2016 AUDI A7 warning light

Intelligent Technology
ESC lev els
Sport mode on Sport mode off
Beha vior
The ESC and ASR stabilization f unctions are The full stabilization function of t he ESC
limited
c> ,& . and ASR is avai lab le again .
Operation Press the 1.$ OFF I button. Press the 1.$ OFF I button agai n.
In dicato r II turns on. II turns off.
light s
Driv er m es- S ta bi liz at ion contr ol (ESC ): sport. Warn -Stabiliz ati on c ontr ol (ESC ): on
s age s ing! Res tricted stabilit y
A WARNING
Only switch sport mode on when yo ur driving
abilities and the traffic situation permit, be­
cause there is a risk of sliding.
- The stabilization function is limited when
sport mode is switched on. The dr iv ing
wheels could spin and the vehicle could
swerve, especially on slick or slippery road
s u rfaces .
(D Tips
-Sport mode cannot be switched on if the
cruise control system* or adaptive cruise
control* is switched on.
- If the rear spoiler system malfunctions,
sport mode may not switch on or it may
switch off again automat ically.
Braking
What affects braking efficiency?
New brake pads
During the f irst 250 miles (400 km), new brake
pads do not possess the ir full braking effect, they
have to be "broken in" first
c> ,& . You can com­
pensate for this sl ightly reduced brak ing power
by pushing ha rder on the brake pedal. Avoid
heavy brak ing loads dur ing the b reak-in per iod.
Operat ing condit ions and d riving hab its
The brakes on today's automobi les are st ill sub­
ject to wear, depending largely on operating con ­
d itions and dr iving habits
c> ,& . On veh icles that
are either driven mostly in stop-and-go c ity t raf­
fic or are dr iven hard, the b rake pads should be
checked by your author ized Audi dea ler mo re of -
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ten than specified in the Warrant y & Mainte­
nan ce b ookl et.
F ail ure to have your brake pads
inspected can resu lt in reduced brake perform ­
ance.
On steep slopes, you sho uld use the braking ef­
f ect of the engine. This way, you prevent unnec ­
essary wear on the brake system. If yo u must use
you r brakes, do not hold the brakes down contin ­
u ously. Pump the brakes at intervals .
Operating noise
Noises may occur when braking depend ing on the
speed, braking force and ou tside cond itions su ch
as temperature and hum idity .
Effect of wat er and road salt
In certa in situations, for examp le after driv ing
t hr ough water, in heavy rain, after overnight con­
densa tion or after washing yo ur ca r, the bra king
effect can be reduced by moisture or ice on the
brake rotors and brake pads . The brakes must be
dried fi rst with a few careful brake applications .
At higher speeds and with the winds hield wipers
turned on, the brake pads press against the brake rotors for a short amount of time . This occurs at
r egular intervals without the driver noticing and
provides for better brake response time under
wet cond itions .
The effect iveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is d riven on a salt-covered road
and the brakes are not used. Likewise, you clean
off accumulated salt coating from brake discs
and pads wi th a few caut ious applications of the
brake
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Offroad vehicle?
Your Aud i is not an off road vehicle -there is not
enough ground clea rance . For this reason, avo id
difficu lt terrain .
A WARNING
-Also, in vehicles with all whee l dr ive, adapt
your dr iving style to the current road and
traffic conditions. Do not let the increased
safety provided tempt you into taking risks, because t his increases the risk of an acci ­
dent .
- The brak ing ability of yo ur vehicle is lim ited
to the traction of the wheels . In this way, it
is not different from a two wh eel drive veh i­
cl e. Do not be tempted to ac celerate to a
high speed when t he ro ad is s lippery th is in­
cr eases the r is k of an accident .
- Note t hat on wet streets, t he front w heels
c an "hyd rop lane" if d riving at speeds that
are too high. Unli ke front whee l drive
vehicles, the engi ne does not rev higher sud ­
den ly when the vehicle begins hydrop laning.
For this reaso n, pay attent ion to the r oad
condit ions regardless of your speed to re­
duce t he risk of an accident .
Rear spoiler
The extendable rear spoiler increases driving sta­
bility.
Fi g. 179 Cente r con sole : re ar s poil e r b utto n
The rear spoiler retrac ts and extends. Var ious op­
erat ing modes (automatic or manual mode) can
be activated .
