tow AUDI Q7 2011 Owner´s Manual

Trailer towing
~-----------------------------------------
& 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-

____________________________________________ C_l_e _a_ n_ i n--= g=--- a_n_ d----' p,__ r_o _t_ e_ c_ t_ i _o_ n __ _
Windows
Clear vision to all sides.
Clean all windows regularly to remove road film and carwash
wax buildup.
- Remove snow from windows using a brush.
- Use a plastic ice scraper to remove ice from windows and
mirrors.
- Remove other residue on the w indows with a spray-on
glass cleaner .
- Wipe the windows dry with a clean piece of cloth or
kitchen paper towel.
T he best way to remove snow from w indows and mirrors is to use a
brush. Use a non-abrasive plastic ice s craper - be tter st ill, a spray
deicer -to remove ice from windows and mirrors.
Th e w indows must not be cleaned with insect remover or wax since
these can interfere with the function of the w indshield wiper blades
(chatte r) .
Oil, grease, or silicone residue can be removed with glass cleaner or
s ili cone remover. Howeve r, wax residue requires the use of a specially
formulated solvent . Please contact your author ized Aud i dealer for
advice on safe products for wax remova l.
W indows shou ld also be cleaned on the inside at regu lar i nte rvals.
Never dry windows w ith the same chamo is that you use to dry painted
surfaces. Wax res idue on the chamois ca n impa ir v is ion t hrough the
windows .
& WARNING
• Alw ays read and h eed all WARNINGS and other information
~ page 278 .
Safety first
& WARNING (continu ed)
• The windshield must not b e tre ated with w ater-repellent
m aterial s. They c an increa se g lare und er poor visibilit y condit ions
s uch as w etnes s, dar kne ss, or when the sun i s low on the ho rizon .
In addition, they can cau se the wind shi eld wip ers to chatter.
0 Note
• Never use warm o r hot wate r to remove snow and ice from
windows and mirrors . This could cause the glass to crack.
• To prevent damage to the w ires of the rear defogger, do not place
any adhesive stickers on the inside of the rear window over the wires.
• T o help prevent dirt from scratching the w indow, always scrape in
a forward direction - pushing the scraper away from you - never back
and forth .•
Weatherstrips
Complete car care includes the weatherstrips as well .
-Apply a suitable rubber conditioner to the weatherstrips
from time to t ime .
To be able sea l properly, the weatherstrips around the hood, doors,
rear l id, etc. must remain pliable . Spray the weatherstrips with sili­
cone or coat t hem with talc um powder or g lycerine to retain the flex­
ibility of the rubber and to p ro tect them agai nst free zing in the
winter .
& WARNING
Alway s read and heed all WARNINGS and other inform ation
~ page 278 .
Vehicle care Technical data

-~_C_ le_ a_n_ i_ n_ g=- a_ n_d___. p_ ro_ t_e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
Applies to vehicles : w ith natural leather
Cleaning and caring for leather upholstery
and trim
Natural leather requires special care and attention.
Normal cleaning
-Clean so iled areas with a slightly moistened cotton or
woolen cloth .
More stubborn dirt
- More stubborn dirt can be removed using a cloth satu­
rated with a mild soap solution (2 tablespoons mild liquid
soap).
- Never allow the soap solution to saturate the leather, and
make certain that no water soaks into the seams.
-Wipe off the soap solution with a soft, dry cloth.
Cleaning spots
- Remove fresh water-based spots (such as coffee, tea,
juices, blood) with an absorbent cloth or paper towel.
- Remove fresh
grease or oil-based spots (such as butter,
mayonnaise, chocolate) with an absorbent cloth or paper
towel, or use the cleaner from the leather care kit if the
spot has not yet penetrated into the surface of the
leather.
- Use an oil/grease dissolving spray, if
oil/grease spots
have dried on .
-Remove specific kinds of spots (ballpoint pen, felt marker,
fingernail polish, water-based paint, shoe polish, etc .)
with a spot remover specifically formulated for leather.
Leather care
- Every half year use an approved leather care product
(available from your authorized Audi dealer) to care for
the leather.
- Apply the product very sparingly .
- Wipe it off with a damp cloth .
If you have any questions about cleaning and caring for the leather in
your vehicle, it is best to contact your author ized Audi dealer, who will
be glad to help you and tell you about our fu ll range of leather care
products, such as:
• Leather cleaning and care kit
• Creams to care for colored leather
• Spot removers for ba llpoint pens, shoe polish, etc.
• Oil/grease dissolving spray
• New and upcoming products .
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 278.
0 Note
• Never use chemical so lvents (e.g. lighterfluid, turpentine), waxes,
shoe po lish or simi lar products on the leather surfaces in your Aud i.
• To avoid damage, hav e stubborn stains removed by a commercial
cleaning specialist .•

