mirror AUDI A7 2012 User Guide

90 Audi side assist
signal light will come on as soon as the other
vehicle is in your blind spot and is detected by
side assist. When the difference in speed is
greater, the signa l light will not come on.
Informational and alert stage signals
Applies to vehicles: with side assist
Side assist has two s ignal stages:
- the informational stage signal, and
- the a le rt stage signa l.
Side assist helps you by using the appropriate
signal stage, depending on whethe r or not
you have activated the turn signal, and thus
have indicated that you are or are not chang­
ing lanes.
Informational stage signal
As long as you have not activated the turn sig­
nal, side assist informs you of detec ted vehi ­
cles that are registered as being in a notable
l ocation if you were to change lanes. Whenev ­
er the detected vehicle's difference in speed
and distance is registered by side assist as no­
table, the signal light on the respective m irror
produces muted illumination.
The brightness of the informational stage sig­
na l is designed not to be as intense, so that it
does not interfere with your view of the road
when you are driving and have no intention of
changing lanes. When you look in the outside
mirror, you can clearly see the informat ional
stage signal.
Alert stage signal
When you activate the turn signal, and side
assist has detected a vehicle in a notable loca­
tion on that part icular side, the signal l ight on
this side mirror flashes bright ly . The repeated
brief and bright flashing of the alert stage
signal reminds you to carefully check traffic to
the rear in the outside mirror and over your
shoulder, so that yo u can safely complete the
lane change
c::> & in Safety tips on page 94.
(D Tips
The brightness of the signal light on the
outside m irrors can be adjusted with the
MMI c::> page 93.
Driving situation: Fast approaching
vehicles
Applies to vehicles: with side assist
©
@
Fig. 94 Side ass ist: Fast approach ing ve hicles
@ Signal on outside mirror does not light
up
No vehicle was detected by the sensors . The
signal on the o utside mirror does not light up
c::> & in Safety tips on page 94.
@ Informational stage signal lights up
A fast approaching vehicle - in the left-hand
lane for example - was detected by the sen­
sors . Although this vehicle is still far away, it
should be taken into account if yo u were to
change lanes, due to the considerab le differ­
ence in speed. The informational stage s ignal
on the outside mirror lights up
c::> page 90 . ..,.

@ Alert stage signal flashes
If you activate your turn signal in driving sit­
uation @, the signa l briefly f lashes repeated­
ly. Side assist is a lerting yo u to a vehicle that
you may not have noticed.
@ Tips
- The faster a vehicle approaches from the
rear, the sooner the signa l on the outside
mirror lights up. Side assist will signa l,
at the latest, when a detected vehicle en­
ters your "blind spot".
- When vehicles approach very quickly,
changing lanes can be dangerous even if
the signal on the outside mirror does not
light up.
Driving situation: Slowly approaching
vehicles
Appl ies to vehicles : wit h side ass ist
®
F ig . 95 S ide ass ist: S lowly approaching vehicles and ve·
h ides in your blind spot
@ Signal on outside mirror does not light
up
A vehicle approaching slowly -in the left-hand
lane for examp le -was detected by the sen­
sors. Because of the small difference in speed
and the considerab le distance from your vehi-
Audi side assist 91
cle, the signal on the outside mirror wi ll not
light up
~.& in Safety tips on page 94 .
@ Informational stage signal lights up
The distance between your ve hicle and that of
the slowly approaching vehicle has narrowed.
T he informational stage signal on the outside
mirror lights up.
As soon as the difference in speed and dis­
tance is registered as notable if you were to
change lanes, a signal on the m irror lights up.
Side assist will signal at the latest when a de­
tected vehicle enters your "blind spot".
@ Alert stage signal flashes
If you activate your turn signal in driving sit­
u ation @, the signal light briefly fla shes re­
peatedly. Side assist is alert ing you of a vehi­
cle that you may not have noticed.
(D Tips
- Th e faster a vehicle approaches from the
rear, the soone r the signal on the outside
mirror lights up. Side assist will signal,
at the latest, when a detected vehicle en­
ters your "blind spot".
- When vehicles approach very quickly,
changing lanes can be dangerous even if
the signal on the outside m irror does not
light up.

