2018 AUDI A7 trailer

Table of contents
About this Owner's Manual. . . . . .
5
Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Cockpit overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Controls at a glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Instruments and indicator lights 9
Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Indicato r lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1 0
Driver information system . . . . . . 20
Ove rview ....... ... .. ..... ... .. .. .. .
Operation . ........ .. ..... ... .. .. .. . 20
2 1
On-board computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Eff iciency program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
T ime/date display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
B oost, shifting and eng ine o il
temperature indicato rs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
H ead -up displ ay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24
Starting and driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Opening and closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Cent ral lock ing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
L uggage compartment lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Chi ld safety loc k . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Power windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Sunroof. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Garage door opener (Homelink) . . . . . . . . 3 7
Lights and Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Exterior lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Interior lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
42
V1s1on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
W indshield w ipe rs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Seats and storage ............... . 47
Gene ral information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Fr ont seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
H ead restra ints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
M emory fu nction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
49
Ashtray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Cigarette lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 1
12
Volt sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
2
Warm and cold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Climate contro l system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Steering w heel heat ing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Driving ... .. .. .... .. ... .. ..... ... .. 6 4
Genera l information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Start ing and stopping the eng ine . . . . . . . 68
Start/Stop system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
E lectromechanical parking brake . . . . . . . 72
Start ing to drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
A utomat ic transmission 74
Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
D riving with a tra ile r 81
Driver assi stance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Assistance systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Speed warning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Cru ise cont ro l sys tem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 4
Lap timer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Audi adaptive cruise contro l . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Audi pre sense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Audi active lane assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Audi s ide ass ist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
N ight vision assist w ith pedestrian and
wild animal detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
102
Audi drive select (d rive setti ngs) . . . . . . . . 105
Parking systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Genera l information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Parking system plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Rearv iew camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Per ipher al came ras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Adjus ting the d isp lay an d the warn ing
tones.. ... .. .. .... .. ... .. ..... ... ..
118
Error messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Trailer hitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Intelligent Technology . . . . . . . . . . 12 0
Electronic stabilization control (ESC) . . . . 120
Brakes .... .. .. .. .. .. ............. .. 122
E lectromechanical steering, dynamic
steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
124
All wheel drive (quatt ro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Rear spoiler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

a co .... N
" N .... 0 00 \,;J ' Releasing the parking brake automatically
Requirement: the driver's door must be closed,
the driver's safety belt must be latched and the
parking brake must be set.
.,. To start driving and release the parking brake
automatically, press the accelerator pedal as
usual.
In addition to releasing the parking brake auto­
matically, other convenience and safety functions
are available when you start driving
¢page 74,
Starting to drive.
Preventing the automatic parking brake
release
The vehicle could begin rolling unintentionally,
depending on the hill or if towing a trailer.
.,. To prevent the parking brake from releasing au­
tomatically, pull and hold
the(®) switch and
press the accelerator pedal. The parking brake
remains set and prevents the vehicle from roll­
ing backward.
.,. You can release the C®l switch again once you
are sure that you are giving enough driving
force to the wheels by pressing the accelerator pedal.
Emergency braking function
You can use the emergency braking function in an
emergency situation, or if the standard brake op­
eration malfunctions or is disabled.
.,. Pull and hold the®) switch.
.,. As soon as you release the (®) switch or acceler-
ate, the braking stops.
Pulling and holding the
C®) switch while driving
the vehicle activates the emergency braking func­
tion. The vehicle is braked at all four wheels by
activating the hydraulic brake system. The brak­ ing effect is similar to heavy
braking¢&_ .
To reduce the risk of activating the emergency
braking by mistake, a warning tone (buzzer)
sounds when
the®> switch is pulled. Emergency
braking stops as soon as
the®) switch is released
or the accelerator pedal is pressed.
Parking
.,. Press the brake pedal to stop the vehicle.
Driving
.,. Pull the®> switch to set the parking brake .
.,. Place the selector lever in the P position.
.,. Turn the engine off¢&_ .
.,. Turn the steering wheel when parking on in­
clines so that the wheels will roll into the curb
if the vehicle starts moving.