,.,.___T_ ir_e_ s _ a_ n _ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nu ed )
• Driv ing with underinflated tire s bend more , letting them get
too hot re sulting in tread separation , sudden tire failure and lo ss
of control.
• Exce ssive speed and /overloading can cause heat build-up,
s udden tire failure and loss of control.
• If the tire pressure is too low or too high , the tires will wear
prematurely and the vehicle will not handle well.
• If the tire is not flat and you do not have to change a wheel
immediately, drive at reduced speed to the nearest service station
to check the tire pressure and add air as required .
0 Note
Driving without valve s tem caps can cause damage to the tire valves .
T o prevent this, a lways make sure that factory ins talled valve stem
caps on al l wheels are secure ly mounted on the valve .
<£> For the sake of the environment
Underinflated t ires will also inc rease t he f uel consumption .•
Tires and vehicle load limits
T here are lim its to the amo unt of load or weight that any veh icle and
any tire can carry . A veh icle that is overloade d will not handle well and
is more difficult to stop . Overload ing can not on ly lead to loss of
vehicle contro l, but can also damage important parts of the vehicle
and can le ad t o su dden t ire failure, including a b lowo ut and s udden
def lation that can ca use the vehicle to c rash .
Yo ur safety a nd t hat of your passengers also de pends o n mak ing s ure
that load limits are not exceeded . Vehicle load incl udes everybody
and everything in and on the vehicle . These loa d limits are technically
referred to as the ve hicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR") . The
"GVWR" includes the weight o f the basic vehicle, all factory
ins talled accessories, a f ull tank of f uel, oil, coolan t and other fl uids
plus maxim um load . The max imum load i ncludes the numbe r of
passenge rs that the vehicle is intended to carry ("seating capacity")
w ith an ass umed we ight of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each passenger at a
designate d seati ng position and the total weig ht of any luggage in
the vehicle. If yo u tow a trai le r, the weight of t he t railer hitch and the
tongue weight of the loaded trailer must be included as part of the
veh icle loa d.
The
Gross Axle We ight Rating ("GAWR") is the max imum load that
can be a pplied at each o f the ve hicle 's two axles .
Th e Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ing and the Gross Axle Weight Rat ing
are listed on the safety compliance sticker label located on the
dr iver 's side B-pillar. Your A udi has 5 seat ing pos it ions, 2 in the front
and 3 in the rear for tota l seat ing capacity of 5. On vehicles with six
sea ts*, yo ur vehicl e has two fron t seat s, two se a ts i n the se co nd row
seating and two seats in the t hird row seating. On ve hicles with seven
sea ts*, yo ur veh icle has two fron t se ats , th ree seats in the se cond row
seat ing and two seats in the third row seating. Eac h seating posit io n
has a seat belt=>
page 20 1, "Safety bel ts" .
Th e fact that there is an upper lim it to your veh icle 's Gross Vehicle
We ight Rating means that the total weight of whatever is being
c arried in t he veh icle ( inclu ding t he weight of a tra ile r hi tch and the
tongue weight of the loaded tra iler) is limited . The more passengers
in the vehi cle or passenge rs who are heavier th an the stan dard
we ights assumed mean that less we ight can be carried as luggage.
Th e tire pressure labe l on yo ur Audi a lso lis ts the max imum combined
we igh t of all of the occupants and luggage or o ther cargo that the
vehicle ca n carry. For t he locat ion of the label=>
page 322, fig. 241.
& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of vehicle control, a crash or
other accident, serious personal injury, and even death. ._

-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 . .,,.

_____________________________________________ W __ h_a_ t_ d_o_ I_ d_o _ n_ o_ w _ ? __ _
& WARNING (continued)
-Never store the inflatable spare tire or jack and tools in the
passenger compartment.
- Always store all jacking equipment, tools, and the inflatable
spare tire in the luggage compartment.
- Tighten the knurled retaining screw for the inflatable spare
tire securely.
0 Note
• The inflatable spare tire has been developed specifically for this
vehicle model. It must not be exchanged or used for other vehicle
models . Similarly, inflatable tires from other vehicle models must
not be used.
• Normal summer or winter tires must not be installed on the inflat­
able tire rim. •
Inflating inflatable spare tire
-Remove the compressor from the luggage compartment
~ page 342, fig. 252.
- Unscrew the valve stem from the spare tire.
- Screw the tire filler hose from the compressor firmly onto
the valve of the spare tire.
- Insert the plug from the compressor into a socket of the
vehicle ~
page 106.
- Switch the compressor on .
- Let the compressor run until the value specified on the tire
pressure label is reached=>
page 322, fig. 242. Switch the
compressor off after running for 12 minutes at the most -
danger of overheating!
Safety first
& WARNING
The compressor and the tire filler hose can become extremely hot
while they are running · danger of burns!
0 Note
Switch the compressor off after running for 12 minutes at the most­
danger of overheating! Allow the compressor to cool down for a few
minutes before you use it again.
[ i] Tips
The compressor must not be connected to the cigarette lighter
socket, as this socket does not provide the required power.•
Changing a wheel
Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your own and your
passenger's safety when changing a wheel.
- After you experience a tire failure, pull the car well away
from moving traffic and try to reach
level ground before
you stop => & .
- All passengers should
leave the car and move to a safe
location (for instance, behind the guardrail)=> &.
- Engage the
parking brake to prevent your vehicle from
rolling unintentionally~ &.
- Move
selector lever to position P ~ & .
- If you are tow ing a trailer: unhitch the trailer from your
vehicle. ..,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data