2015 AUDI A7 battery

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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(D Note
-Be aware that just one tank fi lling with
le aded fuel will already seriously de­
grade the performance of the catalytic
converter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil leve l
c>page229.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
complete ly empty. The engine could mis ­
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into
the exhaust system and this could cause
the catalyt ic converter to overheat.
- Do not switch off the ignition wh ile the
vehicle is moving .
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle
under these condit ions, as otherwise fuel
can reach the catalytic converter. This
could result in overheat ing of the con­
verter, requ iring its replacement.
- To assure efficient operat ion of the Emis­
s ion Control System:
- Have your vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty
&
Ma intenance booklet.
- Lack of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impa ir
the funct ion of the emission control
system and could lead to damage .
@) For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Control System is
operating properly, the exhaust gas can
have a sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under
some operating states. This depends on
the s ulfur content of the fuel being used.
Using a d ifferent brand of fuel may help,
or filling the tank w it h lead-free super
grade gasoline .
Diesel particulate filter
Appl ies to vehicles : wit h diesel e ng in e
The diesel particulate filter fi lters nea rly a ll of
the soot part icles o ut o f the exhaus t. T he fi l­
ter cleans itse lf automatically under normal
driving conditions . If the fi lter cannot clean it-
Drivin g and en vironm ent 205
self (for example, because you are on ly driving
short distances), the fi lter becomes clogged
with soot and the
II symbol for the diese l
particulate filter illuminates
c> page 21.
A WARNING
-Do not park your veh icle over flammable
mate ria ls such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel par­ ticulate fi lter could start a fire.
- Do not apply an underbody protectant in
the exhaust system area or a fi re could
start.
Shutting down vehicle
If you would like your vehicle to rema in inop ­
erative for a longer per iod of t i me, contact an
Audi o r other spec iali zed dealer. They can ad­
vise you on necessa ry precautions e.g. co rro­
s ion p reven tion, maintena nce and s torage.
Pay attention to additional information con ­
cerning the battery . Refer to
c> page 235 .
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, environmenta l impact, and
wear on your engine, brakes and tires largely
depend on three factors:
- your personal d riving s tyle
- operati ng conditions
- technical limitat ions
If you ant ic ipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your
fuel consumpt io n by 10-15 percent . T his sec ­
tion w ill give you some tips on how you can
help the env ironment and your poc ketbook. ..,_ •
•

226 Check ing and filling
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or open flames . Fluids in the engine com­
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im­
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and persona l in ­
jury while the engine is running or being started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repa ir
with the engine running:
- Fi rst, fully apply the parking bra ke,
move se lec to r lever to P (Pa rk) .
- Always use extreme caution to preven t
clot hing, jewe lry, or long h air from ge t­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V -belts
or other moving parts, or from contact­ ing hot parts. Tie back hair before
start ing, and do not wear cloth ing that
will hang or droop into the eng ine.
- Min imize exposure to emission and
chemica l hazards¢ ,&..
A WARNING
California Propos ition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certa in veh icle components conta in
or emit chemicals known to the State of
Califor nia to cause cancer and b irth de­
fec ts a nd reproduct ive ha rm. In addition,
certain fluids conta ined in vehicles and
certa in prod ucts of co mponent wear co n­
ta in o r emi t chemicals known to the
State o f Ca lifornia to cause can cer and
birth defects or ot her reproductive harm. -
Battery posts, terminals and re lated ac­
cessories conta in lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cance r and reproduc­
tive harms. Wash hands after handling .
(D Note
When adding flu ids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper conta iner
or f iller opening, otherwise serious dam­
age to vehicle systems w ill occur.
® For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly. If
you see spots from oil or other ve hicle flu­
i ds, have yo ur vehicle inspected by a n au­
thori zed Audi dea le r.
Closing the engine hood
.,. Pull the hood down un til the pressure from
t he struts is reduced.
.,. Let the hood
drop down and latch in p lace .
Do not try to push it shut; it may fail to en­
gage ¢&_ .
A WARNING
-
A hood that is not completely latched
could fly up and b lock your view while dr iv­
ing.
- When you close the engine hood, check it
to make sure the safety catch has p roper­
ly engaged. The hood sho uld be flush
with the surrou nding vehicle body pa rts.
- If you notice while driv ing t hat the hood
is not s ecured prope rly, stop at onc e and
close it.

