2015 AUDI A7 ABS

210 Trailer towing
A lways 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 alone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Air su spen sion *
When driving with a trai ler, activate the trailer
mode of the air suspension. Switch the air
suspension trailer mode on when you are tow­
ing a trailer. This will limit the regulation by
the air suspens ion while driving. Select in the
MMI:
! CARI function button> (C ar)* sys te m s
control button > Vehicl e se tting s> Air s usp .:
t o wing > On .
Coolant t emperatur e
The coolant temperature gauge¢ page 11
must be observed carefully. The coolant tem­
perature can increase if you drive on long in­
clines in a low gear at high engine speeds. Re­
duce your speed immed iate ly if the LEDs in
the top pa rt of the display turn on.
For more information about indicator lights,
refer to. ¢ page 16 .
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov­
ing veh icle is at a much greater risk in an
accident. Never let anyone r ide in your car
who is not prope rly wearing the restraints
provided by Audi .
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when tow ing
-
a trailer because of the addit ional weight and
d ifferent weight dist ribution. Safety, perform­
ance and economy w ill greatly depend on how
carefu lly you load your trailer and operate
your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turn ing, stopp ing and back ing up in an area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you
have become comp letely familiar with the way your vehicle
-trailer combination behaves and
responds .
Backi ng up is diffic ult and requi res p ractice.
Backing up w ith a trailer generally req uires
steering action opposite to that when backing
up your vehicle without a trailer.
Maintai n a greater d ista nce between yo ur ve­
hicle and the one in fron t of yo u. You w ill need
more room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you will need a larger than normal
turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot ac­ ce le rate as fast as you norma lly would be­
ca use 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 tu rns o r rapid lane
changes.
(D 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 294.
Parking on a slope
Do not park 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 someone place choc ks unde r both the
vehicle and the trailer wheels.
.,. With chocks in place, slowly release the
brakes unt il the whee l chocks absorb the
load .
.,. Turn the whee ls towards the curb.
.,. Apply the parking brake.
.,. Select the P selector lever posit ion.
When re sta rting after p ark in g :
.,. App ly the foot brake .
.,. Start the engine.

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Vehicl e ca re a nd cl eanin g 215
Component Situ ation Solution
T ex tiles,
Stains adhering to Vacuum cleaner
Vin yl, the surface
A lcan ta ra Water-based stains Absorbent
cloth and mild soap solutional
such as coffee, tea,
blood, etc.
Oil-based stains Apply a mild soap solutiona l, blot away the dissolved oil
such as oil, make- or dye, treat afterward with water, if necessary
up, etc.
Special stains such Special stain remover, blot with absorbent material,
as ballpoint pen, treat afterward with mild soap solutional, if necessary
na il polish, latex
pa int, shoe polish,
etc.
N atu ral le athe r Fresh stains Cotton cloth with a mild soap solutional
Water-based stains Fresh stains: absorbent cloth
such as coffee, tea, Dried stains: stain remover suitable for leather
blood , etc.
Oil-based stains Fresh stains: absorbent cloth and stain remover suitable
such as oil, make- for leather
up, etc. dried stains: Oil cleaning spray
Special stains such Sta in remover suitable for leather
as ballpo int pen,
nai l polish, latex
paint, shoe polish,
etc.
Care Regularly
apply conditioning cream that protects from
light and penetrates into the material. Use specially-col-
ored conditioning cream, if necessary.
Carbon part s Dirty Clean the same way as plastic parts
al Mild soap solution: maxi mum two tablespoons neutral soap in 1 qua rt (I lite r) of water
& WARNING
The windshie ld may not be treated with
water-repelling windshie ld coating agents.
Unfavorab le conditions such as wetness,
darkness, or low sun can result in in­
creased glare. W iper blade chatter is also
possible.
- Headlights /ta il li ghts
-Never clean headlights or tail lights
w ith a dry cloth or sponge. -
Do not use any cleaning product that
contains alcohol, because they could
cause cracks to form .
