weight AUDI S7 2012 Owners Manual

4 Table of contents
Eme rgency towing with comme rcial
tow truck . .... . ...... ... .. .. ... .
Lift ing vehicle .. ... .... ... .. .. ... .
Technical data ...... ... .. .. ... .
General information .. .. .... . .
Exp lanation of technical data . .. .. . .
Vehicle ident ificat ion ...... .. .. .. . .
Weights ... ... .. ..... ... .. .. .. . .
Dimensions .... .... .... .. .. .. .. . .
Data .. .. ............... .. .. ... .
310 hp, 3 .0 liter 6 -cylinder engine .. .
Consumer Information ... .. . .
Warranty coverages ........... .. . .
Operating your vehicle outside the
U .S.A . o r Canada ... .... .. .. .. .. . .
Aud i Service Repair Ma nuals and 266
268
270
270
270
270
270
271
272
272
273 273
273
L it era ture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
M aintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Addit ional accessories , modifications
and parts replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . 275
Declaration of Compliance ,
Te lecommunication and E lectronic
Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 276
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278

-Compartment in the rear center armrest
- Storage in the trim panels in the luggage
compartment
A WARNING
- Always remove objects from the instru­
ment panel. Any items not stored could
slide around inside the vehicle while driv­ ing or when accelerating or when apply­
ing the brakes or when driving around a
corner.
- When you are driving make sure that
anything you may have placed in the cen­
ter console or other storage locations cannot fall out into the footwells. In case
of sudden braking you would not be able
to brake or accelerate.
- Always keep the lid of the compartment
for (sun)glasses* closed while driv ing to
reduce the risk of injury dur ing a sudden
braking maneuver or in the event of an
accident.
- Any articles of cloth ing that you have
hung up must not in terfere with the driv ­
er's view . The coat hooks are designed
only for lightweight clothing. Never hang
any clothing with hard, pointed or heavy
objects in the pockets on the coat hooks.
During sudden braking or in an accident -
especially if the airbag is deployed -
these objects could injure any passen­ gers inside the vehicle.
- To reduce the r isk of personal injury in an
acc ident or sudden stop, always keep the
glove compartmen t closed while dr iv ing.
- Read and fo llow all WARNINGS
~ page 159, Important safety instruc ­
tions on the side airbag sys tem.
- Hang clothes i n such a way that they do
not impair the dr iver's v is ion.
- The coat hooks must only be used for
lightwe ight cloth ing. Do not leave any
heavy or sharp edged obje cts in the pock ­
ets which may interfere with the side cur ­
tain airbag deployment and can cause persona l injury in a cras h.
- Do not use coat hangers for hanging
clothing on the coat hooks as this can in-
Sea ts a nd s to rage 57
terfere with proper deployment of the
side curtain a irbags in an acc ident.
- Do not hang heavy objects on the coat
hooks , as they could cause personal in­
jury in a sudden stop.
(D Note
Objects located on the rear shelf that rub
against the rear window could damage the heating wires for the rear window defog­
ger.
Roof rack
Description and mounting locations
Additional cargo can be carried with a roof luggage rack.
F ig . 58 Roof rack attachment points
... Always read and follow the instructions pro ­
vided by the roof rack manufacturer when
the roof rack system must be installed .
If luggage or cargo is to be carried on the
roof, you must observe the following:
- To enha nce the vehicle's streamlined design,
rai n gutters have been mo lded into t he roof.
I t is not possible to use normal roof racks .
On ly install a roof rack specifically designed
for your veh icle. Contact the nearest Aud i
dealer for information on approved modular
roof racks for your veh icle.
- On ly use roof racks approved for your vehi­
cle. These approved roof racks are the basis
for a complete roof rack system. Addit ional
attachments or carrier systems are needed
to transport luggage and sports equipment .
IJll-

