brake AUDI A7 2017 Owner´s Manual

Intelligent Technology
necessary. This causes the brakes to over ­
heat and increases bra king distance and
causes wear .
- Befo re driving downhi ll a long distance on a
steep hill, decrease your speed and select a
l ower gear. This makes use of the engine
braking effect and relieves the brakes. If
you need to brake additionally, b rake in in­
t e rvals a nd not continuously .
(D Tips
-If the brake booster is not working, you
must press the brake pedal with much more
force than normal.
- If you retrofit you r vehicle with a front spoil­
e r, whee l covers o r similar items , make sure
that the a ir flow to t he fron t wheels is not
i nte rr u pted . Othe rw ise the brake sys tem
ca n become too hot .
Electromechanical
steering, dynamic
steering
The electromechanical steering supports the
driver 's st eering movements.
Power steering adapts elec tronically based on
the vehicle speed .
Indicator light s and mes sage s
• Do not drive vehicle: steering defective
If thi s in dica tor light t urns o n and st ays o n and
t his mess age appears, t he power s teer ing m ay
have fai led.
St op the veh icle in a safe lo cat io n as soo n as pos­
sib le. Do
not c ontinue dr iving. See an author ized
Aud i dealer o r auth o rize d Aud i Serv ice Facili ty for
assis tance.
(;:r,n Steering : Sy stem fault You can continue
driving
If the indicator lig ht tur ns on and the message
appears, the steering wheel may be mo re diff i­
cul t to m ove or mo re sensit ive tha n usua l. The
s teer ing whee l may also be at an angle when
d riving s traight .
124
Drive slowly to an a uth orized Audi dea ler or au ­
thorized Audi Serv ice Facility to have the mal­
funct ion corrected .
,Ion Dynamic steering: Initializing
If the indica to r li gh t is blinking and this message
appea rs, dy namic stee ring* is be ing initiali zed.
The steer ing whee l will be easy to move afte r
s ta rt ing t he en gine . Re- ini tializ ation mig ht be
necessary if the steering wheel was moved hard
to the left and r ight while the veh icle was not
moving . The d isp lay turns off if the in it ia li zation
was s uccessful.
(D Tips
- If the . or ,Ion indicato r light only stays on
f or a s ho rt time, you may cont inue driving .
- The dynamic stee ring stability systems
¢
page 1 20 are not ava ila bl e in the event of
a system mal function.
- For add itiona l information on dynamic
steering, re fer to
¢ page 105.
All wheel drive (quattro)
Applies to: vehicles with all wheel drive
In all wheel drive, all four wheels are powered.
General information
In all whee l drive, the dr iv ing power is divide d be­
tween all four whee ls. This happens automatical ­
l y depending on yo ur driv ing behavior as we ll as
the cur rent road conditions . Also see
¢ page 120 , Electronic Stabilization Control
(ESC).
A center d ifferential distributes the driving powe r
varia bly to the front and rea r ax le. It wor ks to­
gether w ith selective whee l torque contro l, w hich
activates w hen d riving through curves
¢ page 120 . With the sport d ifferent ial*, power
dis tribution to the rear wheels is var iable and can
be adjus ted wi th drive select¢
page 105 .
The all wheel drive concept is designed fo r high
engine power . Yo ur vehicle is except iona lly pow­
erfu l and has excellent driving cha rac teristics
bot h un der normal d riving condi tions and on
snow and i ce. A lways read and follow safe ty pre-
c auti ons ¢
,&.. IJll-

