2012 AUDI A7 warning

All child restraints manufactured after Sep­
tember 1, 2002, must have lower anchorage
attachments for the
LATCH system.
Please remember that the lower anchorage
points are only intended for installation and
attachment of child restraints specifically cer­
tified for use w ith
LATCH lower anchorages.
Child restraints that are not equipped with the
lower anchorage attachments can still be in­
stalled in compliance with the child restraint
manufacturer's instructions on using vehicle
safety belts .
A WARNING
Improper use of LATCH lower anchorages
can cause serious personal injury i n an ac­
cident.
- Always carefully follow the child re­
straints manufacturer's instructions for
proper installation of the child restraint
and proper use of the lower anchorages
or safety belts in your vehicle .
- Never secure or attach any l uggage or
other items to t he
LATCH lower ancho­
rages.
- Always read and heed the important in­
formation about child restraints in this
chapter and WARNINGS
¢page 163,
Child Safety.
Installing a child restraint with LATCH
lower anchorages
Whenever you install a child restraint always
follow the child restraint manufacturer's in­
structions.
Fig. 158 Lower anchorages: proper mount ing
Child Safety 1 79
Mounting
.,. Make sure the seatback of the rear seat
bench is in the upright position and securely
latched in place.
.,. Attach both hook-on connectors with the
spring catch release on the child safety seat
onto the LATCH lower anchorage so that the
connectors lock into place
¢fig. 158 .
.,. Pull on the connector attachments to make
sure they are properly attached to the LATCH
lowe r anchorage .
.,. Pull straps tight follo wing the child re­
straint manufacture r's instruc tions.
Releasing
.,. Loosen the tension on the straps following
the child restraint manufacturer's instruc­
t ions.
.,. Depress the spring catches to release the
anchorage hooks from the lower anchorag­
es .
Remember: Use tether straps to help keep the
child restraint firmly in place.
A WARNING
-
Improper use of the LATCH system can in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury
and death in an accident.
- These anchors were developed only for
child safety seats using the "LATCH" sys­
tem.
- Never attach other chi ld safety seats,
be lts or other objects to these anchors.
-A lways make sure that you hear a click
when latching the seat in place. If you do
not hear a click the seat is not secure and
could fly forward and hit the interior of
the vehicle, or be ejected from the vehi­
cle.
A WARNING
Improper installat ion of child restraints
will increase the risk of injury i n an acci­
dent.
- Always follow the child restraint system
manufacturer's inst ruct ions for proper
installation of the child restra int system
-

180 Child Safety
and proper use of tether straps as well as
the lower anchorages or safety belts in
your vehicle .
- Always read and heed the important in­
formation and WARNINGS about child
safety and the installation of child re­
straint systems
c:> page 163, Child Safe­
ty.
Tether anchors and tether straps
Fig. 159 Te the r ancho rs: recess fl aps be hind the rear
sea tback s
The tether anchors for the rear seating posi­
tions are located in recesses in the rear win­
dow shelf
c:> fig. 159
A tether is a straight or V-shaped strap that
attaches the top part of a child restraint to
special anchorage points in the vehicle.
T he purpose of the tether is to reduce the for­
ward movement of the child restraint in a crash, in order to help reduce the risk of head
injury that could be caused by striking the ve­
hicle interior.
Forward facing child restraints manufactured
after September 1, 1999, are required by U.S .
federal regulations to comply with new child head movement performance requirements.
These new performance requirements make a
tether necessary on most new child safety
seats.
A WARNING
Improper installation of child restraints
will increase the risk of injury and death in
a crash . -
Always follow the instructions provided
by the manufacturer of the child re­
straint you intend to install in your Audi.
- Improper use of child restraint anchors
(including tether anchors) can lead to in­
jury in a collision. The anchors are de­
signed to withstand only those loads im­
posed by correctly fitted child restraints.
- Never mount two child restraint systems
on one LATCH lower anchor point.
- Never attach two child restraint systems
to one tether strap or tether anchorage .
- Never attach a tether strap to a tie-down
hook in the luggage compartment.
- Never use child restraint tether ancho­
rages to secure safety belts or other
kinds of occupant restraints.