92 Audi side assist
Driving situation: Vehicles dropping
back slowly
Applies to vehicles: with side assist
i:i N 9 J:
-------::~
®
Fig. 96 Side ass ist: Veh icles d ropping back slow ly
CD Signal on outside mirror does not light
up
The vehicle that you passed has not yet been
detected by side assist . The signal on the out­
side mirror does not light up¢
A in Safety
tips on page 94.
@ Informational stage signal lights up
A vehicle dropping back slowly on the right
(difference in speed of less than 9 mph, or 15
km/h) has been detected by side assist. The
informational stage signal on the outside mir ­
ror lights up.
@ Alert stage signal flashes
If you activate your turn signal in driving sit­
uation@, the signal briefly flashes repeated­
ly. Side assist is alerting you of a vehicle that
you may not have noticed .
Driving situation: Vehicles dropping
back quickly
Applies to vehicles: with side assist
®
Fig. 97 Side ass ist: Vehicles dropping ba ck quickly
CD Signal on outside mirror does not light
up
The vehicle just passed has not yet been de ­
tected by side assist. The signal on the out­
s ide mirror doe s not light up¢
A in Safety
tips on page 94 .
@Signal on outside mirror does not light
up
The vehicle dropping back quickly on the right
( d ifference in speed of more than 9 mph, or
15 km/h) has been detected by side assist ,
but is not considered notable in the event of a
lane change, because it is dropping back so
quick ly. The signal on the outs ide mirro r does
not light up¢
A in Safety tips on page 94.
@ Signal on outside mirror does not light
up
If you activate your turn signal in driving sit­
uation @, the signal still does not light up on
the outside mirror ¢
A in Safety tips on
page 94 .

MMI settings
Applies to vehicles: with side assist
The basic brightness setting of the signal on
the outside mirror can be adjusted via the
MMI.
~ Select : ICARI funct ion button> Car systems
control button > Driver assist > Audi side
assist.
The brightness of the signal light for both the informational and alert stages is automatical­
ly adjusted to ambient light conditions. In ad­
d ition, you can adjust the
basic brightness
separately, via the brightness function .
W hile making the adjustment, the new
brightness setting is displayed briefly . The
brightness displayed is that of the informa­
tional stage signal. The alert stage signal
brightness is linked to the informational stage
signal brightness.
The informational stage signa l br ightness
should be adjusted so that you not ice the sig­
nal illumi nation when you look in the outside
mirror, but not when you look forward
through the windshield .
I n very dark or light sur roundings, the auto­
mat ic brightness setting adjusts signal light
brightness to maximum or minimum intensi­
ty, as needed. In circumstances such as these,
you may not notice any change in the bright­
ness on the outside mirror when adjusting the
basic brightness. You may not notice the
change until lighting conditions are normal
again.
(D Tips
- Side assist is not active when the basic
brightness is adjusted. The signal light
comes on briefly to help you make the
adjustment .
- Your settings are automatically stored
and ass igned to the remote control key
being used.
Audi side assist 93
General information
Applies to vehicles: wit h side assist
Side assist has limits and cannot detect vehi­
cles unde r al l road and weather conditions.
Please remember system limitations and nev­
er rely on the system, especially when :
- driving through curves
c::> page 93,
-lanes are of diffe rent widths c::> page 93 .
When driving through curves
Applies to vehicles: wit h side assist
Side assist cannot detect ve hicles in curves
with a turning radius of less than 328 feet
(100 m).
When dr iving through a curve, it is poss ible
that side assist may reg ister a vehicle two
lanes over, and the signal on the outside mir­
ror will light up.
Lane width
Appl ies to vehicles: wit h side assist
Fig. 98 Lanes of a normal width are in detect ion area
Fig. 99 Narrow lanes: S ide assist may detec t vehicles
two lanes away
Side assist's detection area is designed to cov-
er lanes of standa rd width to the left and ..,.

