2014 AUDI RS7 SPORTBACK ESP

180 Child Safety
-Always install rear-facing child safety
seats or infant carriers on the rear seat.
- Forward-facing child safety seats or in­
fant carriers installed on the front pas­
senger's seat may interfere with the de­ ployment of the airbag and cause serious
injury to the child.
- It is safer to install a forward-facing
child safety seat on the rear seat .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
c::;, page 168 . Special
precautions apply when installing a child
safety seat on the front passenger seat
c::;, page 144, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know.
A WARNING
-
Always take special precautions if you
must install a forward or rearward-facing
child restraint on the front passenger's
seat in exceptional situations:
- Whenever a forward or rearward-facing
child restraint is installed on the front
passenger seat, the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
light must come on and stay on
whenever the ignition is switched on.
- If the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, perform
the checks described
c::;, page 154, Moni­
toring the Advanced Airbag System .
-Take the child restraint off the front pas­
senger seat and install it properly at one
of the rear seat positions if the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not stay on
whenever the ignition is switched on.
- Improper installation of child restraints
can reduce their effectiveness or even
prevent them from providing any protec­
tion.
- An improperly installed child restraint
can interfere with the airbag as it de­
ploys and seriously injure or even kill the
child.
- Always carefully follow the manufactur­
er's instructions provided with the child
safety seat or carrier. -
After checking to make sure that the
child restraint is properly installed, make
certain that the child restraint is correct­ ly recognized by the capacitive passenger
detection system in the front passenger
seat and that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light signals the correct front pas­
senger frontal airbag status.
A WARNING
Forward-facing child restraints:
- Always make sure the forward-facing
seat has been designed and certified by
its manufacturer for use on a front seat
with a passenger front and side airbag.
- Never put the forward-facing child re­
straint up, against or very near the in­
strument panel.
- Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and
aft adjustment range, as far away from
the airbag as possible before installing
the forward-facing child restraint. The
backrest must be adjusted to an upright position .
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched
on .
A WARNING "---
Rearward-facing child restraints:
- A child in a rearward-facing child safety
seat installed on the front passenger
seat will be seriously injured and can be
killed if the front airbag inflates -even
with an Advanced Airbag System.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child
safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat
and child against the backrest, center
armrest, door or roof.
- Always be especially careful if you must
install a rearward facing child safety seat
on the front passenger seat in exception­
al circumstances.

186 Child Saf ety
Re le asin g th e tethe r str ap
.. Loosen the tension following the child re­
stra int manufacturer's instructions .
.. Depress the spring catch on the hook and re­
lease it from the anchorage .
([) Note
If you leave the child restraint with the
tether strap firmly insta lled for several
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 wou ld a lso be per­
manently stretched around the tethe r
strap. Th is applies especially to leather
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 determine how to
properly install the tether.
A WARNING
-
A child in a rearward-facing child safety
seat insta lled on the front passenger seat
w ill be seriously injured and can be k illed if
the fron t airbag inflates -even with an Ad­
vanced Airbag System.
- T he inflating a irbag wi ll hit the child
sa fety seat or infant carrier with g reat
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 posit ion and
have t he a irbag system inspected by you r
Audi dealer.
Additional Information
Sources of information about child
restraints and their use
T he re a re a number o f sources of add itiona l
information about child rest raint selection, in ­
sta llation and use:
N HT SA advises that the best ch ild safety seat
is the one that fits your chi ld and fits in you r
vehicle, and that yo u will use correct ly and
consistently .
T ry before yo u buy!
U.S Nationa l Highw ay Traffic Safet y Admin ­
i s tration
T el.: 1-888-3 27-4236 (TIY: 1-800-424-91S3)
www.nhtsa.gov
National SAFE KIDS Campa ign
T el.: (202) 662-0600
www.safe kids.o rg
Saf ety Belt Saf e U.S .A
Tel.: (800) 745-SAFE (English)
T el.: (800) 747-SANO (Span ish)
www.carseat .org
Transport Canad a In formation C entre
Tel.: 1-800-333-0371 or call
1-613-998-86 16 if you are in the Ottawa area
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/ roadsafety/
men u.h tm
Audi Cu stom er R elation s
Tel.: (800) 822-2834

