warning AUDI A7 2012 Owner's Guide

42 Clear vision
visibility conditions. For example, fog cannot be detected by the light sensors.
So always switch on the headlights
io
under these weather conditions and
when driving in the dark.
- Crashes can happen when you cannot see
the road ahead and when you cannot be
seen by other motorists . Always turn on
the headlights so that you can see ahead and so that others can see your car from
the back.
(D Note
The rear fog lights should only be turned
on in accordance with traffic regulation, as
the lights are bright for following traffic.
@ Tips
-In the event of a light sensor malfunc­
tion, the driver is notified in the instru­
ment cluster display~
page 21.
-You will hear a warning tone if you open
the driver door when the exterior lights
are switched on.
- Please observe legal regulations when
using the lighting systems described .
Emergency flasher
The emergency flasher makes other motorists
aware that you or your vehicle are in an emer­
gency situation.
Fig. 33 Center console : emerge ncy flasher switch
• Press the switch~~ fig. 33 to turn the
emergency flashers on or off.
When the emergency flasher is on, all four
turn signals blink at the same time. The turn signal
indicato r lights ¢ Q in the instrument
cluster, as well as the light in the emergency
fl asher switch ~ blink likewise. The emergen­
cy flashers also work when the ignition is
turned off.
The emergency flashers will turn on automati­
cally if you are in an accident where the airbag
has deployed .
(D Tips
You should turn on the emergency flashers
when:
- you are the last vehicle standing in a traf­
fic jam so that any other vehicles coming
can see you, or when
- your vehicle has broken down or you are
in an emergency situation, or when
- your vehicle is being towed by a tow
truck or if you are towing another vehicle
behind you.
· Adjusting the exterior lighting
The settings ore adjusted in the MMI.
• Select: I CAR I function button > Car systems
control button > Vehicle settings> Exterior
lighting.
Automatic headlights
You can adjust the following settings in the
Automatic headlights menu :
Headlights activation time -You can adjust if
the headlights switch on
Early , Med. or Late
according to the sensitivity of the light sensor .
Audi adaptive light* -You can switch adaptive
light
On and Off .
Daytime running lights
USA models:
You can switch the daytime run­
ning lights
on and off.
Canada models:
The function cannot be
turned off.
It is activated automatically each
time the ignition is switched on. This menu
item is shown "greyed out".

Vision
Sun visors
( J
Fig. 38 Sun v isor
The sun visors for the driver and passenger
can be released from their brackets and
turned toward the doors
c::> fig. 38 @.
The mirror light switches on when the cover
over the vanity mirror @opens.
Sun shad e
Applies to vehicles: with s un shade
The sun shade is located on the luggage com­
partment shelf.
F ig. 3 9 Sun sh ade i n lowe red pos iti on
When the sun shade is in the lowered posi ­
tion, it is secured in the retainer @.
.. To raise @ the sun shade, remove it from
the retainer .
A WARNING
Do not use the sun shade to secure ca rgo .
The luggage compartment cover is not a
surface fo r stor ing objects. Objects placed
on the cover co uld end anger all vehicle oc­
c upants d uri ng sudden braking ma neuvers
or in a cras h. Clear vi
sion 45
Wiper and washer
system
Switching the windshield wipers on
Fi g. 40 W ind shield wiper leve r
Move the w indshie ld w iper lever to the co rre­
sponding position:
@ -Windshield wipers off
©-Rain sensor mode. The windsh ield wipers
switch on once the vehicle speed exceeds ap­
proximately 2 mph (4 km/h) and it is ra ining .
The hig her the rain sensor sensitivity is set
(sw itch @to th e right), the earlier the wind ­
shield wipe rs react to moisture on the w ind­
shield . Yo u can deactivate rain senso r mode in
the MMI, whi ch will then ac tivate inte rm ittent
mode. Se lect:
I CAR I fu nct io n but ton> Car sy s­
tems
contro l button > Driver a ssist > Rain
sensor > Off.
In inte rmittent mode, yo u can
adjust the interval time using the switch @.
@ -Slow w iping
@ -Fast wip ing
© -Single wipe . If you hold the lever in this
position longer, the wipers switch from slow
wip ing to fast w iping.
