2014 AUDI A7 ESP

186 Child Saf ety
- Childre n on the front seat of any car,
even w ith Advanced A irbags, can be seri­
ous ly injured or even killed when an a ir­
bag inflates .
- Never let a child stand or knee l on any
seat, for examp le the front seat.
- Never let a child ride in the cargo area of your vehicle .
- Always remember that a ch ild lean ing
forward, sitt ing s ideways or out of posi­
t ion in any way during an acc ident can be
st ruck by a deploying airbag . This will re­
sult in serious personal injury o r dea th .
- If you must install a booster seat on the
front passenger seat because of excep ­
t io nal circumstances the
PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light must come on and
stay on, whenever the igni tion is sw itch­
ed on.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ligh t
doe s not come on and stay on, perform
the chec ks described ¢
page 161, Moni­
toring the Advanced Airbag System.
- T ake the child rest rain t off th e fron t pas­
senger seat and install it properly at one
of the rea r seat positions if the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not stay on
whenever the ignition is switched on.
- Always read and heed all WAR NIN GS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used¢
page 140 , Safety
belts,¢ page 149, Airbag system
and
¢ page 175, Important things to know.
Installing a child safety
seat
Securing a child safety seat using a
safety belt
Safety bel ts for the rear sea ts and the front
passenger can be locked with the conver tible
locking retractor to properly secure child
safety seats .
The safety belts emergency locking retractors
for the rear seats safety belts and for the
front passenge r's seat safety belt have a co n­
ve rtible locking retracto r fo r child restra ints . T
he safety belt m ust be locked so that be lt
web bing cannot unree l. The retractor can be
activated to lock the sa fety belt and prevent
the safety belt webbing from loosening up
duri ng norma l dr iving . A chi ld safety seat can
o n ly be prope rly insta lled when t he safety belt
i s loc ked so that the ch ild and child safety
sea t w ill stay in place .
Always remember: Even tho ugh your vehicle is
equipped with an Advanced Airbag system , all
c h ildren, especially thos e 12 years and young­
er, sho uld alw ays r ide in the back seat prope r­
l y restra ined fo r the ir age and size.
_& WARNING
Im prop erly ins talled ch ild safety sea ts in­
crease the risk o f serious pe rsonal injury
and death in a co llision.
- Always make s ure that the sa fe ty bel t re­
trac to r i s loc ked w hen insta lling a child
safety seat . An un locke d safety belt re­
tracto r cannot hold the child safety seat
in place dur ing no rma l driving o r in a
crash.
- Always buckle the child sa fety seat firmly
in place even if a ch ild is not sitt ing in it .
A loose child safety seat can fly around du ring a s udden stop or in a collision .
- Always make sure that the rear seat
backrest to wh ic h the center rear safety
be lt* is attached is sec urely latched
wheneve r the rea r ce nter sa fety belt is
be ing used to secu re a child rest raint.
- If the backrest is not securely la tched,
the child and the child res traint will be
throw n forward togethe r with t he back ­
rest and will strike part s of t he vehi cle
interior. The child can be seriously in­
jured or killed.
- Never insta ll re ar-f acing child s afety
seats or in fant ca rrie rs on the front pas ­
sen ger seat . A child will be serious ly in ­
jured and can be killed when the passen­ ge r airbag in flates.
- The inflating air bag will h it the c hild
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat ..,.

188 Child Safety
-Always be especially careful if you must
install a rearward facing child safety seat
on the front passenger seat in exception­
al circumstances.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched
on.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immedi ­
ately install the rear-facing child safety
seat in a rear seating position and have
the airbag system inspected by your Audi dealer.
Activating the convertible locking retractor
Use the convertible locking retractor to se­
cure a child restraint.
Always heed the child safety seat manufactur­
er's instructions when installing a child re­
straint in your vehicle. To activate the conver­
tible locking retractor:
"" Place the child restraint on a seat, prefera­
bly on the rear seat.
""Slowly pull the belt
all the way out.
