2012 AUDI S7 brake

Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 19
malfunction in the EDL system¢ page 18 4.
See your authorize d Audi dealer as soon as
possible.
A WARNING
- If
the m (USA mode ls)l li] (Canada
mode ls) warn ing light does n ot go out,
or if it comes on while driving, the ABS
system is not working properly . The vehi­
cle can then be stopped only with the
standard bra kes (without ABS). You will
not have the protection ABS provides.
Contact you r Audi dealer as soon as pos­
sible.
- USA models: If the - warning l ight,
the
Ii] warning light and the m warn­
ing light come on together, the rea r
wheels co uld lock up first unde r hard
braking. Rear wheel lock-up can cause
loss of vehicle control and an accident .
Have your vehicle repaired immediately
by your autho rized Aud i dea ler or a quali ­
fied workshop . Drive slowly and avoid
sudden, hard bra ke applications.
- Canada models: If the b rake warn ing
light ., the
DJ warning light and the
ABS wa rning light
rl] come on together ,
the rear w heels could lo ck up fi rst under
h ard bra king . Rear wheel lock-up can
cause loss of vehicle control and an acci­
dent. Have yo ur vehicle repaired immed i­
ately by your authorized A udi dealer or a
qualified workshop. Dr ive slowly and
avo id sudden, hard brake applicat ions .
(0) Worn brake pads
£1 Bra ke pad s!
If the warn ing light illum inates, immediately
contact your authori zed A udi dealer or quali­
fied workshop to have all brake pads inspect­
ed. O n USA models the warning light
£1
comes on together with t he war ning light
- · Both sets of brake pads on an axle
mus t always be replaced a t the same time.
1) - : USA m odels on ly
A WARNING
Driving w ith bad brakes can cause a colli­
sion and ser ious personal in ju ry .
- If the warn ing light
£1 and the warning
light
11111> with the message Brake
pads!
comes on in the instrument cluster
disp lay, imm ediately contact your au­
thori zed A udi dealer or qualified work­
shop to have all b rake pads checked or
replace d if necess ary.
EPC Electronic power control
This warning/indicator light monitors the
electronic power control.
The ~ warning/ind icator light (E lectronic
Power Cont rol) illuminates when you switch
the ignit io n on as a fu nction chec k.
(D Tips
If this war ning/ indicator l ight illum inates
while yo u are d riving, then there is a mal­
funct io n in the engine electronics. Have
the malf unct ion corrected as soon as pos­
si bl e by your au thori zed A udi dealer or
q ualified repa ir facility .
Ci Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp ( MIL) is pa rt
of the On -Board Diagnostic (OBD II) system.
The symbol
fllllijj lights up when the ign ition is
switched on and will tur n off after the engine
has started and has settled at a consta nt idle
speed . This indicates that the MIL is work ing
properly.
The warning lig ht illuminates w hen there is a
malfu nction in the e ng ine electron ic system .
Contact your aut horized Audi dealer and have
the malfunction cor rected.
An improperly closed fuel filler cap may a lso
cause the MI L light to illuminate ¢
page 213.
For more information ¢page 27.

