2012 AUDI A7 cooling

Warm and cold 67
Four-zone automatic climate control
Operation
Applies to vehicles: with four -zone a utomat ic climate control
We recommend pressing the IAUTOI button and setting the temperature to 72 °F (22 °C).
F ig. 71 Four -zone automat ic climate control: controls
Fig. 72 Four -zone automat ic climate control: rear con·
trols
Press the buttons to turn the functions on or
off. Use the dials to adjust the temperature,
the blower speed and the air distribution. The
LED in a button will light up when the func­
tion is switched on. The settings are shown in
the climate control display and are also shown in the MMI display for a few seconds . The driv­
er and front passenger settings can be adjust·
ing separately.
The settings can also be adjusted in the rea r
<::>fig. 72.
IOFFl Switching the climate control
system on/off
The IOFFI button switches the climate control
system on or off .
It also switches on when you
turn the dial or press any button. Airf low from outside is blocked when the
climate control
system is switched off.
You can activate the residual heat funct ion
when the ignition is off by pressing and hold­
ing the ~ button. The residual heat from the
coolant is used to heat the vehicle interior.
The residua l heat function switches off auto­
matically after about 30 minutes.
IACI Switching cooling mode on /off
T he air is not coo led and humidity is not re­
moved when cooling mode is switched off.
This can cause fog on the windows. Cooling
mode switches off automatically when the
outside temperature is below zero.
1-1 Switching recirculation mode on/off
In recircu lation mode, the air inside the vehi ­
cle is circ ulated and filtered. This prevents the
unfiltered air outside the vehicle from enter­
ing the vehicle interior. We recommend
switching recirculation mode on when driving
through a tunnel or when sitting in traffic
¢ Li). .
The !AUTO ! button or~ button switches recir-
culation mode off. .,..

68 Warm and cold
IAUTO I Switching automatic mode on
Automatic mode m ainta ins a constant tem­
perat ure inside the vehi cle. Air tempera ture,
airflow and air d istribution a re controlled a u­
tomatically.
Adjusting the temperature
T empe ratu res between 60 °F (+16 °C) and
84 °F ( +28 ° C) c an be se t. O uts ide of this
range,
lo or hi w ill appear in the climate con ­
trol system disp lay. At both of these settings,
the cl imate control system r uns continuously
at max imum cooling or heat ing power. There
is no temperature regu lation.
~ Adjusting the airflow
You can a djust the airf low manually to s uit
your needs . To have the airf low reg ulated a u­
tomatically, press the
! AUTO ! button.
~ Adjusting the air distribution
You can manu ally se lect the ve nts w here the
a ir will flow. To have the air d istribu tion reg u­
l ated automatically, press the
IAUTOI bu tton.
~ I~ * Adjusting seat heating/
ventilat ion*
Pr ess ing the button swi tches the sea t heat­
ing/ventilation on at the highest sett ing ( leve l
3). The LEDs indicate the heating/venti lat ion
leve l. To reduce the heating/vent ilation, press
the butto n aga in. To switch the seat heat ing/
ve nti lation off, press the button repeatedly
u ntil the LED turns off.
After 10 minutes, the seat heating automati­
cally switches from leve l 3 to level 2.
l The win dsh ield and s ide windows are defrost­
e d or cleared of con densation as quickly as
possib le. The max imum amo unt of air flows
mainly from the vents be low the windshield.
Recirculation mode switches off.
The
IAUTOI bu tton switches the defroster off.
lliiil REAR ! Switching rear window heater
on /off
T he rea r window heate r only operates w hen
the engine is running. It sw itches off auto­
matically after 10 to 20 minutes, depending
o n the outside temperature.
T o p revent the rea r window heate r from
switching off automatically, p ress and ho ld
t h e ~ button for more than 2 seconds. Th is
rema ins stored until the ignition is switched
off .
ISYNC I Synchronization*
When synchronization is switched on, the
same settings are applied to bot h the dr iver
and fr ont passenger, except for the seat heat­
i ng/venti lation *. The rear zo ne is also
synchronized. Synchronization switches off
whe n the se ttings for the front passenge r side
o r r ear are ad justed.
