AUDI A7 2017 Owner´s Manual
Manufacturer: AUDI, Model Year: 2017, Model line: A7, Model: AUDI A7 2017Pages: 284, PDF Size: 72.29 MB
Page 121 of 284

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There  is no distance warning  fo r the  rear.  The 
fron t sensors  remain  activa ted . The  visual  display 
switches  to  trai ler  mode.  The  rearview  camera 
image  will  not  show  the  orientation  lines and  the 
b lue  surfaces. 
Trailer  hitches  that  are  not installed  at  the 
factory  may cause  the  parking  system  to  ma l
function  or  they  may  restrict its  function. 
Parking systems 
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Intelligent  Technology 
Intelligent  Technology 
Electronic  Stabilization 
Control  (ESC) 
Description 
Elect ronic  Stabilization  Control  (ESC) suppo rts 
driver  safety. 
It red uces  the  risk  of  slipping  and 
improves  dr iving  stability.  ESC detects  crit ica l sit
uations  such  as  the  veh icle  oversteering  and  un
dersteering  or  the  wheels  are  sp inning.  The  vehi
cle  is  stabilized  by app lying  the  brakes  or  reduc 
ing  engine  torque.  As soon  as  the  ESC is active ly 
regulat ing,  the 
D.1 indicato r light blin ks in the  in
s trumen t clus ter. 
The  fo llow ing  systems  are  integrated  in  the  ESC : 
Ant i-lock  braking  system  (ABS) 
ABS p revents  the  whee ls from  locking  whe n brak
ing.  The  vehicle  can  sti ll be  steered  even  during 
hard  brak ing.  Apply steady  press ure  to  the  brake 
pedal.  Do not  pump  the  pedal.  A puls ing  in t he 
b rake  pedal  indicates  that  the  system  is acting  to 
s tabilize  the  vehicle . 
Br ake assist system 
The  brake  assist  system  can  decrease  brak ing  dis
tance . It  increases  brak ing  power  when  the  driver 
presses  the  brake  pedal  q uick ly in  emergency  sit
uations . You must  press  and  hold  t he  b rake  pedal 
until  the  dangerous  sit uat io n  is over . In  veh icles 
with  adapt ive c ruise  control*,  the  bra ke  as sist 
sy stem  is  more  sensitive  if t he  di sta nce  detec ted 
t o the  vehicle  dr iv ing  ahead  is too  small.  On 
ve hicl es  with  act ivated  and  f unct io ni ng  night  vi 
sion  assist*,  the  brake  assist  system  can  respond  mo re sensit ively  if there  is a warning . 
Anti-slip  regulation  (ASR) 
ASR red uces  eng ine  power  when  the  drive w heels 
be gin  sp inning  an d  adapts  the  force  to  the  road 
conditions.  This  makes  it  easie r to  sta rt,  acceler 
ate  and  dr ive  up  h ills. 
Electronic differential  lock (EDL) 
E DL a ppl ies  the  bra kes  to  a wheel  tha t st art s 
sp inning  and  tra nsfe rs t he  dr ive powe r to  t he 
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other  driving  whee ls.  This  func tion  is no t ava ila 
ble  at  hig her  speeds. 
I n extreme  cases , EDL  automat ic al ly swi tches  off 
to  keep  t he  b rake  o n the  br aked  wheel  from  ove r
heating.  The ve hicle  is still  working  correct ly.  ED L 
will  switc h on  again  automatically  when  condi
tions  have  returned  to  normal. 
Steering  recommendation 
The  ESC he lps  to s tabili ze  th e vehicle  by ch ang ing 
t h e  s teer ing  torque. 
I n veh icles  with  dynamic  s teer ing*,  ESC a lso 
helps  to  stab ilize the  s teeri ng  in cr it ic al situ a
tions. 
Selective wheel  torque  control 
Se lective  wheel  to rque  control  is used  when  d riv
i ng  on  curves . The  front  whee l on  the  ins ide  of 
t h e  curve  or  both  whe els  on  the  i nside  of  th e 
cu rve  are  braked  se lectively  as  needed.  This al
l ows  mo re  pre cise  driving  in  curves . 
Automatic  post -collision  braking  system 
The  "a utomat ic post -coll is io n  braking  system" 
can  help  to  reduce  the  risk  of  sl iding  and  of  addi
tiona l co llisions  after  an  acc iden t.  If the  a irbag 
c on tro l modu le  dete cts a  collision  above  a  cer tain 
vehicle  speed,  the  veh icle  is  braked  by t he  ESC. 
