instrument cluster AUDI Q7 2015 Owner´s Manual

142 Automatic tr an smis sion
- Never hold the veh icle on an incl ine with
a slipp ing clutch . The clutch opens auto­
matically when it becomes too hot from
the overload. An indicator lamp@] illu­
minates and a dr iver message appears
c!;> page 143 when the clutch is overload­
ed.
- If the engine must remain running, never
hav e any driving pos ition engaged when
che cking under the hood. Make sure the
selector lever has secure ly engaged and
is locked in P with the parking bra ke
firmly set¢
page 256. Otherwise, any
increase in engine speed may set the ve­
hicle in motion, even with the parking
brake applied.
(D Note
- When stopping on an incline, do not try
to hold the vehicle in place by pressing
the accelerator peda l while a driving gear
is selected. Th is can cause the transm is­
s io n to overheat and can damage it. Acti­
vate the park ing brake or p ress the brake
pedal to prevent the vehicle from ro lling .
- Allow ing the vehicle to roll when the en ­
gine is stopped and the selector lever is i n
N w ill damage the transmiss ion be­
cause it is no t lub rica ted under those c ir­
cumst ances.
Hill descent control
The hill d escent control system assists the
driver when driving down declines.
H ill desce nt co ntrol is activated when these­
lecto r lever is in D/S a nd you press the b rake
pedal. The tra nsmission a utomatically se lects
a gea r that is suitab le for the incline. Hill de­
scent control tries to maintain the speed ach­
i eved at the t ime of brak ing, within physical
a nd techn ica l limitations . It may st ill be nec­
essary to adjust the speed with the brakes.
H ill descent co ntrol sw it ches off once the de ­
cline levels out or you press t he accelerator
pedal. When the speed is set in the cruise con
trol
system
c!;> page 113, hill descent contro l is al­
so act ivated.
A WARNING
--
Hill descent control cannot overcome
physical lim itations, so it may not be ab le
to maintai n a co nstant speed under all
conditions . A lways be ready to apply the
b rakes .
· Manual shift program
Using the manual shift program you can
manually select gears.
Fig. 1 63 Center conso le: sh ift in g the gears m an ually
Fig . 1 64 St ee rin g whee l: S h ift paddle s•
Gear selection with selector lever
The tiptronic mode can be sel ected either w ith
the vehicle stat io na ry or on t he move.
.,. Push the se lector lever to the right from D.
An
M appears in the instrument cluster dis ­
play as soon as the transmission has shifted .
.,. To upshift, push the se lecto r lever forwa rd
t o the plu s position
0 c!;> fig. 163 .
.,. To downsh ift, pus h the lever to the min us
position
Q . 1J>-

M
"' 0 ..J
"". rl I.O
"' rl
"' rl
emphasis on comfort are selected in this
mode.
- Automatic lowering: When a speed of
about 75 mph (120 km/h) is exceeded for
more than 30 seconds, the vehicle is auto­
matically lowered by 0.6 inch (15 mm) to
low level .
-Automatic raising: The vehicle is automati­
ca lly raised to
normal level again, if the
speed falls below about 44 mph (70 km/h)
for a period of 2 minutes . The vehicle is
raised immediately when speed falls below
about 22 mph (35 km/h) .
Offroad
Select the offroad mode when you have to
travel over poor quality sections of road (e .g.
trails). In th is mode, the vehicle is raised to
high level 1, and damp ing characteristics for
poor road stretches are selected . When
sw itch ing to offroad mode , the Adaptive Air
Suspension indicato r appears automat ically in
the instrument cluster display¢
page 160.
The offroad mode can only be activated at
speeds below 37 mph (60 km/h) . Offroad
mode ends automatically and the automatic
mode is activated when a speed of approxi­
mately 50 mph (80 km/h) is exceeded.
Lift
Select the lift mode when except ionally high
ground clearance is needed at a reduced
speed. In this mode, the vehicle is raised to
high level 2. When switching to lift mode , the
Adaptive A ir Suspension indicator appears au­
tomatically in the instrument cluster display
¢ page 160.
