2012 AUDI A7 Owners Manual

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

56 Seats and storage
Front cuphold er
.,. To open the c upholder, tap the cover
~ fig. 55.
Rear cuphold er
.,. Press on the symbol 'i@ ~ fig . 56 .
.,. To adjust the a rm @ , swing it in the direc­
t ion of the a rrow .
.,. Place the beverage in the holder and release
the arm . The arm swings back by itself and
automatically secures the beverage .
.,. Press on the center section between the
two arms and push the cup holder in the
slot as far as it will go.
_& WARNING
Spilled hot liquid can cause an accident
and personal inj ury .
-
- Never carry any beverage containers with
hot liquids, such as hot coffee or hot tea,
in the vehicle while it is mov ing . In case
of an accident, sudden b ra ki ng o r other
vehicle movement, hot liq uid could spill,
causing sca ld ing burns. Sp illed hot liq ui d
can also ca use an accident and personal
injury.
- Use only soft cups in the cupholder . Hard
cups and g lasses can ca use inj ury in an
accident.
- Never use the cupho lder or adapter as an
ashtray- r isk of f ire.
(D Note
On ly drink containers wi th lids should be
carried in the cupho lder. Liqu id could spi ll
ou t and damage your vehicle's e lectronic
equ ipment or stain the upholstery, etc.
Cooled glove compartment
Applies to vehicles: with coo led g love compartment
The cooled glove compartment only functions
when the A/C system is switched on .
Fig . 57 G love compartme nt: sw it c hin g cooli ng m ode
on/off
.,. Turn the knob @counterclockwise to
sw itch cooling on . The symbols on the knob
ind icate the correct position .
.,. Turn the knob @clockwise to switch cool-
ing off.
The glove compartment cooling mode only
funct ions when the vehicle A/C system is
switched on . If the heating is sw itched on,
switching the g love compa rtment coo lin g
mode off is recommended.
Additional storage
T here a re a var iety of storage compartments
and fasteners in various places in the vehicle.
- S torage compartments in the doors
- Compartment in the glove compartment
(coo led*) . T he g love compar tment can be
loc ked using the mechan ica l
key ~ page 30.
-Sta rage compartment for (su n)g lasses* in
t he roof (near the interio r mirror)
- Storage compartments under the center
armrests
- Storage compartment on the rear side of
the front seat *. T he compa rtment can hold a
maximum weigh t of 1 kg.
- Compa rtments* on the back of the front
seat ba ckrests
- Garment hooks on the sides of the pi llars in
th e rear of the vehicle and in the rear g rab
ha ndles
lllJ,,

-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-

58 Seat s a nd s tor ag e
We recommend using roof racks from the
Audi original accessories program.
- T he support feet of the roof rack must al­
ways be insta lled in the holes in the roof
frame ~
fig. 58 . The holes are only visible
when the doors are open . In the case of roof
racks with pins, the pins must be secured in
the holes during assembly.
- We recommend that you keep the installa­
tion instructions for your roof rack system
together with your Owner's literature in the
vehicle.
Wh en sh ould the roo f ra ck be re mo ved ?
-Before going through an automatic car wash
(it is best to ask the car wash operator for
advice).
- When not in use, to reduce fuel consump­
tion, wind no ise and to guard against theft.
A WARNING
-Use of an unapproved roof rack or incor­
rect mount ing of an approved roof rack
can cause the roof rack o r the items at­
tached to it to fa ll off the roof onto the
road.
- Objects fall ing from the roof of a vehicle
can cause a crash and persona l injury.
- Only mount the roof rack on the desig­
nated locations o n the roof ~
fig. 58.
-The roof rack system must be installed
exactly according to the instructions pro­
vided.
- When driving w ith a roof rack system,
changes to the center of g ravity and wind
resistance ca n cha nge the veh icle han­
dling and lead to a collision. A lways
adapt yo ur driv ing and you r speed to the
c u rrent conditions.
(D Note
- Your vehi cle warranty does not cover any
damages to the veh icle caused by using
r oof racks or mo unt ing structures not
approved by Audi for your vehicle. The
same applies to damage resulting from
i ncorrect roof rack installation. - Always check the roof rack mountings
and hardware before each trip and dur­
ing a trip to make s ure everyth ing is se ­
curely tightened.
If necessary, ret ighten
the mountings and check the entire sys­
tem from time to time.
- After mounting a roof rack system, or
when you transport objects on the roof
of your vehicle, the height of the veh icle
is naturally increased. Be careful when
dr iving unde r low bridges or in parking
garages for example. This cou ld cause
damage to the load and even the vehicle
itself .
- Ma ke sure the open rear lid and the sun­
roo f* do not come into contact with the
roo f rack .
Loading the roof rack
Always distribute loads evenly. Make sure
anything on the roof rack is securely tied
down .
.,. Always distrib ute the loads on the roof rack
even ly .
.,. Always attach items to the roof rack secure-
ly before you drive off.
T he maxim um permissible roof weight is
220
lb (100 kg ).
The roof weig ht is the tota l of
the weight of the roof rack, the attachments
and the cargo you are carrying. You must a lso
not exceed the maximum load weight for the
roof rack you are using.
When using a roof rack system which has a
l ower load carrying capacity, you must not use
up the total maxim um permissible load carry­
ing capacity specif ied above. Instead, you
shou ld load the roof rack system only to the
maximum capacity specified by the manufac­
tu rer of the roof rack system .
A WARNING
Weak, damaged o r improper straps used
to secure items to the roof ra ck can fail
d uring h ard braking or in a coll is ion and
cause serious personal inju ry .
.