-Wheels
- Never use any paint polish or other
abrasive mater ials.
- Damage to the protective layer on the
rims such as stone chips or scratches
must be repaired immediately .
-Se nsor s/came ra len ses
- Never use warm or hot water to re-
move snow or ice from the camera
l ens . This could cause the lens to crack .
IJII>
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234 Checking and filling
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
Fig . 197 Engine compartment: cove r on the brake fluid
reservo ir
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS ¢&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 225.
,.. Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir¢
fig . 197, ¢ page 22 7,
fig. 193.
The brake flu id level must be be­
tween the "MIN" and "MAX" markings.
The location of the brake flu id reservoir can be
seen in the engine compartment illust rat ion
¢ page 227.
The fluid level may drop
slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the
brake pads. This is not cause for alarm.
If the brake fluid level falls
considerably be­
low the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/indi­
cator light . (U.S. models)/ . (Canadian
models) will come on¢
page 15. Do not con­
tinue to operate the vehicle. The comp lete
brake system shou ld be thoroughly checked
by an authorized A udi dealer or other quali­
fied facility and the cause corrected.
If the
brake fluid level is too low, the brake warning/
indicator light will illuminate. Contact an au­
thorized Audi dealer
immediately .
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi­
enced technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the air. If
the water content in the brake fluid is too high, corrosion in the brake system may result
after a period of time . The boiling point of the
brake flu id will also decrease conside rably and
decrease braking pe rformance.
Therefore, the brake fluid must be changed
every two years . Always use new brake flu id
which conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle
Standard "FMVSS 116 DOT 4".
The brake fluid reservoir can be difficult to reach, therefore, we recommend that you
have the brake fluid changed by your author­
ized
Audi dealer. Your dealer has the correct
tools, the right brake fluid and the know-how
to do this for you.
A WARNING
- Brake fluid is poisonous . It must be stor­
ed only in the closed original container
out of the reach of children!
- Brake failure can resu lt from o ld or inap­
propriate brake fluid. Observe these pre­
cautions:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SA E
specification
J 1703 and conforms to
Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 116.
Always check with your authorized Audi
dealer to make sure you are using the
correct brake fluid. The correct type of
brake f luid is also indicated on the
brake fluid reservoir.
- The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use
of the brakes can cause a vapor lock if
the brake fluid is left in the system too
long. This can seriously affect the effi­
c ie ncy of the brakes as well as your
safety. This could resu lt in an accident.
(D Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your
vehicle .

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@ For the sake of the environment
Because of the pr oblem of proper d isposa l
of brake flu id as we ll as the special tools
requ ired and the necessary expert ise, we
recommend that you have the brake fluid
changed by your author ized Audi dealer .
Battery
General information
Under normal operating conditions, the bat­
tery in your Audi does not need any mainte ­
nance. With
high outside temperatures or
long daily dr ives we recommend that you have
the electro lyte level checked by a service fa­
cility . The electrolyte level shou ld also be
checked each time the battery is charged
¢ page 237.
Have the battery checked when you take your
ve hicle in for service . You are well adv ised to
replace a battery that is older than 5 yea rs .
W ith certa in types of a irbag deployment, t he
b attery is d isconnected from the vehicle elec­
tr ica l system for safety reasons¢.&.
in Re ­
pair, core and disposal of the airbags on
page 163.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle functions (power w indow regu­
lators , for example) are lost if the battery ter­
m inals a re d isconnected. These func tions have
to be re lea rned after the batte ry term inals a re
connected agai n. T o prevent this , the bat tery
should only be d isconnec ted from the vehicle
e lec tric al system when absolu tely necessa ry
for repairs .
Vehicles not driven for long periods
If you do not drive you r vehicle over a period
of severa l days or weeks, elec trical compo­
nen ts are gr adually cut b ack o r swi tched off .
