brakes AUDI A7 2018 Owners Manual

Table of contents
About this Owner's Manual. . . . . .
5
Cockpit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Cockpit overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Controls at a glance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Instruments and indicator lights 9
Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Indicato r lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1 0
Driver information system . . . . . . 20
Ove rview ....... ... .. ..... ... .. .. .. .
Operation . ........ .. ..... ... .. .. .. . 20
2 1
On-board computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Eff iciency program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
T ime/date display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
B oost, shifting and eng ine o il
temperature indicato rs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
H ead -up displ ay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
24
Starting and driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Opening and closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Cent ral lock ing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
L uggage compartment lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Chi ld safety loc k . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Power windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Sunroof. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Garage door opener (Homelink) . . . . . . . . 3 7
Lights and Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Exterior lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Interior lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
42
V1s1on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
W indshield w ipe rs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Seats and storage ............... . 47
Gene ral information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Fr ont seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
H ead restra ints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
M emory fu nction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
49
Ashtray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Cigarette lighter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 1
12
Volt sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
2
Warm and cold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Climate contro l system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Steering w heel heat ing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Driving ... .. .. .... .. ... .. ..... ... .. 6 4
Genera l information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Start ing and stopping the eng ine . . . . . . . 68
Start/Stop system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
E lectromechanical parking brake . . . . . . . 72
Start ing to drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
A utomat ic transmission 74
Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
D riving with a tra ile r 81
Driver assi stance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Assistance systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Speed warning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Cru ise cont ro l sys tem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 4
Lap timer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Audi adaptive cruise contro l . . . . . . . . . . . 87
Audi pre sense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Audi active lane assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Audi s ide ass ist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
N ight vision assist w ith pedestrian and
wild animal detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
102
Audi drive select (d rive setti ngs) . . . . . . . . 105
Parking systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Genera l information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Parking system plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Rearv iew camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 110
Per ipher al came ras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Adjus ting the d isp lay an d the warn ing
tones.. ... .. .. .... .. ... .. ..... ... ..
118
Error messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Trailer hitch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Intelligent Technology . . . . . . . . . . 12 0
Electronic stabilization control (ESC) . . . . 120
Brakes .... .. .. .. .. .. ............. .. 122
E lectromechanical steering, dynamic
steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
124
All wheel drive (quatt ro) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Rear spoiler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125

a co .... N
" N .... 0 00 \.J ' 1111 (USA models ) /. (Canada models) Stop
vehicle and check brake fluid level.
Stop the veh icle and check the brake fluid level.
See an authorized Aud i dealer or aut horized Aud i
Service Facility for assistance if necessary .
1111 (USA models ) /. (Canada models)
Brakes : malfun ction! Please stop vehicle safely
If the ABS indicator light fJl) (USA models) /
¢0) (Canada mode ls), the ESC indicator light Jj),
and the brake system ind icator light 1111 (USA
models)
I . (Canada mode ls) all turn on and
this message appears, then the ABS, ESC and
braking distribution are
malfunctioning ¢.&. .
Do not continue driving. See an authorized Aud i
deale r or autho rized Aud i Service Facility for as­
sistance
¢ .&. .
1111 (USA models ) /. (Canada models) Park­
ing brake : System fault! See owner's manual.
- If the indicator light and the message appear
when the vehicle is stationary or after switch­
ing the ignition on ,
check if you can release the
parking bra ke .
If you cannot release the park­
i ng bra ke, see an a utho rized Aud i deale r or au­
tho rized Aud i Serv ice Facility. If yo u can re lease
the parking brake and the message still ap ­
pears, see an authorized Audi dea ler or author­
ized Audi Service Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
- If the indicator light and message appear
while
driving ,
the hill start assist or emergency brak­
ing function may be malfunctioning. It may not
be poss ible to set the parking brake or release
it once it has been set . Do not park your veh icle
on hills . See an author ized Audi dealer or au­
tho rized Aud i Serv ice Facility fo r ass ista nce.
Applies to: USA models
If the 1111 and Ell turn on at the same t ime, the
brake pads are worn
out¢ page 16 .
A WARNING
-Read and follow the warn ings in
¢ page 193, Working in the engine com­
partment
before opening the hood and
checking the brake fluid leve l.
Instruments and indicator lights
-If the brake system indicator light does not
turn off or it turns on wh ile driving, the
brake flu id leve l in the reservoir is too low,
and this increases the risk of an accident .
