2015 AUDI A7 brake

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-

M N <( (.J
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1"1 ,...., 1.1"1 ,....,
-never knee l on the seats
- never ride with the seatback reclined
- never lie down on the rear seat
- never lean up against the instrument pa nel
- never sit on the edge of the seat
- never sit s ideways
- never lean out the window
- never put yo ur feet out the window
- never put yo ur feet o n the ins trumen t pa nel
- never rest you r feet on the seat cushion o r
back of the seat
- never r ide in the footwe ll
- never r ide in the cargo area
A WARNING
Imprope r seat ing positions increase the
r is k of se rious personal injury and death
whenever a veh icle is being used.
- Always make sure that a ll vehicle occu­
pants stay in a p ro per seat ing pos it ion
and are properly restra ined whenever the
vehicle is be ing used .
Driver and passenger
side footwell
Important safety instructions
Appl ies to vehicles: with knee a irbags
A WARNING
Always make s ure that the knee ai rbag can
inf late without interfe rence. Objects be ­
tween yourse lf and the airbag can increase
the risk of injury in an acc ident by interfer­
ing w ith the way the a irbag deploys or by
being p ushed into you as the airbag de­
ploys.
- No persons (ch ildren) or animals should
ride in the footwell in front of the pas­
senger seat. If the airbag deploys, this
c an res ult in serious or fata l injuries.
- No objects of any k ind sho uld be car ried
in the footwell area in fron t of the driv­
er's or passenger's seat. Bul ky objects
(shopping bags, for example) can ham ­
per or prevent p roper deployment of the
airbag. Small objects can be thrown
Dr iving Safel y 133
through the vehicle if the airbag deploys
and in jure you or your passengers.
Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must always be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mat
or any other object.
Make sure that a ll peda ls move free ly without
i nterfe rence and that nothing prevents them
from return ing to their orig inal positions.
Only use floor mats that leave t he pedal area
free and can be secured with floor mat fasten­
ers .
If a brake circ uit fai ls, increased brake pedal
trave l is required to bring the vehicle to a full
stop.
A WARNING
Pedals that ca nnot move free ly can cause
loss of vehicle control and incr ease the risk
of ser ious injury.
- Never p lace any objec ts in the drive r's
footwell. An ob je ct cou ld get into the
pedal area a nd inte rfe re wi th pedal fun c­
tion. In case of sudde n brak ing o r an a c­
cident, yo u wou ld not be a ble to brake or
accelerate!
- Always ma ke su re th at nothing can fall
or move into the driver's footwel l.
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely
attached to the floor mat fas teners and do
not in terfere with the free movement of the
pedals.
.,. Ma ke s ure t hat the floor ma ts are prope rly
secured an d cannot move and interfere wi th
the peda ls ~ _& .
Use only floor mats tha t leave the peda l area
u nobstru cte d a nd th at are firmly secured so
that they cannot slip o ut o f position. You can
II>
•
•

194 Intelligent technology
Intelligent technology
Notice about data
recorded by the Event
Data Recorder and
vehicle control modules
E ve nt Dat a Recorder
This vehicle is equipped with an Event Data
Recorder (EDR) . The main purpose of an EDR
is to record, in certain crash or near crash-like
situations, such as an airbag deployment or h itting a road obstacle, data that will ass ist in
understand ing how a veh icle's systems per­
formed. The EDR is designed to record data
re lated to vehicle dynamics and safety sys­
tems for a short period of time, typically
30 seconds or less. The EDR in this vehicle is
designed to record such data as:
- How various systems in you r vehicle were
operating;
- Whether or not the d river a nd passenger
safety belts were buckled/fastened;
- How far ( if at all) the dr iver was dep ress ing
the accelerator and/or brake peda l; and,
- How fast the ve hicle was traveling.
These data can help provide a better under­
stand ing of the c ircumstances in which crash­
es and injuries occur . NOTE : EDR data a re re­
corded by your veh icle only if a non-trivial
crash sit uat ion occ urs; no data are recorded by
the EDR under normal driving cond itions and
no personal data (e.g., name, gender, age,
and crash location) are recorded. However,
other parties, such as law enforcement, co uld
comb ine the EDR data with the type of per­
sonally identify ing data routinely acquired
during a crash invest igation .
To read data recorded by an EDR, special
equ ipment is required, and access to the veh i­
cle or the EDR is needed. In add ition to the ve­
h icle manufacturer, other parties, such as law
e nfo rcement, that have the special equip­
ment, can read the information if they have
access to the ve hicl e or the EDR. Some state
laws restrict the retrieval o r down­
loading of data stored by ED Rs insta lled in a
vehicle for the express purpose of retrieving data after an accident or crash event w ithout
the owner's consent .
Audi will not access the EDR and/or simi lar
data or g ive it to others -
- un less the vehi cle owner (or lessee if the ve ­
hicle has been leased) agrees; or
- upon the officia l request by the police ; or
- upon the o rder of a court of law or a govern-
ment agency; or
- for the defense of a lawsuit through the ju­
dicia l discovery p rocess.
- Aud i may also use the data for research
about vehicle ope rat ion and safety perform­
ance or provide the da ta to a third party fo r
research purposes without iden tif ying the
specif ic vehicle or in formation about the
identity of its owner or lessee and only after
the recorded vehicle data has been ac­
cessed .
Vehicle control modul es
Your vehicle is also equ ipped with a n umber of
electron ic control modules for various vehicle
systems, such as engine management, emis­
sion contro l, airbags, and safety belts.
T hese electronic con trol mod ules record data
during norma l vehicle operation that may be
needed by trained technicians for diagnostic
and repair purposes. The recording capability
of these modu les is limited to data (no sound
is recorded). Only a small amount of data is
actually recorded over a very lim ited period of
t ime, or stored when a system fault is detect­
ed by a contro l modu le. Some of the data
stored may re late to vehicle speed, direction,
o r braking, as well as restraint system use and
performance in the event of a crash. Stored
data can also only be read and dow nloaded
with special eq uipment that is directly con-
nected to the vehicle. .,..

@ 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 .,..

M N <( (.J
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
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
•
•

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 ¢,&. . .,.