2016 AUDI A7 lights

Driving safety
Driving safety
Basics
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instructions and warnings that you need to
read and observe for your own safety, the safety
of your passengers and others. We have summar­ ized here what you need to know about safety
belts, airbags, child restraints as well as child
safety. Your safety is for us
priority number 1. Al­
ways observe the information and warnings in
this section - for your own safety as well as that
of your passengers .
The information in this section applies to all
model versions of your vehicle . Some of the fea­
tures described in this sections may be standard
equipment on some models, or may be optional
equipment on others. If you are not sure, ask
your authorized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in­
structions and heed the WARNINGS in this
Manual.
It is in your interest and in the in­
terest of your passengers.
- Always keep the complete Owner's Litera­
ture in your Audi when you lend or sell your
vehicle so that this important information
will always be available to the driver and
passengers.
-
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy so
that you can find it easily if you have ques­
tions .
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant re­
straint system and work together to help reduce
the risk of injury in a wide variety of occident sit­
uations.
Your safety and the safety of your passengers
should not be left to chance. Advances in tech­
nology have made a variety of features available
to help reduce the risk of injury in an accident.
126
The following is a list of just a few of the safety
features in your Audi:
-sophisticated safety belts for driver and all pas-
senger seating positions,
- safety belt pretensioners,
- safety belt force limiters for the front seats,
- safety belt height adjustment systems for the
front seats,
- front airbags,
- knee airbags for the front seats*
- side airbags in the front seats and outer rear
seats*,
- side curtain airbags with ejection mitigation
features,
- special LATCH anchorages for child restraints,
- head restraints for each seating position,
- adjustable steering column.
These individual safety features, can work to­ gether as a system to help protect you and your
passengers in a wide range of accidents . These
features cannot work as a system if they are not
always correctly adjusted and correctly used.
Safety is everybody's responsibility!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody's job! Vehicle and occupant
safety always depends on the informed and care­
ful driver.
For your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers,
before driving always:
... Make sure that all lights and signals are operat­
ing correctly.
... Make sure that the tire pressure is correct.
... Make sure that all windows are clean and afford
good visibility to the outs ide .
... Secure all luggage and other items carefully
~ page 63, ~page 60.
... Make sure that nothing can interfere with the
pedals .
... Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correctly for your height .
... Instruct passengers to adjust the head re­
straints according to their height.

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

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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. .,.
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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

Trailer mode
Tire pressure
When tow ing a trailer, inflate the tires of your ve­
hicle to the cold tire pressure listed under " Full
load" on the label located on the driver's side B ­
pillar (visible when the door is open). Inflate
trailer tires to trailer and tire manufacturers'
specifications.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working properly .
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety cha ins are p roperly connect­
ed from the trailer to the hitch on the vehicle.
L eave enough slack in the chains to permit turn ­
ing corners. When you install safety chains, make
sure they will not drag on the road when you are
driving.
The chains should cross under the trai ler tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the hitch.
Adjusting the Audi drive select
Make su re the vehicle is on a level su rface before
h itching up the trailer and before adjusting the
tongue weight . The vehicle must be in
auto or
comfort driving mode and not raised
r::!> page 101, r::!> 0.
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered. In Info­
tainment, select:
ICARI function button > Lower
control button.
If you must drive under poor road conditions, you
can raise the vehicle
after coupling the traile r or
after adjusting the tongue weight c::!> page 103 .
(D Note
-Changes in temperature or load can affect
the height of the vehicle.
- Always select
auto or comfort mode. Other­
wise, the tongue load specified for your ve­
hicle will no longer be applicable.
202
· Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care
and consideration .
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the follow ing:
.,. Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself
is not loaded .
.,. Be especially carefu l when passing other
vehicles.
.,. Observe speed lim its .
.,. Do not drive at the maximum permissib le
speed.
.,. Always app ly brakes early .
.,. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car results
i n a h ighly unstab le distribution of weight. If th is
cannot be avoided, dr ive at very low speeds only
to avoid the risk of losing steer ing control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and control.
This means that the tow vehicle shou ld be loaded
to the extent possible and permissib le, w hile
k eep ing the traile r as light as possible under the
circumstances. Whenever possible, transfer
some ca rgo to the luggage compartment of the
tow vehicle while observing tongue load require­
ments and vehicle loading considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to contro l the rig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or wind cond itions are unfavorab le -particular ly when
going downh ill.
Red uce vehicle speed
immediately if the trailer
shows the slightest sign of swaying .
Do not try
to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits . In some areas, speeds for
vehicles towing trai lers are lower than for regular
vehicles.
Always apply brakes early. When driving dow n­
hill, shift i nto a lower gear to use the engine

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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

Care and cleaning
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect yourse lf
from sharp metal components when wash­
ing the underbody or the inside of the wheel
housings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking effect
may be delayed due to moisture on the
brake rotors or ice i n the winter. The brakes
must be d ried first w ith a few careful bra ke
applications.
(D Note
- If you wash the vehicle in an automatic car
wash, you must retract the rear spoiler if
necessary, and fold the exter ior mirrors in to
r educe the ris k of damage. Power folding
ex ter ior mirrors* must on ly be folded in and
out using the power folding function.
- To prevent pa int damage, do not wash the
vehicle in di re ct s unlight.
- To reduce the risk of damage to the s urface,
do not use i nsec t removing sponges, kitche n
sponges or similar ite ms. - Matte finish painted vehicle components:
-To reduce the risk of damage to the sur-
face, do not use polish ing agents or hard
wax.
- Never use protective wax.
It can destroy
the matte finish effect.
- Do not place any stickers or magnet ic
signs on vehicle parts painted w ith matte
finish paint. The pa int co uld be damaged
when the stickers o r mag nets are re­
moved.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash t he ve hicle i n facilities spec ially de­
signed for that purpose. Th is w ill re duce the
r isk of dirty water co ntaminated w ith oil from
ente ring the sewe r system.
Cleaning and care information
W hen clean ing and caring for ind ividua l vehicle
com ponents, re fer to the following tables. The
info rmation conta ined there is simply recommen- dations. For questions or for compo
nents tha t
are not li sted, refer to an au thor ized Audi dealer.
A lso follow the information found in
¢ .& .
Exterior cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Wind shield wiper
Deposits ¢ page 50, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
blades
Headlights /
Deposits Soft sponge with a mild soap solutional
tail lights
Sensors /
Deposits Sensors: soft cloth with solvent-free cleaning so lution
camera lenses Camera lenses: soft cloth with alcoho l-free clean ing solu-
tion
Snow/ ice H
and br ush/solvent -free de- icing sp ray
Wheels Road sa lt Water
Brake d ust Acid
-free spec ia l cleaning solut ion
E x haust t ail pipes Road sa lt Water, clea ning solution sui tab le for stain less stee l, if nee -
essary
Decorative parts / Deposits Mild soap solutiona>, a cleaning so lution suitable for stain -
trim less stee l,. if necessary
206