Driving sa fe ty
A WARNING
Improper seating positions increase the r isk
of serious personal injury and death whenever
a vehicle is being used.
- Always make sure that all vehicle occupants
stay in a proper seat ing position and are
properly restrained whenever the vehicle is
being used.
Driver's and front
passenger's footwell
Important safety instructions
Applies to: veh icles w ith knee airb ags
A WARNING
Alw ays ma ke sure that the knee airbag can in­
flate without inter ference. Objects between
yourself and the airbag can increase the risk of injury in an acc ident by interfering with the
way the airbag deploys or by being pushed in­
to you as the airbag deploys.
- No persons (children) or animals shou ld ride
in the footwell in front of the passenger
seat. If the airbag dep loys, th is can result in
serious or fatal in ju ries .
- No objects of any k ind shou ld be carried in
the footwell area in front of the driver 's or
passenger's seat. Bulky objects (shopping
bags, for example) can hamper or p revent
prope r deployment of the airbag. Small ob­
jects can be th rown throug h the vehicle if
the airb ag 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 origina l positions.
O nly use floor mats that leave the pedal area free
and can be secured wit h floor mat fasteners .
134
If a brake circuit fails, increased brake pedal trav ­
el is required to bring the vehicle to a fu ll stop.
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can cause loss
of vehicle contro l and increase the r isk of seri­
ous injury.
- Never p lace any objects in the drive r's foot­
well. An object could get into the pedal area
and interfere with pedal funct ion. In case of
sudden braking or an acc ident, you would
no t be able to b rake o r acce le rate!
- Always make sure that nothing can fall or
move into the driver'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 w ith the
pedals¢ .&,.
Use only floor mats that leave the peda l area un­
obstructed and that are firmly secured so that
they can not s lip out of position . You can obtai n
su itable floor mats from your author ized Audi
Dealer .
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Aud i.
Floor mats used in yo ur vehicle must be attached
to these fasteners. Properly secur ing the floor
mats will prevent them from sliding into posi­
tions that could inte rfere with the pedals or im­
pair safe operat ion of your vehicle in other ways.
A WARNING
Pedals that ca nnot move freely can result in a
loss of vehicle contro l and increase the r is k of
serious pe rsonal injury.
- Always make sure that floo r 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 preven t them
from s lipping and interfer ing wi th the ped­
als or the ab ility to cont rol the vehicle.

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-Never place or install floor mats or other
floor coverings on top of already installed
floor mats. Additional floor mats and other
coverings will reduce the size of the pedal
area and interfere with the pedals .
- Always properly reinstall and secure floor
mats that have been taken out for cleaning.
- Always make sure that objects cannot 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 veh icle control.
Storing cargo correctly
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be properly
stowed and secured in the luggage compart­
ment.
L oose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handling charac­
teristics. Loose items can also increase the risk of
serious personal injury in a sudden vehicle ma­
neuver or in a collision.
.. Distribute the load evenly in the luggage com­
partment.
.. Always place and properly secure heavy items in
the luggage compartment as far forward as
possible.
.,. Secure luggage using the tie-downs provided
¢ page 55 .
.,. Make sure that the rear seatback is securely
latched in place.
A WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items can
fly through the vehicle causing serious per­
sonal injury in the event of hard braking or an
accident. To help reduce the risk of serious
personal injury:
- Always put objects, for example, luggage or
other heavy items in the luggage compart­
ment.
- Always secure objects in the luggage com­
partment using the tie-down hooks and
suitable straps.
Driving safety
A WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your vehi­
cle handles. To help reduce the risk of a loss
of control leading to serious personal injury:
- Always keep in mind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the center of
gravity can also cause changes in vehicle handling:
- Always distribute the load as evenly as
possible .
- Place heavy objects as far forward in the
luggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating
or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating specified
on the safety compliance sticker on the left
door jamb. Exceeding permissible weight
standards can cause the vehicle to slide and handle differently.
- Please observe information on safe driving
¢page 129.
A WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas from
being drawn into the vehicle, always keep the
rear lid closed while driving .
- Never transport objects larger than those
f itting completely into the luggage area be­
cause the rear lid cannot be fully closed.
- If you absolutely must drive with the rear lid open, observe the following notes to reduce
the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the power roof*,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument pan-
el,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest speed .
A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win­
dows , the power roof* and the rear lid are se­
curely closed and locked to reduce the r isk of
in jury when the vehicle is not being used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make sure
-
that it is properly closed and locked. ~
135

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-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
complete ly empty . The engine cou ld mis­
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into the
exhaust system and this cou ld cause the
catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not switch off the ignition while the vehi­
cle is moving.
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle un­
der these conditions, as otherwise fuel can
reach the catalytic converter. This could re­
sult in overheating of the converter, requ ir­
i ng its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis­
sion Control System:
- Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommen­
dations in your Warranty
& Maintenance
book let.
- Lack of proper maintenance as we ll as im ­
proper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the emission control system and could lead to damage.
® For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Control System is op ­
erating properly, the exhaust gas can have a
sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under some op­
erat ing states. This depends on the su lfur
content of the fuel being used. Using a differ­
ent brand of fue l may help, or filling the tank
w ith lead-free super grade gasoline .
Diesel particulate filter
Applies to: veh icles with diesel engine
The diesel particulate filter filters nearly all of
the soot particles out of the exhaust. The filter
cleans itself automatically under normal driving
conditions . If the filter cannot clean itself (for ex­
ample , because you are only driving short distan­
ces), the fi lter becomes clogged with soot and
the
II symbo l for the diesel particulate filter il­
luminates
¢ page 17.
A WARNING
-Do not park your vehicle over flammable
materials such as grass or leaves because
-
Checking and Filling
the high temperature of the diesel particu­
late filter could start a fire.
- Do not apply an underbody protectant in the
exhaust system area or a fire could start.
Engine compartment
Working in the engine compartment
Special care is required if you are working in the
engine compartment
For work in the engine compartment, such as
checking and filling fluids, there is a risk of in­
jury, scalding, accidents, and burns. For this
reason, follow all the warnings and general
safety precaution s provided in the following in·
formation . The engine compartment is a dan­
gerous area on the vehicle.
¢ ,&..
A WARNING
= =--
- Turn the engine off.
- Switch the ignition off.
- Set the parking brake.
-Select the P selector lever position.
- Let the engine cool down.
- Never open the hood when there is steam or
coolant escaping from the engine compart­
ment, because there is a risk that you could
be burned. Wait until no steam or coolant is
escaping .
- Keep children away from the engine com­
partment .
- Never sp ill fluids on a hot engine. These flu­
ids (such as the freeze protection contained
in the coolant) can catch fire.
- Avoid short circuits in the electrical system.
- When working in the engine compartment,
remember that the radiator fan can switch
on even if the ignition is switched off, which
increases the risk of personal injury.
- Never open the cap on the coolant expan­
sion tank when the engine is warm . The
coo ling system is under pressure.
- To protect your face, hands, and arms from
hot steam or coolant, cover the cap with a
large cloth when opening.
199

Checking and Filling
-Do not remove the engine cover under any
circumstances . This increases the risk of
burns.
- If tests need to be performed with the en­
gine running, there is additional danger due
to moving components (such as the ribbed belt, alternator and radiator fan) and from
the high voltage ignition system.
- Do not under any circumstances give gas in­
advertently (for example, by hand from the
engine compartment) if the vehicle is sta­
tionary but the engine is running and a gear
is engaged. Otherwise, the vehicle will start
to move immediately and this could result
in an accident.
- Pay attention to the following warnings list­
ed when work on the fuel system or on the
electrical equipment is required.
- Do not smoke .
- Never work near open flames.
- Always have a working fire extinguisher
nearby
- All work on the battery or electrical system
in your vehicle can result in injuries, chemi·
cal burns, accidents or burns. Because of
this, all work must be performed
only by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility.
- To reduce the risk of electric shock and in­
jury, never touch the following components when the engine is running or is being start­
ed :
- Ignition cable
- Other components in the electronic high-
voltage ignition system
-If you must check or perform work on the
engine while it is running:
- Set the parking brake and place the selec­
tor lever in the P (park) position first .
- Always proceed with extreme caution so
that clothing, jewelry or long hair do not
become caught in the radiator fan, fan
belt or other moving components or do
not come into contact with hot compo­
nents. Tie back long hair before beginning
work and do not wear clothing that can
hang down into the engine.
200
-Limit your exposure to exhaust and chemi­
cals to as short a time as possible
c> A .
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of Cali­
fornia to cause cancer and birth defects and
reproductive harm . In addition, certain flu­
ids contained in vehicles and certain prod­
ucts of component wear contain or emit
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other
reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds,
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms.
Wash hands after handling.
(D Note
When filling fluids, be sure not to mix the flu­
ids up. Otherwise severe malfunctions and en­
gine damage will occur.
@:) For the sake of the environment
You should regularly check the ground under
your vehicle in order to detect leaks quickly. If
there are visible spots from oil or other fluids, bring your vehicle to an authorized Audi deal­
er or authori zed Audi Service Facility to be
checked.

