2013 AUDI A7 ESP

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
•
•

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>
•
•

Waxing and Polishing
Wa xing
A good wax coat ing protects the vehicle pa int
to a large extent aga inst the environmental
factors listed under
~page 213, Washing and
even against slight sc ratches.
You can use a liquid car wax to protect your pa int as soon as one week after your veh icle
has been del ivered.
Even if you regularly use a
w axi ng process in
automatic car washes, we recommend that
you manually app ly a coat of wax to give the
pa int ext ra protection, particularly if wate r no
l onge r beads on the clean paint.
Protect p lastic body parts with car wax in the
same way as the vehicle body.
During warm weather dead insects tend to
collect on the front bumper and on the for­
ward area of the hood . They are much easier
to remove from paint that is waxed
often.
Poli shing
Polish your vehicle only if the pa int has lost its
sh ine and the gloss cannot be brought back
with wax .
If the polish used does not contain preserva­
tive compounds, the paint must be waxed af­
terwards.
&, WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
~ page 213.
(I) Note
Do not use car wax on
- matte or anod ized metal trim
- rubber or rubber-like trim.
Trim strips
Metal trim needs special care.
For environmenta l reasons, Aud i fabricates
the br ight tr im st rips and t rim pieces from
pu re chromium-free a lum inum.
Cleaning and protec tion
D irt and marks on the trim strips sho uld be
removed wit h a
pH-balanced cleaning agent
(do not use a chrome cleaner). Audi dealers
carry clean ing products w hich have been test­
ed for use on your vehicle and are not harmful
to the environment.
To avoid corrosion on the exter ior trim strips,
only a pH-ba lanced solution should be used
for the windsh ield washer.
&, WARNING
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other info rmation
~page 213.
Plastic and vinyl
Plastic needs special care.
Use a clean, damp cloth or sponge to remove
dust and light s urface dirt. For other soil, use
a lukewarm all-p urpose cleaning so lution or a
mild saddle soap for v inyl tr im. Remove water
spots and traces of soap with a clean, damp cloth or sponge . Use a clean, soft cloth to rub
dry.
Grease, tar or oil stains can be removed w ith a
clean cloth or sponge soaked with a ll-purpose
cleaner o r with a solvent designed espec ially
to clean v inyl.
Occas ionally apply a colorless vinyl or leather
preservative to retain the mater ia l's luster
and pliability .
&, WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNI NGS and
other info rmat ion
~ page 213 .
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral-pH p rod ucts to remove spots
and deposits from a luminum sur faces.
Chrome care products and a lkaline cleaners
will attack a luminum surfaces and can dam-
age them over time. ..,.
217
•
•

A WARNING ,~
Always read an d heed all WARNINGS and
the information
c';> page 213.
(D Tips
Open Velcro fasteners on your clothing can
damage the seat cover . Please make sure
that Velcro fasteners are closed.
Plastic parts and instrument panel
Always use a clean cloth moistened in clear
water to clean these areas . For pers istent dirt
use an Audi app roved
s olvent-fr ee plastic
cleane r/pro te ctant.
A WARNING
So lvents can c ha n ge the properties o f
some plast ics and make it ha rder for the
airbag to dep loy.
-
- N ever clean the instr ument pane l o r the
s u rface of airbag modules with clea ning
products that contain solvents.
- Products containing solvents w ill make
the surface of this part porous.
- Serious injur ies can resu lt if plastic pa rts
come loose when the airbag is deployed .
- Alw ays re ad and hee d all WAR NINGS and
other informa tion
c:';> page 213.
(D Note
Clea ning agents containing solvents will
atta ck th e mater ial a nd can change the
way it behaves.
Trim and molding
Trim and mo lding in the ve hicle interio r can
be cleaned w it h a dry microfibe r cloth. To pre ­
vent scratches, do not use any clean ing solu ­
t ions.
Cleaning and protec tion 221
Natural leather
Applies to vehicles: with natural leather
Audi makes great efforts to maintain the
properties, natural look and feel of interior
leather .
General
We offer many different types of leather o n
our vehicles. Mos t are different types of nappa
l eather, which has a smooth surface and
comes in various colo rs .
The intensity of the co lor determines the visu­
al characteristics and appearance. If the sur­
face of the leather has a typ ica l natural look,
t h en the leather is a nappa leather that has
been left in a re lative ly natura l condit io n . This
leat her offe rs particularly good comfort and
brea thes we ll. Fine veins , cl osed grai ns, in sect
bites, sk in fo lds, and s ubt le var ia tions in co lor
rema in visible . These charac teristics demon ­
strate that the material is natura l.
Natura l n a p pa le athe r is no t covered by a col­
o r finish. It is therefo re more sens it ive to soil­
ing and wea r, which is someth ing you need to
consider if children , anima ls or ot her facto rs
might prove to be pa rt icu larly hard on the
leat her .
By cont rast, leather types t hat are covered by
a colo red finish layer are more durab le . T his
has a positive effect on the leather's resist­
ance to wear and soiling in dai ly use. On the
other hand, the typical characteristics of na tu­
ral leathe r are barely or not apparent. Howev­
er, th is does not mean that the leathe r itse lf
is of infe rior quality .
Care and handling
Because of the exclusive nature of the types of
leat her that Aud i uses and their unique p rop­
erties (such as sens it iv ity to oils, grease , soil ­
ing, etc.), yo u w ill need to be somewhat ca re­
ful with these leathers, and a ce rtain type of
ca re is req uired. Fo r exam ple , da rk clothing
m at eria ls can dis co lor le ather seats (especi al­
ly if su ch clo thing is damp and was not dyed
correct ly). Dust and dirt particles in pores,
fo lds, and seams can have an abrasive effect .,.. •
•

