ABS AUDI Q7 2009 Owner´s Manual

Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
Genera l information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger transpor­
ta tion.
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that the add itional load
wi ll affect durability, economy and performance.
Trai ler towing no t only places more s tress on the vehicle, it a lso ca lls
for more concentration from the driver.
F or this reaso n, always fol low the operating and driving instructions
prov ided and use common sense.
(D Note
If you are going to tow a tra iler, you must activate the trailer opera ­
tion mode =>
page 211, "Towing a trailer".
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a we ight-carry ing hitch conforming to the gross tra iler weig ht.
T he hitch must be suitable for your vehic le and trailer and must be
m ounted secure ly on the veh icle's chassis at a
technically sound
location. Use only a trailer hitch with a removable ball mount.
Always check with the trai ler hitch ma nufacturer to make sure that
you are using the correct hitch .
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be instal led in such a way that it does not in terfere
with the impact-absorbing bumper system. No modifications shou ld be made to the vehicle exhaust and b rake systems . Fro m
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Tr
aile r t owing
time to time, check that all hitch mounting bolts remain securely
fastened .
When you are not towing a trai ler, rem ove the t railer hi tch bal l
mount. This prevents the hitch from causing damage should your
vehicle be struck from behind =>
&.
Trailer bra kes
If your trai ler is equipped with a b raking system, check to be sure
that it conforms to all regulations.
The tra iler hydraul ic bra ke system must not be directly co nnecte d to
the veh icle's hydrau lic brake system=> &.
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle and the trailer.
Trail er lights
Trai ler lights must meet a ll regulations. Be sure to check with your
au thorized Audi dea ler for correct wiring, switches, an d relays.
Mirrors
If you are unab le to see the traff ic behind you using the regular
outside mirrors, then you
must instal l extended mirrors. It is impor ­
t ant that you
always have clear v isi on to the rear.
& WARNING
• If a trailer has electrical brake s please note that the se brakes
are not act ivated by the fa ctory-fitted control unit -ris k of acci­
dent!
• After removing the trailer hitch , do not store it in your vehicle.
In case of sudden braking , the hitch could fly forward and injure
you or your passengers .
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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& WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving vehicle is at a much
greater risk
in an accident. Never let anyone ride in your car who
is not properly wearing the restraints provided by Audi .
c:
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when towing a trailer because of
the additional weight and different weight distribution. Safety,
performance and economy will greatly depend on how carefully you
load your trailer and operate your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice turning, stopping and
backing up in an area away from traffic. Keep practicing until you
have become completely familiar with the way your vehicle -trailer
combination behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice. Backing up with a
trailer generally requires steering action opposite to that when
backing up your vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle and the one in
front of you. You will 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 accelerate as fast as you normally would because of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for your
trailer before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane changes.
[ i] Tips
• Do not tow a trailer during the break-in period of your vehicle. • If you tow
a trailer, your Audi may require more frequent mainte­
nance due to the extra load~
page 401. •
Parking on a s1ope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot be
avoided , do so only after doing the following:
When parking:
-Apply the foot brake.
- Have someone place chocks under both the vehicle and
the trailer wheels.
- With chocks in place, slowly release the brakes until the
wheel chocks absorb the load.
- Turn the wheels towards the curb.
- Apply the parking brake.
- Move the selector lever to
P.
When restarting after parking:
- Apply the foot brake.
- Start the engine.
- Move the selector lever to
D.
-Release the parking brake and slowly pull out and away
from the wheel chocks.
- Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel chocks.
[ i] Tips
I f you move the selector lever of the automatic transmission to P
before applying the parking brake and before blocking the wheels, II-

