page 27 AUDI Q7 2014 Owner´s Manual

228 Intellig ent technol ogy
- 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.
Servotronic - advanced
power steering system
The power steering systems uses the power of
the running engine to allow precise steering
with little effort.
The advanced Servotronic power steering sys­
tem senses the road speed and electronically
adjusts powe r assistance to provide comforta­
b le and safe steering response exact ly match­
ed to the vehicle speed.
Power steering w ill not work if the eng ine is
off. As a result, the steering wheel w ill be hard
to turn.
The power steering fluid level is checked dur­
ing the scheduled ma intenance serv ices .
@ Note
If the re is an electronic malfunct ion, ser­
votronic
w ill still function like a conven­
tional power steer ing system, p roviding a
constant steer ing support force that is no
longer proportionate to the vehicle speed .
This is most noticeab le when turning the
steering whee l at low speeds (for examp le
when parking), -more effort will be re­
quired than usual.
- Be aware of the different than usua l
steering response and adjust your steer­ i ng force accord ingly.
- Have the prob lem checked and set right
by an Aud i dealer as soon as possible.
- When the engine is running , never hold
the steering whee l turned all the way to
the right or to the left for longer than
15
seconds . The power steer ing pump w ill
overheat the hydraulic flu id if you keep holding the steering wheel turned all the
way . This is likely to damage the power
steering system.
- If the powe r stee ring system sho uld fail
entirely, or if the engine is not running
(for example, whi le be ing towed), you
will still be able to steer the ve hicle.
However,
considerably more effort will
be required to do so .
- If the power steering system should
have a leak, or is not functioning proper­
ly, contact your author ized Audi dealer
immediately .
- The power steering system requ ires a
specially formulated hyd ra ulic fluid . The
powe r stee ring reservoir is the one locat­
ed farthest to the rear on the left s ide of
the engine comp artment r=;,
page 259.
T he correct fluid level in the reservoir is
important for proper functioning of the
power steering .
Driving with your
quattro
With all-wheel drive , all four wheels are driv­
en .
Gen eral information
With all-wheel drive, power is distributed to
all four wheels. This happens au toma tically
depending on your driving style and the road
condit ions at the time . See also r=;,
page 224 .
Winter tire s
When driving in the winter, yo ur vehicle with
a ll-wheel drive has an advantage, even wi th
regular tires . In winter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all -sea ­
son tires) for improved dr iveability and brak­
ing : these tires must be mounted o n
all four
wheels. See also r=;, page 288, Winter tires.
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain
roads, this normally also appl ies to veh icles
with all-wheel driver=;,
page 289, Snow
chains .

Replacing 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 ¢
page 284, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels .
.&_ WARNING
Always adjust your driving to road and traf­
fic conditions . Do not let the extra safety
afforded by all-wheel dr ive tempt you into
tak ing extra risks.
-Although the all-wheel dr ive is very ef­
fective, always remember that braking
capacity is limited by t ire traction . You
sho uld therefore not dr ive at excessive
speeds on icy or s lippery road surfaces.
- On wet road su rfaces, be careful not to
dr ive too fast because t he front wheels
cou ld beg in to s lide on top of the wa ter
(aquaplaning). If this sho uld occ ur, you
w ill have no warning from a sudden in­
crease in engine speed as with a front­
whee l drive vehicle. A lways drive at
speeds wh ich are suited to the road con­
ditions -risk of c rash.
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.
I f a vehicle w it h a conventional energy system
i s not driven for a long pe riod of time, the bat­
tery is disch arged by idling c urrent cons umers
(e .g. immobilizer) . In ce rtain c ircumstances it
can result in there being insufficient energy
ava ilab le to start the engine .
I n tell igen t energy management in your vehi ­
cle hand les the d istribution of electrical ener ­
gy . Starting abi lity is marked ly imp roved and
the life of the battery is extended.
Int ellig ent technolog y 229
Basica lly, energy management consis ts of
batte ry diagnosi s, idling cur rent manage­
ment
and dynamic energy management.
Battery diagnosis
B attery diagnosis continuously de termines
the state of the battery . Sensors determine
batte ry voltage, battery current and battery
temperature . This determines the current
state of charge and the power of the battery.
Idling current management
Id lin g cur ren t man agement reduces energy
consumption while the vehi cle is standing.
With the ig nition switched off, it controls the
energy supply to the various electrical compo­ nents. Data from battery diagnos is is cons id­
ered.
Depend ing on the battery's state of cha rge,
individual cons umers are gradually turned off
to prevent excessive discharge of the battery
and thus maintain starting capability.
Dynamic energy manag ement
While the vehicle is being driven, dynamic en ­
ergy management distrib utes the energy ge n­
erated according to the needs of the individ u­
al components. It regulates consumption, so
that more electrical energy is not being used
than is be ing generated and ensures an opti­
mal state of charge for the battery .
(D Tips
-But even e nergy management cannot
negate the limits of physics. Consider
t hat the powe r and l ife of a bat tery are
l imited.
- If start ing ability is threatened, you are
informed by a warning ¢
page 230,
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display.
•
•

