2018 AUDI A7 brake

a co .... N
" N
The brake pads are worn. D rive to an autho rized Aud i dea le r o r authorized
Aud i Service Fac ility immediately to have the
brake pads c hec ked.
Applies to: USA models
The liJ ind icator light turns on together w it h the
1111 indicator light.
EPC Engine control (gasoline engine)
If the 13:a ind icator ligh t turns on if there is a
mal function in the engine control.
D rive s low ly to a n author ized Audi dealer or au­
thor ized Audi Se rvice Fac ility to have the eng ine
checked.
! )\, Engine speed limitation
Applies to: vehicles with engine speed limitation
(Pl Maximum engine speed: XXXX rpm
The engine speed is automatically lim ited to the
speed d isplayed in the instr ument clus ter. T his
p rotects t he engine from overheating .
The engine speed limitat ion deactivates once the
engine is no longer in the c ritical temperature
range and you have released the acce le rato r ped ­
a l once .
I f the engine speed lim itation was activated by
a n eng ine contro l ma lfunction, the
13:a ind icator
l ight also turns on . Make su re t hat the speed
does not go above the speed displayed . Drive to
an authorized Audi dealer or authorized A udi
Service Facility immediately to have the malfunc­
tion corrected.
(D Tips
Applies to: Sand RS models
The engine speed is limited when the eng ine
is cold
-the full engine output is not availa­
ble. When the engine is at operating temper­
ature, the red area in the tachometer moves
to a higher RPM range.
~ .. Engine oil sensor
~ • Oil l evel! Sen sor def ectiv e
\.J ' In strum ents and ind icator ligh ts
The sensor to check the engine oi l level has
failed. Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or au ­
thorized Audi Serv ice Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
f Engine warm-up request
n Pleas e warm up engin e
Fuel has entered the engine oil, either from low
outside temperatures or frequent short drives.
Drive until the eng ine is warm so that the fuel in
the engine o il w ill evaporate. Avoid hig h engine
speeds, full accelerating and heavy engine loads
when doing this .
Bu Tank system
D Please refuel
If the indicator light turns on for the first time
and the message appears, there are about 2 .6
gallons ( 10 liters) of fuel left in the tank .
D Fuel tank system mal funct ion! Contact deal ­
e r
There is a ma lfunction in the fuel tank system.
Drive to an authorized A udi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
(D Tips
For addi tional informat ion on ref ueling, see
¢ page 190 .
<9 Washer fluid level
t-"$ JJlease refill washer fluid
F ill the was her fl uid fo r th e windsh ie ld washer
system and the headlight washer system* when
the ignition is switched off ¢
page 203.
$-. Windshield wipers
m Windshield wiper defecti ve
T he re is a ma lfunction with the windshield wip-
ers.
..,.
17

Drivin g
Driving
General information
Breaking in
A new vehicle must be broken in for the first 1,000 mi les (1,500 km). Do not dr ive at speeds
t hat will exceed 2/3 of the max imum pe rm itted
engine speed (RPM) for the first 600 miles
(1,000 km), and avoid fu ll acceleration during
this period . You may gradually start increasing
the RPM and the speed between 600 miles
(1,000 km) and 1,000 miles (1,500 km) .
During the first hours of use, the engine has a
higher internal friction than later on when all
moving parts have settled into place with each
other.
How the vehicle is driven d uring the first 1,000
miles (1 ,500 km) a lso affects the engine quality .
Drive at moderate engine speeds after the initial
break-in per iod, part icu larly when running a cold
eng ine . Th is will reduce eng ine wear and improve
the m ileage .
Do not drive at too
low of an engine speed (RPM).
Shift down if the engine stops running "smooth­ ly". Extremely high eng ine speeds are automati­
cally reduced .
Reducing the risk of vehicle damage
@ Note
When driving on poo r roads, by cu rbs and on
s teep ramps, make su re t hat low-hang ing
compone nts such as the spo ile r and exha ust
system do not come into contact with these
or they could be damaged. This especially ap ­
plies to vehicles with low ground clearance
and veh icles that are heavily loaded.
Warming up/cooling down
Applies to: Sand RS models
By warming up/cooling down the engine carefu l­
ly, you can help red uce unnecessary stra in o n
your veh icle when driving in a sporty sty le .
64
The eng ine speed is lim ited when the engine is
cold - the full engine output is not availab le.
When the engine is at operat ing temperatu re,
the engine speed limitation moves to a h igher
RPM range. A lso, cold t ires may not have fu ll
road gr ipping capab ilities until they have warmed
up .
Your vehicle a lso has an after-run cooling fea­
ture . However, cooling down is still important.
The eng ine and the brakes as well as the exhaust
system and the transmission become very hot
whe n driving in a spo rty style . Before you shut
t h e ve hicle off, you should cool down the vehicle
by d rivi ng a few miles at low speeds with l igh t ac ­
ce leration.
Driving through water on roads
Note the following to reduce the risk of vehicle
damag e when driving throug h water, for exampl e
on f looded roads:
- The water must not be any higher t han the bo t­
tom of the vehicle body.
- Do not dr ive faster tha n wal king speed .
& WARNING
After driving th ro ugh water or m ud, the effec ­
tiveness of the brakes may be red uce d due to
mo isture on the brake rotors and brake pads.
A few careful brake app lications shou ld dry
off the brakes and restore the full braking ef­
fect .
@ Note
-Vehicle components such as the engine,
t ransmiss ion, suspens ion or elect rical sys­
tem can be seve rely damaged by drivi ng
throug h water .
- Always switch the Start/Stop system* off
when driving through water
¢ page 70 .
(D Tips
- Determine the depth before driving throug h
water.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or
switch the engine off whe n driving through
water.

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-Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep for your vehicle to drive
through safely.
-Avoid driving through salt water, because
this can cause corrosion.
Economical and environmentally-friendly
driving
The amount of fuel consumption, the environ­
mental impact and the wear to the engine,
brakes and tires depends mostly on your driving
style. With an anticipatory and economic driving
style, fuel consumption can be reduced by ap­
proximately 10-15%. The following tips will help
you conserve the environment and your money at the same time.
Anticipatory driving
A vehicle uses the most fuel when accelerating.
When you drive with anticipation, you do not
need to brake as often and so you accelerate less.
When possible, let your vehicle coast with a
gear
engaged, for example, when you notice that the
next traffic light is red. This produces an engine
braking effect, which helps to protect the brakes
and tires and reduces the emissions and fuel con­
sumption to zero (fuel shut-off during decelera­
tion) .
Shift efficiently
Upshifting earlier is an effective way to save fuel.
Staying in a gear too long uses fuel unnecessari­
ly .
Press down on the accelerator pedal slowly and
avoid "kick-down".
Avoid full acceleration
You should rarely travel at the maximum vehicle
speed. High speeds cause a disproportionately
high increase in fuel consumption, emissions and
traffic noise. Slower driving saves fuel.
Reduce idling time
The Start/Stop system* helps to reduce the idling
time automatically. In vehicles without the Start/
8 Stop system*, it is efficient to switch the engine 00 \.J ' Driving
off when stopped at railroad crossings and long
red lights. Stopping the engine for 30-40 sec­
onds already saves more fuel than the amount of
extra fuel needed to restart the engine.
It takes a very long time in idle to warm the en­
gine up to operating temperature. Wear and
emissions are especially high in the warm-up
phase. Therefore, you should begin driving im­
mediately after starting the engine. Avoid high
RPMs while doing this .
Have maintenance performed regularly
By having maintenance performed regularly on
your vehicle, you can help to reduce fuel con­
sumption before you even start to drive. The maintenance condition of your vehicle not only
affects traffic safety and long-term value but al ­
so impacts
fuel consumption . A poorly main­
tained engine can lead to fuel consumption that
is 10% higher than normal.
Avoid short trips
The engine and emissions control system must
reach their optimal operating temperature to ef­
fectively reduce consumption and emissions .
