2015 AUDI RS7 SPORTBACK wheel

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Intelligent technolog y 189
Switching on and off
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine .
Fig. 180 Center console,:, OFF button
The ESC is designed to function in levels. De­
pending on the leve l that is selected, the sta-
ESC levels
bilization function of the ESC is limited or
switched off. The amount of stabilization con­
trol will differ depending on the level.
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 st uck
- Dr iving in deep snow or on loose g round
- Dr iving with snow chain s
Sport mode on ESC/ASRoff Sport mode off or
ESC /ASRon
Behavi or
The ESC and ASR stabili za- The stabiliza tion f unct ion The f ull stabil iza tion f unc-
tion funct ions are lim ited is no t avai lable~ &.. ESC tion of the ESC and ASR is
~ Lr,. . and ASR are sw itched off .
available again .
Operat ion Press the I~ OF FI button Press and hold the I~ OF FI Press the l.!7-OFFI button
briefly . button longer than 3 sec- again.
ands.
I n dicato r II turns on. II and Ill turn on. II turns off or II and II
lights turn off.
Driver m es- Stabilization control Sta b il iza tion control Stabilization c ontrol
s age s (
ES C): S po rt. Warning ! (ESC): Off. Warning! Re- (ESC ): On
Redu ced stabilit y duced stabilit y
A WARNING
-
cont rol system * or the adaptive cruise
control* is switched on.
Yo u should only sw itch sport mode on or
switch ESC/ASR off if your driving ab ilities
and road conditions perm it.
- The stabilization function is limited
when sport mode is switched on. The
driv ing whee ls could spin and the vehicle
cou ld swe rve, especially on slick or slip­
pery road surfaces.
- The re is no vehicle stab ilization w hen
ESC/ASR are switched off.
(D Tips
- ESC/ASR cannot be switc hed off o r sport
mode cannot be sw itched on if the cruise
- If the rear spoi ler system malfunct ions,
sport mode may not switch on o r it may
switch off again automatically.

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Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Operating condi tions and d riv ing hab it s
The brakes on today's automobi les are sti ll
subject to wear, depending largely on operat­
ing conditions and driving habits
c:> A . On
vehicles that are either driven mostly in stop­
and-go city traffic or are driven hard, the brake pads should be checked by your author­
i zed Audi dealer more often than specified in
the
Warr ant y & Maint enan ce bookle t. Failure
to have your b rake pads inspected can res ult
i n red uced brake performance.
On steep slopes, you should use the brak ing
effect of the engine. This way, you prevent un­
necessa ry wea r on the brake system.
If you
must use yo ur brakes, do not ho ld the brakes
down continuously. Pump the brakes at inter ­
va ls.
Moistu re or road salt
Unde r ce rtain conditions, for example, when
driving through wate r or very heavy rain, or
even after washing your vehicle, the braking
effect can be reduced d ue 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 with
the windshield wipers on, the brake pads will
briefly touch the brake discs 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 driven on a salt-covered
road and the brakes are not used . Here too,
you should clean
off accumulated salt coat ing
from b rake discs and pads with a few careful
applications of the brake
c:> ,&. .
t5 Cor ro sion
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
Int ellig ent technolog y 191
the d iscs if the car is not driven regu larly or
only for short trips with litt le use of the
brakes.
If the brakes a re not used frequently, o r if cor­
rosion has formed on the discs, it is adv isable
to clean
off the pads and discs by braking
firmly a few times from a moderately high
speed
c:> ,&. .
Fault s in the brak e syste m
If you shou ld notice a sudden increase in
brake pedal trave l, then one of the two brake
circuits may have fai led ¢
A.
Low brake fluid lev el
Malfunctions can occu r in the bra ke system if
the brake fluid level is too low. The brake flu id
level is monitored elect ronica lly.
Brake booster
The brake booster works with vacuum pres­
su re which is created only whe n the engine is
runn ing ¢,&. .
Brake lining we ar s tatus
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the open ings in the wheel. If neces­
sary, the wheel may be removed fo r thi s in­
spection ¢
page 263, Changing a wheel.
_& WARNING
-You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake system only if road conditions permit .
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may ca use an accident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gear or lower dr iving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too often . Th is could cause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency.
- Do not "ride the brakes" by rest ing your
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to b rake. This may cause the brakes to
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192 Intelligent technology
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopp ing distance.
- Under certain climatic and operating
condit ions such as passing through wa­
ter, driving in heavy ra in or after wash ing
the vehicle, the effect iveness of the
brakes can be reduced. In winter, ice ca n
accumulate on the brake pads, linings ,
discs and d rums . Carefully apply brakes
for a test . B rakes wi ll dry a nd ice coat­
ings will be cleaned off after a few c are­
f ul brake app lications .
- Dr iv ing fo r an ex tende d pe riod of time on
salt-covere d roads w ithout us ing yo ur
brakes can also affect braking efficiency.
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
bra ke discs and pads w ith a few caref ul
brake applicat ions.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
flow to the front brakes is not obstruct­ ed. Otherwise the brake system could
over heat reducing the effectiveness of
the ent ire brake system .
- Failure of one brake c ircuit will impair
the braking capability res ulting in an in­
creased stopp ing distance. Avoid driv ing
the vehicle and have it towed to t he near­
est Aud i dea le r o r q ualified w ork sho p.
- Never let the vehicle ro ll to a stop w ith
the e ngine shu t off.
- If the brake booster is not working, the
brake pedal must be p ressed conside ra­
bly harder to make up for the la ck of
booster assistance.
Electromechanical
power assist, dynamic
steering
The electromechanical power assist helps the
driver when steering .
Power stee ring adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed .
Indicator lights and messages
• Steer ing defective! Stop the vehicle
If this indicato r light turns on and stays on
and this message appears, the power steering
may have failed.
Do
not con tinue dr iv ing . See your author ized
Audi dealer or other qualified repair facility
for assistance .
l;r-ij Steering: System fault You can continue
driving
If the indicato r light turns on and the mes­
sage appea rs, the stee ring may be more diffi­
cul t to move o r more sensi tive th an usua l. The
steering wheel may a lso be at an ang le when
driving straight .
Drive slowly to you r authorized Aud i dea le r o r
qualified wo rks hop to have the ma lf u nct ion
corre cted.
l;r,ij Dynamic steering: Initializing
If this driver message appears and t he indica­
tor light is f lashing on the instrument panel,
dynam ic steer ing* is being rei nitia lized. Afte r
sta rting the engine, the stee ring wheel will
move s ligh tly. Re- ini tiali zation mig ht be ne c­
e ssa ry if the stee ring wheel was moved h ard
to the left an d right wh ile the vehicle was not
moving . The display goes out as soon as initi ­
alization is complete.
D rive slowly to you r aut horized Audi de aler or
qualified wo rkshop to have the ma lf u nct ion
corrected.
A WARNING
Have t he dynamic stee ring * system mal ­
f u nction repa ired as soon as possib le by an
a uthorized Audi dealer or qua lified wor k­
shop - risk of accident !
(D Tips
If the . or@ indicator light on ly stays
on for a short time, yo u may continue driv­
i ng.
- The dynamic steering * sta bility systems
are not avai lab le in the event of a system
ma lf u nction.
- For add itiona l information on dynamic
steering *, refer t o
c> page 96.

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0:: <.J 'SI:
Driving with your
quattro
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels are 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 187.
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 188 . With the sport d ifferen­
tial*, power distribution to the rear wheels is
va riable and can be adjusted with drive select
¢page 96.
The all-wheel drive concept is designed for
hi gh engine power. Your vehicle is exception­
ally powerful and has exce llent dr iving charac­
teristics both under normal driving conditions
and on snow and
ice. Always read and follow
safety precautions ¢.& .
Winter tires
When driving in the w inter , your ve hicle with
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 t ires) for improved driveability and brak­
ing: these tires must be mounted on
all four
wheels. See also ¢ page 252, Winter tires.
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain
roads, this normally a lso applies to vehicles
with a ll-wheel drive¢
page 253, Snow
chains.
Replacing wheels/tires
Vehicles w ith all-wheel drive must always
have tires of the same size. Also avoid tires
with different tread depths. For details see
page ¢
page 245, New tires and replacing
~ tires and wheels . 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
Intelligent technology 193
Off•Road driving?
Your Audi does not have enough g round 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
¢page 197.
A WARNING
Always adjust your dr iv ing to road and traf­
fic conditions. Do not let the extra safety
afforded by all-wheel drive tempt you into
taking extra risks.