You can also switch synchronizati on o n by
pressing and holding a dial. For example, if
you press and hold t he di al on the front pas­
senger si de, the setti ngs for that s ide a re
t ran sfer red to t he d rive r si de. The same ap ­
plies to the re ar.
Air vents
You can open o r close the center and ou ter
vents i n the cockpit and the vents in the rear
c ente r console and doo r pillars us ing t he
ridged t humbwheels. The levers adjust the d i­
r ect ion o f the airfl ow from the vents.
A WARNING
-Do not use t his se tt ing fo r extended peri ­
ods of time . The w indows cou ld fog up
since n o fresh air can enter the vehicle. I f
the windows fog up, press the air rec ircu­
lation butt on agai n immed iate ly to
sw itch off the air recirc ulation function
or sel ect defrost.
- Individ uals w ith reduced se nsitivity to
pa in or te mperature cou ld deve lop burns
when using the s eat heating fu nction . To
re duc e the risk of i njury, these i nd iv idu-
a ls should n ot us e sea t heating.
~

Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a tra iler, p lease remember
that the addit ional load will affect durab ility,
economy and performance .
T railer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
F or this reason, a lways fo llow the operating
and driving instructions provided and use
common sense.
Technical requirements
Traile r hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer we ight. The hitch must be suita­
b le for your veh icle and trailer and must be
mounted secure ly on t he veh icle's chassis at a
technically sound location . Use only a t railer
h itch w ith a removab le ball moun t. A lways
check with the tr ailer hitch man ufac tur er to
make sure that you are using the correct
hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
T he hitc h must be installed in such a way that
it does not inte rfe re with the impac t-absorb­
i ng b umper syst em. No modifica tions should
be made to the vehicle exhaus t and b rake sys­
tems . From t ime to time, check that a ll hitch
mo unt ing bolt s remain securely fas tened.
W hen you are not tow ing a trailer, remove the
trai le r hi tch ball moun t. T h is prevents the
hi tch from causing damage sho uld your ve hi­
cle be str uck from be hind
¢ &. .
Trailer brakes
If yo ur tra iler is equ ipped w it h a braking sys­
tem, check to be su re that it conforms to a ll
r eg ulat io ns.
Trailer towin g 197
The trailer hyd ra ulic bra ke system must not be
direct ly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system .
Safety chains
Alw ays use saf ety chains between your ve hicle
and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Tra iler lights must meet all reg ulations . Be
su re to check with your Audi dea ler fo r cor re ct
wir ing, swi tches and relays.
Mirrors
If you a re unable to see the traffic behind you
u sing the regula r outside m irrors, then you
must i nsta ll ext ended mir rors . It is important
t h at you
always have clea r vis ion to the rear .
.8, WARNING
-
Afte r removing the trailer hit ch, do no t
s tore i t in yo ur vehicle . In case of sudden
b raking, the h itch cou ld fly forwar d an d in­
ju re you or yo ur passengers .
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A tra ile r fo r you r vehicle is limited to a ty pical
cl ass 1 or class 2 tra ile r.
Trailer load distribution
B e sure the loa d in the tr aile r is held secure ly
i n place to p reven t it from shift ing forw ard,
ba ckward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢&. in Driving instru ctions on page 198.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard­
er . It is impo rtant that the cooling system's
perfo rmance is up to the additional load .
Make sure that the coo ling syst em has enough
f lui d.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer , inflate the tires of your
vehicle to t he cold tire pressure listed under .,..
•
•

Engine cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro ­
tects the engine from freezing in the winter .
The cooling system is sealed and generally re­
quires little attention .
The cooling system has been filled at the fac­
tory with a permanent coolant which does not
need to be changed. The coolant consists of a
mixture of water and the manufacturer's gly ­
col-based coolant additive G12++ antifreeze
with anticorrosion additives (50% for USA
models; 60% for Canadian models). This mix­
ture both assures the necessary frost protec­
tion and protects metal components in the
engine's cooling system from corrosion and
scaling. It also raises the boiling point of the
coolant.
Do not reduce the concentration of the cool­
ant in the summer by adding plain water.
