2012 AUDI A7 battery

12-volt sockets
Fig. 53 Section of the trim panel of the luggage com­
partment: 12-volt socket
Fig . 54 Rear center console: 12-volt socket
~ To reach the 12-volt socket in the luggage
compartment, press the net down or re­
move the bracket from the mounts
Qfig . 53.
There is an additional 12-volt socket in the
front and rear center console¢
fig. 54.
0 5 0 /li
The 12 volt sockets may be used for 12-volt
appliances with max imum cons umption of up
to 120 watts.
Before you purchase any accessories, always
r ead and fol low the information in
¢ page 2 75, Additional accessories and parts
replacement .
A WARNING
The sockets and the e lectrica l accessories
connected to them operate on ly when the
ignition is switched on. Incorrect usage
can lead to serious injuries or burns. To re­
duce the risk of injuries, never leave chil­
dren unattended in the vehicle with the ve­
hicle key.
S ea ts a nd s to rage 55
(D Note
To avoid damaging the socket, only use
plugs that fit properly.
- Never connect equipment that generates
electrical current, such as a solar pane l
or battery charger, to the 12 volt socket.
This could damage the vehicle's electri­ cal system.
- The 12 volt socket shou ld only be used
for a short period of ti me as a power
source for electrical equ ipment. Please
use the electr ical sockets in the vehicle
when con necting equ ipment for longer
periods.
- To avoid damaging the socket, only use
plugs that fit properly.
(D Tips
When the engine is off and accessories are
still plugged in and are on, the vehicle ba t­
tery can still be d rained.
Storage
(upholder
Fi g. 55 Ce nter console: cupholder
Fig. 56 Rear center armrest: cupholde r extended

-If you leave the vehicle with the ignition
switched on, the ignition will switch off
after a certain period of time . Please
note that e lectrica l equipment such as
exterior lights will switch off as well
when that happens.
Stopping the engine
.,. Bring your vehicle to a complete stop.
.,. Move the selector lever to the
P or N posi­
t ion.
.,. Press the
!START ENGINE STOPI button
¢page 71, fig. 76.
Emergency off
If necessary, the engine can be sw itched off
with the selector leve r in the
R or D/ S posi­
tion . The engine stops if you p ress the
I START ENGINE STOPI button at speeds below
6 mph (10 km/h) and press the brake pedal.
A WARNING
- Never turn off the engine until the vehi­
cle has come to a complete stop.
- The brake booster and power steering
only work when the engine is running. If
the engine is off, you have to use more
force when steering or braking. Because
you cannot steer and brake as you usua l­
ly would, this could lead to crashes and
serious injur ies.
- For safety reasons, you should always
park your vehicle with the selector lever
in P. Othe rwise, the veh icle could inad­
vertent ly roll away.
- After the engine has been switched off,
the radiator fan can continue to r un for
up to 10 minutes - even with the ign it ion
swit ched off.
It can a lso swi tch on aga in
after some time if the coo lant tempera ­
ture rises as the result of a heat buildup
or if the engine is hot and the engine
compartment is additionally heated by
the sun's rays.
On th e road 73
(D Note
Do not stop the engine immediately after
hard or extended driving. Keep the engine
running for approximately two minutes to
prevent excess ive heat bu ild-up.
Starting the engine if there is a
malfunction
It may not be possible to start the engine un­
der certain circumstances, for example if the
battery in the vehicle key is drained, if inter­
ference is affected the key or if there is a sys­
tem malfunction.
F ig . 77 Center console/master key: start ing the eng ine
i f there is a malfunction
Requirement : The message K ey not recog­
nized . Ho ld back of k ey against mark ed area .
Se e own er's manual.
must appear and the in­
di cator light
I] must swi tch on.
.,. Hold the master key vertically in the loca­
tion indicated
y >>) 9 fig. 77.
.,. Press the b rake pedal¢
& in Starting the
engine on page
72.
... Press the '"" I s"'T ,..,A ""'R ,.,,T ,..., E"' N...,. G = I N~ E-=s"'T '""o '"" P,..,I button.
The engine will start.
... Drive to your authorized Audi dea ler imme­
diately to have the malfunction corrected.
(D Tips
You can view the message again by press­ i ng the
I STAR T ENGINE STOP ! button.