A cold engine uses a disproportionately high amount of fuel. The engine reaches operating
temperature and consumption normalizes only
after approximately
2 .5 miles (4 km) .
Check the tire pressure
To save fuel, make sure the tires are always in­
flated to the correct pressure
Q page 215. The
fuel consumption can increase by S% if the pres­
sure is only 0.5 bar too low . Due to the increased
rolling resistance, low tire pressures will also
lead to greater tire
wear and will affect driving
behavior.
Do not drive on
winter tires year -round, as this
will consume up to 10% more fuel.
Eliminate unnecessary weight
Since every pound of extra weight increases fuel
consumption, a quick inspection of the luggage
compartment may be worth it to avoid unneces -
sary weight.
.,.
65

Driving
the ignition is switched off. After entering the ve­
hicle, the steering co lumn returns to the stored
position once the ignition is sw itched on.
Starting and stopping
the engine
Starting the engine
The I S TAR T ENGINE ST OP I button switches the
ignition on and starts the engine.
Fig. 76 Center co nsole : START ENGINE STO P butto n
Starting the engine
.. Press the brake pedal and move the se lector
lever into the P or N po sit ion
¢ ,A .
.. Press the I START ENGIN E STOPI button . The
engine will start .
Switch ing the ignition on /off
If you wou ld like to switch the ignition on with­
out starting the engine, follow these steps:
.. Press the I S TAR T ENG IN E STOPI button with­
out
pressing the brake pedal. Vehicles w ithout
the Start/Stop system *: the needle in the tach­
ometer
moves into the READY position.
.. To switch the ignition off, press the button
again . The needle in the tachometer
moves into
the
OFF pos it ion .
E quipment that uses a lot of electricity is switch­
ed off temporarily when you start the engine .
If the engine does not start immediate ly, the
starting procedure stops automatically after a
short time. Repeat the starting procedure.
ll Thi s fun ctio n is not availab le in all c oun tries.
68
Start /Stop system*
See the information in ¢ page 70, Start/Stop
system.
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of poisoning, never allow
the engine to run in confined spaces.
(D Note
Avoid high engine speed, full th rottle, and
heavy engine load if the engine has not
reached operating temperature yet . You could
damage the engine.
@ For the sake of the environment
Do not let the engine run while parked to
warm up. Begin driving immediate ly. This re­
duces unnecessary emissions.
(D Tips
- Some noise after starting the engine is nor­
ma l and is no cause for concern.
- If you leave the veh icle w ith the ignition
switched on, the ignition w ill switch off af ­
ter a certain amount of time . Make sure that
electrical equipment such as the exterior
lights are switched off .
Stopping the engine
.. Bring the vehicle to a full stop .
.. Move the selector lever to the P or N posit io n.
.. Press the I START ENGINE STOP I button
¢ page 68, fig. 76.
Steering lock1>
The steering locks when you turn the engine off
using the
I STAR T ENGIN E STOPI button and
open the driver's door . The locked steering helps
prevent veh icle theft .
Emergency off function*
If it is absolutely necessary, the engine can also
be turned off while driving in the R or D/S selec-
tor lever position at speeds be low 6 mph (10 km/
...

a co .... N
" N .... 0 00 \,;J ' h). To stop the engine, press and hold the
I START ENGINE STOPI button and also press the
brake pedal.
A WARNING
- Never turn off the engine before the vehicle
has come to a complete stop. The full func­
tion of the brake booster and the power
steering is not guaranteed. You may need to
use more force when braking or steering.
Because you cannot brake and steer as you
usually would, this could lead to accidents
and serious injuries.
- Always take the key with you whenever you
leave your vehicle. Otherwise, the engine
could be started or electrical equipment
such as the power windows could be operat­
ed. This can lead to serious injury.
- For safety reasons, always park the vehicle
with the selector lever in the P position.
Otherwise, there is the risk that the vehicle
could roll unintentionally.