58 Seat s a nd s tor ag e
We recommend using roof racks from the
Audi original accessories program.
- T he support feet of the roof rack must al­
ways be insta lled in the holes in the roof
frame ~
fig. 58 . The holes are only visible
when the doors are open . In the case of roof
racks with pins, the pins must be secured in
the holes during assembly.
- We recommend that you keep the installa­
tion instructions for your roof rack system
together with your Owner's literature in the
vehicle.
Wh en sh ould the roo f ra ck be re mo ved ?
-Before going through an automatic car wash
(it is best to ask the car wash operator for
advice).
- When not in use, to reduce fuel consump­
tion, wind no ise and to guard against theft.
A WARNING
-Use of an unapproved roof rack or incor­
rect mount ing of an approved roof rack
can cause the roof rack o r the items at­
tached to it to fa ll off the roof onto the
road.
- Objects fall ing from the roof of a vehicle
can cause a crash and persona l injury.
- Only mount the roof rack on the desig­
nated locations o n the roof ~
fig. 58.
-The roof rack system must be installed
exactly according to the instructions pro­
vided.
- When driving w ith a roof rack system,
changes to the center of g ravity and wind
resistance ca n cha nge the veh icle han­
dling and lead to a collision. A lways
adapt yo ur driv ing and you r speed to the
c u rrent conditions.
(D Note
- Your vehi cle warranty does not cover any
damages to the veh icle caused by using
r oof racks or mo unt ing structures not
approved by Audi for your vehicle. The
same applies to damage resulting from
i ncorrect roof rack installation. - Always check the roof rack mountings
and hardware before each trip and dur­
ing a trip to make s ure everyth ing is se ­
curely tightened.
If necessary, ret ighten
the mountings and check the entire sys­
tem from time to time.
- After mounting a roof rack system, or
when you transport objects on the roof
of your vehicle, the height of the veh icle
is naturally increased. Be careful when
dr iving unde r low bridges or in parking
garages for example. This cou ld cause
damage to the load and even the vehicle
itself .
- Ma ke sure the open rear lid and the sun­
roo f* do not come into contact with the
roo f rack .
Loading the roof rack
Always distribute loads evenly. Make sure
anything on the roof rack is securely tied
down .
.,. Always distrib ute the loads on the roof rack
even ly .
.,. Always attach items to the roof rack secure-
ly before you drive off.
T he maxim um permissible roof weight is
220
lb (100 kg ).
The roof weig ht is the tota l of
the weight of the roof rack, the attachments
and the cargo you are carrying. You must a lso
not exceed the maximum load weight for the
roof rack you are using.
When using a roof rack system which has a
l ower load carrying capacity, you must not use
up the total maxim um permissible load carry­
ing capacity specif ied above. Instead, you
shou ld load the roof rack system only to the
maximum capacity specified by the manufac­
tu rer of the roof rack system .
A WARNING
Weak, damaged o r improper straps used
to secure items to the roof ra ck can fail
d uring h ard braking or in a coll is ion and
cause serious personal inju ry .
.

-Make sure the roof rack is instal led exact­
ly as specified above
c::> page 57.
- Always use suitable mounting straps for
securing items to the roof rack to help
prevent items from shifting or flying for­
ward.
- Items on the roof rack must always be securely mounted.
- The use of a roof rack can negative ly af­
fect the way a vehicle handles. Cargo
that is large, heavy, bulky, long or flat
will have a greater negative influence on
the vehicle's aerodynamics, center of
gravity and overall handling. Always dr ive slowly, avo id sudden braking and
maneuvers when transpo rting cargo on
the roof o f your vehicle .
- Never exceed the maximum perm iss ible
load carry ing capacity of t he roof of your
vehicle, the perm issib le axle weights and
the permissible total weight of your vehi­ cle
c::> page 270 , Weights.
- Always drive slowly, avoid sudden brak­
ing and maneuvers when transporting
cargo on the roof of your vehicle.
@ For the sake of the environment
Sometimes it may be easier to leave a roof
rack insta lled even though you are not us ­
ing it. Due to the increased air resistance
your vehicle will unnecessari ly use more
fuel. Remove the roof rack if you are not going to use it.
Sea ts a nd s to rage 59
Luggage compartment
Loading luggage compartment
Items of luggage must be stowed securely.
Fig. 59 Place heavy objects as far forward as possible.
Note the following to preserve the vehicle's
good handling charac teristics.
.., Distribute the load as evenly as possible .
.., Place heavy objects as far forward as poss i­
ble
c::> fig. 59.
.., Secure the items of luggage w ith the cargo
net* or w ith non -elastic retaining straps to
the tie-down rings *
c::> page 61.
A WARNING
-Loose objects in the l uggage compart­
ment can slide about suddenly and a lter
the vehicle's handling characteristics.
- Loose objects in the passenger compart­
ment can fly forward during abr upt ma­
neuvers or accidents and injure occu­
pants .
- Always store objects in the luggage com­
partment and use suitable straps, partic­
ularly with heavy objects.
-
- When you transport heavy objects, al­
ways remember that a change in the cen­
ter of gravity may result in a change in
the vehicle's handling characteristics.
- Follow all warnings
c::> page 118, Driving
Safely.
(D Tips
The t ire pressure must be ad justed to the
load -see the t ire pressure sticker located
on the dr iver's side B-pillar .