94 Audi side assist
right of your travel lane, depending on wheth­
er you drive in the center of your lane or closer
to the edge.
If you drive in narrow lanes, s ide ass ist's de­
tection area may a lso include other lanes -es­
pecia lly if you tend to drive on the edge of
your lane¢
fig. 99. Under these condit ions,
vehicles can also be detected that are two lanes away, and side assist then could switch
between the informat ional and warning stage
signals .
When driving in very w ide lanes, vehicles in
the adjacent lane may not be detected be­
cause they are not inside the detection area .
Notes
Messages in instrument cluster display
Applies to vehicles: with side assis t
If side assist turns off automatically, the indi­
cator light on the button wi ll go out and you
will see a message in the instrument cluster
d isplay:
Audi side assist: not available. sensors
blocked
The side assist sensors are built into the rear
bumper on the left and right (not visible on
the outside)
¢ page 88, fig. 91 . To ensure that
you do not adversely affect the way side assist
functions, foreign objects (such as stickers or
b icycle racks) should not be attached to the
a rea on the rear bumper where the sensors
are located. If side assist functions are ad­
versely affected, you will see this message in
the instrument cluster display. Remove any ­
thing that may be blocking the sensors .
If no vehicle is detected for a longer period of
time while driving, side assist will also switc h
off a utomatica lly.
Audi side assist currently not available
If there is a temporary problem (such as the
ve hicle's battery charge being low), s ide ass ist
cannot be activated tempo rari ly.
Audi side assist: system fault
Have the system checked by an authorized Au­
di dealer or qualified workshop.
Audi side assist: not available when
towing
T he radar senso r's view is limited when tow­
ing a trai le r. For vehicles with a fa ctory instal ­
led towing hitch or a trailer hitch that was in­
stalled later according to factory specifica­
tions, side assist is automatically deactivated
as soon as the electrical connection to the
trailer's electrical socket is made, and this sta­
tus message appears in the instrument clus ­
ter display . Deactivation cannot be guaran­
teed when using a retrofitted towing hitch
that was
not installed according to factory
specifications.
Safety tips
Appl ies to vehicles : wi th side assist
The side assist detection may be limited when
driving aro und narrow street corners, on hilly
streets, and under poor weather cond itions.
It is possible that the radar sensors may also
detect other objects, such as high or stag­
gered guardrails .
Side assist does not measure actual lane
width. The system assumes a fixed lane width.
Detection in the left and right lanes is based
o n this ass umed lane width . When driving on
narrow roads or when driving to the left or
right of the center of a trave l lane, it is poss i­
ble that vehicles will be detected that are
not
in the lane next to the lane you are using.
A WARNING
- Improper reliance on the side assist sys­
tem can cause collis ion s and serious per­
sonal injury:
- Never rely only on side assist when
changing lanes .
- Always check rear view mirrors to make
sure that it is safe to change lanes.
- Side assist cannot detect all vehicles un-
der all conditions- danger of accident! ..,.

Do not continue driving. Select the P se lector
lever position and see your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified repair facility for assis­
tance.
(D Note
If the transmission switches to emergency
mode, you shou ld take the vehicle to an
author ized Audi dealership as soon as pos­
sible to have the cond ition corrected.
Emergency release of the selector lever
App lies to vehicles: with tiptron ic
If the vehicle's power supply foils, the selec­
tor lever con be released in on emergency.
Fig. 115 Emergency release for selecto r lever
• To reach the eme rgency release mechan ism,
remove the asht ray insert*.
• Loosen and remove the small cap in the
ashtray mount<=:>
fig. 115.
• You now have access to a bolt. Using a
screwdriver or simi lar, press the bolt down
and hold it down.
• Now press the inter lock and move the selec-
tor lever to the
N position.
The selector lever can only be moved from the
P position if the ignition is turned on. If the
veh icle has to be pushed or towed if the power
supply fails (e.g. battery is discharged), the
selector lever must first be moved to the
N
position using the emergency locking device.
Automatic Transmission 107