94 Audi side assist
right of your travel lane, depending on wheth­
er you drive in the center of your lane or closer
to the edge.
If you drive in narrow lanes, s ide ass ist's de­
tection area may a lso include other lanes -es­
pecia lly if you tend to drive on the edge of
your lane¢
fig. 99. Under these condit ions,
vehicles can also be detected that are two lanes away, and side assist then could switch
between the informat ional and warning stage
signals .
When driving in very w ide lanes, vehicles in
the adjacent lane may not be detected be­
cause they are not inside the detection area .
Notes
Messages in instrument cluster display
Applies to vehicles: with side assis t
If side assist turns off automatically, the indi­
cator light on the button wi ll go out and you
will see a message in the instrument cluster
d isplay:
Audi side assist: not available. sensors
blocked
The side assist sensors are built into the rear
bumper on the left and right (not visible on
the outside)
¢ page 88, fig. 91 . To ensure that
you do not adversely affect the way side assist
functions, foreign objects (such as stickers or
b icycle racks) should not be attached to the
a rea on the rear bumper where the sensors
are located. If side assist functions are ad­
versely affected, you will see this message in
the instrument cluster display. Remove any ­
thing that may be blocking the sensors .
If no vehicle is detected for a longer period of
time while driving, side assist will also switc h
off a utomatica lly.
Audi side assist currently not available
If there is a temporary problem (such as the
ve hicle's battery charge being low), s ide ass ist
cannot be activated tempo rari ly.
Audi side assist: system fault
Have the system checked by an authorized Au­
di dealer or qualified workshop.
Audi side assist: not available when
towing
T he radar senso r's view is limited when tow­
ing a trai le r. For vehicles with a fa ctory instal ­
led towing hitch or a trailer hitch that was in­
stalled later according to factory specifica­
tions, side assist is automatically deactivated
as soon as the electrical connection to the
trailer's electrical socket is made, and this sta­
tus message appears in the instrument clus ­
ter display . Deactivation cannot be guaran­
teed when using a retrofitted towing hitch
that was
not installed according to factory
specifications.
Safety tips
Appl ies to vehicles : wi th side assist
The side assist detection may be limited when
driving aro und narrow street corners, on hilly
streets, and under poor weather cond itions.
It is possible that the radar sensors may also
detect other objects, such as high or stag­
gered guardrails .
Side assist does not measure actual lane
width. The system assumes a fixed lane width.
Detection in the left and right lanes is based
o n this ass umed lane width . When driving on
narrow roads or when driving to the left or
right of the center of a trave l lane, it is poss i­
ble that vehicles will be detected that are
not
in the lane next to the lane you are using.
A WARNING
- Improper reliance on the side assist sys­
tem can cause collis ion s and serious per­
sonal injury:
- Never rely only on side assist when
changing lanes .
- Always check rear view mirrors to make
sure that it is safe to change lanes.
- Side assist cannot detect all vehicles un-
der all conditions- danger of accident! ..,.

segments move closer to the vehicle. The col­
lision area has been reached when the next to
last segment is displayed. Do not continue
driving farther
c:> ,& !
A WARNING
- Sensors have blind spots in which objects
cannot be detected . Pay special attention
to small children and animals because
the sensors cannot always detect them .
- The parking system cannot replace the
driver's attention. The driver alone is re­
sponsible for parking and similar driving
maneuvers.
-Always keep your eyes on the veh icle's
surround ings, using the rear
view mirror
as well.
(D Note
Low obstacles already signaled by a warn­
ing can disappear from the system 's detec­
tion range as they are approached and will
not continue to be signaled. Objects such
as barrier chains, trailer draw bars, thin
pa inted vertical poles or fences may not be
detected by the system, posing risk of
damage.
(D Tips
- The sensors must be kept clean and free
of snow and ice for the park assist to op­
erate.
- You can change the volume and pitch of
the signals as well as the display
<=> page 113.
-What appears in the display is time-de­
l ayed.
Parking system 109
Audi parking system
plus with rear view
camera
Introduction
App lies to vehicles: park ing system p lus wit h rear view
came ra
Fig. 118 Park ing mode 1: reverse parking
Fig . 1 19 Park ing mode 2: parallel parking
This parking system integrates a rearview
camera
in addition to the audio and visual
parking system signals
¢ page 108.
0 0 ± .. a,
You can choose between two modes to assist
you w ith parking. For example, you can use
"parking mode 1" when parking in a parking
space or garage
c:> fig . 118. When you want to
park para llel to the edge of the street, select
"p arking mode 2"
<=>fig. 119 .