""Route it around or through the child re­
straint belt path¢,&. .
"" Push the child safety se at down with you r
full weight to get the safety belt really tight.
"" Insert the belt tongue into the buckle for
that seating position.
""Guide the safety belt back into the retractor
until the belt lies flat and snug on the child
safety seat.
""You should hear a "clicking" noise as the
belt winds back into the inertia reel. Test the
convertible locking retractor by pulling on
the belt. You should no longer be able to
pull the belt out of the retracto r. The con­
vertible locking retractor is now activated.
"" Make sure that the red release button is fac ­
ing away from the child restraint so that it
can be unbuckled quickly .
""Pull on the belt to make sure the safety belt
is properly tight and fastened so that the seat cannot move forward or sideways more
than one inch (2.5 cm).
A WARNING .,__
Using the wrong child restraint or an im­
properly installed child restraint can cause
serious personal injury or death in a crash.
- Always make sure that the safety belt re-
tractor is locked when installing a child
safety seat. An unlocked safety belt re­
tractor cannot hold the child safety seat
in place during normal driving or in a
crash.
- Always buckle the child safety seat firmly
in place even if a child is not sitting in it.
A loose child safety seat can fly around
during a sudden stop or in a crash.
- Always make sure the seat backrest to
which the child restraint is installed is in
an upright position and securely latched
into place and cannot fold forward. Oth­
erwise, the seatback with the child safety
seat attached to it could fly forward in
the event of an accident or other emer­
gency situation.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
¢ page 175. Special
precautions apply when installing a child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
¢ page 151, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know.
Deactivating the convertible locking
retractor
-
The convertible locking retractor for child re­
straints will be deactivated automatically when the belt is wound all the way back into
the retractor.
"" Press the red button on the safety belt buck­
le. The belt tongue will pop out of the buck­
le.
""Guide the safety belt all the way back into
its stowed position .
Always let the safety belt retract completely
into its stowed position. The safety belt can
IJll-

Relea sin g the teth er str ap
"' Loosen the tens ion following the child re ­
stra int manufac turer's instructions .
"' Depress the spring catch on the hook and re­
lease it from the anchorage.
(D Note
I f you leave the child restraint with the
tether strap firmly insta lled for severa l
days, this cou ld leave a mark on the up­
holstery on the seat cushion and backrest
in the area where the tether strap was in­
stalled . The upholstery would a lso be per­
manently stretched around the tether
strap. This applies especially to leat her
seats.
Using tether straps on rearward-facing
child restraints
Currently, few rear-facing child restraint sys ­
tems come with a tether. P lease read and
heed the child restraint system manufactur­
er's instructions carefully to determ ine how to
p roperly install the tether.
A WARNING
-
A child in a rearward-facing child safety
seat insta lled on the front passenge r seat
w ill be se riously injured and can be killed if
t he fron t air bag inflates - even with an Ad­
vanced Airbag System .
- T he inf lat ing airb ag w ill hit the child
sa fety seat or infant carrier w it h great
force and w ill smash the ch ild safety seat
and child against the backrest, center
armrest, or door.
- If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circ umstan­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
med iately install the rear-facing child
safety seat in a rear seating position and
have t he a irbag system inspected by you r
Audi de aler.
Child Sa fet y 193
Additional Information
Sources of information about child
restraints and their use
There are a number o f sources of additiona l
information abo ut child restraint se lection, in ­
stallation and use :
N HT SA advises t hat the bes t ch ild safety seat
is the one that fits your chi ld and fits in your
vehicle, and that yo u will use correct ly and
consistently.
T ry before yo u buy!