Checking and Filling
Engine compartment overview
The most important check points.
Fig. 184 Typical location of the rese rvoir and the engine o il fil le r open ing
(D Jump start po int(-) with hex head screw
<::;> page 208, <::;> page 254
@ Ju mp start point(+) under a cover
<::;> page 208, ¢ page 254
® Engine oil label* with VW standard
<::;> page 202
@ Brake fluid reservoir ((0)) <::;> page 207
® Engine oil filling opening (~)¢page 204
@ Coolant reservoir (- L) ¢ page 206
(j) Washer fluid reservoir (0) ¢ page 209
The engine oil f illing opening (item@) may be
located in a differe nt area depending on the en­
gine version .
A WARNING
Read and follow the WARNINGS before
checking anything in the engine compartment
¢ .&. in Working in the engine compartment
on page 199.
202
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used must conform to exact speci­
fications.
The service interval display in the instrumen t
cluster of your vehicle will inform you when it is
time for an oi l change. We recommend that you
have your oi l changed by an authorized Audi Serv­
ice Advisor.
If you must add oil between oil changes, use an
oi l that matches the Audi oil quality standard
listed on the sticker. The sticker is located at the
front of the eng ine compartment ¢
page 202,
fig. 184 .
Audi recommends
~Castrol /fg/j;Sf.g;fg f'r<OJ-:-,:;~J.D,'lAl.
Audi recommends Longlife high performance
engine oil from Aud i Genuine Parts .,_

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_& WARNING
-The cooling system is under pressure. Do
not open the coolant expansion tank cap
when the engine is hot. This increases the
risk of burns .
- The coolant add itive and the coolant can be
dangerous to your health. For this reason,
keep the coolant in the original container
and away from children. There is a risk of
poisoning.
- When working in the engine compartment ,
remember that the radiator fan can sw itch
on even if the ignition is switched off, which
increases the risk of injury.
CD Note
Do not add coolant if the expansion tank is
empty. Air could enter the cooling system and
damage the engine. If this is the case, do not
continue driv ing. See an authorized Audi deal­
er or authorized Audi Service Facility for assis­
tance .
Brake fluid
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Fig. 187 Engine co mp artment : cap on brake fl uid re se rv oir
Observe the safety precautions c:> &. in Working
in the engine compartment on page 199.
Checking the brake fluid level
" Read the brake fluid level on the brake fluid
reservoir i=>page 202, fig . 184. The brake fluid
level must be between the MIN and MAX mark­
ings
c:> &_ .
~ The brake fluid level is mon itored automatically .
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Checking and Filling
Changing the brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed regularly by an au­
thorized Audi deal er or authorized Audi Service
Facility.
A WARNING
-
- If the brake fluid level is below the MIN
marking, it can impair the braking effect
and driving safety, which increase the risk of
an accident . Do not continue dr iving . See an
author ized Audi dealer or author ized Audi
Service Facility for assistance.
- If the brake fluid is old, bubbles may form
in the brake system dur ing heavy braking .
This would impair braking performance and
driving safety, which increases the r isk of an
accident.
- To ensure the brake system functions cor­
rectly, only use brake fluids that comply
with VW standard 50114 or FM VSS -116 DOT 4.
CD Note
-If the brake f luid level is above the MAX
marking, brake f luid may leak out over the
edge of the reservoir and result in damage
to the vehicle.
- Do not get any brake fluid on the vehicle
paint, because it wi ll corrode the paint.
Battery
General warnings about batteries
Because of the complex power supply, all wo rk
on batter ies such as disconnecting, replac ing,
etc. should
only be performed by an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Fac il ity
c:> & .
The term "vehicle battery" refers to the 12 Volt
battery in your vehicle.
Detailed warnings for the vehicle battery:
® Wear eye protection.
I.)._ Bat~ery acid is highly corrosiv~. We ar p ro -
~ tect1ve gloves and eye protection. Ill-
207

