2016 AUDI A7 wheel

Airbag syste m
(D Tips
If the capaciti ve passenger detection system
determines that the front passenger seat is
empty, the frontal airbag on the passenger
side w ill be turned off, and the
PA SSEN GER
AIR BA G OFF
light w ill stay on.
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the a irbag system are installed at many
d iffe rent p laces on your Audi. Insta lling, remov­
ing, servicing or repa iring a part in an area of the
veh icle can damage a part of an ai rbag system
and prevent that system from working properly
in a co llision.
There are some important thi ngs you have to
know to make sure that the effect iveness of the
system w ill not be impaired and that d isca rded
components do not cause injury or pollute the
environment.
A WARNING
-Improper care, servicing and repair proce­
dures can increase the risk of personal injury
and death by preventing an a irbag from de­
ploying when needed or deploying an airbag
unexpectedly:
- Never cover, obstruct, or change the steer­ ing wheel horn pad or airbag cover or the in­
strument pane l or modify them in any way.
- Never attach any objects such as cup holders or te lephone mountings to the surfaces cov­
ering the airbag units.
- For cleaning the ho rn pad or instrument
panel, use only a soft, dry cloth or one mois­
tened with plain water. So lvents or cleaners
c ould damage the a irbag cover or change
the stiffness o r strength of the ma ter ial so
that the airbag cannot dep loy and protect
properly .
- Never repa ir, adjust, or change any parts of
the a irbag system.
- All work on the stee ring wheel, inst rument
panel, front seats or electrical system (in ­
cluding the installation of audio equipment,
cellular telephones and CB radios, etc.)
must be performed by a qualified technician
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who has the training and special equipment necessary.
- For any work on the airbag system, we
strongly recommend that yo u see your au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
- Never modify the front bumper or parts of
the vehicle body.
- Always make sure that the side airbag can
inflate w ithout interference:
- Never install seat covers or rep lacement
u pholstery over the front seatbacks that
have not been specifically approved by
A udi.
- Never use additional seat c ushions that
cover the areas where the side a irbags in­
flate.
- Damage to the orig inal seat cove rs or to
the seam in the are a of the side ai rbag
module mus t always be repaired immedi­
ate ly by an autho rized Aud i dealer.
- The a irb ag sys tem can deploy on ly on ce. Af­
ter an airbag has been deployed, i t m ust be
rep laced with new replacement parts de­
signed and approved especially fo r your A udi
model version. Replacement of complete
airbag systems or a irbag components must
be performed by qualified workshops only.
Ma ke sure that any airbag serv ice action is
e ntered in your Aud i Warranty
& Ma inte­
nance booklet unde r
AIRBAG REPLAC EM ENT
R ECORD.
- For safety reasons in severe accidents, the
al ternator and starte r are separated from
the vehicle batte ry w ith a pyrotec hni c circ uit
interrupter .
- Work on the pyrotechnic c ircuit interrupt­
er must on ly be performed by a qua lified
techn ic ians who have the experience, in­
fo rmation and specia l tools necessa ry to
perfo rm the wor k safely.
- If the vehicle or the circuit interr upter is
scrapped, all app licable safety precautions
must be followed.
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@ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modu les and pretension­
ers might be classified as Perchlorate Mater ial
- special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­
rate. When the vehicle or parts of the re­
straint system including airbag modules and
safety belts w ith pretens ioners are scrapped,
all applicable laws and regulations must be
observed. Your authorized Audi dealer is fa­
miliar with these requirements and we recom­
mend that you have your dealer perform this
service for yo u.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced A irbag System
performs in a crash. For example, using tire-rim
comb inat ions not approved by Audi, lowering the
vehicle, changing the stiffness of the su spension,
including the springs, suspension struts, shock
absorbers etc . can change the forces that are
measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the
e lectronic control un it. Some suspension changes
can, for example, increase the force levels meas­
ured by the sensors and make the airbag system
deploy in crashes in which it would not deploy if
the changes had not been made . Other kinds of
changes may reduce the force levels measured by
the sensors and prevent the airbag from deploy­
ing when it should.
_& WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension including
use of unapproved tire-rim combinations can
change Advanced Airbag performance and in ­
crease the risk of ser ious personal injury in a
crash.
- Never install suspens ion components that
do not have the same performance charac­
teristics as the components originally instal­
led on your veh icle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations that have
not been approved by Audi.
Airbag system
Knee airbags
Description of knee a irbags
Applies to vehicles: with knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen­
tal protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants .
Fig. 161 D river 's knee a irbag
T he driver knee airbag is in the instrument panel
underneath the steering wheel
¢fig.161, the
airbag for the passenger is at about the same
height in the instrument panel underneath the
glove compartment.
The knee airbag offers additional protection to
the driver's and passenger's knees and upper and
lower thigh areas and supplements the protec­
tion provided by the safety belts.
