ABS AUDI Q7 2011 Owner´s Manual

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When a perso n is detected on t he front passenger seat, weigh ing
more th an t he tot al we igh t of a ch ild t hat i s abo ut 1 ye ar old
restra ined in o ne of the rea r-facing or forward-fac ing infant
restra ints (liste d in Fed eral Moto r Ve hicl e Safety Stan dard
20 8 with
w hic h the Advanced Airbag System in your veh icle was c ert ified), the
front airbag on the passenge r side may o r may not dep loy.
Th e
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ligh t comes on when the ele ct ro nic
control u nit detects a total weig ht on t he front passenger seat that
re qui res t he fr on t air bag t o be tur ned o ff. If the
PASSENGER AIR
BAG OFF
lig ht does not come on, the fro nt airbag o n the passenger
s ide has not been turned of f by the con trol un it and can dep loy i f the
cont rol un it se nses an impact that meets the conditions stored in its
memory.
If the tota l weight on the fro nt passenger sea t is more than that of a
typical
1 year-o ld, but less than the weight of a small adult, t he front
a irbag o n the p assenge r si de may dep loy (t he
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light does not come on).
For example , the airbag may deploy if:
• a small child tha t is heav ie r th an a typical 1 year-old child is on t he
front passenger seat (regard less of whet he r the ch ild is in one of the
c hild s afe ty sea ts listed=>
page 23 5),
• a child who has outgrown child restraints is on the fro nt passenger
se at.
If the front passe nger a irbag is turned off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
ligh t in the center o f the i nstr ument pa nel will come on and s tay
on .
T he front airbag on the passenger side may
not dep loy (t he
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light do es not illum inate and s tay lit) if:
• a small adu lt or teenager is on the fro nt passenger seat
• a p assenge r w ho is not si tt ing upri ght w it h t hei r ba ck again st a
non -reclined backrest with their feet on the veh icle floo r in front of
t he seat is on the fro nt pa ssenge r seat .
If the fro nt passenger airbag deploys, the Federa l Standard requ ires
t he a irb ag to mee t the " low r is k " deployme nt c riter ia to help reduce
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
the
risk of i njury t hrough interaction with t he a irbag. "Low r isk"
dep loyment o ccurs in t hose cra sh es t hat tak e p lace at lowe r decele r­
ations as defi ned in the elect ronic contro l u ni t.=>
page 222
Always remember: Even thou gh your vehicle is eq uipped with
Advanced A irbag s, th e sa fe st pla ce for childre n is properly res trained
on the back seat. Please be sure to rea d th e important informat io n i n
t he sec tio ns tha t foll ow and be su re to heed all of the WAR NIN GS.
& WARNING
To reduce the risk of injury when an airbag inflates, always wear
safety belts p roperly .
• If you are unrestrained, leaning forward, sitting sideways or
out of position in any way , your ri sk of injury is much higher.
• You will also receive serious injuries and could even be killed if
you are up again st the airbag or too close to it when it inflates -
even with an Advanced Airbag=>
page 211.
& WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat installed on the front
pas senger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates - even with an Advanced Airbag System.
• Although the Advanced Airbag System in your vehicle is
designed to turn off the front airbag when a rearward-facing child
restraint has been installed on the front passenger seat, nobody
can absolutely guarantee that deployment is impossible in all
c onceivable situations that may happen during the useful life of
your vehicle .
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
c hild against the backre st, center armre st, door , or roof .
• Always install rearward-facing child restraints on the rear seat.
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
IIJ,,
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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& WA RNING (conti nued)
ment, cellular telephones and CB radios, etc. ) must be performed
by a qualified technician who h as the training and special equip ­
ment necessary .
• For any work on the airbag system, we strongly recommend
that you see your authorized Audi dealer or qualified wo rkshop.
• Never modify the front bumper or parts of the vehicle body .
• Always make sure that the side airbag can inflate without
interference :
- Never in stall seat cover s or replacement upholstery over the
front seatbacks that have not been specifically approved by
Audi.