Intelligent Technology
Automatic mode (normal operation)
-Au tomatic deployment : At a s peed of about 80
mph (130 km/h) , the rear spo ile r deploys auto ­
matically .
- Au tomatic retra ction: When speed drops below
abou t SO mph (80 km/h), the rea r spoi ler re ­
tracts automatically.
Manual mode
- Man ual deployment: Tapp ing br iefly on the
sw itch ~
fig. 179 deploys the rea r spo ile r.
- Manual retraction : At speeds up to about
10 mph ( 20 km/h), re tract the rear spoiler by
pressi ng and hold ing t he sw itch. At speeds be­
tween 10 mph (20 km/h) and 80 mph ( 130
km/h), retract the rear spoi ler by tapping on
the switch.
Indicator lights
rJ /. Rear spoiler : S ys tem fault
The rea r spoi le r may not have exte nded due to a
malfunction . Th is could change the vehicle's driv­
i ng charac teristics at high speeds . Do not exceed
8 5 mp h (140 km/h). Dr ive to you r authorized
A udi dealer immed iate ly to have the malfu nction
corrected. The color of the indicator light de ­
pends on the vehicle speed .
A WARNING
-
Driving at higher speeds witho ut the rear
spoi ler deployed ca n impair handling charac­
terist ics, making the vehicle harder to control.
- Always make sure that the spo iler is de-
p loyed w hen d riving at speeds over 85 mph
(140 km/h). If the rea r spo ile r warning/ind i­
cato r light i n the instrument cluster comes
on, the rear spoile r may not have deploye d.
- Never drive at speeds h igher than 85 mph
(140 km/h) if the spo iler is not deployed.
Have the spoiler i nspected as soon as possi­
b le by an au tho riz e d Aud i deale r o r q ualified
w orkshop.
- Always obey speed li mits and othe r traff ic
laws.
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Intelligent Technology
& WARNING
Improp er operat ion of the rear spoiler can
cause crushing injuries.
- Always make sure that nobody, espec ially
children , is in the way when the rea r spo ile r
i s deployed or retracted.
@ Note
- Neve r push on the vehicle on the rear spoi l­
er. Th is co uld cause damage .
- To prevent damage to the rear spoiler do
not lean or p lace anyth ing on it.
- Only ope rate the rear spoi ler manually when
the luggage compartment lid is close and
the rear spo iler moving parts are not
blocked . Ot herwise, damage could occur.
(D Tips
Clean the rear spoiler compartment every 2 to
3 mont hs. To function correct ly, the rear
sp oiler must be free of ice, sn ow and leav es.
Energy management
The starting ability is optimized
The energy management system manages the
ele ctrical energy distribu tion and op timi zes the
availability of elec trical energy for starting the
engine .
Whe n a ve hicle wit h a co nven tional e nergy sys ­
tem is not dr iven for a long time, the ba tte ry is
d rained by equipmen t (fo r example the immobil ­
izer). In certa in circ umstances, there cou ld may
not be eno ugh energy to start the engine .
Your veh icle i s equ ipped w ith an intellige nt ener ­
gy managemen t system for distr ibuting electr ic i­
ty . Th is significantly improves the starti ng ability
a nd increases the battery life .
T he energy m anagemen t sys tem Is made up of
battery diagno sis, idling current management
and dynamic energy management.
Battery diagnosis
T he batte ry diagnos is determines the ba tte ry
ch arge leve l. The sen sors de te ct the ba tte ry, the
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batte ry current, an d the batte ry tempera ture.
The c urrent charge leve l and the perfo rmance of
t h e battery are determined based on th is.
Idling current management
The idling cur ren t management decr eases the
energy used wh ile pa rke d. Wi th the eng ine
switched off, it manages the energy dis trib ution
to t he d ifferent e lectr ica l components . Date from
battery diagnos is is ta ken into acco unt for this .
Depend ing on the batte ry charge leve l, elec trical
equipmen t is switched off one item afte r th e o th ­
e r, to prevent the battery from dra ining and to
r etain the starting ability.
Dynamic energy management
While driv ing , d ynam ic ene rgy man agement dis ­
t ribu tes the ap propri ate amount of energy to the
e lectrica l equ ipment. It controls the battery
c h arge level so t hat more ene rgy is not use d then
i s be ing generated in order to maintain an opti­
mal battery charge level.
