towing AUDI Q7 2011 Owner´s Manual

Intelligent technology
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in. WARNING
• You should perform braking maneuvers for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system only if road condition s permit. Other
road u sers must not b e put at r isk - you may cau se an ac cident!
• Before d esc ending a steep gr ade , redu ce speed and shift tran s­
mission into a lower gear or lower driving range. Do not ride the
brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too often . This could
cause the brake s to get hot and diminish braking efficiency.
• Do not "ride the brakes " by re sting your foot on the pedal when
you do not intend to brake. Thi s may caus e the brakes to overheat ,
premature wear and increa sed stopping di stance.
• Under certain climatic and operating conditions such as
pas sing through water, driving in heavy rain or after washing the
vehicle, the effectiveness of the brake s can be reduced . In winter,
ice can accumulate on the brake pads , linings , disc s and drums .
Carefully apply brakes for a test. Brake s will dry and ice coatings
will be cleaned off after a few careful brake applications.
• Driving for an extended period of time on salt -cov ered roads
without using your brakes can al so affect braking efficiency. Clean
off accumulated salt coating from brake d iscs and pads with a few
careful brake applications.
• If you damage the front spoiler , or if you install a different
s poiler , be sure the air flow to the front brakes is not obstructed.
Otherwise the brake system could overheat reducing the effective­
ness of the entire brake system.
• Failure of one brake circuit will impair the braking capability
resulting in an increased stopping distance. Avoid driving the
vehicle and have it towed to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or
qualified wo rkshop. •
Brake booster
The brake booster adds e xtra brakin g pow er .
The brake booster works with vacuum pressure which is created only
w hen the en gine is ru nning =>& .
in. WARNING
• Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with the engine shut off .
• If the brake booster i s not working , for example when towing
your vehicle , or because the brake booster has somehow been
damaged , the brake pedal must be p ressed considerably harder to
make up for the lack of booster assistan ce.
Functioning of Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS)
AB S prevents the wheels from locki ng up under braking.
T he ABS co ntribu tes effectively to vehicle co ntrol s ince it prevents t he
w hee ls from
locking when the b rakes are a pplied. This means t hat t he
veh icle rema ins steerable and is less likely to s kid .
W ith ABS you do not need to
pump the brake. Just hold the brake
pedal down .
However, do not expect the ABS to shorten braking distance u nder
oil
circums tances. When driving on grave l or on newly fa llen snow on top
of icy su rfaces, braking dis tance may be even longer, therefore, under
these c irc umstances, it is especially important that you dr ive slowly
and w it h great care .
How the ABS system works
An automatic check is made when a speed of about 12 mph (20 km/h)
is reached . Whe n this happens, a p umping noise can be hea rd. ._

Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information Your Audi was design ed primarily for passenger transpor ­
tation .
If you plan to tow a t rai ler, p lease rem emb er that the add itiona l load
wi ll affect durab ility, economy and performance.
T railer tow ing not on ly p laces mo re s tress on the vehicle, it a lso calls
for more concentrat ion from the driver.
For this reason, a lways follow the ope rating and dr iv ing instr uctions
prov ided and use common sense .
(D Note
If you are going to tow a t ra iler , you must ac tivate the tra ile r ope ra­
tion mode ::::;,
page 182, "Towing a trailer". •
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a we igh t-car rying hit ch confo rm ing to the g ross tra ile r weig ht.
The hitch must be suitable for your vehicle and tra iler and must be
mou nted secure ly o n th e veh icle's chassis a t a
te chnically sound loca­
tion. Use only a trailer hitch with a removab le ba ll mount. Always
check w ith the tra iler h itch manufacturer to ma ke sure tha t you are
using the correct hitch .
Do not use a bumper hitch .
The hitch must be i nstalled in such a way t hat i t does not interfe re
w ith the impact-absorbing bumper system. No mod ificat ions should
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
be made to the vehicle exhaust and b
rake systems. From time to
time, check that all hitc h mounting bo lts rema in securely fastened.
Whe n you are no t towing a trai ler, remove the trailer hi tch ba ll
mount. This prevents the hitch from caus ing damage should your
vehicle be s truck from behind::::;,& .
Trailer brakes
If your trailer i s eq uipped w ith a b raking system, che ck to be s ure that
it conforms to all regulat ions.
T he tra iler hyd raulic brake system must not be directly connected to
the vehi cle's hydraul ic brake system ::::;, & .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains betwee n your vehicle and t he tra iler .
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulat ions. Be sure to check w ith your
au thor ized A udi deale r for co rrect wi ring, switc hes, and re lays.
Mirrors
If you are unab le to see the traff ic beh ind you us ing t he regular
outside m irro rs, then you
must install extended mirro rs. It is impor­
t an t th at yo u
always have cle ar vision to the re a r.
& WARNING
• If a trailer has electrical brakes please note that these brakes
are not activated by the factory-fitted control unit -ri sk of acci ·
dent!
• Afte r 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