- Never use addit ional seat cushions that cover the areas
where the side airbags inflate.
- Damage to the or iginal seat covers or to the seam in the area
of the side airbag module mu st always be repaired immedi­
ately by an authorized Audi dealer.
• The airbag sy stem can be activated only once . After an airbag
has inflated, it must be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technician who has the techni cal information, training
and special equipment necessary.
• The airbag sy stem can be deployed only once . After an airbag
has been deployed, it must be replaced w ith new replacement
parts designed and approved e specially for your Audi model
version. Replacement of complete airbag systems or a irbag
c omponents must be performed by qualified workshops onl y.
Make sure that any airbag service action is entered in you r Audi
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD .
• For safety reasons in severe accidents, the alternator and
starter are separated from the vehicle battery with a pyrotechnic
circuit interrupter.
-Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupter must only be
performed by a qualified dealer -risk of an accident!
& WARNING (c on tinued )
-If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter is scrapped , all appli­
cable safety precautions must be followed.
c£' For the sake of the environment
Undep loyed a irbag mod ules and pretensione rs might be class ified as
Perch lorate Mate rial -special handling may apply, see
www.dt sc.ca.gov/ha zardou sw ast e/perc hlor ate. When the vehicle or
parts o f the restraint system including ai rbag modu les and sa fety
be lts with p rete nsioner s are sc rappe d, all app lic able laws and r egu la­
tions m ust be observed. Yo ur authorized Aud i dealer is familiar w ith
t hese requi reme nts and we recommend th at you have yo ur dealer
per form t his service for you .•
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Chang ing the vehicle's suspension system can change the way that
th e Adva nced Airbag System pe rforms i n a cr ash. Fo r examp le, us in g
t ire-rim combinations not approved by Audi, lowering the vehicle,
c hang ing the stiffn e ss o f th e suspension, incl uding t he sp rings,
suspension struts , shock absorbers etc. can change t he forces that
are meas ured by the a irbag sensors an d sent to the elect ronic contro l
unit . Some suspension c hanges can, fo r example, increase the force
levels meas ure d by the senso rs and make the airbag system deploy in
crashes in which i t would not deploy if the changes had not been
ma de. Other ki nds of changes may reduce the force levels meas ure d
by th e sensors a nd p rev ent the airbag from dep loying when it should.
T he sensors in the safety belt b uckle for the drive r and front
p assenge r se at tell the e lec tron ic co ntrol mo dule if the safety bel t i s
latched or not. If the safety belt is being used, the front a irbag w ill
dep loy at a sligh tly higher rate o f vehicle deceler ation t han if t he
sa fety belt is not be ing used . Therefo re, in a pa rt icu lar collis io n, it is
possible that an a irbag w ill not dep loy at a seating posi tion where the .,_

____ C_ h_ i _l_d _S_ a_f _e _ty ~ --------------------------------------------
- Always make sure that the child can properly wear the lap
portion of the belt low across the thighs or pelvis and
never over the stomach or abdomen.
Children up to at least 8 years old (over 40 lbs. or 18 kg) are best
protected in child safety seats designed for their age and we ight.
Experts say that the skeletal structure, particularly the pelvis, of
these children is not fully developed , and they must not use the
vehicle safety belts without a suitable child restraint .
It is usually best to put these children in appropriate booster seats.
Be sure the booster seat meets all appl icable safety standards.
Booster seats raise the seating position of the child and reposition
both the lap and shoulder parts of the safety belt so that they pass
across the child's body in the right places. The routing of the belt over
the child's body is very important for the child's protection, whether
or not a booster seat is used . Children age 12 and under must always
ride in the rear seat.
Chi ldren who are at least 4 ft. 9 in . (57 inches/1.45 meters) tall can
generally use the vehi cle's three point lap and shoulder belts. Never
use the lap belt portion of the vehicle's safety belt alone to restra in
any child, regardless of how big the child is. Always remember that
children do not have the pronounced pelvic structure required for the
proper function of lap belt portion of the vehicle 's three point lap and
shoulder belts . The chi ld's safety absolutely requires that a lap belt
portion of the safety belt be fastened snugly and as low as possible
around the pelvis . Never let the lap belt portion of the safety belt
pass over the child's stomach or abdomen.