The
proportion of coolant additive must be at
least 50% but not more than 60%
to main­
tain antifree ze protection and cooling efficien­
cy. If the coolant frost protection is too low,
the coolant could freeze and damage the vehi ­
cle heating and engine cooling system.
For year-round driving, antifreeze is added at
the factory for temperatures down to:
- -31 °F ( -3 5 °C) USA
- -40 °F ( - 40 °C) Canada.
You can mix the G12 ++ coolant additive with
other additives (G12+ or G12). Always check
with your authorized Audi dealer.
& WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
~ .&. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 216.
(D Note
- Before winter sets in, have the coolant
checked to see if the coolant additive in
Checking and filling 223
your vehicle is sufficient to meet the cli­
mate conditions. This is especially impor­
tant if you live in a region where the win­
ter is extremely cold. If necessary, in­
crease the proportion of coolant additive
to 60% .
- When adding coolant additive to your
cooling system, remember :
- We recommend using only coolant ad­
ditive G12++ (check the label) for your
vehicle. This coolant additive is availa­
ble at authorized Audi dealers. Other
types of antifreeze can significantly re­
duce corrosion protection. The result­
ing corrosion can cause a loss of cool­
ant and serious engine damage.
- Do not add any type of radiator leak seal­
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant.
Adding radiator repair fluid may adverse­
ly affect the function and performance of
your cooling system and could result in
damage not covered by your New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance.
M AX f
MINf
Fig. 172 Engine compar tment: markings on the coo l­
an t expa nsion tank
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS ¢.&, in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 216 .
"' Park your vehicle on a level surface .
"' Switch off the ignition.
"' Read the engine coolant level from the
coolant expansion tank~
fig. 172. With a

224 Check ing and filling
cold engine, the coo lant level should be be ­
tween the "min" and "max" markings. When
the engine is warm, the level may be s light ly
above the "max" marking.
The location of the coolant expansion tank
can be seen in the engine compartment illus­
tration
c:> page 218.
To obtain an accurate reading, the engine must be switched
off.
The expansion tank in you r vehicle is equipped
with an e lectric coolant level sensor.
When the coolant level is too low, the warning light in the Auto-Check System
c:> page 15 will
i l lum ina te unti l you add coolant and the level
has been restored to normal. Even though
there is an electric coolant level senso r, we
still recommend you check the coolant leve l
from time to time.
Coolant los s
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cool ing
system. In the event of coolant loss, the cool ­
ing system should be inspected immediately
by your authorized Audi dealer. It is not
enough merely to add coolant.
I n a
sea led system, losses can occur only if
the boiling point of the coolant is exceeded as
a result of overheat ing.
A WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of scald­
ing from hot coolant by following these
steps.
- Turn
off the engine and allow it to cool
down.
- Protect yo ur face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by covering the
cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in
a counter-clockwise direction wh ile ap­
plying light, downward pressure on the
top of the cap.
- To avoid be ing burned, do not spill ant i­
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system
'
or hot engine parts. Under certain cond i­
tions, the ethylene glycol in engine coo l­
ant can catch fire.
(D Note
Do not add any type of radiator leak sea l­
ant to your vehicle's engine coolant. Add­ i ng radiator repa ir fl uid may adverse ly af­
fect the funct ion and performance of your
cooling system and could result in damage
not covered by your New Veh icle L imited
War ranty.
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anyth ing in the eng ine com­
partment,
always read and heed all W ARN­
INGS c:> A in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 216 .
.. Turn off the engine.
.. Let the engine cool down.
.. Place a thick rag over the coolant expansion
tank
c:> page 223, fig . 172 and carefully
twist the cap co unte r-clockwise c:> .&, .
.,. Add coolant .
.,. Twist the cap on aga in
tightly.
Replacement engine coo lant must conform to
exact spec ificat ions
c:> page 223, Coolant.
E ven in a n emerge ncy, if coolant add i-
t ive G12 ++, G 12+ or G12 is not available, do
not use a d iffe rent addit ive. Use plain water
instead unti l you can get the correct additive
and can restore the correct ratio . This shou ld
be done as soon as possible.
If you have lost a considerab le amount o f
coolant, then you sho uld add cold antifreeze
and co ld water on ly w hen the engine is cold.
