2013 AUDI A7 light

202 Intellig ent technol ogy
8_ WARNING
Always adjust your driving to road and traf­
fic condit ions. Do not let the extra safety
afforded by all-wheel dr ive tempt you into
taking extra r isks.
-Although the all-wheel dr ive is very ef­
fective, always remember that braking capacity is limited by ti re traction. You
should the refore not drive at excessive
speeds on icy or sl ippery road su rfaces.
- On wet road su rfaces, be careful not to
dr ive too fast because the front wheels
cou ld beg in to slide on top of the water
(aquaplaning) . If this sho uld occur, you
will have no warning from a sudden in­ crease in engine speed as with a front­
wheel drive vehicle. Always drive at
speeds wh ich 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 optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting the engine.
I f a vehicle with a conven tional energy system
is not driven for a long period of time, the bat ­
tery is discharged by idling current cons umers
(e .g. immobilizer) . In ce rtain circumstances it
can result in there being insufficient energy
avai lab le to start the engine.
I ntelligent energy management in your veh i­
cle handles the distribution of electrical ener­
gy . Starting ab ility is marked ly improved and
the life of the battery is extended.
Basically, energy managemen t consists o f
batter y di agno sis, idling current m an age­
ment
and d ynamic ene rgy man agement.
B attery diagnosis
Battery d iagnosis continuously dete rmines
the state of the battery. Senso rs determ ine
battery vo ltage, battery cur rent and battery temperature
. This determines the current
state of charge and the power of the battery.
Idling current manag ement
Idling cur rent management reduces energy
consumption while the vehi cle is standing.
With the ign ition switched off, it controls the
energy supp ly to the various electrical compo ­
nents . Data from battery diagnosis is consid ­
ered.
Depend ing on the battery's state of cha rge,
individual consumers are gradually turned off
to prevent excessive discharge of the battery
and thus maintain starting capability.
Dynamic en ergy m anag em ent
While the vehicle is being driven, dynamic en­
ergy management distr ibutes the energy gen­
erated according to the needs of the individ u­
al components. It regulates consumption, so
that more electrical energy is not being used
than is being generated and ensures an opti­
mal state of charge for the battery.
(D Tips
- But even energy management cannot
negate the limits of physics. Consider
that the power and life of a battery are limited.
- If starting ability is threatened, the indi­
cator light(•] appears
c::> page 17.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability.
The battery is severe ly taxed in short-distance
driv ing, in city traff ic and during the cold time
of year. Abundant electrical energy is re­
quired, but on ly a little is generated . It is also
crit ical if the engi ne is not running and electri­
ca l components are turned on . In this in­
stance ene rgy is be ing consumed but none is
being genera ted.
It is in prec isely these s ituations that you will
notice ene rgy management active ly regu lat-
ing the d istribu tion of ene rgy.
1111>

Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive you r vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, electrical compo ­
nents are grad ually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and main ­
tains starting capabi lity over a longer period.
Some of the convenience functions may not
operate, such as the inter ior lights or the
power seat adjustment . The conven ience
functions will be ava ilable again when you
switch on the ignit io n and start the engine.
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 consumpt ion, 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 genera ted when
the vehicle is being driven, the battery can be­
come discharged. This happens mostly when
litt le 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 requ ire 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 ava ilabl e again as
soon as the energy ba lance 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
Intelligent technology 203
speed the additional energy required is gener­
ated and the battery is charged.
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206 Driving and en vir onm ent
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when driving thro ugh water, for example on
flooded roads:
- The wate r must not be any higher than the
bottom of t he vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than wa lking speed.
A WARNING
After driving through wate r, 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 eng ine,
transmission, suspension or electr ical
system can be severely damaged by driv­ i ng th rough water.
- Always switc h off the Start-Stop-System
when driving through water~
page 80 .
(1) Tips
-Check the depth of the water before dr iv­
i ng th rough it.
- Do not stop the ve hicle, dr ive in reverse
or switch the engine off whe n driving
t hr ough water .
