Trailer Towing; Driving With Atrailer - Audi A7 2023 Owner's Manual

Trailer towing
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your vehicle is primarily intended for transport-
ing people and luggage. However, if you drive
with a trailer, follow the technical requirements,
the operation and driving tips, and the legal reg-
ulations.
Driving with a trailer affects the vehicle's energy
usage, performance, and wear. It also requires
greater concentration from the driver.
A retrofitted trailer hitch must be installed ac-
cording to the instructions provided by the manu-
facturer page 118.
—Do not transport any people in a trailer due
to the risk of fatal injury.
— Only use a ball hitch that is approved for
your vehicle. Using a ball hitch that is not
approved for your vehicle can lead to issues
such as unstable driving behavior or uncou-
pling of the trailer and increase the risk of
an accident. If you have questions, see an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility.
Operating instructions
Towing capacity
Your vehicle can only be operated with class 1 or
class 2 trailers.
Load distribution
Poor cargo load and distribution can negatively
impact vehicle handling. Load the vehicle and
trailer based on the following criteria as much as
possible:
— Store objects in the vehicle luggage compart-
ment, if possible. The vehicle should always
carry the heaviest possible load and the trailer
should have the lightest possible load.
116
— Distribute the load in the trailer so that the
heavy objects are as close to the axle as possi-
ble.
— Secure objects so that they do not slide.
— Utilize the maximum permitted tongue weight
if possible.
Speed
Adhere to the legal speed limits. Follow the legal
regulations that are applicable in the country
where you are operating the vehicle.
As the speed increases, the driving stability of
the vehicle and trailer decreases. Therefore you
should not exceed the maximum legal speed lim-
it when there are unfavorable road, weather,
and/or wind conditions. This especially applies
when driving downhill.
Hill
When you start driving uphill or downhill, the ve-
hicle and trailer may tilt or sway sooner than
when driving on a level surface. If small swaying
movements have already occurred, you can stabi-
lize the trailer by firmly braking immediately.
Never attempt to "straighten out" the vehicle
and trailer by accelerating.
Downshift before driving on hills to utilize the
engine braking effect > A.
Exterior lighting
Follow the legal regulations for lighting on your
trailer that are applicable in the country where
you are operating the vehicle. If necessary, con-
tact an authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility for more information.
Before you start driving, check all lighting equip-
ment on the trailer while it is hitched to the vehi-
cle.
The headlight range control automatically ad-
justs the light range of the headlights.
Outside mirrors
Make sure that you can also observe the traffic
area behind the vehicle using the exterior mir-
rors, and use additional exterior mirrors if neces-
sary. Adjust the additional exterior mirrors so
that you have a sufficient visibility behind the >