In a crash , airbags must inflate within a blink of an eye and with
cons iderable force . In order to do its job, the airbag needs room to
inflate so that it will be there to protect the occupa nt as the occupant
moves forward into the a irbag .
A vehicle occupant who is out of position and too close to the airbag
ge ts in the way of an inflat ing airbag . When an occupant is too close,
he or she will be struck violently and will receive serious or possibly
even fatal injury. In order
for the airbag to offer protection, it is important t hat all
vehicle occupants, especially any children, who must be in the front
seat because of exceptional c ircumstances, be properly restrained
and as far away from the airbag as possible. By keeping room
between the child's body and the front of the passenger compart­
ment, the airbag can inflate completely and provide supplemental
protection in certain frontal collisions.
& WARNING
Not using a booster seat, using the booster seat improperly, incor­
rectly installing a booster seat or using the vehicle safety belt
improperly increases the risk of serious personal injury and death
in a collision or other emergency situation. To help reduce the risk
of serious personal injury and/or death:
• Always make sure to position the shoulder portion of the three­
point belt over the middle of child's shoulder.
• Never let the shoulder portion of the belt rest against or across
the neck, face, chin, or throat of the child.
• Always make sure the lap belt portion of the three-point belt is
worn snug and passes as low as possible across the child's pelvis.
Never let the belt pass over the soft abdomen.
• Failure to properly route safety belts over a child's body will
cause severe injuries in an accident or other emergency situation
~page 201 .
• The rear side of the booster seat should be positioned as close
as possible to the backrest on the vehicle seat. Adjust or remove
the rear seat head restraint if it is difficult to install the child seat
with the head restraint in place~
page 93. Install the head
restraint again immediately once the child seat is removed.
Driving without head restraints or with head restraints that are
not properly adjusted increases the risk of serious or fatal neck
injury dramatically.
• Children on the front seat of any car, even with Advanced
Airbags, can be seriously injured or even killed when an airbag
inflates.

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Intelligent technology
Notice about data recorded by
vehicle control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Data Recorder (EDR),
installed by some manufacturers for the express purpose of
capturing data for retrieval after an accident or crash event. ED Rs are
sometimes called "crash recorders".
Some state laws restrict the retrieval or downloading of data stored
by ED Rs that were installed in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash event without the owner's
consent.
Although your vehicle is not equipped with an EDR, it is equipped w ith
a number of electronic control modu les for various vehicle systems
such as, for example, engine function, emission control, as well as for
the airbags and safety belts.
T hese electronic control modules also record vehicle-re lated data
during normal vehicle operation for diagnostic and repair purposes .
Th e recording capacity of the e lectronic control modu les is limited to
data (no sound is recorded) and only a sma ll amount of data is actu­
ally recorded over a very limited period of time and stored when a
system fault or other condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of
the data then stored may relate to vehicle speed, direction, braking
as well as restraint system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only be read and down­
loaded with special equipment.
Electronic Stabilization Program
(ESP)
General information
The ESP improves the vehicle stability.
Fig. 222 Center
console with ESP
switch
ESP is des igned to help you maintain vehicle control in situations
where the car approaches the limits of "grip", especia lly when accel­
erating and cornering. ESP reduces the risk of skidd ing and imp roves
stability under all road conditions.
Th e system operates across the entire speed range in combination
with the ABS system. If the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) malfunc­
tions, the ESP will also shut down.
How the system works
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Differential Lock (EDL)
and the Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR) are integrated in the elec­
tronic stabilization program. In addition to the data provided by
these funct ions, the ESP control unit requires additional measure­
ment data provided by high performance sensors. The rotational
speed of the vehicle about its vertical axis, veh icle acceleration in the ...

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fore-and-aft and lateral directions, the brake pressure and the
steering angle are all measured.
The direction in which the driver wishes to travel is determined with
the aid of the steering angle and vehicle speed and is continually
compared with the actual behavior of the vehicle. If the two do not
match, for example, when the vehicle starts hydroplaning on a wet
road, ESP will automatically brake the appropriate whee l to correct
the problem.
The vehicle is then stabi lized by the forces acting on the whee l during
braking. If the vehicle is
oversteering (rear tends to skid out of the
turn), the brakes are main ly applied on the wheel that is on the
outs ide of the curve. In the case of a vehicle that is
understeering
(tendency to slide out of the curve), the brakes are applied as needed
on the wheel that is on the inside of the curve or additionally on the
other wheels. An acoustic s ignal indicates when ESP brake application
cuts in=> &.
The system operates across the entire speed range in combination
with the ABS system ~
page 260 . If the Anti -Lock Brake System
(ABS) ma lfunctions, the ESP wi ll be out of action as well.
Activating
When you turn on the engine, ESP will automatically be activated and
wi ll perform a self-test. As soon as the test is comp leted, the system
is in normal operating mode .
Offroad mode
ESP should normally be operated in normal mode because this
ensures maximum vehicle stability. If necessary, you can activate the
ESP offroad mode by pressing the button=>
page 256, fig. 222 to
obtain maximum traction and braking ability when driving off paved
roads at low speeds. In ESP offroad mode, the indicator light illu­
minates and the message
ESP Offroad Caution! Limited driving
stability
appears briefly in the d isp lay.
The ESP offroad mode can be useful in the following exceptiona l situ­
ations when slip or a highly effe ctive different ial loc king funct ion is
desirable. Examples:
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
•
when driving w ith tire chains,
• when driving in deep snow or on loose ground,
• when driving on uneven surfaces with the wheels severely
unloaded (articulation), and
• when rocking the vehicle loose a fter it has become stuck.
When the unusual situation is past, you should sh ift back to the
normal ESP operating mode by pushing the button again. The
message
ESP/ ASR on then appears briefly in the display.
Hill descent control
The hill descent control is switched on in ESP offroad mode. When
slowly descending steep gradients on loose ground or when the axles
are art iculated, hill descent control provides assistance by automati­
cally applying the brakes to keep vehicle speed constant. The vehicle
is also rende red easier to steer by select ive distribution of braking
force. Hill descent control intervenes when:
• the accelerator pedal is not pressed,
• the vehicle is travelling less than 12 mph (20 km/h),
• a steep gradient is detected,
• wheel behavior indicates loose ground or conditions with poor
adhesion (e.g. also axle articulat ion).
Hill descent control operates both dr iving forward and in reverse.
Active hi ll descent control is deactivated by pressing the accelerator
pedal until the conditions for activation already listed are met aga in.
& WARNING
• The Electronic Stabilization Program is nevertheless subject to
the laws of physics . It is particularly important to pay attention to
this fact on wet and slippery roads. It is therefore important that
you always adapt your driving to the condition of the road and
traffic conditions. Do not allow the increased safety provided by
the Electronic Stabilization Program system to lull you into
accepting additional safety risks. ..
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Intelligent technology
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& WA RNING (conti nu ed )
• Plea se be aware th at in ESP offroad mode , particularly on a
s mooth and slippery road, the wheels may have an incr eased
tendency to spin and the vehicle may break awa y -danger of skid ­
ding!
• Stabilit y is limited in the ESP offroad mode. •
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The electronic differential lock monitors the rotational
speed of the drive wheels.
General notes
The electronic differe ntia l lock (EDL) helps the ca r to sta rt moving,
acce lerate and climb a gradient on surfaces provi ding poor or almost
no grip. W ithout ED L, th is would be d iff ic ul t, if not impossible .
How the system works
The EDL operates automatically . It mo nitors the rotational speed of
w heels wi th the help of the ABS sensors ==>
page 260. If a not iceab le
slip is detected at the wheels (e .g . o n slippery g round on one side),
the spin ning whee ls are braked and power is transferred to the other
wheels. This is done up to a speed of about 60 mph ( 100 km/h) .
Noises from the brake system signa l that wheel spin is being
cont rolled.
Driv ing off
W hen d rivi ng off, always be sure to keep road conditions in mind as
you acce lerate. If one drive wheel spins because it is on a surface with
less grip, apply
plenty of th rottle until t he car starts to move .
Overheating of brakes
To prevent the disc b rake of the bra ked wheel from overhea ting if
subjected to excessive loads on this whee l, t he EDL cuts out tempo ­
ra rily. The vehicle rema ins operat iona l and behaves in the same way
as a veh icle without EDL. As soon as the brake has coo
led down, EDL sw itches on again auto­
m atically.
& WARNING
• When accelerating on slippery surfaces, such as on ice or snow,
always be careful when depressing the accele rator pedal. Even
with the EDL working , the drive wheels c an spin and reduce your
ability to control your car . Risk of crash!
• The increased safety afforded by EDL does not mean that you
can take safety risks . Always adapt your d riv ing style to the road
c ondition s and traffic situation.
[ i ] Tips
If a fa ult occurs in the A BS, the ED L is also no t fu nct io ni ng. This is
ind icated by the ABS warn ing light==>
page 19. •
Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR)
The Anti- S lip Re gula tion System preven ts the drive n
w heels from spin ning wh en the car is acc ele rating .
General notes
The Anti-S lip Reg ulation Sys tem (ASR) is in tegr ated in the ele ctroni c
stabilization program (ESP) . When the ve hicle starts up and acceler­
a tes, the whee ls are p reven ted from sp inning by adjust ing t he engine
power to match the amoun t of grip ava ilable from the road surface.
How the system works
ASR performs automatica lly, i.e. witho ut the driver 's intervent ion.
With the aid o f th e ABS sensors ==>
page 260, ASR moni to rs the speed
of the driven wheels. If the whee ls start to spin, engine torque is
reduced automatically unt il the tires find enough gri p to lock onto
the road s urface. The system is active ac ross the en tire speed range .
'1>

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The ASR works in conjunction with the ABS. If a malfunction should
occur in the ABS, the ASR w ill also be out of action.
& WARNING
The increased safety afforded by ASR does not mean that you can
take safety risks. Always adapt your driving style to the road
conditions and traffic situation.
[ i] Tips
To ensure that the ASR works properly, all four whee ls must be fitted
with ident ical tires. Any differences in rolling radius of the tires can
cause the system to reduce engine power when th is is not desired.
See also=>
page 330, "New tires and replacing tires and whee ls" .•
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles are still subject to wear,
depending large ly on operating conditions and driving habits=>& .
On vehicles that are either driven mostly in stop -and -go city traffic or
are driven hard, the brake pads should be checked by your authorized
Audi dealer more often than specified in the
Warranty & Mainte­
nance booklet.
Failure to have your brake pads inspected can result
in reduced brake pe rformance .
On steep slopes, you should use the brak ing effect of the engine . This
way, you prevent unnecessary wear on the brake system. If you must
use your brakes, do not hold the brakes down continuously. Pump the
brakes at intervals.
Noises may occur when braking depending on the speed , braking
force and outside conditions such as temperature and humidity.
Safety first
Moisture or road salt
If you are driving faster than 31 mph (SO km/h) and the windshield
wipers are on, the brake pads wi ll briefly touch the brake discs in
regular interva ls so as to improve reaction time when braking on wet
surfaces . You, the driver, will not not ice anything.
Under certain cond itions, for example, when driving through wa ter or
very heavy rain, or even after washing yo ur vehicle , the braking effect
can be reduced due to moisture (or in free zing conditions ice) on the
brake pads. A few careful brake applications should dry off the brake
pads or remove any ice coatings .
The effect iveness of the brakes can be reduced when the vehicle is
dr iven on a sa lt-covered road and the brakes are not used. Here too,
you should clean off accumu lated salt coating from brake discs and
pads with a few careful applications of the brake=> & -
Corrosion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up o n the brake pads and
corrosion to form on the dis cs if the car is no t driven regularly or only
for short trips with little use of the brakes.
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if corrosion has formed on
the discs, it is advisable to clean off the pads and discs by braking
firmly a few times from a moderately high speed=> &.
Faults in the brake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in brake pedal travel, then one
o f the two brake circuits may have failed==>& .
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if the brake fluid level is
too low. The brake fluid level is monitored e lectron ically .
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual inspection of the condi­
tion of the brake pads through the openings in the wheel. If neces­
sary, the wheel may be removed for this inspection =>
page 343,
"Changing a wheel". ._.
Vehicle care Technical data

Intelligent technology
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in. WARNING
• You should perform braking maneuvers for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system only if road condition s permit. Other
road u sers must not b e put at r isk - you may cau se an ac cident!
• Before d esc ending a steep gr ade , redu ce speed and shift tran s­
mission into a lower gear or lower driving range. Do not ride the
brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too often . This could
cause the brake s to get hot and diminish braking efficiency.
• Do not "ride the brakes " by re sting your foot on the pedal when
you do not intend to brake. Thi s may caus e the brakes to overheat ,
premature wear and increa sed stopping di stance.
• Under certain climatic and operating conditions such as
pas sing through water, driving in heavy rain or after washing the
vehicle, the effectiveness of the brake s can be reduced . In winter,
ice can accumulate on the brake pads , linings , disc s and drums .
Carefully apply brakes for a test. Brake s will dry and ice coatings
will be cleaned off after a few careful brake applications.
• Driving for an extended period of time on salt -cov ered roads
without using your brakes can al so affect braking efficiency. Clean
off accumulated salt coating from brake d iscs and pads with a few
careful brake applications.
• If you damage the front spoiler , or if you install a different
s poiler , be sure the air flow to the front brakes is not obstructed.
Otherwise the brake system could overheat reducing the effective­
ness of the entire brake system.
• Failure of one brake circuit will impair the braking capability
resulting in an increased stopping distance. Avoid driving the
vehicle and have it towed to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or
qualified wo rkshop. •
Brake booster
The brake booster adds e xtra brakin g pow er .
The brake booster works with vacuum pressure which is created only
w hen the en gine is ru nning =>& .
in. WARNING
• Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with the engine shut off .
• If the brake booster i s not working , for example when towing
your vehicle , or because the brake booster has somehow been
damaged , the brake pedal must be p ressed considerably harder to
make up for the lack of booster assistan ce.
Functioning of Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS)
AB S prevents the wheels from locki ng up under braking.
T he ABS co ntribu tes effectively to vehicle co ntrol s ince it prevents t he
w hee ls from
locking when the b rakes are a pplied. This means t hat t he
veh icle rema ins steerable and is less likely to s kid .
W ith ABS you do not need to
pump the brake. Just hold the brake
pedal down .
However, do not expect the ABS to shorten braking distance u nder
oil
circums tances. When driving on grave l or on newly fa llen snow on top
of icy su rfaces, braking dis tance may be even longer, therefore, under
these c irc umstances, it is especially important that you dr ive slowly
and w it h great care .
How the ABS system works
An automatic check is made when a speed of about 12 mph (20 km/h)
is reached . Whe n this happens, a p umping noise can be hea rd. ._

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If an individual wheel begins to rotate too slowly in relation to vehicle
speed and tends to lock, the ABS automatically reduces brake pres­
sure to prevent that wheel from locking .
Thi s automatic adjustment process wi ll cause a
slight vibration of
the brake pedal and some noises to alert you that vehicle speed must
be adapted to existing road and traffic conditions.
_& WARNING
Although the ABS is very effective, always remember that braking
capability is limited by tire traction. Always adjust your driving
speed according to the road and traffic conditions. Do not let the
extra safety afforded by the ABS tempt you into taking extra risks.
The ABS cannot overcome the laws of physics .
(I) Tips
• If ABS is not funct ioning properly, a warning light will come on .
See ~
page 19.
• If a fault occurs in the ABS, the EDL is also not functioning. This is
ind icat ed by the ABS warning light. •
Brake assistant
The brake assistant is designed to achieve the optimum
braking effect.
The brake assistant helps to increase the effective braking power and
thus to achieve a shorter stopping distance.
If the driver presses the
brake peda l very qu ickly , the brake assistant automatically boosts the
braking force to the maximum level, up to the point where the anti­
lock brake function (ABS) intervenes to stop the whee ls from locking.
You should then keep the brake pedal pressed until the vehicle has
braked to the required speed. The brake assistant switches itself off
as soon as you release the brake pedal.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Automatic full braking
assist
This function allows full braking in spite of high brake pedal forces
(e .g . when the brakes are severely stressed because the veh icle is fully
loaded). The driver notices this function through a reduction of pedal
force and increased pedal travel. When the brake pedal is released,
full braking assist switches off again automatically.
If there is an ABS failure, the brak e assistant and automatic full
braking assist are not available.
Th e brake assistant will not be operative if there is a ma lfunction in
the ABS .
_& WARNING
Please remember that the accident risk always increases if you
drive too fast, especially in corners or on a slippery road, or if you
follow the vehicle ahead of you too closely. Increased risk of an
accident cannot be compensated for even by the brake assistant ,
so always maintain a safe speed.•
Servotronic® -advanced power
steering system
The power steering systems uses the power of the
running engine to allow precise steering with little effort.
The advanced Servotronic ® power steering system senses the road
speed and electronically adjusts power assistance to provide
comfortable and safe steering response exactly matched to the
vehicle speed .
Power steering will not work if the engine is off. As a result , the
steering wheel will be hard to turn .
Th e power steering fluid level is checked during the scheduled main­
tenance services.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information Your Audi was design ed primarily for passenger transpor ­
tation .
If you plan to tow a t rai ler, p lease rem emb er that the add itiona l load
wi ll affect durab ility, economy and performance.
T railer tow ing not on ly p laces mo re s tress on the vehicle, it a lso calls
for more concentrat ion from the driver.
For this reason, a lways follow the ope rating and dr iv ing instr uctions
prov ided and use common sense .
(D Note
If you are going to tow a t ra iler , you must ac tivate the tra ile r ope ra­
tion mode ::::;,
page 182, "Towing a trailer". •
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a we igh t-car rying hit ch confo rm ing to the g ross tra ile r weig ht.
The hitch must be suitable for your vehicle and tra iler and must be
mou nted secure ly o n th e veh icle's chassis a t a
te chnically sound loca­
tion. Use only a trailer hitch with a removab le ba ll mount. Always
check w ith the tra iler h itch manufacturer to ma ke sure tha t you are
using the correct hitch .
Do not use a bumper hitch .
The hitch must be i nstalled in such a way t hat i t does not interfe re
w ith the impact-absorbing bumper system. No mod ificat ions should
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
be made to the vehicle exhaust and b
rake systems. From time to
time, check that all hitc h mounting bo lts rema in securely fastened.
Whe n you are no t towing a trai ler, remove the trailer hi tch ba ll
mount. This prevents the hitch from caus ing damage should your
vehicle be s truck from behind::::;,& .
Trailer brakes
If your trailer i s eq uipped w ith a b raking system, che ck to be s ure that
it conforms to all regulat ions.
T he tra iler hyd raulic brake system must not be directly connected to
the vehi cle's hydraul ic brake system ::::;, & .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains betwee n your vehicle and t he tra iler .
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulat ions. Be sure to check w ith your
au thor ized A udi deale r for co rrect wi ring, switc hes, and re lays.
Mirrors
If you are unab le to see the traff ic beh ind you us ing t he regular
outside m irro rs, then you
must install extended mirro rs. It is impor­
t an t th at yo u
always have cle ar vision to the re a r.
& WARNING
• If a trailer has electrical brakes please note that these brakes
are not activated by the factory-fitted control unit -ri sk of acci ·
dent!
• Afte r removing the trailer hitch, do not store it in your vehicle .
In case of sudden braking, the hitch could fly forward and injure
you or your passengers .
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data