2018 AUDI A7 ground clearance

Instruments and indicator lights
There is a system malfunction that can result in
restricted driving stability or reduced ground
clearance.
Drive to an autho rized Aud i dea ler or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunction corrected.
II Air suspension: Vehicle too low Ground
clearance reduced
The ground clearance is very low due to a system
malfunct io n. Wait until the air suspens ion sys­
tem has restored normal ground clearance. Ot h­
erw ise, condit ions such as an uneven road s urface
can lead to vehicle damage.
& Brake booster
u Brake servo: limited functionality. You can
continue driving. Contact workshop
There is a malfunction in the brake booster. The
brake booster is available, but its effectiveness is
reduced. Braking behavior may be different from
how it normally functions and the brake pedal
may v ibrate.
Drive to an authorized Audi dea ler or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunction corrected.
f;.l fJ Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC)
If the bl indicator light blinks wh ile driving, the
ESC or ASR (Anti -Slip Regulation) is actively regu ­
lating .
If
the bl i ndicator light turns on, the system has
sw itched the ESC off. In this case, you can switch
the ignition off and then on to switch the ESC on
aga in . The indicator light turns off when the sys­
tem is funct ion ing fully.
If the
JI i ndicator light turns on, ESC was
sw itched off using the
I,; OFFI button
~ page 120 .
Stabilization control (ESC/ABS): Fault! See
owner's manual
If the bl indicator light and the ABS indicator
light
rJ] (USA models) / Ii] (Canada models)
turn on and this message appears, there is a ma l-
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function in the ABS system or electronic differen ­
tia l lock. This also causes the ESC to malfunction.
The brakes still function with their normal power,
but ABS is not active.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
A WARNING
If the 1111 (USA models) ;II (Canada mod­
els) brake system indicator light turns on to­
gether with the ABS and ESC ind icator lights,
the ABS and ESC regulating function may
have malfunctioned . Funct ions that stabilize
the vehicle are no longer available. This co uld
cause the vehicle to swerve, which increases
the risk that the vehicle will slide. Drive care­
fu lly to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or
authorized Audi Service Facility and have the
malfunction corrected.
(D Tips
For additional information on ESC and ABS,
see
~page 120.
tlit !t Safety systems
The II (USA models)/ m (Canada models) indi ­
cator light monitors the safety systems.
If the
II (USA models)/ m (Canada mode ls) in­
dicator light turns on or blinks, there is a mal­
function in a safety system such as the airbag or
belt tensioner system.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
A WARNING
Have the malfunction in the safety systems
inspected immed iately. Otherwise, there is a
risk that the systems may not activate during
a collision, wh ich increases the risk of serious
injury or death .
(0} Brake pads
liJ Brake pads!
-

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 .
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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.

a co .... N
" N .... 0 00 \.J ' Messages
Applies to: vehicles with night vision assist
Night vi sion assist : S ys te m fault
The system cannot guarantee correct function
and is sw itched off . See an author ized Audi deal­
er or authorized Audi Service Facility for ass is­
tance.
Night vision a ssist : Currently una vailabl e
The system cannot guarantee correct function at
this t ime and is switched off.
Night vis ion assi st: Onl y av ailable at night with
light s turned on
Nig ht vision ass ist only wo rks when it is dar k out ­
side and the head lights are on.
Night vision a ssist : Pede strian marking curr ent­
l y unavail abl e
The pedestrian and wild animal marking was
sw itched off by the system .
Audi drive select (drive
settings)
Introduction
Drive select makes it possible to experience dif ­
ferent types of veh icle settings in one vehicle .
The dr iver can se lect
Comf ort , Auto a nd D ynamic
modes in the I nfota inme nt system to switch be­
tween , fo r example , a sporty and a comfo rtable
driving mode .
I n the
Indi vidual mode, the sett ings can be ad­
justed to your perso nal preferences . This makes
it poss ible to comb ine settings such as a sporty
engine setting with light steering.
Description
The fo llowing systems, among other things, are
infl uenc ed by drive select:
Engine and automatic transmission
D epending on the mode, the e ng in e and auto ­
mat ic transmission respond more q uickl y o r in a
more balanced manner to accelerator pedal
A ss istance systems
movements . In the sporty dynamic mode, the
transmission shifts at higher speed ranges .
Adaptive air suspension*
The adapt ive a ir suspens ion* is an e lectron ica lly ­
contro lled air suspens io n and dampi ng sys tem.
T he adjustment depends o n the dr iving mode se ­
l ected, steering movements, the driver's braking
and acce leration, and as the road surface, ve hicle
speed and load.
T he vehi cle ground clearance depends on t he
mode selected and the speed . When you are in
the
a uto mode, the highway setting is activated
when you dr ive above 75 mph (120 km/h) for
more than 30 seconds. The ground clearance is
increased automatically if the speed drops below
44 mph (70 km/h) for more than 120 seconds .
Suspension control*
With the Audi Dynamic Ride Contro l damping
contro l, dampening characteristics of the vehicle
can be individually adjusted us ing drive select.
This makes it possib le to satisfy the des ire for
sporty suspens ion (DYNAMIC) and comfortable
suspension (COMFOR T) without g iv ing up bal­
anced tu ning (AUTO) .
Steering
The power steering adapts. Indirect steering that
moves easily as in comfort mode is espec ially
su ited to long drives on a highway . The dynamic
mode provides sporty, direct steeri ng .
Applies to: vehicles with dynamic steering
The steering ratio changes based on veh icle
speed in order to maintain optimum steering ef­
fort for the driver at all times . Th is sets the steer­
i ng to be less sensitive at h igher speeds i n orde r
to prov ide improved ve hicl e cont rol. At red uced
speeds, stee ring is more d irect in orde r to keep
the steering effort as minimal as possible when
the driver is maneuvering the ve hicle. At low and
average speeds, dynamic steering * additionally
provides more responsive steering performance.
Sport differential *
As a compone nt o f the all whee l dr ive sys tem
(qua ttro)
q page 124, the sport different ia l dis -
tributes the driving power to the rear axle
.,.
105