adult is properly seated and restrained at
one of the rear seating positions.
- Have the airbag system inspected by
yo ur Audi dealer before transporting
anyone on the front passenger seat.
(D Tips
If the capacitive passenger detection sys ­
tem determines that the front passenger
seat is empty, the frontal airbag on the
passenger side will be turned off, and the
P ASS ENGER AIR B AG OFF light will stay
on.
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the a irbag system are installed at
many different places on your Audi. Installing,
removing, servic ing or repairing a part in an
area of the vehicle can damage a part o f an
airbag system and prevent that system from
working properly in a co llision.
There are some important things you have to know to make sure that the effect iveness of
the system will not be impaired and tha t dis ­
carded components do not cause injury or po l­
l ute the env ironment.
A WARNING
Improper care, servicing and repair proce­
dures can increase the risk of personal in­
jury and death by preventing an airbag
from deploy ing when needed o r deploying
an airbag unexpected ly:
- Never cover, obstruct, o r change the
steering wheel ho rn pad or airbag cover
o r th e instrument pane l or modify them
in any way.
- Never attach any objects such as cup
holders or telephone mountings to the
surfaces covering the airbag units.
- For cleaning the ho rn pad or instrumen t
pane l, use only a soft, d ry cloth or one
mois tened w ith plain wate r. Solven ts or
cleaners co uld damage the airbag cover
or change the stiffness o r strength of the
A irbag sys tem 153
material so that the airbag cannot de­
ploy and protect properly.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts
of the a irbag system.
- All work on the steering wheel, instru­
ment panel, front seats or e lectr ica l sys­
tem (including the installation of audio
equ ipment, cellu lar telephones and CB
radios, etc.) must be performed by a
qualified technic ian who has the training
and specia l equipment necessary.
- For any work on the airbag system, we strongly recommend that yo u see your
author ized Audi dealer or qualif ied work­
shop.
- Never modify the front bumper or pa rts
of the vehicle body.
- Always make sure that the s ide a irbag
can inflate without inte rfe rence:
- Never in.stall seat covers or rep lace­
ment upholstery over the front seat­
backs that have not been specifically
approved by Audi.
- Never use additional seat c ushions that
cover the areas where the side a irbags
i nflate.
- Damage to the orig inal seat cove rs or
to the seam in the area of the side a ir­
bag module must a lways be repaired
i mmediately by an author ized Audi
dealer.
- The airbag system can deploy on ly once.
After an a irbag has been deployed, it
m ust be replaced with new replacement
pa rts des igned and app roved espec ially
for your Aud i mo del ve rsion. Replace­
men t of comple te airbag systems or air­
bag components must be performed by
qualified workshops only . Make sure that
any airbag service action is entered in
your Audi Warranty
& Maintenance book­
let under
AIRBAG REPLACEMENT RE­
CORD.
- For safety reasons in severe accidents,
the alternator and starter are separated from the veh icle battery with a pyrotech-
nic circuit inte rrupte r. .,.. •
•