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® Mud and snow capability
"M/5" or "M+S" indicates the tire
is suitable for driving on mud and
snow. £ indicates a winter tire.
@Composition of the tire cord
and materials
The number of plies indicates the
number of rubberized fabric lay­
ers in the tire . In general: the
more layers, the more weight a
tire can carry. Tire manufacturers
must also specify the materials
used in the ti re . These inc lude
stee l, nylon, polyester and other
materials.
@ Maximum permitted load
This number indicates the maxi­
mum load in kilograms and
pounds that the tire can carry.
@ Un iform tire quality grade
standards for treadwear,
traction and temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and temper­
ature ranges¢
page 229 .
@ Running direction
The arrows indicate the running
direction of unidirectional tires.
You must always follow the speci­
fied running direction
¢page 248 .
~ Maximum permitted
inflation pressure
Wheels
T his number indicates the maxi­
mum pressure to which a tire can
be inflated under normal operat ­
ing conditions .
Glossary of tire and loading
terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weight (in
excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of auto­ matic t ransmission, power steer ­
ing, power brakes, power win­
dows , powe r seats, radio, and
heater, to the extent tha t these
items are avai lab le as factory- in­
stalled equipment (whether in­
s t alled or not).
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the height to
the w idth of the tire in percent.
Numbers of 55 or lower indicate a
low sidewall for improved steer­
ing response and better overall
handling on dry pavement .
Bead
means the part of the tire that is
made of steel wires, wrapped or
reinfo rced by ply cords and that is
shaped to fit the rim. ...
213

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Maximum (permissible )
inflat ion pressure
means the maximum cold infla­
tion pressure to wh ich a t ire may
be inflated. Also called "maxi­
mum inflation pressure ."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs . (68 kilograms)
times the number of occupants
seated in the veh icle up to the to­
tal seating capacity of your vehi­
c le .
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants
in a vehicle.
Oute r diameter
means the overall diameter of an
inflated new tire .
Overall width
means the linear distance be­
tween the exteriors of the side­
walls of an inflated tire, including
elevations due to labeling, deco­
rations, or protective bands or
ribs.
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated
parallel cords.
Wheels
Production options weight
means the combined weight of
those installed regular production
options weighing over 5 lbs. (2.3
kg) in excess of those standard
items which they replace, not pre­
viously considered in curb weight
or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers,
roof rack, heavy duty battery, and
special trim .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in which
the ply cords that extend to the
beads are laid at substantially 90
degrees to the centerline of the
tread.
Recommended inflation
pressure
see ¢ page 214, Cold tire infla­
tion pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a tire designed to operate
at higher loads and at higher in ­
flation pressures than the corre­
sponding standard tire. Rein­
forced tires may be identified as
"X L", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF"
on the sidewall. ..,
215

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circumference as the regular
tires .
8,_ WARNING , -
-Only use tire/rim combina-
tions and suitable wheel bolts
that have been approved by
Audi. Otherwise, damage to
the vehicle and an accident
could result.
-For technical reasons, it is not possible to use tires from oth­
er vehicles -in some cases,
you cannot even use tires from
the same vehicle model.
-Make sure that the tires you select have enough clearance
to the vehicle. Replacement
tires should not be chosen simply based on the nominal
size, because tires with a dif­
ferent construction can differ greatly even if they are the
same size. If there is not
enough clearance, the tires or
the vehicle can be damaged
and this can reduce driving
safety and increase the risk of
an accident.
-Only use tires that are more
than six years old when abso­
lutely necessary and drive
carefully when doing so.
Wheels
-Do not use run-flat tires on
your vehicle. Using them when
not permitted can lead to ve­ hicle damage or accidents.
-If you install wheel covers on
the vehicle, make sure they al­
low enough air circulation to
cool the brake system. If they
do not, this could increase the
risk of an accident.
Tire wear/damage
Fig. 191 Tire profile: treadwear indica­
tor
Tire wear
Check the tires regularly for wear .
-Inflation pressure that is too low
or high can increase tire wear
considerably.
-Driving quickly through curves, rapid acceleration and heavy
braking increase tire wear .
-Have an authorized Audi dealer
or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty check the wheel alignment if
there is unusual wear. ..
219