The lift mode can be activated only at speeds
below 12 mph (20 km/h). When a speed of
about 25 mph (40 km/h) is exceeded, the sys­
tem automatically leaves lift mode and the
offroad mode is activated. The instrument
cluster display automat ically switches the dis­
play to Adaptive Air Suspens ion to indicate re­
duced ground clearance .
Adaptive Air Suspension 159
MMI settings
Applies to vehicles: wit h Adaptive A ir Suspension
Driving modes are adjusted in the MMI and
the current vehicle level is displayed .
Fig. 189 MMI Display: Sett ings
Fig. 190 MMI Display: Sett ings
Th e ign ition must be switched on to set the
driving modes.
1-Select: !CAR ! function button .
Raising and lowering
If the arrow (D ¢ fig. 189 is white or if the ar­
rows
(D blink ¢ fig. 190, the vehicle is being
raised .
If the arrow @i=>
fig. 189 is white or if the ar­
rows
(D point downward and blink ¢ fig. 190,
the vehicle is being lowered .
The respective arrow stays on/blinks until the
level change is complete . The time used for a
level change can vary, depending on the cur­
rent driving conditions .
Displaying the vehicle level
The c urrent vehicle level is shown with seg­
ments filled out in the segment display@. If
only the bottom segment is filled o ut, the ve-
hicle is at highway level. If all segments are
IJJ>-

160 Adapti ve Air Su spen sion
filled out, the vehicle is at high level 2 and has
the greatest amount of ground clearance pos­
sib le.
While the vehicle is being raised or lowered,
the target level is indicated by an arrow@
c::> fig. 189 or a white border @ c::> fig. 190 . The
arrow/border disappears aga in when the vehi­
cle is at the target level.
Limitations to MMI setting s
Please note that not eve ry dr iving mode can
be selected in every driving situation . For ex­
ample, it is not possible to switch to "lift"
mode at speeds above 12 mph (20 km/h) .
This mode is then shown
greyed out in the
MMI Display .
The vehicle can only be lowered when
a ll of
the vehicle's doors are closed. If one door is
open, all driving modes whose level sett ing is
belo w the current vehicle level appear
greyed
out
i n the MMI Display . If a door is opened
while the vehicle is being lowered, the lower­ ing process is interrupted until all doors are
closed again .
If the system is temporar ily unava ilable due
to, for instance, an empty compressed air
tank, the driving modes that cannot be set ap­ pear
greyed out in the MM I Disp lay. As soon
as the system is available again, the driv ing
modes can once more be selected in the dis­
p lay .
(D} Tips
- Fo r addition al in format ion on the driv ing
modes
c::> page 157, Chassis controls.
- When the compressed air tank is empty,
the compressor can be switched on by
starting the engine . The Adaptive Air
Suspension is once again available, after
waiting a few minutes.
- To prevent over load, the system switches
off tempera rily if several adj ustments
are made in a row. The Adaptive Air Sus­
pension is once again available, after
waiting a few minutes. Appearance in the instrument cluster
display
Applies to veh
icles: w ith Adapt ive A ir Suspens ion
You can view th e current vehicle l evel in the
instrument cluster display.
Fi g. 1 91 Display: Adapt ive Air Suspensio n
Fig . 1 92 Disp lay: Adapt ive A ir Susp ensio n
Repeated, brief tapping of the I RESET ! button
on the windshield wiper lever allows you to
se lect whether information concerning the
trip computer, digital tachometer, nav igat ion*
or "Adapt ive Air Suspension" is to appear in
the instrument cluster d isp lay .
Display of the Adaptive Air Suspension is auto­
matic when the offroad or lift mode is select­
ed, or when the vehicle is automatically low­
ered in lift mode .
Rai sing and lowe ring
If arrow
(J) is white c::> fig. 191 or c::> fig . 192,
the vehicle is raised.
If arrow @is
white, the vehicle is lowered .
The respective arrow stays on until the level c hange is complete. The time requ ired for a
level change can vary, depending on the cur-
ren t drivi ng conditions . ..,_

M N
0 ...J
'SI: ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
Displaying the vehicle level
The current vehicle leve l is shown with seg­
ments fi lled out in the segment disp lay @. If
on ly the bottom segment is filled out, the ve­
hicle is at highway leve l. If all segments are
fi lled out, the vehicle is at high level 2 and has
the greatest amount of ground clearance pos­
sible.
While the vehicle is being raised or lowered,
the target level is indicated by an arrow @
¢
fig. 191 or a white border @¢ fig. 192. The
arrow/border disappears aga in when the vehi­
cle is at the target level.
Jacking mode when changing a flat tire
Applies to vehicles: with Adaptive Air Suspension
This mode must be activated in the MMI be­
fore raising the vehicle with a jack or on a ve­
hicle lift.
.,. Select: ICARI funct ion button> ! SETUP I func­
t ion button >
Jacking mode. Or
.,. Select:
I CARI funct ion button > Car systems*
control button > Servicing & checks > Air
susp.: tire change .
The vehicle jack mode must be activated be­
fore changing a wheel so that the automatic
control processes fo r the a ir suspension do
not make lift ing with the vehicle jack more dif­
ficult.
The check lamp
II i n the instrument cluster
d isp lay illuminates in vehicle jack mode.
0) Tips
The vehicle jack mode is switched off auto­
mat ically at speeds above 9 mph (15 km/
h).
Towing a trailer
Appl ies to vehicles: with towing hitch and Adaptive Air
Suspension
Automatic lowering is not desirable when
towing a trailer.
.,. Se lect: ICAR I function button> !SETUP I func­
tion button >
Towing mode . Or
Adaptive A ir Suspension 161
.,. Select: !CAR I function button > Car systems*
contro l button > Vehicle settings > Air
susp.: towing .
As long as towing mode is activated, a vehicle
with a trai ler appears in the
adaptive air sus­
pension
main menu.
Level Adjustment when towing a trailer
- Before hitching up the trailer and before ad­
jus ting the tongue weight at the trailer, the
automatic or comfort mode
must be select ­
ed so that the ve hicle can be at normal level
¢ page 159, MMI settings.
-If driving in dynamic mode is desired, this
mode
must be selected before hitching up
the trailer and before adjusting the tongue
weight. However, note that your vehicle is lowered and ground clearance is reduced.
- If you have to dr ive under difficult road con­
ditions, you can select offroad or lift mode,
after hitch ing up the trailer or after adjust­
ing the tongue weight.
- If the veh icle is at
normal level, and you se­
lect offroad mode wh ile traveling at speeds
higher than 22 mph (35 km/h), the veh icle
w ill not be ra ised. Offroad mode will appear
as the active mode in the MMI Display.
- If the veh icle is in offroad mode at
high level
1 ,
it automatically lowers to normal level
when the ve hicl e is t ravel ing at speeds ex­
ceeding approximately 31 mph (SO km/h).
The vehicle is automatically raised to
high
level 1
again when the traveling speed falls
be low approximately 25 mph (40 km/h).
Restrictions when operating with a trailer
When operating w ith a tra iler, the lift mode
can only be selected up to about 12 mph (20
km/h). Lift mode is automatically cance led
again when a speed of about 25 mph (40 km/
h) is exceeded.
If the vehicle is in automatic, comfort, offroad
or lift mode before the trai ler towing mode is
activated, the dynamic mode cannot be acti­
vated.
If the vehicle is in dynamic mode before tow-
ing operation is activated, it can be driven in
IJI,-

184 Airbag sys tem
Child restraints on the front seat - some
important things to know
• Be sure to read the important information
and heed the WARNINGS for important de­
ta ils about ch ildren and Advanced Airbags
i=> page 203.
Even though your vehicle is equipped with an
Advanced Airbag System, make certain that
all children, especially those 12 years and
younger, a lways ride in the back seat properly
restra ined for their age and size. The airbag
on the passenger side makes the front seat a potentially dangerous place for a child to r ide .
The front seat is not the safest place fo r a
chi ld in a fo rward-facing chi ld safety seat. It
can be a very dangerous place for a n infan t or
a child in a rearward -facing seat.
