2016 AUDI RS7 SPORTBACK ESP

With certain types o f air bag dep loyment, the
battery is disconnected from the vehicle electri­
cal system for safety reasons¢&.
in Repair, care
and disposal of the airbags on page 150 .
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle func tions (power w indow re gula­
t ors, for example) are lost i f th e battery termi ­
na ls are d isconnected . These functions have to be
relearned a fter the battery termina ls are con ­
nected aga in. To prevent th is, the batte ry s hou ld
only be disco nnected from the vehicle e lectr ica l
system w hen abso lut ely necessa ry for repairs.
Veh icles not driven for long periods
If yo u do not drive you r vehicle over a period of
seve ral days or weeks, e lectrical components a re
g radually c ut back or sw itched off. This reduces
e n ergy consumption and ma inta ins starting ca ­
pability over a longer period ¢
page 186. Some
of the co nvenience funct io ns m ay not o perate,
such as the i nter io r li ghts or powe r seat adjust­
men t. T he conve nie nce func tions w ill be av aila ble
ag ain whe n you swi tch on the igni tion and start
the eng ine .
Winter operation
During the win ter mo nth s, ba ttery capaci ty te nds
to decr ease as temperatu res drop . T his is be­
c a use more power i s als o c ons umed w hile s tar t­
i ng, and t he he adlights, rear w indow de fogge r,
etc., a re used more o ften .
Avoi d unn ecess ary power consu mption, part icu­
larl y in cit y tr affic or when traveling on ly sho rt
d is tan ces. Let yo ur au thori ze d Aud i d ealer che ck
the cap aci ty of the vehicle battery before w inte r
sets in ¢
pa ge 214 . A well charge d battery w ill
n ot on ly prevent start ing p roblems w hen the
weather is cold, but will also last longer .
(D Tips
If your ve hicle is left stand ing fo r severa l
weeks at extremely low tem peratures, the ve­
hicle batte ry s hould be removed an d sto red
where it will not freeze. This will preve nt it
fro m being damaged an d hav ing to be re­
placed.
Checking and Filling
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
th e battery.
The battery is located in the luggage compart ­
ment under the floor. Befo re yo u check anything
i n the luggage compart ment ,
read and heed all
WARNINGS ¢&_ .
Always heed the safety warnings , when wor king
o n the veh icle batte ry or t he ve hicle elec trical
system to prevent in ju ry .
The following WARNINGS are very important
when working on the battery :
Always heed the following WARNING SYM-
BOLS and safety precautions when working on the battery.
®
Always wear eye protection .
~
Battery acid contains sulfuric acid . Al-
ways wear gloves and eye protection .
@
No
- sparks
- flames
· smoking .
~
When a battery is charged, it produces
hydrogen gas which is explosive and
could cause personal injury.
®
Always keep the battery well out of
reach of children .
A WARNING
=
Whenever working on t he battery or on the
e lectr ica l system, the re is the r isk of injury,
accide nt a nd eve n fire. Read and he ed the fol­
l ow ing W AR NIN GS:
- Always wear eye prot ection. Do not let bat·
tery acid or any l ead particles g et on you r
skin o r clothing. Shield yo ur ey es. E xplosiv e
g ases can ca use b lindne ss or o ther in jury.
- Ba tte ry acid contai ns sulfur ic acid . Su lfu ric
acid can ca u se blindness and s evere burns.
- Always wea r gloves and eye protection . Do
n ot tilt t he batte ry because aci d could lea k
-
out of the ventilation openings. ""
213

