2015 AUDI A7 brake light

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Audi adaptive cruise control and braking guard 91
When approaching a moving vehicl e up ahead,
the adaptive cruise contro l system automati­
cally brakes to match that object's speed and
then maintains the stored distance.
If the ve­
hicle ahead accelerates, adaptive cruise con­
trol will also accelerate up to the stored
speed .
The higher the speed, the greater the distance
in yards (meters) ¢.&. . The
Distance 3 setting
is recommended .
The distances prov ided are specified values .
Depending on the driving situation and the
how the vehicle ahead is driving, the actual
distance may be more or less than these tar ­
get distances.
The various symbols for the time increments appear briefly in the information line @
¢
page 88, fig . 94 when you change the set ­
tings .
,::::::,_,::::::, ___ Distance 1: This setting corre-
sponds to a distance of 92 feet/28 meters
when traveling at 62 mph (100 km/h), or a
time interval of 1 second.
,::::::, __ ,::::::, __ Distance 2: This setting corre­
sponds to a distance of 118 feet/36 meters
when traveling at 62 mph (100 km/h), or a
time interval of 1.3 seconds .
,::::::, ___ ,::::::,_ Distance 3: This setting corre-
sponds to a distance of 164 feet/SO meters
when traveling at 62 mph (100 km/h), or a
time interval of 1.8 seconds .
,::::::, __ __ ,::::::, Distance 4: This setting corre-
sponds to a distance of 210 feet/64 meters
when traveling at 62 mph (100 km/h), or a
time interval of 2.3 seconds .
A WARNING
Following other vehicles too closely in­
creases the risk of collisions and serious
personal injur y.
- Setting short distances to the traffic
ahead reduces the time and distance
available to bring your vehicle to a safe
stop and makes it even more necessary
to pay close attention to traffic. -
Always obey applicable traffic laws, use
good judgment, and select a safe follow­
ing d istance for the traff ic, road and
weather conditions .
(D Tips
-Distance 3 is set automatically each time
you switch the ignition on.
- Your standard settings are automatically
stored and assigned to the remote con­
trol key being used.
Selecting the driving mode
Applies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise control
.. Select the desired driving mode in dr ive se­
lect
c::> page 102 .
(D Tips
Your settings are automat ically stored and
assigned to the remote control key being
used.
Prompt for dr iver intervention
Applies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise contro l
Fig. 98 Instrument cluster: req ues t fo r drive r inte rven­
tio n
In certain situations, the system will prompt
yo u to take action . This could happen, for ex­
amp le, if braking by the adaptive cruise con­
trol system is not enough to maintain enough
distance to the veh icle ahead .
The indicator light . and the symbol in the
display will warn you about the situation
c::> fig. 98. You wi ll also hear an acoustic signal.
- Press the brake pedal to slow your vehicle
down.

92 Audi adaptive cruise control and braking guard
Audi braking guard
Descript ion
Applies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise control
Fig. 99 Instrument cluster: approach warn ing
Braking guard uses radar sensors and a video
camera . It also functions within the limits of
the system when adapt ive cruise control is
switched off .
What can braking guard do?
When detected in time, the system can assess
situations when a vehicle ahead brakes sud­
denly or if your own vehicle is traveling at a
high speed and approaching a vehicle up
ahead that is moving more slowly . Brak ing
guard does not react if it cannot detect the
situation.
The system advises you of various situations:
- The
distance warning is given if you are too
close to the vehicle ahead for a long time. If
the vehicle ahead brakes sharply, you will not be able to avoid a collision . The indicator
light. in the display comes on.
- The
approach warning is given when a de­
tected vehicle up ahead in your lane is mov ­
i ng much more slowly than you are or if it
brakes sharply . When this warning is given,
it may only be possible to avoid a collision
by swerving or braking sharply . Th e indicator
light. and indicator in the display will
warn you about the danger
c::> fig. 99. You
will also hear an acoustic signa l.
ll This is not ava ilable in some co un tri es .
If you do not react fast enough or do not react
at all to the situation, braking guard will inter·
vene by braking.
- If a coll is ion is imminent, the system will
first provide an
acute warning by briefly and
sharply applying the brakes.
- If you do not react to the acute warning,
braking guard can brake wit h increasing
force w ith in the limits of the system . This
reduces the vehicle speed in the event of a
collision.
- The system can initiate maximum braking
short ly before a collision
1l . Full deceleration
at high speeds occurs only in vehicles with
adapt ive cruise control and side assist (pre
sense plus).
- If the braking guard senses that you are not
braking hard enough when a collision is im·
m inent, it can increase the braking force.
- The pre sense functions also engage when a
collision is imminent
c::> page 192.
Which functions can be controlled?
You can switch braking guard and the dis­
tance/approach warning on or off in the MMI
c::> page 93, Settings in the MMI.
A WARNING
Lack of attention can cause collisions, oth­
er accidents and serious personal injuries.
The braking guard is an assist system and
cannot prevent a collision by itself. The
driver must always intervene. The driver is
always respons ible for braking at the cor­
rect time.
- Always pay close att ent ion to traffic,
even when the braking guard is switched
on. Be ready to intervene and be ready to
take comp lete control whenever necessa­
ry . Always keep the safe and legal dis­
tance between your vehicle and vehicles up ahead.
- Braking guard works within limits and
will not respond outside the system lim· its, for example when approaching a ..,.

