AUDI A7 2013 Owners Manual

Automatic Transmission
S tronic ®, tiptronic
Introduction
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic/tiptronic
The automat ic transmission is controlled elec­
tronically. The transmission upshifts or down­
shifts automatically depending on which drive
program is se lected .
When a
moderate driving style is used, the
transmission selects the most economica l
driving mode. It will then change up ear ly and
de lay the downshifts to give better fuel econ­
omy.
The transmission switches to a sporty mode
after a kick-down or when the driver uses a
sporty driving style characterized by quick ac­
celerator pedal movements, heavy accelera­
tion, frequent changes in speed and traveling
at the maximum speed.
If desired, the driver can also se lect the gears
manually (t iptronic mode ) i=> page 113.
Various automatic transmissions may be in­
stalled, depending on the model:
S tronic® transmission
The 5 tronic ® is a dual-clutch transmission.
Power is transferred using two clutches that
work independently from one another . They
replace the torque converter used in conven­
tional automatic transmissions and allow the
vehicle to accelerate without a noticeable in­
terruption in traction .
tiptronic transmission
In the tiptronic transmission, power is trans­
ferred by a torque converter .
Automatic Transmission 109
Selector lever positions
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic/tiptronic
Fig. 115 Disp lay in the instrument cluste r: selector
lever pos ition
T he selector lever position engaged appears
next to the selector lever as well as in the in­
strument cluster display.
P -Park
In this selector lever position the transmis­
sion is mechanically locked. Engage P only
when the vehicle is
completely stopped q .&.
in Driving the automatic transmission on
page 112.
To shift in or out of position P, you must first
press and hold the brake pedal and then press
the release b utton in the selector lever handle
whi le moving the selector lever to or from P.
You can shift out of this position only with the
ignition on .
R- Reverse
Select R on ly when the vehicle is at a full stop
and the engine is running at idle speed c> .&, in
Driving the automatic transmission on
page 112.
Before you move the selector lever to R, press
both the button in the hand le of the selector
lever
and the brake pedal at the same t ime.
When the ignition is on, the backup lights illu­
minate when the selector lever is moved into
R.
N -Neutral
The transmission is in neutral in this position.
Sh ift to th is position for standing with the ..,.

110 Automatic Transmission
brakes applied ¢ & in Driving the automatic
transmission on page
112.
When the veh icle is stationary or at speeds
be low 1 mph (2 km/h), you must always apply
the footbrake before and while moving the
lever out of N.
D/S -Normal position for driving forward
In the D/S position, the transmiss io n can be
operated e ither in the normal mode Dor in
the sport mode S. To select the sport mode S,
pull the se lector lever back briefly . Pulling the
lever back again will select the normal mode
D. The instrument cluster display shows the
selected driving mode.
In the
normal mode D, the transmission auto­
matica lly selects the suitab le gear ratio. It de­
pends on engine load, vehicle speed and driv­
ing style.
Select the
spo rt mode S for sporty driving.
The vehicle makes fu ll use of the engine's
power. Shifting may become noticeable when
accelerating.
When the vehicle is stationary or at speeds
be low 1 mph (2 km/h), you must always apply
the foot brake before and while moving the lever to D/S out of N.
A WARNING
Read and follow all WARNINGS¢ & in
Driving the automatic transmission on
page
112.
d) Note
-
Coasting downhill with the transmission in
N and the engine not running w ill result in
damage to the automatic transmission
and possibly the catalytic converter.
@ Tips
- Audi drive select: you can adjust the
sporty sh ift characteristics in the
Dy­
namic driving mode.Swill appear in the
i nst rument cluste r d isplay instead of D.
-If you accidentally select N while driv ing,
take your foot off the acce lerator pedal immediately and wait
for the engine to
slow down to idle before selecting D/S.
-If there is a power failure, the selector
lever will not move out of the P position.
The emergency release can be used if
this happens
¢page 115.
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL)
Applies to vehicles : wit h S t ronic/tipt ro ni c
The Automatic Shift Lock safeguards you
against accidentally shifting into a forward or
the reverse gear and causing the vehicle to
move unintentionally.
