2015 AUDI A7 warning

196 Intellig ent technolog y
distance detected to the veh icle a head is too
smal l.
Anti -slip regulation (ASR )
ASR reduces engine power when the drive
wheels begin to spin and adapts the force to
the road condit ions. This makes it eas ier to
start, accelerate and drive up hills.
Electronic differential lock (EDL )
The ED L brakes wheels that are spinn ing and
transfers the d rive power to the other wheels.
This f unct ion is not availab le at h igher speeds.
In extreme cases, EDL automat ically switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked whee l
from overheating. EDL w ill switch on aga in au­
tomatically when conditions have returned to norma l.
St eering recommendat ion
The ESC helps to stabilize the vehicle by
cha nging the steering to rque.
In vehicles with dynam ic steering*, ESC also
helps to stabilize the steering in critical s itua­
tions .
Select ive w heel to rque control
Selective wheel torque control is used when
driving on curves . The front wheel on the in­
side of the curve or both wheels on the inside
of the curve are braked selectively as needed.
This a llows more prec ise driving in curves. The
applicable system may not activate when d riv­
ing i n wet or snowy conditions.
.&_ WARNING
- T he ESC and its integrated systems can­
not overcome the limits posed by natural physical laws
. This is especially impor­
tant on slippery or wet roads. If the sys­ tems beg in acting to stabilize your vehi­
cle, you should immediately change your
speed to match the road and traffic con­
d itions . Do not let the increased safety
p rovided by these systems tempt you to
take risks. Do ing so will increase the ri sk
of a loss of veh icle cont ro l, collision and
serio us personal inj uries.
- Always adapt your speed to road, traffic
and weather conditions . The risk of los ­
ing control of the vehicle increases when
driving too fast , especially through
curves and on slippery or wet roads, and
when dr iv ing too close to vehicles up
ahead . The ESC and its integrated sys­
tems cannot a lways prevent collisions -
there is still a risk of acc idents!
- 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 even w ith
these assistance systems that c annot al­
ways he lp to red uce the risk of loss of ve­
h icle control.
(D Tips
- ABS and ASR only wo rk correctly when
all four wheels are equipped wi th iden ti­
cal tires. D ifferen t tire sizes can lead to a
reduction in engine power.
- Yo u may hear noises when the systems
descr ibed are workin g.
-If the ind icator light DJ or Ea (USA
mode ls)/ lCO j there may be a malfunction~
page 19,
<=>page 19.

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Intelligent technology 197
Switching on and off
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine.
Fig. 182 Center console,:, OFF button
ESC levels
Sport mode on
The following situations are exceptions where it may be useful to switch on sport mode to
allow the wheels to spin:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is stuck
- Driving in deep snow or on loose ground
- Dr iv ing with snow chains
Sport mode off
Behavior
The ESC and ASR stabilization functions The fu ll stab ilizat ion function of the ESC
are limited¢ ,&.
Operation Press the I~ OFFI button .
Indicator II turns on.
lights
Driver mes- Stabilization control (ESC): Sport.
sages Warning! Reduced
stability
A WARNING
You should only sw itch sport mode on if
your dr iving abilities and road conditions
permit.
- The stabilization function is limited
when sport mode is sw itched on . The
dr iv ing wheels could spin and the vehicle
cou ld swerve, especially on slick or slip­
pery road surfaces.
@ Tips
- Sport mode cannot be switched on if the
cruise control system* or the adapt ive
cruise control* is switched on.
- If the rear spoiler system malfunctions,
spo rt mode may not switch on or it may
swit ch off again automatically.
-
and ASR is available again.
Press the IS'} OFF I button again.
Iii tur ns off.
Stabilization control (ESC): On
Rear spoiler
The rear spoiler improves vehicle handling
and enhances driver control.
Fig . 183 Cente r conso le: Sw itch for rear spoiler
The rear spoi ler deploy s and retracts. Spoiler
operation can be set fo r automatic or man ual
opera tion.
Automatic mode (normal operation)
-Automatic deployment: At a speed of about
80 mph (130 km/h), the rea r spo iler deploys
automatically .
II>

