fuel AUDI A7 2015 User Guide

30 Instruments and warning /indicator lights
has been assigned a code. In case of a ma l­
function, the component will be identified
and the fault stored as a code in the contro l
module memory.
The MIL light may a lso illuminate if there is a
leak in the on-board fue l vapor recovery sys­
tem .
If the light illuminates after a refue lling,
stop the vehicle and make sure the fuel filler
cap is properly closed ¢
page 219.
In order to make an accurate diagnosis, the
stored data can only be displayed using spe­
cial diagnostic equipment (generic scan tool
for OBD) .
In order to connect the special diagnostic
equipment, push the plug into the Data L ink
Connector (DLC). The DLC is located to the
right of the hood release¢
fig. 16.
Your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified
service station can interpret the code and per­
form the necessary repair .
A WARNING
Do not use the diagnostic connector for
personal use . Incorrect usage can cause
malfunctions, which can increase the risk
of a coll ision!
Electronic speed limiter
-
Your veh icle may be factory equipped with
tires that are rated for a maximum speed of
130 mph (210 km/h). This is less than the
maximum speed of you r vehicle. To reduce the
risk of sudden tire failure and loss of control if
the vehicle is operated at excessive speeds,
your veh icle also has an electronic speed limit­
er. The electronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from go ing faster than the tire speed
rating. For more informat ion ¢
page 260 .
If the engine control unit receives faulty vehi­
cle road speed s ignals, the Malfunction Indi­
cator Lamp (MIU
¢'4 will illuminate. If this
occurs, contact the nearest authorized Aud i
dealer for assistance. S models
Your
vehicle's top speed is elect ron icall y limit­
ed to 155 mph (250 km/h).
If the engine control unit receives faulty veh i­
cle roadspeed signals, the Malfunction Indica­
tor Lam p (MIL)
¢'4 will illuminate . If this oc­
curs, contact the nearest authorized Audi
dealer for assistance.
_& WARNING
-= -
Always observe the posted speed limits
and adjust your speed to suit prevailing
road, traffic and weather cond itions. Never
drive your vehicle faster than the maxi­
mum speed rating of the tires installed .

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-When installing the roof rack, make sure it
is only mounted on the designated locations
on the roof¢
fig. 63 .
-We recommend that you keep the installa­
tion instructions for your roof rack system
together with your Owner's literature in the
vehicle.
Wh en should th e roof rack be remov ed ?
- Before going through an automatic car wash
(it is best to ask the car wash operator for
advice).
- When not in use, to reduce fuel consump­
tion, wind noise and to guard against theft.
8_ WARNING
- Use of an unapproved roof rack or incor­
rect mount ing of an approved roof rack
can cause the roof rack or the items at­
tached to it to fall off the roof onto the road.
- Objects falling from the roof of a vehicle
can cause a crash and personal injury .
- Only mount the roof rack on the desig­
nated locations on the roof¢
fig. 63.
-The roof rack system must be installed
exactly according to the instructions pro­
vided .
- When driving with a roof rack system,
changes to the center of gravity and wind
resistance can change the veh icle han­
dling and lead to a collision . Always
adapt you r driv ing and your speed to the
c u rrent conditions.
(D Note
- Your vehicle warranty does not cover any
damages to the vehicle caused by using
r oof racks or mount ing structures not
approved by Audi for your vehicle . T he
same applies to damage resulting from
incorrect roof rack installa tion.
- Always check t he roof rack moun tings
and hardware before each trip and dur­
i ng a trip to make sure everything is se­
curely tightened . If necessary, retighten
the mount ings and check the entire sys­
tem from t ime to t ime.
S eat s an d sto rage 63
-After mounting a roof rack system, or
when you transport objects on the roof
of your vehicle, the heig ht of the veh icle
is naturally increased. Be careful when
dr iving under low bridges or in parking
garages for example. This cou ld cause
damage to the load and even the vehicle
itself .
- Make sure the open rear lid and the sun­
roof* do not come into contact w ith the
roof rac k.
Loading the roof rack
Always distribute loads evenly. Make sure
anything on the roof rack is securely tied
down.
"' Always distribute the loads on the roof rack
even ly.
"' Always attach items to the roof rack securely
befo re you dr ive off.
The maximum permissible roof weight is
220 l b (100 kg) . The roof weight is the total
of the we igh t of the roof rack, t he attach­
ments and the cargo you a re carry ing . You
must a lso not exceed the max imum load
weight for the roof rack yo u are using .
When using a roof rack system which has a lower load ca rrying capacity, you must not use
u p the tota l maximum permissible load car ry­
ing capacity specified above . Instead, you
sho uld load the roof rack system only to the
max imum capacity specified by the manufac ­
turer of the roof rack system.
8_ WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to the roof rack can fail
du ring hard b raking o r in a coll is ion and
cause ser ious persona l injury.
- Make sure the roof rack is installed exact­
ly as specif ied above ¢
page 62.
- Always use su itable mount ing straps for
secur ing items to the roof rack to help
prevent items from sh ifting or flying for­
ward.

soon as the switch(®) is released, or the accel ­
erator pedal is depressed, emergency braking
stops.
.&_ WARNING
Emergency braking should only be used in
an emergency, when the normal foot brake
has failed or the brake pedal is obstructed .
Using the parking brake to perform emer­
gency braking will slow your vehicle down
as if you had made a full brake applicat ion.
The laws of physics cannot be suspended
even with ESC and its associated compo­
nents (ABS, ASR, EDL). In corners and
when road or weather conditions are bad
'
a full brake application can cause the vehi-
cle to skid or the rear end to break away -
r isking an accident.
Start-Stop-System
Description
Appl ies to vehicles : wit h Start-Stop-System
The Start-Stop-System can help increase fuel
economy and reduce CO
2 emissions.
I n the Start-Stop-mode, the engine shuts off
automatically when the vehicle is stopped,
such as at a traffic light. The ignit io n remains
sw itched on dur ing th is stop phase. The en­
gine will be automatically restarted when
needed.
The last Start-Stop-System setting (on/off us­
ing the button
l ignition is turned on . The LED in the
l --1 but­
ton turns on when the Start-Stop-System is
switched off manually.
Basic requirements for the Start-Stop
mode
- The driver's door is closed .
- The driver' seat belt is latched.
- The hood is closed.
- T he veh icle must have been driven faster
~ than 2.5 mph (4 km/h) since the last stop.
<(
~ -A tra iler is not hitched to the veh icle.
rl I.O
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On the road 81
.&_ WARNING
-Never let the vehicle roll with the engine
sw itched off . You could lose control over
the vehicle. This can lead to a collision
and serious injuries.
- The brake booster and the steering sup­
port do not work while the eng ine is
sw itched off. More force is required to
stop and to steer the vehicle.
- To reduce the risk of injuries, make sure
that the Start-Stop-System is turned off
when working in the eng ine compart­
ment
¢ page 83.
(D Note
Always switch off the Start-Stop-System
when driving through water¢
page 83.
Starting/stopping the engine
Applies to vehicles: w ith Start -Stop-System
Fig. 84 Instrument cluste r: engine sw itched off (stop
p hase)
.,. Slow the vehicle to a stop using the brake
and keep pressing the brake pedal. The en ­
gine will switch off. The
tlJ indicator light
appears in the information line in the instru­
ment cluster display.
.. When you take your foot off the brake ped­
al, the engine restarts. The indicator light
turns off.
Additional information
The eng ine will switch off in the P, D, N and S
positions as well as in manual mode. In the P
position, the engine will also remain off if you
take your foot off the brake pedal. The engine
starts aga in when you select another selector ..,_

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Automatic Transmission
S tronic, tiptronic
Introduction
The automatic transmission is controlled elec­
tronically. The transmission upsh ifts or down­
shifts automatically depending on which drive
program is selected.
When a
moderate driving style is used, the
transmission selects the most econom ica l
driving mode. It will then change up early and
delay 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 select the gears
manually (tiptronic mode) ¢ page 113.
Various automatic transmissions may be in­
stalled, depending on the model :
S tronic transmission
The S tronic is a dual-clutch transmission.
Power is transferred using two clutches that
work independently from one another . They
replace the torque convert er used in conven­
tional automatic transmissions and allow the
veh icle 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
Fig. 118 D isp lay in the instrument clus te r: se le ctor
lever pos itio n
The selector lever position engaged appea rs
next to the selector lever as well as in the in­
str ument cluster display.
P- Park
In this selector lever position the transm is­
s ion is mechanica lly locked . Engage P only
when the vehicle is
completely stopped Q .&.
in Driving the automatic transmission on
page 111.
To shift in or out of posit ion P, you must first
press and hold the brake pedal and then press
the release button in the selector lever handle
whi le moving the selector lever to or from P.
You can shift out of this position on ly with the
ignit ion on .
R- Reverse
Select R only when the vehicle is at a full stop
and the engine is running at idle speed ¢.&. in
Driving the automatic transmission on
page 111.
Before you move the selector lever to R, press
both the button in the hand le of the selec tor
lever
and the brake pedal at the same t i me .
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 pos ition .
Sh ift to th is position for standing with the
brakes applied
¢.&. in Driving the automatic
transmission on page 111. ..,.

204 Driving and en vir onm ent
Avoid damaging the
vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc ., make certain that
low-lying parts such as spoilers and exhaust
system parts do not bottom out and get dam­
aged.
This is especially true for vehicles with low­
slung chassis (sports chassis) * and fully load­
ed veh icles .
Driving through water
on roads
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when driving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- T he water must not be any higher tha n the
bottom o f the vehicle body.
- Do not d rive faster than wa lking speed.
_& WARNING
After d riving through water, m ud, slush,
etc., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because o f wet brake rotors and pads . Dry
the brakes first by braking carefully to re­
store the full braking effect.
(]) Note
-Vehicle components such as the eng ine,
transmission, suspension or e lectr ica l
system can be severe ly damaged by driv­
ing through water.
- Always switch
off the Start-Stop-System
when driving through water¢
page 81.
(D Tips
-Check the depth o f the water before driv ­
ing through it.
- Do no t stop the veh icle, dr ive in reverse
or switch the engine
off when driving
through water.
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles
may create waves that raise the water
level and make it too deep fo r your vehi­
cle to drive through safely.
-
- Avoid driving through salt water because
it can cause corrosion .
Catalytic converter
Applies to vehicles : w ith gasoli ne e ngi ne
It is very important that your emission con­
trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in on environmentally sound manner.
.. Always use lead-free gasoline ¢ page 217,
Fuel supply .
.. Never run the tank down all the way to emp­
ty.
.. Never put too much motor o il in your eng ine
¢ page 229, Adding engine oil~-
.. Never try to push- or tow-sta rt your vehicle.
The catalytic converter is an efficient "clean­
u p" dev ice built into the exhaust system of
the ve hicle. The cata lytic conve rter bu rns
many of the pollutants in the exha ust gas be­
f ore they are re leased into the atmosphere.
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is c rit ically
important fo r the life of the catalyt ic convert­
er and prope r fu nct ion ing of the engine.
A WARNING
-
The temperature of the exhaust system is
h igh, both when driving and after stopping
the engine.
- Never touch the exhaust tail pipes once
they have become hot . This could result
in burns .
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exha ust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fue l spill or other material which can
cause a fire .
- Do not app ly additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields. Dur ing driv ing, the
substance used fo r undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
~

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(D Note
-Be aware that just one tank fi lling with
le aded fuel will already seriously de­
grade the performance of the catalytic
converter.
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil leve l
c>page229.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
complete ly empty. The engine could mis ­
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into
the exhaust system and this could cause
the catalyt ic converter to overheat.
- Do not switch off the ignition wh ile the
vehicle is moving .
- Do not continue to operate your vehicle
under these condit ions, as otherwise fuel
can reach the catalytic converter. This
could result in overheat ing of the con­
verter, requ iring its replacement.
- To assure efficient operat ion of the Emis­
s ion Control System:
- Have your vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty
&
Ma intenance booklet.
- Lack of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impa ir
the funct ion of the emission control
system and could lead to damage .
@) For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emission Control System is
operating properly, the exhaust gas can
have a sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under
some operating states. This depends on
the s ulfur content of the fuel being used.
Using a d ifferent brand of fuel may help,
or filling the tank w it h lead-free super
grade gasoline .
Diesel particulate filter
Appl ies to vehicles : wit h diesel e ng in e
The diesel particulate filter fi lters nea rly a ll of
the soot part icles o ut o f the exhaus t. T he fi l­
ter cleans itse lf automatically under normal
driving conditions . If the fi lter cannot clean it-
Drivin g and en vironm ent 205
self (for example, because you are on ly driving
short distances), the fi lter becomes clogged
with soot and the
II symbol for the diese l
particulate filter illuminates
c> page 21.
A WARNING
-Do not park your veh icle over flammable
mate ria ls such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel par­ ticulate fi lter could start a fire.
- Do not apply an underbody protectant in
the exhaust system area or a fi re could
start.
Shutting down vehicle
If you would like your vehicle to rema in inop ­
erative for a longer per iod of t i me, contact an
Audi o r other spec iali zed dealer. They can ad­
vise you on necessa ry precautions e.g. co rro­
s ion p reven tion, maintena nce and s torage.
Pay attention to additional information con ­
cerning the battery . Refer to
c> page 235 .
Operate your vehicle
economically and
minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex­
haust and noise levels.
Fuel economy, environmenta l impact, and
wear on your engine, brakes and tires largely
depend on three factors:
- your personal d riving s tyle
- operati ng conditions
- technical limitat ions
If you ant ic ipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your
fuel consumpt io n by 10-15 percent . T his sec ­
tion w ill give you some tips on how you can
help the env ironment and your poc ketbook. ..,_ •
•

206 Driving and en vir onm ent
The consumption estimates as published
by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, which will vary depending upon vehi ­
cle load and speed, road and weather con­
ditions, tr ip length, etc .
Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac­
celerating.
• Avoid unnecessary accelerating and braking.
Vehicles use the mo st fuel when they are ac­
celerating . If you anticipate what is go ing to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus , accelerate less. Let the vehicle coast
wheneve r poss ible -for example when you see
that the next traffic l ight is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
• Try and keep well below your car 's max imum
speed .
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consump­
tion, engine wear, and does not disturb the
environment .
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and en­
g ine no ise increase d isproportionately at high
speeds. If you dr ive at approximately three
quarters of top speed, fue l consumption will
be reduced by one half. Neve r dr ive faste r
than the posted speed limit and wea ther con­
d itions permit.
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up
fuel.
• Shut the engine off when you are not dr iv ing
the vehicle. •
Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the
engine run at id le .
T he id ling phase is automatically red uced for
vehicles with the Start -Stop -System . It is effi­
cient to switch off the engine in vehicles with ­
out the Start-Stop -System when stopp ed at
railroad crossings and long red lights. Tu rning
the engine off for jus t 30-40 seconds saves
more fuel than is burned by starting the en-
. . gme again .
It takes a long time for the eng ine to warm up
fully when i t is running at idle. However, wear
and noxiou s emissions are espec ially high
when the eng ine is warm ing up . So you should
drive away as soon as you start the engine and
avo id running at high rpms while the engine is
still warming up.
W Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af­
ter start ing . If wa rning lights should come
on to indicate improper operation, they
wo uld go unheeded . Ex tended idling also
produces heat, wh ich could result in ove r­
heating or other damage to the ve hicle or
other property .
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a
lot of fuel.
• Have your veh icle serviced at reg ular in ter -
vals .
By having your ve hicle regu la rly se rviced by an
Audi dealer he lps to ensu re tha t it runs p rop ­
erly and economically . The condition of your
vehicle not only affects its safety and ability to
ho ld its va lue, it also affects
fuel con sump­
tion .
Check your oil e ach time you
fill y our tank.
The amount of o il used is re lated to engine
load and speed.
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reach its lowest value after a certa in
mileage has bee n driven . ..,.

You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 miles (5,000 ki lometers) before you can properly
assess o il consumption.
This also applies to fuel consumption and en­
gine output.
(D Note
- Have yo ur vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance with the service rec­
ommendations in your Warranty
& Main­
tenance booklet. Lack of proper mainte­
nance as well as improper use of the ve­
hicle will impair the funct ion of the
emission control system and could lead
to damage .
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Em ission Control System unless ap­
proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any dev ice, such
as heat shields, switches, ignition wires,
valves, wh ich are designed to protect
your vehicle's Emission Control System
and other important veh icle compo­
nents.
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively
high on short trips .
.,. Try to avo id driving short distances with a
cold engine .
The engine and catalyt ic converter have to
reach their optimal
operating temperature to
reduce fuel consumption and noxious emis­
sions effect ively.
Just after starting, a cold engine in a mid-size
car only achieves a fuel economy of 6 -8 miles
per gallon (30-40 l/100 km). After about a
half a mile, fuel economy climbs to 12 mpg
(20 l/100 km). Afte r abo ut
2.5 m iles (4 km),
the eng ine is at its proper operating tempera­
ture and fue l economy has reached a normal
M leve l. So you can see that you should avoid N
j short trips whenever possible.
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
Driving and environment 207
The outside temperature is also critical in this
regard . Your car consumes more fue l in the
winter than in the summer.
•
•

214 Vehicle care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Decorative
Dirty Mild soap solutional, a cleaning solution suitab le for
parts/ sta inless steel, if necessary
trim
Paint
Paint damage Refer to the paint number on the vehicle data label, re-
pair with touch up paint
q page 291
Spilled fuel Rinse with water immediately
Rust film Rust
film remover, then protect with hard wax; for ques-
tions, refer to an authorized Audi dea ler or a qualified
workshop
Corrosion Have it removed by an autho rized Aud i dealer or a quali-
fied workshop
Water no longer Protect with hard wax (at least twice per year)
beads on the surface
of clean paint
No shine even T
reat with suitable polish; then app ly paint protectant if
though paint has the polish that was used does not contain any protec-
been protected/
tant
pa int looks poor
Carbon parts Dirty Clean tlhe same way as painted parts qpage 212, Car
washes
a ) Mild soap so lution: maximum two tablespoons neut ra l soap in 1 quart (I lite r) of water
Cleaning interior
Component Situation Solution
Windows
Dirty Glass cleaner, then wipe dry
Decorative Dirty Mild soap
solutional
parts/
trim
Plastic parts
Dirty Damp cloth
Heavily soiled Mild soap solutional, solvent-free plastic cleaning sol u-
tion, if necessary
Displays Dirty Soft cloth with LCD cleaner
Controls Dirty Soft brush, then a soft cloth with a mild soap solut ional
Safety belts Dirty Mild soap solutional, allow to dry before letting them re-
tract
...

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Fuel supply and filling
your f uel tank
Gasoline
Fuel supply
Appl ies to vehicles: with gasoline e ngin e
Using the right fuel helps keep the environ ­
men t clean and preven ts engine damage.
Fuel recommendation
The fuel recomme nded fo r yo ur vehicle is un­
leaded premium
g rade gasolin e. A udi recom­
mends using TO P TIE R D etergent Gaso line
w it h a mi nimum oc tane ra ting o f 91 A KI (9 5
RON ). For more inform ation on TOP TIER De­
t ergent Gasoline, please go to the off ici al
websi te (www .toptie rgas .com) .
T he recommended gasoline octane rating for
your eng ine can also be fo und o n a label loc at­
e d on the ins ide of the fuel filler flap . This ra t­
i ng may be specified as A KI or RO N.
Your veh icle may also be operated using un­
l e ad ed regular g asoline with a min imum o c­
tane rating of 87 AKI/91 RO N. However, using
87 AK I/91 RO N octa ne fue l w ill sli ght ly re ­
d uce eng ine perfo rmance .
Use unleaded ga soline only . Unleaded g aso­
line is available th rougho ut the USA, Ca na da,
an d in most E uropean cou ntries . We recom ­
mend that you do not ta ke yo ur vehicle to
areas or countries where unleaded gasoline
may not be ava ilable.
F or mo re informat io n on refue ling your ve hi­
cle, see
q page 219.
Octane rating
Octane rating ind icates a gaso line's ability to
r es ist engine d amag ing "kno ck" cau sed b y
p remature ign ition and detona tion. There fore,
buy ing the correct grade of gaso line is very
importa nt to he lp prevent possible engine
damage and a loss of engine performance.
Gasoline mos t common ly used in the Unite d
States an d Canada has the following octane
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 217
ra tings that can usu a lly be found on the fi ller
p ump :
- Premium Grad e: 9 1 -96 A KI
- Regular Grade: 87 - 90 AKI Explanation of the abbreviations:
AKI = Anti K nock In d ex = (R+M )/2 = (RO N
+MON )/2
RON= Resea rch O ctane Num ber
MO N= M otor Octane Number .
(D Note
-Do not use a ny fue l w ith octane rat ings
lower than 87 A KI or 9 1 RO N othe rwise
ex pensiv e engi ne damage w ill occur.
- Do
not use leaded gasoline . The use of
leaded gasoline w ill severely damage
yo ur v ehicl e's cata lytic conve rter a nd its
abi lity to co ntrol ex haust em issio ns.
Blended gasoline
Applies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
Use of gasoline containing alcohol or
MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether)
You may use unlea ded gasoline blen ded wi th
alcohol o r M TB E (commonly referred to as
oxygenates) if the blende d mixture meets the
f o llow ing criteria:
Blend of gasoline methanol (wood alcohol or
methyl alcohol)
- Anti -k n ock index mus t be 87 A KI or higher.
- Blend must contain no mor e than 3% meth-
anol.
- Blend must contain more than 2% co-sol-
vents .
Blend of gasoline and ethanol (grain alcohol
or ethyl alcohol)
- Anti -knoc k index must be 87 AKI or h igher.
- Blend must not co nta in mo re tha n 15%
ethanol.
Blend of ga soline and MTBE
- Anti-knock index must be 87 AKI or high er. ..,.
•
•