50 Seat s a nd s tor ag e
Seats and storage
General recommen­
dations
Why is your seat adjustment so
important?
The safety belts and the airbag system can
only provide maximum protection if the front
seats are correctly adjusted.
There are various ways of adjust ing the front
seats to provide safe and comfortable support
for the driver and the front passenger . Adjust
you r seat prope rly so that :
- you can easily and quick ly reach all the
switches and controls in the instrument
panel
-your body is prope rly supported thus reduc­
ing physical stress and fatigue
- the safety be lts and a irbag system can offer
maximum protection
¢ page 137 .
In the following sec tions, you will see exactly
how you can best adjust you r seats .
There are special regulations and instructions
for insta lling a child seat on the front pas­
senger's seat. Always fo llow the information
regarding ch ild safety provided in
q page 163, Child Safety.
A WARNING
Incorrect seating position of the driver and
all other passengers can result in serious
personal in jury.
- Always keep your feet on the floor when
the vehicle is in motion -never p ut your
f eet on top of the instrument panel, out
of the w indow or on top of the seat cush­
ion . Th is app lies especially to the passen­
gers .
If your seating position is incorrect,
yo u increase the r isk of injury in the case
of sudden braking or an acc ident.
If the
a irbag infla tes and the seating positio n
is incorrect, this could result in personal
injury o r even death.
- It is import ant for bo th the driver and
front passenger to keep a distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between them­
selves and the steering wheel and/or in­
strument panel. If you're s itting any
closer than th is, the a irbag system can­
not protect you properly . In addition, the
front seats and head restraints must be
adjusted to your body height so that they
can give you max imum protect ion.
- Always try to keep as much distance as
possible between yourself and the steer­
ing wheel o r inst rument pane l.
- Do not adjust the driver's o r front pas­
senger's seat whi le the vehicle is moving.
Your sea t may move unexpected ly, caus­
ing sudden loss of vehicle cont rol and
personal injury . If yo u adjust yo ur seat
while the veh icle is moving, yo u are out
of posit ion.
Driver's seat '
The correct seat position is important for safe
and relaxed driving.
We recommend tha t you adjus t the dr iver's
seat in the fo llowing manner :
.,. Adjust t he seat in fo re and aft direction so
t ha t you can eas ily push the peda ls to the
floor w hile keeping your knees sl igh tly bent
q A in Why is your seat adjustment so im ­
portant? on page 50.
.. Adjust the back rest so that when you sit
w ith your back against t he backrest, you can
still grasp the top of the steering wheel.
.. Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as poss ible with the top of your
head . If that is not poss ible , try to adjust
t he head restraint so that it is as close to
t his pos it ion as possib le
q page 52.
A WARNING
Neve r place any objects in the dr iver's foot ­
well. An object could get into the pedal
a rea and interfere with pedal function . In
case of sudden braking or an acc ident, you
would not be able to brake or accelerate .

-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-

steering column will continue moving as long as you are pressing the switch.
There must be at least 10 inches (25 cm) be­
twe en your chest and the cente r of the steer­
ing wheel. If you cannot sit more than 10 in­
ches (25 cm) from the steering wheel, see if
adaptive equipment is available to help you
reach the pedals and increase the distance
from the steer ing wheel.
F or detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
r::> page 51.
In vehicles with the memory f unction*, the
steering column settings are stored together
with the seat position.
A WARNING
Improper use of steering wheel adjust­
ment and improper seating position can
cause serious personal injury.
- Adjust the steering wheel column only
when the vehicle is not moving to pre­
vent loss of veh icle control.
-
- Adjust the driver's seat or steering wheel
so that there is a min imum of 10 inches
(25 cm) between your chest and the
steering wheel¢
page 119, fig. 128. If
you cannot maintain this minimum dis­
tance, the airbag system cannot protect
you p roperly.
- If phys ical limitations prevent you from
sitting 10 inches (25 cm) or more from
the steering wheel, check with your au­
thorized Audi dealer to see if adaptive
equipment is availab le.
- If the steering wheel is aligned with your
face, the supplemental driver's airbag
cannot provide as much protection in an accident. Always make sure that the
steering wheel is aligned with your
chest.
- Always hold the steering wheel with your
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
t ions to reduce the risk of personal injury
if the driver's airbag deploys.
- Never hold the steering whee l at the 12
o'clock posit ion or w ith your hands inside
On the road 71
the steerin g wheel rim or on the steering
wheel hub. Holding the steering wheel
the wrong way can cause serious injuries
to the hands, arms and head if the driv­
er 's airbag deploys.
Easy entry feature
Applies to vehicles: with electrically adjustable steer ing
wheel
The easy entry feature makes it easier to en­
ter and exit the vehicle by automatically ad­
justing the steering wheel.
.. Select in the MMI : ICAR lfunction button>
Car systems control button > Vehicle set­
tings
> Seats > Driver's seat > Easy entry >
On.
When the easy entry feature is turned on, the
stee ring wheel moves up to the park position
when you switch off the ignition. After you en ­
ter the vehicle, the steering wheel moves to
the stored position as soon as you switch on
the ignit ion .
Starting and stopping
the engine
Starting the engine
This button switches on the ignition and
starts the engine.
Fig . 76 Center console: S TART ENGINE ST OP button
.. Step on the brake pedal and move the selec­
tor lever to
P or N ¢ _&...
.. Press on the ~ ,s_T_A_R_T_E_N_G_I_N_E_S_T_O_P~I button
~ fig. 76 -the engine will start. ..,.

72 On the road
By pressing the I STAR T ENGINE S TOP I button
without depressing the brake peda l, the igni­
tion is on and switched
off by pressing it
again .
After a cold engine is started, the re may be a
brief period of increased noise because oil
pressure must first bu ild up in the hydraulic
va lve adjusters. This is normal and not a cause
f or concern.
If the engine should not start immediately,
the starting process is automatically stopped
after a short time . Repeat starting procedure.
Driver m essag e in th e in strum ent clu ster
d is pl ay
P re ss brake pedal to sta rt engi ne
This message appears if you press the
I START ENGINE STOP ! button to start the en­
gine and do not depress the brake peda l. The
engine can on ly be started if the brake pedal
is depressed.
B C o nve nience ke y: Is ke y not in th e vehi­
cle?
This message appears a long with the B sym­
bol i f the master key is removed from the ve­
hicle with the engine r unning . It is intended
to remind you (e .g . when changing drivers)
not to continue the journey without the mas­
te r key .
If the master key is no longer in the vehicle,
you cannot switch on the ignit ion after stop­
ping the engine and yo u also cannot start the
engine again. Moreover, you cannot lock the
vehicle from the outs ide with the key.
S hift to P , o ther wise v ehicl e can roll away.
Doors do not lock if le ver i s not i n P.
This message appears for sa fe ty reasons
a long w ith an audib le warning tone if the
P
selector lever posit ion is not engaged when
stopping the eng ine with the
I STAR T ENGINE S TOP ! button. Select the P se­
lector lever posit ion. Otherwise the veh icle
could roll and it cannot be locked .
Key not recogni sed . H old bac k of ke y against
ma rked are a. See o wner' s manual.
If the indicator l ight turns on and this mes­
sage appears, there is a malf unct ion
¢ page 73.
Steering lock
The steering locks when you turn the eng ine
off using the I STAR T ENGINE S TOP I butto n
and open t he driver's doo r. T he loc ked s teer­
i ng helps prevent vehicle theft.
& WARNING ~
- Never a llow the engine to run in confined
spaces -danger of asphyx iat ion .
- Never turn
off the engine until the vehi­
cle has come to a complete stop .
- The brake booster and powe r steering
only work when the engine is running . If
the engine is
off, you have to use more
force when steering or brak ing . Because
you cannot steer and brake as you usual­ ly would, th is cou ld lead to crashes and
serious injuries .
(Q) Note
-Avo id h igh engine rpm, full thrott le and
heavy eng ine loads until the eng ine has
reached operating temperature -other­
wise you risk engine damage .
- The engine cannot be started by pushing
or towing the vehicle.
- If the eng ine has been under heavy load
for an extended per iod, heat builds up in
the engine compartment after the en ­
gine is switched
off -there is a risk of
damaging th e engine. Allow the engine
to run at idle for about 2 minutes before
switching it
off .
@ Tips
-If you open the driver's doo r with the ig­
nition on, a buzzer sou nds and the mes­
sage
Ignition i s on appears in the instru­
ment cl uste r display . Sw itch the ignition
off . ll-

-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.