® -Clean the w indshie ld. The wipers wipe
one time after severa l seconds of driving to
remove water droplets. You can switch this
funct io n off by moving t he lever to pos itio n®
within 10 seconds after the afte rwipe . The af­
terwipe function is reactivated the next time
yo u s witch the igni tion on.
Cleaning the headlig hts . The head light wash ­
er system* only funct ions when the lights are
switched on. The headligh ts and the night
II>

46 Clear vis ion
vision system camera* are cleaned a utomati­
cally the first time the lever is press in posi ­
tion ® and every 8 times it is pressed after
that . They are also cleaned every time you
hold the lever in pos ition ® for longer than 8
seconds .
A WARNING
- The ra in sensor is only des igned to assist
and support the drive r. It remains entire­
ly the dr iver's respons ibility to monito r
o ut side weather conditions and to man­
ually activa te the wipers as soon as rain
or drizzle reduces visibility through the
windshield.
- The windshie ld m ust not be treated with
water -repe llent materials. They can in ­
c rease glare under poor visibi lity condi­
tions such as wetness, darkness, or when
the sun is low on the horizon. In addi­
t ion, they can cause the windshield wip­
ers to chatter .
- Proper ly functioning w indshie ld w iper
blades are required for a clear view and
safe dr iv ing
Q page 46, Replacing
windshield wiper blades .
([) Note
- In the case of frost, check whether the
winds hield wiper b lades are frozen to
the windshie ld. Switching on the wind­
shield wipers can damage the wiper
blades!
- Prior to using a car wash, the wi ndsh ield
wipe r system must be switched off (lever
i n position 0). This helps to preve nt unin­
tention al swi tching on and damage to
the windshie ld w iper system.
- Do no t use the wipe rs to cle ar a fros ted
window. Using the w ipers as a conven­
ient ice scraper will destroy the wiper
b lades .
(D Tips
- The w indshield wi pers are swi tched off
when the ignition is off . Activate the
windsh ield wipers after the ignition is
'
switched back on by moving the w ind ­
shield wiper lever to any position.
- Worn or d irty windshield wipe r blades
result in st reaking. This can affect the
rain sensor function . Check your wind­
shield wiper blades regularly.
- The washer fluid nozz les of the wind ­
shield washer system a re heated at low
tempe rat ures when the ignition is on .
- When stopping temporarily, e.g . at
a
traffic light, the set speed of the wind ­
shield wipers is automatically reduced by
one speed.
Replacing windshield wiper blades
Wiper blades in good condition help keep the
windshield clear .
Fig. 41 Re mov ing w in d sh iel d wipe r bl ades
Service position
... Switch the windshie ld w ipers off (position
@ Q page 45, fig . 40) .
.,. Switch t he ignit ion off and move t he wind ­
shie ld w iper lever to position@Q
page 45,
fig. 40.
Or
.,. Sele ct in the MMI: ICAR lfunction button>
Car sy stem s control button > Servicing
&
checks > Wiper service po sition > On . The
windsh ie ld wipers move in to the service po­
sition.
Removing the wiper blade
.,. Fold t he windsh ie ld w iper arm away from
t he wi ndshield .
.,. Press the locking knob
(D Q fig. 41 on the
wiper blade . Ho ld the wiper blade firmly . ..,.

.. Remove the wiper blade in the direction of
the arrow .
Installing the wiper blade
.. Inse rt the new wiper blade into the moun t
on the w iper arm @until you hea r it latch
i nto place.
.. Place the wiper arm back on the windshie ld .
.. Switch the ignition on.
.. Press the w indshield wiper lever.
Or .. Se lect : ICAR lf u nction button>
Car sy stem s
control button > Servicing & check s > Wiper
se rvice position
> Off .
A WARNING
-If the wi ndshield wipe rs smear the wind­
shield, clean the w iper blades with w ind­
shield washe r fl uid . If the wiper blades
are extremely d irty, yo u can also clean
th em with a soft sponge or cloth.
- For yo ur safe ty, you should replace the
wiper blades once or twice a year . See
yo ur aut horiz e d Aud i dea ler for rep lace­
me nt blades .
(D Note
-The wi ndshield wiper blades mus t only
b e fo lded away when in t he se rv ice posi ­
tion! Otherwise, you risk damaging the
paint on the hoo d or the wi ndshield wip­
e r mo to r.
- Y ou sho uld not m ove y our vehicle or
press the w indshie ld w iper lever when
the wiper arms are folded away from the
windsh ield . The windshield w ipers would
move back into the ir o rig inal position
and could damage the hood and w ind­
s h ield.
- To he lp prevent damage to the wiper sys­
tem, a lways loosen blades which are fro­
zen to the windsh ield before operat ing
wipers.
- To he lp prevent damage to w iper blades,
do not use gasoline, ke rosene, pa int
t hi nner, or othe r solve nts on or nea r th e
wipe r blades. Clear vi
sion 4 7
- T o help p revent damage to the wiper
arms or other components, do not at­
tempt to move the wipers by hand.
(D Tips
- Commercial hot waxes appli ed by a uto­
matic ca r washes affect the cleanability
o f the windshie ld .
- Yo u can also use the serv ice po sit ion, for
example, if yo u want to p rotect the
w indshield from icing by using a cover .
- Yo u cannot activate the se rv ice position
w hen the hood is ope n.
Mirrors
Adjusting the exterior mirrors
Fig. 42 Forwar d sect io n of dr ive r's ar mrest : power mir­
r o r cont rol s
Turn the knob to t he des ired po sition:
q;p -In this pos ition, you can adjust the
drive r's and fro nt pass enge r's exte rior mi rrors
by turning the knob in the desired d irection.
® -The mirrors are heated depending on the
outside temperature .
8 -The exterior mirrors fold in. In the MMI,
you can select if the mirrors fo ld in automati­
ca lly when you lock t he vehicle¢
page 32.
Driver exterior mirror tilt function
To he lp you see the curb when backing into a
par king space , the s urface of t he mirror tilts
slight ly. The knob must be in the
P position
for t his to happen .
You can adjust the tilted m irror surface by
turning the kno b in the desire d di rect ion.
When you move out of reverse and into

48 Clear vis ion
another gear, the new mirror position is stor ­
ed and assign ed to the key you a re using.
The mirror goes back in to its origina l posit io n
once yo u drive forward faster than 9 mph (15
km/h) or switch the ignition
off.
~ WARNING
- Curved ( i.e. convex) mirror s urfaces in­
crease your field of view. Remember that
vehicles or other objects will appear
smaller a nd fa rther away than when seen
in a flat m irror . If you use this mirro r to
est imate distances of following vehicles
when changing lanes, you cou ld estimate
incorrectly and cause an ac cident .
-
@ Note
-If the mirro r hous ing is moved uninten ­
t ionally (for example, whi le park ing your
vehicle), then you must first fo ld the mi r­
r or electri cally. Do not readjust the m ir­
r or ho us in g manua lly . You could damage
the motor which con trols the mirror .
- If you wash t he vehi cle in an au tomatic
c ar wash, yo u m ust fold the e xterior m ir­
rors in to reduce the risk of damage to
the mirrors. Never fold power fo lding ex ­
terior mi rrors* by hand. Only fold them
i n and out us ing t he power contro ls.
@ Tips
- The exterior mirror settings are stored
with the memory funct ion *
~ page 53.
- If there is a malfunct ion i n the elect rical
system, you can still adjust the exter ior
mirrors by pressing the edge of the mir­
ror.
Dimming the mirrors
F ig . 4 3 Auto ma tic d immin g rearview mirro r*
Manu al anti-glare adjustment
.,. Move the small leve r (located on the bot­
tom edge of the mirror) to the rear.
Automatically dimming mirrors*
.,. To dim the rearview m irror and both exteri­
or m irrors, press the@ button . The diode
® turns on . The rearview and exterior mir­
rors dim automatically when light shines on
them, for examp le from headlights on ave­
hicle to the rear .
A WARNING
=
Electrolyte fluid can lea k from automatic
d imm ing mirro rs if the g lass is broken .