110 Parking system
General Information
A pplies to vehicles: with par king system p lus w it h rear
view ca mera
Fig. 120 Area covered
(D and area not covered @ by
the rear view came ra.
Fig. 121 Rear lid : Locat ion of the rear view camera
Rear view camera coverage area
The MMI display shows the area covered by
the rear view camera
c::;, fig. 120 (i). Objects
that are not in the area covered @are not
shown on the MMI display.
N 0
9 (!)
~
We recommend that you practice park ing with
the rear v iew camera in a traffic-free locat ion
or parking lot to become familiar w ith the sys­
tem, the orientation l ines, and their funct ion .
When doing th is, there shou ld be good light
and weather conditions.
In the MMI display, objects or vehicles appear
closer or further away if:
- you are driving in reverse gear from a level surface onto an incline or a downward slope,
- you are driving in reverse gear toward pro­
truding objects,
- the vehicle is carrying too much load in the
rear.
The accuracy of the orientat ion lines and blue
surfaces diminishes if: -
the rear view camera does not provide a reli­
ab le image, for example, in poor visibility
conditions or if the lens is dirty,
- the image on the screen is not visib le due to
sun glare and reflection.
Caring for the rear view camera lens
T he rea r view camera is located above the rear
lic ense plate bracket. For the parking system
to operate, the lens
r:!> fig. 121 m ust be kept
clean:
- Dampen the lens w ith a household alcohol­
based g lass cleaner, and then wipe the lens
clean with a dry cloth
c::> (D .
-Remove snow with a hand br ush and ice
preferably with a de-ic ing spray
c::> (j) .
_& WARNING ,= --Sensors have blind spots in which objects
cannot be detected . Pay specia l attention
to small children and an imals because
the sensors cannot always detect them.
- The parking system cannot replace the
driver's attention. The driver alone is re­
sponsible for parking and similar driving
maneuvers.
- Always keep your eyes on the vehicle's
surroundings, using the rear view mirror
as well.
- Do not allow yourself to be distracted
from traffic by the rea r view camera pic­
tures.
- If the position and the installation angle
of the camera has changed, for example,
after a rear end coll ision, do not continue
to use the system for safety reasons .
Hav e it checked by a qualified dealership.
(D Note
-Low obstacles a lready s ignaled by a
warning can disappear from the system's detection range as they are approached
and will not continue to be signaled. Ob­
jects such as barrier chains, trailer draw
bars, thin painted vertical poles or fen­
ces may not be detected by the system,
posing risk of damage.

112 Park in g s ystem
Reverse Park ing
App lies to vehicles: with park ing system p lus w it h rear
view ca mera
Parking mode 1 con be used when parking in
a garage or into a parking space.
Fig. 122 MMI display : aiming at a parking spot
Fig . 123 MMI display: alig nin g th e veh icle
... Switch the MMI on and select reverse gear .
... Turn the steering wheel until the orange
orientation lines
(D appear in the parking
spot¢
fig . 122. Use the markings @to help
you estimate the distance from an obstacle .
Each marking represents 3
ft (1 meter). The
blue area represents an extension of the
ve­
hicle's outline by approx imately 16 ft (5 me­
ters) to the rear.
"' While driv ing in reverse gear, ad just the
steering wheel angle to fit the parking space
with the aid of the orange orientation lines ¢ (D. @ marks the rear bumper. Stop the
vehicle when the red orientation line © bor­
ders an object¢ .&_!
A WARNING
-The rear view camera does not show the
entire area beh ind the veh icle
¢ page 110, fig. 120. Watch out espe­
c ially for small childre n and an imals. The rear view camera cannot always detect
them, posing risk of an accident!
- Please note that objects not touching the
ground can appear to be further away
than they really are (for example, the
bumper of a parked vehicle, a trailer
hitch, or the rear of a truck). In this case,
you shou ld not use the help lines to help
with pa rking, wh ich poses danger of an
accident!
(D Note
In the M Ml d is play , the direction of travel
of the vehicle rear is represented depend­
i ng on the steering wheel angle . T he vehi­
cle front swings o ut more than the vehicle
rear. M aint ain plenty of dista nce so th at
your outside mirror or a corner o f you r
ve­
hicle does not co llide with any obstacles .
This can damage to your ve hicle .
Parallel Parking
Applies to vehicles: wit h parking system plus with rea r
v iew camera
Use parking mode 2 to help you parallel park
along the side of a stree t .
F ig . 124 MMI disp lay: b lue surface in th e parking spot
Fig . 125 MM! display : B lue curve on th e curb