-Make sure the roof rack is instal led exact­
ly as specified above
c::> page 57.
- Always use suitable mounting straps for
securing items to the roof rack to help
prevent items from shifting or flying for­
ward.
- Items on the roof rack must always be securely mounted.
- The use of a roof rack can negative ly af­
fect the way a vehicle handles. Cargo
that is large, heavy, bulky, long or flat
will have a greater negative influence on
the vehicle's aerodynamics, center of
gravity and overall handling. Always dr ive slowly, avo id sudden braking and
maneuvers when transpo rting cargo on
the roof o f your vehicle .
- Never exceed the maximum perm iss ible
load carry ing capacity of t he roof of your
vehicle, the perm issib le axle weights and
the permissible total weight of your vehi­ cle
c::> page 270 , Weights.
- Always drive slowly, avoid sudden brak­
ing and maneuvers when transporting
cargo on the roof of your vehicle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Sometimes it may be easier to leave a roof
rack insta lled even though you are not us ­
ing it. Due to the increased air resistance
your vehicle will unnecessari ly use more
fuel. Remove the roof rack if you are not going to use it.
Sea ts a nd s to rage 59
Luggage compartment
Loading luggage compartment
Items of luggage must be stowed securely.
Fig. 59 Place heavy objects as far forward as possible.
Note the following to preserve the vehicle's
good handling charac teristics.
.., Distribute the load as evenly as possible .
.., Place heavy objects as far forward as poss i­
ble
c::> fig. 59.
.., Secure the items of luggage w ith the cargo
net* or w ith non -elastic retaining straps to
the tie-down rings *
c::> page 61.
A WARNING
-Loose objects in the l uggage compart­
ment can slide about suddenly and a lter
the vehicle's handling characteristics.
- Loose objects in the passenger compart­
ment can fly forward during abr upt ma­
neuvers or accidents and injure occu­
pants .
- Always store objects in the luggage com­
partment and use suitable straps, partic­
ularly with heavy objects.
-
- When you transport heavy objects, al­
ways remember that a change in the cen­
ter of gravity may result in a change in
the vehicle's handling characteristics.
- Follow all warnings
c::> page 118, Driving
Safely.
(D Tips
The t ire pressure must be ad justed to the
load -see the t ire pressure sticker located
on the dr iver's side B-pillar .

60 Seats and st o rage
Luggage compartment cover
The luggage compartment cover consists of
two parts .
• • Fig. 60 Cover in t he open rear lid
Fig. 61 Cover behind t he rear bench seat
Removing the cov er in the r ear lid
.. Remove the knobs CD¢ fig. 60 from the
ball mounts .
.. Pu ll the cove r@ out of the reta iners @in
the d irect ion of the a rrow.
Install ing th e cover in the rear lid
.. Slide the cover upward into the retainers
@ .
.. Press the knobs CD onto the ball mounts.
9 C) .. (D
Rem oving the cov er behind the rear bench
seat
.. Pull the cove r¢ fig. 61 back .
.. Pull the cove r upward to re lease.
In sta ll ing th e co ver behind the rear bench
seat
.. Inse rt the left and r ight sides of the cover
in to the mounts on the s ide trim .
.. Slide the cover forward until it locks into
place .
A WARNING
--To prevent acc idents, never insta ll the
luggage compartment cover unsecured .
- The luggage compartment cover is not a
surface for storing objects. Objects
p laced on the cover co uld endanger all
veh icle occupan ts during sudden bra king
maneuvers or in a c rash.
(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.
Enlarging cargo capacity of the vehicle
interior
The seat backs can be folded forward to en­
large the cargo capacity.
F ig . 62 Release handle on the seatback
Folding th e seatba ck forward
.. When you pull the release lever @¢ fig. 62
in the direction of the arrow, the safety knob
@ pops out far enough for the red marking
on knob to be visible.
.. Fold the seatback forward .
Raising th e se atb ack
.. Raise the seatback until it is secure ly latch­
ed ~,&. .When you can no longer see the
red mark on the safety knob @, the seat is
latched . ..,