( )
Fig. 116 Shi ft gate: selector leve r loc k pos it ions and
r e lease button highlighted
The selector lever lock is released as follows:
.,. Tu rn the ignition on.
.,. Step on the brake pedal.
At the same time
press and hold the release button on the
side of the gear selector knob
¢ fig. 116
with your thumb until you have moved the
selector lever to the desired position.
Automatic selector lever lock
The selector lever is locked in the P and N po­
s itions when the ignit ion is tu rned on. You
must press the brake pedal and the re lease
button to select another position . As a re­
minder to the driver, the following warning
appears in the instrument cluster display
when the selector is in P and N:
When stationary apply brake pedal while se­
lecting gear
T he Automatic Shift Lock only functions when
the vehicle is stationary or at speeds be low
1 mph (2 km/h).

At speeds above about 1 mph (2 km/h) the
Automatic Shift Lock is automatically deact i­
vated in the
N position .
A time de lay element prevents the se lector
l ever from locking when it is moved through
the N position (go ing from R to D/S). The lock­
ing e lement will lock the selecto r lever if the
l ever is left in N (Neutral) for more than ap ­
proximately 2 second, without the brake ped­
al being pressed .
Relea se butt on
The release button on the selector lever pre ­
vents the lever from being accidentally shifted
into certain positions . Depending on the direc­
tion of the shift, the se lector lever locks at d if­
ferent positions. The positions are h ighlighted
i n the illustration
¢ fig . 116 .
Driving the automatic transmission
Applies to vehicles: with S tronic/tiptronic
Fig . 1 17 Sh ift gate on the center conso le: se lector lev ­
er w it h relea se button
Startin g the engin e
• The selector lever must be in P or N.
Starting off
• Press and ho ld the brake pedal.
• Press and hold the release button in these­
lector lever handle, se lect the desired se lec­
tor lever pos ition such as D/S and release
the button .
• Wait briefly until the transmission has shift­
ed (you will feel a slight movement).
• Remove your foot from the brake pedal and
acce le rate .
Automatic Tra nsmi ssi on 11 1
Stopping t emporaril y
• Keep the veh icle stationa ry using the brak­
ing pedal , for example at traffic lights .
• Do not press the accelerator peda l when do ­
ing this .
• To prevent the vehicle from rolling when
you start driving, set the parking brake
when stopp ing on steep inclines¢,& .
• The parking brake will release automat ically
and the vehicle will start mov ing once you
press the acce lerator pedal.
Stopping /parking
If the selector lever is not in the P position
when you open the driver's door, the veh icle
could roll. The message
Tran smi ssion: Car
ma y roll! Shift to park!
appears .
• Press and hold the brake pedal until the ve­
hicle has come to a comp lete stop .
• Apply the parking brake
q page 79, Park-
ing.
• Select the P selector lever posit ion q ,& .
Stopping on an incline
• Always press the brake pedal to hold the ve­
hicle in place and prevent it from "rolling
back "
q ,&. Do no t try to prevent the veh i­
cle from "rolling back " when a gear is en­
gaged by increas ing the engine speed
¢ 0.
St arting on an incline
• Act ivate the park ing brake.
• With the driving gear selected, press the ac ­
celerator pedal carefully . The parking brake
w ill release automatically if your seat belt is
fastened.
Under certa in circumstances, such as driving
i n the mounta ins, it may be usefu l to sw itch
temporarily to the manual sh ift program in or­
der to ad just the gears to the driv ing cond i­
t ions by hand
q & .
On s lopes, activate the parking brake first and
then move the selecto r lever to the P position.
T his prevents too much stress from be ing
placed on the locking mechanism.
ll>

112 Automatic Tran sm iss ion
_& WARNING
-The veh icle can also roll when the engine
is stopped .
- Unintended vehicle movement can cause
serious injury.
- Never leave your vehicle with the eng ine
running wh ile in gear. If you must leave
yo ur vehicle when the engine is running,
act ivate the parking brake and move the
selector lever to P.