190 Intelligent technology
differential lock (EDL), dynamic steering* and
selective whee l torque control. ESC is switch­
ed on all the t ime. In certa in situations when
you need less traction, you can switch off ASR
by pressing the button
[ill c> page 191,
fig. 180. Be sure to switch ASR on again when
you no longe r need less traction .
Anti-loc k br ak ing system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up
when braking. The vehicle can still be steered
even during hard brak ing. Apply steady pres­
sure to the brake pedal. Do not pump the ped­
al. A puls ing in the brake pedal ind icates that
the system is he lp ing you to b rake the vehicle.
B rake as sist sys tem
The brake assist system can decrease braking
d istance. It increases braking power when the
driver presses the brake pedal quick ly in emer ­
gency situations. You must p ress and hold the
b rake pedal until the situation is over. I n
vehicles w ith adaptive cru ise cont rol*, the
b rake assist system is more sens it ive if the
d istance detected to the vehicle ahead is too
smal l.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR reduces engi ne power when the d rive
wheels begin to spin and ad apts the fo rce to
the road condit ions. This makes i t easier to
start, accelerate and drive up hills .
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The EDL brakes wheels that are spinning and
transfers the d rive powe r to the other d rive
wheel o r whee ls if the vehi cle is equipped wi th
a ll-w hee l drive* . This function is available up
to about 75 mph (120 km/h).
I n extreme cases, ED L automat ica lly swit ches
off to help keep the brake o n the braked whee l
from overheating . EDL wi ll switch on again au­
tomatically when conditions have returned to
norma l.
Dynamic steering*
On vehi cles w ith dy namic stee ring*, ESC helps
stabilize the steering i n critical s ituations.
Selective wheel torque control
T he sele ctive whee l torq ue con trol ope rates
when driving through c urves . The front whee l
on the inside of th e curve o r both wheels on
the inside of the curve are braked selectively
as needed. This minimizes sliding in the front
whee ls and allows for more precise driving
t hr ough curves. The appl icable system may
not act ivate when dr iv ing in wet or snowy con­
ditions .
,&. WARNING
-ESC, ABS, ASR, EDL, dy namic steeri ng*
and the select ive wheel torq ue con trol
c a nnot ove rcome the laws of physics.
T his is especially important on slippery
or wet roads.
If the systems begin acting
to stabilize your veh icle, yo u should im­
mediately change your speed to match
the road and traffic conditions. Do not
let the increased safety provided by
these systems tempt you to take r isks.
Doing so will increase the risk of a loss of
veh icle cont ro l, collision and ser ious per­
sonal injur ies.
- Always adapt your speed to road, traffic
and wea ther conditions. The risk of los­
ing con trol of t he vehicle increases when
d riving too fast, espec ially through
curves and on slippery or wet roads, and
when dr iving too close to vehicles up
ahead. ESC, ABS, the brake assist sys­
tem, ASR, EDL, dynam ic steering* and
the selective wheel torque contro l can­
not prevent collisions .
- Always accelerate with special care on
even, smooth su rfaces such as those that
are wet or covered with ice and snow .
The drive wheels can spin eve n w ith
these assistan ce systems that cannot al­
ways he lp to re duce the risk of loss of ve ­
h icle control.
(D Tips
- ABS and ASR o nly wo rk correctly when
all four wheels are equipped with identi­
cal tires. D iffe ren t tire si zes can lead to a
reduction in engine power.
-
...

-You may hear noises when the systems
described are working.
- If the indicator ligh t
DJ or flB (USA
models) @ (Canada models) appears,
Switching on and off
Intelligen t technolog y 191
there may be a malfunc tion c> page 19,
c> page 18 .
ESC turns on automatically when you s tart the engine .
Fig. 180 Cente r con sole,.$ OFF b utto n
The ESC is des igned to function in levels . De ­
pend ing on the leve l that is selected, the sta-
ESC l evels
bilization funct ion of the ESC is lim ited or
swi tched off . The amoun t of s tabilization con­
tro l will d iffer depending on the level.
T he following situat ions are exceptions where
it may be usefu l to switch on sport mode to
allow the w heels to spi n:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is stuck
- Dr iving in deep snow or on loose ground
- Driving with snow chains
Sport mode on ESC/ASR off Sport mode off or
ESC/ASRon
Behavior
T he ESC and ASR stabili za- The stabili zation function The fu ll stabili zation f unc -
tion funct ions are lim ited is not ava ilable
c> & . ESC tion of the ESC and ASR is
¢ & . and ASR are sw itched off. available agai n.
Operati on Press the I~ O FF I button Press and hold the 1-~ O FFI Press the 1-~ O FF I button
briefly. button longer than 3 sec-again .
o nds.
Ind ic a to r I turns on . I and ifil•)H turn on . II turns off or II and
light s If i4•)ii turn off.
Dr iver mes- Stab ilization control Stabilization control Stabilization control
s ages (
ESC ): Spo rt. Warning! (ESC ): Off. Warning! Re· (ESC) : On
Reduced stabil ity duc ed stab ility
A WARNING
.
You should only sw itch sport mode on o r
switch ESC/ASR off if your drivi ng ab il ities
and road condi tions perm it. -
There is no vehicle stabilization when
ESC/ASR are switched off .
@ Tips
-The s tabilization func tion is limited
w he n spor t mode is sw itched on . The
dr iv ing whee ls cou ld spin and the vehicle
cou ld swe rve, especially on slick or slip­
pery road surfaces. -
ESC/ASR cannot be switched off or sport
mode cannot be switched on when adap·
tive cruise control* is switched on .
-If the rear spoiler system malfunctions,
sport mode may not switch on o r it may
switch off again automatically .