222 Cleaning and protec tio n
and can damage the leather surface as well as
weaken seams .
The leather shou ld be cleaned reg ularly as
needed. After having been used for a re latively
l ong time, your leather seats will acquire a
rich ag ed finish. This is a characteristic of nat­
ura l leather and a sign of true quality .
I n order to ma in tain the va lue of th is natura l
p rod uct over the life of your vehicle, you
should follow the recommendations below :
(U;) Note
-To keep your leather from bleaching ou t,
do not a llow it to be exposed to bright
sunlight for long periods of time .
If you
have to leave the vehicle parked outside
for long periods, cover the leather to protect it from d irect exposure to sun­
li ght.
- Sharp objects on clothing, such as zip­
pers, rivets or sharp pieces on belts can
leave permanent scratches or scrape
marks on the surface of the leather .
(D Tips
-After each t ime you clean the leather and
at regular intervals, use a leather preser ­
vat ive creme that conta ins UV-blockers
and that works into the leather. This
creme wi ll nourish and moistur ize the
l eather, helping i t to breathe and stay
supple. It also helps to b uild up a protec­
tive coating on the surface .
- Clean the leather every 2 -3 months,
and clean any areas that get soiled.
- Remove fresh mar ks made by ba llpoi nt
pens, ink, lipst ick, shoe polish, etc. as
soon as possib le .
- Preserve the colo r of the leather as need­
ed by using a special colored leather care
creme to touch up areas of uneven co lor.
Cleaning and caring for leather
upholstery and trim
Appl ies to vehicles : wi th natural lea the r
Natural leather requires special care and at­
tention .
Normal cleaning
.. Clean soiled areas with a slightly moistened
cotton or woolen cloth .
More stubborn dirt
.. More stubborn dirt can be remov ed using a
cloth saturated with a mild soap solut ion (2
tablespoons mild liquid soap).
.. Never allow the soap solution to saturate
the leather, and make certain that no water
soaks into the seams .
.. Wipe off the soap so lution with a soft, dry
cloth.
Cle aning spot s
.. Remove fresh wat er-base d spots (suc h as
coffee , tea, juices, blood) with an absorbent
cloth or paper towel.
.. Remove fresh
gre ase or o il-ba sed spot s
(such as butter , mayonnaise, chocolate) with
an absorbent cloth or paper towel, or use
the cleaner from the leather care kit if the
spot has not yet penetrated into the surface
of the leather.
.. Use an oil/grease d issolving spray, if
oil /
gr ease spots ha ve dr ied on.
.. Remove specific k inds of spots (ballpoint
pen, felt marker, fingerna il polish, water­
based pa int, shoe polish, etc .) with a spot
remover specifically fo rmu lated for leather.
L e ather care
.. Every half year use an approved leather care
product (available from your Audi dealer) to
care for the leather .
.. App ly the product very spar ingly.
.. Wipe it off with a damp cloth.
If you have any questions about cleaning and
ca ring for the leather in your vehicle, it is best
to contact your authorized Aud i dea ler, who
will be g lad to help you and tell you abo ut o ur
f ull range of leather care products, such as : .,_

