2015 AUDI S7 traction control

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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. ..,.

@ 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
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•

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 .,..

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Winter t ire s
When driving in the w inter, your vehicle w ith
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 tires) for improved driveability and brak­ ing: these tires must be mounted on
a ll fo ur
wheels .
See also c:> page 267, Winter tires.
Tire chain s
Where tire cha ins are mandatory on certain
roads, th is normally a lso applies to vehicles
with all-wheel drive
c> page 268, Snow
chains.
Re placing wh eels/ tire s
Vehicles w ith all-wheel drive must a lways
have tires of the same size. Also avoid tires
with different tread depths. For details see
page
c:> page 260, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels .
Off-Road dri ving ?
Your Audi does not have enough ground 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
c:>page204.
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to road and traf­
fic condit ions . Do not let the extra safety
afforded by all-wheel dr ive tempt you into
taking extra risks.
- Although the all-wheel dr ive is very ef­
fec tive, a lways remember that braking
capacity is limited by t ire traction. Yo u
should therefore not dr ive at excessive
speeds on icy or slippery road surfaces.
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to
drive too fast because the front wheels cou ld begin to slide on top of the water
(aquaplaning). If this sho uld occur, you
will have no warning from a sudden in­
crease in engine speed as with a front­
wheel drive vehicle. A lways drive at
speeds wh ich are suited to the road con­
ditions -risk of c rash.
Int ellig ent technolog y 201
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 conventional energy system
is not d riven for a long per iod of t ime, the bat­
tery is discharged by idling current consumers (e .g. immobilize r). In certain circumstances it
can resu lt in the re be ing insuffic ient energy
available to start the engine.
Intelligent energy management in your vehi­
cl e ha ndles the distribution of e lectr ica l ene r­
gy. Start ing ability is markedly improved and
the life of the battery is extended .
Bas ica lly, energy management consists of
ba tter y dia gno sis, id lin g curr ent manage­
ment
and dynamic ener gy manag ement.
Battery di agnos is
Battery diagnosis continuously determ ines
the state of the batte ry . Sensors determine
battery voltage, battery current and battery
tempe rature. This de termines the curren t
state of cha rge and the power of the battery .
Idling current management
Idling current management reduces energy
consumption while the vehicle is standing .
With the ign ition switched off, it controls the
energy supply to the various electrica l compo ­
nents. Da ta fr om ba ttery d iagnos is is cons id ­
ered.
Depend ing on the batte ry's state of cha rge,
individ ual cons ume rs a re g radually turned off
to prevent excessive discharge o f the battery
and th us maintain star ting capability.
Dynamic energy management
While the vehicle is being dr iven, dynamic e n­
ergy ma nagement distr ibutes the energy gen­
erated a ccord ing to the needs of the individ u-
al components . It regulates consumpt ion, so
that more e lectrical energy is not being used .,.
•
•

264 Tires and whee ls
tires because they meet the
h ighest standards regarding
safety and driving characteris ­
tics when used correctly. Your
authorized Audi dealer w ill
g ladly provide you with more
information.
Tire ply composition and materials used
T he number of plies indicates
the number of layers of rubber­
coated fabric in the tire. In gen­
eral, the greater the number of
plies , the more weight a tire
can support . Tire manufactur­
ers also must indicate the ma­
ter ia ls in the tire, wh ich include
steel, nylon, polyester, and oth­
ers .
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates the max­
imum load in kilograms and
pounds that can be carried by
the tire.
Tire quality grading for
treadwear, traction, and
temperature resistance
Tread wear, trac tion and tem­
perature grades
¢ page 266.
Ma ximum Permissible
Inflation Pressure
T his number is the greatest
amount of air pressure that should ever be put in the tire
under normal driv ing condi­
tions.
A WA RNING
-Using incorrect or unmatch­
ed tires and/ or wheels or improper tire and wheel
combinations can lead to loss of control , collision and
ser ious personal injury.
-Always use tires, rims and
wheel bolts that meet the
specifications of original
factory-installed tires or
other combinations that
have been specifically ap ­
proved by the vehicle manu­
facturer.
- Tires age even if they are
not being used and can fail
sudden ly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that a re more
than 6 years old can on ly be
used in an eme rgency and
then with special care and
at lower speeds.
-Never mount used tires on
your vehicle if you are no t

266 Tire s and wheel s
run flat tires. If run flat tire s
are u sed , they mu st be in­
stalled on all four wheel s.
Mixing tire types is not per­
mitted.
@) Note
-For technical reasons, it is
not generally possible to
use the wheel rims from
other vehicles. This can hold
true for wheels of the same
vehicle type.
- If the spare tire is different
from the tires that you have mounted on your vehicle
(for example winter tires or
wide prof ile tires), then use
the spare tire for a short pe­
riod of time only and drive
with extra care. Replace the
flat tire with the tire match­ ing the others on your vehi­
cle as soon as possible.
- Never drive without the
valve stem cap . The valves
could get damaged.
@) For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accord­
ance w ith the local require­
ments.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wea r
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Quality g rades can be foun d where applicab le
on the t ire s ide wall between t read sho ulder
and maximum section width
¢ page 260,
fig . 204 .
For example: Tread wear 200 , Traction AA,
Temperature A.
All passenger car t ires must con fo rm to Feder ­
al Safety Req uirements in ad dition to these
grades.
Tread wear
T he tread we ar g rade is a c omp arative r ati ng
based on the wea r ra te of the t ire when tes ted
u nder con tro lled cond itions o n a specifie d
government test course .
F or example, a tire gr aded 1S 0 wo uld wear
o n e and one h alf ( 11/ 2) times as well on the
government course as a ti re g raded 100.
T he re lative per formance of tires depends
u pon the actu al conditions of their use, how­
ever, and m ay depart s ignificantly from the
no rm due to va ria tions i n driving hab its, se rv ­
ice p ractices and differences in road character­
ist ics and cl imate.
Traction
T he trac tio n gr ad es, fro m highest to lowest,
are AA, A, Ban d
C. Those grades represent t he
ti re 's ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured under cont rolled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of aspha lt
and concrete. A t ire mar ked C may have poor
traction performance
¢ A .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and C, represe nting the tire's resistance to
the generation of heat and its ab ility to dissi­
pate heat when tested unde r controlled condi­
t ions on a specif ied ind oor laborato ry test
whee l.