air suspension AUDI RS7 SPORTBACK 2015 Owners Manual
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: AUDI, Model Year: 2015, Model line: RS7 SPORTBACK, Model: AUDI RS7 SPORTBACK 2015Pages: 302, PDF Size: 74.76 MB
Page 14 of 302

12 Instrum ent s and w arn ing /indic ato r light s
in serious persona l injury or vehicle
damage.
- Whenever sta lled or stopped for repair,
move the vehicle a safe distance off the
road, stop the engine, and turn on the
emergency flasher
¢ page 45.
- The engine compartment of any motor vehicle is a potentially hazardous area.
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, stop the engine and let it
cool down. Always exercise extreme cau
t ion when wor king under the hood
¢page 211.
Overview
Some ind icator lights tu rn o n briefly to check
the function of that system when yo u switch
the ignition on. These systems are marked
with a ./ in the fo llowing tab les. If one of
these ind icator lights does not turn on, there
is a malfunction in that system .
Red ind icator light s
-------------
USA mo del s:
Brake malfunct ion ./
¢page 14
Safety belt
¢page 16
Electromechanical steering ./
¢page 192
Electronic steering column lock
¢page 17
Engine start system
¢page 17
Centra l indicator light
¢ page 18
USA model s: Speed warning
sys tem
¢ page 78
Canada models : Speed warning
system
¢ page 78
Adaptive cruise control *./
¢page83
Air suspension *
¢page 17
Pedestr ian warning*
~ page 99
Rear spoiler
¢page 190
Canad a mod els :
Brake malfunction ./
¢page 14
Yello w ind ic a to r lights
U SA mo dels:
El ectromechanical pa rking
brake
¢ page 15
Canada model s:
Electromechanical parking
brake
¢ page 15
Engine cooling system
¢page 15
Engine oil pressure
¢page 16
Engine oil leve l
¢page 17
Battery
¢page 16
-------------
USA m odels: Safety sy stems
¢ page 18
Canada mod els: Safety systems
¢ page 18
Electronic Stabilization Control
(ESC) ./
¢page 18
Electronic Stabilization Control
(ESC) ./
¢page 18
Electronic Stabilization Cont ro l
(ESC) ./
¢page 187
USA m odel s:
Ant i- lock bra king system (ABS)
de fect ive ./
¢page 18 ..,.
Page 19 of 302

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Instruments and warning/indicator lights 17
level warning a. By then, your engine
may already have suffered serious dam
age.
!::. , Engine oil level
• WARNING: Please add oil immediately
If the indicator lig ht and the driver message
ap pear , add eng ine oi l immediately
¢page 213.
Ill Add oil , max. x qt (l). You may continue
driving
Wh en the sy mbol and t he dr ive r m essage ap
pea r, a dd t he am oun t of oil a pp ear ing in t he
d is pl ay at the ne xt opport uni ty
¢ page 213.
~ - Steering column lock
• Do not drive vehicle: Steering defective
If the ind ic a to r lig ht tur ns on and t he mes
sage ap pears, the re is an ele ct ro nic steer ing
col umn loc k ma lf u nction. You ca nnot switch
the ign ition on.
D o
not to w y our ve hicle bec ause it c annot be
steere d. Seek pro fes sional assistance.
Ill Steering lock: system fault. P lease con
tact dealer
If the i ndicator lig ht tu rns on and the mes
sage ap pears, the re is a n elect ro nic s teer ing
col umn loc k ma lfunction .
Drive to yo ur authorized Audi dea ler immedi
ately to have the malfunction cor rected.
A WARNING
Y our veh icle mus t not be towed in the
eve nt of a malfun ct ion in th e ele ctron ic
s teeri ng colu mn lock becau se i t ca nno t be
steered due t o the l ocked s tee ring. If it is
t owed w ith the stee ring loc ked, there is
the risk of an accident .
©-. Engine start system
• Engine sta rt system fault. Please contact
dealer
I f the indica tor ligh t turns on and the mes
sage a ppears , do
not switch the ign ition off
because you may not be ab le to sw itch it on
again.