Trailer towing
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& WARNING (cont inued)
• The Gro ss Vehicle Weight Rating for your Audi Q7 vehicle,
found on the safety compliance label on the driver's side B-pillar, must never be exceeded under any circumstances . Exceeding the
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of your vehicle is likely to damage
your vehicle, and such damage will not be covered by your Limited
New Vehicle Warranty. Exceeding the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating will also change the performance and handling character­
istics of your vehicle, whi ch could cause a crash resulting in serious
injury or death.
• The Gro ss Vehicle Weight Rating for your Audi Q7 would be
exceeded if your vehicle is simultaneously equipped with
Panoramic sliding sunroof; third-row seating ; trailer towing
equipment (factory or dealer-installed ), and running boards
(dealer-installed) . UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES MAY ALL SUCH
ITEMS BE INSTALLED ON THE SAME VEHICLE .•
Operating instructions
M AX 6 .9"
MA X
175mm
Trailer towing weights
Fig. 223 Permitted
ball position of the
tra iler hit ch
With a factory -installed tra ile r hi tch, the maximum pe rmissib le
t ra iler weig ht is 6,615 lbs (3,000 kg). The maximum pe rmissib le
unbraked trailer we igh t is 1,650 lbs (750 kg) . With an
aftermarket
trail er hi tch, the m axi mum permissibl e traile r weig ht i s 5,5 12 lbs (2,500
kg) . These specifications app ly when driv ing on roads havi ng
an in cline o f less t han 12%.
Permissible tongue load
For best ve hicle handl ing un der t hese ch ange d co ndition s, adju st the
tra ile r l oad so that the tongue load is at the maxim um a llowab le or
sligh tly lower. You can get an app roxim atio n of the tongue load w it h
a bat hroom scale or you ca n measure the load at a t ruc king company
or we ighing st ation.
W it h a
factory-installed trailer h itch, the max imum pe rmissible load
on t he ba ll hitc h may not exceed 662 lbs (300 kg). W it h an
after­
market
tra ile r hi tc h, t he ma ximum pe rm issi ble loa d on the b all hi tch
may not exceed 551 lbs (250 kg). It is recommended to use the
maxim um permi ssible loa d.
Trailer load distribution
Be su re the load in t he tra ile r i s held se curely in p lace to p revent it
from shi fting forward, backwa rd or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer=> & in "Dr ivin g in struc­
t ions" on
page 275.
Ball mount
The tra ile r hitch may on ly be used w ith suitable ball mount and ball
=> fi g. 223 . Ins tallat ion of the hi tch b all mus t be c arrie d out in acco r­
dance with the manufacturer's instructions . At the height d imension
of 1. 5 in (38 .5 mm) a toler ance of+/- 0.5 in ( 12. 7 mm ) is per miss ible
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes t he eng ine work harder. It is impo rtant that
t he cooling system 's performan ce is up to the addi tional loa d. Mak e
sure that the coo ling system has enough fluid .
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inf late the tires ofyourvehicle to the cold tire
pre ssure listed unde r "Full lo ad" on t he tire pre ssu re lab el. Th e tire ...