@ Note
If the engine has been under heavy load for
an extended period of time, heat builds up in
the engine compartment after the engine is
switched off and there is a risk of damaging
the engine. For this reason, let the engine run
at idle for approximately two minutes before
shutting it off.
(D Tips
For up to 10 minutes after stopping the en­
gine, the radiator fan may turn on again auto­
matically or it may continue to run (even if
the ignition is switched off) for the following
reasons:
- The coolant temperature is increasing due
to trapped heat.
- If the engine is warm and the engine com­
partment also heats up from strong sun­
light.
- Applies to: vehicles with particulate filter:
The emissions control system is heated
through the regeneration process, even if
the engine has not reached its operating
temperature yet.
Driving
Messages
Turn off ignition before leaving car
This message appears and a warning tone sounds if you open the driver's door when the ignition is
switched on.
Press brake pedal to start engine
This message appears if you do not press the
brake pedal when starting the engine.
fll Is key in the vehicle?
This indicator light turns on and this message ap­
pears if the ignition key was removed from the
vehicle when the engine was running. If the igni­
tion key is no longer in the vehicle, you cannot
switch on the ignition or start the engine once
you stop it. You also cannot lock the vehicle from
the outside.
Shift to P, otherwise vehicle can roll away.
Doors do not lock if lever is not in P.
This message appears for safety reasons if the
transmission is not in the P position when you
switch the ignition off. Move the selector lever to
the P position. Otherwise the vehicle is not pro­
tected from rolling and it cannot be lock ed.
II Key is not recognized. Hold back of key
against marked area. See owner's manual
If the indicator light turns on and this message
appears, there is a
malfunction ~ page 70.
Turn off ignition before leaving car. Battery is
discharging
This message appears if the driver's door is opened while the ignition is switched on. Always
switch off the ignition if you are leaving the vehi­
cle. Also see
~ page 71 .
Shift to P and turn off ignition before leaving
car, otherwise vehicle can roll away
This message appears if the driver's door is
opened while the ignition is switched on and the
selector lever is not in the P position . Move the
selector lever into the P position and switch the
ignition off when you exit the vehicle . Otherwise
the vehicle could roll. Also see
~ page 71 .
69

the brake pedal. The [IJ indicator light appea rs
in the information line at the bottom of the in ­
str ument cl uster d isp lay . The needle in t he
tachometer also moves into the
READY pos i­
t ion
ll .
"'The eng ine starts aga in when yo u take yo ur
foot off t he brake pedal. The ind icator light
tu rns off .
Additional information
The engine stops in the P, N and D se lecto r lever
positions.
If yo u select the R pos ition dur ing a stop phase,
the eng ine will start again.
Shift to P quickl y to prevent t he en gine from
starti ng u ninten tiona lly w hen s hift ing t hrough R.
You can dete rm ine fo r yo urself if t he e ng ine will
s top o r not b y reducing or increas ing the amoun t
of force yo u use to p ress the bra ke pe dal. Fo r ex ­
ample, if you only lig htly press on t he b rake ped ­
a l in stop -and -go traffic or w hen turning, the en ­
g ine will not switch
off when the vehicle is sta­
tionary. As soon as yo u press the brake down
ha rder, the eng ine will sw itc h off.
(D Tips
- Press t he b rake pedal durin g a Stop phase
to keep the ve hicle from roll ing.
- The ignition wi ll tu rn
off if you press the
I START E N GINE ST OP I button dur ing a stop
phase. The nee dle in the tachomete r moves
i nto the
OFF posi tio n.
General information
A pp lies to: ve hicles w ith Sta rt/Stop system
The standard Start/Stop mode can be canceled
for various system-related reasons .
Engine does not switch off
Before and during eac h stop phase, the system
checks if certai n cond itions have been met . If the
fjj indicato r light appears in the instrument cl us­
ter d isp lay, the engine w ill not be stopped, for
a ~ examp le in the fo llow ing s ituations:
N
" N ..... 0 00
~ ll Ma rket -spe cific
Driving
- The engine has not reached the minim um re ­
qui red tempe rat ure for Sta rt/Sto p mode.