U.S National Highway Traffic Safety Admin­
istration
Tel.: 1 -888 -3 27-4 236 (TIY: 1-800-424-9153)
www. n hts a .gov
National SAFE KIDS Campaign
Tel.: (202) 66 2-0600
www.safe kids.o rg
Safety Belt Safe U .S .A
Tel.: (800) 7 45-SAFE (English)
Te l.: (800) 747-SANO (Span ish)
www.carseat .org
Transpo rt Canada Information Centre
Tel.: 1-800-333-0371 o r ca ll
1-6 13-998-86 16 if yo u are in the Ottawa a rea
http://www .t c .gc. ca/eng/ roadsafety/
men u.h tm
Audi Cu stomer R elation s
Tel.: (800) 822-2834 •
•

ESC includes and/or works together with the
anti-lock brake system (ABS) , brake assist sys ­
tem, anti -slip regulation (ASR) , e lectronic dif­
ferential lock ( EDL) and e lectronic interax le
d ifferential lock* . ESC is swi tched on all the
time. In certain situat ions when you need less
traction , you can switch off ASR by pressing
the button
[ru <::;> page 198, fig . 182 . Be sure
to switch ASR on again when you no longer
n eed less t raction.
Anti-lock br aking s ystem (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up
when braking . The veh icle can still be steered
even during hard braking . Apply steady pres­
sure to the brake pedal. Do not pump the ped ­
a l. A puls ing in the bra ke peda l indicates that
the system is he lping you to brake the vehicle.
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease brak ing
d istance.
It increases braking power when the
driver p resses the brake pedal quic kly in emer­
gency situations. You must press and ho ld the
b rake peda l until the situation is over . In
vehicles with adaptive cruise control* , the
brake assist system is more sensitive if the
d istance detected to the vehicle ahead is too
small.
Anti -slip regulation (ASR )
ASR reduces engine power when the d rive
wheels begin to spin and adapts the force to
the road condit ions. This makes it eas ier to
s tart, accelerate and drive up hills.
El ectronic diffe rential lock (EDL )
The ED L brakes wheels that are spinn ing and
transfers the drive powe r to the other drive
wheel or whee ls if the vehicle is equipped with
all-whee l drive*. This function is available up
to about 75 mph (120 km/h).
I n extreme cases , ED L automatica lly switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked whee l
from overheating.
E DL wi ll switch on again au­
tomatically when conditions have returned to normal.
Int ellig ent technolog y 197
Electronic intera xle differential l ock */
se le ctive wheel torque cont rol *
The electronic interaxle differential lock (front
whee l drive) or the se lective whee l torque
cont rol (all-wheel dr ive) operates when dr iv­
ing through curves . The front wheel on the in­
s ide of the curve or both wheels on the inside
of the curve are braked selectively as needed .
T his min imizes sliding in the front wheels and
allows for more p recise d riving through
curves . T he applicable system may no t acti­
vate when driv ing in wet or snowy conditions.
A WARNING
-- ESC, ABS, ASR, EDL and the electronic in­
teraxle diffe rential lock function* cannot
overcome the laws of physics. This is es­
pecially important on slippery or wet
roads . If the systems begin acting to sta­
bilize your veh icle, you should immedi­
ately change yo ur speed to match the
road and traffic cond itions. Do not let
the increased safety provided by these
systems tempt you to take risks. Do ing
so will increase the r isk o f a loss of vehi ­
cle control, collision and serious personal inju ries.
-Always adapt your speed to road, traffic and weather conditions . The risk of los­
ing control of the vehicle increases when
driving too fast, espec ially through
curves and on slippery or wet roads, and
when dr iv ing too close to vehicles up
ahead . ESC, ABS, the brake assist sys­
tem, EDL, ASR and the e lectronic inte r­
axle d iffe ren tial lock function* cannot
preven t coll is ions.
- Always accelerate with spec ial care on
even, smooth surfaces su ch as those that
are wet or covered with ice and snow.
The drive wheels can spin even with
these assistance systems that cannot al­
ways he lp to red uce the risk of loss of ve-
hicle control. .,.
•
•

198 Intelligent technology
@ Tips
-ABS and ASR on ly work correctly when
all four wheels are equipped w ith identi­
ca l tires. Different tire sizes can lead to a
reduct ion in engine power.