Drive to your authori zed A udi dealer immedi
ate ly to have the ma lfunction corrected .
Ill Engine start system fault . Please contact
dealer
If t h e i ndica to r ligh t turns on and the m es
sage appea rs, t here is a malf unctio n in the en
gine start system.
D rive to your author ized A udi dealer immed i
ate ly to have th e ma lfunction corr ected .
0 Air suspension
Applies to vehicles : wit h air suspensio n
• Air suspension: system fault. Can contin
ue slowly with max . 35 mph .
There is a malfunction that can result in re
stricte d driving stability.
Carefully drive at a maximum speed of 35
mph (60 km/h) to your authorized Audi dealer
o r q ualified wor ks h op to have the ma lf u nc tion
correc ted.
• Air suspens ion: service mode. Vehicle can
only be moved with restrictions
Carefu lly drive to your author ized Audi dealer
o r qualified works hop immed iate ly to have
the service mode deactivated.
II Ai r suspension fault
The re is a system mal func tion th at ca n res ult
i n rest ric te d d rivi ng stability or redu ced
g ro und clea rance.
D rive to your au th oriz ed A udi dealer immed i
ate ly to h ave the mal func tion correc ted.
II Air suspension: vehicle too low. Ground
clearance reduced
The ground clearance is very low due to a sys
tem malfunction . Wa it until the air suspe n
s io n system has resto red no rma l groun d clear
an ce . Ot he rwis e, cond it ions su ch as an uneven
r oad su rfa ce can lead to vehicle damage .
Page 23 of 302

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Instruments and warning/indicator lights 21
If the symbol illuminates, add windshield
washer fluid to the washer system/headlight
washer system* ~
page 224.
O Windshield wipers
m Windshield wiper defective
There is a malfunction with the windshield
wipers.
Drive to your authorized Aud i dea le r im medi
ately to have the mal function cor rected .
~/0$ Defective light bulb warning
J:i -If the ind icator light turns on, a bulb has
failed. The message indicates the location of
the bulb.
IJ-if a rear fog lamp has failed, the indicator
light t urns on to indicate the location on the
vehicle.
Vehicle lights: malfunction
If the message appears, there is a malfunc
tion in the headlights or lig ht switch.
Drive to you r authorized Aud i dealer immedi
ately to have the malfunction corrected.
A WARNING
- Light bulbs are pressurized and could ex
plode whi le they are being changed caus
ing serious personal injury.
- Work with due care when handling the
high-voltage section of gas discharge
(xenon) lights. Failure to do so could re
sult in death or serious injury.
(D Tips
Have the bulb replaced or the connection
repaired by you r aut horized Aud i Service
department.
~ID Headlight range control
II Headlight range control: defective!
If the symbol illuminates, the headlight range
control is no longer working properly . Have the system checked and
repaired at your A udi
dealer.
· go Adaptive Light
Applies to vehicles : with Adaptive Light
m;J Audi adaptive light: system fault
If the indicator light turns on and this mes
sage appears, there is a malfunction in the
adaptive light system . The headlights sti ll
function.
Go to an authorized dealership to have the
headlights or the control unit for the Adaptive
Light repaired.
/i.O Light/rain sensor
El Automatic headlights/automatic wipers:
system fault
If the indicator light turns on and this mes
sage appears, the light/rain sensor is not
funct ioning correct ly.
For safety reasons the low beams are tur ned
on permanently with the switch in
AUTO.
However, you can continue to turn the lights
on and off using the light switch. You can st ill
control all functions that are independent of
the ra in sensor through the w indshield wiper
lever .
Contact your authorized Audi dealer as soon
as possible to have the problem corrected .
; Adaptive dampers
Applies to vehicles: with adaptive dampers
II Suspension: System fault! You can con
tinue driving
If the II symbol in the d isplay comes on,
there is a malfunction in the adaptive damp
ers. Please go to an authorized Aud i dealer or
other qualified workshop to have the malfunc
tion repa ired .
