2018 AUDI A7 towing

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

Ass is tance sy stem s
General information
Applies to: ve hicles w ith Audi side assist
®
@
F ig. 106 Dr iving s ituations
rn A UD I
• 0 0 •
Fig. 107 Rear of the veh icle: pos it ion of the senso rs
Side assist functions at speeds above app roxi­
mately 19 mph (30 km/h).
@ Vehicles that are appro aching
In certain cases, a vehicle will be classified as
cr itical for a lane change even if it is still some­
what far away. The faster a veh icle app roaches ,
the sooner the d isplay in the exterio r mirror w ill
turn on .
@ Vehicles traveling with you
Vehicles traveling with you are ind icated in the
exterior m irror if they are classified as critical for
a lane change. All vehi cles detected by side assist
100
are indicated by the time they enter your "blind
spot", at the latest .
© Vehicle s you are passing
If you slow ly pass a vehicle that s ide assist has
detected (the difference in speed between the
vehicle and your vehicle is less than 9 mph (15
km/h)), the display in the exterior mirror turns
on as soon as the vehicle enters your blind spot.
The display w ill not turn on if you quickly pass a
vehicle that side ass ist has detected (the differ­
ence in speed is greater than 9 mph (15 km/h)) .
Functional limitations
The radar sensors are designed to detect the left
and rig ht adjacent lanes when the road lanes are
the norma l width. In some si tuations, the display
i n the exterior m irror may turn on even though
there is no vehicle located in the area that is criti­
ca l for a lane change. For example:
- If the lanes are narrow or if you are dr iving on
the edge of you r lane . If th is is the case, the
system may have detected a vehicle in another
lane that is
not adjacent to your current lane.
- If you are d riving through a curve. Side assist
may react to a vehicle that is one lane over
from the adjacent lane .
- If side assist reacts to other objects (such as
high or disp laced guard rai ls) .
- In poor weather conditions. The side assist functions are limited .
Do no t cover the rada r senso rs ¢
fig. 107 w it h
stickers, deposi ts, b icycle wheels or other ob­
jects, because they will impair the function . Do
not use side assist when towing a trai ler. For in­
format ion on cleaning, see
¢ page 228.
& WARNING
- Always pay attention to traffic and to the
area around your vehicle. Side assist cannot
replace a driver's attention . The driver alone
is always responsible for lane changes and
sim ila r driv ing maneuve rs .
- In some situations, the system may not function o r its function may be limited . For
examp le:
-

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
..,..

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 .