- Never secure or attach any luggage or
other items to the LATCH lower ancho­
rages or to the tether anchors .
- If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circumstan­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
mediately install the rear-facing child
safety seat in a rear seating position and
have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer.
Installing the upper tether strap on the
anchorage
Fig. 160 T eth er st rap: prop er rou ting and mounting
Installing the tether strap
.,. Release or deploy the tether strap on the
child restraint according to the child re­
stra int manufacturer's instructions.

~ Guide the upper tether strap und er the rear
head restraint ¢
fig. 160 (raise the head re­
stra int if necessary).
~ Attach the tether strap anchorage hook into
the tethe r anchorage .
~ Pull on the tether strap hook so that the
spring catch of the hook engages.
~ Tighten the tether strap firmly following
the chi ld restraint manufacturer's instruc­
tions .
Rele asing the tether str ap
~ Loosen the tension following the ch ild re ­
stra int manufacturer 's instructions .
~ Depress the spring catch on the hook and
release it from the anchorage.
{[) Note
If you leave the child restraint with the
tether strap firmly insta lled for severa l
days , th is co uld leave a mar k on the up­
holstery on the seat c ushion and bac krest
in the area whe re the tether st rap was in­
stalled. The upholstery wo uld a lso be per­
manently stretched around the tether
strap. This applies especially to leather
seats.
Using tether straps on rearward -facing
child restraints
Currently , few rear-facing child res traint sys­
tems come with a tether . P lease read and
heed the child restraint system manufactur­
er's instructions carefully to determine how to properly insta ll th e tether .
A WARNING
-
A child in a rearward-facing child safety
seat installed on the front passenger seat
w ill be seriously injured and can be k illed if
the front a irbag inflates -even with an Ad ­
vanced Airbag System .
- The inflating a irbag w ill hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier w it h great
force and w ill smash the ch ild safety seat
and child against the backrest, cente r
armrest, or door .
Child Safet y 181
-If you must insta ll a rearward fac ing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circumstan­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
mediately insta ll the rear-fac ing ch ild
safety seat i n a rear seating position and
h ave the airbag system i nspe cted by yo ur
Aud i dea le r.
Additional Information
Sources of information about child
restraints and their use
The re a re a number of sources of add itiona l
information about child rest raint se lection , in ­
stalla tion and use:
NH TSA advises that the best child safety seat
i s the one that fits your ch ild and fits in you r
vehicle , and that you will use correct ly and
consistently .
T ry before you buy !
U.S Na tional Highway Traffic Safety Admin ­
istration
Tel.: 1 -888 -327 -4236 (TI Y: 1-800 -424 -9153)
www .nhtsa .gov
National SAFE KIDS Campaign
Tel.: (202) 662-0600
www .safek ids .org
Safet y BeltSafe U.S.A
Tel.: (800) 7 45-SAFE ( English)
Tel.: (800) 747-SANO (Span ish)
www .carseat .org
T ransport Can ada Info rmation Cent re
Tel.: 1 (800) 333-0371 or call
1 (613) 998-8616 if you are in the Ot tawa
area
www .tc.gc.ca/roadsafety
Audi Custome r CARE
Tel.: (800) 822-2834 •
•

182 Audi pre sense
Audi pre sense
Preventative passenger
protection
Applies to vehicles: with Audi pre sense
Audi pre sense can initiate steps to help pro­
tect vehicle occupants in certain situations.
The functions described depend on equ ipment
installed in your vehicle:
Audi pre sense basic*
The following functions can be triggered in
certain driving situations:
- Tightening of the safety belts (for example,
during heavy braking): the front safety belts
have reversible belt pretensioners. If a colli­
sion does not occur, the safety belts loosen
slightly and are ready to be tightened again.
- Closing the windows and the sunroof* : the
windows and the sunroof* close leaving a
small open gap .
Audi pre sense basic functions can be trig­
gered at speeds above 20 mph (30 km/h).
Vehicles with Aud i drive select*: the deploy­
ment time is adapted in dynamic mode.