The following steps apply only when there is
no obstacle such as a wall near the parking
spot. Otherwise, please read the information
prov ided in the "Parking Next to Obstacles"
section
c::> page 113.
~ Activate the turn signal.
~ Position your vehicle parallel to the edge of
the street, approximately 3 ft (1 meter)
from a parked vehicle.
~ Switc h the MMI on and se lect reverse gear.
The parking aid tu rns o n and parking mode
1 appears on the display .
~ Press the contro l bu tton (D c::> fig. 124 on
the MMI contro l conso le. Parking mode 2
appea rs .
~ Back up and align your vehicle so t he blue
area @ borders on the rear end of the vehi­
cle or on the parking spot line. The blue area
represents an extension of the vehicle's out­
line by approximate ly 16 ft (5 meters) to the
rear. The long side of the blue area should
be o n the curb . The entire blue area must fit
i nto the parking spot .
~ With the vehicle stopped, turn the steer ing
whee l to the right as far as it w ill go.
~ Back into the park ing spot until the blue
cu rve to uches the curb
c::> fig. 125. Stop the
vehicle.
~ With the veh icle stopped, turn the steering
wheel to the left as far as it will go.
~ Continue to back into the parking spot until
the vehicle is parked para llel to the curb. @
marks the rear bumper. Stop the vehicle
when the red orientation line@ borde rs an
object
c::> .&, . Keep an eye o n the fron t of
yo ur vehicle while do ing this
c::> (j) .
Parking next to obstacles
When t here is an obstacle (such as a wall)
next to the pa rking spot, choose a spot wit h
mo re space on t he sides. Pos ition the long
side of the b lue a rea so that there is sufficient
space from the curb. The a rea m ust no t be on
the c urb. You w ill also need to start turn ing
the steering wheel much earlier. T he re should
be a suffic ient amo unt of space between the
curb and the blue c urve, and the blue cu rve
c::> fig. 125 must not touch the curb.
Parking system 113
A WARNING
-The rear view camera does not show the
entire area behind the vehicle
c::> page 110, fig. 120. Watch out espe­
cially fo r small children and anima ls. The
rea r view ca m era ca nnot alway s de te ct
them, posing r is k of an a ccident!
- P lease note that objects not touching the
g rou nd can appear to be further away
than they really are (for example, the
bumper of a parked vehicle, a trai ler
hitch, or the rea r of a truck) . In this case,
you shou ld not use the help lines to help
with parking, wh ich poses danger of an
accident!
(D Note
In the MMI display, the direction of travel
of the vehicle rear is represented depend­
i ng on the steering wheel angle. The vehi­
cle front swings o ut more than the vehicle
rear. Maintain ple nty of d istance so that
your outside mirror or a corner of your ve­
hicle does not col lide with any obstacles.
T his can damage to your ve hicle.
(0 Tips
The left o r right orientation lines and su r­
faces will be disp layed, depending on the
turn s ignal being used.
Adjusting the display
and warning tones
App lies to v ehicl es: wi th parkin g sys tem pl us or parkin g
system plus wit h rear view ca mera
The display and warning tones can be adjust­
ed in the MMI .
~ Select:!CAR !function button> Car sy stem s
cont ro l butto n > Driv er a ssist > Parking aid
> Setting s control b utton .
Display
On* -turns o n the visual d isplay for parking
system p lus and shows the rearview came ra
image for the par king system p lus w ith rea r
view came ra*. ..,

Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a tra iler, p lease remember
that the addit ional load will affect durab ility,
economy and performance .
T railer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
F or this reason, a lways fo llow the operating
and driving instructions provided and use
common sense.
Technical requirements
Traile r hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer we ight. The hitch must be suita­
b le for your veh icle and trailer and must be
mounted secure ly on t he veh icle's chassis at a
technically sound location . Use only a t railer
h itch w ith a removab le ball moun t. A lways
check with the tr ailer hitch man ufac tur er to
make sure that you are using the correct
hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
T he hitc h must be installed in such a way that
it does not inte rfe re with the impac t-absorb­
i ng b umper syst em. No modifica tions should
be made to the vehicle exhaus t and b rake sys­
tems . From t ime to time, check that a ll hitch
mo unt ing bolt s remain securely fas tened.
W hen you are not tow ing a trailer, remove the
trai le r hi tch ball moun t. T h is prevents the
hi tch from causing damage sho uld your ve hi­
cle be str uck from be hind
¢ &. .
Trailer brakes
If yo ur tra iler is equ ipped w it h a braking sys­
tem, check to be su re that it conforms to a ll
r eg ulat io ns.
Trailer towin g 197
The trailer hyd ra ulic bra ke system must not be
direct ly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system .
Safety chains
Alw ays use saf ety chains between your ve hicle
and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Tra iler lights must meet all reg ulations . Be
su re to check with your Audi dea ler fo r cor re ct
wir ing, swi tches and relays.
Mirrors
If you a re unable to see the traffic behind you
u sing the regula r outside m irrors, then you
must i nsta ll ext ended mir rors . It is important
t h at you
always have clea r vis ion to the rear .
.8, WARNING
-
Afte r removing the trailer hit ch, do no t
s tore i t in yo ur vehicle . In case of sudden
b raking, the h itch cou ld fly forwar d an d in­
ju re you or yo ur passengers .
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A tra ile r fo r you r vehicle is limited to a ty pical
cl ass 1 or class 2 tra ile r.
Trailer load distribution
B e sure the loa d in the tr aile r is held secure ly
i n place to p reven t it from shift ing forw ard,
ba ckward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢&. in Driving instru ctions on page 198.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard­
er . It is impo rtant that the cooling system's
perfo rmance is up to the additional load .
Make sure that the coo ling syst em has enough
f lui d.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer , inflate the tires of your
vehicle to t he cold tire pressure listed under .,..
•
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