Tips
The setting is automatically stored and as­
signed to the remote control key that is in
use.
Instrument illumination
You can adjust the brightness of the instru ­
ment and display illumination as well as the
Head-up Display *.
F ig. 37 In strume nt ill umin ation
.,. Press the knob to re lease it .
~ 0 "'
.,. Tur n the knob toward "-" or"+" to redu ce or
increase the br ightness.
.,. Press the knob aga in to retu rn it to its origi ­
na l position .
(I} Tips
The instrumen t illum ina tion (for dials and
needles) lights on when the ignition is
switc hed o n and the vehicle lights are
turned off . As the daylight fades, the illu ­
mination of the dia ls likewise d ims auto­
matically and will g o out completely when
the outs ide light is very low. This feature is
meant to rem ind yo u to sw itch on the
headlights when outsid e light conditions
be come poo r.

48 Clear vis ion
another gear, the new mirror position is stor ­
ed and assign ed to the key you a re using.
The mirror goes back in to its origina l posit io n
once yo u drive forward faster than 9 mph (15
km/h) or switch the ignition
off.
~ WARNING
- Curved ( i.e. convex) mirror s urfaces in­
crease your field of view. Remember that
vehicles or other objects will appear
smaller a nd fa rther away than when seen
in a flat m irror . If you use this mirro r to
est imate distances of following vehicles
when changing lanes, you cou ld estimate
incorrectly and cause an ac cident .
-
@ Note
-If the mirro r hous ing is moved uninten ­
t ionally (for example, whi le park ing your
vehicle), then you must first fo ld the mi r­
r or electri cally. Do not readjust the m ir­
r or ho us in g manua lly . You could damage
the motor which con trols the mirror .
- If you wash t he vehi cle in an au tomatic
c ar wash, yo u m ust fold the e xterior m ir­
rors in to reduce the risk of damage to
the mirrors. Never fold power fo lding ex ­
terior mi rrors* by hand. Only fold them
i n and out us ing t he power contro ls.
@ Tips
- The exterior mirror settings are stored
with the memory funct ion *
~ page 53.
- If there is a malfunct ion i n the elect rical
system, you can still adjust the exter ior
mirrors by pressing the edge of the mir­
ror.
Dimming the mirrors
F ig . 4 3 Auto ma tic d immin g rearview mirro r*
Manu al anti-glare adjustment
.,. Move the small leve r (located on the bot­
tom edge of the mirror) to the rear.
Automatically dimming mirrors*
.,. To dim the rearview m irror and both exteri­
or m irrors, press the@ button . The diode
® turns on . The rearview and exterior mir­
rors dim automatically when light shines on
them, for examp le from headlights on ave­
hicle to the rear .
A WARNING
=
Electrolyte fluid can lea k from automatic
d imm ing mirro rs if the g lass is broken .
E lectro lyte fluid can irr itate sk in, eyes a nd
r espira to ry system .
- Repeated or prolonged exposu re to e lec­
trolyte can ca u se irritation to the respira­
t ory sys tem, especially among people
wit h asthma or other resp iratory condi­
tions . Get fresh air immediately by leav ­
ing the vehicle or, if that is not possib le,
open w indows and doors all the way .
- If electrolyte gets into the eyes, fl ush
them thorough ly with large amou nts of
clean water for at least 15 minutes; medical attention is recommended.
- If electrolyte contacts skin, fl ush affect­
ed area with clean water for at least 15 minutes a nd then wash affected area
with soap and water; medical atte ntion
is recommended. Thoroughly wash af­
fect ed clothing and shoes before re use .

202 Cleaning and protec tio n
directly at locks, or at door or hatch
openings -they can freeze shut.
- Never use sponges designed to remove insects, or any kitchen scouring sponges
or similar products . They can damage
your paint finish.
- Never use a dry cloth or sponge to clean
the headlights . Only use wet cloths or
sponges to prevent scratches. It is best
to use soapy water.
- You should remove debris (such as in­
sects) from the headl ight lenses on a
regular basis, for example when refuel­
i ng your vehicle. Never clean the head­
li ghts w ith a dry cloth or sponge. Use a
wet cloth or sponge.
It is best to use
soapy wa ter.
@ For the sake of the environment
In the interest of the envi ronment, the ve­
hicle sho uld only be washed i n special
was h bays.
Washing your vehicle with a power
washer
Cleaning the exterior of your car with a high­
pressure power washer is safe as long as you
observe a few simple rules.
.. Befo re using the power washer , make sure
yo u have read and understood the WARN­
INGS¢
A in General information on
page 200.
.. Always fo llow the operating instructions for
the power washer .
.. Make sure that the jet o n the spray hose
produces a "fan shaped spray" .
.. Do
not hold the spray nozzle too close to
soft materia ls .
When cleaning the veh icle with a power wash­
er
always follow the operating instructions .
This applies particularly to the
op erating
pr essure
a nd the s pray ing di stance . Keep a
d ista nce from soft materials such as rubber
hoses o r insulat ing ma ter ial as well as sensors
and camera lenses . Do not use a jet which sprays water in a
d
ir ect
stream
or one t hat has a rotating jet .
Water temper ature sho uld not ex ceed 140 °F
(60 °().
A WARNING ~ -
Neve r wash tires with a jet that sprays wa­
ter i n a direct stream. This could cause in ­
vis ib le damage to the t ires and weaken
them, even if the spray is from a re lative ly
l ong distance and for a short time. Dam­
aged and weakened tires can fail and cause
accidents and personal inj ury.
'
([) Note
To avoid damaging your vehicle, a lways
make sure that there is suffic ient d istance
between the spray head and soft materia ls
like rubber hoses, plast ic pa rts and sound­
deaden ing mater ials as w ell as sensors
and camera lenses. Neve r aim t he sp ray
head at the same point for a long time.
This also applies to cleaning headligh ts
and painted bumpers. Remembe r: the
closer the nozzle is to the surface of the
materia l, the greater the stress on the ma ­
terial.
Sensors and camera lenses
- Remove snow with a hand br ush and remove
ice with a de- ic ing spray that does not con­
tain so lvents .
- Clea n the sensors (adaptive cruise control*,
pa rk ing system*) w ith a cleaning so lution
that does not contain so lvents and a soft
cloth .
- The camera lens or the area in front of the
came ra le ns is no rmally cleaned by the
w indshie ld w ipers o r he adlig ht wipers (night
vision system *).
If the lens or the area is ex­
ceptionally di rty, clean the area wit h glass
cleaner and a soft, dry cloth .
(D Note
-If you was h your veh icle with a pres sure
washer,