_& WARNING
-The backrest must always be securely
latched so that the safety belt of the cen­
ter seating pos ition can work properly to
help protect the occupant.
- The backrest must be securely latched in position so that no items contained in
the luggage compartment can slide for­
wa rd upon sudden braking .
-Always check whether the latch is ful ly
engaged by pu lling the seatback for­
ward.
- Never allow safety belts to become dam­
aged by being caught in doo r o r seat
hardware.
- T orn or frayed safety belts can tear and
damaged belt ha rdware can break in a
crash . Inspect the be lts period ically .
Belts showing damage to webbing, bind ­
ings, buckles, or retractors must be re­
placed.
(D Note
- If yo u move the front seat back when the
rear seat backrest is fo lded forward, you
could damage the head restraints on the rear seat.
- Slide the belt guide on the outside safety
belt all the way up before folding the
backrest back forward. Make sure the
seat belt is not pinched or damaged
whe n the rear seat backrest if folded
back. Other objects should be removed
from the rear seat bench to protect the
seatbac k from damage.
S ea ts a nd s to rage 61
Tie-downs and cargo net
The cargo net* prevents small objects from
sliding .
Fig . 63 Locat ion of t he t ie -dow ns in the lu ggage co m­
partme nt
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Fig . 6 4 Luggage compart men t: cargo net *
.. To secure objects with the luggage com­
partment net*, fold the tie-down bracket
upward
r:> fig . 63 .
.. Insert the hooks on the luggage compa rt­
ment net* into the tie-downs
r:> fig. 64 .
.,. Read and heed all WARN INGS r:> page 124,
Stowing luggage.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi·
cle w il l turn in to heavy m iss iles that ca n cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle pick up ki­
netic ene rgy which varies with the vehicle and
the weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the
most significant factor.
For example, in a fronta l collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a
10 -lb (4.5 kg) object are about
20 times the
norma l weight of the item. This means t hat
the weight of the item would sudden ly be the
equivalent of about 200 lbs (90 kg). One can
easily imagine the injuries that an item of that
weight flying freely through the passenger .,,.

62 Seats and storage
compa rtment can cause in a co llision at a
speed considered relatively low .
.&_ WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur­
ing hard brak ing or in a coll ision and cause
ser ious personal injury.
- Always use suitable retaining straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help pre­
vent items from shifting or flying for­
wa rd.
- Never attach a child seat tether strap to
a tie-down.
- For strength-related reasons, the mount­ ing hoo ks can only be used to s ecure ob­
jects weighing up to 10 lb. (5 kg). Heav i­
er objects will not be adequately secured
- there is a r isk of injury.
Fastening eyes
Light objects can be secured on the eyes .
Fig. 65 Luggage compartment: fastening eyes
You can use the eyes to hang bags, sacks, etc .
.&_ WARNING
The eyes may hold a max imum weight of 3
kg. Heavier objects are not adequately se­
cured. There is risk of personal injury.
Luggage compartment covering
(reversible mat)
Applies to veh icles : w ith lug gage compartme nt car petin g
The reversible luggage compartment covering
should be used when transporting dirty or wet objects.
F ig . 66 Luggage compartment carpeting with seatback
fo lded down: spread o ut over t he bumper
The luggage compartment carpeting can be
used with the d irt resistant side or the decora­
t ive side, depending on wh at is needed.
u) Tips
The protective mat should be folded up
on ly when dry.
Pass-through with ski
sack
Preparing the pass-through
Applies to veh icles: w it h sk i sack
Long objects such as skis can be transported
in the ski sack* .
Fig . 67 Rear bench seat : opening the pass-t hr oug h
Opening the trunk pass -through
... Fold the center a rmrest in the rear forward
and out. .,.