Audi pre sense front (vehicles with
adaptive cruise control*)
Audi pre sense front includes the functions in
Audi pre sense basic. In addition, within the limits of the system, the likelihood of a colli ­
sion with the vehicle immediately ahead is al­
so calculated . If the system senses an immi­
nent collision the follow ing functions can be
tr iggered:
- Audi braking guard
c::> page 85
- Tightening the safety be lts
- Closing the windows and the sunroof* (leav-
ing a small open gap)
Audi pre sense rear (vehicles with Audi
side assist*)
Audi pre sense rear includes the functions in
Audi pre sense basic. In addition, the likeli­
hood of a rear-end collision with the vehicle
coming from behind is also calcu lated. If the risk
of a co llision is detected, the following
functions can be triggered:
- Tig htening the safety belts
- Closing the windows and the sunroof* (leav-
ing a small open gap)
Audi pre sense plus*
Audi pre sense plus includes the functions in
Audi pre sense front and Audi pre sense rear .
Error message
Audi pre sense: not available
Preventative passenger protection is not avail­
able. See your authorized Audi dealer immedi­
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
_& WARNING
-=
Audi pre sense cannot overcome the laws
of physics. It cannot prevent a collision. Do
not let the increased safety provided
tempt you to take risks . This will increase
the risk of a coll is ion and serious personal
in juries .
- The sensors cannot always detect all ob­ jects. This increases the risk of a colli­
sion.
-Aud i pre sense does not detect people or
an im als or objects that are crossing the
veh icle's path
c::> page 79.
-The radar sensor's vis ion can be reduced
by heavy rain, ice, snow, heavy road sp ray
and reflections from gua rd rails, tunnel
entrances, etc. These and similar condi­
tions can prevent vehicles from being ac­
curately detected and in some cases they
may not be detected at all.
(D Note
The sensors can be displaced by impacts or
damage to the bumper, wheel housing and
underbody. This can affect the function of
the Audi pre sense system. Have your au­
thorized Audi dealer check to make sure
that the system is working properly.

ESP includes and/or works together with the
anti-lock brake system (ABS) , brake assist sys ­
tem, anti -slip regulation (ASR) , e lectronic dif­
ferential lock ( EDL) and e lectronic interax le
d ifferential lock* . ESP is swi tched on all the
time. In certain situat ions when you need less
traction , you can switch off ASR by pressing
the button
[ru <::;> page 186, fig . 161 . Be sure
to switch ASR on again when you no longer
n eed less t raction.
Anti-lock br aking s ystem (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up
when braking . The veh icle can still be steered
even during hard braking . Apply steady pres­
sure to the brake pedal. Do not pump the ped ­
a l. A puls ing in the bra ke peda l indicates that
the system is he lping you to brake the vehicle.
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease brak ing
d istance.
It increases braking power when the
d river p resses the brake pedal quic kly in emer­
gency situations. You must press and ho ld the
b rake peda l until the situation is over. In vehi­
cles with adaptive cruise control*, the brake
assist system is more sensitive if the distance
detected to the vehicle ahead is too small.
Anti -slip regulati on (ASR )
ASR reduces engine power when the drive
wheels begin to spin and adapts the force to
the road conditions. This makes it easier to
start, accelerate and drive up hills .
Electronic differential lock (EDL )
The ED L brakes wheels that are spinn ing and
transfers the drive power to the other drive
wheel or whee ls if the vehicle is equipped with
all-whee l drive* . This function is available up
to about 75 mph (120 km/h).
I n extreme cases, ED L automat ica lly switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked whee l
from overheating . EDL will switch on again au ­
tomatically when conditions have returned to
normal.
Int ellig ent technolog y 185
Electronic intera xle differ ential l ock */
s el ecti ve w heel torque cont rol *
The electronic interaxle differential lock (front
whee l drive) or the se lective whee l torque
control (all-wheel dr ive) operates when dr iv­
ing through curves . The front wheel on the in­
s ide of the curve or both wheels on the inside
of the curve are braked selectively as needed .
T his min imizes sliding in the front wheels and
allows for more p recise d riving through
curves . T he applicable system may no t acti­
vate when driv ing in wet or snowy conditions.
