trailer AUDI A7 2014 User Guide

124 Parking systems
orientation line* borders an object q .&. in
General information on page 122.
Rear
Appl ies to vehicles: with parking system plus and rear
mode
Fig. 140 Infotainment: rear mode
This view assists you for example, in using the
full maneuvering range behind the vehicle.
The area behind the vehicle is displayed. The
vehicle surroundings are shown in the left
area of the display. You can switch between
optical display and camera image*
¢page 123 .
.,. Select the @symbol with the control knob.
You can choose between three different views in this mode.
.,. To cross park, parallel park, or position the
vehicle in front of a trailer, press the ® con­
trol button on the unit repeatedly until the
symbol for the desired mode is selected.
Cross parking
Applies to vehicles: w ith park ing system plus and rear
mode
This view may be used when parking in a ga­
rage or in a parking space.
Fig. 141 Infotainment: aiming at a park ing space
Fig. 142 Infotainment: aligning the vehicle
Requirement: cross parking is selected
Qpage 124 .
.,. The orange colored orientation lines@
show the direction of travel of the vehicle.
Turn the steering wheel until the orange ori­ entation lines appear in the parking space
¢ fig. 141 . Use the markings @to help you
estimate the distance from an obstacle.
Each marking represents about 3 ft (1 m).
The blue area represents an extension of the
vehicle's outline by approximately 16 ft
(5 m) to the rear .
.,. While driving in reverse gear, adjust the
steering wheel angle to fit the parking space
with the aid of the orange orientation lines
¢ .&. in General information on page 122,
¢ (Din General information on page 122.
® marks the rear bumper. Stop the vehicle
when the red orientation line© borders an
obstacle
¢ .&. in General information on
page 118.

126 Parking systems
Trailer view
Ap plies to vehicles: with par king system p lus and tra iler
hitch
This view assists you in positioning the vehicle
in front of a trailer.
F ig. 1 45 Infotai nment: rea r mode
Requirement: the trai ler mode is selected
c:;, page 124.
.. Now you can pos ition your vehicle in front of
the trailer
c:;, A in General information on
page 122,
c:;, (D in General information on
page 122 .
The orange co lored or ientat ion
line denotes the expected path toward the
trailer hitch . Use the b lue lines to he lp you
est ima te the d istance to the t railer hi tch.
Setting the mode
A ppl ies to vehicles: with park ing system wit h peripheral
cameras
.. Se lect : I CAR I func tion button> (Car )* sys­
tem s
control button > Driver assi st > Park ­
ing aid > Ch ange t o front /rear > Aut o
or
Manua l.
A uto -
Th is view behind the vehicle ( Rear
mode) is d isplayed automatically when you
shift into reverse. This view in front of the ve­
h icle
( Fron t mode) is d isp layed automatically
when yo u sh ift into the fo rward gea rs .
Manual -This view behind t he vehicle (Rear
mode) is a lways d is pl ayed when you turn on
the system .
Adjusting the display
and the warning tones
Applies to vehicles: wit h parking system plus/ rea r vi ew
came ra/ peri pheral cameras
The display and warning tones can be adjust­
ed in the Infotainment.
.. Select: !CARI function button > ( Car )* sys­
tems
control button > Dri ver ass ist > Par k­
i n g a id .
Display
On * -
optica l display is shown for the parking
system p lus, rear view camera image is shown
for parking system plus with rear view cam­ era*.
Off -when the parking system is switche d off,
only aud ible signa ls are given .
Warning tones
Front volume -
Volume for the front area
Rear volume -Volume for the rear area
Front frequency -Frequency for the front area
Rear frequen cy -Frequency for the rear area
Mu sic volum e while parking -When the park­
ing system is turned on, the vo lume of the au­
dio/video sou rce is lowered.
The newly adjusted value is briefly hea rd from
the signal generator .
@ Tips
-The warn ing tones can also be adjusted
directly from t he visua l display o r the
rea r view camera* image. Simp ly press
the
Setting s control button .
- Changed settings are act ivated when the
par king system is switched on again.
- The settings are automa tica lly stored
and assigned to the remote cont rol key
t ha t is in use .

