wheel AUDI S7 2015 Workshop Manual

196 Intellig ent technolog y
distance detected to the veh icle a head is too
smal l.
Anti -slip regulation (ASR )
ASR reduces engine power when the drive
wheels begin to spin and adapts the force to
the road condit ions. This makes it eas ier to
start, accelerate and drive up hills.
Electronic differential lock (EDL )
The ED L brakes wheels that are spinn ing and
transfers the d rive power to the other wheels.
This f unct ion is not availab le at h igher speeds.
In extreme cases, EDL automat ically switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked whee l
from overheating. EDL w ill switch on aga in au­
tomatically when conditions have returned to norma l.
St eering recommendat ion
The ESC helps to stabilize the vehicle by
cha nging the steering to rque.
In vehicles with dynam ic steering*, ESC also
helps to stabilize the steering in critical s itua­
tions .
Select ive w heel to rque control
Selective wheel torque control is used when
driving on curves . The front wheel on the in­
side of the curve or both wheels on the inside
of the curve are braked selectively as needed.
This a llows more prec ise driving in curves. The
applicable system may not activate when d riv­
ing i n wet or snowy conditions.
.&_ WARNING
- T he ESC and its integrated systems can­
not overcome the limits posed by natural physical laws
. This is especially impor­
tant on slippery or wet roads. If the sys­ tems beg in acting to stabilize your vehi­
cle, you should immediately change your
speed to match the road and traffic con­
d itions . Do not let the increased safety
p rovided by these systems tempt you to
take risks. Do ing so will increase the ri sk
of a loss of veh icle cont ro l, collision and
serio us personal inj uries.
- Always adapt your speed to road, traffic
and weather conditions . The risk of los ­
ing control of the vehicle increases when
driving too fast , especially through
curves and on slippery or wet roads, and
when dr iv ing too close to vehicles up
ahead . The ESC and its integrated sys­
tems cannot a lways prevent collisions -
there is still a risk of acc idents!
- Always accelerate with special care on
even, smooth su rfaces such as those that
are wet or covered with ice and snow .
The drive wheels can spin even w ith
these assistance systems that c annot al­
ways he lp to red uce the risk of loss of ve­
h icle control.
(D Tips
- ABS and ASR only wo rk correctly when
all four wheels are equipped wi th iden ti­
cal tires. D ifferen t tire sizes can lead to a
reduction in engine power.
- Yo u may hear noises when the systems
descr ibed are workin g.
-If the ind icator light DJ or Ea (USA
mode ls)/ lCO j there may be a malfunction~
page 19,
<=>page 19.

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Intelligent technology 197
Switching on and off
ESC turns on automatically when you start the engine.
Fig. 182 Center console,:, OFF button
ESC levels
Sport mode on
The following situations are exceptions where it may be useful to switch on sport mode to
allow the wheels to spin:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is stuck
- Driving in deep snow or on loose ground
- Dr iv ing with snow chains
Sport mode off
Behavior
The ESC and ASR stabilization functions The fu ll stab ilizat ion function of the ESC
are limited¢ ,&.
Operation Press the I~ OFFI button .
Indicator II turns on.
lights
Driver mes- Stabilization control (ESC): Sport.
sages Warning! Reduced
stability
A WARNING
You should only sw itch sport mode on if
your dr iving abilities and road conditions
permit.
- The stabilization function is limited
when sport mode is sw itched on . The
dr iv ing wheels could spin and the vehicle
cou ld swerve, especially on slick or slip­
pery road surfaces.
@ Tips
- Sport mode cannot be switched on if the
cruise control system* or the adapt ive
cruise control* is switched on.
- If the rear spoiler system malfunctions,
spo rt mode may not switch on or it may
swit ch off again automatically.
-
and ASR is available again.
Press the IS'} OFF I button again.
Iii tur ns off.
Stabilization control (ESC): On
Rear spoiler
The rear spoiler improves vehicle handling
and enhances driver control.
Fig . 183 Cente r conso le: Sw itch for rear spoiler
The rear spoi ler deploy s and retracts. Spoiler
operation can be set fo r automatic or man ual
opera tion.
Automatic mode (normal operation)
-Automatic deployment: At a speed of about
80 mph (130 km/h), the rea r spo iler deploys
automatically .
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effect can be reduced due to moisture (or in
freezing conditions ice) on the brake pads . A
few careful brake app lications should dry off
the brake pads or remove any ice coatings.
When you are driving at higher speeds wit h
the windshield wipers on, the brake pads will briefly touch the brake d iscs in regular inter­
vals so as to improve reaction t ime when brak­
ing on wet surfaces. You the driver w ill not no­
tice anything .
The effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is dr iven on a salt-covered
road and the brakes are not used . Here too,
you shou ld clean off accumulated salt coat ing
from brake discs and pads with a few careful
applications of the brake ¢
A.
Cor ro sion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not dr iven regularly or
only for sho rt trips with l ittle use of the
b rakes .
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if cor­ rosion has formed on the discs, it is advisable
to clean off the pads and discs by b rak ing
fi rm ly a few times from a mode rately h igh
speed ¢,& .
Faults in the brake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake peda l travel, t hen one of the two brake
circu its may have failed¢
A.
Low brake flu id le vel
Malfunct ions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fluid level is too low . T he brake fluid
level is monitored electronically .
Brake booste r
The brake booster works with vacuum pres ­
sure which is created only when the engine is
running ¢
A.
Brake lining w ear statu s
Brake lining wea r may be c hecked by vis ual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
Int ellig ent technolog y 199
thro ugh the open ings in the wheel. If neces ­
sa ry, the whee l may be removed for t his in­
spection ¢
page 2 75, Changing a wheel.
_& WARNING
- You should perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road conditions permit.
Othe r road use rs must not be put at risk -
you may ca use an accident!
- Before descend ing a steep grade, reduce
speed and sh ift transmission into a lower
gea r o r l ower dr iving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too o ften . T hi s could c ause the
brakes to get hot and diminish braking
efficiency .
- Do not "ride the brakes" by rest ing you r
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to b rake . This may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and increased
stopping distance.
- Unde r ce rtain climatic and operating
conditions such as passing thro ugh wa ­
ter, dr iv ing in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the brakes can be reduced . In winte r, ice can
accumu late on the brake pads, lin ings,
discs and drums. Carefully app ly bra kes
for a test. Brakes will dry and ice co at­
ings w ill be cleaned off after a few care ­
fu l brake applicat ions.
- Driving for an ex tended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can a lso affect bra king efficiency .
Clean off accum ulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads with a few careful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
f low to the front brakes is not obstruct­
ed. Otherw ise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impair
the braking capab il ity result ing in an in­
creased stopping distance . Avoid driving
the vehicle and have it towed to the
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•

200 Intelligent technology
nearest Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop.
- Never let the vehicle ro ll to a stop with
the engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, the
brake pedal must be pressed considera­
bly harder to make up for the lack of
booster assistance.
Electromechanical
power assist, dynamic
steering
The electromechanical power assist helps the
driver when steering.
Power steering adapts electronically based on
the vehicle speed.
Indicator lights and messages
• Steering defective! Stop the vehicle
If this indicator light turns on and stays on
and this message appears, the power steering
may have failed.
Do
not continue driving. See your authorized
Audi dealer or other qualified repair facility
for assistance.
l>:r-ij Steering: System fault You can continue
driving
If the indicator light turns on and the mes­
sage appears, the steering may be more diffi­
cult to move or more sensitive than usual. The
steering wheel may also be at an angle when
driving straight.
Drive slow ly to your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop to have the malfunction
corrected.
'Tl Dynamic steering: Initializing
If th is driver message appears and the ind ica­
tor light is flashing on the inst rument panel,
dynamic steering* is be ing reinitialized. After
starting the engine, the steering whee l wi ll
move slightly. Re-initialization might be nec­
essary if the steering wheel was moved hard
to the left and right while the vehicle was not moving. The display
goes out as soon as initi­
alization is complete.
Drive slowly to your authorized Audi dealer or
qualified wo rkshop to have the malfunct ion
corrected.
A WARNING
Have the dynamic steering * system mal ­
function repaired as soon as possible by an
authorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop -risk of accident!
(D Tips
If the . or '1:I indicator light only stays
on for a short time, you may continue driv­
ing.
- The dynamic steering* stability systems
are not availab le in the event of a system
malfunction .
- For additional information on dynamic
steering*, refer to¢
page 102.
Driving with your
quattro
-
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels ore driv­
en .
General information
With all-wheel drive, power is distributed to
all four wheels. This happens automatically
depending on your driving style and the road
conditions at the time. See also
¢page 195.
A center differential distributes the driving
power variably to the front and rear axle.
It
works together with selective wheel torque
control, which activates when driving through
curves¢
page 196. With the sport differen­
tial*, power distribution to the rear wheels is
variable and can be adjusted with drive se lect
¢ page 102.