- Although the all-wheel drive is very ef­ fective, always remember that braking
capacity is lim ited by tire traction. You
should therefore not drive at excessive
speeds on icy or slippery road surfaces.
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to
drive too fast because the front wheels
could begin to slide on top of the water
(aquaplaning) . If this should occur, you
will have no warning from a sudden in­
crease in engine speed as with a front­
wheel drive veh icle. Always drive at
speeds which are su ited to the road con­
ditions - risk of crash.
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 conventiona l energy system
is not driven for a long period of tim e, the bat­
tery is discharged by idling current consumers
(e.g . immobilizer). In certain circumstances it
can resu lt in there being insufficient energy
available to start the eng ine.
Intelligent energy management in your vehi­
cle handles the distribution of e lectrica l ene r­
gy. Starting ability is markedly improved and
the life of the battery is extended .
ll>
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202 Vehicle care and cleaning
Rinse the vehicle tho roughly again and let it
air dry . Remove any water residue using a
shammy .
S tu bborn depos its s uch as bird dropp ings or
tree sap are best removed with plenty of wa ­
ter and a microfiber cloth.
A WARNING
- Only wash the vehicle when the ignition
is off and follow the instructions from
the car wash operator to reduce the risk
of accidents .
- To reduce the r isk of cuts, protect your­
self from sharp meta l compone nts whe n
was hing t he underbody or the ins ide of
t h e whee l hous ings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking ef ­
fect may be delayed due to mo isture on
the brake roto rs o r ice in th e winter . The
brakes mus t be dried first with a few
c a refu l br ake appli cat io ns.
(D Note
- If you wash t he veh icle in a n au tomatic
ca r wash, yo u m ust retrac t the r ear spoi l­
er if necessary, and fo ld the exter io r mir­
r o rs in t o reduce the r is k of dam age. P
ower fo lding ex terior mirrors * mus t on ­
ly be folde d in an d out using the powe r
folding function.
- To prevent paint damage, do not wash
the vehicle i n direct sunlight.
- T o reduce the ris k of damage to the sur­
face, do not use insect removi ng spong­
es, kitchen sponges or similar items.
- Matte finish painted vehicle compo ­
nents :
- To reduce the risk of damage to the
surface, do not use polishi ng agen ts or
ha rd wa x.
- N eve r use car wash cycles that apply
p rotectiv e wax .
It can des troy the
ma tte fi nish effect .
- D o not place any st ickers o r magnet ic
signs on v ehicle parts painted w ith
ma tte fi nish paint. The paint cou ld be
d am aged when the stickers o r m agne ts
a re removed.
~ For the sake of the environment
Only wa sh the ve hicl e in facili tie s sp eci ally
d esigne d for th at pu rpose. Thi s will re duce
the r is k of dirty wate r contam inated with
oi l from entering the sewer system.
Cleaning and care information
When clea ning and cari ng fo r individua l vehi­
cle components, refer to the fo llow ing tab le.
The informa tion con tained there is s imply rec­
ommendations. Fo r q uest ions or for compo -nents that are not listed
, refer to a n author­
i z ed Audi dea ler or a qu alified workshop. Also
f o llow the inform ation fo und in ~ .&. .
Cleaning exterior Component Situation Solution
Wiper blades Dirty
~ page 49, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
Headlights / Dirty Soft sponge with a m ild soap solution a>
tail lights
Sensors/ Dirty Sensors: soft cloth w ith a so lvent-free cleaning product
camera lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth with an alcohol-free cleaning
so lution
Snow/ice Hand b rush/so lvent-free de -icing spray
Wheels Road salt Water
Brake d ust Acid-free special cleaning so lution

204 Vehicle care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
T ex tile s,
Stains adhering to Vacuum cleaner
Vin yl, the surface
A lcan ta ra Water -based stains Absorbent cloth and mild soap solutiona>
such as coffee, tea,
blood, etc.
O il-based stains Apply a mild soap solutiona>, blot away the d issolved oil
such as oil, make- or dye, treat afterward w ith water, if necessary
up, etc.
Special stains such Special stain remover, blot with absorbent material,
as ballpoint pen, treat afterward with mild soap solutiona>, if necessary
na il polish, latex
pa int, shoe po lish,
etc.
N atu ral leather Fresh stains Cotton cloth with a mild soap solutiona>
Water-based stains Fresh stains: absorbent cloth
such as coffee, tea, Dr ied stains: sta in remover suitable for leather
blood, etc.