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Normal c lea ning
Genera lly, we recommend using a sof t sponge or a lint -free
microfiber cloth to the c lean fabric. Brushes should only be used for
carpets and floor mats, since other fabric surfaces cou ld be harmed
by brushes .
Normal surface stains can be cleaned using a commercially avail ­
able foam cleaner . Spread the foam on the surface of the fabric with
a soft sponge and work it in g ent ly. Do not saturat e the fabric. Then
pat the foam d ry using abs orbent, dry cl oths (e .g . micro fiber c loth)
and vacuum it after it has dried completely .
Cleaning stains
Stains caused by beverages (e.g. coffee , fruit juice, etc.) can be
treated w ith a mild detergent so luti on. Apply the detergent so lu tion
with a sponge . In the case of stubborn stains , a d etergent paste can
be applied di rectly t o the sta in and worked into the fabric . After ­
wards , use copious amounts of clean water to remove the
remaining detergen t. Apply the wa ter w ith a damp cloth or sponge
and pat the fabric dry with an absorbent, dry c loth.
Stains from chocolate or makeup should have detergent paste (e .g.
ox -ga ll soap) rubbed into them . Afterwards, remove the soap w ith
water (damp sponge).
A lcohol can be used to treat stains from grease, oil, lipstick o r a ba ll­
point pen. Melted grease or dye must be patted off using absorbent material. It may be necessary to retreat the areas with detergent
paste and water.
In the case of genera l soiling of the upholstery and cover material,
we recommend hiring a specialist that has the eq uipment to c lean
the seat covers and other fabric surfaces by shampooing and spray
extraction .
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and th e information
=> page 31 2.
[ i ] T ips
Open Ve lcro fasteners on your clothing can damage the seat cover.
Please make su re that Ve lcro fasteners are c losed .•
Plastic parts and instrument panel
Always use a clean cloth moistened in clea r water to clean these
areas . For persistent dir t use an Audi approved
solvent -free plastic
cleaner/protecta nt.
& WARNING
Solvent s can change the propertie s of some plastics and make it
ha rder for the airbag to deploy .
• Never clean the instrument panel or the surface of airbag
module s with cleaning pr oduct s that contain so lvents .
• Product s containing solvent s w ill make the surface of this part
porou s.
• Seriou s injuries can result if pla stic parts come loo se when the
ai rbag is deployed .
• Alway s read and heed all WARNING S and other info rm ation
=> page 312 .
0 Note
Cleaning agents containing solvents wil l attack the material and can
change the way it behaves .•

-Cleaning and prot ection
Pt'l:I-~--------------
Applies to vehicles : with na tura l leather
Cleaning and caring for leather upholstery
and trim
N atural leather requires special care and attention.
Normal cleaning
C lean s oiled areas wi th a s lig htly mo istened cotton o r
w oole n cloth.
Mor e stubborn dirt
- More stubborn dirt can be removed using a cloth satu ­
rated with a mild soap solution (2 tablespoons m ild
liquid soap) .
- Neve r allow the soap solution to saturate the leathe r, and
make certain that no water soaks into the seams.
Wipe off the soap solution with a soft, dry clot h.
Cleaning spots
-Remove fresh water-based spots (su ch as coffee, tea,
juices, b lo od) with an a bsorbent c loth or paper towel.
- Remove fresh grease or oil-based spots (such as butter,
mayonnaise, choco late) with an absorbent c loth o r paper
towel, or use the cleaner from the leather care k it if t he
spot has not yet penetrated into the su rface of the
l eather.
- Use an oil/grease dissolving spray, if oil/grease spots
have dried on .
- Remove specific kinds of spots (ballpoint pen , fe lt
marker, fingernai l po lish, water -based paint, shoe polish ,
etc.) with a spot remover specifically formulated for lea ther .
Leather car e
-Every half year use a n approved leather care product
(availa ble from your author ized Audi deale r) to care for
t h e lea ther.
- Apply the produc t very spar ingly.
- Wipe i t off wit h a damp cloth.
If you have any questions about c leaning and caring fo r the lea ther
in your vehicle, i t is best to contact your authorized Audi dealer , who
wi ll be glad to help you a nd tell you about our ful l range of leather
care products, such as:
• Le ather cle aning and care kit
• Creams to care for co lored leather
• Spot r emovers for ba llpoint pens, shoe polish, etc .
• Oil/grease disso lving spray
• New and upcoming products .
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other info rmation
~ page 312 .
0 Note
• Never use ch em ical solvents (e .g . lighter flu id, turpentine),
waxes, shoe po lish or simi lar products on the leather surfaces in
your Aud i.
• To avoid damage , have s tubbo rn stains removed by a commer ­
cia l cleaning spec ial ist .•