1--! Sport differential
Applies to vehicles: with sport different ial
I'll Sport differential: system fault
Page 98 of 302

96 Audi drive select
Audi drive select Driving settings
Introduction
Audi drive select makes it possible to experi
ence different types of vehicle settings in one
vehicle. The driver can select three
Comfort ,
Auto and Dynamic modes in the MMI to
switch between a sporty and a comfortable
driving mode.
You can also adjust the setting according to
your preferences in the
Individual mode . For
example, you can combine settings such as a
sporty engine tuning with comfortable steer
ing.
A WARNING
Improper use of the Audi drive select can
cause collisions, other accidents and seri
ous personal injury.
Description
The following systems are affected by drive
select:
Engine and transmission
Depending on the mode, the engine and the
transmission respond quicker or in a more bal
anced manner to accelerator pedal move
ments. In the sporty dynamic mode, the
transmission shifts at higher RPMs.
Air suspension*
The adaptive air suspension/adaptive air sus pension sport*
(Air suspension in the MMI) is
an electronically controlled air suspension and
damping system. They are adjusted depend
ing on the selected driving mode, the driver's
steering, braking and acceleration input and
the road surface, vehicle speed and load. A
sporty setting is generally used in vehicles
with adaptive air suspension sport*.
The vehicle clearance varies depending on the
selected mode and the speed . The
highway setting is activated automatically
when you drive above 75 mph (120 km/h) for
more than
30 seconds in the Auto or Dynamic
mode. The ground clearance is increased auto
matically if the speed drops below
44 mph
(70 km/h) for more than 120 seconds .
Steering
The steering adapts in terms of steering effort
and steering ratios. Indirect steering that
moves easily, like the steering in comfort
mode, is best suited to long drives on a high
way. In contrast, dynamic mode provides sporty, direct steering .
The following applies to vehicles with dynamic
steering* : the steering ratio changes based on
vehicle speed in order to maintain optimum
steering effort for the driver at all times . This
sets the steering to be less sensitive at higher
speeds in order to provide improved vehicle
control. At reduced speeds, however, steering
is more direct in order to keep the steering ef
fort as minimal as possible when the driver is
maneuvering the vehicle. At low and average
speeds, dynamic steering additionally pro
vides more responsive steering performance.
Adaptive dampers*
The adaptive dampers* use sensors to record
information regarding steering movements,
braking and acceleration operations by the
driver, road surface, driving speed, and load.
This makes it possible to adapt damping to
the driving situation virtually in real time.
Drive select also makes it possible to satisfy
the desire for sporty suspension (Dynamic)
and comfortable suspension (Comfort) with
out giving up balanced tuning (Auto) .
Sport differential*
As a component of the all wheel drive system
(quattro)
c::;; page 193, the Sport differential*
distributes the driving power to the rear axle
depending on the situation. The distribution
of power varies depending on the selected
mode, from balanced (comfort) to agile (dy
namic). The goal is a high level of agility and
Ill-
Page 99 of 302

"' N
a:: I.J "". rl I.O
"' rl
"' rl
ability to accelerate on curves. The vehicle is
very responsive to steering.
Curve light*
The curve light adapts to driv ing on curves.
The pivot ing action and the light ing are also
adapted to the mode.
Ad apti ve crui se contr ol*
The behavior when accelerat ing can be ad just
ed from comfortable to sporty, depending on
the dr ive se lect mode . Adaptive cruise control
also responds to the driving behav ior of the
veh icle ahead in a more conservative or sporty
manner .
Engine sound
The sound of the engine is adapted to these
l ected mode and ranges from subtle to sporty.
(D Note
-Make sure there is enough clearance
above and below the vehicle when park
i ng. The height of the vehicle can change
once it is parked d ue to temperature
fluctuations, changes to the load condi
tions and changes to the driving modes,
which can affect clearance.