192 Intelligent technology
Rear spoiler
The rear spoiler improves vehicle handling
and enhances driver control.
Fig. 181 Center console: Switch for rear spo iler
The rear spoiler deploys and retracts. Spoiler
operation can be set for automatic or manual
operat ion.
Automatic mode (normal operation)
-Automatic deployment: At a speed of about
80 mph (130 km/h), the rear spoiler deploys
automatically.
- Automatic retraction: When speed drops be­
low about SO mph (80 km/h), the rear spoil­
er retracts automatically.
Manual mode
- Manual deployment: Tapping briefly on the
switch
c:> fig. 181 deploys the rear spoiler .
- Manual retraction: At speeds up to about
10 mph (20 km/h), retract the rear spoiler
by pressing and holding the switch
c:> fig. 181 . At speeds between 10 mph (20
km/h) and 80 mph (130 km/h), retract the
rear spoiler by tapping on the switch
<=?fig. 181.
Indicator lights
I§!/. Rear spoiler: system malfunction!
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
thorized Audi dealer immed iately to have the
malfunction corrected . The co lor of the indica­
tor light depends on the veh icle speed.
A WARNING
-Driving at higher speeds without the rear
spoiler deployed can impair handling char­
acteristics, making the vehicle harder to
control.
-Always make sure that the spo iler is de­
p loyed when driving at speeds over
85 mph (140 km/h) . If the rear spoiler
warn ing/ indicator light in the instru­
ment cluster comes on, the rear spoiler
may not have deployed.
- Never drive at speeds higher than
85 mph (140 km/h) if the spoiler is not
deployed. Have the spoiler inspected as
soon as possible by an authorized Audi
dealer 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.
- Only operate the rear spoiler manua lly
when the rear lid is closed . Otherwise,
damage could occur.
(I} Tips
Clean the spoiler compartment every 2 to
3 months. The spoiler compartment must
always be free of ice, snow, leaves or other
debris.

196 Intelligent technology
Basically, energy management consists o f
battery diagnosis, idling current manage­
ment
and dynamic energy man agement.
Battery diagnosis
Battery diagnosis continuously dete rm ines
the state of the battery. Sensors determine
battery vo ltage, battery current and battery
temperature. This determines the current
state of charge and the power of the battery.
Idling current management
I dling current management reduces energy
consumption while the vehicle is standing.
With the ignition switched off, it contro ls the
energy s upply to the various e lectrica l compo­
nents . Data from battery diagnosis is consid­
ered.
D epending on the battery's state of charge,
individual consumers are gradually turned off
to prevent excess ive discharge of the battery
and thus mainta in start ing capability.
Dynamic energy management
While the vehicle is being dr iven, dynamic en­
ergy management distributes the energy gen­
erated according to the needs of the individu­
a l components. It regu lates 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 ab ility is threatened, the indi­
cator light (•) appears ¢
page 16.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability.
The battery is severely taxed in short-distance
driving, in city traffic and during the co ld time
of year. Abu ndant electrical energy is re- quired, but on
ly a little is generated . It is also
critical if the engine is not running and electri­
ca l components are turned on. In this in­
stance energy is be ing consumed but none is
being generated .
It is in precise ly these situations that you will
notice energy management active ly regu lat­
ing the distribution of energy.
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, e lectrica l compo­
nents are gradually cut back or switched off .
This reduces energy consumption and main­
ta ins start ing capability over a longer period .
Some of the convenience functions may not
operate, such as the interior l ights or the
power seat adjustme nt. The convenience
funct ions will be available again when you
switch on the ignition and start the eng ine.
With the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for examp le, w ith
the engine turned off or use other MMI func­
tions, the battery is be ing discharged .
If starting capability is jeopardized due to en­
ergy consumption, 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 w ish to continue using the functions, you
have to start the eng ine.
With the engine running
Although e lectrical energy is generated when
the vehicle is being driven, the battery can be­
come discharged. This happens mostly when
little energy is being generated and a great
deal consumed and the battery's state of
charge is not opt imal.
To bring the energy ba lance back into equili ­
brium, consumers which requ ire espec ially
large amounts of energy are temporar ily cut
back or sw itched off. Heating systems in .,.