_& WARNING
-The backrest must always be securely
latched so that the safety belt of the cen­
ter seating pos ition can work properly to
help protect the occupant.
- The backrest must be securely latched in position so that no items contained in
the luggage compartment can slide for­
wa rd upon sudden braking .
-Always check whether the latch is ful ly
engaged by pu lling the seatback for­
ward.
- Never allow safety belts to become dam­
aged by being caught in doo r o r seat
hardware.
- T orn or frayed safety belts can tear and
damaged belt ha rdware can break in a
crash . Inspect the be lts period ically .
Belts showing damage to webbing, bind ­
ings, buckles, or retractors must be re­
placed.
(D Note
- If yo u move the front seat back when the
rear seat backrest is fo lded forward, you
could damage the head restraints on the rear seat.
- Slide the belt guide on the outside safety
belt all the way up before folding the
backrest back forward. Make sure the
seat belt is not pinched or damaged
whe n the rear seat backrest if folded
back. Other objects should be removed
from the rear seat bench to protect the
seatbac k from damage.
S ea ts a nd s to rage 61
Tie-downs and cargo net
The cargo net* prevents small objects from
sliding .
Fig . 63 Locat ion of t he t ie -dow ns in the lu ggage co m­
partme nt
r.lllf2z:::11:,;;;,1m,mn,um- .f31111mffi11\\\\\iUt1tlil!IIII.
Fig . 6 4 Luggage compart men t: cargo net *
.. To secure objects with the luggage com­
partment net*, fold the tie-down bracket
upward
r:> fig . 63 .
.. Insert the hooks on the luggage compa rt­
ment net* into the tie-downs
r:> fig. 64 .
.,. Read and heed all WARN INGS r:> page 124,
Stowing luggage.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi·
cle w il l turn in to heavy m iss iles that ca n cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle pick up ki­
netic ene rgy which varies with the vehicle and
the weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the
most significant factor.
For example, in a fronta l collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a
10 -lb (4.5 kg) object are about
20 times the
norma l weight of the item. This means t hat
the weight of the item would sudden ly be the
equivalent of about 200 lbs (90 kg). One can
easily imagine the injuries that an item of that
weight flying freely through the passenger .,,.

62 Seats and storage
compa rtment can cause in a co llision at a
speed considered relatively low .
.&_ WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur­
ing hard brak ing or in a coll ision and cause
ser ious personal injury.
- Always use suitable retaining straps and
properly secure items to the tie-downs in
the luggage compartment to help pre­
vent items from shifting or flying for­
wa rd.
- Never attach a child seat tether strap to
a tie-down.
- For strength-related reasons, the mount­ ing hoo ks can only be used to s ecure ob­
jects weighing up to 10 lb. (5 kg). Heav i­
er objects will not be adequately secured
- there is a r isk of injury.
Fastening eyes
Light objects can be secured on the eyes .
Fig. 65 Luggage compartment: fastening eyes
You can use the eyes to hang bags, sacks, etc .
.&_ WARNING
The eyes may hold a max imum weight of 3
kg. Heavier objects are not adequately se­
cured. There is risk of personal injury.
Luggage compartment covering
(reversible mat)
Applies to veh icles : w ith lug gage compartme nt car petin g
The reversible luggage compartment covering
should be used when transporting dirty or wet objects.
F ig . 66 Luggage compartment carpeting with seatback
fo lded down: spread o ut over t he bumper
The luggage compartment carpeting can be
used with the d irt resistant side or the decora­
t ive side, depending on wh at is needed.
u) Tips
The protective mat should be folded up
on ly when dry.
Pass-through with ski
sack
Preparing the pass-through
Applies to veh icles: w it h sk i sack
Long objects such as skis can be transported
in the ski sack* .
Fig . 67 Rear bench seat : opening the pass-t hr oug h
Opening the trunk pass -through
... Fold the center a rmrest in the rear forward
and out. .,.