This redu ces energy cons umption and main­
tains starting capab ility over a longer per io d
¢ page 201. Some of the co nvenience func­
tions may not operate, s uch as the inte rior
lights or power seat adjustme nt. The conven-
Checkin g and fillin g 235
ience funct ions w ill be available again when
yo u sw itch on the ign ition and start the en­
gine.
Winter operation
D ur ing the w inte r mon ths, bat tery ca pa city
tends to decrease as tempera tures drop . This
is beca use more power is a lso consumed wh ile
starting, and the headlights, rear window de­
fogger, etc., are used mo re often.
Avoid unnecess ary powe r consumpt ion, pa r­
ticu lar ly in city traffic o r when traveling only
sho rt distances. Let yo ur authorized A udi
dealer check the capacity of the vehicle bat ­
tery before w inter sets in¢
page 23 7. A well
charged battery will no t on ly prevent star tin g
problems w hen the weather is cold, but w ill
also last longer .
@ Tips
If your vehicle is left standing for seve ral
weeks at extremely low temperatures, the
vehicle battery s hou ld be removed and
stored where it will not freez e. This will
p reve nt it from be ing dam aged and having
to be repl aced .
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the bat tery.
The battery is located in the luggage compar t­
ment under the floor . B efo re you che ck any­
thi ng in the luggage compartment,
read and
heed all WARNINGS
¢ .&, .
Always heed the safety warnings , when work­
i ng on the veh icle batte ry or t he vehicle e lec­
t rical sys tem to p reven t inju ry.
The following WARNINGS are very
important when working on the battery:
Always heed the following WARNING SYM· BO LS and safety precautions when working
on the battery .
®
Always wear eye protection.
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Tire pressure indicator appears
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction.
Fig. 205 Display: underinflation warning
Fig. 206 Display: System malfunction
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni­
toring system compares the tire tread circum­ ference and vibration characteristics of the in­
dividual tires. If the pressure decreases in one
or more tires, this is indicated in the instru­
ment cluster with a warning symbol
rD] and a
message
c:> fig . 205.
The tire pressure monitoring system must be
reset via MMI each time the pressures are ad­
justed (e.g. when switching between partial
and fu ll load pressure) or after changing or re­
placing a tire on your vehicle
c:> page272 . The
TPMS indicator only monitors the tire pres­
sure that you have previously stored. You can
find the recommended tire pressures for your
vehicle on the label on driver's side 8-pillar
c:>page247.
Tire tread circumference and vibration charac­
teristics can change and cause a tire pressure
warning if:
- the tire pressure in one or more tires is too
low,
Tires and wheels 2 71
- the tire has structural damage,
- the tire pressure was changed, wheels rotat-
ed or replaced but the TPMS was not reset
c:>poge272.
- the spare tire* is mounted .
Warning symbols
[I] Loss of pressure in at least one tire¢.& .
Check the tire or tires and replace or repair if
necessary. The indicator light
rD] in the instru­
ment cluster also illuminates <=:>
page 12.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires
and resetTPMS via MMI.
l!I (Tire Pressure Mon itoring System) Tire
pressure! System malfunction .
Ifljl appears
after switching the ignition on or while driving
¢
fig. 206 and the indicator light rD] in the in­
strument cluster blinks for approximately one
minute and then stays on, there is a system
malfunction. Attempt to store the correct tire
pressure
c:> page 272. If the indicator light
does not turn off or if it turns on shortly
thereafter, immediately drive your vehicle to
an authorized Audi dealer or authorized repair
facility to have the malfunction corrected.
_& WARNING
- If the tire pressure indicator appears in
the instrument cluster display, one or
more of your tires is significantly under­
inflated. Reduce your speed immediately
and avoid any hard steering or braking
maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible and
check the tires and their pressures. In­
flate the tire pressure to the proper pres­
sure as indicated on the vehicle's tire
pressure label<=:>
page 247 . Driving on a
significantly under-inflated tire causes
the tire to overheat and can lead to tire
failure. Under-inflation also is likely to
impair the vehicle's handling and stop­
ping ability.