(D Tips
- Energy management can not overcome the
laws of p hys ics. Note that the charge level
and length of the battery life a re limited.
- W he n the sta rting ability is endange red, the
(•j indicator light t urns on¢ page 16 .
What you should know
Maintaining the starting ability is the highest
priority .
A lot of st ress is placed on the ba ttery when dr iv ­
i ng sho rt distances, in t raff ic, and at cold t imes
of the year . A lot of ene rgy is used but little is
generated .
It is also critical when the engine is
not ru nning but e lectr ica l equipment is sw itched
o n. In th is case, energy is used but none is gener ­
ated.
In sit uat ions like this, energy ma nagement w ill
active ly regu lated the distribution of energy.
Long periods without use
If you do not drive yo ur vehicle for several days or
weeks, e lectr ica l equipment is grad ually scaled ..,.

Driving and th e environment
content of the fuel be ing used. Using a differ­
ent brand of fuel may help, or filling the tank
w ith lead-free super grade gasoline.
Diesel particulate filter
A pp lies to veh icles: w ith d iesel e ng in e
The diesel particulate filter filters nearly a ll of
the soot particles out of the exhaust . The filter
cleans itse lf automatically under normal driving
conditions. If the f ilter cannot clean itself (for ex­
ample, because you are only driving short distan­
ces), the filter becomes clogged with soot and
the
II symbo l for the diesel particulate filter il­
lum inates ¢
page 20.
_& WARNING
-Do no t park your vehicle ove r flammable
materials such as g rass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel particu ­
late fi lter co uld start a fire.
-
- Do not apply an underbody protectant in the
exha ust system a rea o r a fire could start.
Placing your vehicle out
of service
If you wou ld like to take your veh icle out of serv­
ice for a longer t ime, contact your authorized
Aud i dealer or authorized Aud i Service Facility.
They will advise you of important measures, such
as corrosion protection, maintenance and storage p rocedures . Also follow the informat ion about
the battery ¢
page 228.
Economical and environ­
mentally-friendly driving
General
Your personal style of driving will determine the
economy of your vehicle, as well as exhaust and
noise levels .
Fuel economy, environmental impact, and wear
on your engine, brakes and t ires largely depend
on three factors:
-your personal dr iv ing style
- operating conditions
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- technical limitat ions
If you ant ic ipate what you need to do next and
drive econom ic a lly, you can easily cut yo ur fu el
consump tion by 10-15 percent. This section will
give you some tips on how you can he lp the envi­
ronment and your pocketbook .
(D Tips
'
The cons ump tion es tima tes as published by
EN VIRON MENTAL PRO TEC TION AGENCY ( EPA)
and T ransport Canada may not correspond to
your actual consumption on the road, which
will vary depending upon vehicle load and
speed, road and weather conditions, tr ip
l ength, etc.
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are acceler­
ating.
.. Avo id unnecessary accelerating and brak ing.
Vehicles use the mos t fue l when they a re acceler ­
ating. I f yo u anticipate what is going to happen
next, you w ill need to b rake less and, thus, accel­
erate less. Let the veh icle coast whenever possi­
ble -for example when you see that the next traf­
fic light is red .
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and im­
proves your mileage.
.. Try and keep well below your car's maximum
speed.
Acce lerating gently red uces fue l cons umption,
engine wear, and does not disturb the environ­
ment .
Fuel consumpt ion, exhaust emiss ions and engine
noise increase d isproportionately at high speeds .
If you drive at approximate ly three quarte rs of
top speed, fue l consumption will be reduced by
one half. Never drive faster than the posted
speed l imit and weather cond itions permit.

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Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up fuel.
~ Shut the engine off when you are not driving
the vehicle.
~ Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the en-
gine run at idle .
The idling phase is automatically reduced for
veh icles with the Start-Stop-System . It is effi­
cient to switch off the engine in vehicles without
the Start-Stop-System when stopped at railroad
crossings and long red lights. Turning the engine
off for just 30-40 seconds saves more fuel than is
burned by starting the engine again.
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fully when it is running at idle . However, wear
and noxious emissions are especially high when
the engine is warm ing up. So you shou ld drive
away as soon as you start the engine and avoid
running at high rpms while the engine is still
warming up .