- When transporting the vehicle on a car
carrier, train, ship or by other means, on
l y tie the veh icle down at the running
surface of the tires, which is the outer
circumference. Securing the vehicle at
the axle components, suspension struts
or tow ing eyes is not perm itted because
the p ressure in the air suspension struts
can change d uring transport. The vehicle
may not be se cured s uff ic ient ly if this
happens.
(D Tips
- In some models, the maxim um vehicle
speed can only be reached in the
Auto
and D ynamic modes.
- Se lecting the
Dynami c mode results in
spor ty sh ifting character istics. The S
gear position engages automatically .
Audi drive sele ct 97
- In ve hicles that have dynamic steering*,
operating noise is heard when starting or
stopping the engine. This does not indi
cate a problem.
Selecting the driving mode
You can choose between Comfort, Auto, Dy
namic and Individual.
Fig. 108 M MI: Dr ive select
.,. To select the mode, select the following in
the
MMI: I CARI function button> Comfort ,
Auto , Dynamic or Individu al.
You can change the driving mode when the ve
hicle is stationary or while driving. If traffic
permits, after changing modes, br iefly take
your foot off the accele rator pedal so that the
recently selected mode is a lso activated for
the engine.
Comfo rt -prov ides a comfort-oriented veh icle
setup and is suited for long drives on h igh
ways.
Auto -provides an overall comfortable yet dy
nam ic dr iving feel and is suited for every day
use .
Dynam ic -gives the driver a sporty driving
feel and is suited to a sporty driving style.
Indi vidual -~page 98.
&_ WARNING
Pay attention to traffic when operating
Audi drive select to prevent potential risk
of an accident.
-
Page 100 of 302

98 Audi drive select
Adjusting the Individual mode
You can adjust the vehicle settings to your personal preferences .
• Se lect : I CAR ! function button > Set individu
al
control button. You can now adjust the in
dividual systems.
The
Individual dr iving mode will automatica l
ly be activated when you have finished config
uring the settings .
Systems Comfort
Engine /Transmission
balanced
Air suspension* comfortable
Steering comfortable The equipment
in your vehicle will determine
which settings you can adjust. The following
table provides an overview of the characteris
tics of each driving mode.
Auto Dynamic
balanced sporty
balanced sporty
balanced sporty
Dynamic steering* comfortable/indirect balanced/direct sporty direct
Adaptive dampers* comfortable balanced sporty
Sport differential* balanced agile sporty
Adaptive
cruise control* comfortable balanced sporty
Engine sound subtle subtle/sportyal sporty
a)
Subt le in the dri ving posit ion D an d sporty in the driving positio n S.
@ Tips
Your
Individual mode settings are auto
matica lly stored and assigned to the re
mote control key being used.
Raising/lowering the
vehicle
App lies to vehicles: with adaptive air suspension
Raising the vehicle
You can raise your vehicle temporarily, for ex
ample to drive over a tall curb .
• Se lect the following in the MMI : ICAR !func
tion button
> Raise contro l button.
• Wait for the arrows in the display to stop
blinking and the vehicle to reach its final po
s it ion.
Lowering the vehicle
• To lower the vehicle, select the following in
the MMI: ICARI function button
> Lower con
trol button. •
Wait for the arrows in the display to stop
blinking and the vehicle to lower comp lete
ly.
(D Note
- Remember that your vehicle is not suita
ble for driv ing offroad even when it is
raised . There is not enough ground clear
ance.
- If the vehicle is raised, it wi ll lower auto
matically when driving 62 mph (100 km/
h) or faster.
Driver messages
Air suspension : vehicle currently too low.
Level control running
Air suspension: vehicle currently too high.
Level control running
T he dr iver message switches off when the lev
el control process is complete.
Page 158 of 302

156 Airbag system
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/per
chlorate. When the vehicle or parts of the
restraint system including airbag modules
and safety belts with pretensioners are
scrapped, all applicable laws and regula
tions must be observed. Your authorized
Audi dealer is familiar with these require
ments and we recommend that you have
your dealer perform this service for you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced Airbag Sys
tem performs in a crash. For example, using
tire-rim combinations not approved by Audi,
lowering the vehicle, changing the stiffness of
the suspension, including the springs, suspen
sion struts, shock absorbers etc. can change
the forces that are measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the electronic control
unit. Some suspension changes can, for exam
ple, increase the force levels measured by the
sensors and make the airbag system deploy in
crashes in which it would not deploy if the
changes had not been made . Other kinds of
changes may reduce the force levels meas ured by the sensors and prevent the airbag
from deploying when it should.
A WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension includ
ing use of unapproved tire-rim combina
tions can change Advanced Airbag per
formance and increase the risk of serious
personal injury in a crash.
- Never install suspension components
that do not have the same performance characteristics as the components origi
nally installed on your vehicle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations that
have not been approved by Audi.
Knee airbags
Description of knee airbags
Applies to vehicles: with knee airbags
The knee airbag system can provide supple
mental protection to properly restrained
front seat occupants .
Fig. 163 Driver 's knee airbag
The driver knee airbag is in the instrument
panel underneath the steering wheel
¢ fig. 163, the airbag for the passenger is at
about the same height in the instrument pan
el underneath the glove compartment.
The knee airbag offers additional protection
to the driver 's and passenger's knees and up
per and lower thigh areas and supplements
the protection provided by the safety belts.
If the front airbags deploy, the knee airbags
also dep loy in frontal collisions when the de
ployment threshold stored in the control unit
is met
<=> page 149, More important things to
know about front airbags .
In addition to their normal safety function,
safety belts help keep the driver or front pas
senger in position in a frontal collision so that
the airbags can provide supplemental protec
tion.
The airbag system is not a substitute for your
safety belt . Rather, it is part of the overall oc
cupant restraint system in your vehicle. Al
ways remember that the airbag system can
only help to protect you if you are wearing
your safety belt and wearing it properly. This
is why you should always wear your safety
belt, not just because the law requires you to
do so
¢ page 130 , General notes. ..,.
Page 246 of 302

244 Tires and whee ls
Driving style -Extra care must be taken when
Driving fast around curves, rotating direction-specific
heavy acceleration and hard tires
¢
page 268.
braking increase tire wear. Wheel balancing
Rotating tires for more even
The wheels on new vehicles are
wear ba lanced. However, various sit-
For all four tires on your vehicle uations during everyday driving
to have the same service life, can cause them to become un-
we recommend that the front balanced, resulting in vibra-
and rear tires are rotated ac -tions you can usually feel
cording to the tire manufactur- through the steering wheel.
er's suggested tire rotation in- Unbalanced wheels must be re-
tervals . Please remember the
balanced to avoid excessive
following: wear on steering, suspension
-T ire rotation intervals may dif -and tires. A wheel must also be
fer from the vehicle service in· rebalanced when a new tire is
tervals outlined in your War- insta
lled .
ranty
& Maintenance booklet . Incorrect wheel alignment
-The longer one tire is used in
Incorrect wheel alignment can
one location on the vehic le,
cause excessive ti re wear, im-
the more it wears at certain
pairing the safety of the vehi-
points; t herefore, we recom-
cle . If tires show excessive
mend that you fo llow the tire
wear, have the wheel alignment
manufacturer's suggested tire
checked by an authorized Audi
rotation intervals.
dealer or qualified wo rkshop.
-Vehicles with front-wheel
dr ive experience more t read
All-wheel drive
wear on the front wheels com-
Vehicles with quattro must al -
pared to all-wheel drive (quat- ways have tires of the same
tro) .
size, construction and tread
-Please rotate tires as shown type. For details see
¢
fig . 198. ¢page 193. ...
Page 255 of 302

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loss of control, crashes and serious per
sonal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediate ly.
- Winter tires have maximum speed rating
that may be lower than your vehicle's
maximum speed.
- Never drive faster than the speed for
which the winter or other tires installed
on your vehicle are rated.
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and
traffic conditions. Never let the good ac
celeration of the winter tires and all-wheel
drive tempt you into taking extra risks. Al
ways remember:
- When braking, an all-wheel drive vehicle
handles in the same way as a front drive
vehicle.
- Drive carefully and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
cannot help under black ice conditions.
@) For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather condi
tions permit. They are quieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumption.
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted only to the front
wheels, and only to certain tire sizes. Ask your
authorized Audi dealer on which tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
If you are going to use snow chains, then you
must install them on the front wheels at
least.
The snow chains must have low-profile links
and must not be thicker than 0.4 inch (10,5 mm), including the lock.
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs
before putting snow chains on your vehicle
q(D _ For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bolts. These are avail
able from authorized Audi dealers.
Tires and wheels 253
A WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi
cle or installing them incorrectly can in
crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different sizes . Always make sure to follow the in
structions provided by the snow chain
manufacturer.
- When driving with snow chains never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations.
([) Note
-Remove snow chains before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into direct con
tact with the wheel rim, can scratch or
damage it. Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered. Check
the position of the snow chains after
driving a few yards and correct if neces
sary. Follow the instructions from the
snow chain manufacturer when doing so.
- If the Adaptive Air Suspension* should
malfunction, do not mount or use snow
chains because the vehicle will be ex
tremely low. If you do drive with snow
chains on while the vehicle is at this lev
el, the snow chains might severely dam
age the wheelhouse and other parts of
the vehicle.
(D Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory oncer
tain roads, this normally also applies to
vehicles with all-wheel drive.
•
•
Page 265 of 302

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@ Tips
After a tire repair, have the sealant bottle replaced at a dealership. This restores full
functionality to the Tire Mobility System.
Changing a wheel
Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your
own and your passenger's safety when chang
ing a wheel .
.. After you experience a tire failure, pull the
car well away from moving traffic and try to
reach
level ground before you stop c:> &, .
.. All passengers should leave the car and
move to a safe location (for instance, behind
the guardrail)
c:> &, .
.. Engage th e parking brake to prevent your
vehicle from rolling unintentionally
c:> &, .
.. Move selector lever to position Pc:> &, .
.. Take the jack out of the luggage compart
ment
c> page 259.
A WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured
while changing a wheel if you do not fol
low these safety precautions:
- If you have a flat tire, move a safe dis
tance off the road. Turn off the engine,
turn the emergency flashers on and use
other warning devices to alert other mo
torists.
- Make sure that passengers wait in a safe
place away from the vehicle and well
away from the road and traffic.
- To help prevent the vehicle from moving
suddenly and possibly slipping off the
jack, always fully set the parking brake
and block the wheel diagonally opposite
the wheel being changed . When one
front wheel is lifted off the ground, plac ing the Automatic Transmission in P
(Park) will
not prevent the vehicle from
moving.
What do I do now? 263
- Before you change a wheel, be sure the
ground is level and firm. If necessary,
use a sturdy board under the jack.
- Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack
and the replaced tire in the luggage com
partment
c:>page 126.
([) Note
If you are changing the wheel on a steep
incline, use a rock or similar object to
block the opposite wheel to prevent the
vehicle from moving .
(l) Tips
- Before changing the wheel, you must ac
tivate the jacking mode, so that the au
tomatic controls for the Adaptive Air
Suspension* do not make it more diffi
cult to lift the vehicle with the jack
c:>page265 .
-Obey all laws .
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel , follow these
quence described below step -by -step and in
exactly that order.
l. Activate the vehicle jack mode"
c:>page 265.
2. Remove the wheel bolt caps* . For more
details see also
c:> page 264, Wheels with
wheel bolt caps.
3. Loosen the wheel bolts c:>page 264.
4. Locate the proper mounting point for the
jack and align the jack below that point
c:> page 2 65.
5. Raise the car with the jack r::> page 265.
6. Remove the wheel with the flat tire and
t hen in stall the other wheelr::>
page 267 .
7. Tighten all wheel bolts lightly .
8.
Lower the vehicle with the jack .
9 . Use the wheel bolt wrench and
firmly
tighten all wheel bolts c:> page 264.
10. Replace the wheel bolt caps*.
•
•