2016 AUDI A7 air suspension

Instruments and indicator lights
-The engine compartment of any motor vehi­
cle is a potentially hazardous area. Before
you check anything in the engine compart­ ment, stop the engine and let it cool down.
Always exercise extreme ca ution when work­
ing under the hood
c:> page 218.
Overview
Some ind icator lights turn on briefly to chec k the
function of that system whe n you swi tch the ign i­
t ion o n. These systems are m ark ed w it h a ../ in
t he fo llowing tables . If one of these indi cator
lights does not tu rn on, there is a malfunction in
that system .
Red indicator lights
12
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US A models :
Brake malfunction ../
c:> page
14
Canada mod els :
Bra ke m alfunction ../
r::!> page
14
USA mod els :
Elect romechan ica l par king brake
r::!>page
15
Canada models:
Electromechan ica l park ing brake
c:>page
15
E ng ine cooling system
r::!> page
15
Eng ine oi l pressure
r::!> page
16
E ng ine o il level
r::!> page
17
Battery
c:> page
16
Eng ine stops while dr iving
r::!> page
16
Safety belt
c:>page
16
Elect romechan ica l steering ../
c:> page
192
Electronic steering column lock
r::!> page
17
Engine sta rt system
r::!> page
17
USA models: Speed warning sys­
tem r::!> page
82
Canada model s: Speed warni ng
system
r::!> page
82
Adaptive cruise contro l*../
r::!> page
87
Air suspension *
r::!> page
17
Night vision assistant*
i=> page
104
Night vision assistant *
i=> page
104
Rear spo iler
i=> page
193
Refill Ad Blue*
i=>page
214
AdBl ue malfunction*
c:> page
214
Yellow indicator light s
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US A models: Safety systems
i=> page
18
Canada models: Safety systems
i=> page
18
Electronic Stabi lizatio n Control
(ESC) ../
c:> page
18
Elec tronic Stab ilizati on Con trol
( E SC) ../
i=> page
18
USA models:
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
defective ../
c:>page
19
Canada models:
Anti -lock braking system (ABS)
defective ../
c:> page
19
Worn brake pads
i=> page
19

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Electromechanical parking brake
opage 15
Tire pressure mon itoring system
,/
o page 251
Tire pressure monitoring system
opage 251
Electronic power control ./ (alter­
native to
El>
o page20
Glow plug system
(alternative to
[m )
opage20
Malfunction indicator Lamp (MIL)
,/
opage20
Diese l particulate fi lter* clogged
o page20
Engine speed limitation
opage 21
Engine oil level
o page 17
Engine oil sensor
o page 21
Request to warm eng ine by driv­
in g
o page 21
Battery
opage 16
Tank system
opage 21
Windshie ld washer fluid level
o page 21
Windshie ld wipers
o page 21
Remote contro l key
o page 75
Remote contro l key
o page 77
Battery in remote control key
opage 31
Defective light bulb warning
opage 21
Instruments and indicator lights
/:
Rear fog light(s)
opage 21
Headlight range control
opage 22
adaptive light*
opage 22
Light-/rain sensor faulty
opoge 22
Audi active lane assist*
o page 95
Transmission (tiptronic)
opage 112
Transmission
- S tron ic
opage 112
Electronic steering column lock
opage 17
Engine start system
opage 17
Brake booster
opage 18
Electromechanical steering, dy­
namic steering*./
o page 192
Air suspension*
opoge 17
Sport differential*
opage 22
Rear spoiler
opage 193
Refill Ad Blue*
opage 214
AdBlue malfunction*
opoge 214
Other indicator lights
CRUISE
,---------------
Turn signals
o page22
USA models: Cruise control*
opage 83
Canada models: Cruise control*
opage 83
Adaptive cruise control *
opage87
13