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles
may create waves that raise the water
level and make it too deep fo r you r vehi­
cl e to drive th rough 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
- oper ating conditions
- technical limitat ions
If you ant ic ipate what you need to do next and
drive economica lly, you can easily cut your
fuel consumpt ion by 10-15 percent . This sec­
t ion w ill give you some tips on how you can
help the env ironment and your pocketbook.
@ Tips
The consumption estimates as published
by ENVIRON MEN TAL PROTEC TION AG ENCY
( EP A) and Transpo rt Canada may no t corre­
spond to your actual consump tion on the
r oad, which will va ry 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 mos t fu el when they are ac­
ce le rat ing. If yo u ant icipate what is going to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
t hu s, acce le rate less . Let the vehicle coast
whenever possible -for examp le when you see
t h at the next traff ic light is red.

Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
11-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.
11-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 .
The idling phase is automat ically reduced for
vehicles w ith the Start/Stop system . It is effi­
cient to switch
off the engine in vehicles with­
out the Start-Stop-System when stopped at ra il road crossings and long red lights. Turning
the eng ine
off for just 30 -40 seconds saves
mo re fuel than is burned by s tarting the en­
gine again.
It takes a long time fo r the engine to wa rm up
fu lly when it is running at idle. Howeve r, wear
and noxious emissions 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 h igh rpms while the engine is
still warming up.
CD Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af­
ter starting. If warning lights shou ld come
on to indicate improper operation, they
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 207
would go unheeded. Extended idling a lso
produces heat, which could result in over­
heating or other damage to the veh icle or
other property.
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel.
11-Have your vehicle serviced at reg ular inter-
vals .
By having your ve hicle reg ularly se rviced by an
Audi dealer he lps to ensure that it runs prop­
erly and economically . The condition of your
vehicle not only affects its safety and ability to
ho ld its va lue, it also affects
fuel co nsump ­
tion .
Chec k your oil e ach t ime you fill y our t ank.
T he amou nt of o il used is re lated to engine
load and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reac h its lowest value after a certa in
mileage has bee n driven.
You must drive your veh icle about 3,000 m iles
(5,000 kilometers) before you can properly
assess oil consumpt ion.
This also applies to fuel consumption and en­ gine output .
CD Note
-Have your veh icle ma inta ined properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty
& Ma in­
tenance book let . Lack of proper mainte­
nance as well as improper use of the ve­
hicle will impai r the function of the
em ission cont ro l system and cou ld lead
t o damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of
t he Emission Control System unless ap­
proved by the manufacture r.
- Do not alter or remove any devi ce, such
as heat shie lds, switches, ign ition w ires,
valves, which are designed to protect
your vehicle's Emission Control System
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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 .
Trailer 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.
(D Note
If you are going to tow a trai ler, you must
ac tivate the trailer operation mode
c::> page 209, Operating instructions.
Technical requirements
Traile r hitch
Use a weig ht-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 securely on t he ve hicle's chassis at a
technically sound location . Use only a trail er
hi tch w ith a removab le ball moun t. A lways
check wi th t he tra ile r hi tch man ufa ctur er to
make sure that you are using the cor rect
h itch.
Do not us e a bumper hitch .
The hitch m ust be installed in such a way that
i t does not interfe re with the impac t-absorb­
i ng bumper syst em. No mod ificat ions should
b e made to the vehi cle e xhaus t and br ake sys­
tems . From t ime to time, check th at a ll hitc h
mo unt ing bo lts rem ain securely fas tened.
When you are not towing a trail er, remove the
tra ile 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 behind~ .&.
Trailer towin g 209
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equippe d wi th a bra king sys­
tem, check to be s ure that i t conforms to all
regulations .
T he trailer hyd ra u lic bra ke sys tem mus t not be
d irec tly connec ted to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains be tween your ve hicle
and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Trai ler lights must meet all reg ulations. Be
su re to c heck with your Audi dea ler for correct
wir ing, switches and relays .
