2016 AUDI RS7 SPORTBACK transmission

Automatic transmission
-Before driving down a steep slope, reduce
your speed and shift into a lower gear with
"tiptron ic".
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
pedal too often or too long when driving
down a hill. Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substantially re­
duces braking performance, increases brak­
ing distance or causes complete failure of
the brake system.
- To prevent the vehicle from rolling back
when stopping on inclines, always hold it in
place with the brake pedal or parking brake.
- Never hold the vehicle on an incline with a
slipping clutch. The clutch opens automati­
cally when it becomes too hot from the
overload. An indicator lamp
[i'J illuminates
and a driver message appears
¢ page 105
when the clutch is overloaded.
- If the engine must remain running, never
have any driving position engaged when
checking under the hood. Make sure these­
lector lever has securely engaged and is
locked in P with the parking brake set
¢ page 203. Otherwise, any increase in en ­
gine speed may set the vehicle in motion,
even with the parking brake applied .
@ Note
-When stopping on an incline, do not try to
hold the vehicle in place by pressing the ac­
celerator pedal while a driving gear is se­
lected . This can cause the transmission to
overheat and can damage it . Activate the
parking brake or press the brake pedal to
prevent the vehicle from rolling.
- Allowing the vehicle to roll when the engine
is stopped and the selector lever is in N will
damage the transmission because it is not
lubricated under those circumstances.
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re­
leased automatically only when the driver's
safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
104
· Hill descent control
The hill descent control system assists the driver
when driving down declines .
Hill descent control is activated when the selec­
tor lever is in D/S and you press the brake pedal.
The transmission automatically selects a gear
that is suitable for the incline. Hill descent con­
trol tries to maintain the speed achieved at the
time of braking, within physical and technical
limitations. If may still be necessary to adjust the
speed with the brakes.
Hill descent control switches off once the decline
levels out or you press the accelerator pedal.
On vehicles with the cruise control system*
Q page 77, hill descent control is also activated
when the speed is set.
A WARNING
Hill descent control cannot overcome physical
limitations, so it may not be able to maintain
a constant speed under all conditions. Always be ready to apply the brakes.

Manual shift program
Using the manual shift program you can man­
ually select gears.
)
Fig. 116 Ce nter conso le: sh ifting the gears man ually
Fig. 117 Stee rin g whee l: Shi ft paddles
Gear selection with selector lever
The tiptronic mode can be selected either with
the vehicle stationary or on the move.
.. Push the selector leve r to the right from D/S.
An M appears in the instrument cluste r display
as soon as the transmiss ion has shifted .
.. To upshift , push the selector lever forward to
the p lus position
0 ~ fig. 116.
.. To downshift, push the lever to the minus posi-
tion
0 -
Gear selection with shift paddles
The shift paddles are activated when the selector
lever is in D/S or the tiptronic manual shift pro­
gram .
.. To upshift , touch the shift padd le on the right
G~fig.111 .
.. To downshift, touch the shift paddle on the left
0-
.. If you do not press a shift padd le within a short
time while in the D/S position, the transmission
will return to automatic mode. To keep shifting
Automatic transmission
using the shift paddles, move the selector lever
to the right out of the D/S position.
When accelerating, the transmission does
not
automatica lly shift to the next gear shortly be­
fore the maximum permitted engine RPM is
reached.
If you have selected a lower gear than the current
one, the automatic transmission will shift down
only when the engine wi ll not be over-revved.
With kick-down, the transmission shifts into a
lower gear depending on speed and engine RPM.
@ Tips
Tiptronic is inoperative when the transmission
i s in the fail-safe mode.
Kick-down
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration .
When you depress the accelerator pedal beyond
the resistance point, the automat ic transmission
downsh ifts into a lower gear, depending on vehi­
cle speed and engine speed. The upsh ift into the
next higher gear takes place once the maximum
specified engine speed is reached.
& WARNING
Please note that the drive wheels can spin if
kick-down is used on a smooth slippery road -
there is a risk of skidding.