Oi l-based stains Fresh stains: absorbent cloth and sta in remover suitable
such as oil, make- for leather
up, etc. dried stains: Oil cleaning spray
Special stains such Stain remover suitable for leather
as ballpo int pen,
na il polish, latex
pa int, shoe polish,
etc.
Care Regular
ly apply condit ioning c ream that protec ts from
light a nd penetrates into the materia l. Use specially-col-
ored conditioning cream, if necessary.
Carbon part s Dirty Clean tlhe same way as plastic parts
a) Mi ld soap so lut ion : maximum two tablespoons neut ra l soap in 1 quart (I lite r) of water
& WARNING
The windshie ld may not be treated with
water -repe lling windshield coating agents .
Unfavorab le conditions such as wetness,
darkness, or low sun can result in in­
creased glare. W iper blade chatter is a lso
possible .
(V Note
-Headlights /tail lights
- Never clean headlights or tail lights
w it h 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 scratc hes
must be repa ired immediately.
- Sensor s/camera len ses
- Never use warm or hot water to re-
move snow or ice from the camera
le ns. This could cause th e lens to crack . ""

226 Tires a nd whee ls
Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreci ­
ated and most abused parts of
a motor vehicle.
Ti res may be the least appreci ­
ated and most abused parts of
a motor vehicle. Tires are, how­
ever, one of the most important
parts of a vehicle, partic ularly
considering the comparatively
small patch of r ubber on each
tire that assures that all-impor­
tant contact between you, your
vehicle and the road.
Maintaining the co rrect tire
p ressure, making sure that your
vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry more we ight than they
can safe ly handle, avoiding
damage from road hazards and
regular ly inspecting tires for
damage including cuts, s lashes
irregular wear and overall con ­
d ition are the most important
things that you can do to help avoid sudden tire fai lure inc lud ­
ing tread separation and blow­
outs.
Avoiding damage
If you have to drive over a curb
or similar obstacle, drive very
slowly and as close as possible
at a right angle to the curb.
Always keep chemicals includ­
ing grease, o il, gasoline and
brake fluid off the tires.
Inspect the tires regularly for
damage (cuts, c racks or blis­
ters, etc.). Remove any foreign
bodies embedded in the treads.
Storing tires
Mark tires when you remove
them to indicate the direction
of rotation . This ensures you to
be able to mount them correct ­
ly when you reinstall them .
When removed , the wheels or
tires should be stored in a cool,
dry and preferably dark p lace.
Store tires in a vertical position if they are not mounte d on
r ims, in a horizontal position if
they are mounted on rims.
New tires
New tires have to be broken in
¢ &.
The tread depth of new tires
may vary , according to the type .,.

Tires and wheels 22 7
and make of tire and the tread -New tires tend to be slip-•
pattern. pery and must be broken in. • '
Hidden damage To reduce the risk of losing
Damage to tires and rims is of- control, a collision and seri-
ous personal injuries, drive
ten not readily visible. If you with special care for the
notice unusual vibration or the first 350 miles (560 km).
vehicle pulls to one side, this
-Driving with worn or dam-
may indicate that one of the
aged tires can lead to loss of
tires has been damaged. The
control, sudden tire failure,
tires must be checked immedi-
ately by an authorized Audi including a blowout and
sudden deflation, crashes
dealer or qualified workshop.
and serious personal inju-
Unidirectional tires ries. Have worn or damaged
A unidirectional tire can be tires replaced immediately.
identified by arrows on the -Tires age even if they are
sidewall, that point in the di rec- not being used and can fail
tion the tire is designed to ro- suddenly, especially at high
tate. You must follow the speci- speeds. Tires that are more
fied direction of rotation. This is than 6 years old can only be
necessary so that these tires used in an emergency and
can develop their optimum then with special care and
characteristics regarding grip, at low speed.
road noise, wear and hydro- -Never mount used tires on
planing resistance. For more in- your vehicle if you are not
formation
¢ page 268. sure of their "previous histo-
ry." Old used tires may have
A WARNING
been damaged even though -
New tires or tires that are the damage cannot be seen
old, worn or damaged cannot that can lead to sudden tire
provide maximum control failure and loss of vehicle
M N and braking ability. 0:: control. <.J 'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,