A WARNING
-
- ESP , ABS, ASR, EDL and the e lectronic in­
teraxle diffe rential lock function* cannot
overcome the laws of physics. This is es­
pecially important on slippery or wet
roads . If the systems begin acting to sta­
bilize your veh icle, you shou ld immedi­
ately change you r speed to match the
road and traffic cond itions. Do not let
the increased safety provided by these
systems tempt you to take risks. Do ing
so will increase the risk o f a loss of vehi ­
cle control, collision and serious persona l
inju ries.
-A lways adapt your speed to road, traffic
and weather conditions . The risk of los ­
ing control of the vehicle increases when
driving too fast, espec ially through
curves and on slippery or wet roads, and
when dr iv ing too close to vehicles up
ahead . ESP, ABS, the brake ass ist system,
EDL, ASR and the e lectronic interax le dif­
fe rential lock fu nction* cannot prevent
coll is ions .
- Always accelerate with spec ial care on
even, smooth su rfaces such as those that
are wet or covered with ice and snow.
The drive wheels can spin even with these assistance systems that cannot al­
ways he lp to red uce the risk of loss of ve -
hicle control. .,.
•
•

186 Intelligent technology
@ Tips
- ABS and ASR on ly work correctly when
all four wheels are equipped w ith identi­
ca l tires. Different tire si zes can lead to a
reduct ion in engine power.
- You may hear noises when the systems described are working.
- If the indicato r light
DJ or m!l:?J (USA
models) ;fil (Canada models) appears,
there may be a malfunction¢
page 18,
¢ page 18.
Switching on and off
ESP turns on automa tic ally when you start
t he engine.
F ig . 16 1 Cen te r con sol e w it h ESP OF F but ton
Switching sport mode on
Press the I~ OF F I button c::> fig . 161 . The ac­
tions taken by the ESP system to stabilize the
ve hicl e are lim ited. In vehicles with front
wheel dr ive, the anti -s lip reg ulation (ASR) is
lim ited . In vehicles with a ll-wheel drive, the
ASR is switched off. The
fl ESP indicator light
turns on and the message
C a ution! Limited
stabil ity ! ¢ A appears in the driver informa­
tion system display.
The fo llowing examples are un usu al situa­
tions wher e it may make sense to switch sport
mode on in order to a llow the whee ls to spin:
- Rocking the vehicle back and forth when it is
stuck
- Driv ing in deep s now or on loose ground
- Driving with s now cha ins
Switching sport mode off
Press the 1.$ O FF I button again. The I indica­
tor light t urns off and the message
Stability
program on appears in the driver information
system display .
A WARNING
-
-Drive whee ls can spin and you can lose
control of the vehicle more easily when
ASR and ESP are in sport mode, especial­
ly when the road is slippe ry .
- Sw itch to sport mode only whe n your
driving skills, traffic and weather condi ­
tions perm it.
@ Tips
- You cannot switch sport mode on when
adaptive cru ise contro l* is working .
-
- If the rear spoi ler system malfunct ions,
sport mode may not switc h on or it may
switch off agai n automatically .
Rear spoiler
The rear spoiler improves vehicle handling
and enhances driver control.
Fig . 162 Center co n so le: Sw it c h for rea r s poile r
The rea r spoi le r deploys and retracts. Spoiler
operation can be se t fo r automat ic or ma nual
operation.
Automatic mode (normal operation)
- Au tomatic deployment : At a speed of about
8 0 mph (130 km/h), the rea r spo ile r deploys
au tomatically.
- Automati c retr act ion: When speed drops be­
low abou t 50 mph (80 km/h), the rear spoil-
er retracts a utomat ica lly. ..,.

Manual mode
-Manua l dep loyment: Tapping b riefly on the
switch
¢ fig. 162 dep loys the rear spoiler.
- Manua l retraction: A t speeds up to abo ut
10 mph (20 km/h), ret ract the rear spoiler
by pressing and holding the switch
¢ fig. 162 . At speeds between 10 mph (20
km/h) and 80 mph (130 km/h), retract the
rear spoiler by tapping on the switch
¢ fig. 162.
Ind icat or light s
1,1 /. Rea r spo ile r: sys tem malfunct ion!
The rear spoiler may not have extended due to
a ma lf u nction. This could change the vehicle 's
driving characteristics at high speeds . Do not
exceed 85 mph (140 km/h). Drive to your au­
thorized Audi dealer immed iate ly to have the
malfunction corrected. The co lor of the indica­
tor light depends on the ve hicle speed.