E lectro lyte fluid can irr itate sk in, eyes a nd
r espira to ry system .
- Repeated or prolonged exposu re to e lec­
trolyte can ca u se irritation to the respira­
t ory sys tem, especially among people
wit h asthma or other resp iratory condi­
tions . Get fresh air immediately by leav ­
ing the vehicle or, if that is not possib le,
open w indows and doors all the way .
- If electrolyte gets into the eyes, fl ush
them thorough ly with large amou nts of
clean water for at least 15 minutes; medical attention is recommended.
- If electrolyte contacts skin, fl ush affect­
ed area with clean water for at least 15 minutes a nd then wash affected area
with soap and water; medical atte ntion
is recommended. Thoroughly wash af­
fect ed clothing and shoes before re use .

50 Seat s a nd s tor ag e
Seats and storage
General recommen­
dations
Why is your seat adjustment so
important?
The safety belts and the airbag system can
only provide maximum protection if the front
seats are correctly adjusted.
There are various ways of adjust ing the front
seats to provide safe and comfortable support
for the driver and the front passenger . Adjust
you r seat prope rly so that :
- you can easily and quick ly reach all the
switches and controls in the instrument
panel
-your body is prope rly supported thus reduc­
ing physical stress and fatigue
- the safety be lts and a irbag system can offer
maximum protection
¢ page 137 .
In the following sec tions, you will see exactly
how you can best adjust you r seats .
There are special regulations and instructions
for insta lling a child seat on the front pas­
senger's seat. Always fo llow the information
regarding ch ild safety provided in
q page 163, Child Safety.
A WARNING
Incorrect seating position of the driver and
all other passengers can result in serious
personal in jury.
- Always keep your feet on the floor when
the vehicle is in motion -never p ut your
f eet on top of the instrument panel, out
of the w indow or on top of the seat cush­
ion . Th is app lies especially to the passen­
gers .
If your seating position is incorrect,
yo u increase the r isk of injury in the case
of sudden braking or an acc ident.
If the
a irbag infla tes and the seating positio n
is incorrect, this could result in personal
injury o r even death.
- It is import ant for bo th the driver and
front passenger to keep a distance of at least 10 inches (25 cm) between them­
selves and the steering wheel and/or in­
strument panel. If you're s itting any
closer than th is, the a irbag system can­
not protect you properly . In addition, the
front seats and head restraints must be
adjusted to your body height so that they
can give you max imum protect ion.
- Always try to keep as much distance as
possible between yourself and the steer­
ing wheel o r inst rument pane l.
- Do not adjust the driver's o r front pas­
senger's seat whi le the vehicle is moving.
Your sea t may move unexpected ly, caus­
ing sudden loss of vehicle cont rol and
personal injury . If yo u adjust yo ur seat
while the veh icle is moving, yo u are out
of posit ion.
Driver's seat '
The correct seat position is important for safe
and relaxed driving.
We recommend tha t you adjus t the dr iver's
seat in the fo llowing manner :
.,. Adjust t he seat in fo re and aft direction so
t ha t you can eas ily push the peda ls to the
floor w hile keeping your knees sl igh tly bent
q A in Why is your seat adjustment so im ­
portant? on page 50.
.. Adjust the back rest so that when you sit
w ith your back against t he backrest, you can
still grasp the top of the steering wheel.
.. Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as poss ible with the top of your
head . If that is not poss ible , try to adjust
t he head restraint so that it is as close to
t his pos it ion as possib le
q page 52.
A WARNING
Neve r place any objects in the dr iver's foot ­
well. An object could get into the pedal
a rea and interfere with pedal function . In
case of sudden braking or an acc ident, you
would not be able to brake or accelerate .

Front passenger's seat
Always move the front passenger seat into the rearmost position.
To avoid contact with the airbag while it is de­
ploying, do not sit any closer to the instru­
ment panel than necessary and always wear
the three-point safety belt provided adjusted
correctly. We recommend that you adjust the
passenger's seat in the following manner:
.. Move the front passenger seat into the rear­
most position of the fore and aft adjustment
range
~ .&. in Why is your seat adjustment
so important? on page 50.