Stop the vehicle and do not continue driv­
ing . See an authorized Aud i dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility for assistance.
- If the brake system indicator light turns on
together with the ABS and ESC indicator
lig hts, the ABS/ ESC regulat ing function may
be malfunctioning . Functions that stabilize
the vehicle are no longe r availab le. Thi s
could cause the vehicle to swerve, which in­
creases the risk that the vehicle will slide .
Do not cont inue driving. See an authorized
Aud i dealer or authorized Aud i Serv ice Facili­
ty for assistance.
PARK /(®) Electromechanical parking brake
If the -(USA models)/ . (Canada models)
i ndicator light turns on, the parking brake was
set .
-(USA models) /. (Canada models) Cau·
tion: Vehicle parked too steep
If the indicator light blinks and the message ap ­
pears, there is not enough braking power to se­
cure the vehicle. The brakes have overheated. The
vehicle could roll away even on a small incline.
-(USA models) /. (Canada models) Press
brake pedal to release parking brake
To release the parking brake, press th e brake
pedal and press
the~ button at the same time
or start driving with hill start
assist ¢ page 74.
El Parking brake!
There is a malfunct ion in the parking brake. Drive
to an a uthorized Aud i dealer or autho rized Aud i
Service Facility immediate ly to have the malfunc ­
t io n corrected.
(D Tips
For additional information on the parking
brake,
see¢ page 72.
13

Instruments and indicator lights
There is a system malfunction that can result in
restricted driving stability or reduced ground
clearance.
Drive to an autho rized Aud i dea ler or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunction corrected.
II Air suspension: Vehicle too low Ground
clearance reduced
The ground clearance is very low due to a system
malfunct io n. Wait until the air suspens ion sys­
tem has restored normal ground clearance. Ot h­
erw ise, condit ions such as an uneven road s urface
can lead to vehicle damage.
& Brake booster
u Brake servo: limited functionality. You can
continue driving. Contact workshop
There is a malfunction in the brake booster. The
brake booster is available, but its effectiveness is
reduced. Braking behavior may be different from
how it normally functions and the brake pedal
may v ibrate.
Drive to an authorized Audi dea ler or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
malfunction corrected.
f;.l fJ Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC)
If the bl indicator light blinks wh ile driving, the
ESC or ASR (Anti -Slip Regulation) is actively regu ­
lating .
If
the bl i ndicator light turns on, the system has
sw itched the ESC off. In this case, you can switch
the ignition off and then on to switch the ESC on
aga in . The indicator light turns off when the sys­
tem is funct ion ing fully.
If the
JI i ndicator light turns on, ESC was
sw itched off using the
I,; OFFI button
~ page 120 .
Stabilization control (ESC/ABS): Fault! See
owner's manual
If the bl indicator light and the ABS indicator
light
rJ] (USA models) / Ii] (Canada models)
turn on and this message appears, there is a ma l-
16
function in the ABS system or electronic differen ­
tia l lock. This also causes the ESC to malfunction.
The brakes still function with their normal power,
but ABS is not active.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
A WARNING
If the 1111 (USA models) ;II (Canada mod­
els) brake system indicator light turns on to­
gether with the ABS and ESC ind icator lights,
the ABS and ESC regulating function may
have malfunctioned . Funct ions that stabilize
the vehicle are no longer available. This co uld
cause the vehicle to swerve, which increases
the risk that the vehicle will slide. Drive care­
fu lly to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or
authorized Audi Service Facility and have the
malfunction corrected.
(D Tips
For additional information on ESC and ABS,
see
~page 120.
tlit !t Safety systems
The II (USA models)/ m (Canada models) indi ­
cator light monitors the safety systems.
If the
II (USA models)/ m (Canada mode ls) in­
dicator light turns on or blinks, there is a mal­
function in a safety system such as the airbag or
belt tensioner system.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
A WARNING
Have the malfunction in the safety systems
inspected immed iately. Otherwise, there is a
risk that the systems may not activate during
a collision, wh ich increases the risk of serious
injury or death .
(0} Brake pads
liJ Brake pads!
-

Drivin g
Driving
General information
Breaking in
A new vehicle must be broken in for the first 1,000 mi les (1,500 km). Do not dr ive at speeds
t hat will exceed 2/3 of the max imum pe rm itted
engine speed (RPM) for the first 600 miles
(1,000 km), and avoid fu ll acceleration during
this period . You may gradually start increasing
the RPM and the speed between 600 miles
(1,000 km) and 1,000 miles (1,500 km) .
During the first hours of use, the engine has a
higher internal friction than later on when all
moving parts have settled into place with each
other.
How the vehicle is driven d uring the first 1,000
miles (1 ,500 km) a lso affects the engine quality .
Drive at moderate engine speeds after the initial
break-in per iod, part icu larly when running a cold
eng ine . Th is will reduce eng ine wear and improve
the m ileage .
Do not drive at too
low of an engine speed (RPM).
Shift down if the engine stops running "smooth­ ly". Extremely high eng ine speeds are automati­
cally reduced .
Reducing the risk of vehicle damage
@ Note
When driving on poo r roads, by cu rbs and on
s teep ramps, make su re t hat low-hang ing
compone nts such as the spo ile r and exha ust
system do not come into contact with these
or they could be damaged. This especially ap ­
plies to vehicles with low ground clearance
and veh icles that are heavily loaded.
Warming up/cooling down
Applies to: Sand RS models
By warming up/cooling down the engine carefu l­
ly, you can help red uce unnecessary stra in o n
your veh icle when driving in a sporty sty le .
64
The eng ine speed is lim ited when the engine is
cold - the full engine output is not availab le.
When the engine is at operat ing temperatu re,
the engine speed limitation moves to a h igher
RPM range. A lso, cold t ires may not have fu ll
road gr ipping capab ilities until they have warmed
up .
Your vehicle a lso has an after-run cooling fea­
ture . However, cooling down is still important.
The eng ine and the brakes as well as the exhaust
system and the transmission become very hot
whe n driving in a spo rty style . Before you shut
t h e ve hicle off, you should cool down the vehicle
by d rivi ng a few miles at low speeds with l igh t ac ­
ce leration.
Driving through water on roads
Note the following to reduce the risk of vehicle
damag e when driving throug h water, for exampl e
on f looded roads:
- The water must not be any higher t han the bo t­
tom of the vehicle body.
- Do not dr ive faster tha n wal king speed .
& WARNING
After driving th ro ugh water or m ud, the effec ­
tiveness of the brakes may be red uce d due to
mo isture on the brake rotors and brake pads.
A few careful brake app lications shou ld dry
off the brakes and restore the full braking ef­
fect .
@ Note
-Vehicle components such as the engine,
t ransmiss ion, suspens ion or elect rical sys­
tem can be seve rely damaged by drivi ng
throug h water .
- Always switch the Start/Stop system* off
when driving through water
¢ page 70 .
(D Tips
- Determine the depth before driving throug h
water.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or
switch the engine off whe n driving through
water.

a co .... N
" N
-Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep for your vehicle to drive
through safely.
-Avoid driving through salt water, because
this can cause corrosion.
Economical and environmentally-friendly
driving
The amount of fuel consumption, the environ­
mental impact and the wear to the engine,
brakes and tires depends mostly on your driving
style. With an anticipatory and economic driving
style, fuel consumption can be reduced by ap­
proximately 10-15%. The following tips will help
you conserve the environment and your money at the same time.
Anticipatory driving
A vehicle uses the most fuel when accelerating.
When you drive with anticipation, you do not
need to brake as often and so you accelerate less.
When possible, let your vehicle coast with a
gear
engaged, for example, when you notice that the
next traffic light is red. This produces an engine
braking effect, which helps to protect the brakes
and tires and reduces the emissions and fuel con­
sumption to zero (fuel shut-off during decelera­
tion) .
Shift efficiently
Upshifting earlier is an effective way to save fuel.
Staying in a gear too long uses fuel unnecessari­
ly .
Press down on the accelerator pedal slowly and
avoid "kick-down".
Avoid full acceleration
You should rarely travel at the maximum vehicle
speed. High speeds cause a disproportionately
high increase in fuel consumption, emissions and
traffic noise. Slower driving saves fuel.
Reduce idling time
The Start/Stop system* helps to reduce the idling
time automatically. In vehicles without the Start/
8 Stop system*, it is efficient to switch the engine 00 \.J ' Driving
off when stopped at railroad crossings and long
red lights. Stopping the engine for 30-40 sec­
onds already saves more fuel than the amount of
extra fuel needed to restart the engine.
It takes a very long time in idle to warm the en­
gine up to operating temperature. Wear and
emissions are especially high in the warm-up
phase. Therefore, you should begin driving im­
mediately after starting the engine. Avoid high
RPMs while doing this .
Have maintenance performed regularly
By having maintenance performed regularly on
your vehicle, you can help to reduce fuel con­
sumption before you even start to drive. The maintenance condition of your vehicle not only
affects traffic safety and long-term value but al ­
so impacts
fuel consumption . A poorly main­
tained engine can lead to fuel consumption that
is 10% higher than normal.
Avoid short trips
The engine and emissions control system must
reach their optimal operating temperature to ef­
fectively reduce consumption and emissions .
A cold engine uses a disproportionately high amount of fuel. The engine reaches operating
temperature and consumption normalizes only
after approximately
2 .5 miles (4 km) .
Check the tire pressure
To save fuel, make sure the tires are always in­
flated to the correct pressure
Q page 215. The
fuel consumption can increase by S% if the pres­
sure is only 0.5 bar too low . Due to the increased
rolling resistance, low tire pressures will also
lead to greater tire
wear and will affect driving
behavior.
Do not drive on
winter tires year -round, as this
will consume up to 10% more fuel.
Eliminate unnecessary weight
Since every pound of extra weight increases fuel
consumption, a quick inspection of the luggage
compartment may be worth it to avoid unneces -
sary weight.
.,.
65

a co .... N
" N .... 0 00 \.J ' Stopping/parking
If t he se lecto r lever is not in t he P posi tion when
you open the driver 's door, the vehicle could rol l.
The message
V ehicle ma y roll! Selector le ver not
in P
appears . A warning tone will a lso sound .
.,. Press and hold the brake pedal¢.&_ .
.,. Set the parking brake.
.,. Se lect the P selector lever position.
Unde r ce rtain c ircumstances, s uch as dr iv ing in
the mountains, i t may be useful to switch tempo­
rari ly to the manua l shift program in order to
manually adjust the gears to the driving condi­
tions
¢ page 78.
On inclines, activate the park ing brake fi rst and
then move the selector lever to the P position
¢ page 72 . Th is prevents the locking mechanism
from being loaded too heavi ly and wi ll make it
eas ier to move the se lector lever out of the P po­
sition .
A WARNING
-The veh icle can roll even if the ignition is
switched off .
-Never leave your vehicle with the engine
runn ing wh ile in gear .
-Do not press the accelerator pedal when
changing the selector lever pos ition wh ile
the vehicle is stationary and the engine is
ru nning .
-
-Please note that a sma ll amount of power is
t ransmitted if the vehicle is stopped tempo­
ra rily while in t he D/S or R selector lever po ­
s iti on. To redu ce the r isk of an accident, yo u
mus t continue press ing firmly on the brake
peda l w hil e the vehicle is stopped so that it
does not roll.
-Never engage the R o r P se lec to r level posi­
tions while driving .
It could cause a crash.
-Be fore dr iv ing dow n a steep s lope, red uce
yo ur speed and shift in to a lower gear with
"ti ptro n i c" .
-Do not ride the brakes o r press the brake
peda l too often or too long w hen driving
down hill. Constant braking causes the
brakes to overheat and substantially re­
duces braking performance, increases brak-
Driving
ing distance or causes comp lete fai lure of
the brake system.
-If you m ust stop on an incline, a lways ho ld
the vehicle in place wit h the foot brake or
parking brake to prevent it from rolling
back .
-Never hold the vehicle on an incline with a
slipp ing clutch. The clutch opens automati­
cally when it becomes too hot from the
overload .
The@] indicator light turns on
a nd a message
appears~ page 79 when
the clutch is overloaded .
@ Note
-When stopping on an incl ine, do not try to
hold the ve hicle in place by pressing the ac­
celerator peda l wh ile a d riving gear is se­
lected. This ca n cause t he transmission to
over heat a nd can damage it. Se t the park ing
bra ke or p ress the brake pedal to p revent
t he vehicle from rolling.
-Allowing the vehicle to roll when t he engine
is stopped will damage the transmission be ­
cause it is not lubricated.
(D Tips
Fo r sa fety reasons, the park ing bra ke is re ­
l eased a utomatica lly on ly when t he driver 's
safety be lt is fastened.
Hill descent control
The hill descent control system assists the driver
when driving down hills .
Hill descent control is act ivated when the selec­
tor leve r is in the D or S position and yo u press
the brake peda l. The transmission a utomatica lly
selects a gear that is suitable for the hi ll. Hill de ­
scent control tries to maintain the speed ach ­
ieved at the time of braking, w ith in physical and
technical lim itations . If may still be necessary to
adjust the speed w ith the brake pedal.
Hi ll descent control switches off once the hill lev-
els out or you press the accelerator pedal.
.,..
77

Driving
On vehicles with a cruise control system*
¢ page 84, hill descent control is also activated
when the speed is set.
A WARNING
Hill descent control cannot overcome physical
limitations, so it may not be able to maintain
a constant speed under all condit ions. Always
be ready to apply the brakes.
Shifting manually (tiptronic mode)
The tiptronic mode allows the driver to shift the
gears manually.
)
r
Fig. 83 Center console : sh ifting manual ly w ith the se lector
l ever
F ig. 84 Stee ring wheel: shifting manually w ith t he s hift
paddles*
Shifting with the selector lever
You can shift into tiptronic mode while stationary
and while driv ing .
"To shift into tiptronic mode, push the selector
lever from the 0/5 sett ing to the right. As soon
as the transmission switches over, the
M selec­
tor lever position will appear in the instrument
cluster disp lay.
.. To sh ift up a gear, tap the se lector lever for­
ward
0 ¢ fig. 83.
78
" To shift down a gear, tap the selector lever back
o.
Shifting with the shift paddles*
You can operate the shift paddles in the 0/5 or M
selector lever positions.
" To shift up a gear, tap the shift paddle 0
¢ fig . 84 .
"To shift down a gear, tap the 0 shift paddle.
The transmission automatically shifts up or down before cr itical engine speed is reached .
Applies to: RS mo dels: when accelerating , the
transmission does
not automatically shift to the
next gear shortly before the maximum permitted
engine RPM is reached. Shift to the next highest
gear at the right time.
The transmission only allows manual shifting
when the engine speed is w ith in the permitted
range.
Kick-down
Kick -down enables maximum acceleration .
When you press the accelerator pedal down be­
yond the resistance point, the automatic trans­ mission downshifts into a lower gear, depending
on veh icle speed and engine RPM .
It shifts up in­
to the next higher gear once the maximum speci­
fied engine RPM is reached .
In tiptronic mode, the transmission does
not au­
tomat ically shift down into a lower gear . If you
must accelerate, for examp le to pass a vehicle,
you must shift manually .
A WARNING
-
Please note that the wheels could spin on
slick or slippery roads when kick-down is ac­
tive.
Overboost
Appl ies to : RS 7 Sportback pe rformance
The maximum engine torque is temporarily in­
creased in overboost . Overboost is activated
when nearing full throttle in the S position and
when the engine is at operating temperature.
II>

a co .... N
" N .... 0 00 \.J - Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your veh icle is primar ily intended for transport­
ing people and luggage. However, if you dr ive
with a trailer , follow the technical requirements,
the operation and driving tips, and the legal reg­
u lations.
Driving with a trailer affects the vehicle 's fuel
consumption, performance and wear. It also re­
quires highe r concentration from the driver.
A WARNING
Do not transport any people in a trailer due to
the risk of fatal injury.
Technical requirements
Certain requirements must be met when towing
a trailer.
Trailer hitch
Only use a trailer hitch with a removab le ball
hitch mount and ball hitch. The trailer hitch must
be perm itted for the vehicle, the trailer and the
permitted total weight of the trailer being
pu lled. Above all, it must be secure ly and safe ly
attached to the vehicle trailer.
Never mount a trailer hitch on the bumper. The
trailer hitch must be mounted in a way that does
not impair the function of the bumper. Do not
make any changes to the exhaust system and the
brake system.
Check regularly if the trailer hitch is securely
mounted. A lways follow the instructions given by
the trai ler hitch manufacturer .
Trailer brakes
If the tra iler has its own brake system, then fol­
l ow the manufacturer specifications. However,
the brake system on the trailer must never be
connected to the vehicle brake system.
Trailer towing
Engine cooling system
Driving with a trailer means a higher load on the
engine and the cooling system. The coo ling sys­
tem must be designed for additiona l load and
contain enough coo lant
i::> @ .
@ Note
Longer inclines cannot be driven without a
suitab le cooling system, especia lly if t he out­
side temperatures are high . otherwise, this
increases the risk of engine damage.
Operating instructions
Several things must be noted when towing a
trailer.
Towing capacity
Your vehicle can only be operated with class 1 or
class 2 trailers.
Load distribution
Poor cargo load and distribut ion can negatively
impact vehicle handling.
- Store objects preferably in the vehicle luggage
compartment . The vehicle should always carry
the heaviest poss ible load and the trailer
should have the lightest possible load.
- Distribute the load in the trailer so that the
heavy objects are as close to the axle as poss i­
b le.
- Secure objects from sl iding out of place .
- Ut ilize the maximum permitted tongue weight
if possible .
Tires
Set the tire pressure on your vehicle for a "full
load"; see the tire pressure sticker
c::>page 215.
If necessary, also adjust the tire pressure on the
trailer according to the manufacturer's recom­ mendat ion .
Winter tires should be mounted on the vehicle and on the trailer during winter temperatures.
Outside mirrors
If you cannot see the tra ffic behind the trailer
with the standard exterior mirrors, then you
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Trail er to wing
must attach additiona l exterior mirrors . Adjust
them so you have a sufficient visibility behind
you .
Exterior lighting
Follow the lega l regulat ions regard ing the light ­
ing eq uipment on your trailer . Conta ct an author ­
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty for more information.
Before start ing to drive, check a ll l ight ing equip­
men t on the hitc hed trailer.
The headlig ht range contro l adjusts automatical­
ly to the light range of the headl ights.
Safe ty chain s
Make sure the safety chains are correctly applied
when pulling a trailer . The chains should hang
enough so t hat the trailer can dr ive around
curves. However, they must not touch the
g round .
Air su spension
Applies to: vehicles with air suspension
The air suspension must be at the standard vehi­
cle height before you set the tongue weight on
the trailer a nd h itch the trailer ¢@ ,
¢page 107,
Raising/lowering the vehicle.
For ve hicles w ith a factory-installed tra iler hitch,
the air suspension trailer mode will automat ically
sw itch on if you connect the trailer cable to the
socket.
For ve hicles w ith a retrof itted trailer hitch, you
must switch on the air suspension trailer mode
manually . Select in the Infota inment system:
ICARI function button > ( Car )* s yste m s contro l
button
> V ehicle setting s > Air su spen sion : trail ­
e r > On .
Switch it off again after tow ing a tra ile r.
You can also switch off tra iler mode ma nually
while driving, for example, when using a bicycle rac k system .
If you have to drive through difficult road condi­
tions, you can raise the vehicle aga in after hitch­
ing the t rai ler or after adjust ing the tongue
weight .
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@ Note
Applies to: vehicles with air suspension
-Changes i n temperature or load can affect
the height of the vehicle .
- Set the air suspension to the standard veh i­
cle he ight, otherwise the applicable tongue
we ight no longer appl ies to your veh icle.
(D Tips
- Use chocks when park ing on inclines if the
trai ler is loaded.
- We recommend also hav ing the vehicle in­
spected between the inspection intervals if
you are towing a trailer frequently.
- Avoid driv ing with a trai ler dur ing the veh i­
cle break-in per iod.
Driving with a trailer
Driving with a trailer requires extra caution.
Sp eed
Adhere to t he lega l speed lim its . Fo llow the legal
regu lations
specific to the country.
As the speed increases, the dr iv ing stab il ity of
t h e tra ile r decreases. Therefore you should not
exceed the max imum lega l speed lim it w hen
t h ere are unfavorab le road, weather and/or wind
conditions. This especia lly applies when driving
downh ill.
Yo u m ust always red uce your speed as soon as
you notice even the slightest swinging motion o f
the trai ler . Never try to "straighten out" the trai l­
er by acce lerating.
The we ight d istr ibution is very poor if the vehicle
is empty and the trai ler is loaded. However if you
must drive under these circumstances, then drive
especially slowly .
Brakes
B rake in a time ly manner. Downs hift befo re dr iv ­
i ng down hill so that the engine can assist with
braking ¢&. .
When using a trailer w it h over run bra kes, fi rst
bra ke gently t hen q uick ly. This red uces the r isk of
j erking while braking if the trailer wheels lock up .
IIJJ,,

a co .... N
" N .... 0 00 \.J ' Engine coolant temperature
Pay att ention specifica lly to the coolan t tempera ­
t ure d isp lay when t here are high outside tempe r­
atures, an d when dr iv ing on long inclines
~ page 9 . Shift to a highe r gear in a timely man ­
ne r.
A WARNING
Constant b raking causes the brakes to ove r­
heat and substant ially reduces b raking per­
formance, increases brak ing distance or caus­
es complete fa ilu re of the brake system.
-
Trailer towing
83