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.
T his is especially true for vehicles with low­
slung chassis (sports chassis) * and fully load­
ed veh icles .
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when driving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- T he water must not be any h igher than the
bottom of the veh icle body.
- Do not d rive faster than wa lking speed.
..&, WARNING
After driving through wate r, m ud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because o f wet brake rotors and pads . Dry
the brakes first by braking carefully to re­
store the full braking effect.
(D Note
- Vehicle components such as the eng ine,
transmission, suspension or e lectrical
system can be severely damaged by driv­ ing through water.
- Check the depth o f the water before driv ­
ing through it.
- Do not s top the veh icle, drive in reverse
or switc h 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 thro ugh sa lt water because
it can ca use corrosion.
-
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 199
Warming up and
cooling down
By carefully warming up and cooling down
your vehicle, you can help ensure that it is not
overstressed unnecessar ily during sporty dr iv­
ing.
When warming up, the vehicle is dr iven at a
maximum engine speed of 6000 RPM in order
to raise the engine o il temperature to a mini­
mum of 140
°F (60 °() . The t ires a lso on ly
reach the ir full road holdi ng capabi lity once
they have warmed up.
The cooli ng fan can cont inue to run in your ve­
hicle after the engine is switched off . Howev­
er, driving the veh icle to coo l it down is pa rti c­
ul arly important. Dur ing spo rty driving , the
engine and b rakes, the exhaust system, and
the transmission a ll become extremely hot.
Before you park the vehicle, you should drive
it for a few miles/kilometers at light load in
the low rpm range to allow it to cool down .
Catalytic converter
App lies to vehicles: wi th gaso line e ngi ne
It is very important that your emission con­
trol system (catalytic converter) is function ­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in an environmentally sound manner.
"' Always use lead-free gasoline c:> page 208,
Fuel supply .
"' Never run the tank down all the way to emp­
ty.
"' Never put too much mo to r o il in yo ur eng ine
c:> page 218, Adding engine oil "t:::r..
"' Never try to push -or tow -start you r vehicle .
T he catalytic co nve rter is an efficient "clean ­
u p" dev ice bui lt into t he exhaus t system of
the ve hicle . The cata lytic converter bu rns
many of the pollutants in the exha ust gas be ­
fore they are re leased into the atmosphere.
T he exclus ive use of unleaded fuel is c ritical ly
i mportant for the life of the catalyt ic convert -
er and proper functioning of the engine .
Iii>
•
•

@ Tips
The consumption estimates as published by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, wh ich will vary depend ing upon vehi­
cle load and speed, road and weather con­
ditions, tr ip length, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating.
~ Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating . If you anticipate what is go ing to
h appen next, you will need to b rake less and,
thus, accelerate less. Let the vehicle coast
wheneve r poss ible -fo r example when you see
that the nex t tr affic light is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
~ T ry and keep well below your car's max imum
speed.
Accelerating gent ly reduces fuel consump­
tion, engine wear, and does not disturb the
environment.
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and en­
g ine no ise increase d ispropo rtionately at high
speeds. If you dr ive at approxima tely three
q uarters of top speed, fue l consumption will
be red uced by one ha lf. Never dr ive faste r
than the posted speed limit and wea ther con­
d itions permit.
Reducing unnecessary idling
E ven when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel.
~ S hu t the engine off when you a re not dr iv ing
t h e vehi cle.
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 201
~ Do not warm up the vehicle by lett ing the
engine run at id le .
It makes sense to shut off the engine in traffi c
jams, when wa it ing fo r tra ins to pass at rail ­
road crossings, or at traffic lig hts that have
long waits on red. T urning the engine off for
just 30-40 seconds saves more fuel than is burned start ing the e ngine again.
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fully when it is runn ing at id le. However, wear
and noxious emissions are especia lly high
when the engine is warm ing up. So you should
drive away as soon as you start the engine and
avo id running at high rpms while the engine is
still warming up .
(D Note
Do not leave engi ne idling unattended a f­
ter start ing . If warning lights sho uld come
on to i ndicate improper operat ion, they
would go unheeded. Extended idling a lso
p rodu ces hea t, w hich could re sul t in ove r­
hea ting or othe r dam age to the veh icle or
other p roperty .
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a
lot of fuel .
~ Have your ve hicle serviced at reg ula r i nter-
vals.
By having your veh icle regula rly serviced by an
Audi deal er he lps to ensure that it runs prop­
erly and economically. The condition of your
vehicle not only affec ts its sa fe ty and ability to
hold its value, it also affects
fuel con sump­
tion .
Check your oil each time you fill your tank.
The amou nt of oi l used is re lated to eng ine
load and speed.
It is normal fo r th e oil consumption of a new
engine to reac h its lowest value after a certa in
mileage has bee n driven .
IIJ,,
•
•