• Bring the backrest up to an (almost) upright
position.
Do not ride with the seat reclined .
.. Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as possible with the top of your
head. If that is not possible, try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
th is position as possible ¢
page 52.
.. Place your feet on the floor in front of the
passenger's seat .
Front seats
Controls
The operating logic for the switches corre­
sponds to the construction and function of
the seat.
Fig. 44 Front seat: adjusting the seat
@ -adjusting lumbar support*: press the but­
ton in the corresponding position¢.&,.
@ -Moving the seat forward/back: press the
button forward/back ¢ ,&. .
@ -Mov ing the seat up/down: press the but­
ton up/down ¢,&. . To adjust the front section
Seats and storage 51
of the seat, press the front button up/down
¢ ,&. .To adjust the rear section of the seat,
press the rear button up/down ¢,&. .
© -Backrest forward/back: press the button
forward/back
~ ,&. .
A WARNING
-
-Never adjust the driver's or front pas­
senger's seat whi le the vehicle is moving.
If you do this while the veh icle is moving,
you will be out of position. Always adjust
the dr iver's or front passenger's seat
when the vehicle is not moving.
- Be careful when adjusting the seat
he ight. Check to see that no one is in the
way, or serious injury cou ld result!
- Because the seats can be electrically ad­
justed with the ignition off, never leave
children unattended in the vehicle. Unsu­
pe rvised use of the electric seat adjust­
ments may cause serious injury .
- To reduce the risk of injury in the case of
sudden braking or accident, front pas­
sengers must never r ide in a moving ve­
hicle with the backrest reclined. Safety
be lts and the airbag system on ly offer
maximum protection when the backrest
is upright and the safety belts are prop­
erly positioned on the body. The more
the backrest is reclined, the greater the risk of personal injury from an incorrect
seating position and improperly posi­
tioned safety belts.
Armrest
There is a storage compartment under the
armrest.
Fig. 45 Cockp it : center armrest

52 Seats and storage
Adjusting the armrest
.,. To adjust the angle, raise the armrest from
the start ing pos ition detent by detent.
.,. To bring the armrest back into its origina l
position, lift it above the top position and
then fold it back down.
Opening the storage compartment
.,. Press the button -arrow- upward.
Please note that the driver's arm movements
may be restr icted w ith the armrest fo lded
down. For this reason, the arm rest should not
be folded down when driving in c ity traffic.
Head restraints
Front head restraints
App lies to vehicles: with adj ustable head restraints
Head restraints that ore adjusted according
to body size, along with the seat belt , offer
effective protection .
' Fig. 46 Front seat : Ad justing t he head restrain t
"' ;g 0 6
"' m
Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge is
as even as possible with the top of your head.
If that is not possible, try to adjust the head
restraint so that it is as close to this position
as possible
¢ page 52.
.,. To move the head restrai nt up or forward,
s lide it until it locks into place.
.,. To move the head restraint down or back,
press the side button -arrow-¢
fig. 46 and
slide the head restraint until it locks into
place.
Refer to¢
page 122, Proper adjustment of
head restraints
for guidelines on how to ad- just the
height of the front head restraints to
suit the occupant's body size .
.&_ WARNING
--
-Driving without head restraints or with
head restraints that are not properly ad­
justed increases the risk of ser ious or fa­
tal neck injury dramatically.
- Read and heed all WARNINGS
¢ page 122, Proper adjustment of head
restraints .
(D Tips
Correctly adjusted head restraints and
safety belts are an extremely effect ive
combination of safety features.
Rear head restraints
Fig. 47 Rear seats: Head restraint
Fig. 48 Rear head res tra ints: release
Adjusting the head restraints
.,. To move the head rest raint up, hold it at the
sides with both hands and slide it upward
until you fee l it lock into place.
.,. To move the head restraint down, press the
button -arrow- ¢
fig. 47 and slide the head
restraint downward.
...

Removing the head restraints
• Fo ld the backrest fo rward c:> page 60.
• Move the head restraint upward as far as it
can go.