pressure label is located o n the dr iver's side B-pillar. Inflate trailer
t ires to tra ile r and t ire ma nufacturers' spec ifications.
Lights
T he headl ight settings shou ld be chec ked with the tr ailer attached
before driving off. Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are wo rking properly.
Safety chains
Be sure tra ile r safety cha ins are p roperly connected from the t rai ler
to the hitch on the vehicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to perm it
tu rning corners . When you install sa fe ty ch ains, ma ke sure they will
not drag on the road when you are driving.
T he chains should cross under the trai ler tongue to prevent it from
dropping in case of separation from the h itch .
0 Note
If you are goi ng to tow a trai ler , you must activate the trai ler opera­
tion mode =>
page 182, "Towing a trailer". •
Driving instructior,s
Driving with a trailer always requires e xtra care and
consideration.
To obtain the best possib le handling of ve hicle a nd trailer ,
please note the following :
- Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself is not
loaded.
- Be especia lly careful when pass ing other vehicles .
- Observe speed limi ts.
- Do not drive at the maximum pe rmissible speed.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
- Always apply brakes early.
- Mo
nitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distri but ion
T owing a loaded trailer with an empty car results in a highly unstable
distribution of we ight . If t his 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 control. This means that the
tow veh icle shou ld be loaded to the extent poss ible and permissib le,
wh ile keeping the tra ile r as lig ht as poss ible unde r the ci rc u mstances.
Whe never possible, transfer some cargo to the luggage compart ­
me nt o f the tow vehicle while observing tongue load requirements
and vehicle loading considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more d ifficult it becomes for the driver to
control the r ig . Do not dr ive at the maxim um permiss ible speed .
Reduce your speed eve n more if load, weather or w ind conditions are
unfavorable -particular ly when going downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immed iately if the tra ile r shows the slightest
sign of swaying.
Do not tr y to stop the s wayi ng by a ccele rating .
Observe speed lim its. In some areas, speeds for veh icles towing
trailers are lowe r than for regular veh icles .
Always apply brakes early. When driving downhi ll, shift into a lower
gear to use the engine brak ing effect to slow t he ve hicle . Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fa il.
Coolant temperatur e
The coo lant temperature gauge=> page 10 must be observed care­
fu lly. If the needle moves close to the upper end of the sca le, reduce
speed immediately and/or turn off the air conditioner.
If the coo lant temperature warning light in the instrument clus ter
starts flash ing
- F- , pull off the road, stop and let the engine idle for
about two m inutes to prevent hea t buil d-up.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Trailer towing
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in. WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving vehicle is at a much
greater risk in an a ccident . Never let an yone ride in y our car who i s
not prop erly wearing the re straints provided by Audi. •
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differe ntly when tow ing a tra iler because of the
additiona l weight and different we ight distribution. Safety, perfor­
man ce and economy w ill greatly depend on how ca refu lly yo u load
your trailer and operate your rig.
Be fore you actua lly tow your tra ile r, prac tice turning, stopp ing and
back ing u p in a n area away from traffic. Keep pract ic in g until you have
become completely familiar with the way your vehicle -trailer combi­
nation behaves and responds .
Backing up is diff icult and requ ires pract ice. Backing up w ith a trailer
gene rally requires s teer ing a ction opposi te to th at when ba cki ng up
your vehicle witho ut a trailer.
Maintain a greate r d istance between your ve hicl e and the one in front
of yo u. You will need more room to stop . T o compensate fo r the
trai ler, you will need a larger than normal turning radius .
W hen p assing, remember that you c annot acceler ate as fast as yo u
normally wou ld because of the added load. Make sure yo u have
enoug h room to pass. After passi ng, allow plen ty of room fo r yo ur
tra iler before changing lanes again .
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane changes .
[ i ] Tips
• Do not tow a trai ler d uring the brea k-in perio d of your vehicle. •
If you tow a tra iler, your Aud i may require more frequent mai nte­
n an ce due to the ex tra load:::::>
page 368. •
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot be
av oided, do so only after doing the following:
When parking:
- Apply the foot brak e.
- Have someone p lac e chocks un der bo th the vehicle and t he
traile r w he els .
- With c hoc ks i n place, slowly release the brakes u ntil the
wheel c hoc ks absorb t he load.
- Turn the w hee ls towards t he curb .
- A pply the parking brake.
- M ove th e selector le v er to
P.
When restarting after parking:
- A pply the foot brake .
- Start the engine .
- Mov e th e s elector lever to
D .
- Release the par king brake a nd s low ly pull o ut and away
fro m the w heel chocks.
- Stop a nd have someone retr ieve the w heel chocks .
(I) Tips
If you move the se lector lever of the a utomat ic t ransmiss ion to P
befo re applying t he par king br ake an d befo re blo cking the w heels, II-