Error messages
Applies to vehicles: with parking system plus/rear view
camera/per ipheral cameras
There is an e rror in the system if the LED in
the
p, qA button is blinking and you hear a con­
tinuous alarm for a few seconds afte r switch­
ing on the parking system or when the park ­
ing system is already activated. If the error is
not corrected before you switch off the igni­
tion, the LED in the
Pw.6. button will blink the
next time you switch on the parking system by
shifting into reverse.
Parking system plus
If a sensor is faulty, the~ symbol will appear
in front of/behind the vehicle in the Infotain­
ment display. If a rear sensor is fau lty, only
obstacles that are in areas @ and @ are
shown ¢
page 117, fig. 122. If a front sensor
i s faulty, only obstacles that are in areas ©
and @are shown .
Peripheral cameras*
There is also a system error if:
- the
'(:8:)• • symbol appears in the display and
the corresponding display area is shown in
blue. The camera is not working in this area.
- all segments around the vehicles are red or
if no segments are displayed.
Drive to your authorized Aud i dea ler o r au­
thorized repair fac ility immediately to have
the ma lfunction corrected.
Trailer hitch
Appl ies to vehicles: with parking system plus/rear view
camera/per ipheral cameras and trailer hitch
For vehicles using the tra iler socket, the park­
ing system rear senso rs do not turn on when
you shift into reverse gear or when yo u press
the P
01A button. This results in the following re­
strictions:
Parking system plus*
There is no distance wa rning for the rear. The
front sensors rema in activated. The visual d is­
play switches to the traile r tow ing mode.
Parking systems 127
Parking system plus and rear view
camera* /Peripheral cameras*
There is no distance warning for the rear. The
front sensors remain activated. The visual dis­
play switches to the trailer towing mode. The
rear view camera image will not show the ori­
entation lines and the blue surfaces .
{D Tips
Trailer hitches that are not installed at the
factory may cause the park ing system to
malfunction or they may restr ict its func­
tion.

196 Intelligent technology
Intelligent technology
Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Da­
ta Recorder (EDR), installed by some manu­
facturers fo r the express purpose of capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or crash
event . EDR's are sometimes ca lled "crash re­
corders".
Some state laws restrict the retr ieval or down­
loading of data stored by EDR's that were in­
stalled in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash
event without the owner's consent.
A lthough your vehicle is not equipped with an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of electron­
ic control modules for various vehicle systems
such as, for examp le, eng ine function, em is­
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts.
These electronic contro l modules also record
vehicle-re lated data during normal vehicle op­
eration for diagnostic and repair purposes.
The recording capacity of the electronic con­
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re­
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac­
tually recorded over a very limited pe riod of
time and stored when a system fault or other
condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of
the data then stored may relate to vehicle
speed, direction, braking as we ll as restraint
system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only
be read and downloaded with special equip­
ment.
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of
skidd ing and loss of vehicle control. It works
only when the engine is running. ESC detects certain difficult driving situat
ions, including
when the vehicle is beginning to spin (yaw)
out of control and helps you to get the veh icle
back under control by se lectively braking the
wheels, and/or reducing engine power and
providing steering assistance to help hold the
vehicle on the driver's intended course. The in­
dicator light
G) in the instrument cluster
blinks when ESC is taking action to help you
control the vehicle.
ESC has limitations.
It is important to remem­
ber that ESC cannot overcome the laws of
physics. It wi ll not always be able to help out
under all conditions you may come up against.
For example, ESC may not always be able to
help you master situations where there is a
sudden change in the coefficient of friction of
the road surface. When there is a section of
dry road that is suddenly covered with water,
slush or snow, ESC cannot perform the same
way it wou ld on the dry surface . If the vehicle
hydroplanes (rides on a cushion of water in­
stead of the road surface), ESC will not be
able to help you steer the vehicle because con­
tact with the pavement has been interrupted
and the vehicle cannot be braked or steered.
During fast cornering, particularly on winding
roads, ESC cannot always deal as effectively
with difficult driving situations than at lower
speeds. When towing a trailer, ESC is not able
to help you regain control as it would if you
were not tow ing a trailer.
Always adjust your speed and driving style to road, traffic and weather condit ions. ESC can­
not override the vehicle's physical limits, in­
crease the available traction, or keep a vehicle
on the road if road departure is a result of
drive r inattention. Instead, ESC improves the
poss ibility of keeping the vehicle under con­
trol and on the road during ex treme maneu­
vers by using the driver's steering inputs to
help keep the vehicle going in the intended di­
rection . If you are traveling at a speed that
causes you to run off the road before ESC can
provide any assistance, you may not experi­
ence the benefits of ESC.

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 .
Trailer 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.
(D Note
If you are going to tow a trai ler, you must
ac tivate the trailer operation mode
c::> page 209, Operating instructions.
Technical requirements
Traile r hitch
Use a weig ht-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 securely on t he ve hicle's chassis at a
technically sound location . Use only a trail er
hi tch w ith a removab le ball moun t. A lways
check wi th t he tra ile r hi tch man ufa ctur er to
make sure that you are using the cor rect
h itch.
Do not us e a bumper hitch .
The hitch m ust be installed in such a way that
i t does not interfe re with the impac t-absorb­
i ng bumper syst em. No mod ificat ions should
b e made to the vehi cle e xhaus t and br ake sys­
tems . From t ime to time, check th at a ll hitc h
mo unt ing bo lts rem ain securely fas tened.
When you are not towing a trail er, remove the
tra ile 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 behind~ .&.
Trailer towin g 209
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equippe d wi th a bra king sys­
tem, check to be s ure that i t conforms to all
regulations .
T he trailer hyd ra u lic bra ke sys tem mus t not be
d irec tly connec ted to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains be tween your ve hicle
and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Trai ler lights must meet all reg ulations. Be
su re to c heck with your Audi dea ler for correct
wir ing, switches and relays .
Mirrors
If you a re unable to see the traffic behind you
u sing the regula r outside mirrors, then you
must insta ll extended mir rors. It is important
t h at you
always have clea r vis io n to the rear.
_&. WARNING
-
Afte r removi ng the trailer hitch , do no t
s tor e i t in yo ur v ehicl e. In case of sudden
b raki ng, the hi tch co uld fly forwar d and in­
j ur e you o r yo ur pass enge rs.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A tra ile r fo r you r vehi cle is l imited to a typi cal
cla ss 1 o r class 2 tr ailer.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the tra ile r is held secure ly
in place to p revent it from shift ing fo rward,
ba ckward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
c::> .& in Driving instructions on page 211 .
Engine cooling sy stem
Towing a t railer ma kes the engine wor k hard­
er . It is impo rtant that the cooling system's
performance is up to the additional load.
•
•

210 Trailer towing
Make sure that the cooling system has eno ugh
fluid .
Tire p res sure
When tow ing a trai le r, inflate the t ires of your
vehi cle to the co ld tire pressure listed under
"Full load" on the label located on the driver's
side B-pillar (visible when the door is open) .
Inflate trailer t ires to trai ler and tire manufac­
turers' specifications.
Lights
Chec k to make s ure both veh icle and trailer
lights are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure tra iler safety cha ins are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve­
h icle. Leave enough slack in the chains to per ­
mit turn ing corners . When you install safety
cha ins, make su re they wi ll not drag on the
road when yo u are driving.
The chains shou ld cross under the tra iler
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separation from the hitch.
Adjusting the Audi drive select
Make sure the vehicle is on a level su rface be­
for e
hitching up the tra ile r and b efor e adjust­
ing the tongue weight. The vehicle must be in
auto or comfort dr iving mode and no t raised
qpage 102, q(D _
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered. In Info­
tainment , se lect:
ICARI f u nction button> Low­
e r
control b utton .
I f you m ust dr ive under poor road co ndit ions,
you can raise the veh icle
aft er coup ling the
tra iler or
after adjusting the tong ue weig ht
q page 104.
-Changes in tempe ratu re or load can af­
fect the heig ht of the veh icle.
- Always se lect
auto or comfort mode.
Otherwise, the tongue load spec ified for
your vehicle will no longer be applicable.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
care and consideration .
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the fo llow ing:
.,. Do not tow a loaded t railer when yo ur car it­
self is not loaded.
.,. Be especially careful when passing other
veh icles.
.,. Observe speed limits .
.,. Do not dr ive at the max imum permissib le
speed.
.,. Always app ly brakes early .
.,. Mon itor the tempe ratu re ga uge.
Weight distribut ion
T owing a loaded trailer with an empty car re­
su lts in a highly unstable distribution of
we ight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at very
low speeds on ly to avoid t he risk of losing
steering con tro l.
A "ba lanced " rig is easier to ope rate and con­
t ro l. This means that the tow vehicle should
be loaded to the extent possible and permissi­
ble , while keep ing the trai ler as light as possi ­
ble under the c ircumstances . Whenever poss i­
ble , transfer some cargo to the luggage com ­
partment of the tow veh icle while observing
tong ue load requirements and vehicle load ing
considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficu lt it be ­
comes for the driver to control the rig . Do not
drive at the maximum permissib le speed. Re­
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind conditions are unfavorable -particularly
whe n going downhill.
Red uce veh icle speed
immediately if the trail­
er shows the slightest s ign of sway ing .
Do not
try to stop the s way ing b y accele rating .
Observe speed limits . In some a reas, speeds
for vehicles tow ing tra ilers are lower than for
regular veh icles . .,.

Always apply brakes early. When driving
downhill, shift into a lower gear to use the en­
g ine braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of
the brakes a lone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge ¢ page 11
must be observed carefully. The coo lant tem­
perature can increase if you drive on long in­
clines in a low gear at high engine speeds. Re­
duce your speed immediately if the LEDs in
the top part of the display turn on .
For more information about indicator lights,
refer to.
c> page 17 .
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov­
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident . Never let anyone r ide in your car
who is not properly wearing the restra ints
provided by Aud i.
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle hand les different ly when towing
-
a trailer because of the additional weight and
d ifferent weight distribution . Safety, perform­
ance and economy w ill greatly depend on how
carefully you load your trailer and operate
your rig .
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turning, stopp ing and backing up in an area
away from traffic . Keep practicing until you
have become completely familiar with the way
your veh icle-trailer comb ination behaves and
responds .
Backing up is diff icult and requires practice .
Backing up with a tra iler genera lly requires
steer ing action opposite to that when backing
up your vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your ve­
hicle and the one in front of you. You will need
more room to stop. To compensate for the
Trailer towing 211
trailer, you wi ll need a larger than normal
turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot ac­
ce lerate as fast as you norma lly would be­
cause of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass. After passing, allow
plenty of room for your trailer before chang­
ing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
(0 Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in
period of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may re­
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the extra load¢
page 285.
Parking on a slope
Do not pork on a slope with a trailer . If it can­
not be avoided, do so only after doing the fol­
lowing:
When parking:
"' App ly the foot brake .
.,. Have someone place chocks under both the
veh icle and the trailer wheels.
"' With chocks in place, slowly release the
brakes until the wheel chocks absorb the
load .
.,. Turn the wheels towards the curb.
.,. Apply the parking brake.
.,. Select the P selector lever posit ion.
When restarting after parking:
.,. App ly the foot brake.
.,. Start the engine.
.,. Select the D/S selector lever position .
.,. Release the parking brake and slowly pull
out and away from the wheel chocks.
.,. Stop and have someone retr ieve the wheel
chocks .
111>
•
•

212 Trailertowing
If you move the selector lever of the auto­
mat ic transm ission to P before app lying
the park ing brake and before blocking the
wheels, you may have to use mo re force
later to move the lever out of the P posi­
tion .

This is especially important if the vehicle be­l ongs to someone else or you bought the vehi­
cle with different rims/tires or you bought the
veh icle as a previously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on making sure that l oad limits are not exceeded . Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
vehicle. These load limits are technically refer­ red to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight
Rati ng ( "GVWR") . The Gross Axle Weight Rat­
i ng ("GAWR") is the maximum load that can
be applied at each of the veh icle 's two axles.
The G ross Vehicle We ight Rating and the
Gross Axle We ight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance sticker labe l located on the
driver's side B -pillar . The tire pressure label on
your Audi lists the maximum combined
weight of all of the occupants and luggage or
other cargo that the vehicle can carry. For the
locat io n of the tire pressure label¢
fig . 200 .
.,&. WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve ­
hicle control, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal inju ry, and even death.
- Carry ing more weight than yo ur vehicle
was designed to ca rry will p revent the
vehicle from hand ling p roperly and in­
crease the ris k of a loss of veh icle con­
t ro l.
- T he bra kes on a veh icle that h as been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance .
- T ires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly causing loss of con ­
tro l and a c rash.
- Always make sure that the tota l load be­
ing transported -includ ing the weight of
a tra iler hitc h and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the veh i­
cle heav ier than the veh icle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.
Tire s an d wheel s 249
.,&. WARNING
-Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
f lation can lead to a ser ious or fatal acci ­
dent .
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
f lation cause increased tire wear and can
affect the handl ing of the vehicle .
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin ­
f lation can a lso lead to sudden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
f lation , causing loss of veh icle cont ro l.
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires original­
ly installed on your vehicle is listed on the tire
pressure label located on driver's side 8-pil­ lar.
The recommended tire pressures are on the
t ire p ress ure label and i n the table
¢ page 247, Cold tire inflation pressure.This
means th at the pressure m ust be chec ked and
adjusted when the t ire has not been dr iven for
more than a couple of miles (kilometers) at
l ow speeds d uring the previous th ree ho urs .
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
as a result of internal frict ion as it flexes in
use. The tire pressure is higher when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "cold."
It is the inflation pressure in a "cold" tire that
counts. Therefore, you should never let a ir out
o f a warm tire to match "Cold t ire inflat io n
pressure" recommendat ions ¢
page 247 . The
ti res wou ld then be unde rinflated and co uld
fail suddenly .
The tire pressure label on your Audi lists the recommended co ld tire inflation pressures at
max imum capacity for the new, or ig inal
equipment tires that were on your ve hicle at
t h e time it was ma nufactu red. For the lo ca­
t ion o f the labe l¢
page 247, fig. 200.
Most t ires lose air naturally ove r time . They
can a lso lose some air if yo u drive over a pot­
ho le or hit a curb while par king.
It is usually
not poss ible to see whether the rad ia l t ires ...,
•
•

-The use of incorrect tire pressure values
can lead to accidents or other damage.
Therefore it is essential that the driver observe the specified tire pressure values
for the tires and the correct pressu res for
the funct ion of the tire pressure mon itor­
ing system*.
- Always inflate t ires to the recommended
and correct tire pressure before driving
off.
- Driv ing with under inflated tires bend
more, letting them get too hot resu lting
in tread separation, sudden t ire fa il u re
and loss o f control.
- Excessive speed and/ove rloading can
cause heat bui ld-up, sudden tire fail ure
and loss o f control.
- If the t ire pressure is too low or too high,
the tires w ill wear prematurely and the
vehicle will not hand le we ll.
- If the t ire is no t flat and you do not have
to change a wheel immediate ly, drive at
reduced speed to the nearest service sta­
tio n to check the tire pressure and add
air as required.
(D Note
Dr iving without va lve stem caps ca n cause
damage to the tire va lves. To prevent this,
always make sure that factory installed
valve stem caps on all wheels are secure ly
mounted on the va lve.
@ For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will a lso increase the
fue l consumption .
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or
weight that any veh icle and any t ire can carry .
A vehicle that is overloaded w ill not handle
well and is more difficult to stop . Overload ing
can not on ly lead to loss of vehicle con trol,
b ut can a lso damage important par ts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden tire failure, in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation that
can cause the vehicle to crash.
Tire s an d wheel s 251
Your safety and that of your passengers also
depends on making sure that load limits are
not exceeded. Vehicle load includes everybody
and everything in and on the veh icle. These
load lim its are technically referred to as the
vehicle's
Gro ss Ve hicle Wei ght R ating
("GVWR") .
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic
vehicle, all factory installed accessories, a full
tank of fuel, o il, coolant and other fluids plus
maximum load. The max imum load includes
the number of passengers that the vehicle is
in tended to carry ("seat ing capac ity") with an
assumed we ight of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each
passenger at a designated seating posit ion
and the total weight of any luggage in the ve­ hicle . If you tow a trai ler, the weight of the
trailer hitch and the tongue weight of the
loaded tra iler must be included as part of the
vehicle load.
The
Gr oss Ax le We ight R ating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each
of the vehicle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety comp liance sticker label located on the
driver's side B-pillar. Your Audi has 4 seat ing
pos itions, 2 in the front and 2 in the rear for
total seating capacity of 4 . In some vehicles
there are 5 seating pos it ions, 2 in the front
and 3 in the rear for tota l seating capacity of
5. Each seat ing position has a safety belt
~ page 140, Safety belts .
The fact that there is a n upper limit to you r
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating means
that the total weig ht of whatever is being car­
ried in the vehicle ( includ ing the weight of a
trailer hitch and the tongue weight of the
loaded trai ler) is limited . The more passen­
gers in the vehicle or passengers who are
heavier than the standard we ights assumed
mean that less we ight can be carried as lug­
gage .
The tire pressure label on your Audi also lists
the maximum combined weight of a ll of the
occupants and luggage or other cargo that ..,.
•
•