trailer AUDI S7 2015 User Guide

M N <( (.J
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
Error messages
Applies to vehicles: with parking system plus/rear view
camera/per ipheral cameras
There is an e rror in the system if the LED in
the
p, qA button is blinking and you hear a con­
tinuous alarm for a few seconds afte r switch­
ing on the parking system or when the park ­
ing system is already activated. If the error is
not corrected before you switch off the igni­
tion, the LED in the
Pw.6. button will blink the
next time you switch on the parking system by
shifting into reverse.
Parking system plus
If a sensor is faulty, the~ symbol will appear
in front of/behind the vehicle in the Infotain­
ment display. If a rear sensor is fau lty, only
obstacles that are in areas @ and @ are
shown
c> page 117, fig . 124. If a front sensor
i s faulty, only obstacles that are in areas ©
and @are shown .
Peripheral cameras*
There is also a system error if:
- the
'(:8:)• • symbol appears in the display and
the corresponding display area is shown in
blue. The camera is not working in this area.
- all segments around the vehicles are red or
if no segments are displayed.
Drive to your authorized Aud i dea ler o r au­
thorized repair fac ility immediately to have
the ma lfunction corrected.
Trailer hitch
Appl ies to vehicles: with parking system plus/rear view
camera/per ipheral cameras and trailer hitch
For vehicles using the tra iler socket, the park­
ing system rear senso rs do not turn on when
you shift into reverse gear or when yo u press
the P
01A button. This results in the following re­
strictions:
Parking system plus*
There is no distance wa rning for the rear. The
front sensors rema in activated. The visual d is­
play switches to the traile r tow ing mode.
Parking systems 127
Parking system plus and rear view
camera* /Peripheral cameras*
There is no distance warning for the rear. The
front sensors remain activated. The visual dis­
play switches to the trailer towing mode. The
rear view camera image will not show the ori­
entation lines and the blue surfaces .
{D Tips
Trailer hitches that are not installed at the
factory may cause the park ing system to
malfunction or they may restr ict its func­
tion.

@ Tips
Your vehicle may be equipped with Audi
connect. Your use of certain Aud i connect
features req uires wireless serv ices that are
provided by a third party wireless telecom­
municat ions provider. For details regard­
ing how information obtained through
Aud i connect is collected, processed,
transmitted, used, and shared, please see
your contra ct w ith the wire less telecom ­
municat ions provider and the "About A udi
connect" tab in your vehicle's MMI:
!MENU !
button > Audi connect > About Audi con·
nect .
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
ESC helps to improve road holding and vehicle
dynamics to help reduce the probability of
skidd ing and loss of veh icle control. It works
only when the eng ine is running. ESC detects
certain difficult driv ing s ituations, including
when the vehicle is beginning to spin (yaw)
out of cont ro l and helps you to get the vehicle
back under control by select ively brak ing the
wheels, and/or red ucing engine powe r and
p roviding steering assistance to help hold the
ve hicle on the driver's intended course . The in­
dicator light
m in the instrument cluster
blinks when ESC is taking action to help you
control the vehicle.
ESC has limitations.
It is important to remem­
ber that ESC cannot overcome the laws of
phys ics. It will not a lways be able to help out
under all conditions you may come up against.
For example, ESC may not always be able to
h elp you master situat ions where there is a
sudden change in the coefficient of fr iction of
the road surface. When there is a sect io n of
d ry road that is s udden ly cove red with water,
slush o r snow, ESC canno t perform the same
way it would on the dry su rface.
If the vehicle
hydroplanes (rides on a c ush ion of wate r in­
stead of the road surface), ESC wi ll not be
ab le to he lp you steer the veh icle because con-
Int ellig ent technolog y 195
tact with the pavement has been interrupted
and the vehicle cannot be braked or steered .
D uring fast corner ing, particular ly on wind ing
roads, ESC cannot always deal as effectively
with difficult dr iv ing s ituations than at lower
speeds. When towing a trailer, ESC is not able
to help you regain control as it would if you
were not tow ing a trailer.
Always adjust your speed and driving style to road, traffic and weather conditions . ESC can­
not override the vehicle's physical lim its, in­
crease the availab le tract ion, or keep a veh icle
o n the road if road departu re is a result of
driver ina ttent io n. Instead , ESC imp roves the
poss ibility of keep ing t he vehicle under con­
trol and on the road during extreme maneu­
vers by using the driver's steering i nputs to
help keep the vehicle go ing in the intended di­
rect ion. If you are traveling at a speed that
causes you to run off the road before ESC can
provide any assistance, you may not experi­
ence the benefits of ESC.
ESC is switched on all the time. In certain sit­
uat ions when you need less traction, you can
switch off ASR by pressing the butto n
[ill
~ page 197, fig. 182. Be su re to switch ASR
o n again when you no longer need less trac­
tion.
The following systems are integrated in the
ESC:
Anti-lock bra king sy stem (ABS )
ABS prevents the whee ls from locking up
when brak ing. T he vehicle can st ill be steered
even dur ing hard braking. App ly steady pres­
su re to the brake peda l. Do not pump the ped­
al. A pulsing in the brake pedal ind icates that
the system is helping you to brake the veh icle .
Brake assi st system
The brake ass ist system can decrease braking
distance. It increases brak ing power when the
drive r presses the brake peda l quickly in emer­
gency s ituations. You must press and hold the
brake pedal unti l the s ituation is over. In
vehicles wi th adap tive c rui se control*, the
brake assis t system is more sensitive if the
•
•

