AUDI Q7 2015 Owner´s Manual

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_& WARNING
Improper use of tether anchorages or low­
er anchorages can cause serious personal
injury in a crash.
- Always ca refully follow the child re­
straint manufacturer's instruct ions for
proper installation and use of child re­
st raint systems.
- Never use the
LATCH or tether anchorag­
es to attach safety belts or othe r kinds of
occupant restraints.
- Child restraint tether attachments a nd
lower attachments are only des igned to
se cur e a child res tra int t hat has been
equipped to use these anchorages.
- T ether anc horages and lower an chorages
are desig ned to withstand o nly those
loads imposed by corre ctly fi tted ch ild
res traints . Under no circumstances can
they be used safe ly for adu lt or child
safety belts or harnesses.
- Never mount more than one chi ld re ­
st raint to a sing le tether or to a lower an­
chorage point. Attac hing two child re­
straints to a single anchorage point can cause the anchorage to fail and cause se­
rious persona l injury in a crash.
(D Note
- Remove the guidance fixtures before
fo ld ing the rear seatback to prevent
damag ing the seat c ushion.
- If you leave the guidance fixtures instal­
l ed for several days, they could leave a
mark on the upho lstery on the seat cush­
i on and backrest in the area that the
guidance fixtures wer e insta lled. The up­
ho ls tery would a lso be permanently
stretched around the guid ance fixtures.
This applies especially to leat her seats.
Child S afety 219
Installing a child restra int with LATCH
lower anchorages
Whenever you install a child restraint always
f o llo w t he child res traint manufa cturer's i n­
structions.
F ig . 2 2 6 Lower an cho rages: proper mount ing
Mounting
.. Make s ure the seatback of the rear seat
bench is in the upright pos ition and securely
latched in p lace.
.. Attach both hook-on connectors with the
spring catch release on the child safety seat
onto the LATCH lower anchorage so that the
connecto rs lock into place ¢
fig. 226.
.. Pull on the con nector atta chme nts to ma ke
sure they are properly a ttac hed to the LA T CH
lower ancho rage .
.. Pull straps tight fo llowing the child restraint
manufact ure r's instruct ions .
Releasing
.. loose n the tension on the straps following
t he ch ild restraint manufac turer's instruc­
tions .
.. Depress the spring catches to release the
anchorage hooks from t he lower anchorag­
es.
Remember: Use te ther s traps to help keep the
chi ld restraint f irmly in place .
A WARNING '-
Imp roper use of the LATCH system can in-
crease the risk of serious personal injury
and death in an accident.

220 Child Safe ty
- These anchors were developed only for
child safety seats us ing the ''LATCH" sys­
tem.
- Never attach other child safety seats,
belts or other objects to these anchors.
- Always make sure that you hear a click
when latching the seat in place. If you do
not hear a click the seat is not secure and
cou ld fly forward and hit the interior of
the vehicle, or be ejected from the vehi­ cle.
A WARNING
Improper insta llation of chi ld restraints
w ill increase the risk of injury in an acc i­
dent.
- Always fo llow the child restraint system
ma nufacturer's instructions for proper
installation of the child restraint system
and proper use of tether straps as we ll as
the lower anchorages or safety belts in
yo ur vehicle.
- Always read and heed the important in ­
format ion and WARNINGS about child
safety and the installation of child re­
straint systems ¢
page 203, Child Safe­
ty.
Tether anchors and tether straps
Fig. 227 Tether anchors for second row of seats: at­
t ac hm ent hook locatio ns
-
Fig. 228 Tet her anchors fo r thir d row of seats: attach­
men t hook loca tions
The tether anchors for the three rear seating
positions in the second row of seats are locat­
ed underneath the seats in the back
c> fig. 22 7. For vehicles with third row seat­
ing*, the tether anchors for the two seating
pos itions in the third row of seats are stored
u nderneath a p lastic cover cap in the floor
¢ fig . 228 .
A tether is a stra ight or V-shaped strap that
attaches the top part of a ch ild restra int to
special anchorage po ints in the vehicle .
The purpose of the tether is to reduce the for­
ward movement of the child restraint in a
crash, in order to help reduce the risk of head
injury that could be caused by striking t he ve­
hicle inte rior .
Forward facing child restraints manufactured
after September 1, 1999, are required by U.S .
federa l regu lations to comply with new child
head movement perfo rmance requ irements .
T hese new perfo rma nce req uirements make a
tether nece ssary on most new child safety
seats .
,&_ WARNING
-= -Improper installation of child restraints
will increase the risk of injury and death i n
a crash.
- Always follow the instructions provided
by the manufacturer of the child re-
straint you intend to install in your Audi. ..,_

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-Improper use of child restra int anchors
(incl uding tether anchors) can lead to in­
jury in a co llision. The anchors are de­
signed to withstand only those loads im­
posed by correctly fitted ch ild restraints .
- Never mount two child restraint systems
on one LATCH lower anchor po int.
- Never attach two child restraint systems
to one tether strap or tether anchorage.
- Never attach a tether strap to a tie-down
hook in the luggage compartment.
- Never use ch ild restra int tether ancho­
rages to secure safety belts or other
kinds of occupant restra ints.
- Never secure or attach any luggage or
other items to t he LATCH lower ancho­
rages or to the tether anchors.
- If a tether or other strap is used to at­
tac h a child restraint to the fro nt passen­
ger seat, make sure that it is not so
t ight, that it causes the we ight-sensing
mat to measu re mo re weight than is ac­
t ual ly on the seat.
- T he heav ier we ight reg iste red can make
the Advanced Airbag System wo rk as
though an adult were on the seat and de­ ploy the Adva nced Ai rbag when it must
be s uppressed causing serious or even
fatal injury to the child.
- If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circ umstan ­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
med iately install the rear-facing child
safety seat in a rear seating posi tion and
have the a irbag system inspected by you r
Audi dealer.
Child S afety 221
Installing the upper tether strap on the
anchorage
Fig . 229 Tet her st rap: prope r rout ing a nd mounti ng
Fi g. 23 0 Tet her st rap fo r seco nd row sea ts: prope r
rou ting and moun tin g
Installing the tether strap
... Release or deploy the tet her strap on the
child res traint accord ing to the child re ­
st raint manufacture r's ins tructions .
... Guide the upper tether strap
unde r the rear
head restraint and into the rear ca rgo area
(raise the head restraint if necessary).
... Fo r the second row o f seats: Pull the floor­
ing back, in order to reach the anchor brack­
et
c:::> fig. 230 .
... For the third row of seats:* Remove the
plastic cover cap with a screw drive r, in orde r
to reach the anchor bracket
c:::> page 220,
fig . 228.
.,. Slide the tether strap hook over the anchor
bracket .
... Pull on the tether strap hook so that the
spring catch of the hook engages .
.,. Tighten the tether strap firmly follow ing the
child restraint manufacturer's instructions .
.,. For the se cond r ow of seat s: Push the floor-
ing forward into place again .
1iJJ,,

222 Child Safety
Releasing the tether strap
.. Loosen the tension following the child re­
straint manufacturer's instructions.
.. Depress the spring catch on the hook and re­
lease it from the anchorage.
.. For the second row of seats: Push the floor­
ing forward into place again.
.. For the third row of seats:* Replace the
plastic cover cap .
(D Note
If you leave the child restraint with the
tether strap firmly installed for several
days, this could leave a mark on the up­
holstery on the seat cushion and backrest
in the area where the tether strap was in­
stalled. The upholstery would also be per­
manently stretched around the tether
strap. This applies especially to leather
seats.
Using tether straps on rearward-facing
child restraints
Currently , few rear -facing child restraint sys­
tems come with a tether . Please read and
heed the child restraint system manufactur­
er's instructions carefully to determine how to
properly install the tether.
& WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child safety
seat installed on the front passenger seat
will be seriously injured and can be killed if
the front airbag inflates - even with an Ad­
vanced Airbag System.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat and child against the backrest, center
armrest, or door .
- A tight tether or other strap on a rear­
ward-facing child restraint attached to
the front passenger seat can put too much pressure on the weight-mat in the
seat and register a heavier weight in the
Advanced Airbag System. The heavier weight
registered can make the system
work as though an adult were on the seat
and deploy the Advanced Airbag when it
must be suppressed causing serious or
even fatal injury to the child.
- If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circumstan­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
mediately install the rear-facing child
safety seat in a rear seating position and
have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer.
Additional Information
Sources of information about child
restraints and their use
There are a number of sources of additional
information about child restraint selection, in­
stallation and use:
NHTSA advises that the best child safety seat
is the one that fits your child and fits in your
vehicle, and that you will use correctly and
consistently.
Try before you buy!
U.S National Highway Traffic Safety Admin­
istration
Tel.: 1-888-327-4236 (TIY: 1-800-424-9153)
http://www.nhtsa.gov
National SAFE KIDS Campaign
Tel.: (202) 662-0600
http://www.safekids .org
Safety BeltSafe U.S.A
Tel.: (800) 7 45 -SAFE (Eng Lish)
Tel.: (800) 747-SANO (Spanish)
http://www.carseat.org
Transport Canada Information Centre
Tel.: 1-800 -333-0371 or call
1-613-998-8616 if you are in the Ottawa area
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/
menu.htm
Audi Customer Relations
Tel.: (800) 822-2834

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Intelligent technology Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Da­
ta Recorder (EDR), installed by some manu­
facturers for the express purpose of capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or crash
event. EDRs are sometimes called "crash re­
corders".
Some state laws restrict the retr ieval or down­
loading of data stored by EDRs that were in­
stalled 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 with a number of electron­
ic control modules for various vehicle systems
such as, for example, engine function, emis­
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts.
These electronic control modules also record
vehicle-related data during norma l vehicle op­
eration for diagnostic and repair purposes.
The recording capacity of the electronic con­
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re­
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac­
tually 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 we ll as restraint
system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only be read and downloaded with special equip­
ment.
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
The Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) rein­
forces driver safety. It reduces the risk of slip ­
ping and improves driving stability. ESC de­
tects critical s ituations such as the vehicle
Intelligent technology 223
oversteering and understeering or the whee ls
spinning . The vehicle is stabilized by applying
the brakes or reducing eng ine torque . Once
the ESC is active, the indicator light
GI blinks
in the instrument cluster.
The following systems are integrated in the
ESC:
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up
when brak ing. The vehicle can sti ll be steered
even during hard braking. Apply steady pres­
sure to the brake peda l. Do not pump the ped­
al. A pulsing in the brake pedal indicates that
the system is helping you to brake the vehicle.
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease braking
distance.
It increases braking power when the
driver presses the brake peda l quickly in emer­
gency situations. You must press and hold the
brake pedal until the situation is over. In
vehicles with adaptive cruise control*, the
brake assist system is more sensitive if the
distance detected to the vehicle ahead is too
small.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR reduces engine power when the drive
wheels begin to spin and adapts the force to
the road conditions. This makes it easier to
start, accelerate and dr ive up hi lls.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The EDL brakes wheels that are spinning and
transfers the drive power to the other wheels.
This function is not available at higher speeds .
In extreme cases, EDL automatically switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked wheel
from overheating. EDL will switch on again au­
tomatically when conditions have returned to
normal.
A WARNING
- The ESC and its integrated systems can­
not overcome the laws of physics. This is
especially important on slippery or wet
~
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224 Intellig ent technol ogy
roads . If the systems begin acting to sta­
bilize your vehicle, you should immedi­
ately change your speed to match the
road and traff ic conditions. Do not let
the inc reased safety prov ided by these
systems tempt you to take r isks. Doing
so w ill increase the risk of a loss of vehi­
cl e con tro l, coll is ion and serio us personal
injuries.
- Always adapt you r speed to road, traff ic
and weather condit ions. The risk of los­
ing contro l of the veh icle increases when
driv ing too fast, especia lly t hrough
c u rves and on slippery or wet roads, and
when driving too close to vehicles up
ahead. The ESC and its integrated sys­
tems cannot always prevent collisions -
there is still a r isk of accidents!