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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.
•
•

236 Check ing and filling
&
Batt ery aci d c ont ain s s ulfuric acid .
A lw ay s w ear gloves a nd eye protec-
ti on.
@
No
- spark s
- flame s
· sm okin g.
A
When a b atte ry is ch arged , it p rodu -
ce s hydr oge n ga s wh ich i s ex plosi ve
.
and co uld cause pe rso nal injur y.
®
Alway s keep the batt ery well out of
re ach of children.
A WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on
the electrical system, there is the r isk of
injury, acc ident and even fire. Read and
heed the following WARNINGS:
- Always wear eye protection. Do not let
battery acid or any lead part icles get on
your sk in or cloth ing . Sh ield your eyes .
Explosive gases can cause blindness or
other injury.
- Battery acid contai ns sulfur ic acid. Sulfu­
ric acid can cause blindness and severe
burns.
- Always wear gloves and eye protection.
Do not tilt the battery because ac id
could leak out of the vent ilation open­
ings.
- If you get battery acid in your eyes or
on your sk in, immediately rinse with
cold water for severa l m inutes and get
medical attention .
- If you should ingest any battery acid,
seek medical attention immediately .
- Do not expose the battery to an open
flame, electric sparks or an open light.
- Do not smoke.
- Do not interchange the positive and neg-
ative cab les.
- When working on the battery, be sure
not to short-circuit the terminals with
tools or other metal objects. This would
cause the battery to heat up very quickly,
wh ich could lead to damage or explosion
and personal injury. -
When a battery is charged, it produces
hydrogen gas which is explosive and
could cause personal injury.
- Always keep the battery well out of the
reach of children.
- Before work is done on the electrical sys­
tem, disconnect the negat ive ground ca­
ble.
- Before performing any work on the e lec­
trica l system, switch off the engine and
ignit ion as well as any electrical equip­
ment. The negative cable on the battery
must be disconnected .
If you are just go­
ing to replace a light bulb, then it is
enough to swi tc h off the lights.
- Before disconnecting the battery, switch
off the anti-theft alarm system! Other­
wise you wi ll set off the alarm.
- When disconnecting the battery, f irst
d isconnect the negat ive cab le and then
the posit ive c ab le.
- Before reconnecting the batte ry, ma ke
sure all e lectr ica l consumers are sw itch­
ed off. Re connect the pos it ive cable first
and then the negative cable. Never inter ­
change the cables - this could start a fire!
- Never charge a frozen or a thawed-out
battery. It could exp lode! If a battery has
frozen, then it must be replaced . A dis­
charged battery can freeze over at 32
°F
(0 oc).
- Make sure the vent hose is always attach­
ed to the opening on the s ide of the bat­
tery.
- Never use batteries which are damaged.
There is the danger of an explosion! Al­
ways rep lace a damaged battery.
A WARNING
Ca lifornia Proposition 65 Warning:
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories conta in lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive problems . Wash hands after han-
dling.
~

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(D Note
- Do not disconnect the vehicle battery
when the ignition is on or when the en­
gine is running, otherwise, you will dam­
age electronic components in the electri­
cal system .
- If your vehicle is going to stand for a
long period of time without being driven,
protect the battery from "freezing", oth ­
erwise it will be damaged and will then
have to be replaced .
- When opening the doors, the windows
lower approximately 10 mm automati­
cally. This function is not available when
the battery is disconnected, which
means there is a risk that the door seal
or the window could be damaged.
Battery charging
Starting the engine requires a well charged
battery.
Fig. 198 Engine compa rtment : connectors for a charg­
er a nd jump star t cable s
Always read and heed all WARNINGS below
¢ .&. and
¢.&. in Working an the battery on
page 236.
"'Switch off the ignition and all electrical con­
sumers.
"'Make sure the area is well ventilated when
you charge the battery.
"'Open the engine hood
c::> page 225.
"'Open the red cover on the positive pole
<=>fig . 198.
"'Connect the charger connectors according to
the instructions to the
jump start bolts.
(Bolts under the red cover = "positive", Bolts
with hex head = "negative").
Checking and filling 237
"'Only now plug the mains lead for the charg­
i ng equipment into the wall outlet and turn
it on
c::> ,&. .
"'Make sure the charging rate is not over
30 amps/14.8 Volt.
"'When the battery is fully charged : Turn the
charging equipment off and remove the
mains lead from the wall outlet .
"'Now remove the clamps for the charging
equipment .
"' Close the red cover on the positive pole.
"'Close the hood ¢
page 226.
A discharged battery can
freeze at tempera­
tures of only 32 F
0 (0 °C). Allow a frozen bat­
tery to thaw completely before attempting to
charge it
c::> ,& . However, we recommend not
using a thawed battery again because the bat­
tery casing can be cracked due to ice forma­
tion and can leak battery acid.
Battery charging (Maximum charging rate
of 30 amps/14.8 Volt)
When charging at
low voltages (e .g. with a
trickle charger), the battery cables do not
have to be disconnected first. The battery
caps should
not be opened when charging a
battery .
It is not necessary to remove the battery from
the luggage compartment, and it is also not
necessary to disconnect the cables .
Fa st charging the battery (charging rate
above 14.8 Volts)
For technical reasons do not use a battery
charger that uses voltage greater than 14.8
Volts to charge your vehicle's battery .
A WARNING
Charging a battery can be dangerous.
-Always follow the operating instructions
provided by the battery charger manu­
facturer when charging your battery.
- Never charge a frozen battery.
It may ex­
plode because of gas trapped in the ice .
Allow a frozen battery to thaw out first.
- Do not reuse batteries which were fro­
zen. The battery housing may
have