208 Trailer towing
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, p lease remember
that the additional load will affect durability,
economy and performance .
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
For this reason, always follow the operating
and driving instructions provided and use
common sense.
@ Note
If you are going to tow a trai ler, you must
activate the trailer operation mode
c:::> page 208, Operating instructions.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suita­ ble for your vehicle and trailer and must be
mounted securely on the vehicle's chassis at a
technically sound location . Use only a trailer
hitch with a removable ball mount. Always
check with the trailer hitch manufacturer to
make sure that you are using the cor rect
hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way that
it does not interfere with the impact-absorb­
ing bumper system. No modifications should
be made to the vehicle exhaust and brake sys­
tems . From time to time, check that all hitch
mounting bolts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer, remove the
trai ler hitch ball mount. This prevents the
hitch from causing damage should your vehi­
cle be struck from behind
c:::> A.
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a brakin g sys­
tem, check to be sure that it conforms to all
regulations.
T he trailer hydraulic brake system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your veh icle
and the trailer.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be
sure to check with your Audi dealer for correct
wiring, switches and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you
using the regular outside mirrors, then you
must install extended mirrors. It is important
that you
always have clear v is ion to the rear .
A WARNING
--
After removing the trailer hitch, do not
store it in your vehicle . In case of sudden
braking, the hitch could fly forward and in­
jure you or your passengers.
Operating instructions
Maximum trailer weight
A trailer for your vehicle is limited to a typical
class 1 or class 2 trailer.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely
in place to prevent it from shift ing forward,
backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
c:::> A in Driving instructions on page 210.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard­
er . It is important that the cooling system 's
performance is up to the additional load.

Make sure that the cooling system has enough
fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressure listed under
"Full load" on the label located on the driver's
side B-pillar (visible when the door is open).
Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire manufac­
turers' specifications.
Lights
Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer
lights are working properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the ve­
hicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to per­
mit turning corners . When you install safety
chains, make sure they will not drag on the
road when you are driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separation from the hitch.
Adjusting the Audi drive select
Make sure the vehicle is on a level surface be­
fore hitching up the trailer and before adjust­
ing the tongue weight. The vehicle must be in
auto or comfort driving mode and not raised
qpage 102, ~CD .
Make sure that the vehicle is lowered. In Info­
tainment, select:
ICARI function button> Low­
er
control button.
If you must drive under poor road conditions,
you can raise the vehicle
after coupling the
trailer or
after adjusting the tongue weight
qpage 104.
- Changes in temperature or load can af­
fect the height of the vehicle .
- Always select
auto or comfort mode.
Otherwise, the tongue load specified for
your vehicle will no longer be applicable.
Trailer towing
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
care and consideration .
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle
and trailer, please note the following:
... Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car it­
self is not loaded.
... Be especially careful when passing other
vehicles.
... Observe speed limits .
... Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed.
... Always apply brakes early .
... Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car re­
sults in a highly unstable distribution of
weight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at very
low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing
steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and con­
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should
be loaded to the extent possible and permissi­
ble, while keeping the trailer as light as possi­
ble under the circumstances. Whenever possi­
ble, transfer some cargo to the luggage com­
partment of the tow vehicle while observing
tongue load requirements and vehicle loading
considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Re­
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind conditions are unfavorable -particularly
when going downhill .
Reduce vehicle speed
immediately if the trail­
er shows the slightest sign of swaying .
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds
for vehicles towing trailers are lower than for
regular vehicles . ..,..
209
•
•