Parking
Various rules apply to prevent the parked ve­
hicle from rolling away accidentally .
Pa rkin g
.. Stop the vehicle with the foot brake .
.. Pu ll the switch(®) to apply the park ing
brake.
.. Select the
P selector lever position
~page 102 .
.. Turn the eng ine off ~,&. .
In addition on inclines and grade s
.. Turn the steering wheel so that your vehicle
will roll against the curb in case it should
start to move .
A WARNING
-When you leave your veh icle - even if on­
ly b riefly - always take the ignition key
with you. This applies particu la rly when
children remain in the veh icle . Otherw ise
the chi ldren could start the engine, re ­
lease the parking brake or operate elec­
trical equipment (e.g. power windows) .
There is the risk of an accident .
- When the vehicle is locked, no one - par­
ticularly not children sho uld remain in
the vehicle. Locked doors make it more
difficult for emergency workers to get in­
to the vehicle - putting lives at risk.
Starting from rest
The star ting assis t func tion ensures tha t the
parking brake is released automatically upon
starting .
Stopp ing and appl ying park ing b rake
.. Pull the switch<®) to apply the park ing
brake.
Startin g and automatically relea sing the
pa rking br ake
.. When you start to drive as usua l, the park ­
ing brake is automatically re leased and your
vehicle begins to move.
On th e ro ad 75
When stopping at a traffic signal or s topping
in city traffic, the parking brake can be ap­
plied. The vehicle does not have to be he ld
with the footbrake . The parking brake elimi­
nates the tendency to creep w ith a dr ive range
engaged. As soon as you drive off as usual,
the parking brake is released automatically
and the veh icle starts to move .
Starting on slope s
When starting on inclines, the starting assist
prevents the vehicle from un intent ionally roll­
i ng back. The braki ng force of the parking
brake is not released unti l suff ic ient driving
fo rce has been built up at the wheels .
(D Tips
For safety reasons, the parking brake is re­
leased automatically only when the d riv­
er's safety belt is engaged in the buckle.
Starting off with a trailer
To prevent rolling back unintentionally on an
incline, do the following:
.. Keep the switch<®> pulled and depress the
accelerato r. The parking brake stays applied
and prevents the vehicle from roll ing back­
ward .
.. You can release the switch<®) once you are
sure that you are developing enough for­
wa rd momentum at the whee ls as you de­
press the acce lerator .
Depend ing on the weight of the rig (veh icle
and t ra iler) and the severity of the incline, yo u
may ro ll backwards as yo u start . You can pre ­
vent rolling backwards by holding the parking
brake switch (®) pulled out and accelerating -
just as you would when starting on a hill with
a conventiona l hand brake.

124 Driving Safel y
Floor mats used in your vehicle m ust be at ­
tached to these fasteners. Proper ly securing
the floor mats will prevent them from s liding
into pos itions that could interfere with the
pedals or impair safe operation of your vehicle
in other ways .
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can result
in a loss of veh icle contro l and increase the
r isk of serious personal injury .
- Always make sure that floor mats are
properly secured.
- Never place or insta ll floor mats or other
floor coverings in the vehicle that cannot be properly secured in place to prevent
them from slipping and interfering w ith
the pedals or the ability to control the
vehicle.
- Never place o r insta ll floor ma ts or other
floor coverings on top of a lready insta l­
led floor mats. Additional floor mats and
other coverings w ill reduce the size of
the pedal area and interfere with the
pedals.
- Always properly reinstall and sec ure floor
mats that have been taken out for clean­
ing.
- Always make sure that objects cannot fall into the driver footwe ll wh ile the ve­
hicle is moving. Objects can become
trapped under the b rake pedal and accel ­
erator peda l causing a loss of veh icle
c o ntrol.
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objec ts must be prop ­
erly stowed and secured in the luggage com ­
partment.
L oose items in the luggage comp art ment can
shift suddenly, changing veh icle hand ling
characteristics. Loose items can also increase
the risk of serious personal injury in a sudde n
vehicle maneuver or in a collision . ..
Distribute the load even ly in the luggage
compartment .
.. Always place and proper ly secure heavy
items in the luggage compartment as far
forward as possible .
.. Secure luggage using the tie -downs prov id ­
ed
¢ page 59, Luggage compartment.
.. Make s ure that the rear seatback is securely
la tc hed in place.
A WARNING
Imp roperly store d luggage or other items
can fly thro ugh the vehi cle causing ser ious
personal injury in the event of hard brak­
i ng or an accident. To help reduce t he risk
of ser ious personal in jury:
- Always put objects, fo r example, luggage
or other heavy items in the luggage com­ pa rtment.
- Always secure objects in the luggage
compartment using the t ie-down hoo ks
and suitable straps.
A WARNING
=
Heavy loads w ill influence the way yo ur ve-
hi cle handles . To help reduce the risk of a
l oss of contro l leading to serious pe rsonal
i njury :
-Always keep in mind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change i n the cen­
ter of gravity can also cause changes in
veh icle ha ndling:
- Always distribute the load as evenly as
poss ible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in
the luggage compartment as possible .
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rat­
ing or the Gross Vehicle We ight Rating
specified on the safety compliance stick­
er on the left door jamb. Exceed ing per­
miss ible weight standards can cause the
veh icle to slide and handle differently .
- Please observe information on safe dr iv­
ing
¢page 118.