The  veh icle  does  not  brake  automatically  if: 
- the  drive r presses  the  accelerator  pedal,  or 
- the  bra king  force  generate d by the  pressed 
brake  pedal  is  greater  than  the  b raking  force 
that  would  be  in itiated  by the  system,  or 
- the  ESC, the  bra ke system  or  the  vehicle  elect ri
cal  system  are  not  functioning. 
A WARNING 
- The  ESC and  its  integ rated  systems  can not 
overcome  the  lim its  imposed  by natura l 
p hys ica l laws.  Th is  is es pec ially  i mpo rtan t 
on  s lippery  or  we t roads.  If  the  system s be
g in a cting  to  s tabili ze yo ur vehicle,  you 
should  immedi ately  alte r your  speed  to 
match  the  road  and  tra ffi c conditions.  Do 
not  let  the  inc reased  safety  provided  tempt  
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you into taking  risks.  This could increase 
your  risk of  a collision. 
- Please note  the  risk of  a co llision  increases 
when  driving  fast,  especially  through  curves 
and on slippery  or wet  roads, and when  driv
ing too  close to  objects  ahead. The ESC and 
its  integrated  systems  cannot  always pre
vent  collisions  -there  is still  a r isk of  acci
dents! 
- Press  the accelerator  pedal carefully  when 
accelerating  on even, slippery  surfaces such 
as  ice  and  snow.  The drive  wheels can spin 
Switching  on /off 
Intelligent  Technology 
even when  these  control  systems are instal
led  and this  can affect  driving  stability  and 
increase the  risk  of  a collision. 
(D Tips 
- ABS and ASR only function  correctly  when 
all  four  wheels  are equipped  with  identical 
tires.  Different  tire  s izes can lead to  a reduc
tion  in engine  power. 
- You may  hear noises when  the  systems de
scribed  are working. 
ESC turns  on automatically  when you  start  the  engine . 
Fig. 140  Center  console:  OFF ~  button 
The following  examples  are unusual situations 
where  it  may make sense to  switch  sport  mode 
on in  order  to  allow  the  wheels  to  spin: 
ESC  levels 
Sport  mode  on 
- Rocking the  vehicle  to  free  it  when  it  is stuck 
-Driving  in deep  snow or  on  loose ground 
- Driving  with  snow  chains 
Applies  to:  RS models:  the  ESC is designed  to 
function  in  levels. Depending  on the  level  that  is 
selected,  the stabil izat ion function  of  the  ESC is 
limited  or switched  off.  The amount  of  stabiliza
tion  control  will  differ  depending  on the  level. 
Sport  mode off 
Behavior 
The ESC and ASR stabilization  functions  The 
full stabilization  function  of  the  ESC 
are limited 
c::> & . and ASR  is available  again. 
Operation Press the  I~  OFF I button .  Press the 1.$ OF FI button  again . 
Indicator Ill turns  on. II turns  off. 
lights 
Messa ges  Stabilization  control  (ESC ): Sport  Warn- Stabilization control  (ESC):  On 
ing!  Reduced  stability 
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Intelligent  Technology 
ESC levels 
Ap plies  to : RS  models 
Sport mode on  ESC/ASRoff  Sport  mode off  or 
ESC /ASRon 
Beha vior 
The ESC and ASR stabiliza-
The stabilization  function  is  The fu
ll stabilization  func-
tion  funct ions are limited  not  available 
¢ ,& . ESC and  tion  of  the  ESC and ASR  is 
¢ .&. . ASR are switched  off.  availab le aga in. 
Op eration Press  the I.$  OFF I button  P ress and  hold  the j.$  OF FI Press  the I.$  OFF I button 
briefly.  b
utton  longer  than  3 sec- aga in . 
onds . 
Indicator II turns  on . II and Ill turn  on. II turns  off  or II and Ill 
light s turn off . 
Me ssage s  Stabilization  control  (ESC ):  S tabilization  control  (ESC ):  Stabilization  control 
Sport Warn ing ! Reduced  Off . Warning!  Reduced  sta - (ESC): On 
stab ility  bility 
A WARNING 
-Yo u should  only  sw itch  sport  mode  on or 
switch  ESC/ ASR off  if  your  dr iving  abili ties 
and road  condi tions  permit. 
- T he stabilization  func tion  is limited  w hen 
spo rt  m ode is sw itche d on.  The driving 
wheels  co uld spi n and  the  vehicle  could 
swerve, espec ially  on s lick or slippery  road 
s u rfaces. 