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~ If the engine oil leve l is corre ct and the indic a­
tor lig ht st ill tur ns on, tur n th e eng ine off and
do not continue driving . Seek p rofess ional as ­
s istance .
(D Tips
- The engine oil pressure symbol. is not
an indicator for a low engine oil level. Do
not rely on it. Instead, check the oil level in
your engine at regular intervals, preferably each time you refuel, and always before
going on a long trip.
- The yellow oil level warning indication
Ill
requires oil refill or workshop service with­
out delay. Do not wait until the red oil pressure warning. starts to flash before
you respond to the low oil level warning
Ill. By then, your engine may already have
suffered serious damage.
'1::1' ., Engine oil
• Please add oil immediately.
Add oil imm ed iat ely Q page 220.
Ill Add oil max. XL. You may continue driving
Add the amount of oi l ind icated in t he display im­
mediately
c> page 220 .
~- Steering lock
• Do not drive vehicle: Steering defective
There is a malf unct io n in the electron ic steeri ng
lo ck . You cann ot tur n the ign iti on on.
D o
not tow your ve hicle beca use it ca nnot be
steere d. See an a uthorize d Au di dea le r o r auth or­
i z ed Audi Service Fac ility for assistance .
11!11 Steering lock: System fault Please contact
dealer
T here i s a ma lfu nction in t he ele ctronic st eering
l o ck.
Dr ive to an aut ho rize d Au di dea ler or au th o riz ed
A udi S ervice Fa cilit y imm ediate ly to have t he
m alfun ction co rre ct ed .
Instruments and indicator lights
A WARNING
Do not tow yo ur ve hicl e when ther e is a mal­
f u nctio n in the electronic st ee rin g l ock -th is
in creas es th e ris k of an acci dent.
©-Engine start system
• Engine start system fault. Please contact
dealer
Do not switch the igniti on off because yo u may
not be abl e to switch it on again .
Drive to an auth orized A udi dealer or au tho rized
A udi Se rv ice Facility imme diately to have th e
malfu ncti on corrected .
II! Engine start system fault . Please contact
dealer
-
T he re is a mal func tio n in the e ngine st art ing sys ­
tem.
Dr ive to an au thor ized A udi de aler or au tho riz ed
A udi Se rv ic e Fac ility im me diate ly to h ave the
malfu nction co rre cted .
0 Air suspension
• Air suspension: System fault You can drive
slowly (max . speed 60 km/h)
The re is a m alfunc tion t hat can re sul t in res trict­
ed drivi ng stabi lity .
C are full y dr ive at a m ax im um spee d of 3 5 m ph
( 60 km /h ) to your au thor ized A udi d ealer o r
qualifie d wo rksh op to have the m alfu nct ion co r­
r ecte d.
• Air suspension: Service mode. Vehicle can
only be moved with restri ctions
Car efu lly dr ive to your aut hor iz e d Audi d ealer or
qualifie d wo rksh op i mm edia tely to hav e the s erv­
i c e mo de dea cti vate d .
rl Air suspension: System fault
The re is a system mal function that can res ult in
rest ricted d riving stability o r reduced gr ound
clea rance. .,..
17

Instruments and indicator lights
Drive to an authorized Aud i dea ler or authorized
Audi Service Faci lity immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected .
II Air suspen sion : Vehicle too low Ground
clearance reduced
The gro und clea rance is very low due to a system
malfunct io n. Wait unt il t he air suspension sys­
tem has res tored norma l ground clearance. Oth­
erwise, conditions such as an uneven road sur ­
face can lead to vehicle damage .
~/ !f Safety systems
The JI (USA models)/ E,I (Canada mode ls) indi­
cator light monitors the safety systems (e.g. air­
bags, pretensioners) and illuminates for a few
seconds each time you switch the ignition on .
If the
r.l (USA models)/ E,I (Canada models) in­
d icator light does not go out, or if it illum inates
while you are driving, or if it starts to blink, the n
there is a malfunction somewhe re in the system .
If the light does not ill uminate w hen you switch
the ign ition on , this also means the re is a mal­
function .
.&, WARNING
-
If you have a mal func tion in the safety sys­
t ems, contact your authorized A udi dealer im ­
mediately . Othe rwise the safety systems may
not work properly in an acci dent .
& Brake booster
U Brake servo : limited functional ity . You can
con tinue d riv ing. Con tact workshop
There is a malfunction in the brake booster. The
brake booster is availab le, but its effectiveness is
red uced. Braking behavior may be different from
how it normally functions and the brake peda l
may vibra te.
Drive to an a uthorized Audi dea ler or a uthorized
Aud i Service Fac ility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
18
r;. I[/; Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC)
If the ffl ind icator light blinks while driving , the
E S P or ASR (ant i-slip reg ulation) is act ively reg u­
l ati ng .
If the
ffl ind icator light turns on, the system has
switched the ESC
off . In this case, you can switch
t h e ign it io n
off and t hen on to sw itch the ESC on
again. The indica tor ligh t turns
off when the sys­
tem is functioning fu lly.
If the . indicator light tu rns on, ESC was
swi tched
off using the I~ OFF I bu tto n
~page 188 .
Stabilization control (ESC /ABS ) malfunction!
See owner' s manual
If the DJ ind icator light and the ABS indicator
li ght
fn:) (USA models) ;ti] (Canada models)
turn o n and the message appears, the ABS or
e lectronic differe ntia l lock is malfunc tioning. This
also ca uses the ESC to mal function. The br akes
sti ll fu nct ion with their no rma l powe r, b ut ABS is
not active.
D rive to your au thori zed A udi dealer or qualified
workshop immedia tely to have the mal func tion
corrected .
.&, WARNING
If the 1111 (USA models) ;II (Canada mod ­
e ls) b rake system indicator light turns on to­
gether with the ABS and ESC ind icator lights,
the ABS/ESC regulat ing funct ion may have
failed. Functions that stabilize the vehicle are
n o longer availab le. This could cause the vehi ­
cle to swerve and increase the risk of slidi ng.
D rive ca refully to the nea rest authorized Audi
dealer o r othe r qualified workshop and have
the ma lf unc tion correc ted.
(D Tips
Fo r additional informat ion on ESC and ABS,
r efer to
~ pag e 188.