A WARNING ,~
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from being drawn into the vehicle, always
keep the rear lid closed while driving .
- Never transport objects larger than
those fitting completely into the luggage
area because the rear lid cannot be fully
closed.
- If you absolutely must drive with the rear
lid open, observe the following notes to
reduce the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the power roof*,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument
panel,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.
A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win­ dows, the power roof* and the rear lid are
securely closed and locked to reduce the
risk of injury when the vehicle is not being
used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es­
pecially with the rear lid left open. A
child could crawl into the vehicle through
the luggage compartment and close the
rear lid becoming trapped and unable to
get out. Being trapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious personal injury.
- Never let children play in or around the
vehicle .
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must
always be properly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions.
Gj) Tips
-Air circulation helps to reduce window fogging. Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel. Be sure
to keep these slots free and open .
-
Driving Safely 125
-The tire pressure must correspond to the
load. The tire pressure is shown on the
tire pressure label. The tire pressure la­
bel is located on the driver's side B-pillar.
The tire pressure label lists the recom­
mended cold tire inflation pressures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured. For recommended tire pressures for nor­
mal load conditions, please see chapter
r:!)page235.
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items.
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop­
erly<>
page 124, Loading the luggage com­
partment.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi­
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess en­
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and the
weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the most
significant factor.
For example , in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10-lb (4.5 kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item. This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be about 200 lbs. (90 kg) . You can imagine the
injuries that a 200 lbs . (90 kg) item flying
freely through the passenger compartment
could cause in a collision like this.
A WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur­
ing hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
-Always use suitable mounting straps and properly secure items to the tie-downs in
'
•
•

-Failure to pay attention to the warning
light that come on, could lead to person­
al injury.
Why safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very strong forces for
people riding in vehicles .
Fig. 131 Unbelted occupants in a ve hicle heading for a
wall
Fig. 132 The vehicle cras hes into the wall
The physical principles are simple. Both the
vehicle and the passengers possess energy
which varies w ith veh icle speed and body
weight . Engineers call this energy "kinetic en­
ergy."
The higher the speed of the vehicle and the
greater the vehicle's weight, the more energy
that has to be "absorbed" in the crash.
Vehicle speed is the most significant factor . If
the speed doubles from 15 to 30 mph (25 to
50 km/h), the energy increases 4 t imes!
Because the passengers of this vehicle are not
using safety belts
c:::;, fig. 131, they will keep
moving at the same speed the vehicle was
mov ing just before the crash, until something
stops them - here, the wall ¢
fig. 132.
Safety belts 129
The same principles apply to people sitting in
a vehicle that is involved in a frontal collision.
Even at c ity speeds of 20 to 30 mph (30 to 50
km/h), the forces acting on the body can
reach one ton (2,000 lbs, or 1,000 kg) or
more . At greater speeds, these forces are even
higher.
People who do not use safety belts are also
not attached to their vehicle . In a frontal colli­
sion they will also keep moving forward at the
speed their vehicle was travelling just before
the crash . Of course, the laws of physics don't
just app ly to frontal collisions, they determine
what happens in all kinds of accidents and col­
lisions.
What happens to occupants not wearing safety belts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop
themselves from flying forward and being in­
jured or killed. Always wear your safety belts!
Fig. 133 A driver not wea ring a safety be lt is vio lently
th rown forward
Fig. 134 A rear passenger not wearing a safety belt
w ill fly forward and strike the driver
Unbelted occupants are not able to resist the
tremendous forces of impact by holding tight
or bracing themselves. Without the benefit of
safety restraint systems, the unrestrained .,..