190 Intelligent technology
increase in en gine spee d as with a fro nt­
whee l d rive vehicle. A lways drive at
speeds wh ic h are suited to the road con­
ditions -risk of crash.
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution
of electrical energy and thus optimi zes the
availability of electrical energy for starting
the engine.
I f a vehicle w ith a conventional e nergy system
is not driven for a long pe riod of time, the bat­
tery is d isch arged by idling c urrent cons umers
(e .g. immobilizer) . In ce rtain circumstances it
can result in there being i nsu fficient ene rgy
avai lab le to start the engine .
I n tell igent energy m anagement i n your veh i­
cle hand les the d istribu tion of elec trical ener ­
gy . Starting abi lity is marked ly imp roved and
the life of the battery is extended.
B asically , energy m anagement consists o f
battery diagnosis , idling current manage­
ment
and dynamic energy management.
Battery diagnosis
B att ery d iagnosis con tinuously dete rm ines
the st ate of t he battery. Senso rs determ ine
battery vo ltage, batte ry cur rent and battery
tempera ture. This dete rmines the current
state of charge and the powe r of the battery .
Idling current management
Idling current ma nagemen t red uces energy
consum ption wh ile the veh icle is stand ing.
W ith the igni tion swi tched off, i t con tro ls the
energy s upply to the va rious e lectrica l compo­
nents. Data from battery diagnosis is consid­
ered.
D epending on the battery's s ta te of charge,
individua l consumers are gra dually t urned off
to p revent excessive discha rge of the battery
and thus ma inta in start ing capability.
Dynamic energy management
W hile t he vehi cle is being driven, dynamic e n­
ergy ma nagement dis tributes the energy gen ­
erated according to the needs of the indiv idu­
al components.
It r egulates consumption, so
that more electrical energy is not being used
t h an is being generated and ensures an opti­
mal state of c ha rge fo r the battery.
(!) Tips
- But even ene rgy management cann ot
negate the limits of physics. Consider
that the powe r and life of a battery are
limited.
- If start ing ability is threatened, the indi­
cator light
(•i appears c> page 16.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability.
The battery is severe ly taxed in short -d istance
driv ing, in city traff ic and during the cold time
o f year. Abundant electrical energy is re­
quired , but on ly a little is ge nerated . It is also
c ritical if the engi ne is not r unning and electri­
ca l components are tu rned on. In this in­
sta nce ene rgy is be ing consumed bu t none is
b eing gene ra ted .
It is in precisely these s ituations t hat yo u will
notice ene rgy management active ly regu lat­
i ng t he d istribu tion of ene rgy.
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If y ou do not drive your vehicle over a period
of several days o r weeks, e lectr ica l compo ­
nen ts a re g radually cut back or sw itched off .
T h is reduces energy consumption and ma in­
ta in s start ing ca pabili ty over a longer pe riod .
Some of the convenience func tion s may not
opera te, such as t he interior ligh ts or the
power seat adjustment. The convenience
funct ions wi ll be available again when yo u
switch on the ignition and start the eng ine . .,.

With the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for example, with
the engine turned off or use other MMI func­
tions, the battery is being discharged .
If starting capability is jeopardized due to en­
ergy consumption, the following warning ap­
pears in the MMI display :
Please start the engine soon or the system
will be turned off.
The warning indicates that the system will be
turned off automatically after 3 minutes . If
you wish to continue using the functions , you
have to start the engine.
With the engine running
Although electrical energy is generated when
the vehicle is being driven , the battery can be ­
come discharged . This happens mostly when
little 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 especially
large amounts of energy are temporarily cut
back or switched off . Heating systems in par­
ticular require a great deal of energy. If you
notice , for example , that the heated seats* or
the heated rear window are not heating, they
have been temporarily cut back or switched
off. These systems will be available again as
soon as the energy balance 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.
Intelligent technology 191
•
•

216 Checking and filling
Checking and filling Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the
vehicle .
Fig. 167 Driver foo twell: release lever
Fig. 168 Rocker switch un der the hood
Make sure the wiper arms are not raised up
from the windshield. Otherwise the paint
could be damaged.
.,. Pull the lever under the instrument panel in
the direction of the arrow
~ fig. 167.
.,. Raise the hood slightly~.&_ .
... Press the rocker switch under the hood up­
ward
~ fig. 168. This releases the catch.
... Open the hood.
&_ WARNING
Hot engine coolant can burn you.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine compartment . Wait until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fully opening the hood .
' Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in
the engine compartment.
Whenever you must perform any work in the
engine compartment, for example checking
and filling different fluids, there is a risk of injury, burns and accidents. To prevent per­
sonal injury always observe the following
WARNINGS. The engine compartment of any
vehicle is a hazardous area
~ ,&. .
/n.. WARNING
To help avoid injury, before you check any­
thing under the hood:
- Turn off the engine.
- Switch off the ignition .
- Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever to "P" (Park) .
- Always let the engine cool down. Hot
components will burn skin on contact.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment. Wait until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fully opening the hood.
- Keep children away from the engine com­
partment.
- Never spill fluids on hot engine compo­
nents . They can cause a fire .
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxili­
ary electric fan is temperature controlled
and can switch on suddenly .
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm . The cool­
ant system is pressurized and hot cool­
ant could spray out.
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir.
- If work on the fuel system or the electri­
cal system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery.