2016 AUDI A7 Owners Manual

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Corro sion
There may be a tendency fo r dirt to bui ld up on
the brake pads and corrosion to fo rm on the discs
if the car is not driven regularly or only for short
trips with little use of the brakes.
If the b rakes are not used frequently, or if corro­
sion has formed on the discs, it is advisab le to
clean
off the pads and discs by braking firmly a
few times from a moderately high speed
c=> .&, .
Faults in the brake sy stem
If you should not ice a sudden increase in brake
pedal travel, then one of the two brake circuits
may have fai led
c=> .&, .
Low brake flu id level
Malfunct ions can occur in the brake system if the
brake fluid level is too low. The brake flu id leve l is
monitored e lectronically.
Br ake boo ste r
The brake booster works w ith vacuum pressure
which is created only when the engine is running
~ ,& .
Brake lining wear sta tu s
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the wheel. If necessary,
the wheel may be removed for this inspection
c=> page 2 55, Replacing wheels.
.8, WARNING -
- New brake pads don't have the best stop­
ping power and must be "broken-in" during
the initial 250 mi les ( 400 km) . You can com­
pensate for this by pressing the brake peda l
more firmly. This a lso applies later when
new pads are installed.
- You should perform braking maneuvers for
the purpose of clean ing the brake system
only if road conditions perm it. Other road
users must not be put at risk -you may
cause an accident!
- Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmiss ion into a lower
gear or lower driving range. Do not ride the
In te llig ent T echnolog y
brakes or hold the peda l down too long o r
too often. This could cause the brakes to get
hot and dimin ish braking effic iency.
- Do not "ride the brakes" by rest ing your foot
on the pedal when you do not intend to
brake. This may cause the brakes to over­
heat, premature wear and increased stop­
ping distance .
- Under certain cl imatic and operat ing condi­
tions such as passing through water , dr iv ing
in heavy rain or afte r washing the veh icle,
the effect iveness of the brakes can be re ­
duced. In winter, ice c an accumulate on the
b rake pads, lin ings, discs and drums. Care­
fu lly apply brakes for a test . Brakes will dry
and ice coatings will be cleaned
off after a
few ca reful brake app lications.
- Driving for an extended period of t ime on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can a lso affect braking efficiency.
Clean
off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you in­
stall a different spoiler, be su re the air f low
to the front brakes is not obstructed . Other­
wise the brake system could overheat reduc­ ing the effect iveness of the entire brake sys­
tem.
- Fai lure of one brake circuit will impa ir th e
b rak ing capability res ulting in an increased
s topping distance. Avoid driving the vehicle
a nd have it towed to the nearest Aud i dea ler
or qualified workshop .
- Never let the vehi cle roll to a s top with the
engine shut
off .
- If the b rake booste r is no t working, the
b rake peda l must be pressed cons iderably
harder to make up for the lack of booster as­
sistance.
191

Intelligent Technology
Electromechanical
steering, dynamic
steering
The electromechanical steering supports the
driver's steering movements .
Powe r stee ring adapts electroni cally based o n
the vehicle speed.
Indicator lights and messages
• Do not dr ive v ehicle: steering d efecti ve
If th is ind icator light turns on and stays on and
this message appears, the power steering may have fa iled.
Stop the vehicle in a safe locatio n as soon as pos ­
sib le. Do
not continue driving. See an author iz ed
Aud i dealer or authori zed Aud i Service Facility for
assistance.
,Ton Steering: Sy stem fault You can continue
driving
If the indicator lig ht t urns on and the message
appears, t he steering may be more diffic ult to
move or more sensitive than usual. The steering
wheel may a lso be at an ang le when dr iv ing
straight.
D rive s low ly to your authorized A udi dealer or
qualified wor kshop to have the malfunction cor­
rected.
,Ton Dynamic steering: Initializing
If the indi cator lig ht ls b linki ng and th is message
appears, dynam ic s teeri ng* is being ini tialized.
Once you st art the eng ine a fter this is finished,
the steering wheel will be easy to move . Re -initi ­
alization might be necessary if the steering whee l
was moved hard to the left and right wh ile the
veh icle was not moving . The display turns off if
the initiali zation was successfu l.
(D Tips
-If th e . or ,Ton indicator light only stays on
for a short time, you may continue driving.
- The dynamic steering sta bility systems
r=> page 188 are not ava ila ble in the event of
a system ma lf u nction.
192
- For add itiona l information on dynamic
steerin g, refer to
r=> page 101.
All wheel drive (quattro)
App lies to vehicles : with all wheel drive
In all wheel drive, all four wheels are powered .
General information
In all whee l dr ive, the dr iv ing power is divide d be­
tween all four whee ls. Th is happens automat ic al­
l y depending on yo ur driv ing behavior as well as
the cur rent roa d conditions . Refer to r=>
page 188,
Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC).
A cente r d iff eren tial distribu tes the d riving power
variably to the fron t and rear ax le . I t works to ­
gether w it h select ive whee l torq ue control, which
activates when driving throug h curves
<=> page 189. With the sport differential*, power
distribution to the rear wheels is variable a nd can
be adjusted with drive select<=>
page 101 .
The all whee l drive concept is designed for high
engine power . Yo ur vehicle is exceptionally pow ­
erfu l and has excellent driving characterist ics
bot h under normal driving conditions and on
snow and ice . Always read a nd follow safety pre­
ca utions
<=> ,& .
Winter tires
By using all whee l dr ive, your ve hicle has good
forward motion with sta ndard t ires in winter con­
dit ions . However, in winter we recommend usi ng
winter or all seaso n tires on a ll fou r wheels, be­
cause this will improve the braking eff ect.
Snow chains
If there are snow chain laws, snow chai ns m ust
also be used o n ve hicles with all wheel drive
r=> page 248 , Snow chains .
Replacing tires
For vehicles with a ll wheel drive, o nly wheels with
the same rolling circum ference should be used.
Avoid w heels with d ifferent tread dept hs
<=> page 240, New tires or wheels. ..,.

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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.
193

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
194
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 ..,.

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back or switched off. This reduces energy use and
ensures the vehicle will be able to start after long
periods of time . Some convenience functions,
such as interior lighting or power seat adjust­ ment, may not be available under certa in circum­
stances . These convenience functions will be
available aga in once you switch the ignition on
and start the engine.
With the engine switched off
The battery will drain if you use functions such as
listening to the rad io while the engine is switched
off.
The vehicle's ability to start may be impaired by
the energy use, a message w ill appear in the In­
fotainment system d isp lay.
The message indicates that the system will
switch off automatically soon. If you would like
to continue using the funct ions, you must start
the eng ine.
With the engine running
Although electrical energy is generated whi le
driving, the battery can drain. This can happen
when little energy is generated, and much is used
and the charge level of the battery is not optimal.
To restore the balance of energy, components
that require large amounts of energy are tempo­
rarily sca led back or switched off . Heating sys­
tems in particu lar require a great deal of energy .
If you notice, for example, that the seat heating*
or rear window defroster is not working, then it
has been tempo rar ily reduced or sw itched off .
These systems are available again as soon as the
ene rgy balance has been restored.
In addition, you may notice that the idle speed
h as slightly increased . That is normal and no
cause for concern. Due to the increased idling
speed , the additional required energy w ill be gen ­
e rat ed and the battery will be charged.
Intelligent Technology
195

Driving and the environment
Driving and the
environment
Breaking in
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1,500 km).
For the first 600 miles (1,000 kilometers ):
.,. Do not use full throttle .
.,. Do not drive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the maximum permitted RPM .
.,. Avoid high engine speeds.
From 600 to 1,000 miles (1,000 to 1,500
kilometers ):
.,. Speeds can gradually be increased to the maxi­
mum perm issible road or eng ine speed.
During and after break-in period
.,. Do not rev the engine up to high speeds when it
is cold . This applies whether the transmission is
i n N (Neutral) or in gear .
After the break-in period
.,. Do not exceed maximum engine speed under
any circumstances.
.,. Upshift into the next higher gear
before reach­
i ng the red area at the end of the tachometer
scale~
page 10 .
During the first few hours of driving, the engine's
internal friction is higher than later when all the
mov ing parts have been broken in. How well th is
break-in process is done depends to a cons idera­
b le extent on the way the vehicle is driven during
the first 1,000 miles (1,500 kilometers).
(D Note
Extremely high engine speeds are automati­
cally reduced. However, these rpm limits are
programmed for an engine wel l run-in, not a
new engine.
196
® For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with unnecessarily high engine
speeds -upshifting early saves fuel, reduces
noise and protects the environment.
New tires
If your vehicle is running on new tires, drive par­
ticularly careful for the first 350 miles (500 kilo ­
meters) after f itting .
.8, WARNING
New tires tend to be slippery and must also
be "broken- in". Be sure to remember this dur­
ing the first 350 mi les (500 kilometers).
Brake gently. Avoid following closely behind
other ve hicles or other situations that might
require sudden, hard braking.
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc ., make certain that low­
lying parts such as spoilers and exhaust system
parts do not bottom out and get damaged .
This is especially true for vehicles with low-slung chass is (sports chassis)* and fully loaded
vehicles .
-
Driving through water on
roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage whe n
driving through water, for example on flooded
roads:
- The water must not be any highe r than the bot­
tom of the vehicle body.
- Do not dr ive faster than walk ing speed .
.8, WARNING
After driv ing through water or mud, the brak­
ing effect can be reduced due to moisture on
the brake discs and brake pads. A few careful
brake applications shou ld dry off the brakes.

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CD Note
-Vehicle components such as the engine ,
transmission, suspension or e lectr ical sys­
tem can be severe ly damaged by driving
through water .
- Always switch the Start-Stop -System* off
when driving through water
c> page 80.
@ T ips
- Determine the depth before driving through
water.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or
switch the eng ine off when driving through
water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep for your vehicle to drive
through safely.
- Avoid driving through sa lt water (corrosion).
Catalytic converter
Applies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
It is very impor tan t tha t your emission control
system (catalyti c converter) is functioning prop­
erly to ensure that your vehicle is running in an
environmentally sound manner .
... Always use lead-free gasoline c> page 210,
F uel supply .
... Never run the tank down all the way to empty .
.,. Never put too much motor oil in your engine
c> page 222, Adding engine oil~-
.,. Never try to push- or tow-start your veh icle.
The catalytic converter is an eff icient "clean-up"
dev ice bu ilt into the exhaust system of the vehi­
cle . T he catalytic converter burns many of the
pollutants in the exhaust gas before they are re­
l eased into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is cr itically im ­
portant for the life of the catalyt ic converte r and
proper functioning o f the eng ine .
A WARNING
The temperature o f the exhaust system is
high, both when driving and after stopping
the engine .
Driving and th e en vir onm ent
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once they
have become hot. Th is could resu lt in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in areas
where the hot exhaust system may come in contact w ith dry grass, brush, fuel spill or
other material which can cause a fire.
- Do not app ly additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust mani­
fold, exhaust pipes, catalytic converter or heat shields . During dr iving, the substance
used for undercoat ing could overheat and
cause a fire .
CD Note
-Be aware that just one tank filling with lead­
ed
fuel w ill already ser iously degrade the
performance of the catalyt ic converter .
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
¢ page 222.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty . The engine cou ld misfire .
Unburned fuel could also get into the ex­
haust system and this cou ld cause the cata­
lyt ic converter to overheat.
- Do not switch off the ignit io n while the veh i­
cle is movi ng.
- Do not continue to ope rate your veh icle un­
der these conditions, as othe rwise f uel can
reach the catalytic converter . This could re­
sult in overheating of the co nve rter , requ ir­
ing its replacement .
- T o assu re eff icient operation of the Emission
Contro l System:
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance w ith the serv ice recommen­
dat ions in your Warranty
& Maintena nce
booklet .
- Lack of proper maintenance as we ll as im­
p roper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the emission control system
and could lead to damage.
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emiss ion Control System is op­
erating properly, the exhaust gas can have a
su lfu r-like exhaus t gas sme ll unde r some op­
erating states. Th is depends on the s ulf ur
197

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
198
- 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.