224 Cleaning and protection
Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en­
gine compartment.
Al way s switch o ff t he ign ition b efore clean ­
ing the engi ne
c:> &. .
Plenum p ane l
Remove leaves from the plenum pane l in front
of the windshield under the engine compart­
ment. This p revents the water drain holes
from becoming blocked, and it preven ts de­
bris from enter ing the veh icle inter ior through
the heating and venti lation ducts.
Cor rosion protecti on
The engine compartment and transmission
have been corrosion-protected at the factory.
Good anti -corrosion treatment is very impor ­
tant, particular ly in the winter. If the vehicle
is frequent ly driven on sa lt treated roads, the
entire engine compartment and plenum panel
should be thoroughly cleaned at the end of
winter and retreated to prevent salt damage .
At the same time, the underside of the vehicle
should be washed as well.
If the engine compartment is cleaned at any
time with grease removing solut ions
1>, or if
you have the engine washed, the anti-corro­
sion treatment is a lmost always removed as
well. It is therefore essential to have a long­
l asting co rrosion protection reapp lied to all
surfaces, seams, joints and components in the
engine compartment .
&_ WARNING
Be aware: The engine compartment of any
motor vehicle is a potentially hazardous
area.
- Before working in the engine compart­
ment, be sure to read the informat ion
c:> page 230.
- Before reaching into the front pane l, al­
ways switch off the ignition. Otherwise,
1l Use o nly the co rrect cle anin g so lu ti on s. Never use gas­
o lin e or d ie se l fuel.
the windshield wiper system could unin­
tentionally be switched on, possibly
causing personal injury from the moving
wiper linkage .
- Never reach into the area around or
touch the rad iator fan. The auxiliary fan
is temperature controlled and can sw itch
on suddenly- even when the ignition is
off.
- Do not wash, wax or dry the eng ine with
the engine running. Mov ing or hot parts
could injure you.
- Do not clean the underside of the chas­
sis, fenders, wheel covers, or other hard
to reach parts without protect ing your
hands and arms . You may cut yourself on
sharp-edged metal parts .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other info rmation
c:> page 213.

226 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
-Blend must contain not more than 15%
MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform
espec ially we ll for winter or summer driv ing.
During seasonal change-over, we suggest that
you fill up at busy gas stat ions where the sea­
sonal adjustment is more likely to be made in
time.
(CT) Note
- Methanol fuels which do not meet these
requirements may cause corrosion and
damage to plastic and rubber compo­
nents in the fuel system .
- Do not use fuels that fai l to meet the
specified criteria in this chapter.
- If yo u are unable to determine whether
or not a particular fuel blend meets the
specifications, ask your service station or
its fuel sup plier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents cannot be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance
problems resulting from the use of fuels
different from those specified are not
the respons ibility of Audi and are not
covered under the New Vehicle or the Emission Control System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fuel economy
or driveability and performance prob­ l ems due to the use of one of these fuel
blends, we recommend that you switch
to unblended fuel.
Gasoline additives
A major concern among many auto manufac ­
turers is carbon deposit build- up caused by
the type of gasoline you use.
A lthough gasoline grades differ from one
manufacturer to another, they have certain
things in common. All gasoline g rades contain
substances that can cause deposits to co llect
on vital engine parts, such as fuel injectors
and intake valves. Although most gasoline
brands include additives to keep engine and fuel
systems clean, they a re not equally effec­
tive .
A udi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline. For more information on TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline, please go to the official
website (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended period of using inadequate
f uels, carbon deposit build-ups can rob yo ur
engine of peak performance.
(D Note
'
Damage or malf u nct ion due to poor fuel
quality is not covered by the Aud i New Ve­
hicle Limited Warranty.
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
s ide panel behind the fuel filler flap.
If the power locking system should fail, you
can still open the flap manually- for detailed
instructions see¢
page 228 .
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your ve­
hicle in
Technical Data ¢ page 287.
The label on the inside of the fuel fi ller flap
tells you the correct fue l for your veh icle. For
more information about fuel specifications,
see ¢
page 225.
Your vehicle fuel tank has an on board refuel­
li ng vapor recovery system. This feature helps
to prevent fuel vapors from escaping from the
tank and polluting the environment while you refuel your vehicle . In order to fill the tank
properly wh ile protecting the environment,
please fo llow this refueling procedure careful­
ly.
.8, WARNING
Under normal operating cond itions, never
carry additional fuel containers in your car.
Gas canisters and other containers used to
transport fuel can be dangerous. Such con­
tainers, full or empty, may leak and could
cause a fire in a collision. If you must