- The interior tempera ture selec ted by the cl i-
mate co ntrol system has not been reached .
- The ou tside te m pe rat ure is ex tremely high/low.
- The win dshi eld i s bei ng
d efros ted® .
-The parking sys tem * is sw itched on .
- The vehicle battery charge level is too low .
- The steering wheel is tu rned at a sha rp angle o r
is moving.
- After engaging the reverse gear .
- On sharp incl ines .
Engine automatically restarts
The stan dard S tart/S top mode w ill be canc eled
dur ing a sto p p hase in the followi ng si tuatio ns.
T he eng ine res tarts wi thout a ny ac tion by the
drive r.
- The ve hicl e ro lls, fo r ex am ple whi le o n a slo pe.
- The inte rior tempe ra ture differs from t he tem-
pe ra tu re sele cte d in t he A/C sys tem.
- The winds hield is bei ng
d efros ted® .
-The brake peda l is pressed severa l times in a
row .
- The vehicle battery charge level is too low.
- Powe r consumption is high .
T he eng ine can turn off ag ain when the cond i­
tions for Sta rt/Sto p mode a re met.
Ignition is switched off automatically
T o p reve nt t he vehicle batte ry from dra ining, the
i gni tion will switc h off
automatically und er the
f o llow ing co nd itio ns:
- The vehicle has already been dr iven .
- The Start/Stop system has stopped the engine .
- The driver 's door is opened.
- The driver's sa fety belt is unbuck led .
- The brake peda l is not presse d.
- The ve hicl e is sta tion ary.
In this case , the activated low beam is re placed
by the p arking ligh t. T he par kin g lig hts wi ll
swi tch off afte r appr oximat ely 30 minu tes or
whe n you lock the ve hicle.
71

Driving
If the Start/Stop system has not turned of f the
engine or if you have switched the Start/Stop sys­
tem off manually, the ignition will not be auto ­
matically switched off and the engine w ill contin­
ue to run
c:> .&. .
A WARNING
To reduce the risk of poisoning, never allow
the engine to run in confined spaces.
(D Tips
If you select the D or N se lector lever position
after shift ing into reverse, the vehicle must
be driven faster than 6 mph (10 km/h) in or­
de r for the engine to switch off again .
Manually switching the Start/Stop system
off/on
Applies to: vehicles with Start/Stop system
If you do not wish to use the system, you can
switch it off manually.
F ig . 79 Center conso le: Start/Stop system button
-
.. To switch the Start/Stop system off/on man­
ually, press the
l(>:)ml button. The LED in the but­
ton turns on when the system is switched off.
(D Tips
If you switch the system off during a stop
phase, the engine will start again automati­
cally.
72
Messages in the instrument cluster display
Applies to: vehicles with Start/Stop system
Start -stop system deact ivated: Please restart
engine manually
This mess age appears when spec ific conditions
are not met during a stop phase. The Start/Stop
system will
not be ab le to restart the engine. The
engine m ust be started with the
!START ENGINE S T OP ! button.
Start -stop system: System fault! Currently
una vailable
There is a malfunction in the Start/Stop system.
Drive the vehicle to an authorized Audi dealer or
authorized Service Facility as soon as possible to have t he malfunction corrected.
Electromechanical
parking brake
Fi g. 80 Cente r conso le : pa rk in g brake
Your vehicle is equipped with an electromechani­
cal park ing brake
c:>fig. 80 . The park ing brake is
designed to prevent the vehicle from rolling un­ i ntentionally and replaces the hand brake .
Setting/manually releasing the parking
brake
.. Pull the<®> switch to set the parking brake . The
LED in the switch turns on. The
-(USA mod­
els)/ . (Canada models) ind icator light also
turns on in the instrumen t cluster display .
.. To re lease the par king br ake man ually, press
the brake or accelerator peda l w hil e the igni­
tion is switched on and press the
(®) switch at
the same time. The LED in the button and the
ind icator light in the disp lay turn off.

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