-Tires and wheels
5. Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the
v ehicle . That weight ma y not safel y
e xceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6 . If your v ehicl e will be towing a trailer,
load from your trailer will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult this manual to determine how this redu ces the a vailable
cargo and luggage load capacity of your
vehicle.
Check the tire sidewall( =>
page 330,
fig. 245) to determine the designated
load rating for a specific tire .•
Tire service life
The servi ce li fe of tires depends on a lot of different
t h ings inclu ding p roper installatio n and b alancing,
correct tire pr essur e and driving style.
~------------ ~
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
Fig. 24 3 Tire tre ad :
t rea d wea r ind ic at ors
(TWI)
Fig. 244 Rotat ing
t ires for more e ven
wear
T he origin al tir es on you r vehi cle h ave 1/16 in ch (1. 6 mm) high "wear
ind icators "~ fig . 243 ru nning across the t read . Depend ing on the
ma ke, there wi ll be six to eight of them eve nly placed around the t ire.
Marks o n the t ire sidewall (for e xample "T WI" or other symbols) indi­
cate the positions of the tread wear indicators. Worn tires must be
replace d. D ifferent fig ures may apply in othe r countr ies ~& . ._,.

.,.,___W __ h_a_ t_ d_ o_ I_ d_o_ n_ o_w _ ? _____________________________________________ _
What do I do now?
Jack, tools and inflatable spare tire
Tools
The tool kit is located in the luggage compartment under
the cargo floor cover .
The onboard tool kit includes:
• Hook for removing whee l cove rs *
• Plastic hook to remove w heel bolt covers*
• Wheel bol t wrench
• Alignm ent pin for changing whee ls
• Screwdriver with reversib le blade
• 1 0 x 13 open ended wrench
• Towing eye
[ i J Tips
F ig . 24 8 L uggag e
c om part ment : ve hicle
to ol k it
Some of the onboard items listed above are provided on certain
mode ls only or are optiona l extras. •
Jack and folding chock s
The jack and the folding chocks are located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor cover.
---
----~ -
Vehicle jack
Fi g. 24 9 Lug gag e
com partme nt vehicl e
jack an d foldin g c hocks
Fig . 25 0 Opening
f o lding cho cks
T he jack is located under the tool kit=> fig . 249 . Before storing the
jack, make sure it is wo und back down as far as it w ill go .
Folding chock s
Two unassembled fo lding chocks are a ttached to the foam section at
the front with the jack=> fig. 249.
~

lffll.,___W_ h_ a_t _ d_ o_ I_d_ o_ n_o _w_ ? ___________________________________________ _
Inflatable spare tire
The inflatable spare tire expands to its full diameter
when it is infl ated.
Removing inflatable spare tire
Fig. 252 I nfl ata ble
sp are tir e wi th
c ompr essor
- Lift up the cargo floor using the handle.
- Turn the large screw=> fig. 252 counter -clockwise .
- Remove the bass box as required==>
page 341.
Take out the in flatab le spare tire .
Stowing the inflatable spare tire
- Release the air by unscrewing the valve stem .
- Screw the valve stem back in afterwards.
- Wa it a few hou rs before placing the w hee l in the spare
wheel well=>
&-
- Install the bass box as required=> page 341.
- Secure the whee l with the large screw .
- Fold the cargo floor bac k down .
After using the inflatable spare wheel
The inflatable spare t ire can be re -used as long as it is not damaged
and is not worn down to the tread wear indica tors=>
& -
When you let the air out of the inflatab le spare tire, it does not
assume its folded shape again for severa l hours. Until then, it cannot
be placed back in t he spare wheel well and stowed secure ly.
& WARNING
• Never use the spare tire if it is d amaged or if it is worn down to
the tread wear indicators.
• If the infl atable spare tire is more than 6 years old , use it only
in an emergency and with extreme caution and careful driving.
• The inflatable spa re tire is intended only for temporary and
short-term use. It should be replaced a s soon as possible with the
n o rmal wheel and tire .
• The tire pressure value for the inflatable spare t ire is located on
the dri ver' s s ide B-pillar
=> page 322, fig. 242.
• Ma ximum permiss ible speed is SO mph (80 km /h ).
• Avo id full-throttle a cceleration, heavy braking, and fast
corne ring .
• When the air is let out of the inflatable spare wheel, it d oes not
assume its folded shape for se veral hours . Until then , it cannot be
pla ced back in the spare wheel w ell and stowed securel y.
• Never drive with more than one inflatable spare tire.
• For technical re asons , the use of tir e chains on the inflatabl e
spare tire i s not permitted. If it i s necessary to dri ve with tire
c ha in s, the inflatabl e spare whe el must be mounted on the front
axle in the event of a flat in a rea r tire. The newly a vailable front
whee l mu st then be installed in place of the re ar wheel with the
flat tire. Ins talling the tire chain before mounting the wheel and
tir e is recomm ended.
• Loo se items in the passenger compartment can cause serious
per sonal injury during hard braking or in an accident . .,,.