The all-wheel drive concept is des igned for
high eng ine power. Your veh icle is except ion­
ally powerfu l and has excellent driving charac­
teristics both under normal driving conditions
and on snow and ice. Always read and follow
safety precautions ¢,&. . .,.

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Winter t ire s
When driving in the w inter, your vehicle w ith
all-wheel drive has an advantage, even with
regular tires. In winter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all-sea­
son tires) for improved driveability and brak­ ing: these tires must be mounted on
a ll fo ur
wheels .
See also c:> page 267, Winter tires.
Tire chain s
Where tire cha ins are mandatory on certain
roads, th is normally a lso applies to vehicles
with all-wheel drive
c> page 268, Snow
chains.
Re placing wh eels/ tire s
Vehicles w ith all-wheel drive must a lways
have tires of the same size. Also avoid tires
with different tread depths. For details see
page
c:> page 260, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels .
Off-Road dri ving ?
Your Audi does not have enough ground clear­
ance to be used as an off-road vehicle. It is
therefore best to avoid rough tracks and un­
even terrain as much as possible. Also refer to
c:>page204.
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to road and traf­
fic condit ions . Do not let the extra safety
afforded by all-wheel dr ive tempt you into
taking extra risks.
- Although the all-wheel dr ive is very ef­
fec tive, a lways remember that braking
capacity is limited by t ire traction. Yo u
should therefore not dr ive at excessive
speeds on icy or slippery road surfaces.
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to
drive too fast because the front wheels cou ld begin to slide on top of the water
(aquaplaning). If this sho uld occur, you
will have no warning from a sudden in­
crease in engine speed as with a front­
wheel drive vehicle. A lways drive at
speeds wh ich are suited to the road con­
ditions -risk of c rash.
Int ellig ent technolog y 201
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.
If a vehicle with a conventional energy system
is not d riven for a long per iod of t ime, the bat­
tery is discharged by idling current consumers (e .g. immobilize r). In certain circumstances it
can resu lt in the re be ing insuffic ient energy
available to start the engine.
Intelligent energy management in your vehi­
cl e ha ndles the distribution of e lectr ica l ene r­
gy. Start ing ability is markedly improved and
the life of the battery is extended .
Bas ica lly, energy management consists of
ba tter y dia gno sis, id lin g curr ent manage­
ment
and dynamic ener gy manag ement.
Battery di agnos is
Battery diagnosis continuously determ ines
the state of the batte ry . Sensors determine
battery voltage, battery current and battery
tempe rature. This de termines the curren t
state of cha rge and the power of the battery .
Idling current management
Idling current management reduces energy
consumption while the vehicle is standing .
With the ign ition switched off, it controls the
energy supply to the various electrica l compo ­
nents. Da ta fr om ba ttery d iagnos is is cons id ­
ered.
Depend ing on the batte ry's state of cha rge,
individ ual cons ume rs a re g radually turned off
to prevent excessive discharge o f the battery
and th us maintain star ting capability.
Dynamic energy management
While the vehicle is being dr iven, dynamic e n­
ergy ma nagement distr ibutes the energy gen­
erated a ccord ing to the needs of the individ u-
al components . It regulates consumpt ion, so
that more e lectrical energy is not being used .,.
•
•

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.

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~ 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
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Vehicl e ca re a nd cl eanin g 213
A WARNING
-Only wash the vehicle when the ignition
is off and follow the instructions from
the car wash operator to reduce the risk of accidents .
- To reduce the r isk of cuts, protect your­
self from sharp metal components when
wash ing the underbody or the inside of
t he wheel housings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking ef­
fec t may be delayed due to mo isture on
the brake rotors or ice in the winter. The
brakes must be dried first with a few
careful brake applications.
Q) Note
- If you wash t he vehicle in an automatic
car wash, yo u must retrac t the rear spoil­
er if necessary, and fo ld the exter ior mir­
rors in to reduce the risk of damage.
Power folding exterior mirrors* must on­
l y be folded in and out using the power
fo ld ing funct ion.
- To prevent paint damage, do not wash
the veh icle in direct sunlight. -
To reduce the risk of damage to the sur­
face, do not use insect removing spong­
es, kitchen sponges or similar items.
- Matte finish painted vehicle compo­
nents:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the surface, do not use polishing agents or hard wax.
- Never use car wash cycles that apply protective wax.
It can destroy the
matte fi nish effect.
- Do not place any stickers or magnet ic
signs on vehicle parts painted w ith
matte fi nish paint. The paint cou ld be
damaged when the stickers o r magnets
are removed.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the vehi cle in facilities spec ial ly
designed for that purpose . This will red uce
the risk of dirty water contam inated with
oil from entering the sewer system.