Mirrors
If you a re unable to see the traffic behind you
u sing the regula r outside mirrors, then you
must insta ll extended mir rors. It is important
t h at you
always have clea r vis io n to the rear.
_&. WARNING
-
Afte r removi ng the trailer hitch , do no t
s tor e i t in yo ur v ehicl e. In case of sudden
b raki ng, the hi tch co uld fly forwar d and in­
j ur e you o r yo ur pass enge rs.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A tra ile r fo r you r vehi cle is l imited to a typi cal
cla ss 1 o r class 2 tr ailer.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the tra ile r is held secure ly
in place to p revent it from shift ing fo rward,
ba ckward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
c::> .& in Driving instructions on page 211 .
Engine cooling sy stem
Towing a t railer ma kes the engine wor k hard­
er . It is impo rtant that the cooling system's
performance is up to the additional load.
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210 Trailer towing
Make sure that the cooling system has eno ugh
fluid .
Tire p res sure
When tow ing a trai le r, inflate the t ires of your
vehi cle to the co ld tire pressure listed under
"Full load" on the label located on the driver's
side B-pillar (visible when the door is open) .
Inflate trailer t ires to trai ler and tire manufac­
turers' specifications.
Lights
Chec k to make s ure both veh icle and trailer
lights are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure tra iler safety cha ins are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve­
h icle. Leave enough slack in the chains to per ­
mit turn ing corners . When you install safety
cha ins, make su re they wi ll not drag on the
road when yo u are driving.
The chains shou ld cross under the tra iler
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separation from the hitch.
Adjusting the Audi drive select
Make sure the vehicle is on a level su rface be­
for e
hitching up the tra ile r and b efor e adjust­
ing the tongue weight. The vehicle must be in
auto or comfort dr iving mode and no t raised
qpage 102, q(D _
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered. In Info­
tainment , se lect:
ICARI f u nction button> Low­
e r
control b utton .
I f you m ust dr ive under poor road co ndit ions,
you can raise the veh icle
aft er coup ling the
tra iler or
after adjusting the tong ue weig ht
q page 104.
-Changes in tempe ratu re or load can af­
fect the heig ht of the veh icle.
- Always se lect
auto or comfort mode.
Otherwise, the tongue load spec ified for
your vehicle will no longer be applicable.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
care and consideration .
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the fo llow ing:
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car it­
self is not loaded.
.,. Be especially carefu l when passing other
veh icles.
.,. Observe speed lim its .
.,. Do not dr ive at the maximum permissible
speed.
.,. Always app ly brakes early .
.,. Monitor the temperatu re ga uge.
Weight distribut ion
T owing a loaded trailer with an empty car re­
su lts in a highly unstab le distribution of
we ight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at very
low speeds on ly to avoid t he risk of losing
steering con trol.
A "ba lanced " rig is easier to operate and con­
tro l. This means that the tow vehicle should
be loaded to the exten t possible and permissi­
ble, while keep ing the trai ler as light as possi­
ble under the c ircumstances . Whenever poss i­
ble, transfer some cargo to the luggage com ­
partment of the tow veh icle while observing
tong ue load requirements and vehicle load ing
considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficu lt it be ­
comes for the driver to control the rig . Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Re­
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind conditions are unfavorable -particularly
whe n going downhill.
Red uce veh icle speed
immediately if the trail­
er shows the slightest s ign of sway ing .
Do not
try to stop the swa ying b y accelerating .
Observe speed limits . In some a reas, speeds
for vehicles tow ing trai lers are lower than for
regular veh icles . .,.

Always apply brakes early. When driving
downhill, shift into a lower gear to use the en­
g ine braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of
the brakes a lone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge ¢ page 11
must be observed carefully. The coo lant tem­
perature can increase if you drive on long in­
clines in a low gear at high engine speeds. Re­
duce your speed immediately if the LEDs in
the top part of the display turn on .
For more information about indicator lights,
refer to.
c> page 16.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov­
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident . Never let anyone r ide in your car
who is not properly wearing the restra ints
provided by Aud i.