Always r ead and h eed all W ARNING S below
~ A. and
¢A. in Working on the battery on
page 213.
.,. Switch off the ignition and all electrica l con­
sumers .
.,. Make sure the area is well venti lated when you
charge the battery.
.,. Open the engine hood
¢page 203.
.,. Open the red cover on the positive pole
¢fig . 188 .
.,. Connect the charger co nnectors according to
the instructions to the
j ump start bo lt s. (Bolts
under the red cover= "positive", Bolts with hex
head
= "negat ive") .
.,. Only now plug the mains lead for the charging
equipment into the wall outlet and turn it on
¢&_ .
.,. M ake s ure th e char ging rate is not o ver
30 amp s/14.8 Volt.
.,. When the battery is fully charged: Turn the
charg ing equipment off and remove the mains
lead from the wall outlet.
.,. Now remove the clamps for the charging equ ip-
ment.
.,. Close the red cover on the positive pole.
.,. Close the hood
¢ page 204.
A discharged battery can fre eze at temperatures
of only 32 F
0 (0 °C). A llow a frozen battery to
thaw comp lete ly before attempt ing to charge it
¢ ,&. However, we recommend not using a
thawed battery again because the battery casing
can be cracked due to ice formation and can leak
battery acid.
Battery chargin g (Ma ximum cha rging rate of
30 amp s/14 .8 Volt )
When charging at low voltages (e.g. with a trick­
le cha rger ),
the battery cables do not have to be
d isconnected first. The battery caps should
not
be opened when charging a battery .
It is not necessary to remove the battery from
the luggage compartment, and it is also not nec­
essary to disconnect the cables.
Check ing and Filling
Fast charging the batt ery (charging rate
ab ove 14.8 Volt )
For technical reasons do not use a battery charg­
er that uses vo ltage greater than 14.8 Volt to
charge your vehicle's battery.
A WARNING
=
Charging a battery can be dangerous .
-Always follow the operating instructions
provided by the battery charger manufactur­
er when charging your battery .
- Never charge a frozen battery. It may ex­
plode because of gas trapped in the ice. Al­
low a froze n battery to thaw out first .
- Do not reuse batter ies which were frozen.
The battery hous ing may have cracked and
weakened when the battery froze .
- Charge the battery in a well ventilated area.
Keep away from open flame or electrical
spark. Do not smoke . Hydrogen gas generat­
ed by the battery is explos ive.
- To reduce the danger of explosion, never connect or d isconnect charge r cables while
the charger is ope rating .
- Fast charg ing a battery is dangerous and
should only be attempted by a competent
technicia n w ith the prope r equipment.
- Batte ry acid that may spill during charging
should be washed off w ith a so lution of
warm water and baking soda to neutra lize
t he acid .
{[) Note
Never use a fast charger as a booster to start
the e ngine. This will se riously damage sensi­
tive electronic components, such as control
units, re lays, radio, etc., as well as the bat tery
charge r.
Battery replacement
The new battery must have the same specifica­
tions and dimensions as the original equipment
battery .
Intelligent ene rgy manageme nt in yo ur vehicle is
responsib le for distr ib uting the electrica l energy
Iii>-
215

Check ing and F illing
througho ut your vehicle ¢ page 186 . The intelli­
gent energy management system wi ll keep the
engine battery charged better than veh icles with­
out this system . To make sure the addit ional
electrical energy is avai lab le once again after you
have changed the battery, we recommend that
you install batter ies of t he same type and manu­
facture on ly (the same as those insta lled at the
time your veh icle was delive red). Spec ificat ions
are listed on t he b attery housing. Your author­
i z ed dealer must code the battery in the energy
management system to enable you to use the en ­
ergy manag ement functions correctly after re­
p lacing the battery.
The new battery must have the same capac ity,
voltage (12 -vo lt), amperage, const ruction and
p lug sealing .
W hen insta lling the ba tte ry, make sure the igni ­
tion and all elec trical consumers are sw itched
off .
(D Note
Mak e sure the ve ntila tio n hose on t he side of
the batte ry is connecte d, othe rw ise f umes o r
battery acid can lea k out .
@) For the sake of the environment
Because of the prob lem of pr oper disposal of
a ba ttery, we recommen d your au thor ized
Audi dea le r change the battery fo r you. Bat ­
teries contain su lf u ric acid and lea d and must
always be disposed o f prope rly in comp liance
w ith all environmental regulations. D isposing
of vehicle batteries improperly is very danger­
ous to the e nvironment.
216
Windshield washer
system
Fi g. 189 En gin e compar tm en t: was her flui d rese rvoir cap
.., N
-N ~ a, m
The w indshield washer reservoir O contains the
cleaning so lution for the windshie ld and the
headlight washer system *
9 page 205, fig. 183.
The reservoir capacity is found in 9 page 260 .
To reduce the risk of lime scale depos its on the
spray nozzles, use clean water with low amo unts
of calcium. Always add w indow cleaner to the wa­
ter. When the outside temperatures are cold, an anti-freez ing agent shou ld be added to the water
so that it does not freeze .
(D Note
-The concentration of ant i-f reez ing agent
must be adjusted to the ve hicle operat ing
conditions i n the respective cl imate . A con­
cen tration t hat is too high can lead to vehi­
cle damage.
- Never ad d radia tor an ti-freeze or other addi ­
t ives to the washer fluid .
- Do not use a glass cleaner t hat contains
paint so lvents, because th is could damage
the pain t.
Service interval display
The service interval display detects when your ve­
hicle is due for service .
The service interval d isplay wo rks i n two stages:
- Inspection or oil change rem inder: after a cer-
tain distance drive n, a message appears in the
instrument cluster display each t ime t he igni ­
tion is switched on o r off . The remaining d is-
t ance o r time is disp layed b riefly. .,..