A WARNING
-
- Do not press the accelerator pedal inadver­
tently if a gear is selected when the vehicle
is stationary and the engine is running. Oth­
erwise, the vehicle will start to move imme­
diately and this could result in an accident.
- Emergency braking should only be used in
an emergency, when the normal brake pedal
has failed or the brake pedal is obstructed.
During emergency braking, your vehicle will
brake similar to heavy braking. ESC and the
associated components (ABS, ASR, EDL)
cannot overcome the laws of physics . In cor­
ners and when road or weather conditions
are bad, a full brake application can cause
the vehicle to skid or the rear end to swerve,
which
increases the risk of an accident.
- If the power supply fails , you cannot set the
parking brake if it is released . In this case,
park the vehicle on level ground and secure
it by placing the selector lever in the P posi­
tion. See an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility for assistance.
- Always take the vehicle key with you when
leaving your vehicle, even for a short period
of time. This applies particularly when chil­
dren remain in the vehicle. Otherwise chil­
dren could start the engine, release the
parking brake or operate electrical equip­
ment such as power windows, which in­
creases the risk of an accident .
- No one should remain in the vehicle when it
is locked - especially children . Locked doors
make it more difficult for emergency work­
ers to get into the vehicle, which puts lives
at risk.
(D Tips
When stopping at a traffic signal or stopping
in city traffic, you can set the parking brake
manually . The vehicle does not have to be
73

a co .... N
" N .... 0 00 \.J - Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your veh icle is primar ily intended for transport­
ing people and luggage. However, if you dr ive
with a trailer , follow the technical requirements,
the operation and driving tips, and the legal reg­
u lations.
Driving with a trailer affects the vehicle 's fuel
consumption, performance and wear. It also re­
quires highe r concentration from the driver.
A WARNING
Do not transport any people in a trailer due to
the risk of fatal injury.
Technical requirements
Certain requirements must be met when towing
a trailer.
Trailer hitch
Only use a trailer hitch with a removab le ball
hitch mount and ball hitch. The trailer hitch must
be perm itted for the vehicle, the trailer and the
permitted total weight of the trailer being
pu lled. Above all, it must be secure ly and safe ly
attached to the vehicle trailer.
Never mount a trailer hitch on the bumper. The
trailer hitch must be mounted in a way that does
not impair the function of the bumper. Do not
make any changes to the exhaust system and the
brake system.
Check regularly if the trailer hitch is securely
mounted. A lways follow the instructions given by
the trai ler hitch manufacturer .
Trailer brakes
If the tra iler has its own brake system, then fol­
l ow the manufacturer specifications. However,
the brake system on the trailer must never be
connected to the vehicle brake system.
Trailer towing
Engine cooling system
Driving with a trailer means a higher load on the
engine and the cooling system. The coo ling sys­
tem must be designed for additiona l load and
contain enough coo lant
i::> @ .
@ Note
Longer inclines cannot be driven without a
suitab le cooling system, especia lly if t he out­
side temperatures are high . otherwise, this
increases the risk of engine damage.
Operating instructions
Several things must be noted when towing a
trailer.
Towing capacity
Your vehicle can only be operated with class 1 or
class 2 trailers.
Load distribution
Poor cargo load and distribut ion can negatively
impact vehicle handling.
- Store objects preferably in the vehicle luggage
compartment . The vehicle should always carry
the heaviest poss ible load and the trailer
should have the lightest possible load.
- Distribute the load in the trailer so that the
heavy objects are as close to the axle as poss i­
b le.
- Secure objects from sl iding out of place .
- Ut ilize the maximum permitted tongue weight
if possible .
Tires
Set the tire pressure on your vehicle for a "full
load"; see the tire pressure sticker
c::>page 215.
If necessary, also adjust the tire pressure on the
trailer according to the manufacturer's recom­ mendat ion .
Winter tires should be mounted on the vehicle and on the trailer during winter temperatures.
Outside mirrors
If you cannot see the tra ffic behind the trailer
with the standard exterior mirrors, then you
81

Trail er to wing
must attach additiona l exterior mirrors . Adjust
them so you have a sufficient visibility behind
you .