198 Intelligent technology
-Automatic retraction : When speed drops be­
l ow about SO mph (80 km/h), the rear spoil­
er retracts automatically.
Manual mode
- Manual deployment: Tappi ng briefly on the
switch
¢ fig. 183 dep loys the rear spoiler.
- Manua l retraction: At speeds up to about
10 mph (20 km/h), ret ract 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.
Indicator lights
1,1 /. 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 immediate ly to have the
malfunction corrected . The co lor of the indica­
tor light depend s on the veh icle speed.
A WARNING
Dr iv ing at higher speeds w ithout the rear
spoiler deployed can impair handling char­
acteristics, making the veh icle harder to
control.
-Always make sure that the spoiler is de­
ployed when driving at speeds over
85 mph (140 km/h). If th e rear spoiler
wa rning/ind icator 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
dep loyed. Have the spoiler inspected as
soon as possible by an authorized A udi
dealer or qualified workshop.
- Always obey speed limits and other traf­
fic laws.
A WARNING
Improper operation of the rear spoiler 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.
- To prevent damage to the rear spoiler do
not lean or place anything on it .
- Only operate the rear spoiler man ually
when the rear lid is closed and the rear
spoiler moving parts are not blocked.
Otherw ise, damage co uld occur.
(D Tips
Clean the spoiler compartment every 2 to
3 months. The spoiler compartment must
always be free of ice, snow, leaves or other
debris.
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles are still
subject to wear, depending largely on operat­
ing condit ions and driving hab its
r:::;, ,& . On
vehicles that are either dr iven mostly in stop­
and-go city traff ic or are dr iven hard, the
brake pads should be checked by your author­
ized Audi dea ler more often than specified in
the
Warranty & Maintenance booklet. Failure
to have your brake pads inspected can result
in reduced brake performance.
On steep slopes , you sho uld use the braking
effect o f the engine . This way, you prevent un­
necessary wear on the brake system . If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the brakes
down cont inuous ly. Pump the brakes at inter­
vals.
Moisture or road salt
Under certain conditions, for example, when
driving through water or very heavy rain, or
even after washing your vehicle, the braking .,..

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effect can be reduced due to moisture (or in
freezing conditions ice) on the brake pads . A
few careful brake app lications should dry off
the brake pads or remove any ice coatings.
When you are driving at higher speeds wit h
the windshield wipers on, the brake pads will briefly touch the brake d iscs in regular inter­
vals so as to improve reaction t ime when brak­
ing on wet surfaces. You the driver w ill not no­
tice anything .
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is dr iven on a salt-covered
road and the brakes are not used . Here too,
you shou ld clean off accumulated salt coat ing
from brake discs and pads with a few careful
applications of the brake ¢
A.
Cor ro sion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not dr iven regularly or
only for sho rt trips with l ittle use of the
b rakes .
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if cor­ rosion has formed on the discs, it is advisable
to clean off the pads and discs by b rak ing
fi rm ly a few times from a mode rately h igh
speed ¢,& .
Faults in the brake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake peda l travel, t hen one of the two brake
circu its may have failed¢
A.
Low brake flu id le vel
Malfunct ions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fluid level is too low . T he brake fluid
level is monitored electronically .
Brake booste r
The brake booster works with vacuum pres ­
sure which is created only when the engine is
running ¢
A.
Brake lining w ear statu s
Brake lining wea r may be c hecked by vis ual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
Int ellig ent technolog y 199
thro ugh the open ings in the wheel. If neces ­
sa ry, the whee l may be removed for t his in­
spection ¢
page 2 75, Changing a wheel.
_& WARNING
- You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road conditions permit.
Othe r road use rs must not be put at risk -
you may ca use an accident!
- Before descend ing a steep grade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gea r o r l ower dr iving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too o ften . T hi s could c ause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency .
- Do not "ride the brakes" by rest ing you r
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to b rake . This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance.
- Unde r ce rtain climatic and operating
conditions such as passing thro ugh wa ­
ter, dr iv ing in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced . In winte r, ice can
accumu late on the brake pads, lin ings,
discs and drums. Carefully app ly bra kes
for a test. Brakes will dry and ice co at­
ings w ill be cleaned off after a few care ­
fu l brake applicat ions.
- Driving for an ex tended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can a lso affect bra king efficiency .
Clean off accum ulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
f low to the front brakes is not obstruct­
ed. Otherw ise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impair
the braking capab il ity result ing in an in­
creased stopping distance . Avoid driving
the vehicle and have it towed to the
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200 Intelligent technology
nearest Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop.
- Never let the vehicle ro ll to a stop with
the engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, the
brake pedal must be pressed considera­
bly harder to make up for the lack of
booster assistance.
Electromechanical
power assist, dynamic
steering
The electromechanical power assist helps the
driver when steering.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.
Indicator lights and messages
• Steering defective! Stop the vehicle
If this indicator light turns on and stays on
and this message appears, the power steering
may have failed.
Do
not continue driving. See your authorized
Audi dealer or other qualified repair facility
for assistance.
l>:r-ij Steering: System fault You can continue
driving
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, the steering may be more diffi­
cult to move or more sensitive than usual. The
steering wheel may also be at an angle when
driving straight.
Drive slow ly to your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop to have the malfunction
corrected.
'Tl Dynamic steering: Initializing
If th is driver message appears and the ind ica­
tor light is flashing on the inst rument panel,
dynamic steering* is be ing reinitialized. After
starting the engine, the steering whee l wi ll
move slightly. Re-initialization might be nec­
essary if the steering wheel was moved hard
to the left and right while the vehicle was not moving. The display
goes out as soon as initi­
alization is complete.
Drive slowly to your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified wo rkshop to have the malfunct ion
corrected.
A WARNING
Have the dynamic steering * system mal ­
function repaired as soon as possible by an
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop -risk of accident!
(D Tips
If the . or '1:I indicator light only stays
on for a short time, you may continue driv­
ing.
- The dynamic steering* stability systems
are not availab le in the event of a system
malfunction .
- For additional information on dynamic
steering*, refer to¢
page 102.
Driving with your
quattro
-
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels ore driv­
en .
General information
With all-wheel drive, power is distributed to
all four wheels. This happens automatically
depending on your driving style and the road
conditions at the time. See also
¢page 195.
A center differential distributes the driving
power variably to the front and rear axle.
It
works together with selective wheel torque
control, which activates when driving through
curves¢
page 196. With the sport differen­
tial*, power distribution to the rear wheels is
variable and can be adjusted with drive se lect
¢ page 102.
The all-wheel drive concept is des igned for
high eng ine power. Your veh icle is except ion­
ally powerfu l and has excellent driving charac­
teristics both under normal driving conditions
and on snow and ice. Always read and follow
safety precautions ¢,&. . .,.