If the front airbags dep loy, the knee airbags also
deploy in frontal collisions when the dep loyment
threshold stored in the control unit is met
¢ page 152 , More important things to know
about front airbags .
In addition to their normal safety function, safe­
ty belts help keep the driver or front passenger in
position in a frontal collision so that the airbags
can provide supplemental protection .
The airbag system is not a substitute for your
safety belt . Rather, it is part of the overall occu­
pant restraint system in your vehicle. Always re­
member that the airbag system can only help to
protect you if you are wearing your safety belt
and wearing it properly. This is why you should a l­
ways wear your safety belt, not just because the
law requires you to do so¢
page 135, General in-
formation .
IJI>
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Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system
Applies to vehicles: with k nee a irbags
Airbags are only supplemental restraint s. Always
wear safety belts correctly and ride in a proper
seating position.
There is a lot that you and your passengers must
know and do to help the safety belts and airbags
to prov ide supplementa l protection.
A WARNING
An inflating knee airbag can cause ser ious in­
jury. Wearing safety belts incorrect ly and im­
proper seating positions increase the risk of
serious personal injury and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
- The knee airbag system cannot protect you
properly if you are seated too close to any of
the a irbag locat ions . When adjust ing their
seat positions, it is important that both the
dr iver and the front passenger keep the ir
upper bod ies and knees at the followi ng
mi nimum safe distances :
- at least 10 inches (25 cm) between the
chest and the steering wheel/instr ument
panel.
- at least 4 inc hes (10 cm) between the
knees and the lower part of the instru­
ment panel.
- The risk of persona l injury increases if yo u
lean forward or to the s ide, or if the seat is
improperly pos it ioned and you are not wear­
ing your safety belt . The risk increases even
more should the airbag deploy .
- Always make sure that the knee airbag can
inflate without inte rference . Objects be ­
tween you and the a irbag can increase the
risk of i nju ry i n an accident by inte rfe ring
w ith the way the ai rbag dep loys o r by be ing
pushed into you as the airbag dep loys.
- Never let anybody, especially ch ildren o r
animals ride in the footwell in front of the
passenger seat . If the airbag deploys, th is
can result in ser ious or fatal injuries .
- Never carry objects of any kind in the foot­
well area in front of the driver's or pas­
senger's seat . Bul ky objects (shopping
-
Airb ag system
bags, for examp le) can interfere with or
prevent proper deployment of the airbag .
Small objects can be thrown through the
vehicle if the airbag deploys and injure you
or your passengers.
- Make sure the re are no cracks , deep scratch­
es o r other damage in the area of the instru­
ment panel where the knee airbags are lo­
cated .
- I f chi ldren are inco rrectly seated, their ris k
of injury increases in a coll is ion
c::> page 167, Child safety.
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants.
Fi g. 163 Sid e airbag location in the driver's seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests
c::> fig. 163 and the rear back­
rest facing the doors . They are ident ified by the
word "AIRBAG".
The side airbags insta lled for the front seat ing
pos it ions have been des igned and certified to
help reduc e the r isk of injury that can be caused
by a irbags when they inflate, particularly when
t h e occ upant s itting next to it is not seated p rop­
erly. The s ide a irbag for the front passenger seat
can be used with properly insta lled child re ­
straints. P lease be sure to read the important in­
formation and warn ings whenever using a ch ild
restraint in a vehicle : Safety be lts
c::> page 135,
Airbag system c::> page 143, Child safety
<=>page 167.
The side airbag sy stem basi cally consi st s of: ..,.
161

Intelligent Technology
shared, p le a se see yo ur contract with the
wireless telecomm unications provider and the
"About Aud i connect" tab in your vehicle's
MMI:
! MENUI button> Audi connect > About
Audi connect .
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of sk id­
d ing and loss of veh icle control.
It works only
when the engine is runn ing. ESC detects certa in
d ifficult d riving situations, including when the ve­
h icle is beginn ing to sp in (yaw) o ut of control and
he lps you to ge t the veh icle back u nder cont ro l b y
selec tively braking the whee ls, and/or reduc ing
engine power and providing steering assistance
to help hold the vehicle on the driver's i ntended
course. The indicator light
DJ in the instrument
cluster blinks when ESC is taking action to help
you control t he veh icle.
ESC has lim itations. It is important to remember
that ESC cannot overcome the laws of physics. It
will not a lways be ab le to he lp out under all con­
d itions you may come up against. For example,
ESC may not always be able to help you master
situations where there is a sudden change in the
coefficient of friction of the road surface. Whe n
there is a section of d ry road tha t is s udden ly cov ­
ere d wi th wa ter, s lush or snow, ESC ca nnot per­
form the same way it wou ld on the d ry s urface . If
the vehicle hydroplanes ( rides on a cushion of wa ­
ter instead of t he road surface), ESC wi ll not be
ab le to he lp you steer the veh icle because contact
with the pavement has been i nterrupted and the
ve hicle cannot be b raked or steered. Dur ing fast
cor ne ring, particula rly o n w inding roads, ESC
cannot a lways deal as eff ect ively wi th d iff icu lt
d riving situat ions than at lowe r speeds.