Exterior lighting
Follow the lega l regulat ions regard ing the light ­
ing eq uipment on your trailer . Conta ct an author ­
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty for more information.
Before start ing to drive, check a ll l ight ing equip­
men t on the hitc hed trailer.
The headlig ht range contro l adjusts automatical­
ly to the light range of the headl ights.
Safe ty chain s
Make sure the safety chains are correctly applied
when pulling a trailer . The chains should hang
enough so t hat the trailer can dr ive around
curves. However, they must not touch the
g round .
Air su spension
Applies to: vehicles with air suspension
The air suspension must be at the standard vehi­
cle height before you set the tongue weight on
the trailer a nd h itch the trailer ¢@ ,
¢page 107,
Raising/lowering the vehicle.
For ve hicles w ith a factory-installed tra iler hitch,
the air suspension trailer mode will automat ically
sw itch on if you connect the trailer cable to the
socket.
For ve hicles w ith a retrof itted trailer hitch, you
must switch on the air suspension trailer mode
manually . Select in the Infota inment system:
ICARI function button > ( Car )* s yste m s contro l
button
> V ehicle setting s > Air su spen sion : trail ­
e r > On .
Switch it off again after tow ing a tra ile r.
You can also switch off tra iler mode ma nually
while driving, for example, when using a bicycle rac k system .
If you have to drive through difficult road condi­
tions, you can raise the vehicle aga in after hitch­
ing the t rai ler or after adjust ing the tongue
weight .
82
@ Note
Applies to: vehicles with air suspension
-Changes i n temperature or load can affect
the height of the vehicle .
- Set the air suspension to the standard veh i­
cle he ight, otherwise the applicable tongue
we ight no longer appl ies to your veh icle.
(D Tips
- Use chocks when park ing on inclines if the
trai ler is loaded.
- We recommend also hav ing the vehicle in­
spected between the inspection intervals if
you are towing a trailer frequently.
- Avoid driv ing with a trai ler dur ing the veh i­
cle break-in per iod.
Driving with a trailer
Driving with a trailer requires extra caution.
Sp eed
Adhere to t he lega l speed lim its . Fo llow the legal
regu lations
specific to the country.
As the speed increases, the dr iv ing stab il ity of
t h e tra ile r decreases. Therefore you should not
exceed the max imum lega l speed lim it w hen
t h ere are unfavorab le road, weather and/or wind
conditions. This especia lly applies when driving
downh ill.
Yo u m ust always red uce your speed as soon as
you notice even the slightest swinging motion o f
the trai ler . Never try to "straighten out" the trai l­
er by acce lerating.
The we ight d istr ibution is very poor if the vehicle
is empty and the trai ler is loaded. However if you
must drive under these circumstances, then drive
especially slowly .
Brakes
B rake in a time ly manner. Downs hift befo re dr iv ­
i ng down hill so that the engine can assist with
braking ¢&. .
When using a trailer w it h over run bra kes, fi rst
bra ke gently t hen q uick ly. This red uces the r isk of
j erking while braking if the trailer wheels lock up .
IIJJ,,

a co .... N
" N .... 0 00 \.J ' Engine coolant temperature
Pay att ention specifica lly to the coolan t tempera ­
t ure d isp lay when t here are high outside tempe r­
atures, an d when dr iv ing on long inclines
~ page 9 . Shift to a highe r gear in a timely man ­
ne r.
A WARNING
Constant b raking causes the brakes to ove r­
heat and substant ially reduces b raking per­
formance, increases brak ing distance or caus­
es complete fa ilu re of the brake system.
-
Trailer towing
83

Assistance systems
@ Tips
-Side assist is not active while you are mak­
i ng the adjustment.
- Your settings are automatically stored and
assigned to the remote control key being
used.
Messages
Applies to: ve hicles w ith Audi side assist
If side ass ist switches off by itself, the LED in the
button turns off and a message will appear in the
instrument cluster display:
Audi side assist: Currently unavailable . No
sensor vision
The radar sensor v is ion is impaired . Do not cover
the area in front of the sensors with b ike wheels,
stickers, dirt or other objects . Clean the area in
front of the sensors, if
necessary¢ page 100,
fig . 107.
