AUDI Q7 2013 Owner´s Manual

Audi side assist Lane Change Assistant
Description
App lies to vehicles: with side assist
The side assist helps you when changing
lanes .
AUDl Q7
Fig. 147 Rear b umper: Pos it ion of radar sensors (not
v isib le on outside)
Fig . 148 Signal light on the outside mirror -driver 's
s ide
~ -..:, .. (D
Side assist uses radar sensors (not visib le on
outside) ¢
fig. 147 to help the driver check
b lind spots, and see what is happen ing in traf ­
fic beh ind the veh icle
¢ page 130, fig. 150.
Signal lights are bu ilt into both outside m ir­
r ors ¢
fig. 148. The signal light on the left
outside mirror assists when moving over into
the left lane and the signal light on the r igh t
ou tside mirror assists when moving over in to
the right lane .
The s ignal light comes on to tell you that side
assis t has detec ted a vehicle on tha t side and
that t he position of this othe r vehicle should
be taken into account if yo u were to change
lanes . This is called the
informatio nal st age
sign al¢
page 131. The informat ional stage
Aud i side assist 129
signal is designed so that you notice it on ly
when you are looking in the outside mirror.
When yo u activate the turn signal and side as ­
s ist de tects a vehicle in a no table location, the
corresponding signal on the outside mi rror
flashes briefly and brightly several times. This
is the
a lert stage signal ¢ page 131 .
Activating and deactivating
Applies to vehicles: wit h side assist
Fi g. 14 9 Drive r's doo r: Side assist button
Activating
.,. Press the ¢
fig. 149 button. The ind icator
on the b utton lights up.
Deactivating
.,. Press the button again. The indicator light
on the button goes out .
The system works at speeds faster than
19 mph (30 km/h) .
A WARNING
-Imp roper reliance on the side assist sys­
tem can cause collis ions and serio us pe r­
sonal injury:
- Never rely on ly on side assist when
changing lanes.
- Always check rear view mirrors to make
su re that it is safe to change lanes.
- Side assist canno t detect all veh icles un ­
de r all conditions- danger of accident!
- Side assist cannot detect vehicles in time
to a lert you w hen they app roac h from
behind at very hig h speed, or fall drop
back very qu ickly.
~

130 Audi side assist
-The radar sensor's vision can be reduced
or entirely blocked by rain, snow, and
heavy spray . This can result in side assist
not adequately detecting vehicles or, in
some cases, not detecting them at all.
Always keep an eye on the direction you
are traveling and the relevant area
around the vehicle.
- Please note that side assist indicates
there are approaching vehicles, or
vehicles in your blind spot, only after
your vehicle has reached a driving speed
of at least 19 mph (30 km/h).
- Side assist signal does not work around
tight corners (turning radius less than
328 feet, or 100 m).
- Side assist is no replacement for the driv­
er's full attention. The driver alone is re­
sponsible for lane changes and similar
driving maneuvers. Always keep an eye
on the direction you are traveling and the relevant area around the vehicle.
- To ensure that you do not adversely af­
fect side assist, do not block the area on
the rear bumper where the radar sensors
are located with foreign objects (such as
stickers or bicycle racks).
- Make sure that the signal light on the
outside mirror is not blocked by stickers
or other items.
(Di Tips
- Side assist automatically deactivates if it
detects that the radar sensors are
blocked ¢
page 135. The indicator light
on the button goes out .
- The area on the bumper where the radar
sensors are located must consistently re­
main free of snow, ice, and heavy soiling
so that side assist can function properly.
Follow the additional notes on
¢page 136.
-For vehicles with a factory installed tow­
ing hitch* or a trailer hitch* that was in­
stalled later according to factory specifi­
cations, side assist is automatically deac- tivated
as soon as the electrical connec­
tion to the trailer electrical socket is made
¢ page 135.
-For vehicles with a trailer hitch that was
not installed according to factory specifi­
cations, switch off the side assist when
towing a trailer .
- Additional tinting on the front side win­
dows can make it harder to see and cor­
rectly understand the signal light on the
outside mirror.
- For Declaration of Compliance to United
States FCC and Industry Canada regula­
tions¢
page 328.
Sensor detection area
Applies to vehicles: with side assist
-----··· .... ·--·--
@ / ,
--­
ill b''T -
Fig. 150 Sc hematic illustration: Sensor detectio n area
The detection ¢ fig. 150 of the radar sensor
detection area is made up of:
-
- the approach area (light red area) (D, about
230 feet (70 m) behind the vehicle, and
- the "blind spot" (dark red area) @.
The radar sensors cover the adjacent left and
right lanes. Other lanes are
not covered by the
radar sensors.
(D Tips
Side assist does not measure actual lane
width. The system assumes a fixed lane
width . Detection in the left and right lanes
is based on this assumed lane width.
When driving on narrow roads or when
driving to the left or right of the center of
a travel lane, it is possible that vehicles
will be detected that are
not in the lane