• Press the release
c:> fig. 48 with the me­
chanical key
c:> page 30 and the button
-arrow-
c:> fig . 47. Pull the head restraint out
of the backrest at the same time
c:> _&. .
Install ing the head restraints
• Slide the posts on the head restraint down
into the guides until you feel the posts lock
into place .
• Press the button -arrow-
c:> fig. 47 and slide
t h e head restraint all the way down . You
should not be able to pull the head restraint
out of the backrest .
So that the driver can have a better view to
the rear, the head restraints should be pushed
down completely when the rear seats are not
occupied .
_& WARNING
-Only remove the rear seat head restraints
when necessary in order to install a chi ld
seat . Install the head restraint again im­
mediately once the child seat is removed.
Driving without head restraints or with
head restraints that are not properly ad­
justed increases the risk of serious or fa­
tal neck injury dramatically .
- Read and heed all WARNINGS
<=> page 122.
Seat memory
Description
Applies to vehicles: with memory functio n
The memory function allows you to quickly
and easi ly store and recall personal seating
profiles for the driver . The memory function is
operated through the master key and the
memory buttons in the driver's door.
The driver's seating profi le is stored and as­
signed to the master key each time the vehicle is locked. The seating profile is recalled auto-
Seats and storage 53
matically when the vehicle is unlocked. If two
people use one vehicle, it is recommended
that each person always uses "their own" master key.
Two seating profiles can be stored in each of
the driver's door. Once stored, these seating
profiles can be recalled at any time.
The following sett ings are stored:
- Dr iver's seat
- Steering wheel*
- Both exterior rearview mirrors*
Remote control key
Applies to vehicles: with memory function
To assign the driver's seat settings to the re­
mote control key when locking the veh icle, the
funct io n must be switched on .
• Select: ICAR ifunction button>
Car systems
control button > Vehicle settings> Seats>
Driver seat> Remote control key> On .
(D Tips
If you do not want another driver's set­
tings to be assigned to the remote control
key, switch off the memory function using
the MMI or the IOFF i button
c:> page 53.
Memory buttons
Applies to vehicles: with memory function
Fig. 49 Driver 's doo r: memo ry fun ction b uttons
The memory buttons are located in the driv­
er's door.
• To store a seating profile , press the
!SE T!
button and then one of the memory but­
tons.

54 Seats and storage
• To recall a seating profile, press and hold
the memory button until the seat is adjust­
ed to the stored settings .
• To sw itch the memory function for the driv­
er or front passenger off, press the
I OFF I
button . The word OFF lights up when the
memo ry fu nction is switched off. Seating
profiles will not be stored.
.&, WARNING
-For safety reasons, the seat se tting
should only be recalled when the vehicle
is stationary -otherwise yo u risk havi ng
an accident.
- If necessary, you stop the process by
pressing the
IOF FI button or any of the
memory buttons .
Ashtray
Fig. S O Cente r console: front ashtray•
Fig. 51 Rear ashtray
Opening /closing
• To open the front ashtray, slide the cover
up.
• To close the front ashtray, press down on
the cover .
• To open the rear ashtray, tap the cover on
the rim.
Emptying
• To empty the front ashtray, pull it upward
and out.
• To empty the rear ashtray , press the rear
side of the cover down when it is open
q fig. 51. The ashtray will lift up out of its
mount.
• To insert the ashtray aga in, p ress it down in­
to the mount unt il it locks into place .
.&, WARNING
-Neve r put waste paper in the ashtray. Hot
ashes or oth er ho t objects in the ashtray
could set waste pape r o n fire.
Cigarette lighter
Applies to veh icles: w ith cigarette lighter
F ig. 52 Center console: cigarette lighte r
• Push the knob on the cigarette lighter in.
• Remove the cigarette lighter when it pops
out.
T he socket of the cigarette lighte r may be
used for 12-volt appliances
Q page 55 .
.&, WARNING
-
The cigarette lighter or sockets and any
e lectr ica l accessories con nected to them
operate only when the ign ition is switched
on . Incorrect usage can lead to serious in­
j u ries or burns . Fo r th is reason, children
should never be left unatten ded in the ve ­
h icl e because this inc reases the r is k of i n­
j u ry .
-