Always ad just your speed and dr iv ing style to
road, traffic and weather conditions. ESC ca nnot
over ride the vehicle's physical limi ts, increase t he
ava ilab le tract io n, or keep a vehi cle on t he road if
roa d de pa rture is a res ult o f driver in att enti on.
I nstead, ESC improves the poss ibility of keeping
188
the veh icle unde r control and on the road dur ing
extreme maneuve rs by using the dr iver's stee ring
i nputs to help keep the vehicle going in the in ­
tended direction. If yo u are traveling at a speed
that causes you to run off the road before ESC
can p rov ide any assistance, you may not experi­
ence the benefits of ESC.
ESC is switc hed on all the time. In certain s itua­
tions when you need less tracti on, you can switch
off ASR by press ing the button
[ru c:> page 189,
fig . 178. Be sure to sw itch ASR on aga in when
you no longer need l ess traction.
The following systems are integrated in the ESC:
Anti -lock braking system (ABS )
ABS prevents the whee ls from locki ng when brak ­
i ng . T he veh icle can st ill be stee red even during
hard braking. App ly steady pressure to the brake
pedal. Do not pump the pedal. A puls ing in the
brake pedal indicates that the system is acting to
stab ilize the veh icle.
Brake assist sy stem
The bra ke ass ist system can decrease braking dis­
tance. It increases bra king power when the driver
presses the brake peda l quickly in emergency sit­
uat ions. You must press and hold the b rake peda l
u nt il the dange rous situat io n is over . In vehicles
with adaptive cruise co ntro l*, the brake ass ist
system is more sensitive if t he d ista nce detected
to t he veh icle a head is too sma ll.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR red uces eng ine power when the drive wheels
begin spin ning and adapts the force to the road
cond it ions . Th is makes it eas ier to sta rt, acce ler­
ate a nd dr ive up incl ines.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
EDL applies t he brakes to a whee l that starts
sp inning a nd tra nsfe rs the d rive power to the
othe r drivi ng whee ls. This function is not ava ila­
ble at hig he r speeds.
In extreme cases, EDL automatically sw itches off
to keep the brake o n the braked whee l from over­
hea ting. The vehicle is st ill work ing cor rect ly. EDL ..,.

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will switch on again automatically when
conditions have returned to normal.
Steering recommendation
The ESC helps to stabilize the vehicle by changing
the steering torque.
In vehicles with dynam ic steering*, ESC also
he lps to stabilize the steering in critical situa­
tions.
Selective wheel to rque control
Selective wheel torque control is used when driv­
ing on curves . The front wheel on the inside of
the curve or both wheels on the i nside of the
curv e are braked selectively as needed . This al­
lows more precise dr iving in curves.
Automatic post-collision braking system
The "Automatic post-collision braking system"
can help to reduce the risk of sliding and of other
collis ions after an accident. If the airbag control
module detects a coll is ion above a ce rtain veh icle
speed, the vehicle is braked by the ESC.
The vehicle does not brake automatically if:
- the driver presses the acce lerator pedal, or
- the braking force generated by the pressed
brake pedal is greater than the braking force
that would be initiated by the system, or
- the ESC, the brake system or the vehicle electri­
ca l system are not functioning.
Switching on/off
Intelligent Technology
A WARNING ,-
-The ESC and its integrated systems cannot
overcome the limits posed by natural phys i­
cal laws. This is especially important on slip­
pe ry or wet roads. If the systems begin act­
ing to stabilize your vehicle, you should im­
mediately alter your speed to match the
road and traffic conditions. Do not let the in­
creased safety provided tempt you into tak­
ing risks. This could increase your risk of a
collis ion.
- Please note the r isk of a collision increases
when driving fast, especially thro ugh curves
and on slippery or wet roads, and when driv­
ing too close to objects ahead. The ESC and its integrated systems cannot always pre­
vent collisions· there is still a risk of acc i­
dents!
- Press the accelerator pedal carefully when
accelerating on even, slippery surfaces such
as ice and snow. The drive wheels can spin
even when these control systems are instal­
led and this can affect driving stability and
i n crease the r isk of a coll ision .
(j) Tips
-ABS and ASR only function correctly when
all four wheels are equipped with identical
tires. Different tire s izes can lead to a reduc­
tion in engine power .
- You may hear noises when the systems de­
scribed are working.
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine .
Fig. 178 Center console: !J, OFF butto n
The following examples are unusual situations
where it may make sense to switch sport mode
on in orde r to allow the wheels to sp in:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is stuck
- Driving in deep snow or on loose ground
- Driving with snow chains
189

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 -
190
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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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.
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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. ..,.