7 4 On the road
Electromechanical
parking brake
Operation
The electromechanical parking brake replaces
the hand brake.
Fig. 78 Center conso le: Park ing brake
~ Pull on the switch ®> r::!;> fig. 78 to apply the
parking brake. The indicator light in the
switch illuminates.
~ Step on the brake pedal or the accelerator
pedal and press the switch
®) at the same
t ime to release the parking brake . The indi­
cator light in the switch goes out.
Your veh icle is equipped with an electrome ­
chan ical parking brake . The parking brake is
designed to prevent the vehicle from rolling unintent ionally and replaces the hand brake.
In addition to the normal functions of a tradi­
tional hand brake, the electromechan ical
parking brake provides various convenience
and safety functions.
When starting from rest
-The integral starting assist helps you when
dr iv ing by automatically releasing the park ­
ing brake
r::!;> page 75, Starting from rest.
- When sta rting on inclines, the starting as­
s ist prevents the vehicle from unintentional­
ly rolling back . The brak ing force of the
parking brake is not released until sufficient
dr iv ing force has been built up at the
wheels .
Emergency brake function
An emergency brake ensures that the veh icle
can be slowed down even if the
normal brakes
fail ¢
page 76, Emergency braking.
Indicator lights
-If the parking brake is closed with the ign i­
tion
switched on the indicator lights come
on - (USA mode ls)/ . (Canada models)
in the instrument cluster and in the switch.
- If the pa rking brake is closed with the ign i­
tion
switched off the indicator lights come
on - (USA mode ls)/ . (Canada models)
in the instrument cluster and in the switch
for about 20 seconds.
A WARNING
-Do not press the accelerator pedal inadver-
tently if the vehicle is stationary but the
engine is running and a gear is selected .
Otherwise the vehicle w ill start to move
i mmediately and could result in a crash.
(D Note
If the symbol . in the display or the indi­
cator light
1111 (USA models)/ . (Cana­
da models) in the instrument cluster flash­
es, there is a ma lfunction in the brake sys­
tem. Please refer to the detailed descrip­
tion of the indicator lights
r::!;> page 14.
- If the indicator light- (USA mod-
els)/ . (Canada models) or
IIJ tur ns
on, there may be a malf unct ion in the
parking brake
¢page 15.
(0 Tips
-Yo u can apply the parking b rake at any
time - even with the ign ition sw itched
off . The ignition must be on in order to
release the parking brake.
- Occasional noises when the parking
brake is applied and released are normal
and are not a cause for concern .
- When the vehicle is parked, the parking
brake goes through a self-test cycle at
regu lar intervals. Any associated noises
are normal.

Parking
Various rules apply to prevent the parked ve­
hicle from rolling away accidentally .
Pa rkin g
.. Stop the vehicle with the foot brake .
.. Pu ll the switch(®) to apply the park ing
brake.
.. Select the
P selector lever position
~page 102 .
.. Turn the eng ine off ~,&. .
In addition on inclines and grade s
.. Turn the steering wheel so that your vehicle
will roll against the curb in case it should
start to move .
A WARNING
-When you leave your veh icle - even if on­
ly b riefly - always take the ignition key
with you. This applies particu la rly when
children remain in the veh icle . Otherw ise
the chi ldren could start the engine, re ­
lease the parking brake or operate elec­
trical equipment (e.g. power windows) .
There is the risk of an accident .
- When the vehicle is locked, no one - par­
ticularly not children sho uld remain in
the vehicle. Locked doors make it more
difficult for emergency workers to get in­
to the vehicle - putting lives at risk.
Starting from rest
The star ting assis t func tion ensures tha t the
parking brake is released automatically upon
starting .
Stopp ing and appl ying park ing b rake
.. Pull the switch<®) to apply the park ing
brake.
Startin g and automatically relea sing the
pa rking br ake
.. When you start to drive as usua l, the park ­
ing brake is automatically re leased and your
vehicle begins to move.
On th e ro ad 75
When stopping at a traffic signal or s topping
in city traffic, the parking brake can be ap­
plied. The vehicle does not have to be he ld
with the footbrake . The parking brake elimi­
nates the tendency to creep w ith a dr ive range
engaged. As soon as you drive off as usual,
the parking brake is released automatically
and the veh icle starts to move .
Starting on slope s
When starting on inclines, the starting assist
prevents the vehicle from un intent ionally roll­
i ng back. The braki ng force of the parking
brake is not released unti l suff ic ient driving
fo rce has been built up at the wheels .
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re­
leased automatically only when the d riv­
er's safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Starting off with a trailer
To prevent rolling back unintentionally on an
incline, do the following:
.. Keep the switch<®> pulled and depress the
accelerato r. The parking brake stays applied
and prevents the vehicle from roll ing back­
ward .
.. You can release the switch<®) once you are
sure that you are developing enough for­
wa rd momentum at the whee ls as you de­
press the acce lerator .
Depend ing on the weight of the rig (veh icle
and t ra iler) and the severity of the incline, yo u
may ro ll backwards as yo u start . You can pre ­
vent rolling backwards by holding the parking
brake switch (®) pulled out and accelerating -
just as you would when starting on a hill with
a conventiona l hand brake.