2018 AUDI A7 Owners Manual

a co .... N
" N .... 0 00 \.J ' greater than the amount being generated in or­
der to maintain an optima l vehicle battery charge
level.
(D Tips
-Energy management cannot overcome the
l aws of physics. Note that the charge leve l
and length of the vehicle battery life are
limited.
-When the starting ability is endangered, the
(•) indicator light turns on qpage 14.
What you should know
Maintaining the starting ability is the highest
priority.
A lot of stress is placed on the vehicle battery
when driving short distances, during city driving,
and at co ld times of the year. A lot of energy is
used but little is generated. It is a lso critical
when the engine is not running but electrical
equipment is switched on. In this case, energy is
used but none is generated.
In situations like this, energy management will
actively regulate the distribution of energy.
Long periods without use
If you do not drive your vehicle for several days or
weeks, e lectrica l equipment is gradually sca led
back or switched off. This reduces energy use and
ensures the vehicle wi ll be able to start after long
periods of time. Some convenience functions,
such as interior lighting or power seat adjust­
ment, may not be available under certain circum­
stances . These convenience functions will be
ava ilable again once you switch the ig nition on
and start the engine.
With the engine switched off
The vehicle battery will drain if you use Infota in­
ment functions such as listening to the radio
while the eng ine is switched off.
The vehicle's ability to start may be impaired by
the energy use, a message will appear in the In­
fotainment system d isplay .
The message ind icates that the system will
switch off automatically soon. If you wou ld like
Intelligent Technology
to continue using the functions, you must start
the engine.
With the engine running
Although e lectr ical energy is generated wh ile
dr iv in g, the veh icle battery can drain. This can
happen if little energy is generated but much is
used, and the charge level of the vehicle battery
is not optimal.
To r esto re the balance of energy, components
that require large amounts of energy are tempo­
rarily scaled back or switched off . Heating sys­
tems in particular require a great deal of energy .
If you notice, for example, that the seat heating*
or rear window defogger is not work ing, then it
has been temporarily reduced or sw itched off.
These systems are available aga in as soon as the
energy supply has been restored .
In add ition, you may notice that the idle speed
has slightly increased. That is normal and no
cause for concern. By increasing the idling speed,
the addit ional required energy will be generated
and the vehicle battery w ill be charged .
Notice about data
recorded by the Event
Data Recorder and
vehicle control modules
Event Data Recorder
This vehicle is equ ipped w ith an Event Data Re­
corder (EDR) . The ma in purpose of an EDR is to
record, in certain crash or near crash-l ike situa­
tions, such as an airbag deployme nt or hitt ing a
road obstacle, data that will ass ist in understand­
ing how a vehicle 's systems performed. The EDR
is designed to record data related to vehicle dy ­
namics and safety systems for a short period of
time, typically 30 seconds or less. The EDR in this
vehicle is designed to record such data as:
-How various systems in your vehicle were oper ­
ating;
-Whether or not the driver and passenger safety
be lts were buckled/fastened;
-How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the
accelerator and/or brake pedal; and,
..,.
127

Intelligent Technology
-How fast the vehicle was traveling.
These data can help prov ide a better unde rstand­
ing of the circumstances in which crashes and in­
juries occur. NOTE: EDR data are recorded by your
vehicle only if a non-trivia l crash situation occurs;
no data are recorded by the EDR under norma l
driving conditions and no personal data (e.g.,
name, gender, age, and crash location) are re­
corded. However, other parties, such as law en­
forcement, could combine the EDR data with the
type of personally identifying data routinely ac­
quired during a crash invest igat ion.
To read data recorded by an EDR, special equip­ ment is required, and access to the veh icle or the
EDR is needed . In add it ion to the vehicle manu­
facturer, other parties, such as law enforcement,
that have the special equipment, can read the in­
formation if they have access to th e veh icle or the
EDR.
Some state laws restr ict the retrieval or down­
loading of data stored by ED Rs insta lled in a vehi ­
cle for the express purpose of retrieving data af ­
ter an accident or crash event without the own ­
er's consent .
Aud i w ill not access the EDR and/o r similar data
or give it to othe rs -
- unless the vehicle owner (or lessee if the veh i­
cle has been leased) agrees; or
- upon the official request by the police; or
- upon the order of a court of law or a govern-
ment agency; or
- for the defense of a lawsu it through the judicial
discovery process.
- Audi may also use the data for research about vehicle opera tion and safety performance or
provide the data to a third party for research
purposes without identifying the specific vehi­
cle or information about the identity of its own­
er or lessee and only after the recorded vehicle
data has been accessed.
Vehicle control modules
Your veh icle is also equipped with a number of
electron ic control modules for various veh icle
systems, such as engine management, emission
cont rol , airbags, and safety belts.
128
These electronic contro l modules record data
during normal vehicle operation that may be
needed by trained techn ic ians for diagnostic and
repair purposes. The recording capab ility of these
modules is lim ited to data (no sound is record­
ed) . Only a small amount of data is actually re­
corded over a very limited per iod of time, or stor­
ed when a system fault is detected by a contro l
module . Some of the data sto red may relate to
vehicle speed, direction , or braking, as well as re­
straint system use and performance in the event
of a crash. Stored data can also on ly be read and
down loaded with specia l equipment that is di­
rectly connected to the vehicle.
(D Tips
Your vehicle may be equipp ed wit h Audi con ­
nect. Your use of certain Audi connect fea­
tures requires wire less services that are pro­
v ided by a third party wireless telecommuni­
cations provider . For details regarding how in­
formation obtained through Audi connect is
collected, processed, transmitted, used, and
sha red, please see your contract with the
wireless telecommunications provider.

a co .... N
" N .... 0 00 \.J ' Driving safety
Basics
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
The individua l safety features of your vehicle can
work together as a system to help protect you
and your passengers in a wide range of accidents.
These features cannot work as a system if they
are not always correctly adjusted and correctly
used .
This chapter contains important informat ion,
tips, instruct ions and warn ings that you need to
read and observe for your own safety, the safety
of your passengers and others . We have summar­
i zed here what you need to know about safety
be lts, a irbags, child restra ints as well as child
safety. Yo ur safety is for us priority number 1. Al­
ways observe the information and warnings in
this section - for your own safety as well as that
of your passengers.
The informa tion in t his sect ion app lies to all
model versions of your vehicle. Some of the fea ­
tures described in this sections may be standard
eq uipment on some models, or may be optional
equ ipment on others. If you are not sure, ask
your author ized Audi dealer.
A WARNING
-Always make sure that you follow the in­
struct ions and heed the WARNINGS in th is
Manual. It is in your i nterest a nd in the in­
te rest of your passengers .
-
-Always keep the complete Owner's Litera­
t ur e in yo ur Audi whe n you lend or se ll yo ur
vehicle so that this important information
w ill a lways be available to the d rive r and
passengers.
-Always keep the Owne r's literature h andy so
that you can f ind it easily if yo u have ques­
tions .
Driving saf ety
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody 's job ! Vehicle and occupant
safety always depends on the informed and care­
ful driver .
For your safety and the safety of your passen­
gers,
befor e dri ving alw ays:
.. Make sure that a ll lights and signals are operat­
ing correctly.
.. Make sure tha t the tire pressure is correct .
.. Make sure that all windows are clean and afford
good vis ibility to the outs ide .
.. Secure all luggage and othe r items ca refully
¢ page 54, ¢page 53 .
.. Make sure that not hing c an interfere wi th the
peda ls .
.. Adjust front seat, head restraint and mirrors
correct ly for your height.
.. Instruct passengers to adjust the head re­
straints according to their height.
.. Make sure to use the rig ht child restra int cor­
rectly to protect children
¢ page 170, Child
safety .
.. Sit properly in your seat and make sure t hat
your passengers do the
same ¢ page 47, Seats
and storage.
.. Fasten your safety belt and wear it properly . Al ­
so instruct your passengers to fasten their safe­
ty belts
properly ¢ page 138 .
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving is directly related to the condition of
the vehicle , the driver as well as the driver 's abili­
ty to concentrate on the road without being dis­
tracted.
The driver is responsib le for the safety of the ve ­
hicle and a ll of its occupants. If your ability to
drive is impa ired, safety risks for everybody in the
vehicle increase and you a lso become a hazard to
everyone else on the road
¢ &_ . Therefore:
.. Do not let yourse lf be distracted by passengers
or by using a cellular telephone .
.. NEVER drive when your driving abi lity is im­
pa ired (by med ications, alcohol, drugs, etc .) .
.. Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road and
speed lim its and plain common sense .
129

Driving sa fety
,.. ALWAYS adjust your speed to road, traffic and
weather conditions.
,.. Take frequent breaks on long trips. Do not drive
for more than two hours at a stretch.
,.. Do NOT drive when you are tired, under pres­
sure or whe n you are stressed .
A WARNING
Impaired driv ing safety inc reases the risk of
ser ious persona l inju ry and death whenever a
vehicle is being used.
