2018 AUDI A7 suspension

a co .... N
" N .... 0 00 \.J ' After you have closed the settings, you will a uto ­
matica lly drive in the
Ind ividual mode .
Systems comfort
Engine/transmission
ba lanced
Air suspension* comfortab le
Steering comfortab le
Assistance systems
The equipment in yo ur vehicle will determine
which settings you can adjust . The fo llowing ta­
ble gives a n overview of the characteristics .
auto dynamic
ba
lanced sporty
ba lanced sporty
ba lanced sporty
Dynamic steering
* comfortable/indirect ba lanced/d irect sporty/direct
Suspension control* comfortab le
Sport differential * balanc ed
Adaptive cruise control* comfortable
Engine sound* subtle
a) Subtle in the selector lever posit ion D and sporty in S.
(D Tips
Your Individual mode settings are automati­
cally stored and assigned to the remo te con­
trol key being used .
Raising/lowering the vehicle
Applies to: vehicles with adaptive air suspension
You can raise your vehicle temporarily, for exam ­
ple to drive over a tall curb.
Raising the vehicle
~ Select the following in the In fotainm ent sys­
tem: the
ICARI function button > Raise control
button.
~ Wait for the arrows or segments in the Info ­
ta inment system display to stop blinking and
the vehicle to reach its fina l posit ion.
Lowering the vehicle
~ To lower the vehicle, select the following in the
Infotainment system: the
! CARI function button
> Lower control button.
~ Wait for the arrows or segments in the Info­
ta inment system display to stop blinking and
the vehicle to lower completely .
@ Note
-Remember that your vehicle is not suitable
for driv ing offroad even when it is raised.
There is not enough ground clearance . ba
lanced sporty
ag ile sporty
ba lanced sporty
subtle/sportyal sporty
- If the vehicle is raised, it will lower auto­
matically when driving 62 mph (100 km/h)
or faster.
Messages
Applies to: vehicles with adaptive air suspension
Air suspension : Vehicle is too high . Controlling
level. ..
Air suspension: Vehicle is too low. Controlling
level. ..
Th e driver message switches off when the leve l
control process is complete.
107

Airbag system
must be performed by qualified workshops
only. Make sure that any airbag service ac­
tion is entered in your Audi Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG RE·
PLACEMENT RECORD .
-For safety reasons in severe accidents, the
alternator and starter are separated from
the vehicle battery with a pyrotechn ic circuit
interrupter.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupt­
er must only be performed by a qualified
technicians who have the experience, in­
formation and special tools necessary to
perform the work safely.
- If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter is
scrapped, all applicable safety precautions
must be followed .
@ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and pretension­
ers might be classified as Perchlorate Materi­
al
-special handling may apply , see
www .dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo ­
rate . When the vehicle or parts of the re­
straint system including airbag modules and
safety belts w ith pretensioners are scrapped,
all applicable laws and regulations must be
observed . Your authorized Audi dealer is fa­
miliar with these requirements and we recom­
mend that you have your dealer perform this
service for you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced Airbag System
performs in a crash. For example, using tire-rim
comb inations not approved by Audi, lower ing the
vehicle, chang ing the stiffness of the suspension,
including the springs, suspension struts , shock
absorb ers etc . can change the forces that are
measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the
electronic control unit . Some suspension changes
can, for example, increase the force levels meas­
ured by the sensors and make the airbag system
deploy in crashes in which it would not deploy if
the changes had not been made. Other kinds of
162
changes may reduce the force levels measured by
the sensors and prevent the airbag from deploy­
i ng when it should .
& WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension including
use of unapproved tire-rim combinations can
change Advanced Airbag performance and in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury in a
crash .
- Never install suspension components that do not have the same performance charac­
teristics as the components origina lly instal­
led on your vehicle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations that have
not been approved by Aud i.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
Applies to: vehicles with knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supplemen­
tal protection to properly restrained front seat
occupants.
Fig . 157 D river 's knee airbag
The driver knee airbag is in the instrument panel
underneath the steering wheel ¢
fig. 157, the
airbag for the passenger is at about the same height in the instrument panel underneath the
glove compartment.
The knee airbag offers add itional protect ion to
the driver's and passenger's knees and upper and lower thigh areas and supplements the protec­
tion prov ided by the safety belts .
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags also
deploy in frontal coll is ions when the deployment
..,.

a co .... N
" N .... 0 00 \.J ' @ For the sake of the environment
Reinstall summer tires at the appropriate
time, because they provide better handling
when roads are free of snow and ice. Summer
tires cause less road noise, tire wear and fuel
consumption.
(D Tips
You can also use all season tires instead of
winter tires. Please note that in some coun­
tries where winter tires are required, only
winter tires with the
& symbol may be per­
mitted .
Snow chains
Snow chains not only improve the driving in win­
ter road conditions, but also the braking .
.,. Only install snow chains on the front wheels.
This applies also to vehicles with all wheel
drive*.
.,. Check and correct the seating of the snow
chains after driving a few feet, if necessary. Fol­
low the instructions from the manufacturer .
.,. Note the maximum speed of 30 mph (SO km/
h). Note the local regulations.
Use of snow chains is only permitted with certain
rim/tire combinations due to technical reasons.
Check with an authorized Audi dealer or author­ i zed Audi Service Facility to see if you may use
snow chains.
You must remove the snow chains on roads with­
out snow. Otherwise, you could impair driving
ability and damage the tires.
A WARNING
Using incorrect snow chains or installing snow
chains incorrectly can result in loss of vehicle
control, which increases the risk of an acci­
dent.
@ Note
- Snow chains can damage the rims/wheel
covers* if the chains come into direct con­
tact with them . Remove the wheel covers*
first . Use coated snow chains.
Wheels
- Using snow chains that add more than 0.4
inch (10.5 mm) of height can severely dam­
age the wheel housings and other vehicle
components.
- Do not install and use snow chains if there is
a malfunction in the air suspension*, be­
cause the vehicle height will be very low. If
you drive with snow chains anyway, the
wheel housings and other vehicle compo­
nents can be severely damaged .
(D Tips
When using snow chains, it may be useful to
switch on sport mode
c> page 121.
Low-profile tires
Applies to: vehicles with low-profile tires
Compared to other tire/rim combinations, low­
profile tires offer a wider tread surface and a
larger rim diameter with shorter tire sidewalls.
This results in an agile driving style. However, it
may reduce the level of comfort and increase
road noise when driving on roads in poor condi­
tion.
Low-profile tires can become damaged more
quickly than standard tires when driving over
large bumps, potholes, manhole covers and
curbs. Therefore, it is particularly important to
maintain the correct tire pressure
c>page 215.
To reduce the risk of damage to the tires and
rims, drive very carefully on poor roads.
Check your wheels regularly every 2,000 mi
(3,000 km) for damage. For example, check for
bulges/cracks on the tires or deformations/
cracks on the rims.
After a heavy impact or damage, have the tires
and rims inspected or replaced immediately by
an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility.
Low-profile tires can wear out faster than stand­
ard tires.
Uniform tire quality grading
-Tread wear
221

Emergency assistance
-If the tire is too severely damaged, see an
authorized Aud i dealer or authorized Aud i
Service Facility for assistance.
@ For the sake of the environment
You can give the used tire sealant bottle to an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Serv ice Facility for disposal.
(D Tips
Remember to obtain a new bottle of sealant
from an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Serv ice Facility after repairing a tire.
Replacing wheels
Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your own
and your passenger's safety when changing a
wheel.
.,. After you exper ience a tire fa ilure, pull the car
well away from moving traff ic and try to reach
level ground
before you stop ¢.&, .
.,. All passengers sho uld leave the car and move
to a safe location (for instance, be hind t he
guardrail) ¢.&, .
.. Engage the parking brake to prevent your vehi­
cle from rolling
unintentionally ¢.&, .
.. Move selector lever to position P ¢ A-
.. If you are towing a trailer, unhitch the trailer
from your veh icle .
.,. Take the jack and the spare tire* out of the lug­
gage compartment
ca> page 233 .
.8, WARNING
You or your passengers could be inju red w hile
chan gin g a wheel if you do not follow these
safety precautions:
- If you have a flat ti re, move a safe d ista nee
off th e road. Turn off the engine, turn the
emergency flashers on and use other warn ­
ing devices to alert other motorists .
- Make sur e that passengers wait in a safe
place away from the vehicle and we ll away
from the road and traffic.
236
- To help prevent the vehicle from moving
suddenly and possibly s lipping off the jack,
always fully set the parking brake and block
the front and back of the wheel diagonally
opposite the wheel being changed. When
one front wheel is lifted off the ground,
p lacing the Automat ic Transmission in P
(Pa rk) w ill
not prevent the vehicle from
mov ing.
- 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 vehicle tool kit, the jack
and the replaced tire in the lu ggage com ­
pa rtment
¢page 134 .
(D Tips
Before changing the wheel, you must activate
the jacking mode, so that the automatic con­
trols for the Adaptive Air Suspension* do not
make it more difficult to lift the vehicle with
the jack
ca> page 238 .
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow the sequence
described below step-by-step and in exactly that
order .
1. Act ivate the vehicle jack mode* ca> page 238 .
2. Remove the decorative wheel cover* or the
wheel bolt caps*. For more details see also
¢ page 23 7, Decorative wheel covers or
¢ page 237, Wheels with wheel bolt caps.
3. Loosen the wheel bolts ¢ page 238.
4. Locate the proper mounting point for the
jack and alig n the jack below that po int
¢ page 238 .
5. Raise the car with the jack ca> page 238.
6. Remove the wheel with the flat tire and then
install
the spare ca> page 240.
7. T ighten all whee l bolts lightly.
8 .
Lower the vehicle with the jack.
9. Use the wheel bolt wrench and
firmly tighten
all wheel
bolts ¢ page 238.
10. Replace the decorat ive wheel cover* or the
wheel bolt caps*.
11. Deact ivate the vehicle jack mode* in the
MM I:
ICARI function button > (Ca r)* systems .,.

a co ,...,
N
" N ,...,
0 00 <.,;) ' Raising the vehicle
Lifting with workshop hoist and with floor
jack
The vehicle may only be lift ed at the lifting
points illus tr at ed.
Fig. 218 Fro nt lift in g poin t
Fig. 219 Re ar lift ing poin t
.,. Read and heed WARNING c::> &, .
.. Activate the veh icle ja ck mode* in the M MI:
I CAR I funct ion button> (Car) * systems contro l
bu tton >
Servicing & checks > Air susp.: jack
mode > On .
.. Loca te lift ing po ints c::> fig . 218 and c::>fig . 219 .
.. Adju st lifting arms of wo rkshop hoist o r floo r
jack t o match vehicle li fting poin ts.
.. In se rt a rubb er pa d between the floor jack/
wor kshop ho ist a nd the lifting points .
T he vehicle ja ck m ode* mus t be activa ted so that
the au tomatic a djustment of the Ad aptive Air
Suspension * does no t make it more difficult to
raise the ve hicle wit h the floor jac k.
If you must lift your vehicle with a floor jack to
work underneath, be sure the vehicle is safely
supported on stands intended for this purpose . Emergency situations
Front lifting point
T he lifting poin t is locate d on the floor p an rein ­
f o rcement about at the same level as the ja ck
mounting point
c::> fig . 218 . Do not lift the vehi­
cle at the vertical sill reinforcement .
Rear lifting point
T he lifting p oin t i s lo cate d on the ve rtic al rei n­
f o rceme nt o f th e lower s ill for the on- bo ar d jac k
c::>fig. 219.
Lifting with vehicle jack
Refer to c::> pag e 238 .
A WARNING
- To reduce the r is k of se rious inju ry and veh i­
cle dama ge.
-Always lift the vehicle o nly at the specia l
wor kshop h oist a nd f loor jack lift points
il­
l ustrated c::> fig. 218 and c::> fig. 219.
-Failure to lift t he ve hicle at these points
could cause t he veh icle to tilt o r fall from
a lift i f th ere is a change in vehicle weight
dist ribution and balance . This might hap­
pen, fo r example, when heavy compo­
n en ts such as the eng ine block o r trans­
missi on a re removed .
- Whe n re mov ing heavy comp onents like
these, an ch or veh icle t o hois t or ad d co rre­
spon ding weig hts t o m aintai n the cen ter of
g ravi ty . Ot herw ise, the vehicle mig ht tilt or
slip off t he hoist, caus ing se rio us pe rsonal
i njur y .
(D Note
-Be aw are of the fo llow ing po ints b efor e lift­
ing the vehicle:
-The vehicle should never be lifted or
jacked up from underneath the engine oil
pan, the transmission housing, the front
or rear axle or the body side members.
This could lead to serious damage .
-To avoid damage to the underbody or
chassis frame, a rubber pad must be in­
serted between the floor jack and the lift
points .
.,.
251