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Automatic Transmission
S tronic, tiptronic
Introduction
The automatic transmission is controlled elec­
tronically. The transmission upsh ifts or down­
shifts automatically depending on which drive
program is selected.
When a
moderate driving style is used, the
transmission selects the most econom ica l
driving mode. It will then change up early and
delay the downshifts to give better fuel econ­
omy.
The transmission switches to a sporty mode
after a kick-down or when the driver uses a
sporty driving style characterized by quick ac­
celerator pedal movements, heavy accelera­
tion, frequent changes in speed and traveling
at the maximum speed.
If desired, the driver can also select the gears
manually (tiptronic mode) ¢ page 113.
Various automatic transmissions may be in­
stalled, depending on the model :
S tronic transmission
The S tronic is a dual-clutch transmission.
Power is transferred using two clutches that
work independently from one another . They
replace the torque convert er used in conven­
tional automatic transmissions and allow the
veh icle to accelerate without a noticeable in­
terruption in traction.
tiptronic transmission
In the tiptronic transmission, power is trans­
ferred by a torque converter .
Automatic Transmission 109
Selector lever positions
Fig. 118 D isp lay in the instrument clus te r: se le ctor
lever pos itio n
The selector lever position engaged appea rs
next to the selector lever as well as in the in­
str ument cluster display.
P- Park
In this selector lever position the transm is­
s ion is mechanica lly locked . Engage P only
when the vehicle is
completely stopped Q .&.
in Driving the automatic transmission on
page 111.
To shift in or out of posit ion P, you must first
press and hold the brake pedal and then press
the release button in the selector lever handle
whi le moving the selector lever to or from P.
You can shift out of this position on ly with the
ignit ion on .
R- Reverse
Select R only when the vehicle is at a full stop
and the engine is running at idle speed ¢.&. in
Driving the automatic transmission on
page 111.
Before you move the selector lever to R, press
both the button in the hand le of the selec tor
lever
and the brake pedal at the same t i me .
When the ignition is on, the backup lights illu­
minate when the selector lever is moved into
R.
N -Neutral
The transmission is in neutral in this pos ition .
Sh ift to th is position for standing with the
brakes applied
¢.&. in Driving the automatic
transmission on page 111. ..,.