Transmission malfunction
DI Transmission: Press brake pedal and select
gear again
Press the brake pedal and select the desired se­
lector lever position again. You can then continue
driv ing.
DI Transmission overheating: Please drive con­
servatively
T he transmission temperature has increased sig­
nificantly due to the sporty driv ing manner. Drive
in a less sporty manner until the temperature re­
tu rns to the normal range and the indicator light
switches of.
II>-
105

Automatic transmission
rm Transmi ssi on malfunction: You can continue
driving
There is a system malfunc tion in the t ransm is­
sion . Yo u may con tinue dr iving . Drive to your au­
thor ized Audi dealer or qualified repair fac ility
soon to have th e malfunction cor rected.
rm Transmi ssion malfunction: You can continue
driving with limited functionality
There is a system malfunct ion i n the transm is­
sion . T he transmission is sw itching to emergency
mo de. This mode only shifts in to certa in gears o r
will no longer shift at all. The engine may st all.
Drive to you r aut ho rized Aud i dea ler o r q ualified
repair faci lity immediately to have the malfunc­
tion corrected .
rm Transmission malfunction: Stop vehicle and
shift to P
D o not cont inue d riving. Select the P se lector lev­
er position and see yo ur author ized Aud i de aler
or qu alified repa ir fa cility for assis tance .
(D Note
If the tran smissi on switches to emergency
m ode, you s ho uld t ake the veh icle to an au­
t hori zed A udi dealer sh ip a s soon as po ssible
t o have the condi tion corrected.
Selector lever emergency release
If the vehicle's power supply fails, the sele ctor
lever can be released in an emerg ency .
Fig . 118 Fro nt cen te r co nso le : selec to r lever e mergency re ­
l ease
.,. To re ach the emergency rele ase mech anism, re­
move t he ashtray insert* .
106
.,. Loosen and remove the small cap in the as htray
mou nt
~ fig. 118 .
.,. You now have access to a bo lt. Using a screw­
driver or simi lar , press the bolt down and hold
it down .
.,. Now press t he interlock and move the selector
lever to the N position .
The selector lever can only be moved from the P pos ition if the ignition is tur ned on.
If the powe r
supply fails (for examp le, the battery is d is­
cha rged) and the veh icle must be p ushed o r tow­
ed, move the selecto r lever to the N posit io n firs t
u sing the emergen cy rele ase .

Effect of wat er and road salt
In ce rtain situations, for example after driving
through water, in heavy rain, afte r ove rnight con ­
densation or after washing your car, the braking
effect can be reduced by moisture or ice on the
brake rotors and brake pads. The brakes must be
dried first w ith a few careful brake applications.
At higher speeds and with the windshie ld wipers
turned on, the brake pads press against the brake rotors for a short amount of time. Th is occurs at
regular intervals without the driver noticing and
provides for better brake response time under
wet conditions .
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is driven on a salt-covered road
and the brakes are not used. Likewise, you clean
off accumulated salt coat ing from brake discs
and pads with a few cautious applications of the b rake ¢_&. .
Due to their surface character istics, ceramic
brake roto rs* absorb mo isture in such condit ions.
This can cause a temporary reduc tion in braking
force compared to dry brakes. You can compe n­
sate fo r th is by press ing the b rake peda l harder.
Corrosion
There may be a tende ncy for d irt to bu ild up on
the brake pads and corros ion to form on the discs
if the car is not dr iven regularly or only fo r sho rt
tr ips with little use of the brakes.
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if corro­
sion has formed on the discs, it is adv isable to
clean off the pads and discs by brak ing firmly a
few t imes from a mode rately h igh speed ¢,& .
Faults in the brake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in brake
pedal travel, then one of the two brake c ircuits
may have failed
¢ ,& .
Low brake fluid le vel
Malfunct ions can occur in the brake system if the
brake fl uid level is too low. The brake fluid level
is monitored electronically .
Intelligent Technology
Brake booster
The brake boos ter works w ith v acuum press ure
which is crea ted on ly when the engine is running
¢ & .