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after
starting. If warning lights should come on to
indicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling a lso produces
heat, wh ich could resu lt in overheating or oth­
er damage to the vehicle or other property.
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel.
~ Have your vehicle serviced at regular intervals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
Aud i dea ler helps to ensure that it runs properly
and economica lly. The condition of your vehicle
not only affects its safety and ability to hold its
value, it a lso affects fuel consumption .
Check your oil each time you fill your tank.
The amount of oil used is related to engine load
and speed.
Driving and the environment
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new en­
gine to reach its lowest value after a certain mile­
age has been driven.
You must drive your veh icle about 3,000 miles
(5,000 kilometers) before you can properly as ­
sess oil consumption .
T h is also applies to fuel consumption and engine
o ut put .
CD Note
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommenda­
tions in your Warranty
& Maintenance book­
let . Lack of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the em ission contro l system and
cou ld lead to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Emission Control System unless ap­
proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such as
heat shields, sw itches, ignition wires,
valves, which are designed to protect your
vehicle's Emission Control System and other important vehicle components .
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively high
on short trips .
~ Try to avoid dr iv ing short distances w ith a co ld
eng ine .
The engine and cata lytic converter have to reach
their optimal operating temperature to reduce
fuel consumpt ion and nox ious em issions effec­
t ively.
Just after starting, a co ld engine in a mid-size car
only achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 mi les per
gallon (30-40 l/100 km) . After about a half a
mile, fuel economy climbs to 12 mpg (20 l/100
km). After about
2.5 miles (4 km), the eng ine is
at its proper operating temperature and fuel
economy has reached a norma l level. So you can
see that you should avoid short trips whenever
poss ible. .,.
199

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Trailer mode Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, p lease remember that
the additional load will affect durability, econo­
my and performance.
Trailer towing not only places more stress on the
vehicle, it also calls for more concentration from
the driver.
For this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
(D Note
If you are going to tow a trai ler, you must ac­
tivate the trailer operat ion mode
c::> page 201, Operating instructions.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suitable
for your vehicle and trailer and must be mounted
securely on the vehicle's chassis at a
technically
sound
location. Use only a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ball mount. Always check with the trail­
e r hitch manufacturer to make sure that you are
using the correct hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way that it
does not interfere with the impact-absorbing
bumper system. No modifications should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and brake systems.
From time to time, check that all hitch mounting
bolts remain securely fastened .
When you are not towing a trailer,
remove the
trailer hitch ball mount. This prevents the hitch
from causing damage should your vehicle be
struck from behind
c::> &, .
Trailer mode
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a brak ing system,
check to be sure that it conforms to all regula­
tions.
T he trailer hydraulic brake system must not be di­
rect ly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic b rake
system.
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your veh icle
and the tra iler.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be sure
to check with your Aud i dealer for correct wiring,
switches and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you us­
ing the regular outside mirrors, then you
must in­
stall extended mirrors. It is important that you
always have clear vision to the rear .
A WARNING
--
After removing the trailer hitch, do not store
i t in your vehicle. In case of sudden braking,
the hitch could fly forward and injure you or
your passengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in
place to prevent it from sh ifting forward, back­
ward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer c::> &.
in Driving instructions on page 203 .
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder. It
is important that the cooling system's perform­
ance is up to the additional load. Make sure that
the cooling system has enough fluid . .,..
201

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braking effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fail.
Air suspension*
When driving with a trailer, activate the trailer
mode of the air suspension. Switch the air sus­
pension trailer mode on when you are towing a
trailer. This will limit the regulation by the air
suspension while driving. Select in the MMI:
ICARI function button > (Car)* systems control
button>
Vehicle settings> Air susp.: towing>
On.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge c::> page 10 must
be observed carefully. The coolant temperature
can increase if you drive on long inclines in a low
gear at high engine speeds . Reduce your speed
immediately if the LEDs in the top part of the dis­
play turn on .
For more information about indicator lights, re­
fer to.
c::> page 15.
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving
vehicle is at a much greater risk in an acci­
dent . Never let anyone ride in your car who is
not properly wearing the restraints provided
by Audi.