- T here  is no vehicle  sta bilizat ion when  E SC/ 
ASR a re swi tched off. 
(D Tips 
- ES C/ASR can not  be switc hed off  or  sport 
mode  cannot  be switche d on  if  the  cr uise 
contro l system * or the  adap tive c ruise con
tro l*  is  switched  on. 
- If the  re a r spoiler  sys tem m alf unct ions, 
sport  mo de may not  switch  on  or  it  may 
switc h off  aga in automatically. 
Braking 
New  brake  pads 
New b rake pads do not  ac hieve the ir full  b raking 
effe ct  during  the  firs t 2S 0 mi  (400  km).  They 
m ust  be "broken  in"  fi rst . 
The b rea k-in  period  ca n be considerably  longe r 
for  ve hicles w it h  cer amic  b rake rotors*.  However, 
you  can compensa te fo r the  slightly  reduced 
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braking  force  by pressing  firmly  on  the  brake 
pedal.  Avo id heavy braking  during  the  break-in 
per iod. 
Wear 
Brake pad 
wear  depends  large ly on the  way the 
vehicle  is driven  and on ope rating  conditions . 
This is espec ia ll y true  if  you a re driv ing frequent ly 
i n the  city  and on  curves or with  a sporty  driving 
sty le . 
Ope rating  noi se 
Noises may occur when  braking  depending  on the 
speed,  braking  force  and outside  conditions  such 
as temperature  and  humid ity. 
Noises may become  mo re apparent  at  lower 
speeds due to  the  nature  of  the  materials  in the 
ceram ic brake  rotors* . 
Effect  of  water  and  road  salt 
In  certain situa tions,  for  e xamp le after  d riving 
thro ugh water,  in heavy rain,  a fter  over nigh t con
densation  or  after  washing  your  car, the  brak ing 
effect  can be  reduced  by moisture  or  ice on the  bra ke rotors  and  brake  pads. The brakes must  be 
"dried"  f irst  with  a few  ca refu l brake  app lica
tions. 
At  higher  speeds and with  the  windshield  wipers 
turned  on, the  brake  pads press against  the  brake  rotors  for  a short  amount  of  time.  This action, 
wh ich is not  felt  by the  dr iver,  happens  at  regu lar  .,..  
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the  brakes  in wet  weather. 
The braki ng effect  can also be red uced  if you  are 
driving  on  salted  roads and you  do  not  apply  the  b rakes for  long  periods  of  time . The  layer of  salt 
on the  brake  rotors  and  pads must  be worn  off 
f irst  when  the  brakes are app lied. 
Due to  its  surface,  the  ceramic  bra ke rotor*  ab
sorbs  moisture  in certa in situations.  There fore, 
there  will  temporarily  be less braking  force  than 
when  the  brakes are dry . You can compensate  for 
this  by pressing  the  brake  pedal  harder. 
Cor rosion 
L eaving the  vehicle  parked  fo r long  periods  of 
time,  low  mi leage and avoiding  heavy braking 
can contribute  to  corrosion  on the  brake  rotors 
and to  dirty  brake  pads. 
I f  you usually  avo id  heavy braking  or  if  there  is 
corrosion  present , occasional  heavy braking  at 
high  speeds is recommended  to  clean the  brake 
rotors  and  pads 
q ,& . 
Brak e system  malfunct ion 
if you  notice  that  the  brake  pedal  travel  has sud
denly increased, then  a brake  c ircui t in  the dual
circuit  brake  system  may  have malfunctioned.  Drive to  an authorized  Audi  dea ler or  a uthorized 
Aud i Service Facility  immediately  to  have the 
problem  corrected.  On the  way there,  drive  with 
reduced  speed and keep in  mind  that  you w ill 
need a longer  distance  to  stop  and you w ill  need 
to  p ress the  b rake pedal  harde r. 
L ow  brake  fluid  level 
When  the  brake fl uid  level is low,  malfunct ions  in 
the  brake  system  may occur . The brake f lu id  level 
is electronically  monitored. 
Br ak e boost er 
The brake  booster  amplifies  the  pressure  you  ap
p ly to  the  brake  peda l. It  only works  when  the  en
g ine  is running. 
A WARNING 
- Only apply  the  brakes for  the  purpose  of 
cleaning  the  brake  system  whe n road and 
-
Intellig ent  Technology 
traffic  conditions  permit.  You must  not  en
danger  other  road  users.  This increases the 
risk of  an  accident. 
- Never  let  the  vehicle  roll  while  the  engine  is 
stopped  because this  increases the  risk of  an 
accident. 
- New brake  pads do  not  ach ieve the ir  full 
braking  effect  during  the  first  250  m i 
(400  km).  They m ust  be "broken  in" first. 
The break-in  per iod ca n be cons iderably  lon
ge r fo r vehicles  with  ceram ic brake  rotors* . 
H owever,  you  can compensate  fo r the 
slightly  reduced braking  force  by pressi ng 
fi rm ly on the  brake  pedal.  Avo id heavy b rak
ing  du ring  the  break -in pe riod. 
- Ce rtain weathe r and ope rating  condi tions 
such as driving  through  water,  dr iv ing  in 
heavy rain  o r driv ing after  was hing your  ve
hicle  can impa ir the  effect iveness of  the 
brakes. In  the  winter,  ice may build  up on 
the  brake  pads,  rotors  and drums . Check 
these  components  by braking  carefully.  Ap
p lyi ng the  brakes carefully  several times 
d ries the  b rakes and  removes ice build-up . 
- The efficiency  of  the  brakes can also  be  im
pa ired by dr iv ing for  long  stretches  on  roads 
covered with  sa lt  without  using  the  bra kes . 
You can  remove salt  deposits  from  the 
b rake  rotors  and  pads  by carefully  applying 
t he brakes several times . 
- I f  the  fron t spoiler  is damaged  o r yo u install 
another  spoi ler,  make su re the  front  wheel 
b rakes are ven tilated  properly . Othe rw ise, 
the  brake  system  co uld overheat,  which  re
duces their  effectiveness . 
- Fa ilure of  a brake  circuit  impairs  brak ing 
pe rformance,  which  increases  b raking  dis
tance.  Avo id driving  the  vehicle  and have it 
towed  it  to  the  nearest  a uthorized  Audi 
deale r or  authorized  Aud i Serv ice Facility. 
- I f the  brake  booster  is not  working,  yo u w ill 
have to  p ress much  harder  on the  brake 
pedal to  compensate  fo r the  lack of  the 
booster. 
Q) Note 
- Never let  the  brakes  "rub" by pressing  the 
peda l lightly  when  braking  is not  actually 
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Intelligent  Technology 
necessary.  This  causes  the  brakes  to  over 
heat  and  increases  bra king  distance  and 
causes  wear . 
- Befo re driving  downhi ll a  long  distance  on  a 
steep  hill,  decrease  your  speed  and  select  a 
l ower  gear.  This  makes  use  of  the  engine 
braking  effect  and  relieves  the  brakes.  If 
you  need  to  brake  additionally,  b rake  in  in
t e rvals  a nd  not  continuously . 
(D Tips 
-If the  brake  booster  is  not  working,  you 
must  press  the  brake  pedal  with  much  more 
force  than  normal. 
- If you  retrofit  you r vehicle  with  a front  spoil
e r, whee l covers  o r similar  items , make  sure 
that  the  a ir flow  to  t he fron t wheels  is  not 
i nte rr u pted . Othe rw ise  the  brake  sys tem 
ca n become  too  hot . 
Electromechanical 
steering,  dynamic 
steering 
The electromechanical  steering  supports  the 
driver 's st eering  movements. 
Power  steering  adapts elec tronically based  on 
the  vehicle  speed . 
Indicator light s and  mes sage s 
•  Do not  drive vehicle: steering  defective 
If thi s in dica tor  light  t urns  o n and  st ays  o n and 
t his  mess age  appears,  t he  power  s teer ing  m ay 
have  fai led. 
St op  the  veh icle  in a  safe  lo cat io n  as  soo n as  pos
sib le.  Do 
not c ontinue  dr iving.  See  an  author ized 
Aud i dealer  o r auth o rize d Aud i Serv ice  Facili ty for 
assis tance. 
(;:r,n Steering : Sy stem  fault  You can continue 
driving 
If the  indicator  lig ht  tur ns  on  and  the  message 
appears,  the  steering  wheel  may  be  mo re  diff i
cul t  to m ove  or  mo re  sensit ive  tha n usua l. The 
s teer ing  whee l may  also  be  at  an  angle  when 
d riving  s traight . 
124 
Drive slowly  to  an  a uth orized  Audi  dea ler  or  au 
thorized  Audi  Serv ice  Facility  to  have  the  mal
funct ion  corrected . 
,Ion Dynamic steering:  Initializing 
If the  indica to r li gh t is blinking  and  this  message 
appea rs,  dy namic  stee ring*  is  be ing initiali zed. 
The  steer ing  whee l will  be easy  to  move  afte r 
s ta rt ing  t he en gine . Re- ini tializ ation  mig ht  be 
necessary  if the  steering  wheel  was  moved  hard 
to  the  left  and  r ight  while  the  veh icle was  not 
moving . The  d isp lay  turns  off  if the  in it ia li zation 
was  s uccessful. 
(D Tips 
- If  the . or ,Ion indicato r light  only  stays  on 
f or  a s ho rt  time,  you  may  cont inue  driving . 
- The  dynamic  stee ring  stability  systems 
¢ 
page  1 20 are  not  ava ila bl e  in the  event  of 
a system  mal function. 
- For  add itiona l information  on  dynamic 
steering,  re fer  to 
¢ page  105. 
All  wheel  drive  (quattro) 
Applies  to: vehicles  with  all  wheel  drive 
In  all  wheel  drive,  all  four  wheels  are powered. 
General  information 
In  all whee l drive,  the  dr iv ing  power  is  divide d  be
tween  all  four  whee ls.  This  happens  automatical 
l y depending  on  yo ur driv ing  behavior  as  we ll as 
the  cur rent  road  conditions . Also  see 
¢ page  120 , Electronic  Stabilization  Control 
(ESC). 
A center  d ifferential  distributes  the  driving  powe r 
varia bly to  the  front  and  rea r ax le.  It  wor ks to
gether  w ith  selective  whee l torque  contro l, w hich 
activates  w hen  d riving  through  curves 
¢ page  120 . With  the  sport  d ifferent ial*,  power 
dis tribution  to  the  rear  wheels  is var iable  and  can 
be  adjus ted  wi th  drive  select¢ 
page  105 . 
The  all  wheel  drive  concept  is  designed  fo r high 
engine  power . Yo ur vehicle  is  except iona lly pow
erfu l and  has  excellent  driving  cha rac teristics 
bot h un der  normal  d riving  condi tions  and  on 
snow  and  i ce.  A lways  read  and  follow  safe ty pre-
c auti ons  ¢ 
,&.. IJll- 
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Winter tires 
By using  all  wheel  drive, your  vehicle  has good 
forward  motion  with  standard  tires  in winter  con
ditions . However,  in winter  we  recommend using 
winter  or  all  season  tires  on  all  four  wheels,  be
cause  this  will improve  the  braking  effect. 
Snow  chains 
If there  are  snow  chain  laws,  snow  chains must 
also  be used  on  vehicles  with  all  wheel  drive 
¢ page  227,  Snow chains. 
Replacing tires 
For vehicles  w ith  all  whee l dr ive,  only  whee ls w ith 
the  same  rolling  circumference  should be  used . 
Avoid using  tires with  different  tread  depths 
¢ page 218, New  tires  or  wheels. 
Offroad  vehicle? 
Your Audi  is not  an  offroad  vehicle  -there  is  not 
enough  ground  clearance. For this  reason,  avoid 
difficult  terrain. 
_& WARNING 
-Also,  in vehicles  with  a ll wheel  drive, adapt 
your  dr iving  style  to  the  current  road  and 
traff ic conditions.  Do not  let the  increased 
safety  provided  tempt  you  into taking  risks, 
because  this  increases  the  risk  of  an  acci
dent . 
- The  braking  ability  of your  vehicle  is  limited 
to  the  traction  of the  wheels . In  this  way,  it 
is  not  different  from  a two  wheel  dr ive vehi
cle.  Do  not be  tempted  to  accelerate  to  a 
high  speed  when  the  road  is slippery,  be
cause  this  increases  the  risk  of an  accident . 
- Note  that  on  wet  streets,  the  front  wheels 
can  "hydroplane"  if driving at  speeds  that 
are  too  high.  Unlike  front  wheel  drive 
vehicles,  the engine  does  not  rev  higher  sud
denly  when  the vehicle  begins hydroplaning . 
For this  reason, adapt  your  speed  to  the 
road  conditions  to  reduce the risk of  an  acci
dent. 
Intelligent  Technology 
Rear  spoiler 
The extendable  rear  spoiler  increases driving  sta
bility. 
Fig.  141 Center console:  button  for the  rear spoiler 
T he  rear  spo iler  retracts  and  extends.  Var ious  op
erating  modes  (automatic  o r manua l mode)  can 
be  activated . 
Automatic  mode  (normal  operation) 
-Extends  automatically:  when  the  vehicle  speed 
exceeds  approx imately  80  mph  (130  km/h) . 
- Retracts  automat ically: when  the  vehicle  speed 
drops  below  approx imately  SO mph  (80  km/h). 
Manual  mode 
- Extending  manually:  briefly  tap  the  button to 
fully  extend  the  rear  spoiler. 
- Retracting  manually:  when  driving  at  speeds 
below  approximately  10  mph  (20  km/h),  press 
and  hold  the  button  to  retract  the  rear spoiler. 
When  at  speeds  between  10  mph  (20  km/h) 
and  80  mph  (130  km/h),  the  rear spoiler  will 
completely  retract when  you  tap  the  button. 
Indicator  lights 
lfa /. Rear  spoiler:  System  fault! 
The rear  spoiler  may  not  have  extended  due  to  a 
malfunction . This  cou ld  change  the  vehicle 's  driv
ing  characteristics  at  high  speeds.  Do not  drive 
faster  than  85  mph  (140  km/h) . Drive to  an  au
thorized  Audi  dealer  or  authorized  Audi  Service  Facility  immed iately  to have  the  malfunction  cor 
rected . The  color  of  the indicator  light depends 
on  the  vehicle  speed . 
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Intelligent  Technology 
& WARNING 
When  extending  and  retracting  the  rear  spoil
er,  make  sure  there  are  no  persons  or objects 
w ith in the  spoiler  range  to  red uce the  risk of 
injury . 
& WARNING 
Driv ing  at  higher  speeds  w ithout  the  rear 
spoiler  dep loyed  can  impa ir hand ling  ch arac
t er istics,  mak ing  t he vehi cle  h arder  to  con
t rol. 
- Always  make  sure  tha t the  spoiler  is de
ployed  whe n driving  a t speeds  ove r 85  mph 
(140  km/h) . If  the  rear  spoiler  warning/ind i
cator  light  in the  instrument  cluster  comes 
on,  the  rear  spo iler  may  not  have  deployed. 
- Never  drive  at  speeds  higher  than  85  mph  (140  km/ h)  if the  spoile r is  not  deployed. 
Have the  spoiler  inspected  as  soon  as  possi
ble  by an  author ized  Audi  dealer  or  qualif ied 
workshop. 
-Always  obey  speed  limits  and  other  tra ffic 
laws . 
(D Note 
-Never  push  on  the  vehicle  on  the  rear  spoi l
er . This  cou ld  cause  damage. 
- To prevent  damage  to  the  rear  spoiler  do 
not  lean  o r place  anything  on  it. 
- Only opera te the  rear  spoiler  man ually when 
the  luggage  compartment  lid  is close  and 
the  rear  spoiler  movi ng  pa rts  a re  not 
blocked.  Otherwise,  damage  could  occur. 
(D Tips 
Clean  the  rear  spoi ler  compartment  eve ry 2 to 
3  mont hs. To function  correctly,  the  rear 
spoiler  m ust  be  free  of  ice,  snow  and  leaves. 
126 
Energy  management 
' The  starting  ability  is optimized 
T he energy management  system  manages  the 
electrical  energy  distribution  and  optimizes  the 
availability  of electrical  energy  for starting  the 
engine. 
When  a vehicle  with  a  conventional  energy  sys 
tem  is  no t drive n for  a  long  time,  the  ve hicle  bat
te ry  is drained  by equ ipment  (fo r example,  t he 
i mmob il iz er).  I n cer ta in circ umstan ces,  the re 
could  m ay no t be  e nough  energy  to  s tart  the  en
gine. 
You r vehicle  is  equipped  with  an  inte lligent  e ner
gy  management  system  fo r dist ributing  elec trici
ty.  Thi s sign ifica ntl y improves  the  start ing ability 
and  incre ases  the  vehicle  battery  life . 
The  ene rgy ma nagement  system  Is  made  up  of 
battery diagnosi s,  idling  current  management , 
and dynamic energy management . 
Battery  diagnosis 
T he  battery  diagnos is  determines  the  vehicle  bat 
tery  charge  level.  The  sensors  detect  the  ba tte ry, 
the  batt ery cur rent,  and  t he  battery  temperature . 
The  curren t cha rge  level  and  the  pe rformance  of 
t h e ve hicle  battery  are  dete rm ined  based  on  th is . 
Idling  current  management 
The  idling  current  management  decreases  the 
energy  used  while  parked . With  the  engine 
switched  off , it  m anages  t he  e ne rgy dis trib ution 
to  the  d ifferen t electr ica l components . Data  from 
t h e  b attery  d iagnosis  is ta ken  into  a ccou nt  for 
th is . 
De pen ding  on  the  vehicle  batte ry c ha rge  level, 
e le ctri ca l eq uipme nt  is  switched  off  one  i tem  af 
te r th e  o ther  to  p revent  t he  vehi cle  b attery from 
dra ining  and  to  ma intain  the  s tarting  ab ility. 
Dynamic  energy  management 
While  dr iv ing , dynam ic energy  management  dis
t ributes  the  app ropr iate  amo unt  of  energy  to  t he 
ele ctrica l eq uipm ent.  It  contro ls t he  batte ry 
c harge  level  so  tha t the  amou nt  o f energy  is no t 
ll>  
Page 129 of 284

co 
co 
.... N 
" N .... 0 
00 
\.J -
der  to  maintain  an  optima l vehicle  battery  charge 
l evel. 
(D Tips 
- Energy  management  cannot  overcome  the 
laws  of  physics.  Note  that  the  charge  level 
and  length  of  the  vehicle  batte ry life  are 
li mited. 
- When  the  starting  ability  is endangered,  the 
(•j indicator  light  turns  on ¢ page  14. 
What  you  should  know 
Maintaining  the starting  ability  is the  highest 
priority . 
A lot  of stress  is placed  on  the  vehicle  battery 
when  driving  short  distances,  during  c ity  driving, 
and  at  co ld  times  of  the  year.  A lot  of  energy  is 
used  but  little  is  generated.  It  is a lso  critical 
when  the  engine  is  not  running  but  e lectr ica l 
equ ipment  is switched  o n. In  th is  case,  energy  is 
used  but  none  is generated . 
In  s ituations  like  this,  energy  management  will 
actively  regu late  the  distribution  of  ene rgy. 
Long periods w ithout  use 
If  yo u do  not  drive  you r vehicle  for  several  days  or 
weeks,  e lectrica l equipment  is  gradually  sca led 
back  or  switched  off.  This  reduces  energy  use  and 
ens ures  the  veh icle w ill be  able  to  start  after  long 
periods  of  time.  Some  convenience  functions, 
such  as  interior  lighting  or  power  seat  adjust
ment,  may  not  be  available  under  certain  circum
stances . These  convenience  functions  will  be 
ava ilable  again  once  you  switch  the  ig nition  on 
an d s tart  the  engi ne. 
With  the  engine  switched  off 
T he  vehicle  battery  will  drain  if yo u use  I nfota in 
ment  f unctions  such  as  listening  to  the  rad io 
while  the  eng ine  is switched  off . 
The  vehicle's  ability  to  start  may  be  impaired  by 
the  energy  use,  a  message  will  appear  in the  In 
fotainment  system  d isplay . 
The  message  ind icates  that  the  system  will 
switch  off  automatically  soon.  If you  wou ld  like 
Intellig ent  Technology 
to  cont inue  using  the  functions,  you  must  start 
t h e engine. 
With  the  engine  running 
Alt hough  e lectr ica l energy  is  ge nerated  wh ile 
dr iv ing , the  ve hicle  ba ttery  can  dra in. This  ca n 
happen  if li ttle  ene rgy  is generate d but  much  is 
u sed , and  the  charge  level  of  the  vehicle  battery 
is  not  optimal. 
T o  res to re the  balance  of  ene rgy,  componen ts 
t h at  require  large  amoun ts of  ene rgy are  tempo 
rarily  scaled  back  or  switched  off . Heat ing  sys 
tems  in  partic ula r req uire  a great  dea l of  energy . 
If you  notice,  for  example,  that  the  seat  heating* 
or  rear  window  defogger  is not  work ing,  then  it 
has  been  tempora rily reduced  or  sw itched  off. 
These  systems  are  availab le  aga in as  soo n as  the 
energy  sup ply has  bee n restored . 
In  add ition,  you  may  notice  that  the  idle  speed 
has  slig htly  increased.  That  is  normal  and  no 
cause  for  concern . By  increas ing  the  idling  speed, 
the  addit ional  required  energy  will  be  generated 
and  the  vehicle  battery  will  be  charged . 
Notice  about  data 
recorded  by  the  Event 
Data  Recorder  and 
vehicle  control  modules 
Event Data  Recorder 
Th is vehicle  is equ ipped  w ith  an  Event  Data  Re
corder  (EDR) . The  ma in purpose  of  a n EDR  is  to 
r ecord,  in  certai n cras h or  nea r crash-like  situa
ti ons,  s uch  as  an  airbag  deployme nt  o r hi ttin g a 
road  obsta cle,  da ta t hat  w ill ass ist  in  underst and
i ng  how  a vehicle 's  systems  performed . The  EDR 
is des igned  to  record  data  related  to  vehicle  dy 
namics  and  safety  systems  for  a  short  perio d of 
t ime,  typ ica lly 30  seconds  or  less . The  EDR  in this 
vehicle  is  designed  to  record  such  data  as: 
- How va rious  systems  in your  vehicle  were  ope r
ating; 
- W het her  o r not  the  drive r and  passenge r safety 
be lts  were  b uckled/fastened; 
- How far  (if  at  all) the  driver was  dep ressing  the 
accelerator  and/or  bra ke  pedal;  and,  .,,. 
127  
Page 130 of 284

Intelligent  Technology 
-How fast  the  vehicle  was  traveling. 
These  data  can  help  provide  a  better  understand ing  of  the  circumstances  in which  crashes  and  in
juries  occur.  NOTE : EDR data  are  recorded  by your 
vehicle  only  if a  non-trivial  crash  situation  occurs ; 
no  data  are  recorded  by the  EDR  under normal 
driving  conditions  and  no  personal  data  (e.g., 
name,  gender,  age,  and  crash  location) are  re
corded.  However,  other  parties,  such  as  law en
forcement,  could  combine  the  EDR data  with  the 
type  of  personally  identifying data  routinely  ac
quired  during  a crash  investigation. 
To  read  data  recorded  by an  EDR, special  equip ment  is required,  and  access  to  the  vehicle  or  the 
EDR  is  needed . In  addition  to  the  vehicle  manu
facturer,  other  parties,  such  as  law  enforcement, 
that  have  the  special  equipment,  can  read  the  in
formation  if they  have  access  to  the  vehicle  or  the 
EDR. 
Some  state  laws  restrict  the  retrieval or  down
loading  of  data  stored  by  ED Rs  installed  in a vehi
cle  for  the  express  purpose  of  retrieving  data  af
ter  an  accident  or  crash  event  without  the  own
er's  consent. 
Audi  will  not  access  the  EDR and/or  similar  data 
or  give  it to  others  -
- unless  the  vehicle  owner  (or  lessee  if the  vehi
cle  has  been  leased)  agrees;  or 
- upon  the  official  request  by the  police;  or 
- upon  the  order  of  a  court  of  law  or  a  govern-
ment  agency;  or 
- for  the  defense  of  a  lawsuit  through  the  judicial 
discovery  process. 
- Audi  may  also  use  the  data  for  research  about 
vehicle  opera tion  and  safety  performance  or 
provide  the  data  to  a  third  party  for  research 
purposes  without  identifying the  specific  vehi
cle  or  information  about  the  identity  of  its  own
er  or  lessee  and  only  after  the  recorded  vehicle 
data  has been  accessed. 
Vehicle  control  modules 
Your vehicle  is also  equipped  with  a  number  of 
electronic  control  modules  for  various  vehicle 
systems,  such  as  engine  management,  emission 
control , airbags,  and  safety  belts. 
128 
These  electronic  control  modules  record  data 
during  normal  vehicle  operation  that  may  be 
needed  by trained  technicians  for  diagnostic  and 
repair  purposes.  The  recording  capability  of  these 
modules  is limited  to  data  (no  sound  is record
ed) . Only a  small  amount  of  data  is actually  re
corded  over  a very  limited  period  of  time,  or  stor
ed  when  a  system  fault  is  detected  by a  control 
module . Some  of  the data  stored  may  relate to 
vehicle  speed , direction , or  braking,  as  well as re
straint  system  use  and  performance  in the  event 
of  a  crash.  Stored  data  can  also  only  be  read  and 
downloaded  with  special  equipment  that  is  di
rectly  connected  to  the  vehicle. 
@ Tips 
Your  vehicle  may  be equipped  with  Audi  con
nect.  Your  use  of  certain  Audi  connect  fea
tures  requires  wireless  services  that  are  pro
vided  by a third  party  wireless  telecommuni
cations  provider.  For  details  regarding  how  in
formation  obtained  through Audi  connect  is 
collected,  processed,  transmitted,  used,  and 
shared,  please  see  your  contract  with  the 
wireless  telecommunications  provider  and  the 
"About  Audi  connect"  tab  in your  vehicle's 
MMI: 
I MENU ! button > Audi connect>  About 
Audi  connect.