Always use
new engine coo la nt whe n refilling.
Do not fill coola nt above the "MAX" mark . Ex­
cess coola nt will be fo rced out through the
pressure relief valve in the cap w hen the e n-
gine becomes hot. .,.

_& WARNING
-The cooling system is under pressure and
can get very hot. Reduce the risk of
scald ing from hot coolant by following
these steps.
- Turn
off the engine and a llow itto cool
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by covering
the cap with a large, thick rag.
- Turn the cap slow ly and very carefully
in a counter-clockwise direction while
applying light, downward pressure on
the top of the cap.
- To avoid being burned, do not spi ll an­
tifreeze or coolant on the exhaust sys­
tem or hot engine parts . Under certain
conditions, the ethylene glycol in en­
g ine coolant can catch fire .
- Antifreeze is poisonous. Always store an­
tifreeze in its or iginal containe r and we ll
out of the reach of children.
- If you drain the coolant, it must be
caught and safely stored in a proper con­
tainer clearly marked "poison".
(D Note
- Coolant pollutes the env ironment and
could cause an engine fire. Excess cool­
ant will be forced out through the pres­
su re relief valve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot.
- If, in an emergency, only water can be
added, the cor rect ratio between water
and antifreeze ¢
page 223 must be re­
stored as soon as possib le.
@ For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant should not be reused . A l­
ways dispose of used coolant while obse rv­
ing all environmental reg ulations.
Checkin g and fillin g 225
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by
itself.
An auxiliary electric radiator fan switches on
and
off depending on coolant temperature
and other vehicle operat ing cond it ions .
After you switch the engine
off, the auxiliary
fan can continue running for up to 10 minutes
- even with the ignition
off. It can even switch
on again later by itself ¢&. , if
- the temperature of the engine coo lant rises
due to the heat build-up from the engine in
the engine compartment, or
- the engine compartment heats up because
the vehicle is parked in intense sunlight.
_& WARNING
-To reduce the risk of personal injury nev­
er touch the radiator fan .
- The auxiliary electric fan is temperature
controlled and can sw itch on suddenly
even when the engine is not running.
- The a uxiliary radiator fan sw itches on au­
tomatically when the engine coo lant
reaches a certa in temperature and will
continue to ru n until the coolant temper­
ature drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
Fig. 173 En gin e compartment: mark ings on th e brake
fluid rese rvoir

280 Index
Child safety lock Rear doors .... .... ...... .. .. .... ..
37
C hild safety seats .......... .... .... . 169
Booster seats .......... .. .. .. .. .. . 172
Conve rtible child seats .... .. .. .... . 170
Conve rtible locking retractor . ..... .. .
How do I properly install a child safety
. h. l ? seat in my ve 1c e. . ............... .
Infant seats .. ........... .. .. .... .
Installing .. ............... .. .... .
Installing a child restraint using the
LATCH system .. .... ...... .. .. .. .. .
174
167
169
174
179
L ATC H system ............. ... .. ... 179
Lower anchorages ............ .... . 178
Mounting and releasing the anchorage
hook .. .. .. ... .... ......... ..... .
179
Safety instructions ......... ... .... . 167
Cigarette lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Cleaning and protection ..... .. .. .... .
200
Alcantara (synthetic suede) . .. .. .. .. . 209
Eng ine compartment .... .. .. .. .... . 210
Exhaust tail pipes .......... ... .. .. . 206
Fabrics and fabr ic coverings .. .. .. .. . 206
Instrument panel ......... .. .. .... . 207
Inter ior .. .. ............. .. .. .. .. . 206
Lea ther .. .... ........... .... .... . 208
MMI display/controls ............... 206
Plastic and vinyl ................... 203
Plastic parts .. .......... ... .. .. .. . 207
Safety belts ............. .... .... . 209
trim strips 204
Trim str ips .... .. .. ... ... .. .. .. .. . 203
Climate control
Air vents ... .......... ..... .. .... .. 66
C limate controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
64
Climate control (four-zone)
Operation .. ................ ... .. ..