-Inspection or oil change due: If your vehicle
has reached an inspection or oi l change interval
or both intervals at the same time, the mes­
sage
Inspection due! or Oil change due! or Oil
change and inspection due!
appears briefly af­
ter switching the ignition on/off .
Checking service intervals
You can check the remaining distance or time un­
til the next oil change or next inspection in the
Car menu. To do this, select: the
ICARI function
button
> (Car)* Systems control button > Service
& control > Service intervals.
Resetting the indicator
Your authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility will reset the service interval dis­
p lay after performing service.
I f you have changed the oil you rself, you must re­
set the oil change interval.
To reset the indicator, select: the
ICARI funct ion
button
> (Car)* Systems control button > Service
& control > Service intervals. Turn the contro l
knob downward to
Reset oil change interval and
press the control knob.
@ Note
-Only reset the oil change indicator if the oil
was changed .
- Following the service inte rvals is critical to
maintain ing the service life and va lue of
your vehicle, especially the engine . Even if
the mileage on the vehicle is low, do not ex­
ceed the time for the next serv ice.
- Calcu lating the time to the next o il change
i s interrupted when the vehicle battery is
disconnected. If the veh icle is not driven for
a long period of time, check the ma inte­
nance schedule so that you can follow the
maintenance intervals.
Checking and Filling
217

Wheels
happy to provide more informa­
tion .
® Mud and snow capability
"M/S" or "M+S" indicates the tire
has characteristics that make it
suitab le for driving on mud and
snow .
& indicates a winter t ire .
@ Compos ition of the tire cord
and materials
The number of plies indicates the
number of rubberized fabric lay­
ers in the tire . In general: the
more layers, the more weight a
tire can carry. Tire manufacturers must also specify the materia ls
used in the tire . These include
steel, nylon, polyester and other
materials .
@ Maximum permitted load
This number indicates the maxi ­
mum load in k ilograms and
pounds that the tire can carry.
@ Uniform tire quality grade
standards for treadwear,
traction and temperature
resistance
Treadwear, traction and tempera ­
ture ranges
c::> page 234 .
@ Running direction
The arrows indicate the running
direction of unidirec tiona l tires.
220
You must a lways follow the speci­
fied runn ing direction
c::> page 247.
@ Maximum permitted
inflation pressure
This number indicates the maxi ­
mum pressure to which a tire can be inflated unde r normal operat­
ing condit ions .
Glossary of tire and loading
terminology
Accessory weight
means the comb ined we ight (in
excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) o f auto­
matic tra nsmission , power steer­
ing , power brakes , power wi n­
dows, power seats , radio , and
heater, to the extent that these
items a re available as facto ry-in­
stalled equipment (whet her in ­
stalled or not).
Aspect ratio
means the rat io of the height to
the width o f the tire in pe rcent.
Numbe rs of 55 or lower indicate a
low sidewa ll for imp roved steer­
ing response and better overa ll
handling on dry pavement .
...

Occupant loading and distri­
but ion for vehicle normal load
for various design ated se ating
c a pa cit ies
Refer to the tire inflation pres­
sure label ¢
page 228, fig. 193
for the number of seating posi­
tions. Refer to the table ¢
table
on page 230
for the number of
people that correspond to the ve­
hicle normal load.
New tires or wheels
Audi recommends having all work
on tires or wheels performed by
an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility .
These facilities have the proper
knowledge and are equ ipped with
the required tools and replace­
ment parts .
.,,. New tires do not yet have the
opt imum adhesion properties.
Drive carefully and at moderate
speeds for the first 500 km w ith
new tires.
... use tires of the same construc­
tion, size (rolling circumference)
and the same tread pattern on
all four wheels.
;;:: .,,.Do not replace tires individually .
oi
~ At least replace both tires on the ....
~ same axle at the same time. N
"' ....
Wheels
.,,.Audi recommends that you use
Audi Original equipment tires. If
you would like to use different
tires, please note that the tires may perform differently even if
they are the same size ¢
A-
.,,. If you would like to equip your
vehicle w ith a tire/r im combina­
tion that is different from what
was installed at the factory, con­ sult with an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Aud i Service
Facility before making a pur ­
chase¢
A -
All four wheels must be equipped
with tires that are the same brand
and have the same construction
and tread pattern so that the
drive system is not damaged by
different tire speeds. For this rea­
son, in case of emergency, only use a spare tire* that is the same
circumference as the regular
tires.
,& WA RNING -
-Only use tire/rim combina­
tions and suitable wheel bolts
that have been approved by Audi. Otherwise, damage to
the vehicle and an accident could result .
225