238 Check ing and filling
cracked an d weake ned when the battery
froze.
- Charge the battery in a we ll ventilated
area. Keep away from open flame or elec­
trical spark. Do not smoke. Hydrogen gas
generated by the battery is explosive.
- To reduce the danger of explosion, never
connect or disconnect charger cables
wh ile the charger is operating.
- Fast charg ing a battery is dangerous and
should only be attempted by a compe­
tent technician w ith the proper equip­
ment.
- Battery acid that may spill during charg­
ing should be washed off w ith a solution
of warm water and baki ng soda to neu­
t rali ze the acid.
~ Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to
start the engine. This will seriously dam­
age sensitive el ect ronic components, such
as co ntrol units, relays, rad io, etc., as we ll
as th e batte ry charge r.
Battery replacement
The new battery must have the same specifi­
cations and dimensions as the original equip­
ment battery.
I ntell igent energy management in your vehi­
cle is respo nsible for d ist ributing the electr i­
cal energy throughou t you r vehi cle
~ page 201. The inte lligen t energy manage­
ment system w ill keep the engine battery
charged better than vehicles without t his sys­
tem . To make sure the additional electrical en ­
ergy is available once again after you have
changed the battery, we recommend that you
install batteries of the same type and manu­
facture only (the same as those installed at
the t ime your vehicle was delivered). Specifi­
cations a re listed on the battery hous ing. You r
author ized de aler m ust code the battery in
the energy management system to enable yo u
to use the energy managemen t fu nctions co r­
rectly after replacing the battery. T
he new battery must have the same capacity,
vo ltage ( 12-volts), amperage, construction
and plug sealing.
When ins tall ing t he battery, make su re the ig­
nition and a ll elect rical consume rs are switch ­
ed off.
(D Note
Make sure the ven tilat ion hose on the side
of the ba ttery is connecte d, otherwise
fumes or batte ry acid can lea k out .
- Ve hicles with the Start-S top-System * are
equip ped with a spec ial cycle-proof AGM
battery . Install ing a d iffe rent type of
battery can cause problems in the vehi­
cle e lectr ica l system. Whe n replac ing the
vehicle battery, always install one w ith
t he same specifications as the o rigi na l
battery.
@) For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of proper disposal
of a battery, we recomme nd your author­
i zed Audi dealer change the battery fo r
you. Batteri es contain sulfur ic acid and
l ead and must a lways be di spo sed o f prop­
erly in comp liance wi th all envi ronmental
regulations. Disposing of vehi cle batter ies
imprope rly is very dange rous to the envi­
r onment.
Windshield/headlight*
washer container
F ig . 1 99 Engine compartment: cover on the windshield
a n d headl ight * was her fl ui d reservo ir
ll>

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No. Equ ipment Amps
8
Headlight range adjustment/ 5/7,5
adaptive lighting system
10
Left headlight (headlight with 7,5 adaptive light)
11 Supplementary heater s
Fuse p anel @ (b ro w n)
No . Equipment Amps
1 Climate control 10
2
Climate control system blower 40
3
Diagnostic interface 10
4
E lectrical ignition lock s
5
Power steering column adjust-
ment
s
6 Steering column switch module 10
7
Power steering column adjust-
ment
25
8 Light switch 5
Luggage compartment fuse assignment
Fig . 221 Luggage compa rtmen t: fuse panel wit h p las ­
tic bracket
Fuse p anel @ (black )
No. Equipment Amps
4 Electromechan ical parking brake 30
5
Electromechanical parking brake 30
6
Front door (front passenge r's
30 s ide)
7 Rear exterior light ing 30
Rea r sun shade, closing aid, lug-
8
gage compartment lock, con-
20 venience key, START ENGINE
STOP, fuel filler door
Fu se s and bulb s 283
No. Equipment Amps
9 Power seat adjustment 15
10
Parking system 5
11
Rear seat heating 30
Fu se p an el@ (r e d )
No . Equipment Amps
1 Left belt tensioner 25
2
Right belt tensioner 25
3
Socket/cigarette lighter 20
4
Socket 20
5
Electromechanical parking brake 5
6 adaptive air suspension 15
7
Rear door (front passenger's
30 side)
8 Rear exterior lighting 30
9
Luggage compartment lid con-
30 trol modu le
10 Telephone 5
11
Sound amplifier 30
12
Rear spoiler (Sportback) 20
Fuse panel© (brown)
No . Equ ipment Amps
1
Radio receiver, Sound amplifier/
30/20
MMI unit/drives
2 Tank leak detection system 5
4
AEM control module/battery 10/15
module
6 Battery fan 35
7
Rad io receiver 7,5
8 Rear Seat Entertainment 7,5
9
Automatic d imm ing interior 5/15
rearview mirror/battery module
10 Parking system 5
Fu se pan el@ (gr ee n)
No . Equipment Amps
1 pre sense 5
2
Electromechanical parking brake 5
3
adaptive air suspension 5
4 Automatic transmission 7,5