- Always acce lerate with special care on
even, smooth surfaces such as those that
Switching on/off
are wet or covered with ice and snow.
The drive wheels can spin even w ith
these assistance systems that cannot al­
ways help to reduce the risk of loss of ve­
h icle control.
(D Tips
- ABS and ASR only work correctly when
all four wheels are equipped with identi­
cal tires. D ifferent tire sizes can lead to a
reduction in engine power.
- You may hear noises when the systems
descr ibed are working.
- If the ind icator light
DJ or fil (USA
mode ls)/ ti] (Canada models) appears,
there may be a malfunction
<:;> page 16,
<:;>page 18.
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine .
,.-------------.,
------------------
Fig. 231 Upper cente r console: f'J OFF button
The follow ing s ituations are exceptions where
it may be useful to switch on offroad mode to
a llow the whee ls to spin:
Offroad mode on
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is st uck
- Dr iving in deep snow or on loose ground
- Dr iving with snow chains
- Dr iving on rough terrain when much of the
car's weight is lifted off the whee ls (axle ar­
ticulation)
- Dr iving downh ill wh ile brak ing on loose
ground
Offroad mode off
Beha vior
The ESC and ASR stabilization funct ions The fu ll stab ilization funct ion of the ESC
are limited <:;>,&..
and ASR is availab le agai n.
Operat ion Press the I~ O FFI button . Press the I~ OFFI button again.
Indi ca to r IJ tu rnson. II turns off.
li g ht s
D riv er m es- Stabil izat ion cont rol (ES C): O ffroad. S tabil ization contro l (ESC) : On
sa ges Warning! R estricted st ab ility

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Hill descent c ontrol
The hill descent control is sw itched on in off­
road mode. When slowly descending steep
gradients on loose ground or when the axles
are articulated, hi ll descent control provides
assistance by automatically applying the
brakes to keep vehicle speed constant. The ve­
h icle is also rendered easier to steer by selec­
tive 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 ax le
articulation) .
H ill descent control operates both dr iv ing for­
ward and in reverse. Active hill descent con ­
trol is deactivated by pressing the acce lerator
pedal until the conditions for act ivation al­
ready listed are met again.
A WARNING
You should only switch offroad mode on if
your dr iving abilities and road conditions
permit .
- The stabilization function is limited
when offroad mode is switched on. The
dr iv ing wheels could spin and the vehicle
cou ld swe rve, especia lly on slick or slip­
pery road surfaces.
- You should on ly sw itch offroad mode on
when d riving offroad .
(D Tips
Offroad mode cannot be switched on when
adaptive cru ise control* is sw itched on.
Brake system
Operating condit ions and d riving hab it s
The brakes on today's automob iles are st ill
subject to wear, depending largely on operat­
i ng conditions and dr iv ing habits ~& . On
vehicles that are e ither driven mostly in stop-
Int ellig ent technolog y 225
and-go city t raff ic or are driven hard, the
brake pads should be checked by your author­
ized Audi dea ler more often than specif ied in
the
Warranty & Mainten ance boo klet . Failure
to have your brake pads inspected can result
in reduced brake performance.
On steep slopes, you sho uld use the braking
effect of the engine . This way, you prevent un ­
necessary wear on the brake system. If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the brakes
down cont inuously . Pump the brakes at inter­
vals.
Noises may occur when braking depending on
the speed, braking force and outside condi ­
t ions such as temperature and humid ity .
Mo is ture or ro ad s alt
Under certa in conditions, for example, when
driv ing through water or very heavy ra in, or
even after washing your veh icle, the braking
effect can be reduced due to moisture (or in
freez ing cond itions ice) on the brake pads . A
few carefu l brake applications should dry off
the b rake pads or remove any ice coatings.
When you are drivi ng at higher speeds with
the windshield w ipers on, the brake pads wi ll
briefly touch the brake discs in regu la r i nter­
vals so as to improve react ion time when brak­
ing on wet sur faces. You, the drive r, wi ll no t
notice anything .
T he effect iveness of the brakes can be reduced
whe n the vehicle is d riven on a sa lt-cove red
road and the b ra kes are not used. He re too,
you should clean off accumulated sa lt coa ting
from brake discs and pads with a few caref ul
applications of the brake~& .
Corrosion
The re may be a tendency for di rt to b uild up
o n the br ake pads and corros io n to fo rm on
the d iscs i f the car is not driven regularly or
o nly for short trips with litt le use of the
brakes.
If t he brakes a re not used frequently, o r if cor­
ros ion has formed on the discs, it is adv isable
to clean off the pads and d iscs by braking .,.
•
•

226 Intellig ent technol ogy
firm ly a few times from a mode rately high
speed ¢.&. .
Faults in the brake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake peda l travel, t hen one of the two bra ke
circ uits may have failed ¢.&. .
Low brak e flu id le vel
Malfunct ions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fluid level is too low . T he brake fluid
l eve l is monitored electronically .
Bra ke boo ster
The brake booster increases the pressure that
you generate w ith the brake pedal. It only op­
erates while the eng ine is running ¢,&. .
Brake lining we ar sta tu s
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the wheel. If neces­
sary, the wheel may be removed for this in­
spection ¢
page 307, Changing a wheel.
A WARNING
- You should perfo rm bra king maneuve rs
for the p urpose of clean ing the b rake
system on ly if road condit ions permit.
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an accident!
- Be fore descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmission 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
brakes to get hot and dimin ish braking
efficiency .
- Do not "ride the brakes" by resting your
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake . Th is may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and inc reased
stopping distance.
- Under certain climat ic and operating
condit ions such as passing through wa­
ter, driving in heavy ra in or after wash ing
the vehicle, the effect iveness of the
brakes can be reduced . In winter, ice can accumu
late on the brake pads, linings,
discs and drums. Carefully app ly brakes
for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coat­ ings w ill be cleaned off after a few care­
ful brake applicat ions .
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can also affect braking efficiency .
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
b rake discs and pads with a few ca reful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
i n stall a diffe rent spoiler, be s ure the a ir
f low to the front brakes is not obs truct­
ed . Otherwise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system .
- Fai lure of one brake circuit will impai r
the braking capability resulting in an in­
creased stopping distance . Avoid driving
the vehicle and have it towed to the near­
est authorized Audi dea ler or qualified
workshop .
- Never let the ve hicle roll to a stop with
the engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, the
brake peda l must be pressed cons idera­
b ly harder to make up for the lack of
booster assistance.
Servotronic - advanced power steering system
The power steering systems uses the power of
the running engine to allow precise steering
with Little effort.
T he advanced Servotronic power steer ing sys ­
tem senses the road speed and electronica lly
adjusts power assistance to provide comforta­
ble and safe steering response exactly match­
ed to the vehicle speed.
Power s teer ing will not work if the engine is
off. As a result, the steering wheel will be hard
to turn.
T he powe r steering fluid level is checked d ur-
ing the sched uled maintenance services . ..,.

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(D Note
If there is an electronic malfunction, ser­
votronic
w ill still function like a conven­
tional power steer ing system, providing a
constant steer ing support force that is no
longer proportionate to the vehicle speed.
This is most noticeable when turning the
steer ing whee l at low speeds (for examp le
when parking), -more effo rt will be re­
qui red than usual.
- Be awa re of the different than usual
stee ring response and adjust your stee r­
i ng force accord ingly .
- Have the problem checked and set right
by an Aud i dealer as soon as possible .
(D Tips
-When the engine is runn ing, never hold
the steer ing whee l turned a ll the way to
the right or to the left for longer than 15
seconds. The power s teer ing p ump w ill
overheat the hydraulic fluid if you keep ho lding the steering whee l turned a ll the
way . This is likely to damage the power
steering system .
- If the power steer ing system should fai l
entirely, or if the engine is not running
(for example, while being towed), you
will still be ab le to steer the vehicle .
However,
considerably more effort will
be required to do so .
- If the power steering system should
have a leak, or is not functioning proper­
l y, contact your authorized Aud i dealer
i mmediately.
- The power steering system requires a
spec ially formulated hydraulic fluid . T he
power steer ing reservo ir is the one locat­
ed farthest to the rear on the left side o f
the engine compartment
~ page 258.
The correct fluid leve l in the reservoir is
important for proper functioning of the
power steer ing .
Int ellig ent technolog y 22 7
Driving with your
quattro
With all-wheel drive , all four wheels are driv­
en .
Gener al info rmation
With all-wheel drive, power is distributed to
all four wheels. This happens au toma tically
depending on your driving style and the road
cond it ions at the time . See also
~ page 223.
Winter t i res
When d riving in the winter, your vehicle with
a ll-wheel drive has an advan tage, even with
regular tires. In winter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all -sea ­
son tires) for improved driveability and brak­
ing: these tires must be mounted on
a ll four
wh eels. See also ~ page 298, Winter tires.
Tire ch ains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain
roads, this normally also applies to veh icles
with all-wheel drive~
page 299, Snow
chains .
Replacing whee ls/tire s
Vehicles with all-wheel drive must always
have tires of the same s ize . Also avoid tires
with different tread depths . For deta ils see
page ~
page 291, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels.
.8, WARNING
A lways adj ust yo ur dr iv ing to road and t ra f­
fic conditions . Do not let the extra sa fety
afforded by all-wheel drive tempt you into
taking extra risks.
- Altho ugh the a ll-wheel drive is very ef ­
fective, always remember that braking
capacity is limited by tire traction . You
should therefore not drive at excessive
speeds on icy or slippery road surfaces.
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to
drive too fast because the front wheels
could begin to slide on top of the water
(aquaplaning). If th is should occur, you •
•

228 Intelligent technology
will have no warning from a sudden in­
crease in engine speed as with a front­
wheel drive vehicle. Always drive at speeds wh ich are suited to the road con­
ditions -risk of crash.
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution
of electrical energy and thus optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting
the engine.
I f a vehicle with a conventional energy system
is not driven for a long period of time, the bat­
tery is discharged by idling current consumers
(e.g. immobilizer) . In certain circumstances it
can result in there being insufficient energy
available to start the engine.
I ntelligent energy management in your vehi­
cle handles the distribution of electrical ener­
gy . Starting ability is markedly improved and
the life of the battery is extended.
Basically , energy management consists o f
battery diagnosis, idling current manage­
ment
and dynamic energy management.
Battery diagnosis
Battery diagnosis continuously determines
the state of the battery. Sensors determine
battery vo ltage, battery current and battery
temperature. This determines the current
state of charge and the power of the battery.
Idling current management
I dling current management reduces energy
consumption while the vehicle is standing.
With the ignition switched off, it contro ls the
energy supply to the various e lectrica l compo­
nents. Data from battery diagnosis is consid­
ered.
Depending on the battery's state of charge,
individual consumers are gradually turned off
to prevent excessive discharge of the battery
and thus ma intain starting capability.
Dynamic energy management
While the vehicle is being driven, dynamic en­
ergy management distributes the energy gen ­
erated according to the needs of the individu­
al components.
It regulates consumption, so
that more electrical energy is not being used
than is being generated and ensures an opti­
mal state of charge for the battery.
(!) Tips
- But even energy management cannot
negate the limits of physics. Consider
that the power and life of a battery are
limited.
- If start ing ability is threatened, you are
informed by a warning
¢ page 229,
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability.
The battery is severely taxed in short-distance
driv ing, in city traffic and during the cold time
of year. Abundant electrical energy is re­
quired, but only a little is generated . It is also
critical if the engine is not running and electri ­
cal components are turned on. In this in­
stance energy is being consumed but none is
being generated.
It i s in precise ly these s ituations that you will
notice energy management actively regu lat­
ing the distribution of energy.
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, e lectr ica l compo­
nents are gradually cut back or sw itched off.
T his reduces energy consumption and ma in­
ta ins starting capability over a longer period.
T ake into consideration that when you unlock
your vehicle, some convenience functions,
such as the interior lights or the power seat
adjustment, may not be availab le. The con­
venience functions will be availab le again