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,...., ..,., ,....,
Winter t ire s
When driving in the w inter, your vehicle w ith
all-wheel drive has an advantage, even with
regular tires. In winter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all-sea­
son tires) for improved driveability and brak­ ing: these tires must be mounted on
a ll fo ur
wheels .
See also c:> page 267, Winter tires.
Tire chain s
Where tire cha ins are mandatory on certain
roads, th is normally a lso applies to vehicles
with all-wheel drive
c> page 268, Snow
chains.
Re placing wh eels/ tire s
Vehicles w ith all-wheel drive must a lways
have tires of the same size. Also avoid tires
with different tread depths. For details see
page
c:> page 260, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels .
Off-Road dri ving ?
Your Audi does not have enough ground clear­
ance to be used as an off-road vehicle. It is
therefore best to avoid rough tracks and un­
even terrain as much as possible. Also refer to
c:>page204.
A 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 risks.
- Although the all-wheel dr ive is very ef­
fec tive, a lways remember that braking
capacity is limited by t ire traction. Yo u
should therefore not dr ive at excessive
speeds on icy or slippery road surfaces.
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to
drive too fast because the front wheels cou ld begin 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. A lways drive at
speeds wh ich are suited to the road con­
ditions -risk of c rash.
Int ellig ent technolog y 201
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.
If a vehicle with a conventional energy system
is not d riven for a long per iod of t ime, the bat­
tery is discharged by idling current consumers (e .g. immobilize r). In certain circumstances it
can resu lt in the re be ing insuffic ient energy
available to start the engine.
Intelligent energy management in your vehi­
cl e ha ndles the distribution of e lectr ica l ene r­
gy. Start ing ability is markedly improved and
the life of the battery is extended .
Bas ica lly, energy management consists of
ba tter y dia gno sis, id lin g curr ent manage­
ment
and dynamic ener gy manag ement.
Battery di agnos is
Battery diagnosis continuously determ ines
the state of the batte ry . Sensors determine
battery voltage, battery current and battery
tempe rature. This de termines the curren t
state of cha rge and the power of the battery .
Idling current management
Idling current management reduces energy
consumption while the vehicle is standing .
With the ign ition switched off, it controls the
energy supply to the various electrica l compo ­
nents. Da ta fr om ba ttery d iagnos is is cons id ­
ered.
Depend ing on the batte ry's state of cha rge,
individ ual cons ume rs a re g radually turned off
to prevent excessive discharge o f the battery
and th us maintain star ting capability.
Dynamic energy management
While the vehicle is being dr iven, dynamic e n­
ergy ma nagement distr ibutes the energy gen­
erated a ccord ing to the needs of the individ u-
al components . It regulates consumpt ion, so
that more e lectrical energy is not being used .,.
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•