Emergency situations
-Before driving over a workshop hoist,
check that the vehicle weight does not
exceed the permissible lifting capacity of
the hoist.
-Before driving over a workshop hoist, en­
sure that there is sufficient clearance be­
tween the hoist and low parts of the ve­ hicle.
Vehicle transport
Applies to: vehicles with air suspension
~ Note
When transporting the vehicle on a car carri­
er, train , ship or by other means, only tie the
vehicle down at the running surface of the
tires, which is the outer circumference. Secur­
ing the vehicle at the axle components, sus­
pension struts or towing eyes is not permitted
because the pressure in the air suspension
struts can change during transport. The vehi­
cle may not be secured sufficiently if this hap­
pens.
252

Numbers and
Symbols
4-zone deluxe automatic climate control 58
Air vents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Key recognition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
Residual heat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
Synchronizing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62
A
A/C (4-zone de luxe automatic climate
control) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
A/C (deluxe automatic climate control) 59
ABS
refer to Anti-lock braking system . . . . . . . 120
Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52, 257
Active lane assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Adjusting the vibration warning . . . . . . . . . 98
Cleaning the camera area . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Switching on/off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Adaptive air suspension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Adaptive cruise control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Braking guard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
Cleaning the sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Request for driver intervention . . . . . . . . . . 92
Stop -and-go traffic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Adaptive dampers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Adjusting air distribution (4-zone deluxe auto­
matic climate control) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Adjusting air distribution (deluxe automatic
climate control) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Adjusting the temperature (4-zone deluxe au­
tomatic climate control) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Adjusting the tempera ture (deluxe automatic
climate control) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Advanced key
refer to Convenience key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Airbag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
~ Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166 ....
~ Advanced Airbag System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . lS0 N
8 Advanced Airbag System components . . . 153 00 \.J ' Index
Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Children . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Child restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Components (front airbags) . . . . . . . . . . . 153
Danger of fitting a child seat on the front
passenger seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 7
Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Front airbags .. .. .. ............. 150, lSl
How do the front a irbags work? . . . . . . . . 1S6
How many airbags does my vehicle have? 153
How the Advanced Airbag System compo-
nents work together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 SS
Impo rtant information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146
Important safety instructions on the knee
airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Knee airbags. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 162
Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light . . . . . . . . . 158
Repairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 161
Safety instructions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Side airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Side curtain airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Warning/Indicator lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158
When must the system be inspected? 158
Air pressure Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21S
Air pressure (tire pressure monitoring
system) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Air suspension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Alarm system
refer to Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . . . 32
Alignment pin (tire changing) . . . . . . . . . . . 233
All-weather lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
All season tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 220
All wheel drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Alternator
refer to Alternator (indicator light) . . . . . . 14
Alternator (indicator light) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Ambient lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Anti-freeze Windshield washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Anti-lock braking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Anti-Slip Regulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Indicator light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Ashtray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sl
259