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& WA RNING ! continued )
• The auxiliary ele ctric fan is temperature controlled and can
s w itch on suddenly even wh en t he engine is not runn ing .
• The auxiliary radiator fan swit ches on automatic ally when the
engin e coolant rea che s a cer tain temperature and will con tinue to
run until the coolant temperature drop s. •
Brake f luid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level c an be checke d with a quick gl ance .
Fig. 288 E ngine
comp artm ent: B ra ke
flui d rese rvoir
Be fore you check a nything in th e en g in e co mpart ment,
always read and heed all WARNINGS=> & in "Working in
t h e eng ine compartment" on
page 331.
- Read the brake fluid l eve l from the brake fluid reservoir
=> fig. 288. The brake flu id level mus t be between the
"MIN" and "MAX" markings.
The brake fluid reservoir is locate d at the rear partition of the engine
compartment on the left side=>
page 332.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some time due to the auto ­
ma tic adjustment of the brake pads. This is not cause for alarm .
If the brake fluid leve l falls
considerably below the "MIN" mark , the
brake warning/indicator light (U.S. models:
BRAKE , Canadian models:
«D> l will come on=>
page 23 and=> page 32 . Do not continue to
operate the vehicle. The complete brake system should be thor ­
oughly checked
by an author ized Audi dealer or qua lif ied workshop
and the cause corrected . If th e brake fluid level is too low, the brake
warning/indicator light w ill illumi nate. Contact an authorized Audi
dea ler
immedi ately .
[ i ] Tips
The brake fluid reservoir is located underneath the cover .•
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experience d techni ­
cian.
Brak e fluid absorbs mois ture from the air. If the wate r conten t in the
brake fluid is too high, corrosion in the brake sys tem may res ult
after a period of time . The boiling point of the brake fluid will also
decrease conside rably and decrease braking performance .
Therefore , the brake fluid mus t be changed
every two year s. Always
use new brake fluid which conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle S tan ­
da rd "FMVSS 116 DOT 4".
The brake fluid reservoir can be difficul t to reach, therefore , we
recommend that y ou have the brake fluid changed by your autho ­
rized
Audi deal er. Your dealer has the correct tools, the right brake
fluid and the know -how to do this for you .
& WARNING
• Brak e fluid is poi sonou s. It mu st be stored only in the clo sed
o riginal conta iner out of the rea ch of children! ..,.
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

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& WARN ING (c o ntinued )
• Brake failure can re sult from old or inappr opriate brake fluid .
Ob serve the se precautio ns:
- Use only brake fluid that meets SAE specific ation J 1703 and
c onform s to Fed era l Moto r Vehi cle St anda rd 116. Al ways c heck
with your authori zed Audi dealer to make sure you are u sin g
the corre ct brake fluid. The correct typ e of brake fluid i s also
indicated o n the brake fluid reser vo ir .
- The br ake flu id mu st be ne w. Heavy u se of the brake s can
c au se a vapor lock if the brake fluid i s left in the s ystem too
long. Thi s can seriou sly affect the effi cien cy of the brake s as
w ell a s your safet y. Thi s could re sult in an acci dent .
0 Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your vehicle .
For the sake of the environment
Because of the problem of proper disposal of brake fluid as well as
the special too ls required and the necessa ry expertise, we recom­
mend that you have the brake fluid changed by your authorized Audi
dea ler .•
Battery
General information
Under normal operating condi tions, the battery in your Audi does
not need any maintenance. With
high outside temperatures or long
daily drives we recommend that you have the e lectrolyte level
checked by an au thorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop . The
e lectrolyte level should also be ch ecked each time the battery is
charged ~
page 344.
Have the battery checked when you take your vehicle in for service .
Yo u are well advised to replace a battery that is o lder than 5 years .
With certain types of airbag dep loyment, the battery is discon ­
nected from the vehicle electrical system for safety reasons~
& in
"Repair, care and disposal of the airbags" on
page 255.
Disconnecti ng th e batt ery termin als
Some vehicle functions (power window regulators , for example) are
lost if the battery termina ls are disconnected. These functions have
to be relearned after the battery terminals are connected again . To
prevent this, the battery should only be disconnected from the
vehic le electrical sys tem when abso lutely necessary for repairs .
Vehicles not driven for long per iods
If you do not drive your vehicle ove r a period of several days or
weeks, electrical components are gradually cut back or switched off .
T his reduces energy consumption and maintains starting capab ility
over a longer period
~ page 295 .
Take i nto consideration that whe n you u nlock your vehicle, some
convenience functions, such as the master key remote function or
powe r seat adjustme nt, may not be ava ilable. The convenience
functions will be available again when you turn on the ignition and
start the engine .
Wint er op erati on
Duri ng the winter mont hs, batte ry capacity tends to decrease as
temperatures drop . This is because more power is also consumed
whi le star tin g, and the headlights, rear window defogger, etc ., are
used more often.
Avoid unnecessary power consumption, particular ly in city traffic or
when trave li n g o nly short dis tances . Let your authorized Audi dea ler
check the capacity of the vehicle battery before winter sets in
~ page 344. A we ll cha rged battery w ill not only preven t starting
problems when the weather is cold, but will also last longer . ..,_