2012 AUDI A7 fuel consumption

24 Instruments and warning /indicator lights
on until it is switched off. If you con tinue dr iv ­
ing within two hours after switch ing the igni ­
tion off, the new values a re included when
calculat ing the current tr ip i nformat ion.
Unlike the short -term memory, the long -term
memory is not erased automatica lly. You can
select the time period for evaluat ing trip in­
formati on yo urself.
F or some veh icle functions, you can access the
tri p information from the tempora ry memory
in the line
(D ~ page 22, fig . 5.
Efficiency program
The effi ciency program can hel p yo u t o use
less fuel. It eval uates driving information in
reference to fue l co nsu mption and shows oth­
er equipment i nfl uencing consumption as we ll
as shift recommendations.
c:> page 24. Fue l
economy messages
c:> page 24 prov ide tips
for eff icient driving. The eff ic iency prog ram
uses dis tance and consumption data from tr ip
comp ute r
1.
To display the efficiency program , call up Ve­
h icle functions and select the menu option
Efficiency program . If the data are deleted in
the efficiency program, those values are also
reset in t rip compu ter .
@ Tips
-All sto red va lues w ill be lost if the veh i­
cle bat tery is disconnected .
- Fuel consumpt io ns (average and cur­
r en t), range and speed are display ed in
m etr ic units on Cana dian models.
Other equipment
Fig. 8 Tri p co mpute r: ot her eq uipme nt
Req uirement: The efficiency program m ust be
displayed
c:> page 24.
,. Tur n the thu mbw heel u ntil t he o ther e quip-
ment appe ars in the disp lay.
Oth er equ ipment t hat is cu rrently affecti ng
f uel con su mp tio n is liste d in t he e fficiency
progr am. The disp lay shows up to t hree o ther
items of e quip ment @. The eq uipme nt using
t h e most fuel is listed first. If more than three
items using fuel are switched on, the equip­
ment that is c urrently using the most fuel is
displayed .
A scale @also s hows the current tota l co n­
s u mption of all other equipment.
Fuel economy messages
Fig. 9 Disp lay: exa mple of a fuel eco nomy m essage
Fuel eco no m y me ssages are disp layed whe n
f uel consum ption is increased by cert ain con­
di tions. If you fo llow these fue l eco nomy mes ­
sages, you ca n red uce your ve hicle's consum p­
tion o f fuel. The messages appear a utomati­
ca lly and are only d isplayed in the efficiency
program. The fue l economy messages turn off
automat ica lly afte r a certain per iod of t ime .
,. To turn an economy message off immedi -
ately after it appears, press any button on
the mult ifunction steering whee l.
(D Tips
- Once you have turned a f uel economy
message off, it will o nly appear agai n af­
ter you turn the ign ition on again.
- The fuel economy messa ges are not dis­
played in every instance, but rather in in ­
tervals over a period of time .

194 Driving and en vironm ent
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when driving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the
bottom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than wa lking speed.
A WARNING
After driving through water, mud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because of wet brake rotors and pads. Dry
the brakes first by braking carefully to re­
sto re the full braking effect.
@) Note
Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmiss ion, suspension or electrical sys­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water.
- Check the depth of the water before dr iv­
i ng through it.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse
or switch the engine off when driving
through water .
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles
may create waves that raise the water
level and make it too deep for your vehi­
cle to drive through safely.
- Avoid dr iving through salt water because
i t can cause corrosion.
Operate your vehicle
economically and
minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex­
haust and noise levels.
Fuel economy, environmenta l impact, and
wear on your engine, brakes and tires largely
depend on three factors:
- your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitations
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your
fuel consumpt ion by 10-15 percent . This sec­
t ion will give you some tips on how you can
help the env ironment and your pocketbook.
@ Tips
The consumption estimates as published
by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, which will vary depending upon vehi­
cle load and speed, road and weather con ­
ditions, trip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating.
.,. Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
ce lerating. If you anticipate what is going to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus, acce lerate less . Let the vehicle coast
whenever possible - for example when you see
that the next traffic light is red.

Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
"" Try and keep well below your car's maxi-
mum speed.
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consump­ tion, engine wear, and does not disturb the
environment.
F ue l consumption, exhaust emissions and en ­
g ine noise increase disproportionately at high
speeds. If you drive at approximately three
quarters of top speed, fuel consumption will be reduced by one half. Never drive faster
than the posted speed limit and weather con­
d itions permit .
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel.
"" Shut the engine off when you are not driv­
ing the vehicle.
"" Do not warm up the veh icle by letting the
engine run at idle .
It makes sense to shut
off the engine in traff ic
jams, when waiting for trains to pass at ra il­
road crossings, or at traffic lights that have
l ong wa its on red. Turning the engine
off fo r
just
30-40 seconds saves more fue l than is
bu rned starting the eng ine again .
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fu lly when it is running at idle. However, wear
and nox ious em issions are especially high
when the engine is warming up. So you should
drive away as soon as you start the engine and
avoid running at high rpms while the engine is
still warming up .
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af­
ter starting . If warning lights should come
on to indicate improper operation, they
would go unheeded. Extended idling also produces heat, which cou ld result in over-
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 195
'
heating o r othe r damage to the vehicle or
other property .
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a
lot of fuel.
"" Have your veh icle serviced at reg ular i nter-
vals.
By having your vehicle regu larly serviced by an
Audi dealer he lps to ensu re that it runs prop­
erly and economically. The condition of your
vehicle not only affects its safety and ability to
hold its value, it a lso affects
fuel c onsump ­
tion .
Ch eck you r o il e ach time you fill your tank .
The amount of o il used is re lated to eng ine
load and speed .
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reach its lowest value after a certa in
mileage has been driven .
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 m iles
(5,000 kilometers) before you can properly
assess oil consumpt ion.
This also app lies to fue l consumption and en­
gine output.
(U) Note
- Have your vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty
& Ma in­
tenance booklet . Lack of proper mainte­
nance as well as improper use of the ve­
hicle will impair the function of the
em iss ion cont ro l system and could lead
to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Emission Control System unless ap­
proved by the manufacture r.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such
as heat shie lds, swit ches, ign ition w ires,
valves, which are designed to p rotect
your vehicle's Emission Control System
and other important vehicle compo­
nents .
•
•

196 Driving and en vironm ent
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively
high on short trips .
.,. Try to avo id driving short distances with a
cold engine.
The engine and catalyt ic converter have to
reach their optimal
operat ing tempe ratu re to
reduce fuel consumption and noxious emis­
sions effect ively .
Just after starting, a cold engine in a mid-size
car only achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 miles per gallon (30-40 l/100 km). After about a
half a m ile, fuel economy climbs to 12 mpg
(20 l/100 km) . After about
2 .5 m iles (4 km),
the eng ine is at its proper operat ing tempera­
ture and fue l economy has reached a no rma l
l eve l. So you can see that you sho uld avoid
short tr ips whenever possib le .
The
o ut sid e temp era ture is also critical in this
r egard. Your car consumes more fuel in the
winter than in the summer.

220 Checking and filling
temperatures stay below freezing point for long periods.
Detergent additives in the oil w il l make fresh
oil look dark after the eng ine has been run­
ning for a short time . This is norma l and is not
a reason to change the oi l more often than
recommended.
Damage or malfun ctions due to lack of
maintenance
It
is essential that you change your oil at the
recommended intervals using only engine o il
that complies with Audi oi l standard
VW 502 00. Your Limited New Vehicle War­
ranty does not cover damage or malfunctions
due to fail ure to fo llow recommended mainte­
nance and use requ irements as set forth in
the Audi Owner's Manual and Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet . Your dealer will have to
deny warranty coverage unless you present to
the dea ler proof in the form of Service or Re­
pa ir Orders that all scheduled ma intenance
was performed in a timely manner.
Eng ine oil consumption
The engine in your vehicle depends on an ade­
quate amount of oil to lubricate and cool all
of its moving parts.
In order to provide effective lubrication and
cool ing of internal engine components, all in­
ternal combustion eng ines consume a certain
amount of oil. Oil consumption varies from
engine to engine and may change significantly
over the life of the engine. Typically, engines
with a specif ied break-in period (see
¢
page 192) consume more oil during the
break-in period than they consume after oil
consumption has stabilized.
Under norma l conditions, the rate of oil con­
sumption depends on the quality and viscosity
of the oil, the RPM (revolutions per minute) at
which the engine is operated, the ambient
temperature and road condit ions . Further fac­
tors are the amount of oil d ilution from water
condensat ion or fuel residue and the oxida­
tion level of the oil. As any engine is subject to wear as mi
leage builds up, the oil consump­
tion may increase over time until replacement
of worn components may become necessary.
With all these variables coming into play, no
standard rate of oil consumption can be es­
tablished or specified. There is no alternative
to regu lar and frequent checking of the o il lev ­
el, see
Note .
If
the yellow engine oil leve l warning symbo l
in the instrument cluster
II! lights up, you
shou ld check the oil leve l as soon as possible
¢
page 221. Top off the oil at your earliest
convenience ¢
page 221.
A WARNING '"---
Before you check anythi ng in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS¢
A in Working in the engine
compartment on page 216.
(D Note
Driving with an insufficient o il level is like­
ly to cause severe damage to the engine.
(D Tips
-The oil pressure warning display. is
not an indicator of the oil level. Do not
rely on it. Instead, check the oil level in
your engine at regular intervals, pref­
erably each time you refuel, and always
before going on a long trip.
- If you have th e impression your engine
consumes excessive amoun ts of oil, we
recommend that you consult your Audi
dealer to have the cause of your concern
properly diagnosed. Keep in mind that
the accurate meas urement of oil con­
sumption requ ires great care and may
take some t ime. Your Audi dealer has in­
structions about how to measure oil con­
sumption accurately.
-