... N oi '-' ":
running across the tread. Marks
on the tire sidewall (for example "TWI" or other symbols) indicate
the positions of the tread wear in­
dicators.
The tires have reached the mini­ mum tread depth
l ) when they
have worn down to the treadwear
indicators . Replace the tires with
new ones
¢ ,1,. .
Wheel rotation
Rotating the wheels regularly is
recommended to ensure the tires
wear evenly. To rotate wheels, in­
stall the wheels from the rear
axle on the front axle and vice
versa. This will allow the tires to
have approximately the same
length of service life.
For unidirectiona l tires, make
sure the tires are installed accord ­
ing to the running direction indi­
cated on the tire sidewall
¢page 247 .
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and rims can of ­
ten occur in locations that are hidden. Unusual vibrations in the
vehicle or pulling to one side may
~ l) Obey any applicable regulations in your
~ country . ...
Wheels
indicate that there is tire damage.
Reduce your speed immediately.
Check the tires for damage. If no
damage is visible from the out­
side, drive slowly and carefully to
the nearest authorized Audi deal­
er or authorized Audi Service Fa­
cility to have the vehicle inspect­
ed.
&_ WARNING
-
Tread that has worn too low or
different tread depths on the
tires can reduce driving safety.
This can especially have a nega­ tive effect on handling, on the
risk aquaplaning when driving
through water, when driving
through curves and when brak­ ing, which increases the risk of
an accident.
227

Wheels
(D Tips
When using snow chains, it may be useful to
sw itch on sport mode
¢ page 181.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Aud i is factory-equipped with low aspect ra­
tio tires. These tires have been thoroughly tested
and been selected specifically for your model fo r
thei r supe rb perfo rmance, road feel and handling
unde r a va riety of d riving conditions . As k yo ur au­
thor ized Audi dealer for mo re de tails.
The low aspect ratio of these t ires is indicated by
a nume ra l of
55 or less in the tire's size desig na­
tion . The nume ra l rep resents the rat io of t he
tire 's sidewall he igh t in relat io n t o it s tread w idth
e xpresse d in percen tage. Convention al ti res have
a height/w idth ratio o f 60 o r more .
The performance of low -aspect-ratio tires is par ­
ticularly sensitive to improper inflation pres­
sure. It is therefore important that low a spect
ratio tires are inflated to the specified pre ssure
and that the inflation pressure is regularly
checked and maintained. Tire pressures should
be checked at le ast once a month and alwa ys
before a long trip¢
page 228.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect rat io tires can be damaged more easi ­
ly by impact with potholes, curbs, gullies or
ridges on the road, pa rt icu la rly if the t ire is un­
de rinflated.
In order to minimize the occurrence of impact
damage to the t ires of your ve hicle, we recom­
mend that you observe the fo llow ing precau­
tions:
- Always maintain recommended inflation pres ­
su res . Check your tire pressure every 2,000
miles (3,000 km) and add air if necessary .
- Drive caref ully on roads with potho les, deep
gul lies or r idges . The impact from drivi ng
through or over s uch obstacles can damage
you r tires. Im pact with a cu rb may also cause
damage to you r tires .
234
-After any impact, immed iate ly inspect you r
tires or have them inspected by the nearest au­
thorized Aud i dealer. Replace a damaged tire as
soon as possible.
- Ins pect your tires every 2,000 mi les (3,000 km)
for damage and wear . Damage is not always
easy to see . Damage can lead to loss of a ir and
underinfla tion, w hich could even tua lly cause
tire fa ilure . If yo u be lieve that a tire may have
been damaged, replace the tire as soon as pos­
sible.
- These tires may wear mo re quickly than others .
- Please also remember that, while t hese tires
delive r responsive hand ling, they may ride less
comforta bly and make mo re noise than o ther
choi ces.
Reduced performance in winter/cold season
conditions
A ll ti res are des igned for certain purposes. The
l ow aspect ratio, ultra h igh performance tires
o rigina lly ins talled on your veh icle are inten ded
f o r m ax imu m dr y and wet ro ad perfo rma nce and
handling . They a re not sui table for co ld, snowy or
i cy weather conditions . If yo u drive under those
c ir cu mstances, you should equip yo ur vehicle
with all-season o r winter tires, which offer better
tract ion under t hose conditions. We suggest you
use the recommended snow or a ll-season tires
spec ified for your vehicle, o r th e ir equiva le nt.
Re fer to
c:> page 233 for more detailed in forma­
tion regard ing winter tires.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wea r
- Tract io n AA AB C
- Tempe rature ABC
Quali ty g rades can be fo und whe re appli cab le on
t h e tire side wall between tread shou lder and
max imum section width
¢ page 218, fig. 190 .
For example : Tread wear 200 , Traction AA , Tem­
per atu re
A .
All passenge r ca r tir es mus t conform to Fede ral
Safety Req uiremen ts in add it io n to these grades . ..,.