Audi side assist: Currently unavailable
Side assist cannot be switched on at th is time be ·
cause there is a malfunction (for example, the
battery charge level may be too low).
Audi side assist: System fault!
The system cannot guarantee that it w ill detect
vehicles correctly and it has switched off. The sensors have been moved or are faulty. Have the
system checked by an authorized Audi dealer or
authorized Audi Service Facility soon.
Audi side assist: Unavailable when towing
Side assist switches off automatically when a fac­
tory-installed trailer hitch is connected to the
electrical connector on the trailer . There is no
guarantee the system will sw itch off when using
a retrofitted trailer hitch. Do not use side assist
when towing a trailer.
102
Night vision assist with
pedestrian and wild
animal detection
Description
App lies to: vehicles wit h night vision assist
The night vision assist can detect, highlight and,
if necessary, warn about pedestrians and large wild animals.
Night vision assist with pedestrian and wi ld ani­
mal detection assists you at night by using an
in ·
frared camera to monitor the area in front of
your vehicle, within the limits of the system. It can d isplay objects up to a distance of approxi­
mately 1000 feet (300 m). The thermal image
detected by the camera is shown in the instru­
ment cluster display. Warm areas appear lighter
and cold areas appear darker.
Highlighting detected pedestrians and wild
animals
Applies to: vehicles wit h night vision assist
Fig. 109 In stru men t cl uste r: yellow highlighted pedes ·
tria ns
Fig. 110 Instrument cl uster : sy mbol when the infrar ed im ­
age is not v isible
Within th e limits of the system, the night vision
ass ist can detect pedestrians and wild animals
..,..

a co ,...,
N
" N ,...,
0 00 <..:l ' • Turn the Infotainment system on and shift into
reverse gear. The parking system must be
turned on and the
Cross parking view must be
displayed.
• Press the control button on the Infotainment
unit (D c')page 112, fig . 123 . The Parallel park­
ing
view is displayed.
•B ackup and align your vehicle so the blue area
@ borders on the rear end of the vehicle be­
hind yo u or on the parking space line
c') A in
General information on page 113,
c')(D in Gen­
eral information on page 113.
The blue area
represents an extension of the vehicle's out line
by approximately 16 ft (5 meters) to the rear .
The long side of the blue area should be on the
curb. The entire blue area must f it into the
parking space.
• With the ve hicle stopped, turn the steer ing
wheel to the right as far as it will go.
• Back into the park ing space until the blue curve
¢ page 112, fig. 124 touches the curb c') A in
Gen eral information on page 113,
c')(D in Gen ­
eral information on page 113 .
Stop the vehicle.
• With the vehicle stopped, turn the steering
whee l to the left as far as it will go .
• Continue to back into the parking space until
the vehicle is parked parallel to the
curb¢ &
in General information on page 113, ¢ (D in
General information on page 113. @ repre­
sents the rear bumper. At the very latest, stop
the vehicle when the red orientation
line©
borders an object. Keep an eye on the front of
your vehicle while doing this .
Parking next to obstacles
If there is an obstacle (such as a wall) next to the
parking space, position the vehicle so th ere is
more space on that side. Position the long side of
the blue area so that there is sufficient space
from the object. The area must not be on the
curb . You will also need to start turning the
steering whee l earlier. The blue curve
¢ page 112, fig. 124 must not touch the obsta­
cle, but rather there should be enough distance.
Parking systems
(D Tips
The left or right orientation lines and surfaces
will be d isp layed, depending on the turn sig­
nal be ing used.
Trailer mode
App lies to : vehicles wit h peripheral c ameras a nd tra ile r hi tch
This view assists you in positioning the vehicle in
front of a trailer.
Fig. 137 Infot ainment system: rear mode
Requirement: the trailer mode must be selected
¢page 115.
• Now you can posit ion your ve hicle in front of
the trailer
¢ &. in General information on
page 113,
¢ (D in General information on
page 113.