- Power is sti ll transmitted to the whee ls
when the engine is running at idle. To
prevent the vehicle from "creeping", you
must keep your foot on the brake when
the engine is runn ing and the selector
lever is in D/S or R or "tiptron ic" mode is
selected.
- Do not press the accelerator pedal when
chang ing the selector lever pos ition
wh ile the vehicle is stat ionary and the
eng ine is running.
- Never shift into
R or P wh ile driving.
- Before driv ing down a steep slope, re-
duce your speed and shift into a lower
gear with "tiptronic".
- Do not ride the brakes or press the brake
peda l too often or too long when dr iving
down a hill. Constant braking causes the
brakes to ove rheat and s ubstant ially re­
duces braking per formance, increases
braking distance or causes comp lete fail ­
ure of the brake system.
- To prevent the veh icle from rolling back
when stopping on inclines, a lways hold it
in place with the bra ke peda l or parking
brake.
- Never hold the ve hicle on an inc line with
a slipping clutch . The clutch opens auto­
matically when it becomes too hot from
the overload. An indicator lamp
[O] illu­
mi nates and a dr iver message appears
¢ page 114 when the clutch is overload­
ed.
- If the eng ine must remain running, never
have any driv ing pos ition engaged when
c heck ing under the hood. Make sure the
selector lever has securely engaged and is locked in P w
it h the park ing brake set
¢ page 224, Engine compartment. Oth­
erwise, any increase in engine speed may
set the veh icle in motion, even with the
parking brake applied.
(D Note
- When stopping on an incl ine, do not try
to hold t he vehicle in place by pressing
the acce lerator pedal while a driving gear
is se lected. This ca n cause the transmis­
sion to ove rheat and can damage it . Acti­
vate the pa rking brake or press the bra ke
peda l to preven t the vehicle from roll ing.
- Allowing th e vehicle to ro ll when the en­
gine is stopped and the selecto r lever is
in N will d amage the tr ansmission be­
cause it is not l ubricated unde r those cir ­
cumstances .
(D Tips
Fo r saf ety reaso ns, the pa rking br ake is re­
l eased automatically on ly when the d riv­
er's safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Hill descent control
Appl ies to vehicles: wit h S t ronic/tiptro nic
The hill descent control system assists the
driver when driving down declines.
Hill des cent con trol is activated when these­
lector lever is in D/S and yo u press the brake
peda l. The transmission automatica lly selects
a gear that is suitable for the incline . Hi ll de ­
scent contro l tries to maintain the speed ach ­
ieved at the time of braking, within phys ica l
and technical lim itations. If may st ill be nec­
essary to adjust the speed with the brakes .
Hill descent cont ro l switches off once the de­
cline leve ls out or you press the acce lerator
pedal.
On vehicles with the cruise contro l system*
¢ page 83, hill descent control is also activat-
ed when the speed is set. .,..

_& WARNING
Hill descent control cannot overcome
physical limitations, so it may not be able
to ma intain a constant speed under all
conditions. Always be ready to apply the
brakes.
Manual shift program
Applies to vehicles: with 5 tronic/tiptronic
Using the manual shift program you can
manually select gears .
Fig. 118 Ce nter con sole : s hi fting t he tiptronic ma nua l­
ly using selector lever
Fig. 119 Stee ring wheel: sh ift ing t he tiptron ic manua l­
ly using shi ft buttons•
Gea r selection with selecto r le ver
The t iptron ic mode can be selected either with
the vehicle stationary or on the move.
• Push the selector lever to the right from 0/
S . An M appears in the instrument cluster
display as soon as the transmission has
shifted.
• To upsh ift, p ush the selector leve r fo rward
to the p lus posi tion
0 ~ fig. 118.
• To downshift, push the lever to the minus
position
0 .
Automatic Tra nsmi ssi on 11 3
Gear select ion w ith padd le l evers*
The shift buttons are activated when these­
lector lever is in D/S or the tiptronic manua l
shift program.
• To upshift, touch the button on the r ight
0
~fig. 119.
• To downshift, touch the button on the left
0 .
The transm iss ion automatically shifts up or
down before cr itical engine speed is reached .