- The driver is responsible for maintaining
the correct tire pressures. You must check the tire pressures regularly.
.

310 Index
Trip odometer ..... ..... ... .. .. .... .. 27
What does it mean whe n DEF appears in
the trip odometer d isp lay? ... .. .... . . 27
T runk
refer to L uggage compa rtment . . . . . . . . 64
Trunk pass -through ......... ... .. .. .. 68
Turn signa ls . .... . ...... ... .. .. .... .. 46
Warn ing/ indicator lights ... .. .. .... .. 23
u
ULSD No. 2 (Diese l fuel) ... .. .. .. .. .. . 218
Unfasten ing safety belts .. .. .. .. .. .. . 143
Unid irect iona l tires ......... .. .. .... . 241
Unifo rm tire q uality g rading
Unlock ing 266
P owe r locking sw itch ....... ... .. .... 36
Remote cont rol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Using the key . ........... .. .. .... .. 36
V
Valet park ing . ................ ... ... . 41
Vanity mirrors .. ........... ........ .. 48
Vehicle care/cleaning .. .. ..... ... .. .. .... . 212
Vehicle control mod ules . .. .. .. .. .. .. . 194
Vehicle e lectrica l system .... .. .. .. .. .. 17
Vehicle ident ificat ion labe l ... .. .. .. .. . 29 1
Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) ... . 291
Vehicle jack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273, 277
Vehicle literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . S
Vehicle shutt-down ......... .. .. .... . 20S
Vehi cle transport ..... ... .. .. .. .... . 289
Vent ilation .. ..... ........... ... .. .. 69
Viny l
C leaning . ....................... . 215
w
War ning/indicato r lights . ... .. .... .. . . 1 2
A irbag system ........... .. .. .... .. 19
Anti-lock braking system (ABS) .. .. .... 19
Brake system . ........... .. .. .... .. 15
C ruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Elect romechan ical park ing brake .. .... 16
E lect ronic power control . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
E lec troni c Stabilization Co ntrol ( ESC) ... 19 Generator
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
G low p lug system . .... ..... ... .. .. . 21
Instrument cluster . .. .. ..... ... .. .. . 11
Malfunction Ind icator Lamp (MIL) .... . 21
Safety be lt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Turn signals ..... ................ .. 23
Warning/Indicator lights
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159, 160
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ....... .. .. 160
Warran ty cove rages ............. .. .. 294
Washer reservo ir .. .......... ...... . 238
Wea r indicato r .... .. ... ..... ... .. .. 258
Weights .. .. .. .. . .............. .. .. 291
Wha t happens if you wear your safety belt
too loose? ...... .. .......... ...... . 142
What happens to unbe lted occupants? . . 139
What impa irs d riving safety? ...... .. .. 129
What shou ld I do after changing a
whee l? ..... .. .. .. ... .......... .... 254
What shou ld I do after replacing whee ls? 254
Whee l bo lts
T orque .... .... .. ............. .... 269
Wheels .... .... .. ............. .... 240
Checking t ire pressure ..... ...... ... 252
Cleaning ...... .. ..... ....... ... .. 213
Co ld tire inflation pressur e ......... . 247
Genera l notes .. .. ... .......... .. .. 240
G lossary of tire and loading term inolo-
gy ....... .. .. . .................. 242
New t ires and whee ls . .. ..... ... .. .. 260
T ires and vehicle load limits .. ... .. .. 255
When must a safety be lt be replaced? .. 141
When must the a irbag system be inspect-
ed? ........ .. ... . .. .... ...... ... .. 159
When should I adjust the ti re pressures? 254
When should I c hec k th e tire p ressu res? . 254
Where are lower anchorages located? . .. 188
Where can I find the t ire press ures for my
ca r? .. ... .. .. .. .. .. ... .. ..... ... .. 252
Why safety belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138, 139
Windows Cleaning/removing ice .......... .... 214
defrosting (automatic climate control) . 73
defrosting (cl imate control) . . . . . . . . . . 71