A WARNING
Dr iv ing at higher speeds w ithout the rear
spoiler dep loyed can impair handling char ­
acteristics, making the veh icle harde r to
cont ro l.
- Always make sure that the spoiler is de­
ployed when driving at speeds over
85 mph (1 40 km/h). If the rear spoiler
warning/ind icator light in the i nstr u­
ment cluster comes on, the rear spoiler
may not have dep loyed .
- Never drive at speeds higher than
85 mph (140 km/h) if the spoiler is not
deployed. Have the spoi ler inspected as
soon as possib le by an authorized A udi
dealer or qualif ied workshop.
- Always obey speed limits and other traf­
fic laws.
A WARNING
Improper operation of the rear spoiler can
cause crushing injuries.
- Always make sure that nobody, espec ially
children, is in the way when the rear
spoiler is deployed or retracted.
Int ellig ent technolog y 187
@ Note
-Never push the vehicle or apply force to
the rear spoiler -it could be damaged.
- Only operate the rear spoiler manua lly
w hen the rear lid is closed . Otherwise,
damage cou ld occur.
(D Tips
C lean the spoiler compa rtment every 2 to
3 months. The spoiler compartment must
a lways be free of ice, snow, leaves or other
debris.
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Ope rating condition s and dri ving h abit s
The brakes on today's automobiles are still
subject to wear, depending largely on operat­
ing condit ions and driving habits ¢.&, . On ve­
hicles that are either dr iven mostly in stop­
and-go c ity traff ic or are dr iven hard, the
brake pads should be checked by your author­
ized Audi dea ler more often th an specified in
the
Warran ty & Maintenan ce boo klet. Failure
to have yo ur brake pads inspected can result
in reduced brake performance .
On steep slopes, you sho uld use the braking
effect o f the engine . This way, you prevent un ­
necessary wear on the b rake system. If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the brakes
down cont inuous ly. Pump the brakes at inter­
vals.
Mo istur e or road salt
U nder certain conditions, for example, when
driving through water or very heavy rain, or
even after washing your vehicle, the braking
effect can be reduced due to moisture (or in
freez ing cond itions ice) on the brake pads. A
few carefu l brake applications should dry off
the brake pads or remove any ice coatings.
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is driven on a salt-covered
Ill-
•
•

188 Intelligent technology
road and the brakes are not used. Here too,
you should clean
off accumulated salt coating
from brake discs and pads with a few careful applications of the brake
i:> ,&. .
Corrosion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not driven regularly or
only for short trips with little use of the
brakes .
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if cor­
rosion has formed on the discs, it is advisable
to clean
off the pads and discs by braking
firmly a few times from a moderately high
speed
i:> .&. .
Faults in the brake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake pedal travel, then one of the two brake
circuits may have failed
i:> ,&. .
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fluid level is too low. The brake fluid
level is monitored electronically.
Brake booster
The brake booster works with vacuum pres­
sure which is created only when the engine is
running
c> .&. .
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the wheel. If neces­
sary, the wheel may be removed for this in­
spection
c> page 254, Changing a wheel.
,8. WARNING
-You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road conditions permit.
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an accident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmission into a lower
gear or lower driving range. Do not ride the brakes or hold the pedal down too
long or too often . This could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency .
- Do not "ride the brakes" by resting your
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake. This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance.
- Under certain climatic and operating
conditions such as passing through wa­
ter, driving in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the
brakes can be reduced. In winter, ice can
accumulate on the brake pads, linings,
discs and drums. Carefully apply brakes
for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coat­
ings will be cleaned
off after a few care­
ful brake applications.
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your brakes can also affect braking efficiency.
Clean
off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
flow to the front brakes is not obstruct­
ed. Otherwise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impair
the braking capability resulting in an in­
creased stopping distance. Avoid driving
the vehicle and have it towed to the near­
est Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
- Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with
the engine shut
off.
- If the brake booster is not working, for
example when towing your vehicle, or because the brake booster has somehow
been damaged, the brake pedal must be
pressed considerably harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance .