2016 AUDI A7 Owners Manual

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After you have closed the settings, you are auto­
matica lly driving in the
Individual driving mode.
Systems Comfort
Engine/Transmission
balanced
air suspension* comfortable
Steering comfortable
Audi drive select
The equipment in your vehicle will determine
which settings you can adjust . The following ta­
ble g ives an overview of the characteristics.
Auto Dynamic
balanced sporty
ba lanced sporty
ba lanced sporty
Dynamic
steering* comfortable/indirect ba lanced/direct sporty/direct
Sport differential* balanced
Adaptive cruise control* comfortable
Engine sound* subtle
a) Subtle in the se lector lever position D and sporty in S.
(D Tips
Your Ind ividual mode settings are automat i­
cally stored and assigned to the remote con­
trol key being used.
Raising/lowering the
vehicle
A ppl ies to vehicles: with a daptive air s uspensio n
Raising the vehicle
You can ra ise your veh icle temporarily, for exam­
p le to drive over a tall curb.
.,. Select the following in the Infota inment sys­
tem: the
ICARI function button > Raise control
button .
.,. Wait for the arrows in the Infotainment system
display to stop blinking and the vehicle to reach
its fina l position.
Lowering the vehicle
.,. To lower the vehicle, select the follow ing in the
Infotainment system: the
! CARI function button
> Lower control button .
.,. Wait for the arrows in the Infotainment system
display to stop blinking and the vehicle to lower
completely .
(D Note
-Remember that your veh icle is not suitable
for driving offroad even when it is raised.
There is not enough ground clearance . ag
ile sporty
ba lanc ed sporty
subtle/sportyal sporty
- If the vehicle is raised, it wi ll lower auto­
matically when driving 62 mph (100 km/h)
or faster.
Driver messages
App lies to vehicles: wit h adaptive a ir suspens ion
Air suspension : Vehicle is too high. Controlling
level. ..
Air suspension: Vehicle is too low. Controlling
level. ..
The driver message switches off when the level
control process is complete .
103

Night visio n ass is t
Night vision assist
Night vision assist with
pedestrian and wild
animal highlighting
Description
A pp lies to veh icles : w ith night v isio n ass ist
The night vision assist can detect, highlight and,
if necessary, warn about pedestrians and large
wild animals.
Night vision assistant with pedestr ian and wild
animal detection assists you in darkness by using
an infrared camera to monitor the area in front of
your vehicle, within the limits of the system.
It
can display objects up to approximately
1000 feet (300 meters) away. The heat image de­
tected by the camera is shown in the instrument
cluster display. Warm areas appear lighter and
cold areas appear darker.
Highlighting detected pedestrians and wild
animals
A pplies to veh icles: w ith night v isio n ass ist
F ig. 110 Instrument cluster: Yellow pedestr ian highl ight ­
i ng
Fig. 111 I n st rument cluster: symbol when infrared image
i s not visib le
104
Within the limits o f the system, night vision as­
sistant can detect pedestrians and wild animals
that are within the detect ion range between ap­
proximately 32 feet (10 meters) and 295 feet
(90 meters) in front of the vehicle. When it is
dark outside and the headlights are switched on,
detected pedestrians and w ild an imals are
marked in yellow ¢
fig. 110 within the limits of
the system ¢
page 105 . Wild animal detection is
not act ive in bu ilt-up areas . The system only de­
tects large wild anima ls such as deer.
@ Tips
I f another display such as navigation rep laces
the image from the night v is ion assist the~ .. ,
symbol appears in a tab
r::!>fig . 111. You can
access night vision assist using the buttons in
the m ultifunction steering wheel¢
page 24 .
Pedestrian and wild animal warning
Applies to vehicles: wit h night vision assist
Fig . 112 Instrument cl uster: @Pedest rian warn ing ,®
w ild animal warning
Fig. 113 Instrument cl uste r: @ Pedestr ian warn ing/ @
wild an ima l warn ing , when the image from th e n ight vis ion
assist is not selected in t he instrument cluster display
Iii-

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Disp lay in th e in st rum ent clu ste r/head-up
di splay *
If there are pedestrians or wild animals in an area
in front of your vehicle that is classified as criti­
cal, the system will direct your attention to this:
- Pedestrians or wi ld animals are highlighted in
red and the corresponding symbol. or.
turns on
¢fig. 112.
-There is also a tone.
The area classified as cr itical is based on the vehi­
cle speed and the steering w heel angle. Pedes­
tr ian and wild animal warning encourages you to
pay more attention.
I f the nigh t vision assist image is replaced by an­
o ther d isp lay (such as the on-board computer),
the red ind icator light . or. will appear if
there is a pedestrian or wild animal warning
¢ fig . 113.
If the head- up display* is sw itched on and the
n ight vision assist content is activated, . or.
will appear in the head-up display*.
Ma rking light*
To direct the driver's attention to a pedestr ian,
the headlights can flash on the pedestr ian th ree
times in a row when the re is a pedes trian warn­
ing .
This happens at speeds above approximate ly
35 mph (60 km/h) when you are traveling ou t­
side of we ll-lit areas and when flashing the head­
lights will not create glare for a vehicle detected
in the oncoming lane. The marker light* is con­
trolled by the high beam assist* ¢
page 44, High
beam assist.
The marking light is not used for wi ld animals .
Nig ht v is io n as sist
General information
App lies to vehicles : wit h night vision assist
Fig. 114 Fro nt of the veh icle: night vi sion camera
The following situat ions may affect the function
of the night vision assist system:
- Poor visibility such as snow , rain, fog or heavy
spray
- Dirty lens on the night vision assist camera
Make sure the night vision ass ist camera
¢
fig. 114 is not covered by stickers, depos its or
any other obstructions because that can affect
the camera function . For information on clean ­
ing, refer to¢
page 205.
Pedestria n and wild anima l detect ion depends on
the difference in temperature between the per­ son/wild animal and the background area. Pedes ­
trians/wild anima ls may not be detected if the
difference is too small. Pedestrian and wild ani­
mal mark ing and the marker light* are deactivat­
ed at temperatures above approximately 77 °F
(25 °C) and when it is light outside . When the
night vision assistant image is selected in the in­
str ument cl uster d isplay, the
Ill symbo l appears
i n the upper right.
A WARNING
Pay attention to traffic and the area a round
your vehicle when night vision assist is sw itch­
ed on. As the driver, yo u are a lways responsi­
ble for assessing the traffic situat ion.
- Night vision assist can only warn about peo­
ple and wi ld animals located within the visu­
al range of the infrared camera. The visual
range corresponds to the image in the in­
strument cluster display .
-
105

Night visio n ass is t
- Night vision assist may not detect people or
wild animals and mark them if
- they are not in an upright position, for ex­
ample if they are sitt ing or ly in g down
and/or
- the silhouette in the display appears in­
comp lete or interrupted, for example be­
cause the person is pa rtially covere d by a
veh icle or an animal by tall grass. This
could increase the risk of an accident.
- Never try to swerve around an imals if do ing
so wi ll endanger you or other road users, be ­
cause this increases the risk of an acc ident.
- E ven though the system eva lu ates the
shape and hea t given off by all detec ted ob­
j ects, there are lim its to the system . There
may be false warnings .
- F or technica l reasons, the image pauses in
sp lit second interva ls.
Switching on/off
Applies to veh icles: w ith night vision assist
F ig. 11 5 Area arou nd t he ligh t switc h: n ig ht vis ion assist
butto n
Requirement : Switc h the ignition on and turn the
light switch to the
AUTO posit ion or .
.,. Press the~ button ¢
fig. 115. The heat image
from the night v is ion camera appears in the in­
strument cluster d isplay .
.,. Press the~ button again to sw itch night vision
ass ist off .
If cond it ions are br ight enough, night v ision as­
sist can be sw itched on without mov ing the light
switch to the
AUTO position . Pedestrian and w ild
106
anima l highl ighting and wa rnings are only active
whe n it is dark outside and the headlights are
switched on .
Adjusting the contrast
Applies to vehicles: with night vision assist
.,. Select: the I CARI function button > (Car )* Sy s­
tem s
control button > Driver ass istan ce >
Night vi sion ass ist contrast .
When the night vis ion assist is switched on and
the image is v is ible in the instrument cluster dis­
play, you can adjust the contrast in the image
from
Min to Ma x.
Driver messages
Applies to vehicles: with night vision assist
Night vision a ssis t: Sy stem fault
The system cannot guarantee cor rect function
and is switched off . See an authorized Audi dealer
or a uthorized Audi Service Facility for ass istance.
Night vis ion a ssist: Currentl y una vailable
The system cannot gua rantee cor rect function
temporar ily and is switched off .
Night vision a ssis t: Only available at night with
lights tu rned on
Night vision assist only works when it is da rk out­
s ide and the headlights a re on.
Night vi sion a ssi st: Ped estrian marking current­
l y unavailab le
The pedestrian and wild animal h ighlighting was
switched off by the system.

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Automatic transmission S tronic, tiptronic
Introduction
The automat ic transm iss ion is controlled elec­
tronically. The transmission upshifts or down­
shifts automatically depending on which drive
program is selected.
When a
moderate driving style is used, the
transmission selects the most econom ical driving
mode. The transmiss ion upshifts at a lower RPM
and downshifts at a higher RPM to improve fuel
efficiency.
The transmission switches to a sporty mode after a kick-down or when the driver uses a
sporty driv­
ing style
cha racterized by quick accelerator pedal
movements, heavy acceleration, frequent
changes in speed and traveling at the maximum
speed.
If desired, the driver can also select the gears
manually (tiptronic mode) ¢ page 111.
Various automat ic tr ansm issions may be instal­
led, depending on the model:
S tronic transmission
The S tronic is a dual -clutch transmission . Power
is transferred using two clutches that work inde­
pendently from one another. They replace the
torque converter used in conventional automat ic
transmissions and a llow the vehicle to accelerate
without a noticeable interruption in traction.
tiptronic transmission
In the tiptronic transmission, power is transfer­
r ed by a torque converter.
Automatic transmission
Selector lever positions
Fig. 116 Disp lay in the instrument cluste r: selector lever
posit ion
T he selec tor lever pos ition engaged appea rs next
to the se lector lever as well as in the instrument
cluster display.
P -Park
In this selector lever position the transmission is
mechanica lly locked . Engage P only when the ve­
hicle is
completely stopped¢.& in Driving the
automatic transmission on page 109.
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 hand le
whi le moving the selector lever to or from P. You
can sh ift out of this position only with the igni ­
tion 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 109.
Before you move the selector lever to R, press
both the button in the hand le of the selector lev­
er
and the brake pedal at the same time.
When the ignition is on, the backup lights illumi­
nate when the selector lever is moved into R.
N -Neutral
The transm iss io n is in neutral in this pos ition.
Sh ift to this position for standing with the brakes
applied
¢ .& in Driving the automatic transmis-
sion on page 109. .,.
107

Automatic transmission
When the vehicle is stationary or at speeds below
1 mph (2 km/h), you must always apply the foot­
brake before and while moving the lever out of N.
DIS -Normal position for driving forward
In the D/S position, the transmission can be oper­
ated either in the normal mode Dor in the sport
mode S . To select the sport mode S, pull these­
lector lever back brief ly. Pulling the lever back
again will se lect the normal mode D . The inst ru­
ment cluster display shows the selected driving
mode.
In the
normal mode D , the transmission auto­
matically selects the suitable gear ratio . It de­
pends on engine load, vehicle speed and driving
style.
Select the
sport mode S for sporty driving. The
vehicle makes full use of the engine 's power .
Shifting may become noticeable when accelerat­
ing.
When the vehicle is stationary or at speeds below 1 mph (2 km/h), you must a lways apply the foot
brake before and while moving the lever to D/S
out of N.
A WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS¢.&. in Driv­
ing the automatic transmission on
page 109.
(D Note
Coast ing downh ill with the transmission in N
and the engine not running will result in dam­
age to the automatic transmission and possi­
bly the catalytic converter.
@ Tips
- Audi drive select: you can adjust the sporty
sh ift characte ristics in the
Dynamic driv ing
mode .Sw ill appear in the instrument clus­
ter display instead of D.
-If you accidentally select N while driving,
take you r foot off the accelerator pedal im­
mediately and wait for the engine to slow
down to idle before selecting D/S.
108
-If there is a power fai lure, the selector lever
wi ll not move out of the P position. The
emergency release can be used if this hap­
pens
¢ page 113.
Selector lever lock
The selector lever lock prevents you from select­
ing a gear accidentally, causing the vehicle to
roll .
Fig. 117 Selector lever lock
T o re lease the selector lever lock:
"' Switch the ignition on .
)
"' Press the brake pedal while pressing the inter-
lock button.
Automatic shift lock (ASL)
The selector lever is locked in the P and N posi­
tions when the ignition is switched on. The re­
move it from these positions, the driver must
press the brake pedal and press the lock button
at the same time. The following message ap­
pears in the instr ument cluste r display when the
selector lever is in the P or N position to rem ind
the driver:
Brake pedal must be applied to shift from P
The Automatic Shift Lock only functions when the
vehicle is stat ionary or at speeds below 1 mph
(2 km/h) . At speeds above about 1 mph (2 km/h)
the Automatic Sh ift Lock is automatically deacti­
vated in the N position .
The selector lever is not locked when shifting
quickly through N, for example from R to D. This
makes it poss ible to free the vehicle when it is
stuck by "ro ckin g" it. The selector lever lock en-
gages if the leve r stays in the N position longer ..,.

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than 2 seconds when the brake pedal is not
pressed.
Lock button
The lock button in the selector lever handle pre­
vents yo u from moving the se lector lever unin­
tentionally while in some se lector lever positions .
The positions that require the lock button to be
pressed are marked in color in the illustration
¢fig. 117 .
Driving the automatic transmission
Starting the engine
.. The selector lever must be in P or N.
Starting off
.. Press and hold the brake pedal.
.. Press and ho ld the release button in the selec­
tor lever handle, select the desired selector lev ­
er position such as D/S and release the button .
.. Wait briefly until the transmission has shifted
(you will feel a slight movement).
.. Remove your foot from the brake pedal and ac­
celerate .
Stopping temporarily
.. Keep the vehicle stationary using the braking
pedal, for example at traffic lights.
.. Do not press the accelerator pedal when doing
th is.
.. To prevent the veh icle from rolling when you
start driving, set the parking brake when stop­
ping on steep inclines¢,& .
.. Th e parking brake will re lease automatically
and the vehicle will start moving once you press
the accelerator peda l.
Stopping/parking
If the selector lever is not in the P position when
you open the driver 's door, the veh icle could roll.
The message
Transmi ssion : Car may roll! Shift
to park!
appears.
.. Press and ho ld the brake pedal unt il the vehicle
has come to a complete stop.
.. Apply the parking brake¢
page 78, Parking.
.. Select the P selector lever position ¢ ,&.
Automatic transmission
Stopping on an incline
.. Always press the brake pedal to hold the vehi­
cle in place and prevent it from "ro lling back"
c::> ,& . Do not try to prevent the vehicle from
"rolling back" when a gear is engaged by in­
creasing the engine speed ¢(D .
Starting on an incline
.. Activa te the parking brake.
.. With the driving gear selected, press the acce l­
erator pedal carefu lly. The parking brake will re­
lease automatica lly if your seat belt is fastened.
Under certain circumstances, such as driving in
the mountains, it may be useful to switch tempo­
rarily to the manual shift program in order to ad­
just the gears to the dr iv ing condit ions by hand
Q ,&. .
On s lopes, 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 se­
rious injury .
- Never leave your vehicle with the engine
running while in gear. If you must leave your
vehicle when the engine is running, activate
the park ing brake and move the selector lev­
er to P.
- Power is still transmitted to the wheels
when the engine is running at idle. To pre­
vent the vehicle from "creep ing", you must
keep yo ur foot on the brake when the engine
is running and the se lector lever is in D/S or
R or "tiptronic" mode is selected.
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when
changing the se lector lever position while
the vehicle is stationary and the engine is
running .
- Never shift into R or P while driving.
- Before driving down a steep slope, reduce
your speed and shift into a lower gear with
"ti ptronic".
109

Automatic transmission
-Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
pedal too often or too long when driving
down a hill. Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substantially re­
duces braking performance, increases brak­
ing distance or causes complete failure of
the brake system .
- To prevent the vehicle from rolling back
when stopping on inclines, always hold it in
place with the brake pedal or parking brake.
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with a
slipping clutch. The clutch opens automati­
cally when it becomes too hot from the
overload . An indicator lamp
mJ illuminates
and a driver message appears¢
page 112
when the clutch is overloaded.
-If the engine must remain running, never
have any driving position engaged when
checking under the hood. Make sure these­
lector lever has securely engaged and is
locked in P with the parking brake set
¢page 218. Otherwise, any increase in en­
gine speed may set the vehicle in motion,
even with the parking brake applied.
@ Note
- When stopping on an incline, do not try to
hold the vehicle in place by pressing the ac­
celerator pedal while a driving gear is se­ lected . This can cause the transmission to
overheat and can damage it . Activate the
parking brake or press the brake pedal to
prevent the vehicle from rolling.
- Allowing the vehicle to roll when the engine
is stopped and the selector lever is in N will
damage the transmission because it is not
lubricated under those circumstances.
@ Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re­
leased automatically only when the driver's
safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
110
· Hill descent control
Hill descent control assists the driver when driv­
ing down hills .
Hill descent control is activated when the selec­
tor lever is in the D or S posi tion and you press
the brake pedal. The transmission automatically selects a gear that is suitable for the incline . Hill
descent control tries to maintain the speed ach­
ieved at the time of braking, within physical and
technical limitations. If may still be necessary to
adjust the speed with the brake pedal.
Hill descent control switches off once the hill lev­
els out or you press the accelerator pedal.
On vehicles with a cruise control system*
¢
page 83, hill descent control is also activated
when the speed is set.
A WARNING
Hill descent control cannot overcome physical
limitations, so it may not be able to maintain
a constant speed under all conditions. Always be ready to apply the brakes.