Correct passenger
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver sea ting po sition is impor tan t
for safe, relaxed driving .
Fig. 14 0 Correc t seat ing posit ion
F or your own safety and to reduce the risk of in­
jury in the event of an accident, we recommend
that you adjust the driver 's seat to the following
position :
,.. Adjust the dr iver's seat so tha t you can easily
push the pedals all the way to the floor whi le
keeping your knee(s) s light ly
bent ¢ ,A.
,.. Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position so that your back comes in
full contact with it when you drive.
,.. Adjust the steering wheel so that there is a dis­
tance of at least 10 inches (25 cm ) between the
stee ring wheel and your breast
bone ¢ fig. 140 .
If not possib le, see you r autho rized Aud i dea l­
ersh ip about adaptive equipment .
130
,.. Adjust the steering wheel so that the steering
wh eel and airbag cover points at your chest and
not at your face.
,.. Grasp the top of the steering wheel with your
elbow(s) slightly bent.
,.. F or ad justab le head rest raints: Adjust the head
restraint so t he upper edge is as even as possi­
ble with the top of your head . If that is not pos­
sible, t ry to adjust the head restraint so tha t it
is a s close to this pos it ion as poss ible . M ove the
he ad restraint so tha t it is as close to the back
o f the head as possible.
,.. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
¢ page 141 .
,.. Always keep both feet in the footwell so that
you are in contro l of the veh icle at all times .
Fo r detail ed information on how to adjust the
dr iver's seat,
see ¢ page 47.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted , out of position or
too close to the airbag can be seriously in-
jured by an airbag as it unfo lds . To help re-
duce the risk of serio us pe rsonal i njury:
-Always adjust the driver's seat and the steer ing whee l so that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between you r breastbone
and the steering wheel.
- Always ad just the driver's seat and the
steer ing whee l so that the re are at least
4 inch es (10 cm) between the knees a nd the
lower part of the ins trumen t panel.
-Always hold t he s teering wheel on the out­
side of t he steering wheel r im with yo ur
hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi­
tions to help reduce the risk of personal in­
jury if the dr iver 's airbag inflates.
-Never hold the stee ring wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with you r hands at
other positions inside the steer ing whee l
rim o r on the steering wheel hub. Holding
the steering wheel the wrong way can cause
serious injuries to the hands, arms and head
-
if the driver's airbag inflates . .,_

a co .... N
" N .... 0 00 \,;J ' -Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supplemen­
tal driver's airbag to protect you in a colli­ sion .
- Always sit in an upright position and never
lean against or place any part of your body
too close to the area where the airbags are
located .
- Before driving, always adjust the front seats
properly and make sure that all passengers
are properly restrained .
- For adjustable head restraints : before driv ­
ing, always also adjust the head restraints
properly .
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle is moving . Your seat may move unexpectedly
and you could lose control of the vehicle.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are
tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt
and improper seating position.
- Children must always ride in child seats
~ page 170. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front
passenger seat
i::> page 146 .
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position is
important for safe, r elaxed driving.
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of in­
jury in the event of an accident, we recommend that you adjust th e seat for the front passenger
to the following position:
.. Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is in
an upright position and your back comes in full
contact with it wh enever the vehicle is moving.
.. For adjustable head restraints: adjust the head
restraint so the upper edge is as even as possi­
ble with the top of your head. If that is not pos­
sible , try to adjust the head restraint so that it
is as close to this position as possible
~ page 132. Move the head restraint so that it
is as close to the back of the head as possible.
Driving safety
.. Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of the
front passeng er seat.
.. Fasten and wear safety belts correctly
i::> page 141 .
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front pass enger's s eat, see
i::> pag e 47.
A WARNING
= -
Front seat passengers who are unbelted, out
of position or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured or killed by the airbag as it
unfolds . To help reduce the risk of serious
personal injury:
- Passengers must always sit in an upright po­
sition and never lean against or place any part of their body too close to the area
where the airbags are located.
- Passengers who are unbelted, out of posi­
tion or too close to the airbag can be seri­
ously injured by an airbag as it unfolds with
g reat force in the blink of an eye.
- Always make sure that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between the front pas­
senger's breastbone and the instrument panel.
- Always make sure that there are at least
4 inches (10 cm) between the front passen­
ger's knees and the lower part of the instru­
ment panel.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat of
their own and properly fasten and wear the
safety belt belonging to that seat .
- Before driving, always adjust the front pas­
senger seat properly.
- For adjustable head restraints: before driv­
ing, always also adjust the head restraints
properly .