- You may hear noises when the systems described are working.
Switching on and off
- If the indicator light DJ or til] (USA
mode ls)/ [I] (Canada models) appears,
there may be a malfunction
¢ page 20 ,
¢page 19.
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine.
Fig. 18 2 Cent er co nsole, f). O FF bu tton
ESC levels
Sport mode on
The following situations are exceptions where
it may be usefu l to switch on sport mode to
allow the wheels to sp in:
- Rocking the vehicle to free i t when i t is st uck
- Dr iving in deep snow or on loose g round
- Driving with snow chains
Sport mode off
Beha vio r
The ESC a nd ASR stabilization fun ct ions The fu ll stabilization function o f the ESC
are limited¢ .&,.
Op eration Pr ess the 1.$ O FFI button .
Indicato r I) turns o n.
lights
Driv er mes- Stabiliza tion control (ESC ): Sport.
sage s Warning! R educed stability
,8. WARNING
You should only switch sport mode on if
your driving abilities and road cond itions
permit.
- The stabilization function is limited
when sport mode is sw itched on. The
dr iv ing whee ls could spin and the vehicle
cou ld swe rve, especially on slick or slip­
pery road surfaces .
{D) Tips
-Sport mode cannot be switched on when
adaptive cruise control* is switched on.
-
and ASR is availab le again .
Press the
1 .$ O FF I button again.
fl tu rns off.
Stabilization c ontrol (ESC ): On
- If the rear spo iler system malf unct ions,
s port mode may no t switch on o r it may
sw it c h off ag ain autom atically.

Rear spoiler
The rear spoiler improves vehicle handling
and enhances driver control.
F ig. 183 Center console: Switch for rear spo iler
The rear spoiler dep loys and retracts . Spo iler
ope rat ion can be set for automatic or manual
operat ion.
Automatic mode (no rmal oper at ion )
-Automatic deployment: At a speed of about
80 mph (130 km/h), the rear spoiler deploys
automatical ly .
- Automatic retraction: When speed drops be­ low about SO mph (80 km/h), the rear spo il­
er retracts automatically.
M anual mode
- Manual deployment: Tapping briefly on the
switch¢
fig. 183 deploys the rear spo iler .
- Manual retraction: At speeds up to about
10 mph (20 km/h), retract the rear spoiler
by pressing and holding the switch
¢ fig . 183. At speeds between 10 mph (20
km/h) and 80 mph (130 km/h), retract the
rear spoiler by tapping on the switch
¢fig. 183.
Indicat or light s
(I/. Re ar spoiler: syste m malfunct ion!
The rear spoiler may not have extended due to
a malfunction. This could change the vehicle's
driving characteristics at high speeds. Do not
exceed 85 mph (140 km/h). Drive to your au ­
thor ized Audi dealer immed iately to have the
malfunct ion corrected . The co lor of the indica­
tor light depends on the ve hicle speed.
Intelligen t technolog y 199
A WARNING
Driving at higher speeds without the rear
spoiler deployed can impair handling char ­
acter istics, making the vehicle ha rder to
control.
-Always make sure that the spo iler is de­
ployed when driving at speeds over
85 mph (140 km/ h).
If the rear spoiler
warn ing/ indi ca tor light in the inst ru­
men t cluster comes on, the rear spoiler
may not have deployed.
- Never d rive a t speeds h igher than
85 mph (140 km/ h) if the spoiler is not
deployed . Have the spoiler inspected as
soon as possible by an a uthorized Audi
dea ler or qualified workshop .
- Always obey speed limits and other traf ­
fic laws .
A WARNING
Improper operation of the rear spoi ler can
cause crushing injuries.
- Always make sure that nobody, especially
children, is in the way when the rear
spoiler is deployed or retracted.
(D Note
- Never push the vehicle or apply force to
the rear spoiler -it could be damaged.
- O nly operate the rear spoiler man ua lly
when the rea r lid is closed . Otherwise,
damage cou ld occur .