210 Trailer towing
A lways apply brakes early. When driving
downhill, shift into a lower gear to use the en­
g ine braking effect to slow the vehicle . Use of
the brakes alone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Air su spen sion *
When driving with a trai ler, activate the trailer
mode of the air suspension. Switch the air
suspension trailer mode on when you are tow­
ing a trailer. This will limit the regulation by
the air suspens ion while driving. Select in the
MMI:
! CARI function button> (C ar)* sys te m s
control button > Vehicl e se tting s> Air s usp .:
t o wing > On .
Coolant t emperatur e
The coolant temperature gauge¢ page 11
must be observed carefully. The coolant tem­
perature can increase if you drive on long in­
clines in a low gear at high engine speeds. Re­
duce your speed immed iate ly if the LEDs in
the top pa rt of the display turn on.
For more information about indicator lights,
refer to. ¢ page 16 .
A WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov­
ing veh icle is at a much greater risk in an
accident. Never let anyone r ide in your car
who is not prope rly wearing the restraints
provided by Audi .
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when tow ing
-
a trailer because of the addit ional weight and
d ifferent weight dist ribution. Safety, perform­
ance and economy w ill greatly depend on how
carefu lly you load your trailer and operate
your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice
turn ing, stopp ing and back ing up in an area
away from traffic. Keep practicing until you
have become comp letely familiar with the way your vehicle
-trailer combination behaves and
responds .
Backi ng up is diffic ult and requi res p ractice.
Backing up w ith a trailer generally req uires
steering action opposite to that when backing
up your vehicle without a trailer.
Maintai n a greater d ista nce between yo ur ve­
hicle and the one in fron t of yo u. You w ill need
more room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you will need a larger than normal
turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot ac­ ce le rate as fast as you norma lly would be­
ca use of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass . After passing, allow
plenty of room for your trailer before chang­
ing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp tu rns o r rapid lane
changes.
(D Tips
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in
period of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may re­
quire more frequent maintenance due to
the extra load ¢
page 294.
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it can­
not be avoided, do so only after doing the fol­
lowing:
When parking:
.,. App ly the foot brake .
.,. Have someone place choc ks unde r both the
vehicle and the trailer wheels.
.,. With chocks in place, slowly release the
brakes unt il the whee l chocks absorb the
load .
.,. Turn the whee ls towards the curb.
.,. Apply the parking brake.
.,. Select the P selector lever posit ion.
When re sta rting after p ark in g :
.,. App ly the foot brake .
.,. Start the engine.

M N <( (.J
'SI: ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
~ Select the D/S se lecto r lever posit ion .
~ Release the parking b rake and slow ly pull
o ut and away from the whee l chocks.
~ Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel
chocks.
(D Tips
I f you move the selector lever of the a uto­
mat ic transm ission to P before app lying
the parking b rake and befo re blocking the
wheels, you may have to use mo re force
la ter to move th e lever out of the P posi­
tion.
Trailer towin g 211
•
•

technically referred to as the
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR"). The Gross
Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each of the vehicle's
two axles. The Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating and the Gross
Axle Weight Rating are listed on the safety compliance stick­
er label located on the driver's
side B-pillar. The tire pressure
label on your Audi lists the
maximum combined weight of
all of the occupants and lug­
gage or other cargo that the ve­
hicle can carry. For the location
of the tire pressure label
c> fig . 200.
A WARNING
-
Overloading a vehicle can
cause loss of vehicle control,
a crash or other accident, se­ rious personal injury, and
even death.
-Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the ve­hicle from handling properly
and increase the risk of a
~ loss of vehicle control. <(
~ -The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may
Tires and wheels 251
not be able to stop the vehi­
cle within a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has
been overloaded can fail
suddenly causing loss of control and a crash.
-Always make sure that the total load being transported
- including the weight of a
trailer hitch and the tongue
weight of a loaded trailer -
does not make the vehicle
heavier than the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rat­
ing.
A WARNING
-Incorrect tire pressures
and/or underinflation can
lead to a serious or fatal ac­
cident.
-Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation cause
increased tire wear and can
affect the handling of the
vehicle.
-Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can
also lead to sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation, caus­
ing loss of vehicle control.
•
•
'