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle hand les different ly when towing
-
a trailer because of the additional weight and
d ifferent weight distribution . Safety, perform­
ance and economy w ill greatly depend on how
carefully you load your trailer and operate
your rig .
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopp ing and backing up in an area
away from traffic . Keep practicing until you
have become completely familiar with the way
your veh icle-trailer comb ination behaves and
responds .
Backing up is diff icult and requires practice .
Backing up with a tra iler genera lly requires
steer ing action opposite to that when backing
up your vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your ve­
hicle and the one in front of you. You will need
more room to stop. To compensate for the
Trailer towing 211
trailer, you wi ll need a larger than normal
turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot ac­
ce lerate as fast as you norma lly would be­
cause of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass. After passing, allow
plenty of room for your trailer before chang­
ing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
(0 Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in
period of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may re­
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the extra load¢
page 289.
Parking on a slope
Do not pork on a slope with a trailer . If it can­
not be avoided, do so only after doing the fol­
lowing:
When parking:
"' App ly the foot brake .
.,. Have someo ne p lace chocks under both the
veh icle and the trailer wheels.
"' With chocks in place, slowly release the
brakes until the wheel chocks absorb the
load .
.,. Turn the wheels towards the curb .
.,. Apply the parking brake.
.,. Select the P selector lever posit ion .
When restarting after parking:
.,. Apply the foot brake.
.,. Start the engine .
.,. Select the D/S se lector lever position .
.,. Release the parking brake and slowly pull
out and away from the wheel chocks.
.,. Stop and have someone retr ieve the wheel
chocks .
111>
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Cleaning and protect ion
General information
Regular core preserves vehicle value.
Any automobile is exposed to industrial
fumes , corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after
purchase . Regu lar and correct care w ill con­
tr ibute to maintaining the beauty and value of
your Aud i.
F u rth ermor e, good c are may be a conditi on
for subs tantiati ng a w arrant y cla im sho uld
c orrosion d amag e or paint d efects oc cur.
Your authorized Audi dealer has a variety of
dedic ated veh icle-car e products and can ad ­
vise which ones to use for cleaning the exter i­
or and interior of your vehicle.
Whether you use products recommended by
Aud i or other commercially available clean ing
agents, please make sure you apply them cor­
rectly .
A WARNING
-Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them out of the reach of children.
- Heed all caut ion labels.
- Always read directions on the container
before using any product. Follow the di­
rect ions carefu lly.
- Most chemical cleaners are concentrated
and have to be diluted .
- Use spot removing fluids only in well
ventilated areas.
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, d iesel
fuel, nail polish remover or other volatile
fluids. They may be toxic, flammab le or
haza rdous in other ways. Do not wash,
wax or dry the vehicle with the ign it ion
on or the engine running.
- Do not clean the undersides of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, e tc. w ithout pro­
tecting your hands and arms. You may c u t yourself on sharp -edged metal parts .
Cleaning and protec tion 213
- Moisture and ice on brakes may impair
brak ing effic iency¢
page 199, General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle.
@) For the sake of the environment
Select on ly environmentally friend ly clean­
i ng products . Leftover cleaning products
should not d isposed of in the household
waste.
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protects the vehicle .
The best protection against environmental i n­
fluences is
frequent washing and waxing . How
often t his is required depends on:
- How much the veh icle is used
- Where the veh icle is parked (garage, in the
open under trees, etc.)
- The seasonal and weather conditions
- Environmental infl uences
T he longer b ird droppings, insects, tree resin,
road and indus tria l gr ime, ta r, soot, road salt
and other materials remain on the vehicle
body, the more lasting their destructive ef­
fects wi ll be . High temperatures caused by ex­
posure to intense sun light intens ify the corro­
s ive effect, particularly when humid ity is high
as well.
Under certain circumstances,
weekl y washing
may be necessary. Under other cond itions, a
monthly washing and waxing may be ade­
quate .
After the winter, the underside of the vehicle
should be thoroughly washed, preferab ly in a
professional car wash .
Vehicles with matte finish paint¢
page 215 .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢page 213.
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