67
Climate control (three-zone)
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
C lock ... .. .. ............. .. .. .. .. .. 25
Closing Rear lid .. .. ................ ... ... . 35
Sliding/tilting sunroof ...... ..... .. ..
39
Cold tire inflation pressure ..... .. .... . 235
Com ing home ............. .. .. .... ..
43
Compact spare tire ...... .... ... .. .. . 253
Compartments .. ........ .. .. .. .... .. 55 Compliance
..... .. ... .. ........ .. ..
276
Consumer Information . . . . . . . . . . 126, 273
Consumption (fuel) ... .......... .. .. . 23
Contacting NHTSA
Convenience key ... ................ . . 126
33
Starting the engine ............. ... . 71
Stopping the engine (START ENG INE
STOP button) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
73
Switching the ignition on ....... .. .. . 71
U nlocking and locking vehicle ...... .. . 33
Co nvertible child safety seats ... .. .. .. 170
Convertib le locking retractor
Activating . .... .. .. ........... ....
176
Deact ivat ing ... ... .............. .. 177
Using to secure a child safety seat 1.74, 176
Coolant
refer to Engine coolant ............. 223
Cooling mode (automat ic climate control) 67
Cooling mode (climate control) . . . . . . . . . 65
Cornering light .... ... .......... .. .. .
96
Cruise contro l
Changing speed .. ............. .... .
77
Presetting your speed .......... .. .. . 78
Switching off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78
Switching on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Warning/ind icator lights .......... .. . 21
(upholder .... .. .. .. ........... .... . 55
D
Data ........ ... .. .. ... ........... . 272
Data recorder ... .. .. ........... .. .. 184
Date display .. .. .. ............. .... . 25
Daytime running lights ... ..... ... .. .. .
41
Declaration of compliance
Adaptive cruise control ........... ..
276
Audi s ide assist .. ............. .. .. 276
Cell phone package . ........... .. .. 276
Convenience key ... ................ 276
Electronic immob ilizer ....... ...... . 276
Homelink ® un iversal remote control .. 276
Remote control key
DEF What does this mean when it appears in 276
the tr ip odometer display? ....... ... . 25
Defective light bulb warning ...........
20

Wheel bolts Torque ..... .. ................ .... 248
Wheels ... .. ................. .. ... 231
Cast alloy .. ............. .. .. .. ... 205
Checking tire pressure ..... .. .. .. .. . 237
Cold tire inflation pressure ....... .. . 235
General notes ..................... 231
Glossary of tire and loading terminolo-
gy .. .... .. ................. .. ... 232
New tires and wheels ...... .. .. .. .. . 242
T ires and vehicle load limits .. .. ... .. 239
When must a safety belt be replaced? .. 131
When must the airbag system be inspect-
ed? ... .. .. .. .... ............. .. .. . 149
When should I adjust the tire pressures? 238
When should I check the tire pressures? . 238
Where are lower anchorages located? .. . 178
Where can I find the tire pressures for my
car? .. .... .. .. ............. .. .. ... 237
Why safety belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128, 129
Windows Cleaning . .. .... .. .... ... .. .. .. .. . 204
defrosting (automatic climate control) . 68
defrosting (climate control) .. .. .. .. .. 66
Windshield Clean ing ... ... .. .. ...... .. .. .. .. .. 45
defrosting (automatic climate control) . 68
defrosting (climate control) .. .. .. .. .. 66
Windshield washer system .. .. .. .. .. .. 45
Washer fluid level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Washer reservoir .... ..... .. .. .. .. . 230
Windshield wipers Folding up . ............. .... .. .. .. 46
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Replacing windshield wiper blades ..... 46
Switching on/off ............. ... ... 45
Winter operation Battery .. .. ............. .... .. ... 226
Cooling system ........... .... .. .. . 223
Defrosting windows (automatic climate
control) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Defrosting windows (climate control) . . 66
Seat heating (automatic climate control) 68
Seat heating (climate control) . . . . . . . . 66
Steering wheel heating ....... ..... .. 69
Tires . ..... .. ................ .... 189
Windows .. ................ ... ... 204
Index 289
Winter tires ........................ 246
All-wheel drive ..... ............... 246
•
•
X
Xenon-Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41, 263