256 Tires and wheels
load. The maximum load in­
cludes the number of passen­
gers that the vehicle is intend­
ed to carry ("seating capacity")
with an assumed weight of
150 lbs (68 kg) for each pas­
senger at a designated seating
position and the total weight of
any Luggage in the vehicle . If
you tow a trailer, the weight of
the trailer hitch and the tongue
weight of the loaded trailer
must be included as part of the
vehicle load .
The
Gr oss Axle Weight Rating
("GAWR") is the maximum load
that can be applied at each of
the vehicle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ­
ing and the Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the safety
compliance sticker label locat­
ed on the driver's side 8-pillar .
Your Audi has 4 seating posi ­
tions, 2 in the front and 2 in the rear for total seating capacity
of 4. In some vehicles there are
5 seating positions, 2 in the
front and 3 in the rear for total seating capacity of 5. Each seat­
ing position has a safety belt
¢ page 138, Safety belts.
The fact that there is an upper limit to your vehicle's Gross Ve­
hicle Weight Rating means that
the total weight of whatever is being carried in the vehicle (in ­
cluding the weight of a trailer
hitch and the tongue weight of
the loaded trailer) is limited .
The more passengers in the ve­ hicle or passengers who are
heavier than the standard
weights assumed mean that less weight can be carried as
luggage.
The tire pressure label on your
Audi also lists the maximum
combined weight of all of the
occupants and luggage or other
cargo that the vehicle can carry. For the Location of the label
¢ page 247, fig . 200 .
_& WARN ING -
Overloading a vehicle can
cause Loss of vehicle control,
a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and
even death.
-Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the ve­
hicle from handling properly
~

and increase the risk of the loss of vehicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that
has been overloaded may
not be able to stop the vehi­
cle within a safe distance.
-Tires on a vehicle that has
been overloaded can fail
suddenly, including a blow­
out and sudden deflation,
causing loss of control and a
crash.
-Always make sure that the total load being transported - including the weight of a
trailer hitch and the tongue
weight of a loaded trailer - does not make the vehicle heavier than the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rat­
ing .
Determining correct load
limit
Use the example below to cal­
culate the total weight of the
passengers and luggage or oth­
er things that you plan to trans­
port so that you can make sure
that your vehicle will not be
~ overloaded.
Tires and wheels 257
Steps for Determining
Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF OC­
CUPANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX LBS" on your ve­
hicle's placard (tire inflation
pressure label)
¢ page 247,
fig. 200.
2. Determine the combined
weight of the driver and pas­sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and pas­
sengers from
"XXX" kilo­
grams or
"XXX" pounds
shown on the sticker
¢ page 247, fig. 200.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of car­go and luggage load capaci­
ty. For example, if the
"XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs.
and there will be five 150 lbs. passengers in your vehi­
cle, the amount of available
cargo and luggage load ca­
pacity is 650 lbs. (1400-7 50
(5
X 150) = 650 lbs.)
5. Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo ""
•
•
'

258 Tires and wheels
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, load from your trail­
er will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual
to determine how this re­ duces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
.,.Check the tire sidewall
(¢ page 260, fig. 204) to de­
termine the designated load
rating for a specific tire.
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends
on a lot of different things in­
cluding proper installation and
balancing, correct tire pressure
and driving style.
Fig. 202 Tire tread: tread wear indi­
cators (TWI)
Fig. 203 Rotating tires for more even
wear
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
The original tires on your vehi­
cle have
1/16 inch (1.6 mm)
high "wear indicators"
¢ fig. 202 running across the
tread. Depending on the make,
there will be six to eight of
them evenly placed around the
tire. Marks on the tire sidewall (for example "TWI" or other
symbols) indicate the positions
of the tread wear indicators.
Worn tires must be replaced. Different figures may apply in
other countries
¢ .&. .
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes
premature wear and can cause
sudden tire blow-out. For this
reason, tire press ure must be
checked at least once a month
¢page 252.