The Advanced Airbag System i n your veh icle
has been certified to comply with the require­
men ts of United States Federa l Mo to r Veh icle
Safety Standard 208 as applicable at the time
your ve hicle was manufact ured.
The Standa rd requires the fron t air bag on t he
passenger side to be turned off ("sup­
p ressed") if a ch ild up to about one yea r of
age restrained in one of the rear-facing or for­
ward-facing infant restraints listed in Federal
Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208 with which
the Advanced A irbag System in your vehicle
was certified has been installed on the front passenger seat . For a listing of the child re ­
straints that we re used to certify compliance
with the US Safety Sta ndard
c> page 205.
The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light in the in­
strument panel tells you when the front Ad­
vanced A irbag on the passenger side has been
turned off by t he e lectronic control unit.
Each t ime you tur n on the ignition, the
PAS ­
SENGER AIR BAG OFF
li ght will come on for a
few seconds a nd:
- will stay on if the front passenger seat is not
occupied
- will stay on if there is a small child or child
restraint on the front passenger seat -
w ill go off i f the front passenger seat is oc ­
cupied by an adult as registere d by the
weight -sensing mat
r::!) page 193, Monitor­
ing the Advanced Airbag System.
T he PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on
when the control unit detects a tota l weight
on the front passenger seat that req uires the
front a irbag to be turned off .
If the total weight on the front passenge r
seat is more than that of a typica l 1 year -old
c hi ld b ut less than the weight of a small
adult, the front airbag on the passenger side
can deploy (the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
li ght does not come on). If the PASSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on, the
front a irbag on the passenger side has not
been turned off by the elect ronic con trol unit
and can deploy if the control uni t se nses an
impact that meets the cond itions stored in its
memory .
For exampl e, the airbag may deploy if:
- a small ch ild that is heav ie r th an a typical 1
year-old ch ild is on the front passenger seat
( r egard less of whethe r the child is in one of
the child safety seats listed
r::!) page 205), or
- a child who has outgrown ch ild restraints is
on t he front passenger seat.
If the front passenger airbag is turned off, the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes on in
the instrument cluster and stays on.
The front airbag on the passenger side may
not deploy (the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
li ght does not illum inate and stay lit) even if a
small ad ult o r teenager, or a passenger who is
not sitt ing up rig ht w ith their back against a
non- re cli ned ba ck res t w it h thei r feet on the
vehicle floor in front of the sea t is on the front
passenge r seat
c::> page 164, Proper sea ting
position for the driver.
If t he fron t passenger a irbag dep loys, the
F ede ra l St andard req uires the airbag to meet
the "low risk" dep loyment criteria to red uce
the risk of injury t hro ugh interactio n wit h the
airbag. "Low risk" dep loyment occ urs in those
crashes that take place at lower dece lerat ions ..,_

M N
0 ...J
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
-Always make sure the forward-facing
seat has been des igned and certified by
its manufacturer for use on a front seat
with a passenger front and side airbag .
- Never put the forward-facing child re­
straint up aga inst or very near the instru­
ment panel.
- Always move the passenger seat into its
rearmost position in the seat's fore and
aft adjustment range, as far away from
the a irbag as poss ible, before insta lling
the fo rward -facing child restraint . T he
b ack res t m ust be adjus ted to an upr igh t
posit ion.
- Make su re that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and s tay s on all the
t ime w henever the i gnition is switched
on .
Advanced Airbag System components
The front passenger seat in your vehicle has a
l ot of very important parts of the Advanced
Airbag System in it. These parts include the
weight-sens ing mat, sensors, wiring, brack­
ets, and more . The function of the system in
the front passenger seat is checked by the
e lectronic control un it when the ignit ion is on .
The control un it mon itors the Advanced Air ­
bag Sys tem and turn s the a irbag i ndica tor
light on when a ma lfunction in t he system
components is detected . The function of the
airbag indicator light is described in greater
deta il below. Because the front passenger
seat contains important parts of the Ad­
va nced A irbag System, you must take care to
prevent it from being damaged . Damage to
the seat may p revent the Advanced A irbag for
the front passenger seat from doing its job in
a crash .
The front Advanced Airb ag System
consists of the following:
- Crash senso rs in the front of the veh icle that
measu re ve hicle accelera tion/decele ra ti on
to provide info rm ation to the Advanced Air ­
bag System abo ut the severity of the crash.
A irbag system 189
-An elect ron ic cont ro l unit, with integrated
crash sensors for front and side impacts .
The control un it "decides" whether to f ire
the front a irbags based on the informat ion
received from the crash sensors. The control
unit also "decides" whether the safety belt
prete nsione rs shou ld be act iva ted.
- An Advanced A irbag w it h gas generator for
the driver inside the steering wheel hub .
- An Advanced A irbag w ith gas generator in­
side the instrument pa nel for the front pas­
senge r.
- A weight-sensing mat under the upholstery
padding of the front passenge r seat cushion
that measures the to tal weight o n the seat.
The informat ion reg iste red is sent continu­
ously to the elect roni c con trol u nit to regu­
la te deployment of the front Adv anced Air­
bag on the passenger side .
- An airbag moni tori ng sys tem and ind ic a tor
light in the instr ument cluster
q page 193.
- The PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF ligh t comes
on and st ays on in the cen ter o f th e ins tru­
ment panel
q page 193, fig . 211 and tells
you whe n the front Advanced Airbag on the
passenger side has been tu rned
off .
-A sensor below the safety be lt latch fo r the
front seat passenger to meas ure the tension
on the safety be lt . The tension on the safety
be lt and the weight registered by the
weight-sensi ng mat he lp the control unit
"decide" whether the front a irbag for the
front passenge r seat should be turned
off or
not
q pag e 184, Child restraints on the
front seat -some important things to
know.
- A senso r in the safety be lt latch fo r the d riv­
er a nd fo r the fro nt sea t passenger tha t
senses w hethe r that safe ty belt is latche d or
no t and transmi ts this informa tion to the
electronic contro l unit.
.&_ WARNING
Damage to the front passenger seat can
prevent the front airbag from work ing
properly .
-
•
•

M N
0 ...J
'SI: ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
-accessory seat covers or cushions or other
things that may cause an incorrect reading
or impression on the weight-sens ing mat
under the upholstery of the seat have been
removed from the front passenger seat,
- a safety belt extender has not been left in
the safety belt latch for the front passenger
seat.
In addition to the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light in the center of the instrument panel,
the message
PASS ENGER AIR BA G OFF or
PAS SENGER AIR B AG ON will briefly appear
in the instrument cluster display . Th is is to in­
form the driver of the current front passenger
a ir bag status .
Important safety instructions on
monitoring the Advanced Airbag System
A WARNING
An airbag system that is not funct ioning
properly cannot provide supplemental pro­
tection in a frontal crash .
- If the airbag indicator l ight
c> page 16
comes when the vehicle is be ing used,
have the system inspected immediately
by you r autho rized Aud i dea ler. It is pos­
sible that the a irbag will inflate when it
is not supposed to, or w ill not inflate
when it sho uld .
A WARNING
If the front airbag inflates , a ch ild without
a child restraint, or in a rearward-facing
child safety seat, or in a forward-facing
child restraint that has not been properly
installed will be serious ly inju red and can
be killed.
- Even though your veh icle is equipped
with an Advanced Airbag System, make certain that al l children, especially 12
years and younge r, a lways rid e on the
back seat properly restr ained fo r their
age and size.
- Always install forward or rea r-facing
c hild safety seats on the rear se at - even
with an Advanced Airbag System.
A irbag sys tem 195
-If you must install a rearward-facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circumstan­
ces and the
PASS ENG ER AIR BAG OFF
light does not appear and stay on, imme­
diate ly install the rear-facing child safety
seat in a rea r seat ing pos ition and have
the airbag system inspe cted by your au­
thorized A udi dealer.
- A t ight tether or other strap on a rea r­
ward- facing child rest raint attached to
the front passenger seat can p ut too
m uch pressure on the weight-sensing
mat in the seat and registe r more weight
than is actually on the seat. The heavier
weight registered can make the system
work as though an adult were on the seat
and deploy the Advanced Airbag when it
must be suppressed causing ser ious or
even fata l injury to the ch ild.
- If, in exceptiona l circumstances, you
must install a forward-fac ing ch ild re­
straint on the front passenger seat, al­
ways move the sea t into its rearmost po­
sition in the seat's fore and aft adjust­
ment range, as far away from the airbag
as possible . The backrest must be adjust­
ed to an upright pos ition. Make sure that
the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
comes on and stays on all the time when­
ever the ignit ion is switched on.
A WARNING
...---
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not go out when an adult is sitting
on the front passenger sea t after taking
the steps described above, make su re the
adu lt is prope rly seated and restr ained at
one o f the rear seat ing pos itions.
- Have the airbag system inspe cted by
your author ized Audi dealer befo re trans­
porting anyone on the front passenger
seat.
(D Tips
If the weight-sensing mat in the front pas­
senger seat detects an empty sea t, the
front airbag on the passenger side wi ll be ..,.
•
•

M N
0 ...J
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
Intelligent technology Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Da­
ta Recorder (EDR), installed by some manu­
facturers for the express purpose of capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or crash
event. EDRs are sometimes called "crash re­
corders".
Some state laws restrict the retr ieval or down­
loading of data stored by EDRs that were in­
stalled in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash
event without the owner's consent.
Although your vehicle is not equipped with an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of electron­
ic control modules for various vehicle systems
such as, for example, engine function, emis­
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts.
These electronic control modules also record
vehicle-related data during norma l vehicle op­
eration for diagnostic and repair purposes.
The recording capacity of the electronic con­
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re­
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac­
tually recorded over a very limited period of
time and stored when a system fault or other
condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of
the data then stored may relate to vehicle
speed, direction, braking as we ll as restraint
system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only be read and downloaded with special equip­
ment.
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
The Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) rein­
forces driver safety. It reduces the risk of slip ­
ping and improves driving stability. ESC de­
tects critical s ituations such as the vehicle
Intelligent technology 223
oversteering and understeering or the whee ls
spinning . The vehicle is stabilized by applying
the brakes or reducing eng ine torque . Once
the ESC is active, the indicator light
GI blinks
in the instrument cluster.
The following systems are integrated in the
ESC:
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up
when brak ing. The vehicle can sti ll be steered
even during hard braking. Apply steady pres­
sure to the brake peda l. Do not pump the ped­
al. A pulsing in the brake pedal indicates that
the system is helping you to brake the vehicle.
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease braking
distance.
It increases braking power when the
driver presses the brake peda l quickly in emer­
gency situations. You must press and hold the
brake pedal until the situation is over. In
vehicles with adaptive cruise control*, the
brake assist system is more sensitive if the
distance detected to the vehicle ahead is too
small.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR reduces engine power when the drive
wheels begin to spin and adapts the force to
the road conditions. This makes it easier to
start, accelerate and dr ive up hi lls.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The EDL brakes wheels that are spinning and
transfers the drive power to the other wheels.
This function is not available at higher speeds .
In extreme cases, EDL automatically switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked wheel
from overheating. EDL will switch on again au­
tomatically when conditions have returned to
normal.
A WARNING
- The ESC and its integrated systems can­
not overcome the laws of physics. This is
especially important on slippery or wet
~
•
•

228 Intelligent technology
will have no warning from a sudden in­
crease in engine speed as with a front­
wheel drive vehicle. Always drive at speeds wh ich are suited to the road con­
ditions -risk of crash.
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
Energy management controls the distribution
of electrical energy and thus optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting
the engine.
I f a vehicle with a conventional energy system
is not driven for a long period of time, the bat­
tery is discharged by idling current consumers
(e.g. immobilizer) . In certain circumstances it
can result in there being insufficient energy
available to start the engine.
I ntelligent energy management in your vehi­
cle handles the distribution of electrical ener­
gy . Starting ability is markedly improved and
the life of the battery is extended.
Basically , energy management consists o f
battery diagnosis, idling current manage­
ment
and dynamic energy management.
Battery diagnosis
Battery diagnosis continuously determines
the state of the battery. Sensors determine
battery vo ltage, battery current and battery
temperature. This determines the current
state of charge and the power of the battery.
Idling current management
I dling current management reduces energy
consumption while the vehicle is standing.
With the ignition switched off, it contro ls the
energy supply to the various e lectrica l compo­
nents. Data from battery diagnosis is consid­
ered.
Depending on the battery's state of charge,
individual consumers are gradually turned off
to prevent excessive discharge of the battery
and thus ma intain starting capability.
Dynamic energy management
While the vehicle is being driven, dynamic en­
ergy management distributes the energy gen ­
erated according to the needs of the individu­
al components.
It regulates consumption, so
that more electrical energy is not being used
than is being generated and ensures an opti­
mal state of charge for the battery.
(!) Tips
- But even energy management cannot
negate the limits of physics. Consider
that the power and life of a battery are
limited.
- If start ing ability is threatened, you are
informed by a warning
¢ page 229,
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display.
What you should know
The highest priority is given to maintaining
starting capability.
The battery is severely taxed in short-distance
driv ing, in city traffic and during the cold time
of year. Abundant electrical energy is re­
quired, but only a little is generated . It is also
critical if the engine is not running and electri ­
cal components are turned on. In this in­
stance energy is being consumed but none is
being generated.
It i s in precise ly these s ituations that you will
notice energy management actively regu lat­
ing the distribution of energy.
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, e lectr ica l compo­
nents are gradually cut back or sw itched off.
T his reduces energy consumption and ma in­
ta ins starting capability over a longer period.
T ake into consideration that when you unlock
your vehicle, some convenience functions,
such as the interior lights or the power seat
adjustment, may not be availab le. The con­
venience functions will be availab le again

M N
0 ..J
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
when you turn on the ignition and start the
engine.
With the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for example, with
the engine turned off or use other MMI func­
tions, the battery is being d ischa rged.
I f starting capability is jeopardized due to en­
e rgy consumpt ion, the following warning ap­
pears in the MMI display:
Please start engine, otherwise system will
switch off in 3 minutes.
The warning ind icates that the system will be
turned off automatically after 3 minutes. If
you wish to cont inue using the functions, you
have to start the engine.
With the engine running
Although electrical energy is generated when
the vehicle is be ing driven, the battery can be­
come discharged . Th is happens mostly when
little energy is be ing generated and a great
deal consumed and the battery's state of
charge is not optimal.
To br ing the energy balance back into equili ­
brium, consumers which require especially
l arge amounts of energy are temporarily cut
back or swit ched off. Heating systems in par­
t icular requ ire a great deal of energy.
If you
notice, for example, that the heated seats* or
the heated rear window are not heating, they
have been temporari ly cut back or switched
off. These systems will be avai lab le again as
soon as the energy balance has been restored.
You will a lso notice that engine idle speed has
been increased slightly . This is norma l and not
a cause for concern . By increasing engine idle
speed the add itiona l energy required is gener­
ated and the battery is charged.
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display
If battery power drops into the range where it
can limit the ability of the engine to start, this
Intelligent technology 229
is shown in the instrument cluster display
with the following driver message:
(•) I.ow battery charge: battery will be
charged while driving
T h is not ificat ion reminds you that the start ing
capability of the engine may be limited. As
soon as you start driv in g again, the battery
will be recharged and the not ific at ion w ill go
out.
Driver notification appears and goes out
again
If t his driver notification appears after the ig­
nition is tu rned on or whi le driving and it goes
out again after a while, the battery has been
adequately recharged.
Driver notification appears and does not
go out again
If this driver notification appears after the ig­
nition is turned on or whi le driving and does
not go out again, the battery's state of charge
is not in the optimal range. Starting ab ility is
restricted . Have the battery checked as soon
as possible by an authorized Aud i dealer or
qualified workshop.
•
•