- Always keep your feet on the floor in front
of the seat. Never rest them on the seat, in­
strument panel, out of the window, etc. The
airbag system and safety belt will not be
able to protect you properly and can even in­
crease the risk of injury in a crash .
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests are
tilted back, the greater the risk of injury due
~
131

Driving safety
to incorrect positioning of the safety belt
and improper seating position.
- Children must always ride in child seats
c:> page 170. Special precautions apply
when installing a child seat on the front passenger seat
c:> page 146 .
Proper seating positions for passengers in
rear seats
Rear sea t passengers must si t upright wi th both
feet on the floor consistent with their physical
size and be properly restrained whenever the
ve­
hicle is in use.
To reduce the r isk of injury caused by an incorrect
seating position in the event of a sudden braking
maneuver or an accident, yo ur passengers on the
rear bench seat must always observe the follow ­
i n g:
• For adjustable head restra ints: adjust the head
r estra int so the uppe r edge is as even as poss i­
ble with the top of your head. If that is not pos­
sible, try to ad just the head restra int so th at it
is as close to this position as possib le
c:> page 132 .
• Keep both feet flat i n the footwell i n front of
the rear seat.
• Fas ten and wear safety belts properly
c:> page 141.
• Make sure that children are always properly re­
strained in a ch ild restraint that is approp riate
for their size and age
c::> page 170 .
_& WARNING
Passengers who are imp roperly seated on the
rear seat can be seriously injured in a crash .
- E ach passenger m ust always sit on a seat o f
their own an d properly fas ten and we ar the
safe ty belt belongi ng to that sea t.
- Safe ty belts only offe r m aximum p rotection
when the safety belts are properly posi­
tioned on the body and securely latched . By
not sitting upright, a rear seat passenger
in­
c reases the risk of personal in ju ry from im­
properly positioned safety belts!
132
- For adjustable head restraints: always ad­
just the head restraint properly so that it
can give maximum protection.
Proper adjustment of head restraints
App lies to : vehicles with adjustable head restra ints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an impor ­
tant part of your vehicle's occupant restraint sys­
tem and can help to reduce the risk of injuries in
acciden t situations.
Fig. 141 Head rest ra in t: v iewed from t he front
The head rest raints must be corre ctly adjus ted to
a chieve t he best protec tion .
• Adjust the head rest ra int so the upper edge is
as even as possib le w ith the top of you r head . If
t ha t is no t possib le, try to adjus t the head
re­
strai nt so that it is as close to this pos it ion as
possible
c:> fig. 141 . Move the head restraint so
that it is as close to the back of the head as
possible .
• If there is a passenger on the rear center seat­
ing position*, slide the center head restraint *
upward at least to the next notch .
Adjust ing head restraints
c:> page 48.
_& WARNING
All seats are equipped w ith head restraints .
Driving w ithout head restraints or w ith head
rest raints that are not prope rly adj usted in ­
creases the r is k of se rious or fata l neck injury
d ramat ica lly . To help reduce t he risk of injury:
- Always drive with the head restra ints in
place and prope rly adjusted.
- Every pe rson in the vehicle must have a
proper ly adjusted head restraint .
-

a co .... N
" N .... 0 00 \.J ' -Always make sure each person in the vehicle
properly adjusts their head restraint. Adjust
the head restra int so the upper edge is as
even as possible w ith the top of your head .
If that is not possible, try to adjust the head
restra int so that it is as close to th is position
as possib le. Move the head restra in t so that
it is as close to t he b ack of the he ad as pos ­
sible.
- Never attempt to adjust head restra int
w hil e d riving. If you have dr iven off and
must adjust the dr ive r headrest for any rea­
son, first stop the vehicle safely before at­
tempting to adjust the head restraint .
- Children must a lways be proper ly restrained
in a chi ld restraint that is appropriate for
their age and size
~ page 170.
Examples of improper seating positions
Th e occupant r estraint syst em con only r educ e
the risk of injury if vehicle occupants ore properly
seated.
I mp roper seating posi tions can cause se rious in ­
jury or death . Safety belts can only work when
they ar e properly positioned on the body. Im ­
prope r seating positions reduce the effectiveness
of safe ty belts and w ill even increase the r isk of
injury and death by moving the s afety belt to crit­
ical areas of the body . Improper seating posit ions
also increase the risk of ser ious injury and death
when an airbag deploys and strikes an occupant
who is not i n the prope r seat ing pos ition. A d rive r
i s respons ible for the safety of a ll vehicle occu ­
pants and especia lly fo r children . There fore:
"' Never allow anyone to assume an inco rrect
seat ing pos it ion w hen t he ve hicle is being used
~& -
The follow ing bulletins list only some sample po­
sitions that will increase the risk of serious inju ry
and dea th. O ur hope is that these examp les w ill
make you more aware of seat ing pos it ions tha t
are dangerous .