Emergency situations --------------=----PfN:t'II
Emergency situations
General
This chapter is intended for trained emergency crew s and working
personnel who ha ve the necessar y tools and equipment to perform
the se operations . •
Starting by pushing or towing
(D Note
Your vehicle is equipped with an a utomat ic transmission. Conse­
que ntly, the eng ine can not be started by pushing or towing. •
Starting with jumper cables
If necess ary, the engine can be started by connecting it to
the battery of an other vehicle .
If the engine shou ld fai l to start because of a discharged or weak
battery, the battery can be co nnecte d to the battery of
another
vehicle, using a pair of jumper cable s to start the engine .
Jumper cables
Use only jumpe r cables of suffic iently large cross section to carry t he
sta rter cur ren t safely . Refe r to the manufacture r's specifications.
Use on ly j umper cab les with
insulated te rm ina l clamps w hich are
distinct ly marked :
plus(+) cable in most cases colo red red
minus (-) cable i n most cases colored black.
Safety first
& WARNING
Batterie s contain electricity, acid, and gas . Any of these can cause
very serious or fatal injury . Follow the inst ructions below for safe
handling of your vehicle 's battery .
• Always shield your eyes and avoid leaning over the battery
whenever possible.
• A discharged battery can freeze at temperatures just below
32 °F (0 °C). Before connecting a jumper cable, you must thaw the
frozen battery completely , otherwise it could explode.
• Do not allow battery acid to contact eyes or skin . Flush any
contacted area with water immediately .
• Improper use of a booster battery to start a vehicle may cause
an explosion.
• Vehicle batteries generate e xplos ive gases. Keep spa rks, flame
and lighted cigarettes away from batteries.
• Do not try to jump start any vehicle with a low acid level in the
battery.
• The voltage of the booster battery must also h ave a 12 -Volt
rating. The capacity (Ah) of the booster battery should not be
lower than that of the discharged battery. Use of batter ies of
different voltage or sub stantially different "Ah " rating may cau se
an explosion and personal injury.
• Never charge a frozen battery . Ga s trapped in the ice may cause
an e xplosion.
• Never charge or use a battery that has been frozen. The battery
case may have be weakened.
• Use of batteries of different voltage or substantially different
capacity (Ah ) rating may cause an explosion and injury . The
capacity (Ah ) of the booster battery should not be lower than that
of the discharged battery. _..
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

III...__E_ m_ e_r -=g :.. e_ n_c -=y '-- s_i_t _u _a _ t_ i_ o _ n_ s ____________________________________________ _
Emergency towing with
commercial tow truck
General hints
Your Audi requires special handling for towing.
The following information is to be used by commercial tow truck
operators who know how to operate their equipment safely.
• Never tow your Audi, towing will cause damage to the engine
and transmission.
• Never wrap the safety chains or winch cables around the brake
lines.
• To prevent unnecessary damage, your Audi must be transported
with a flat bed truck.
• To load the vehicle on to the flat bed, use the towing loop found
in the vehicle tools and attach to the front or rear anchorage
~ page 358 and~ page 359 .
& WARNING
A vehicle being towed is not safe for passengers. Never allow
anyone to ride in a vehicle being towed, for any reason. • Front towing Loop
Do not install the front towing loop until it is needed.
Fig. 266
Right front
bumper: Removing the
cover
Fig. 267 Right front
bumper without cover:
Screwing in towing
loop
The threaded opening for the towing loop is located behind a
cover on the right side of the front bumper.
- Remove the towing loop from the vehicle tool kit
=> page 340.
- Carefully remove the cover=:> fig. 266.
- Screw the towing loop tightly into the threaded hole as far
asitwillgo =:>fig .267 . ..,