Ass is tanc e system s
depending on the situation. The distribution of
power varies from balanced (comfort) to sporty
(dynamic) depending on the selected mode. The
goal is a high leve l of agility and ab ility to accel­
erate on curves. The ve hicle is very respons ive to
steer ing .
Co rne ring light *
The cornering light adapts the high beams to the
direction of the curve depending on the speed.
The pivot ing action and the light ing also adapt to
the mode.
Adapti ve c ruise control *
The behavior when acce lerating can be adjusted
from comfortable to sporty, depending on the
drive select mode. Adaptive cruise control a lso
responds to the driving behavior of the veh icle
ahead in a more conservative or sporty manner.
Engine sound *
The engine sound adapts to the current mode
and can be subtle to sporty .
@ Note
Applies to: vehicles with adaptive air suspension
-Make sure there is enough clearance above
and below t he ve hicle when parking. The
height of the vehicle (ground clearance) can
change once it is parked due to temperature
fl uctuations, changes to t he load condit ions
and c hanges to the d rivi ng modes.
- When transporting the veh icle on a car car­
r ier, tra in, sh ip or by other means, only t ie
the ve hicle dow n at t he ru nning surface of
the tires, w hich is the outer circ umfe rence.
Securing t he vehi cle at t he axle compo ­
nents, suspension struts or towing eyes is
not permitted because the pressu re in t he
a ir s uspension struts can change dur ing
Adjusting the Individual mode
transport . The vehicle may not be secured
sufficiently if this happens.
(D Tips
- In some models, the max imum ve hicle
speed can on ly be reached in t he auto and
dynamic modes.
- Th e S se lector lever position a utomat ica lly
engages if the dynamic mode is selected.
- Applies to: vehicles with dynamic steering:
operating noise is heard when sta rting o r
stopping the engine. This does not indicate
a problem .
Selecting the driving mode
.,. To select the mode, select the follow ing in the
Infotainment:
! CAR ! function button> Comfort ,
Auto , Dynamic or Individual.
.,. Applies to: vehicles with a ti:~ button on the
steering wheel: press the button repeatedly u n­
til the desired mode appea rs in the instrument
cl uste r d isplay.
You
can change the driv ing mode whe n the vehi­
cle is stationary or while d riv in g. If traff ic per­
mits, afte r changing modes, briefly t ake your
foot o ff t he accelerator pedal so t hat the recently
selected mode is also activated for t he engine.
Comfort -provides a comfort-or iented vehicle
setup a nd is s uited fo r long d rives o n highways.
Auto -provides a n overall comfortable yet dy­
nam ic dr iv ing feel and is suited for everyday use .
Dynamic -gives the driver a sporty driving fee l
and is suited to a sporty driving style .
Individu al -¢ page 106 .
A WARNING
Pay attention to traffic when ope rating the
drive select to reduce the r isk of an accident.
-
You can adjust the vehicle settings to your personal preferences .
.,. Select: the !CAR! function button > S et individ­
ual
control b utton . Once you select the men u,
106
you will a utomatica lly drive in the Indi vidual
mode .

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.
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