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A time delay element prevents the selector
lever from locking when it is moved through
the N position (going from R to 0/5). The lock­
ing element will lock the selector lever if the
lever is left in N (Neutral) for more than ap­
prox imately 2 second, without the brake ped ­
al being pressed.
Release button
The release button on the selector lever pre­
vents the lever from being accidenta lly shifted
into certain positions. Depending on the direc­
tion of the shift, the selector lever locks at d if­
ferent positions . The positions a re highlighted
in the illustration
c::> fig. 119.
Driving the automatic transmission
Fig. 120 Shift gate on the center console: se lecto r lev­
er with release button
Starting the engine
.. The selector lever must be in P or N.
Starting off
.. Press and hold the brake pedal.
.. Press and hold the release button in these­
lector lever handle, select the desired selec­
tor lever position such as 0/5 and release
the button.
.. Wait briefly until the transmission has shift­
ed (you will feel a slight movement).
.. Remove your foot from the brake pedal and
acce lerate .
Stopping temporarily
.. Keep the vehicle stationary using the brak­
ing peda l, for examp le at traffic l ights.
.. Do not press the accelerator pedal when do ­
ing this.
Automatic Transmission 111
.. To prevent the vehicle from rolling when you
start driving, set the parking brake when
stopping on steep inclines
c::> .&, .
.. The parking brake will release automat ically
and the vehicle will start moving once you
press the acce lerator pedal.
Stopping/parking
If the selector lever is not in the P position
when you open the driver's door, the vehicle
could roll. The message
Transmission: Car
may roll! Shift to park!
appears.
.. Press and hold the brake peda l until the ve -
hicle has come to a complete stop .
.. App ly the parking brake
c::> page 79, Parking .
.. Select the P selector lever position i=> .&, .
Stopping on an incline
.. Always press the brake pedal to hold the ve­
hicle in place and prevent it from "rolling
back"
i=> .&, . Do not try to prevent the veh i­
cle from "rolling back" when a gear is en­
gaged by increasing the engine speed
i=> (D .
Starting on an incline
.. Activate the parking brake .
.. With the driving gear selected, press the ac ­
celerator pedal carefully . The parking brake
w ill release automatically if your seat belt is
fastened .
Under certain circumstances, such as driving
in the mounta ins, it may be useful to sw itch
temporar ily to the manual shift program in or­
der to adjust the gears to the driving condi­
tions by hand
~ ,&..
On slopes, activate the parking brake first and
then move the selector lever to the P position .
This prevents too much stress from being
placed on the locking mechanism .
A WARNING
-The vehicle can also roll when the engine
is stopped .
- Unintended vehicle movement can cause
. . . serious mJury. Iii>

114 Automatic Tran sm iss ion
• Move the selecto r lever to position D/S to
select sport mode (S) or select
D ynam ic
mode in Audi dr ive select ¢ page 103.
• Press the brake pedal strongly with your left
foot and hold it down for at least 1 second.
• At the same time, press the accelerator ped ­
al down completely w ith your r ight foot un­
t il the engine reaches and maintains a h igh
RPM.
• Remove your foot from the brake pedal
within S seconds¢ ..&,.
A WARNING
-Always adapt your driving to the traffic
flow.
- Only use the Launch Control Program when road and traffic conditions allow it
and other drivers will not be endangered
or annoyed by your dr iv ing and the vehi­
cle's accelerat ion.
- Please note that the driving wheels can spin and the vehicle can break away
when sport mode is sw itched on, espe­
c ially when the road is slippery .
- Once you have accelerated, you should
switch sport mode off by pressing the
I.$ OFF I button.
(D Tips
-The transm ission temperat ure may in­
crease significantly after using the Launch Control Program . If that hap­
pens, the program may not be available
fo r a few minutes. It will be availab le
again afte r a coo l-down period.
- When accelerating us ing the Launch
Control Program, all vehicle pa rts a re
subject to heavy loads. This can res ult in
i ncreased wear.
Transmission malfunction
[i'J Transmi ssion : Pre ss b rake pedal and se­
le ct gear aga in
Press the brake pedal and se lect the des ired
selector lever position again. You can then
continue driving .
[i'J Transmis sion ov erheating: Plea se dri ve
cons ervativel y
The transm iss ion tempera ture has inc reased
s ignificantly due to the sporty d riving manner.
Drive in a less sporty manner until the tem­
perature returns to the normal range and the
indicator light switches of.
[i'J Tra nsmi ssion malfun ct io n: Y o u ca n con­
tinue dri ving
The re is a system malfunction in the transm is­
s io n. You may cont inue drivi ng. Dr ive to yo ur
a utho rized Aud i dea ler o r qualified repa ir fa­
cility soon to have the malfunction corrected.
m) [O] Trans mission malfunc tion : You can
continu e driving with limit ed fun ctionality
T he re is a system malfunction in the transm is­
s ion. The t ransm ission is switching to eme r­
gency mode. This mode on ly shifts into cer ­
t ai n gears o r will no longer shift at all. The en­
gine may sta ll. Drive to your a uthorized Audi
dealer or qualified repair facility immediately
to have the malfunction corrected .
[i'J ffl Transmission malfunction : No rever se
gear . You can c ontinue drivin g
S tronic transmission: There is a system mal­
funct ion in the t ransmission. The transmis­
s io n is switching to emergency mode. This
mode only sh ifts into certain gea rs or will no
longer shift at a ll. The engine may stall. You
cannot engage the reverse gear . Drive to your
authorized Aud i dea ler or qualified repa ir fa­
c ility immediately to have the malfunction
corrected.
[i'J Tran smi ssion malfunct ion: Stop veh icle
a nd shift to P
Do no t con tinue dr iving . Se lect the P selector
lever position and see your authorized A udi
dealer or qualified repair facility for assis ­
tance.
(D Note
If the transmission switches to emergency
mode, yo u should take the vehicle to an
ll-