Cleaning and care information
When cleaning and caring for individua l vehi ­
cle components, refer to the follow ing tab le.
The information contained there is s imply rec­
ommendations. For quest ions or for compo- nents
that are not listed, refer to an author­
ized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop. Also
follow the information found inc>,& .
Cle aning e xte rior
Component Situation Solution
W ip er bl ade s
Dirty c> page 49, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
Headlights/ Dirty Soft
sponge with a mild soap solution al
tail lights
S ensor s/
Dirty Sensors: soft cloth with a solvent-free cleaning product
cam era l enses Camera lenses: soft cloth with an alcohol-free cleaning
so lution
Snow/ice Hand brush/solvent-free de-icing spray
Whe els Road sa lt Water
Brake dust Acid-free special cleaning solution
Ex haust t ail Road sa lt Water, cleaning solut
ion suitable for sta inless steel, if
pipe s necessary
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Vehicl e ca re a nd cl eanin g 215
Component Situ ation Solution
T ex tiles,
Stains adhering to Vacuum cleaner
Vin yl, the surface
A lcan ta ra Water-based stains Absorbent
cloth and mild soap solutional
such as coffee, tea,
blood, etc.
Oil-based stains Apply a mild soap solutiona l, blot away the dissolved oil
such as oil, make- or dye, treat afterward with water, if necessary
up, etc.
Special stains such Special stain remover, blot with absorbent material,
as ballpoint pen, treat afterward with mild soap solutional, if necessary
na il polish, latex
pa int, shoe polish,
etc.
N atu ral le athe r Fresh stains Cotton cloth with a mild soap solutional
Water-based stains Fresh stains: absorbent cloth
such as coffee, tea, Dried stains: stain remover suitable for leather
blood , etc.
Oil-based stains Fresh stains: absorbent cloth and stain remover suitable
such as oil, make- for leather
up, etc. dried stains: Oil cleaning spray
Special stains such Sta in remover suitable for leather
as ballpo int pen,
nai l polish, latex
paint, shoe polish,
etc.
Care Regularly
apply conditioning cream that protects from
light and penetrates into the material. Use specially-col-
ored conditioning cream, if necessary.
Carbon part s Dirty Clean the same way as plastic parts
al Mild soap solution: maxi mum two tablespoons neutral soap in 1 qua rt (I lite r) of water
& WARNING
The windshie ld may not be treated with
water-repelling windshie ld coating agents.
Unfavorab le conditions such as wetness,
darkness, or low sun can result in in­
creased glare. W iper blade chatter is also
possible.
- Headlights /ta il li ghts
-Never clean headlights or tail lights
w ith a dry cloth or sponge. -
Do not use any cleaning product that
contains alcohol, because they could
cause cracks to form .
-Wheels
- Never use any paint polish or other
abrasive mater ials.
- Damage to the protective layer on the
rims such as stone chips or scratches
must be repaired immediately .
-Se nsor s/came ra len ses
- Never use warm or hot water to re-
move snow or ice from the camera
l ens . This could cause the lens to crack .
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240 Tires and wheels
Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreci­
ated and most abused parts of
a motor vehicle.
Tires may be the least appreci­
ated and most abused parts of
a motor vehicle. Tires are, how­
ever, one of the most important
parts of a vehicle, particularly
considering the comparatively
small patch of rubber on each
tire that assures that all-impor­
tant contact between you, your
vehicle and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire
pressure, making sure that your
vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry more weight than they can safely handle, avoiding
damage from road hazards and
regularly inspecting tires for
damage including cuts, slashes
irregular wear and overall con­
dition are the most important
things that you can do to help avoid sudden tire failure includ­
ing tread separation and blow­
outs.
Avoiding damage
If you have to drive over a curb
or similar obstacle, drive very
slowly and as close as possible
at a right angle to the curb.
Always keep chemicals includ­
ing grease, oil, gasoline and
brake fluid off the tires.
Inspect the tires regularly for
damage (cuts, cracks or blis­
ters, etc.). Remove any foreign
bodies embedded in the treads.
Storing tires
Mark tires when you remove
them to indicate the direction
of rotation. This ensures you to
be able to mount them correct­
ly when you reinstall them.
When removed, the wheels or
tires should be stored in a cool,
dry and preferably dark place.
Store tires in a vertical position if they are not mounted on
rims, in a horizontal position if
they are mounted on rims.
New tires
New tires have to be broken in
¢ &.
The tread depth of new tires
may vary, according to the type .,.