The speed rating letter code (c::> page 233) is
on the side wall of the tire
c::> page 242 .
A WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower than your vehicle's max­
imum speed . Always know the maximum
speed before driving off. Never drive faster
than the speed permitted for your specific
winter tires . This will cause damage to the
tires leading to an accident and serious
personal injury to you and your passen­
gers.
A WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your vehicle
were designed can cause tire failure in­ cluding a blowout and sudden deflation,
loss of control, crashes and serious per­
sonal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately.
- Winter tires have maximum speed rating
that may be lower than your vehicle's
maximum speed .
- Never drive faster than the speed for
which the winter or other tires installed
on your vehicle are rated .
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and
traffic conditions. Never let the good ac­
celeration of the winter tires and all-wheel
drive tempt you into taking extra risks . Al­
ways remember :
- When braking, an all-wheel drive vehicle
handles in the same way as a front drive
vehicle.
- Drive carefully and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
cannot help under black ice conditions.
@l For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather condi­
tions permit. They are quieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumption.
-
Tires and wheels
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted only to the front
wheels , and only to certain tire sizes. Ask your
authorized Audi dealer on which tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
If you are going to use snow chains, then you
must install them on the front wheels at
least.
The snow chains must have low-profile links
and must not be thicker than 0.4 inch
(10,S mm) , including the lock.
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs
before putting snow chains on your vehicle
c::> (]) . For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bolts. These are avail­
able from authorized Audi dealers.
A WARNING ,..__
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi­
cle or installing them incorrectly can in­
crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different
sizes . Always make sure to follow the in­
structions provided by the snow chain manufacturer .
- When driving with snow chains never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains .
- Always observe local regulations.
(D Note
- Remove snow chains before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into direct con­
tact with the wheel rim, can scratch or
damage it. Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered . Check
the position of the snow chains after
driving a few yards and correct if neces­
sary. Follow the instructions from the
snow chain manufacturer when doing so. ..,.
247
•
•

-Always make sure the transm ission se­
lector lever (automatic transmiss ion) is
in "P" (Park position) and the park brake
is firm ly app lied .
@) For the sake of the environment
-Changing the eng ine settings w ill ad­
versely affect em ission levels. This is det­
rimental to the environment and increas­
es fuel consumption .
- Always observe env ironmental regula­
tions when d isposing of old engine oil,
used brake fluid, dirty engine coolant,
spent batter ies or worn out t ires.
- Undeployed airbag modules and preten­
s ioners might be classified as Perchlo­
rate Material -specia l hand ling may ap­
ply, see www.dts c.ca .gov/hazardous­
waste/perch lorate. When the veh icle or
parts of the restraint system includ ing
airbag modules safety belts wit h preten­
sioners are scrapped, all applicable laws
and regulations must be observed. Your
a uthorized Audi dea ler is familiar w ith
these requirements and we recommend
that you have your dea ler perform this
serv ice for you .
Additional accessories,
modifications and
parts replacement
Additional accessories and parts
replacement
Always consult an authorized Audi dealer be­
fore purchasing accessories.
Your veh icle incorporates the latest safety de­
sig n featu res ensu ring a high standard of ac ­
tive and passive safety.
This safety could be compromised by non-ap­ proved changes to the veh icle. For this reason,
if parts have to be replaced, please observe
the following points when install ing addition­
a l accessories:
Con sumer In formation 275
Approved Audi accesso ries and genuine Audi
parts are available from authorized Audi deal­
ers.
T hese dea lers a lso have the necessary facili­
ties, tools and trained specialists to install the
parts and accessories proper ly.
A WARNING
Using the wrong spare parts or using non­
approved accessories can cause damage to
the vehicle and serious persona l injury.
- Use on ly accessories express ly approved
by Audi and genu ine Audi spare parts
- These parts and accessories have been
specially designed to be used on your ve­
hicle .
- Never install accessories such as tele­
phone cradles or beverage holders on air­
bag covers or within the airbag deploy­
ment zones . Do ing so will increase the
risk of injury if a irbags are triggered in an
accident!
- Before you check anything in the engine
compa rtment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
r:::;. page 210.
(D Note
-If items other than genuine Audi spare
parts, add-on equipment and accessory
items are used or if repair work is not
performed accord ing to spe cified meth­
ods, this can result in severe damage to
yo ur vehicle's engine and body (such as
corrosion) and adversely affect your vehi ­
cle's warranty .
- If emergency repairs must be performed
elsewhere, have the vehicle examined by
an authorized Audi dealer as soon as
possible.
- The manufacturer cannot be held liable
for damage wh ich occurs due to failure
to comply with these stipulations.
•
•

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