The orange orientat ion line indicates
the expected path toward the trailer hitch. Use
t he blue lines to help you estimate the distance
to the trailer hitch.
Setting the mode
Appl ies to : vehicles wi th pe riph eral ca meras
• Select: !CAR ! function button> (Car)* Systems
control button > Driver assistance > Parking
aid
> Change to front/rear > Auto or Manual.
Auto
-this view behind the vehicle (Rear mode) is
displayed automatically when yo u shift into re­
verse. This view in front of the vehicle
(Front
mode) is displayed automatically when you shift
into the forward gears.
Manual -When you switch the system on, the
view behind the ve hicle
(Rear mode) is always
displayed and it does not switch to the
Front
mode when a forward gear is se lected.
117

Parking systems
Adjusting the display and the warning tones
Applies to: vehicles with parking system plus/rearview cam­
era/peripheral camera
The display and warning tones can be adjusted in
the Infotainment.
~ Se lect: the ICARI function button > (Car)* Sys­
tems
cont rol b utton > Driver assistance > Park ­
ing aid .
Display
On* -
an op tical d isp lay is shown for the parki ng
system plus, a rearview camera image is s hown
for the rea rview camera *.
Off -when the p arking syste m is sw itche d off,
only audib le s ign als a re give n.
Signal tones
Front volume -
volume for the front a rea
Rear volume -volume fo r the rear area
Front frequency -frequency for the front a rea
Rear frequen cy -freq uen cy fo r the rear area
Music volume during nav . prompts -the volume
of the a udio/video so urce is lowe red when t he
pa rking system is tur ned on
The new value is g iven briefly during the adjust­
ment.
(D Tips
- The wa rning tones ca n also be ad justed di­
r ect ly by the v is u al d isp lay or the picture
from the camera. Sim ply p ress the
Settings
contro l bu tton.
- Changed set tings a re act ivated whe n the
p arking sys tem is swi tched o n aga in.
- The settings for volume a nd frequency are
a utomat ica lly saved and assigned to the re­
mote con trol key be ing used .
Error messages
Applies to: vehicles with parking system plus/rearview cam­
era/peripheral camera
There is an erro r in the system if the LED in the
Pw Jl. button is b link ing and yo u hear a continuous
118
ala rm for a few seconds after sw itch ing on the
par kin g system or when the pa rking system is al ­
r eady activated . If the erro r is not cor rected be­
fo re yo u switch off the ignition, the LED in the
Pw Jl.
button will blink the next time you switch on the
parki ng system by shifting into reverse.
Parking system plus*
If a sensor is fa ulty, th e~ symbol will appear i n
front of/be hind the veh icle in the Infotainment
display. If a rear sensor is faulty, on ly obstacles
that are in areas @and @ are shown
¢ page 109, fig . 115 . If a front sensor is faulty,
o nly obs tacles tha t are in a reas © and @are
shown . T he re i s also a system ma lf u nction if all
segme nts aroun d the vehicle are red or if no seg­
men ts a re disp laye d.
Peripheral cameras*
There is a system malfunction if the -(l!:) , symbol
appears and the co rresponding disp lay area is
s h own in bl ue. The c amera is no t wo rking in this
a re a .
Drive to an authorized A udi dealer or authorized
Audi Se rvice Fac il ity i mme diate ly to have the
malfunction cor rec ted .
Trailer hitch
Applies to: vehicles with parking system plus/rearview cam­
era/peripheral cameras and trailer hitch
When the trailer soc ket is i n use, the pa rking sys­
tem rear sensors are not act ivated when you sh ift
i nto reverse gear or when yo u press the
P •11A b ut­
ton. This res ults in the following restrict io ns.
Parking system plus*
There is no distance warning for the rear. The
front senso rs rema in activated. T he visua l display
switches to trailer mode.
Rearview camera* /peripheral cameras*
The re is no distance warning for the rear . The
front senso rs remain activated . The visua l display
switches to trailer mode. The rearview came ra
i mage w ill not show the orie ntation lines and the
bl ue sur faces.
..,