next to the lane you are using
¢page 135.
Operation
Applies to vehicles: with side assist
Side assist compares the distance and differ­
ence in speed of detected vehicles with the
speed of your vehicle . Whenever the differ­
ence in speed and d istance is registered as no­
table if you were to change lanes, a signal l ight appea rs on the respective mirror.
The signal can light up if you are passed by a
vehicle or if you are pass ing another vehicle.
If you pass another vehicle s lowly (difference
in speed less than 9 mph, or 15 km/h), the
signal light will come on as soon as the other
vehicle is in your blind spot and is detected by
side assist . When the difference in speed is
g reater, the signal light will not come on.
Informational and alert stage signals
Applies to vehicles: with side assist
Side assist has two signal stages:
- the informational stage signal, and
- the alert stage signal.
Side assist he lps you by using the appropriate
signal stage, depending on whether or not
you have activated the turn signal, and thus have indicated that you are or are not chang­
in g lanes .
Informational stage signal
As long as you have not activated the turn sig­
nal, side assist informs you of detected
vehicles that are registered as being in a nota­
b le location if you were to change lanes.
Whenever the detected vehicle's difference in speed and distance is registered by side assist
as notable, the signal light on the respective
mirror produces muted illuminat ion.
The br ightness of the informat ional stage sig ­
nal is designed not to be as intense, so that it
does not interfere with your view of the road
when yo u are driving and have no intention of
changing lanes. When you look i n the outside
Aud i side assist 131
mirror, you can clearly see the informational
stage signal.
Alert stage signal
When you activate the turn signal, and s ide
ass ist has detected a vehicle in a notable loca­
t ion on that part icular s ide, the signa l light on
this side mirror flashes brightly. The repeated
brief and bright flashing of the alert stage
signal reminds you to carefully check traffic to
the rear in the outside mirror and over your
shoulder, so that you can safely complete the lane change
¢ A in Safety tips on page 136 .
@ Tips
The brightness of the signal light on the
outside mirrors can be adjusted with the
MMI ¢page 134.
Driving situation: Fast approaching
vehicles
Applies to vehicles: with side assist
Fig. 151 Side assist : Fast app roaching vehicles
@ Signal on outside mirror does not light
up
No vehicle was detected by the sensors. The
signal on the outside mirror does not light up
¢ A in Safety tips on page 136. IJJ,,

132 Audi side assist
@ Informational stage signal lights up
A fast approaching veh icle - in the left-hand
l ane for examp le - was detected by the sen­
sors . Although this vehicle is sti ll far away, it
should be taken into account if you were to
change lanes, due to the considerable differ ­
ence in speed. The informational stage signal
on the outside m irror lights up
c::;, page 131.
@ Alert stage signal flashes
If you activate your turn signal in driving sit­
uation @, the signal briefly f lashes repeated­
ly. Side ass ist is alerting you to a veh icle that
you may not have noticed.
@ Tips
- The faster a vehicle approaches from the
rear, the sooner the signal on the outside
mirror lights up. Side assist will signa l,
at the latest, when a detected vehicle en­
ters your "blind spot" .
- When vehicles approach very quickly,
changing lanes can be dangerous even if
the signal on the outside mirror does not
light up.
Driving situation: Slowly approaching
vehicles
Applies to vehicles : wi th side assist
@
Fig. 152 Side assist: S low ly approac hing veh icles and
veh icles in yo ur blind spot
@ Signal on outside mirror does not light
up
A vehicle approaching slowly -in the left-hand
lane for example - was detec ted by the sen­
sors. Because of the small d ifference in speed
and the considerable distance from your vehi ­
cle, the signal on the outside mirror will not
light up
c::;, &. in Safety tips on page 136.
@ Informational stage signal lights up
The distance between your vehicle and that of
the slow ly approaching vehicle has narrowed .
The informationa l stage signal on the outside
mirror lights up.
As soon as the differe nce in speed and dis­
tance is registered as notable if you were to
change lanes, a signa l on the mirror lights up.
Side assist will signal at the latest when a de-
tected vehicle enters your "b lind spot". .,,.

@ Alert stage signal flashes
If you activate your turn signal in driving sit­
uation @, the signa l light briefly flashes re­
peatedly. Side assist is alerting you of a vehi­
cle that you may not have noticed .
@ Tips
-The faster a vehicle approaches from the
rear, the sooner the signa l on the outside
mirror lights up. Side assist will signa l,
at the latest, when a detected vehicle en­
ters your "blind spot".
- When vehicles approach very quickly,
changing lanes can be dangerous even if
the signal on the outside mirror does not
light up.
Driving situation: Vehicles dropping
back slowly
Applies to vehicles: with side assist
®
Fig . 153 Side assist: Vehicles dropp ing back s lowly
CD Signal on outs ide mirror does not light
up
The vehicle that you passed has not yet been
detected by side assist . The signal on the out­
side mirror does not light up
q .& in Safety
tips on page 136.
Audi side assist 133
@ Informational stage signal lights up
A vehicle dropping back slowly on the r ight
(difference in speed of less than 9 mph, or lS
km/h) has been detected by side assist. The
informational stage signa l on the outside mir­
ror lights up.
@ Alert stage signal flashes
If you activate yo ur turn signal in driving sit­
uation @, the signal briefly flashes repeated­
ly. Side assist is alerting you of a vehicle that
you may not have noticed.
Driving situation: Vehicles dropping
back quickly
Applies to vehicles: with side assist
®
Fig. 154 Side assist: Veh icles dropp ing back quickly
CD Signal on outside mirror does not light
up
T he vehicle just passed has not yet been de­
tected by side ass ist. The sign al on the out­
side mirror does not light up
q .& in Safety
tips on page 136 .
@ Signal on outside mirror does not light
up
The vehicle dropping back quickly on the right
( difference in speed of more than 9 mph, or
lS km/h) has been detected by side assist,
1J1>

134 Audi side assist
but is not considered notable in the event of a
lane change, because it is dropping back so
quickly. The signal on the outside mirror does not light up¢.&.
in Safety tips on page 136.
@ Signal on outside mirror does not light
up
If you activate your turn signal in driving sit­
uation @, the signal still does not light up on
the outside mirror¢.&.
in Safety tips on
page 136.
MMI settings
App lies to vehicles: with side assist
The basic brightness setting of the signal on
the outside mirror can be adjusted via the
MMI.
.. Select : ICARI function button> Systems*
control button > Audi side assist. Or
.. Select:
I CARI function button > Car sys­
tems*
control button > Driver assist > Audi
side assist.
The brightness of the signal light for both the
informational and alert stages is automatical ­
ly adjusted to ambient light conditions. In ad­
dition, you can adjust the
basic brightness
separately, via the brightness function.
While making the adjustment, the new brightness setting is displayed briefly . The
brightness displayed is that of the informa­
tional stage signal. The alert stage signal
brightness is linked to the informational stage
signal brightness.
The informational stage signal brightness
should be adjusted so that you notice the sig­
nal illumination when you look in the outside
mirror, but not when you look forward
through the windshield.
In very dark or light surroundings, the auto­
matic brightness setting adjusts signal light
brightness to maximum or minimum intensi­
ty, as needed. In circumstances such as these,
you may not notice any change in the bright­
ness on the outside mirror when adjusting the
basic brightness.
You may not notice the change until lighting
conditions are normal again.
(D Tips
- Side assist is not active when the basic
brightness is adjusted. The signal light
comes on briefly to help you make the
adjustment.
- Your settings are automatically stored
and assigned to the remote control key
being used.
· General information '
App lies to vehicles : wit h side assist
Side assist has limits and cannot detect
vehicles under all road and weather condi­
tions . Please remember system limitations
and never rely on the system, especially when:
- driving through curves¢
page 134,
-lanes are of different widths¢ page 135.
' When driving through curves
Applies to vehicles: wit h side assist
Side assist cannot detect vehicles in curves
with a turning radius of less than 328 feet
(100 m).
When driving through a curve, it is possible
that side assist may register a vehicle two
lanes over, and the signal on the outside mir­
ror will light up.

Lane width
Applies to vehicles: with side assist
-· Fig. 155 Lan es o f a norma l wid th a re in detect ion area
Fig . 156 Narrow lanes: Side ass ist may detect vehicles
two la nes away
Side assist's detection area is designed to cov­
e r l anes of standard w idth to the left and
r ight of your travel lane, depending on wheth­
er you dr ive in the center of your lane or closer
to the edge.
I f you drive in narrow lanes, s ide ass ist's de­
tec tion a rea may a lso incl ude other lanes -es­
pec ia lly if you tend to drive on the edge of
your lane
c:::> fig. 156 . Under these cond it ions,
ve hicles can also be detected that are two
lanes away, and side assist then could switch
between the informat ional and warn ing stage
signals.
When driving in very wide lanes, vehicles in
the adjacent lane may not be detected be ­
cause they are not inside the detection area.
Notes
Messages in instrument cluster display
Applies to vehicles: with side assist
If s ide ass ist t urns off automa tically, the ind i­
cator l igh t on the button wi ll go ou t and you
Aud i side assist 135
will see a message in the instrument cluster
display:
Audi side assist not available: sensors
bloc ked
The side assist sensors are built into the rear
bumper on the left and r ight (not visible on
the outside)
c:::> page 129, fig . 147. To ensure
that you do not adversely affect the way side
ass ist functions, foreign objects (such as stick­
ers or bicycle racks) should not be attached to
the area on the rear bumper where the sen­
sors a re located . If side ass ist functions are
adverse ly affec ted, you w ill see th is message
in the instrument cluster disp lay . Remove any­
th ing t hat may be blocking the sensors.
If no vehicle is detected for a longer per iod of
t ime wh ile dr iv ing, s ide ass ist w ill also switch
off automatically.
Audi s ide as sist cu rrentl y not available
If there is a temporary problem (such as the
vehicle 's battery charge be ing low), side assist
cannot be act ivated temporar ily .
Audi side assis t: sy stem fault
Have the system checked by an author ized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
Audi side assist not availabl e when
towing
The radar sensor's view is limited when tow­
ing a tra iler. For vehicles with a factory instal­
led tow ing hitch or a trailer hitch that was in­
stalled later according to facto ry specifica­
tions, s ide ass ist is automatically deact ivated
as soon as the ele ctrical connection to the
trailer's e lectrical socke t is made, and this sta­
tus message appears in the instrument clus­
ter display. Deactivation cannot be guaran ­
teed when using a retrofitted towing hitch
that was
not installed according to factory
specifications.

136 Audi side a ssis t
Safety tips
App lies to vehicles: wit h side ass ist
The s ide ass ist detect ion may be lim ited when
d riving around narrow street corners , on hilly
streets, and under poor weathe r cond itions.
It is poss ible that the radar sensors may also
detect other objects , such as high or stag­
gered guardra ils .
Side assist does not measure actual lane
width . The system assumes a fixed lane w idth .
Detection in the left and r ight lanes is based
on this assumed lane width . When driving on
na rrow roads or when driving to the left or
right of the center of a travel lane , it is possi ­
b le that vehicles will be detected that are
not
in the lane next to the lane you are using.
A WARNING
- Improper reliance on the s ide assist sys­
tem can cause collisions and serious per­
sonal injury :
- Never rely only on side assist when
changing lanes .
- Always check rear view mirrors to make
sure that it is safe to change lanes.
- Side ass ist cannot detect a ll vehicles un­
der all cond itions- danger of accident!
- Side ass ist cannot detect vehicles in time
to alert you when they approach from beh ind at very h igh speeds or drop back
very quick ly .
- T he radar sensor's
vision can be reduced
or entirely blocked by rain, snow, and
heavy spray. This can result in side assist
not adequately detecting vehicles or, in
some cases, not detecting them at a ll.
Always keep an eye on the direction you are traveling and the relevant area
around the vehicle .
- Please note that side assist indicates
there are approaching vehicles, or
vehicles in your blind spot, only after
your vehicle has reached a driving speed
of at least 19 mph (30 km/h). -
Side assist signa l does not work around
tight corners (turning radius less than
328 feet, or 100 m).
- Side assist is no replacement for the driv­
er 's full attention. The driver alone is re­
sponsible for lane changes and sim ilar
driving maneuvers. Always keep an eye
on the d irect ion you are traveling and the
re levant area around the vehicle.
(D Note
To ensure that side assist is not adversely
affected, you should not block the area on
the rear bumper where the radar sensors
are located with foreign objects (such as
with stickers or bi cycle racks).
(D Tips
If the pos itions of the radar sensors have
been changed as a result of a rear end-co l­
lision, for instance, have s ide assist
checked by an autho rized Aud i dealer for
safety reasons.

Automatic transmission
tiptronic ®
General information
Your vehicle is equipped with an electronically
controlled automatic transmission. Upshifting
and downshifting takes p lace
automatically.
The transmission is also equipped with tip­
tronic ®. It allows the driver to shift gears
manually if desired ¢ page 140.
Driving the automatic transmission
Fig. 157 Shift gate o n the center console : se lector lev ­
er with release button
Starting the engine
.. The selector lever must be in Nor P.
Starting off
.. Press and hold the brake pedal.
.. Press and hold the release button in these­
lector lever handle and move the selector
lever from
P or N to D and release the but­
ton ¢.&,. .
.. Wait briefly until the transmission has shift­
ed (you will feet a slight movement).
.. Remove your foot from the brake pedal and
accelerate.
Rocking back and forth to become
unstuck
.. Shift only between D and R when the vehi­
cle is at a full stop and the engine is running
at id le speed.
Autom atic transm ission 13 7
Stopping
.. Press and hold the brake pedal until the ve­
hicle has come to a complete stop.
.. Keep the brake pedal depressed so that the
vehicle cannot roll forward or backward
while it is idling
c> .&,. .
.. Once stopped,
do not depress the accelera­
tor pedal to rev up the engine
c> .&, .
Parking
.. Press and hold the brake peda l until the ve­
hicle has come to a comp lete stop.
.. Set the parking brake firmly
¢page 110,
Parking .
.. Press and hold the release button in these­
lector lever handle, move the selector lever
into
P and then let go of the release button
¢ .&,.
The selector lever must be in Nor P. If one of
the driving positions is engaged a safety
switch will p revent the eng ine from being
started . See also
<=>page 106.
Before you move the selector lever from the P
position, you must always apply the brake
pedal before and while depressing the button
in the handle of the selector lever.
A WARNING
-Unintended vehicle movement can cause
serious injury .
- When the se lector lever is in a driving
pos ition, the vehicle may creep, even at
i dle speed . Therefore do not release
the parking brake o r foot brake until
you are ready to move, because power
i s transmitted to the wheels as soon as
a driving position is engaged .
- Do not accelerate while selecting a
driving position. At this time the en­
gine must be at idle speed so that un­
due stress is not placed on the clutches
in the transmission .
- Remember: -even when stopped brief-
l y with the automatic transmission in
"D", "S" or "R", engine power is being
transmitted to the wheels. Your vehicle
~

138 Automatic transmi ssion
co uld "creep" forward or backward.
When stopped, keep the brake pedal
fully depressed and use the parking brake if necessary to keep the vehicle
from ro lling .
- If the selector lever is unintentionally
moved into N wh ile you are driving, take
yo ur foot off the accele rato r pedal and
wa it for the engine to return to idle
speed befo re selecting a d rivi ng position .
- Never shift into "R" or "P" when the vehi­
cle is in mot ion.
- Never get out of the dr iver 's seat when
the engine is runn ing .
- If you must get out of the vehicle, move
the se lector lever securely into the P po­
sit io n and apply the par king brake f irm ly.
- If the eng ine must remain ru nning, never
hav e any driv ing pos ition engaged when
c hec king under the hood . M ake sure t he
sele ctor lever has securely eng aged and
is locke d in "P" with the par king brake
firmly set ¢
page 255, Engine compart ­
ment .
Otherw ise, any increase in eng ine
speed may set the vehicle in m otion,
even w ith the par kin g brake applied.
Selector lever positions
This section describes the selector lever posi ­
tions and driving ranges.
F ig. 158 Display in t he in st rum en t cluste r: selecto r
lev er in po sit ion P
The inst rumen t cluste r display shows the c ur­
rent selector lever position .
P - Park
In this selector lever posi tion the transm is­
s ion is mechanica lly locked. Engage
P only
whe n the vehicle is
completely stopped¢&.
in Driving the automatic transmission on
page 137.
T o shift in or out of posit ion P , you mus t first
press and ho ld the brake pedal and then press
the re lease button in the selector leve r hand le
whi le moving the selector lever to or from
P .
You can shift out of th is position only with the
ignition o n.
R • Reverse
The transm iss ion w ill automatically select the
lowest gear ratio when you shift into reverse .
Se lect
R o nly when t he vehi cle is at a full stop
and the engine is running at idle speed¢&. in
Driving the automatic transmission on
page 137.
B efore you move the se lector lever to R , press
both the button in the hand le o f the se lecto r
lever and the brake pedal at the same t ime.
W hen the ignition is on, the bac kup light s illu­
minate w hen t he selec to r l ever is
moved in to
R .
N -Neutral
The transm iss io n is in neut ral in this pos it ion .
S hi ft to t his position fo r standing with the
brakes app lied
¢ page 139.
When the vehicle is stat iona ry or at speeds
below 3 mph (5 km/h) , you must always app ly
t h e foo tbrake before and wh ile mov ing the
l ever o ut o f
N.
D - Normal position for driving forward
Position D is for no rma l city and highway driv ­
ing . It ranges from zero to top speed and all
gears shift automatically , depend ing on en­
gine load, d riving speed and a utomat ically se­
l ected shift p rog rams.
When the vehicle is stat iona ry or at speeds
below 3 mph (5 km/h), you must always app ly
IJ,,