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wea r may be chec ked by visua l in­
spe ct ion of the condition of the brake pads
t hr ough the openings in t he wheel. If necessary,
the wheel may be removed for this inspection
¢ page 243, Replacing wheels .
_8 WARNING "'----
-New b rake pads don't have the best stop­
p ing power and must be "broken-in" d uring
the initial 250 miles (400 km). The b reak-in
period can be considerably longer for
veh icles with ceramic brake roto rs*. You can
compensate for this by pressing the brake
pedal mo re firmly. This also applies late r
when new p ads are inst alled.
- You shou ld pe rform braking maneuvers for
the purpose of cleaning the brake system
only i f road condit io ns pe rmit. O ther ro ad
users m ust no t be put at r is k - you may
cause an accident!
- Before descending a steep g rade, reduce
speed and shift transmission into a lower
gear o r lower driving range. Do not r ide the
brakes or hold the pedal down too long or
too often. This cou ld cause t he b rakes 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
p ing distance .
- Unde r certain climatic and ope rating condi­
tions such as passing t hrough water, d riving
i n heavy rain o r afte r wash ing the veh icle,
the effectiveness of the brakes ca n be re­
duce d. In winter, ice can accum ulate on the
b rake pads, lin ings, discs and dr ums. Care­
fu lly apply brakes for a test. Brakes will d ry
an d ice coatings will be cleaned off after a
few ca refu l brake applications.
183

Driving and the environment
Driving and the
environment
Breaking in
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1,500 km).
For the first 600 miles (1,000 kilometers):
.,. Do not use full throttle .
.,. Do not drive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the maximum permitted RPM .
.,. Avo id high engine speeds.
From 600 to 1,000 miles (1,000 to 1,500
kilometers):
.,. Speeds can gradually be increased to the maxi­
mum perm issib le road or engine speed.
During and after break-in period
.,. Do not rev the engine up to high speeds when it
is cold . This applies whether the transmission is
i n N (Neutral) or in gear .
After the break-in period
.,. Do not exceed maximum engine speed under
any circumstances.
.,. Upshift into the next higher gear
before reach­
i ng the red area at the end of the tachometer
scale~
page 10 .
During the first few hours of driving, the engine's
internal friction is higher than later when all the
mov ing parts have been broken in. How well this
break- in process is done depends to a considera­
b le extent on the way the vehicle is d riven during
the first 1,000 miles (1,500 kilometers).
(D Note
Extremely high engine speeds are automati­
cally reduced. However, these rpm lim its are
programmed for an engine we ll run-in, not a
new engine .
188
® For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with unnecessarily high engine
speeds -upshifting early saves fuel, reduces
noise and protects the environment.
New tires
If your vehicle is running on new tires, drive par­
ticularly careful for the first 350 m iles (500 kilo­
meters) after f itting .
.8, WARNING
New tires tend to be slippe ry and must also
be "broken-in". Be sure to remember this dur­
ing the first 350 mi les (500 kilometers).
Brake gent ly. Avoid following closely behind
other ve hicles or other situations that might
require sudden, hard braking.
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certain that low­
lying parts such as spo ilers and exhaust system
parts do not bottom out and get damaged .
-
This is especially true for vehicles with low-slung
chassis (sports chassis)* and fully loaded
vehicles.
Driving through water on
roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage when
driving through water, for examp le on flooded
roads:
- The water must not be any highe r than the bot­
tom of the vehicle body.
- Do not drive faster than walk ing speed .
.8, WARNING
After driving through water or mud, the brak­
ing effect can be red uced due to moisture on
the brake discs and brake pads . A few careful
brake applications should dry off the brakes.

CD Note
-Vehicle components such as the engine,
transm ission, suspension or electrical sys­
tem can be severely damaged by driving
through water.
- Determine the depth before driv ing through
water.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or
switch the eng ine off when dr iving through
water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming veh icles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep for your vehicle to drive
through safely .
- Avo id d riving through salt water (corrosion).
Warming up and cooling
down
By carefully warm ing up and cool ing down your
veh icle, you can he lp ensure that it is not over­
stressed un necessa rily during sporty driving.