Trailer mode notes
Important to know
-
Your vehicle handles differently when towing a trailer because of the additional weight and dif­
ferent weight distribution . Safety, performance
and economy will greatly depend on how careful­
ly you load your trailer and operate your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away
from traffic . Keep practicing until you have be­
come completely familiar with the way your vehi­
cle-trailer combination behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice. Back­
ing up with a trailer generally requires steering
Trailer mode
action opposite to that when backing up your ve­
hicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle
and the one in front of you . You will need more
room to stop. To compensate for the trailer, you
will need a larger than normal turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot accel­
erate as fast as you normally would because of
the added load. Make sure you have enough room
to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for
your trailer before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in peri­
od of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may require
more frequent maintenance due to the ex­
tra load
c::> page 2 7 4.
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot
be avoided, do so only after doing the following:
When parking:
" Apply the foot brake.
" Have someone place chocks under both the ve­
hicle and the trailer wheels.
"With chocks in place, slowly release the brakes
until the wheel chocks absorb the load.
"Turn the wheels towards the curb.
... Apply the parking brake.
"Select the P selector lever position.
When restarting after parking:
"Apply the foot brake.
"Start the engine.
"Select the D/S selector lever position.
"Release the parking brake and slowly pull out
and away from the wheel chocks.
"Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel
chocks .
203

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Care and cleaning
General information
Regular, proper care helps to maintain your vehi ­
cle's value.
It can a lso be a req uirement when
submitting warranty claims for corrosion damage
and paint defects on the body.
The necessary care products can be obtained
from your a uthorized Audi dea ler . Read and fol ­
l ow the instructions for use on the packaging .
A WARNING
- Using clean ing and care products incorrectly
can be dangerous to your health.
- Always store cleaning and care products out of reach of children to reduce the r isk of po i­
soning .
@) For the sake of the environment
- Preferably use environmentally-friendly
products when b uying cleaning agents.
- Do not dispose of leftover cleaning and care
products with h ousehold tras h.
Car washes
The longer that deposits remain on the vehicle ,
the more the s urface may be damaged . H igh
temperatures s uch as those caused by s unlight
increase the damaging effect.
Before washing, rinse off heavy deposits with
p lenty of water.
S tu bbor n depos its s uch a s bird dropp ings o r tree
sap are best removed w ith plenty of wa ter and a
microfiber cloth .
A lso, was h the unde rs ide of your vehi cle once
ro ad salt s tops be ing use d fo r t he season .
Pressure washers
When washing your ve hicles w ith a pressure
washer, always follow the operating instructions
p rov ided with t he p ress ure washer. This is espe­
ci ally importan t in reg ard to the p ress ure and
sp ray ing dist ance. Do not aim the spray direc tly
at seals on side windows, doors, the hood, the
rear lid or the sunroof * or at tires, rubber hoses,
Care and cleaning
insulat ing mater ia l, sensors * or camera lenses *.
Keep a distance of at least 16 inches (40 cm) .
D o no t remove snow and ice with a pressu re
washe r.
Never use rotary nozzles or high pressure noz­
z les.
The water temperature must not be above 140 °F
(60 °() .
Automat ic car washes
Sp ray off the ve hicle before washing .
Make sure tha t the w indows and roo f* are close d
and the windshield wipers are off . Follow inst ruc ­
tions from the car wash operator, especially if
there are accessor ies attached to your vehicle.
If possible, use car washes th at do not h ave
brushes.
Washing
by hand
Clean the ve hicle starting from the top and work­
i ng down using a soft sponge or cleani ng b rush .
U se solven t-free cle ani ng p rod ucts.
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint
by
hand
T o avoid damaging the pain t whe n washing, first
remove dus t and large particles from yo ur vehi ­
cle . Inse cts , grease s pots and fingerprin ts a re
best removed with a specia l cleaner for matte
finish pai nt.
Apply t he p rod uct using a mi crofiber cloth. To
avo id damaging the paint surfa ce, do not use too
much pressure.
Rinse the ve hicle thoroughly with water. Then
cl ea n usi ng a neutr al sham poo and a so ft mi cro ­
fiber clo th .
Rinse the ve hicle thoroughly again and let it air
dry. Remove a ny wate r residue using a s ham my.
A WARNING
- Onl y wa sh the vehicle w hen the ign ition is
off and fo llow the ins truc tions from the car
wash ope rator to reduce the risk of a cci­
dents.
-
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