(D Tips
Clean the spoiler compa rtment every 2 to
3 months. The spoiler compartment must
a lways be free of ice, snow, leaves or other
debris.

than is being generated and ensures an opti­mal state of charge for the battery.
@ Tips
- But even energy management cannot
negate the limits o f physics. Consider
that the power and life of a battery are
limited.
- If starting ab ility is threatened, the indi­
cator light (•) appears ¢
page 17.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability.
The battery is severely taxed in short-dis tance
driving, in city traffic and d uring the co ld time
of year . Abu ndant e lectrica l energy is re­
q uired, but only a litt le is generated . It is also
cr itical if the engine is not runn ing and electri­
cal components are turned on. In th is in­
stance energy is being consumed but none is
be ing generated.
It is in precisely these situations that you w ill
notice energy management actively regulat­
i n g the distribution of energy.
Vehicle stand s for an e xte nded period
If yo u do not drive you r vehicle over a period
of severa l days or weeks, electrical compo­
nents are grad ually cut back or switched off.
This reduces energy consumption and main­ tains starting capab ility over a longer per iod.
Some of the conven ience functions may not
operate, such as the inter ior lights o r the
power seat adjustment. The conven ience
f u nctions will be ava ilable again whe n you
switch on the igni tion and start the engine.
With the engine turned off
If you lis ten to t he radio, for example, with
the eng ine turned off or use othe r MM I fu nc­
tions, the bat te ry is being discha rged .
If starting capability is jeopardized due to en ­
e rgy consumpt ion, the follow ing warning ap­
pears in the MMI disp lay :
Int ellig ent technolog y 203
Plea se start the engine soon or the sy stem
will be turned off .
The wa rni ng ind ic ates th at the sys tem w ill be
t u rned o ff autom atically a fter 3 minu tes. If
you w ish to continue using the funct ions, yo u
have to start the engine.
With the engine running
Althoug h elec trical energy is generated when
t h e ve hicl e is being driven, t he battery can be­
come d isc harged. This happe ns mostly when
little energy is being generated and a g reat
deal consumed and the battery's state of
charge is not opt imal.
T o b ring the energy ba lance back in to equili ­
brium, consumers which req uir e especially
l a rge amounts of energy a re temporari ly cut
back or sw itched off. Heat ing systems in par­
ticular require 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 w ill be availabl e again as
soon as the ene rgy balance has been restored.
You w ill also notice that engine id le speed has
been increased slightly . Thi s is no rmal and not
a cause for concern. By inc reas ing engi ne id le
speed the additional e nergy requi red is gene r­
ated and the b attery is charged.
•
•

206 Driving and en vir onm ent
8_ WARNING
- Do not park your vehicle over flammable
materials such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel par­
t icu late filter could start a fire .
- Do not apply an underbody protectant in
the exhaust system area or a fire could start.
Avoid damaging the vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certain that
low-lying parts such as spoilers and exhaust
system parts do not bottom out and get dam­
aged.
This is especia lly true for vehicles with low­
slung chassis (sports chassis)* and fully load­
ed vehicles.
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when dr iving 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.
8_ 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 f irst by brak ing carefully to re­
sto re the full braking effect.
(D Note
- Vehicle components such as the engine,
transmission, suspension or electrical
system can be severely damaged by driv­
ing through water.
- Always switch off the Start-Stop-System
when driving through water~
page 81.
-
(D Tips
-Check the depth of the water before d riv­
ing 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 driving through salt water because
it can cause corrosion.
Shutting down vehicle
If you would like your vehicle to remain inop­
erative for a longer period of time, contact an
Audi or other specialized dealer. They can ad­
vise you on necessary precautions e .g. corro ­
sion prevention, maintenance and storage .
Pay attention to additional information con­
cern ing the battery. Refer to
~ page 238.
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, env ironmental impact, and
wear on your eng ine , 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 consumption by 10-15 percent . This sec­
tion will give you some tips on how you can
help the environment and your pocketbook.