When warming up, the vehicle is dr iven at a max­
i mum eng ine speed of 6000 RPM in order to raise
the eng ine oi l temperature to a min imum of
140 °F (60 °C). The tires a lso on ly reac h their f ull
road ho ld ing capability once they have warmed
up .
The cooling fan can continue to run in your vehi­ cle after the engine is swi tched off. Howeve r,
d riving the vehicle to cool it dow n is particularly
important. D uring sporty dr iv ing, the engine and
brakes, the exhaust system, and the transmission
a ll become extremely hot. Before you park the
ve hicle, you shou ld drive it for a few m iles/kilo­
meters at light load in the low rpm range to al­
low it to cool down.
Driving and the envir onment
Catalytic converter
Applies to: veh icles w ith gasoli ne e ngi ne
It is very important that your emission control
system (catalytic converter) is functioning prop­
erly to ensure that your vehicle is running in an
environmentally sound manner .
.. Always use lead-free gasoline¢ page 198,
Fuel supply.
.. Never run the tank down all the way to empty.
.. Never put too much motor o il in yo ur engine
¢ page 20 7, Adding engine oil 9:::r. .
.,. Never try to pus h- or tow-start your veh icle.
The catalytic co nverter is an efficient "clean-up"
device built into the exhaust sys tem of t he ve hi­
cle. The catalyt ic conv erter b urns ma ny of the
po llutants in the exhaust gas before they are re­
leased into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of un leaded fuel is cr itically im­
po rtant fo r the life of the catalytic converte r and
prope r fu nct io ni ng of the eng ine.
_&. WARNING
The tempe ra tu re o f th e exh aus t sys tem is
hi gh, bot h when driv ing and a fter stopping
the engine.
- Never tou ch the e xhaus t tail pipes on ce they
have become hot. This cou ld res ult in burns.
- Do not p ark or operate the vehicle in ar eas
where the hot exhaus t sys tem may come in
contact w ith dry grass, b rush, fuel spill or
other mate rial which can ca use a fire.
- Do not app ly additiona l undercoating or
r u stp roofing on or near the exhaust mani­
fold, exha ust pipes, cata lytic converter or
heat shields. D uring driving, the substance
used for undercoat ing could overheat and
cause a fire.
CD Note
- Be aware that just one tank fi lling with
leaded fuel w ill already seriously degrade
the performance of the catalytic converter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil leve l
¢page 207.
189

Replacing wheels
Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your own
and your passenger's safety when changing a
wheel.
.,. After you experience a tire failure, pull the car
well away from moving traffic and try to reach
level ground before you stop¢.,&..
.. All passengers should
leave the car and move
to a safe location (for instance, beh ind the
guardrail)¢ .,&. .
.,. Engage the
parking brake to prevent your vehi­
cle from rolling unintentionally¢ .,&..
.. Move
selector lever to position P ¢ .,&. .
.. Take the
jack out of the luggage compartment
c:>page 239.
A WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured while
chang ing a wheel if you do not follow these
safety precautions:
- If you have a flat tire, move a safe distance
off the road. Turn off the engine, turn the
eme rgency flashers on and use other warn­
ing devices to alert other motorists.
- Make sure that passengers wait in a safe
place away from the vehicle and well away
from the road and traffic.
- To help prevent the vehicle from moving
sudden ly and possibly slipping off the jack,
always fully set the parking brake and block
the wheel diagonally opposite the wheel be ­
ing changed . When one front wheel is lifted
off the ground, placing the Automatic
Transmission in P (Park) will
not prevent the
vehicle from moving.
- Before you change a wheel, be sure the
ground is level and firm. If necessary, use a
sturdy board under the jack.
- Always store the veh icle tool k it, the jack
and the replaced tire in the luggage com­
partment
c> page 124.
(D Note
If you are changing the whee l on a steep in­
cline, use a rock or similar object to b lock the
Emergency assistance
opposite wheel to prevent the vehicle from
moving.