@ Tips
Your vehicle may be equipped with Audi
connect. Your use of certain Aud i connect
features req uires wireless serv ices that are
provided by a third party wireless telecom­
municat ions provider. For details regard­
ing how information obtained through
Aud i connect is collected, processed,
transmitted, used, and shared, please see
your contra ct w ith the wire less telecom ­
municat ions provider and the "About A udi
connect" tab in your vehicle's MMI:
!MENU !
button > Audi connect > About Audi con·
nect .
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of
skidd ing and loss of veh icle control. It works
only when the eng ine is running. ESC detects
certain difficult driv ing s ituations, including
when the vehicle is beginning to spin (yaw)
out of cont ro l and helps you to get the vehicle
back under control by select ively brak ing the
wheels, and/or red ucing engine powe r and
p roviding steering assistance to help hold the
ve hicle on the driver's intended course . The in­
dicator light
m in the instrument cluster
blinks when ESC is taking action to help you
control the vehicle.
ESC has limitations.
It is important to remem­
ber that ESC cannot overcome the laws of
phys ics. It will not a lways be able to help out
under all conditions you may come up against.
For example, ESC may not always be able to
h elp you master situat ions where there is a
sudden change in the coefficient of fr iction of
the road surface. When there is a sect io n of
d ry road that is s udden ly cove red with water,
slush o r snow, ESC canno t perform the same
way it would on the dry su rface.
If the vehicle
hydroplanes (rides on a c ush ion of wate r in­
stead of the road surface), ESC wi ll not be
ab le to he lp you steer the veh icle because con-
Int ellig ent technolog y 195
tact with the pavement has been interrupted
and the vehicle cannot be braked or steered .
D uring fast corner ing, particular ly on wind ing
roads, ESC cannot always deal as effectively
with difficult dr iv ing s ituations than at lower
speeds. When towing a trailer, ESC is not able
to help you regain control as it would if you
were not tow ing a trailer.
Always adjust your speed and driving style to road, traffic and weather conditions . ESC can­
not override the vehicle's physical lim its, in­
crease the availab le tract ion, or keep a veh icle
o n the road if road departu re is a result of
driver ina ttent io n. Instead , ESC imp roves the
poss ibility of keep ing t he vehicle under con­
trol and on the road during extreme maneu­
vers by using the driver's steering i nputs to
help keep the vehicle go ing in the intended di­
rect ion. If you are traveling at a speed that
causes you to run off the road before ESC can
provide any assistance, you may not experi­
ence the benefits of ESC.
ESC is switched on all the time. In certain sit­
uat ions when you need less traction, you can
switch off ASR by pressing the butto n
[ill
~ page 197, fig. 182. Be su re to switch ASR
o n again when you no longer need less trac­
tion.
The following systems are integrated in the
ESC:
Anti-lock bra king sy stem (ABS )
ABS prevents the whee ls from locking up
when brak ing. T he vehicle can st ill be steered
even dur ing hard braking. App ly steady pres­
su re to the brake peda l. Do not pump the ped­
al. A pulsing in the brake pedal ind icates that
the system is helping you to brake the veh icle .
Brake assi st system
The brake ass ist system can decrease braking
distance. It increases brak ing power when the
drive r presses the brake peda l quickly in emer­
gency s ituations. You must press and hold the
brake pedal unti l the s ituation is over. In
vehicles wi th adap tive c rui se control*, the
brake assis t system is more sensitive if the
•
•

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.

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 .,..