202 Intelligent technology
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
li mited.
- If starting ability 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-distance
driving, in city traffic and during the cold time
of year. Abundant e lectrica l energy is re­
quired, but only a little is generated.
It is also
crit ical if the engine is not running and electri­
cal components are turned on. In this in­
stance energy is being consumed but none is be ing generated .
It is in precisely these situations that you wi ll
notice energy management actively regulat­
ing the distribution of energy.
Vehicle stands for an e xtended period
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of severa l days or weeks, electrical compo­
nents are gradually cut back or switched
off.
This reduces energy consumption and main­
tains starting capab ility over a longer period.
Some of the conven ience functions may not
ope rate, such as the inter ior lights or the
power seat adjustment. The conven ience
f u nctions w ill be available again when you
switch on the ignition 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 discha rged .
If starting capability is jeopardized due to en­
ergy consumpt ion, the following warning ap­
pears in t he MMI display:
Please start the engine soon or the system
will be turned off.
The wa rn ing ind icates that the system will be
turned
off automatically after 3 minutes. If
you wish to continue using the functions, yo u
have to start the engine.
With the engine running
Although electrical energy is generated when
the vehicl e is being driven, the battery can be­
come discharged. This happens mostly when
little energy is being generated and a great
deal consumed and t he battery's state of
charge is not opt imal.
To bring the energy ba lance back into equili­
brium , consumers which require especially
large amounts of energy are temporari ly cut
back or switched
off. Heating systems in par­
t icular 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 sw itched
off. These systems w ill be available again as
soon as the energy balance 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
speed the addi tional energy requi red is gener­
ated and the batt ery is charged.

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Driving and
environment
The first 1
1000
miles
(11500 km) and
afterwards
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1 ,500 km) .
For the first 600 mile s (1,000
kilometers ):
.,. Do not use full throttle.
.,. Do not drive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the max imum permitted RPM .
.. Avoid high engine speeds .
From 600 to 1,000 mile s (1 ,000 to
1,500 kilometers):
.. Speeds can gradually be increased to the
maximum pe rm iss ib le road or eng ine speed .
During and after break-in per iod
.,. Do not rev the engine up to high speeds
when it is cold. This applies whether the
transmission is i n N (Neutra l) or in gear.
After the break- in peri od
.. Do not exceed maximum engine speed un­
der any circumstances.
.,. Upshift into the next higher gear
before
reaching the red area at the end of the tach­
ometer scale
¢ page 11.
During the first few hours of driving, the en­
g ine's interna l friction is higher than later
when all the moving parts have been broken
i n. How well this break-in p rocess is done de­
pends to a considerable extent on the way the
ve hicl e is driven du ring the first 1,000 miles
(1,500 ki lome ters).
(D Note
Extremely h igh engine speeds are auto­
mat ica lly reduced. However, t hese rpm
lim its are progr amme d for an eng ine well
r u n- in, not a new engine .
Driving and environment 203
@) For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with unnecessarily high en­
g ine speeds -upshifting ear ly saves f uel,
reduces noise and protects the environ­
ment.
New tires
If your vehicle is running on new tires, drive
particularly caref ul for the first 350 miles
(500 kilomete rs) afte r fitt ing.
.&, WARNING
N ew tires tend to be sl ippery and mus t al­
so be "b roken -in" . Be sure to remember
this dur ing the f irst 350 m iles (500 kilo­
meters) . Brake gently . Avoid fo llowing
closely behind other vehicles or other sit­
uations that m ight require sudden, hard
b raking .
New brake pads
Remember that new brake pads do not have a
full brak ing effect dur ing the first 250 m iles
(400 ki lomete rs) afte r they are installed.
New brake pads have to be "burnished in" be­
fore they have optima l grab¢ .&. .
D uring the brea k-in period, yo u should avo id
putting severe loads on the brakes. Severe
l oads include , for example, sudden hard brak­
i ng, in particular at very h igh speeds or, for
example, on mounta in passes .
.&, WARNING
New b rake pads don't have the best stop­
p ing power and must be "broken-i n" dur­
ing the initi al 100 to 150 miles (150 to
200 kilometers) o f no rma l ci ty driving . You
can compensate for this by pressing the b rake peda l more firm ly . This also applies
later when new pads are installed.
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