(D Tips
- Before changing the wheel, you must acti­
vate the jacking mode, so that the automat­
ic controls for the Adaptive Air Suspension*
do not make it more difficu lt to lift the vehi­
cle with the jack
c> page 245.
- Obey all laws .
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow the sequence
described below step-by-step and in exactly thot
order .
1. Activate the vehicle jack mode* c> page 245.
2. Remove the
wheel bolt caps*. For more de­
tails see also
¢ page 244, Wheels with
wheel bolt caps.
3. Loosen the wheel bolts c:> page 244.
4. Locate the proper mounting point for the
jack and align the jack below that point
~page 245.
5. Raise the car with the jack c:> page 245.
6. Remove the
wheel with the flat tire and then
install the other whee l¢
page 246.
7. Tighten all whee l bolts lightly.
8.
Lower the vehicle with the jack.
9. Use the wheel bolt wrench and
firmly tighten
all wheel bolts
c> page 244.
10. Replace the
wheel bolt caps*.
11. Deact ivate the vehicle jack mode* in the
MMI:
I CARI funct ion button> (C ar )* systems
contro l butto n > Servicing & checks > Air
susp.: jack mode >
Off.
The vehicle jack mode* switches off automat ical­
ly at speeds above 6 mph (10 km/h) .
A WARNING
-
Always read and follow all WARNINGS and in-
formation
¢ .&. in Raising the vehicle on
page
245 and ¢ page 247.
243

Emergency situations
General
This chapter is intended for trained emergency
crews and working personnel who have the nec­
essary tools and equipment to perform these
ope rations.
Starting by pushing or
towing
(D Note
Veh icles with an automatic transmission can­
not be started by pushing or towing.
Starting with jumper
cables
If necessary, the engine can be started by con­
necting it to the battery of another vehicle .
If the engine shou ld fail to start because of a dis ­
charged or weak battery, the battery can be con­
nected to the battery of
another vehicle, using a
pair of jumpe r cables to start the engine.
Jumper cables
Use only jumper cables of suffic iently large cross
section
to carry the starter current safely. Refer
to the manufacturer's specifications.
Use only jumper cables with
insulated term inal
clamps which are dis tinct ly marked :
plus(+) cable in most cases colored re d
minus( -) cable
in most cases colored blac k.
A WARNING
Batteries contain electricity, acid, and gas.
Any of these can cause very serious or fatal in­
jury. Follow the instructions below for safe
handling of your vehicle's battery.
- Always shield your eyes and avo id leaning
over the battery whenever poss ible.
- A discharged battery can freeze at tempera­
tures just below 32 °F (0 °C) . Before con­
necting a jumper cable, you must thaw the
Emergency situations
frozen battery completely, otherwise it
could explode .
- Do not allow battery acid to contact eyes or
skin. Flush any contacted area with water immediately.
- Improper use of a booster battery to start a
vehicle may cause an exp losion.
- Vehicle batteries generate exp losive gases.
Keep sparks, flame and lighted cigarettes
away from batteries.
- Do not try to jump start any vehicle with a
low acid level in the battery .
- The vo ltage of the booster battery must also
have a 12-volt rating. The capacity (Ah) of
the booster battery should not be lower
than that of the discharged battery. Use of
batter ies of different voltage or substantial­
ly different "Ah" rating may cause an exp lo­
sion and personal injury .
- Never charge a frozen battery. Gas trapped
in the ice may cause an explosion.
- Never charge or use a battery that has been
frozen . The battery case may have be weak­
ened .
- Use of batter ies of different voltage or sub ­
stantially different capacity (Ah) rating may
cause an exp losion and injury. The capac ity
(Ah) of the booster battery should not be
lowe r than that of the discharged battery.
- Before you check anything in the eng ine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
r::!)page 203.
(D Note
-Applying a higher voltage booster battery
will cause expensive damage to sensitive
electronic components, such as control
units, relays, radio, etc.
- Th ere must be no electrical contact between
the vehicles as otherwise current could al­
ready start to flow as soon as the positive
(+) terminals are connected.
(D Tips
The discharged battery must be properly con-
nected to the vehicle's e lectrical system. ..,.
253