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Audi drive select Driving settings
Introduction
Drive select makes it possible to experience dif­
ferent types of vehicle settings in one vehicle.
The driver can select
Comfort, Auto and Dynamic
modes in the Infotainment system to switch be­
tween a sporty and a comfortable driving mode.
In the
Individual mode, the settings can be ad­
justed to your personal preferences. This makes it possible to combine settings such as a sporty en­
g ine tun ing with light steering.
_&. WARNING
Improper use of the Audi drive select can
cause collisions, other acc idents and serious
personal injury.
Description
-
The follow ing systems are affected by drive se­
lect:
Engine and transmission
Depending on the mode, the eng ine and the
transmission respond quicker or in a more bal­
anced manner to acce lerator pedal movements.
I n the sporty dynamic mode, the transmission
shifts at higher RPMs.
Air suspension*
The adaptive air suspension/adaptive air suspen­
sion sport*
(Air suspension in the MMI) is an
e lectronically controlled a ir suspension and
damping system. They are adjusted depending on
the selected driving mode, the driver's steering,
b raking and acce leration input and the road sur­
face, vehicle speed and load. A sporty setting is generally used in vehicles with adaptive air sus­
pension sport*.
The vehicle clearance varies depending on these­ lected mode and the speed.
The highway setting is activated automatically
when you drive above 75 mph (120 km/h) for
more than 30 seconds in the
Auto or Dynamic
Audi drive select
mode. The ground clearance is increased auto­
matically if the speed drops below 44 mph (70
km/h) for more than 120 seconds.
Steering
T he steering adapts in terms of steer ing effort
and steering ratios . Indirect steering that moves
easily, like the steering in comfort mode, is best
suited to long drives on a highway. In contrast,
dynamic mode provides sporty, direct steering.
T he following applies to vehicles with dynamic
steering*: the steering ratio changes based on ve­
hicle speed in order to maintain optimum steer­
ing effort for the driver at all times. This sets the
steering to be less sensitive at higher speeds in
order to provide improved vehicle control. At re­
duced speeds, however, steering is more direct in
order to keep the steering effort as minimal as
poss ible when the driver is maneuvering the vehi­
cle. At low and average speeds, dynamic steer ing
additionally provides more responsive steering
performance.
Sport differential*
As a component of the all wheel dr ive system
(quattro)
¢ page 192, the Sport differential* dis­
tributes the driving power to the rear axle de­
pending on the sit uation. The distribution of
power varies depending on the selected mode,
from balanced (comfort) to agile (dynamic) . The
goal is a high level of agility and ability to accel­
erate on curves. The vehicle is very responsive to
steering.
Curve light*
T he curve light adapts to driving on curves. The
pivoting action and the lighting are also adapted
to the mode.
Adaptive cruise control*
T he behav ior when accelerating can be adjusted
from comfortable to sporty, depending on the
drive select mode. Adaptive cruise control a lso
responds to the driving behavior of the vehicle
ahead in a more conservative or sporty manner. ..,_
101

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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

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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>
159

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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