tow AUDI A7 2013 User Guide

from the rear seat bench to protect the
seatback from damage.
Tie-downs and cargo net
The cargo net* prevents small objects from
sliding.
Fig. 65 Locat ion of the tie-downs in the luggage com­
partment
Fig. 66 Luggage compartment: cargo net*
.. To secure objects w ith the luggage com­
partment net*, fo ld the t ie-down bracket
u pward
¢ fig. 65 .
.. Insert the hooks on the luggage compart­
ment net* into the tie-downs
¢ fig. 66 .
.. Read and heed all WARNINGS
¢page 136,
Stowing luggage.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi­
cle will turn into heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle pick up ki­
netic energy which varies with the vehicle and
the we ight of the item . Veh icle speed is the
most significant factor.
For example, in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a
10-lb (S kg) object are about
20 times the
normal weight of the item . T his means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be the
S ea ts a nd s to rage 65
equivalent of about 200 lbs (90 kg). One can
easily imagine the injuries that an item of that
weight flying freely through the passenger
compartment can cause in a collision at a
speed considered relatively low.
A WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur­
ing hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
- Always use su itab le retaining straps and
prope rly secure items to the tie-downs in
the l uggage compartment to he lp pre­
vent items from shift ing o r fly ing for­
ward .
- Never attach a chi ld seat tether str ap to
a tie-down.
- For strength-re lated reasons, the mount­
ing hooks can only be used to secure ob­
jects weighing up to 10 lb. (5 kg) . Heavi­
er objects will not be adequately secured
- there is a risk of injury.
Bag hooks
Light objects can be secured on the hooks.
Fig. 67 Luggag e co mpa rtment: bag hooks
You can also use the hooks to hang light purs­
es,bags, etc.
A WARNING
The hoo ks can ho ld a maximum weight of
3 kg. Heav ier objects are not adequa tely
secured . There is risk of personal injury.

Securing the ski sack
Applies to vehicles: with sk i sack
The ski sack must be secured in the luggage
compartment.
Fi g. 70 Luggage compartmen t: Securing th e bag
Fig . 71 Securing th e objects in the ski sack
Securing the ski sack in the luggage
compartment
.,. The ski sack has two bel ts w it h h ooks on the
u nderside
c:> fig. 70@. Hang the hooks to
the rear fastening eye lets in the luggage
compartment.
Securing the objects in the ski sack
.,. The re is al so a se cur ing s trap c:> fig. 71 @ in
th e s ack. Pull t he str ap tau t usi ng the free
end of the st rap .
A WARNING
-
-The ski sack is i ntended only for the
transportation of skis and other light ob­
jects. To reduce t he risk of serious per­
sonal inj ury, neve r transport heavy or
pointed objects in t he ski sack.
- When brak ing rapidly or during a n acci ­
dent, t he load could be displaced and
ca use i njur y to occupants.
Seats and storage 67
-Sharp edges on the load must be covered
for protection. A lways fasten the belt
tightly aro und the sack and its co ntents
c:>fig. 71.
(D Tips
-Never stow the ski sac k away when it is
st ill wet or damp (for examp le, sn ow
me lting from skis). Allow it to dry com­
pletely before stow ing it away.
- Pos ition skis in the ski sack with the
pointed ends facing the front a nd ski
p oles with the pointed ends facing the
r e ar.

the sel ector lever is not in the P position. Shift
the s ele ctor lever into th e P position and
sw itch
off the ign ition when you ex it the vehi­
cle . Otherwise the vehicle could ro ll. See a lso
¢page 76.
St eeri ng lock
The steering locks when you turn the engine
off using the I S TAR T ENGINE STOP I button
and open the d river 's door. The locked steer­
ing helps prevent vehicle theft.
A WARNING
- Never allow the engine to run in confined
spaces -dange r of asphyxiation .
- Never turn
off the eng ine until the vehi­
cle has come to a complete stop .
- The brake booster and power steer ing
only work when the engine is running . If
the engine is
off, you have to use more
force when steering or braking . Because
you cannot stee r and brake as you usua l­
ly wou ld, this could lead to crashes and
serious injur ies.
(IT),) Note
- Avoid high eng ine rpm , full th rottle and
heavy engine loads unti l the engine has
r eached operating temperat ure -other­
wise yo u risk eng ine damage.
- The eng ine cannot be sta rted by pushing
or tow ing the veh icle.
-If the engine has been under heavy load
fo r an ex tended pe riod, hea t builds up in
the engine compartment after the en­
gine is switched
off -there is a risk of
damaging the engine. Allow the engine
to run at idle for about 2 m inutes befo re
switching it
off.
@ Tips
- If you open the driver's door with the ig­
nitio n on, a buzzer sounds and the mes­
sage
Ignition is on appears in the instru­
ment cluster disp lay. Switch the ign it ion
off .
- If you leave the vehicle with t he ignit ion
switched on, the igniti on will switch
off
On th e ro ad 77
after a cer tain per iod of t ime. P lease
note that electrical eq uipment such as
exterior lights will sw itch
off as well
when that happens.
Stopping the engine
... Bri ng your ve hicle to a complete stop.
... Move the se lector lever to the P or N posi ­
tion .
... Press the
I STA RT ENGINE ST OP ! button
¢fig. 78 .
Emergency off
If necessary, the engine can be switched off
with the selector lever in the R or D/S posi­
tion . The eng ine stops if you press the
I S TAR T ENG INE S T OPI button at speeds below
6 mph (10 km/h) and press the b rake peda l.
A WARNING
-Never turn off the en gine until the vehi­
cle has come to a complete stop .
- The brake booster and p owe r stee ring
only work when the eng ine is r unning .
If
the engine is off, you have to use more
force when steering or braking. Because
you cannot steer and bra ke as you usual­
ly would, this cou ld lead to crashes and
serious injuries.
- For safety reasons, you sho uld a lways
park your vehicle w it h the selector lever
in P. Otherwise, the vehicle could inad ­
vertently roll away .
- After the eng ine has been switched
off,
the radiator fa n can cont in ue to run for
up to 10 minutes - even with the ignition
sw itc hed
off. It can also sw itch on again
afte r some t ime if the coo lant tempera­
ture rises as the resu lt of a hea t buildu p
or if the engine is hot and the engine
compa rtment is additionally heated by
the s un's rays .
(D Note
Do no t stop the eng ine immedia tely after
hard o r extended driving . Keep the engine
.

84 On th e road
The stored speed and the ind icator light
A;(l)~i~ (US mo dels) 1,'I (Canadian mode ls) a p­
pea r in the instrument cluster d isp lay
c::> fig. 85. The display may vary, depending on
the type of d isplay in your vehicle .
This informat ion is also shown briefly in t he
Head -up Display*.
The speed is kept constant v ia an engine o ut­
put adjustment or active b rake intervention.
A WARNING
- Always pay attention to traffic even when
the cruise control is switched on. You are
always responsible for your speed and
the distance between your vehicle and
other vehicles .
- For safety reasons, the cruise control
should not be used in the city, in stop­
and-go traff ic, on twist ing roads and
when road conditions are poor (such as ice , fog, gravel, heavy ra in and hydro­
planing) -risk of accident.
- Turn
off the cruise control temporar ily
when entering turn lanes, highway exit lanes or in construc tion zones.
- Please note that inadvertently "rest ing"
yo ur foot on the accelerator peda l causes
the cruise control not to brake . T his is
because the cr uise control is overridden
by the d river's acce leration .
- If a brake system malfunction such as
overheating occurs when the cruise con­
tro l system is switched on, the braking
function in the system may be switched
off. The other cruise control functions re­
ma in active as long as the indicator light
[~;rn~i~ (US models) !Ill (Canad ian mod ­
els) is on .
(j) Tips
The brake lights illuminate as soon as the
brakes decelerate automat ica lly.
Changing speed
Applies to veh icles: w ith cru ise control
., To increase/decrease the speed in inc re­
ments, tap the lever in the
0 10 direction
c::> fig . 84
., To increase/decrease the speed quick ly,
hold t he lever in the
0 10 direction until
the desired speed is displayed.
You can also press the accelerator pedal down
to increase your speed, e.g . if you want to
pass someone . The speed you saved earlier
will res ume as soon as you release the acceler­
ator pedal.
If, however, you exceed your saved speed by
6 mph (10 km/h) for longer than 5 m inutes,
the cr uise control wi ll turn
off temporari ly.
The green symbol
A;(l)~i~ (US mode ls) 1,'I
(Canadian mode ls) in the display will go out
but the saved speed rema ins the same .
Presetting your speed
Applies to veh icles : w ith cru ise control
You can preset your desired speed while the
vehicle is not moving.
., Switch on the ignition.
., Pull lever into position
(D c::> fig . 84.
., Press the lever in the 0 or 0 direction to
increase or decrease your speed .
., Release the lever to save that speed .
This function makes it possible, for examp le,
to save the speed you want before dr iving on
the h ighway. Once on the h ighway, act ivate
the cru ise control by pulling the lever toward
(D .
Switching the system off
Applies to veh icles: w ith cruise control
Temporary deactivation
., Press the b rake pedal, or
., Press the leve r into posi tion @(n ot clicked
into place)
c::> fig. 84, or
... Drive for longer t han 5 min utes at more
than 5 mph (10 km/h) above the stored
speed.

86 Audi adapti ve cruise control and bra king gu ard
Audi adaptive cruise
control and braking
guard
Introduction
App lies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise co ntrol
The adaptive cruise control system assists the
driver by regu lat ing vehicle speed and helping
to maintain a set distance to the vehicle
ahead, within the limits of the system.
If the
system detects a moving vehicle up ahead,
adaptive cruise control can brake and then ac­
celerate your vehicle. This helps to make driv­
ing more comfortable both on long highway
stretches and in stop-and-go traffic.
The braking guard system can warn you about
an impending collision and initiate braking
maneuvers
c:::> page 92.
Adaptive cruise control and braking guard
have technical limitations that you must
know, so please read this section carefully, un­
derstand how the system works and use them
properly at all times.
General information
General information
Applies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise co ntrol
Fig. 86 Front of the veh icle: sensors and video camera
The areas that conta in the radar and ultrason­
ic sensors and the v ideo camera
c:::> fig. 86
must neve r be cove red by stic kers or other ob­
jects or obstructed w ith dirt, insects, snow or
i ce that will interfere with the adaptive cruise
control system and braking guard. For infor­
mation on cleaning, refer to
c:::> page 216. The same applies for any modifications made in
the front area.
T he function of the adaptive cru ise contro l
system and braking guard is limited under
some cond itions:
- Objects can only be de tected when they are
w ith in sensor range
c:::> fig . 89.
-The system has a limited ability to detect
objects that are a short d istance ahead, off
to the side of your vehi cle or mov ing into
your lane.
- Some kinds of ve hicles are hard to detect;
for examp le motorcycles, veh icles with high
ground clearance or overhanging loads may
be detected when it is too late or they may
not be detected at all.
-When driving through curves
c!,>page 87 .
-Stat ionary objec ts c:::> page 87.
& WARNING
A lways pay attention to traffic when adap ­
tive cruise contro l is switched on and brak­
ing g uard is active. As the dr iver, you are
still respons ible for starting and for main­
taining speed and distance to other ob­
jects. Braking guard is used to assist you .
The dr iver must a lways take action to avo id
a collis ion . The driver is a lways respons ible
fo r braking a t the co rrec t time.
- Imp roper use of adaptive cru ise control
can cause collisions, other acc idents and
serious pe rsonal in jury.
- Never let the comfort and convenience
that adaptive cruise control and braking gua rd offer d istract you from the need to
be alert to traffic condit ions and the
need to rema in in fu ll control of your ve­
h icle at a ll times,
- Always remember that the adaptive
cruise control and braking guard have
limits -they will not s low the vehicle
down or maintain the set distance when
you drive towards an obstacle or some­
thing on or near the road that is not
mov ing, such as vehicles stopped in a
traffic jam, a stalled o r disabled vehicle.
I f registered by the radar sensors,

88 Audi adaptive cruise control and braking guard
@ is located in front of that vehicle, the sys­
tem will not react to the stationary vehicle.
Audi adaptive cruise control
Description
Applies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise control
Fig. 89 Detection range
What can adaptive cruise control do?
The adaptive cruise control system uses video,
radar and ultrasou nd. Moving vehicles ahead
can be recognized up to about 650 feet (200 m) away.
On open roads w ith no traffic, adaptive cruise
control works like a regular cruise control sys­
tem. The stored speed is maintained. When
approaching a moving vehicle detected up
ahead, the adaptive cruise control system au­
tomatically s lows down to match that vehi­
cle's speed and then maintains the distance
that the driver previous ly stored. As soon as
the system does not detect a vehicle up
ahead, adaptive cruise control accelerates
back up to the stored speed.
In stop-and-go traffic, adapt ive cru ise control
can brake until the vehicle stops and acceler­
ate again under certain conditions and if this
is possible within the system's limits and ca­
pabilities¢
page 90. Adaptive cru ise control
will not make an emergency stop .
Which functions can be controlled?
When you switch adaptive cruise contro l on,
you can set the current speed as the "control
speed" ¢
page 88, Switching on and off.
When driving, you can stop cruise control
¢
poge 90 or change the speed ¢ page 89
at any time.
You can also set the distance to the object
ahead and set the adaptive cruise control driv­
ing program ¢
page 90.
Switching on and off
Applies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise control
Fig. 90 Se lector lever: switching on/off
Fig. 91 Instrument cluste r: adaptive cruise control
You can set any speed between 20 mph and
95 mp h (30 and 150 km/h).
Ind icator lamps and messages in the instru­
ment cluster d isplay inform you about the cur­
rent system status and settings.
An additional indicator appears in the Head­
up D isplay*.
Switching adaptive cruise control on
.,. Pull the lever toward you into position (D
¢ fig. 90 . ACC standby appears in the in­
strument cluster display.
Setting the speed and activating
regulation
.,. To set the current speed, press the ISETI
button ¢ fig. 90. The set speed is shown in 1111-

90 Audi adaptive cruise control and braking guard
Driv ing in stop-and-go traff ic
App lies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise control
The adaptive cruise co ntro l system a lso as­
sis ts you in stop- and -go traff ic. If a previo us
detec ted veh icle ahead s tops, yo ur vehicle will
brake to a stop, within the limits o f the sys ­
tem .
,,. To resume driv ing wi th adap tive cruise con­
t ro l, tap the accelerator pe dal or
,,. Pu ll the lever toward yo u in to posit ion @
¢fig. 93.
@ Tips
-If ada ptive cruise con trol is a ctive an d
you r vehicle does not start driving as ex­
pected after pulling the lever once, you
can start out aga in by tapp ing the accel­
erato r pedal.
- If an obstacle is detected when yo ur ve­
h icle starts dr iv ing, the system w ill
prompt you to take over
¢ page 91.
Your veh icle w ill drive more s low ly when
star ting . This may a lso happe n in some
s ituation s whe n no obstacle is apparent .
Interrupting cruise control
Applies to vehicles: with Audi adaptive cruise control
Fig. 9 3 Se lecto r leve l
Requ irement : adaptive cruise control must be
sw itched on.
Overriding crui se control
,,. To accelerate ma nually, pull the lever to­
ward you into position @and hold it there .
The message
ACC override appears . Or
,,. press the accelerato r peda l. ,,.
To res ume cruise cont ro l, re lease the lever
or take your foot off the accelerato r pedal.
Canceling cruise control while driving
,,. Move the lever in to posi tion @. The mes ­
s a ge
ACC standby ap pears. Or
,,. press t he br ake pedal.
,,. To res ume the stored spee d, move the lever
into position @.
Canceling cruise control when stopped
,,. Push the leve r away from yo u into pos it io n
@ . Th e message
ACC standby appe ars.
,,. To res ume cruise cont ro l, press the brake
pedal an d pull th e lever toward you into po­
sition @.
A WARNING
• -
Never resume the stored speed if the
sp eed is too high for p revailing r oad, traf­
f ic or weat her condit io ns .
Setting the distance
Applies to vehicles: with Aud i adapt ive cru ise contro l
Fig. 94 Se lecto r lever : setting t he distance
,,. Tap the switch to display the current set dis ­
tance
¢ fig. 9 4.
,,. To increase or reduce the d istance by incre ­
ments, tap the switch again to the left or
r ight. The d istance between the two vehicles
w ill change in the instrument cluste r dis­
p lay .
When approac hing a mov ing vehicle up ahead,
the adaptive cruise control system automati ­
ca lly brakes to match th at object's speed and
Ill>

98 Audi side assist
Audi side assist
Lane Change Assistant
Description
App lies to vehicles: wit h side ass ist
Fig . 101 Sensor detectio n ran ge
Fig. 102 Display on the exterio r mirro r
Side assist helps you monitor your blind spot
and traffic behind your vehicle. Within the
limits of the system, it warns you about
vehicles that are coming closer or that are
traveling with you within sensor range
(D
c:> fig . 101: if a lane change is class ified as crit­
ical, the display @ in the exterior mirror
¢fig. 102 turns on.
The display in the left exterior mirror provides
assistance when mak ing a lane change to the
left, while the display in the right exterior mir·
ror provides assistance when making a lane
change to the right.
Information stage
As long as you do not activate the turn signal,
side assist
informs you about vehicles that are
detected and class ified as critical. The display
in the respective mirror turns on, but is dim. The
display remains dim intentionally in the
information stage so that your view toward
the front is not disturbed.
Warning stage
If you activate the turn signal, side assist
warns you about vehicles that are detected
and class ified as critical. The display in the re­
spective mirror blinks brightly. If this hap­
pens, check traffic by glancing in the rearview
mirror and over your shoulder c:>
.&. in General
information on page 99.
(D Tips
- You can adjust the brightness of the dis­
play @c:>
page 100.
-Please refer to the instructions for tow·
ing a trailer located in
¢ page 99.

General information
Applies to vehicles: with side ass ist
®
©
Fig . 103 Dr iving situations
Fig. 104 Rear of t he ve hicle: positio n of t he se nsors
"' a, 0 0 " a,
Side assist functions at speeds above approx i­
mately 19 mph (30 km/h).
@ Vehicl es th at ar e approaching
In certain cases, a vehicle will be classified as
cr itical for a lane change even if it is still
somewhat far away. The faster a vehicle ap­
p roaches, the sooner the display in the exteri­
or m irror will t urn on.
@ Vehicles traveling with you
Vehicles traveling w ith you are indicated in the
exterior m irror if they are classified as cr itical
for a lane change. All vehicles detec ted by
side assist are indicated by the time they en­
ter your "blind spot", at the latest.
Audi side assist 99
@ Veh icle s left behind
If you s low ly pass a vehi cle that s ide assist has
detected (the difference in speed between the
vehicle and you r vehicle is less than 9 mph or
15 km/h), the display in the exterior mirror
turns on as soon as the vehicle enters your blind spot.
The disp lay will not t urn on if you quickly pass
a vehicle that side assist has detected (the dif­
ference in speed between the vehicle and your
vehicle is greater than 9 mph or 15 km/h).
Functi onal limitation s
The radar sensors are designed to detect the
left and right adjacent lanes when the road
lanes are the normal width. In certain situa­
tions, the d isp lay in the exterior mirror may
turn on even though there is no veh icle locat­
ed in the area that is cr itical for a lane change.
For example:
- if the lanes are narrow or if your are dr iving
on the edge of your lane.
If this is the case,
the system may have detected the vehicle in
another lane that is
not adjacent to your
current lane .
- if you a re driving through a curve. Side assist
may react to a vehicle that is one lane ove r
from the adjacent lane.
- if side assist reacts to other objects (such as
high or d isp laced guard rails) .
- In poor weather conditions. The side assist
functions are l imited .
Do not cover the radar sensors
c> fig. 104 with
stickers, depos its, bicycle wheels or other ob­
jects, because this will affect the funct ion. Do
not use s ide ass ist when towing a trailer. For
i nformation on cleaning, refer to
c> page 216 .
_&. WARNING
-Always pay attention to traffic and to t he
area around your ve hicl e. S ide assist can­
not replace a driver's attention. The driv­
er a lone is always responsible for lane
changes and similar driving mane uvers.

@ Tips
-Side assist is not active while you are
making the adjustment.
- Your settings are automatically stored
and assigned to the remote control key
being used.
Driver messages
App lies to vehicles: with side assist
If side assist switches off by itself, the LED in
the button turns off and a message will ap­
pear in the instrument cluster display:
Audi side assist: Currently unavailable. No
sensor vision
The radar sensors' vision is affected. Do not
cover the area in front of the sensors with bike
wheels, stickers, dirt or other objects. Clean
the area in front of the sensors, if necessary
c>fig. 104 .
Audi side assist: Currently unavailable
Side assist cannot be switched on temporarily
because there is a malfunction (for example,
the battery charge level may be too low).
Audi side assist: System fault!
The system cannot guarantee that it will de ­
tect vehicles correctly and it is switched off .
The sensors have been displaced or are faulty.
Have the system checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility
soon.
Audi side assist: Unavailable when towing.
Side assist switches off automatically when a
factory-installed trailer hitch is connected to
the electrical connector on the trailer. There is
no guarantee the system will switch off when
using a retrofitted trailer hitch. Do not use
side assist when towing a trailer.
Audi side assist 101