The transm iss ion only allows manual sh ifting
when the engine speed is w ith in the pe rmit­
ted range.
a) Tips
- When you shift into the next lower gea r,
the t ransmission will downshift only
w hen there is no possibility of ove r-rev­
ving the engine .
- Whe n the ki ck-down comes on, the
transm ission wi ll shift down to a lower
gear, depending on vehicle and engine
speeds.
- T iptro nic is inoperative when the trans­
mission is in the fai l-safe mode .
Kick-down
Applies to vehicles: wit h S tronic/t iptronic
Kick-down enables maximum acceleration.
When you depress the accelerator peda l be­
yo nd the resistance point, the automatic
transmission downsh ifts i nto a lower gear, de­
pending on veh icle speed and eng ine speed .
The upshift into the next higher gear takes
place once the maximum specified engine
speed is reached .
A WARNING
--Please note t hat the drive wheels can spin
if kick-down is used o n a smooth slippery
road -the re is a risk of skidding .

114 Automatic Transmission
Launch Control Program
Applies to vehicles: with S tro nic
The Launch Control Program provides the
best acceleration possible when starting from
a stop .
Requirement: The engine must be at operat­
ing temperature and the steering wheel must
not be turned .
.. Press the
I~ O FFI button <=> page 198 while
the engine is running. The
II indicator light
illuminates in the instrument cluster and
Stabilization control (ESC): Off Warning!
Reduced stability
appears in the driver in­
formation system display.
.. Move the selector lever to position D/S to
select sport mode (5) or select
Dynamic
mode in Audi drive select<=> page 103.
.. Press the brake pedal strongly with your left
foot and hold it down for at least
1 second.
.. At the same time, press the accelerator
pedal down completely with your right foot
until the engine reaches and maintains a
high RPM.
.. Remove your foot from the brake pedal
within S seconds ¢
Li)..
.&_ WARNING
-Always adapt your driving to the traffic
flow .
- Only use the Launch Control Program
when road and traffic conditions allow it
and other drivers will not be endangered
or annoyed by yo ur driving and the vehi­
cle's acce lerat ion.
- Please note that the driving wheels can
spin and the vehicle can break away
when ESC is sw itched off, espec ially
when the road is slippery.
- Once the vehicle has started moving,
press the
I~ OF F! button br iefly to turn
the ESC on.
- The transmission temperat ure may in­
crease significantly after using the
launch control program. If that happens, the program
may not be available for a
few minutes . It wi ll be available again af­
ter a cool-down period.
- When accelerating using the la unch con­
tro l program, all vehicle parts are subject
to heavy loads. This can resu lt in in­
creased wear .
Transmission malfunction
Applies to vehicles: wit h S tronic/tiptro nic
[O] Transmission: Press brake pedal and se­
lect gear again
Press the brake pedal and select the desired
selector lever position again. You can then continue driving .
[O] Transmission overheating: Please drive
conservatively
The transmission temperature has increased
s ignificantly due to the sporty driving manner .
Drive in a less sporty manner until the tem­
perature returns to the normal range and the
indicator light switches of.
[O] Transmission malfunction: You can con­
tinue driving
T he re is a system mal function in the transmis­
sion . You may continue driving. Drive to your
authorized Audi dea ler or qualified repair fa­
cility soon to have the malfunction corrected.
[O] [O] Transmission malfunction: You can
continue driving with limited functionality
There is a system malfunction in the transmis­
s ion. The transmission is switching to emer­
gency mode. This mode on ly shifts into cer­
tain gears or will no longer shift at all. The en­
gine may sta ll. Drive to your authorized Audi
dealer or qualified repair facility immediately
to have the malfunction corrected.
[O] Iii Transmission malfunction: No reverse
gear. You can continue driving
S tronic® transmission: There is a system mal­
f unct ion in the transmission. The transmis­
sion is switching to emergency mode . This
mode only shifts into certain gears or will no
l onger shift at a ll. The engine may stall. You .,..

cannot engage the reverse gear. Drive to your
authorized Audi dealer or qualified repair fa­
cility immediately to have the malfunction
corrected.
[O] Transmission malfunction: Stop vehicle
and shift to P
Do not continue driving. Select the P selector
l eve r position and see your autho rized Aud i
dealer or qualified repair facility for assis­
tance.
(D Note
If the transmission switches to emergency
mode, you should take the vehicle to an
authorized Audi dealership as soon as pos­
sible to have the cond ition corrected.
Selector lever emergency release
Applies to vehicles: with S tro nic/t iptronic
If the vehicle's power supply fails, the selec­
tor lever can be released in an emergency.
Fig. 120 F ront center co nsole: selecto r lever emergen­
c y r elease
~ T o reach the emergency release mechanism,
remove the asht ray insert* .
~ Loosen and remove the small cap in the
ashtray mount
c:::> fig. 120.
~ You now have access to a bolt. Using a
screwdriver or simi lar, press the bolt down
and hold it down.
~ Now press the interlock and move the selec-
tor lever to the N pos ition.
The selector lever can only be moved from the P posit ion if the ignition is turned on . If the
veh icle has to be pushed or towed if the power
supply fails (e.g . battery is discharged), the
Automatic Transmission 115
selector lever must first be moved to the N
position using the emergency locking device.

116 Parking system s
Parking systems
General information
A ppl ies to vehicles: with pa rk in g system plus/ rear view
camera/peripheral cameras/par king ass istant
Depending on your vehicle's equ ipment, vari­
ous parking aids will help yo u when pa rk ing
and maneuvering.
The
pa rking sy stem plu s assists you when
pa rking by audib ly and visually indicat ing ob­
jects detected
in front of and behind t he vehi ­
cle
~ page 117.
The rear vi ew cam era shows the area behind
the vehicle in the Infotainment d isp lay. This
d isplay assis ts you when you are c ross o r par­
allel parking
q page 118. In addit ion, you are
assisted by the functions from the parking
system plus
~ page 117 .
The peripheral cam era s ass ist you with park­
ing and maneuvering. You are aided by var ious
cameras depending on the vehicle equipment l eve l¢
page 121. In addition, you are assist­
ed by the function s from the parking sy stem
p lus ¢ page 117.
A WARNING
- Always look for traff ic and check the area
around your vehicle by looking at it di­
rectly as well . The parking system cannot
replace the d rive r's attent io n. The dr iver
is a lways respo nsible for safety during
p arki ng and fo r all other maneuvers.
- Please note that some surfac es, such as
cl othing, are not detected by the system.
- Senso rs and cameras have blind spots in
w hich peop le and objects can not be de­
tected. Be especially cau tious of children
a nd animals.
- T he sensors can be displaced by impacts
or d amage to t he rad ia to r grille, b umpe r,
wheel housing and the unde rbody. The
par king systems may become impaired
as a result . Have your a uthorized Audi
dealer or qua lified wor kshop check their
function. -
Make s ure the sensors are not covered by
stickers, deposits or any other obstruc­
tions as it may impai r the sensor func­
tion . For information on cleaning, refer
to
~ page 216 .
(D Note
- Some objects are not detected by the
system under certain c ircumstances :
- Obje cts su ch as ba rrie r ch ains, trailer
draw bars, vertic al po les or fences
- Objects above t he senso rs such as wall
ex tensions
- Objects w ith specific surfaces or st ruc­
tures su ch as chain link fences or pow­
der snow.
- If you conti nue d riving closer to a low- ly­
ing object, it may disappea r from the
sensor range. Note th at yo u w ill no lon­
ger be warned abo ut this obstacle.
(j) Tips
- T he sys tem may provide a wa rni ng even
t ho ugh the re are no obs ta cl es in the cov­
erage a rea in some situa tions, such as:
- certain road surfaces or for long grass.
- externa l ult rasonic sources e.g. from
clean ing vehicles.
- heavy rain, snow or thick vehicle ex ­
ha ust.
- We recommend that you practice park­
ing in a traff ic- free location or park ing
lot to become familiar w it h the system.
When doing this, there should be good light and weather cond itions .
- Yo u can change the volume and pitch of
the s ignals as we ll as the disp lay
¢ page 126 .
-Please refer t o the instructions for tow­
ing a t railer
¢ page 127 .
-What appears in the infotainment dis­
play is somewhat time-delayed .

Parking system plus
Description
Applies to vehicles: with parking system plus
Audi parking system plus provides audio and
visual signals when parking.
Fi g. 1 21 Dis p lay f ie ld
Sensors are located in the front and rear
bumpers.
If these detect an obs tacle, visual
and in some situations aud ible signals warn
you.
M ake sure t he sensors are not cove red by
s t icke rs, deposits or any o ther obs truc tions as
it may impair the sensor function. For infor­
mation on cleaning, refer to
c::> page 216 .
The display field begins approximately at:
® 4 ft (1.20 m)
® 3 ft (0.90 m)
© 5.2 ft (1.60 m)
D 3 ft (0.90 m)
The clos er you get to the obstacle, the sho rter
the interval between the audible signa ls. A
con tinuous tone sounds when the obstacle is
l ess than approximate ly 1 ft (0.30 m) away .
Do not continue driving farther¢
& in Gener­
al information on page 116,
¢ CD i n General
information on page
116 !
If the d istance to an obstacle remains con­
stant, the volume of the d istance warning
gradually drops after about four seconds (this
does not apply in the continuous tone range).
P arking systems 11 7
Switching on/off
Applies to vehicles: with parking system plus
F ig. 122 Ce nter co nso le :
Pv! button
F ig . 1 23 Infota in m ent : v is u al d is ta n ce d isplay
Switching on
.,. Shift into reverse or
.,. Press the
P,,1~ bu tton in the center console
c::> fig. 122 . A short confirmation tone
sounds and the LED in the button turns on .
Switching off
.,. Drive fo rward fas ter than 6 mph (10 k m/h),
or
.,. press the P"1~ butto n, or
.,. switch the ignition
off .
Visual d isplay
U sing the segments, yo u can estimate the dis­
tan ce to an object in front of o r behind the ve­
hicle ¢
fig. 123 . The red lines mark the ex­
pected di rect ion of travel according to the
steering ang le . A wh ite segment indicates an
identified obstacle that is outside of the vehi­
cle's pat h. Red segments show identified ob­
stacles that are in your vehicle's path . As your
vehicle comes close r to the obstacle, the seg­
ments move closer to the vehicle . At the lat-
est th e collision area has been reached when ..,.

118 Parking systems
the next to last segment is disp layed . Obsta­
cles in the collision area, including those out­
side of the vehicle 's path, are shown in red. Do
not continue driving farther forward or in re­
verse
q .&. in General information on
page 116, q(f) in General information on
page 116 .
Rear view camera
Introduction
Applies to vehicles: with pa rkin g system p lus wit h rear
view ca mera
Fig. 124 Illustration: Cross parking
F ig. 125 Illustrat ion: paralle l parking
In addition to parking system p lus
q page 117, this parking system also has a
rear view camera .
You can use
cross parking for examp le, to
park in a parking space or in a garage
q fig. 124 . You can use parallel parking if you
wou ld like to park on the side of the road
c::>fig . 125.
General information
Applies to vehicles : wit h parking system plus with rear
v iew camera
Fig. 1 26 Area covered © and area not covered @by
the rea r view camera
F ig. 127 Rea r lid : Location of the rear view camera
N 0 q
Cl
~
The rear view camera is located above the rear
license p late bracket. Make sure that the lens
for the parking system
c::> fig . 12 7 is not cov­
ered by deposits or any other obst ruct ions be­
ca use this can affect the fun ction of the park ­
i ng system. For informa tion on cleaning, refer
to
qpage216.
The rea r view camera coverage area includes
@ c::> fig. 126. Only this area is shown in the
Infot ainment display. Objects tha t are out side
of this area @are not displayed .
The acc uracy of th e orientation lines and the
blue surfaces is reduced if the adapt ive a ir
s u spension* is faulty, if the vehicle is lifted or
if the
Dynam ic mode is ac tiva ted c::> page 102.
A WARNING ~
-Always read and follow the applicable
warnings
c::> .&. in General information on
page 116.
- If the position and t he installation angle
-
of the rear view camera was changed, for IJl>