Therefore, wh enever th e vehicle is moving:
- never stand up in the veh icle
- never stand on the seats
Dri ving saf ety
- never kneel on the seats
- neve r ride wit h the seatback recl ined
- neve r lie down on the seats
- neve r lean up against the instrument panel
- never s it on the edge of the seat
- never s it sideways
- never lean out the window
- never put your feet out the window
- neve r put your feet on t he instr ument pane l
- neve r rest your feet on the seat cushion or back
of the seat
- neve r ride in the footwell
- never ride in the cargo area
A WARNING
-
Imp roper seating positions inc rease the risk
of ser ious perso nal in jury and death whenever
a ve hicl e is being u sed .
- Always make sure that all ve hicle occupants
stay in a p roper seating posit ion and a re
p roperly restra ined whe never the veh icle is
be ing used.
Driver's and front
passenger's footwell
Important safety instructions
Applies to: vehicles with knee airbags
A WARNING
= -
A lways make s ure t hat the knee airbag can in­
flate w ithout interference. Objects between
yourself and the airbag can increase the risk
of injury in an accide nt by interfering with the
way t he a irbag dep loys or by be ing pushed in­
to you as the a irbag dep loys .
- No persons (ch ildren) or animals should ride
in the footwell in front of the passenger
seat . If the a irbag deploys, this can res ult in
ser io us or fatal injur ies.
- N o objects of a ny kind should be ca rr ied in
the footwell a rea in front of the dr ive r's or
p a sse nger's seat. B ulky objects (shopp ing
b ags, for exam ple) can h amper o r preven t
proper dep loymen t of the airbag . Sma ll ob ­
jects can be thrown thro ugh the vehicle if
133

Drivin g saf ety
the airbag deploys and injure you or your
passengers.
Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must always be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mat or
any other object.
Make sure that all pedals move freely without in­
terference and that noth ing prevents them from
returning to the ir original positions .
Only use floor mats that leave the pedal area free
and can be secured with floor mat fasteners.
If a brake circuit fails, increased brake peda l trav­
el is required to bring the vehicle to a full stop.
A WARNING
Peda ls that cannot move free ly can cause loss
of vehicle control and increase the risk of seri­
ous injury .
- Never place any objects in the driver's foot­
well. An object could get into the pedal area
and interfere w ith pedal function . In case of
sudden brak ing or an accident, you would
not be able to brake or accelerate!
- Always make sure that nothing can fa ll or
move into the dr iver's footwell.
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely at ­
tached to the floor mat fasteners and do not in­
terfere with the free movement of the pedals .
"'Make sure that the floor mats are properly se-
cured and cannot move and interfere with the
peda ls ~ ,& .
Use only floor mats that leave the pedal area un­
obstructed and that are firmly secured so that
they cannot slip out of pos ition . You can obtain
suitable floor mats from your authorized Aud i
Dea le r.
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi.
134 Floor mats used in your vehicle must be attached
to thes e fasten ers. Properly securing the floor
mats will prevent them from sliding into posi­
tions that could interfere with the pedals or im­ pair safe operation of your vehicle in o ther ways.
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can result in a
loss of vehicle control and increase the r isk of
serious pe rsonal injury .
- Always make sure that floor mats are prop­ erly secured .
- Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings in the vehicle that cannot be
properly secured in place to prevent them
from s lipping and interfer ing with the ped­
als or the ab ility to cont rol the vehicle.
- Never p lace or install floor mats o r other
floor coverings on top of al ready installed
floor mats . Addi tion al floor mats and other
cover ings will reduce the size o f the pedal
area and interfere with the pedals.
- Always properly re install and secure floo r
mats that have been taken out for cleaning.
- Always make sure that objects canno t fall
into the driver footwell while the vehicle is
moving. Objects can become trapped under
the brake pedal and accelerator pedal caus­ ing a loss of vehicle control.
Storing cargo correctly
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be properly stowed and secured in the luggage compart­
ment.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly , changing vehicle handling charac ­
te rist ics . Loose items can also inc rease the risk of
se rious persona l injury in a sudden veh icle ma­
neuver or in a collision .
"' Distribute the load evenly in the luggage com ­
partment .
"'Always place and prope rly secure heavy items in
the l uggage compa rtment as fa r fo rwa rd as
possible .
.,.