232 Driving and environment
Driving and
environment
The first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km) and
afterwards
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1,500 km).
For the fir st 600 miles (1,000
kilometers ):
.,. Do not use full throttle.
... Do not d rive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the max imum permitted RPM.
From 600 to 1,000 miles (1 ,000 to
1,500 kilomete rs):
.,. Speeds can gradually be increased to the
max imum pe rm iss ible road or eng ine speed .
During and after break-in per iod
... Do not rev the eng ine up to high speeds
when it is cold. Th is app lies whether the
transmission is in N (Neutra l) or in gear.
After the brea k-in period
... Do not exceed max imum engine speed un­
der any circumstances.
... Upshift into the next higher gear before
reaching the red area at the end of the tach­
ometer scale¢ page 10.
During the first few hours of driving, the en­
g ine's inter na l friction is higher than later
when all the moving parts have been broken
i n. How well this break- in process is done de­
pends to a conside rable extent on the way the
ve hicle is driven du ring the first 1,000 miles
(1, 500 kilome ters).
(D Note
E xtremely high engi ne speeds are auto­
mat ica lly r educed. However, these rpm
lim its are programmed for a n engine well
r u n- in, not a new eng ine.
{® For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with unnecessarily high en­
g ine speeds - upshifting ear ly saves fuel,
reduces no ise and protects the environ­
ment.
, New tires
If your vehicle is runni ng on new tires, drive
part icularly caref ul for the first 350 miles
(500 kilomete rs) afte r fitt ing.
A WARNING
N ew tires tend to be sl ippery and mus t al­
so be "b roken -in" . Be s ure to remember
this dur ing the fi rst 350 mi les (500 kilo ­
meters) . Brake gently . Avoid fo llow ing
closely behind other vehicles or other sit­
uations that m ight require sudden, hard
braking.
New brake pads
Remember that new brake pads do not have a
full bra king effect dur ing the fi rst 250 m iles
(400 kilomete rs) afte r they a re insta lled.
New brake pads have to be "burnished in" be­
fo re t hey have optima l grab¢
A .
During the break- in period, you should avoid
putting severe loads on the brakes. Severe
l oads include, for example, sudden hard brak­
i ng, in particular at very high speeds or, for
example, on mounta in passes .
A WARNING
New b rake pa ds don't have t he bes t stop­
pi ng power and mus t be "broke n-in " dur­
i ng the in iti al 1 00 to 150 mi les (150 to
20 0 kilometers) of no rma l city driving . You
can compensate for this by pressing the
br ake peda l mo re f irm ly . This also applies
l ater when new pads are installed.

Catalytic converter
Applies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
It is very important that your emission con­
trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in an environmentally sound manner .
... Always use lead-free gasoline c::> page 249,
Gasoline .
... Never run the tank down all the way to emp­
ty .
... Never put too much motor oil in your engine
c::> page 263, Adding engine oil 't=r..
.,. Never try to push-or tow-start your veh icle.
The catalytic converter is an eff icient "clean­
up" device built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle. The catalytic converter burns
many of the pollutants in the exhaust gas be­
fore they are released into the atmosphere.
The exclus ive use of unleaded fuel is cr it ically
i mportant for the life of the cata lytic convert­
e r and proper functioning of the engine.
& WARNING ,~
T he temperature of the exhaust system is
high, both when driving and after stopping
the engine .
- Never touch the exha ust tail pipes once
they have become hot. This could result
in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fuel spill or other material which can
cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust p ipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields . During driving, the
substance used for undercoating cou ld
overheat and cause a fire.
(D Note
- Be aware that just one tank f illing with
leaded fuel will already seriously de-
grade the performance of the catalytic
conve rter.
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 233
-Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
c::> page 263.
- Do not drive until the fue l tank becomes
completely empty. The engine cou ld mis­
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into
the exhaust system and this cou ld cause
the catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not turn off the ignition while the ve­
hicle is mov ing.
- Do not continue to operate your veh icle
under these conditions, as otherwise fuel
can reach the catalyt ic converter. Th is
cou ld result in overheating of the con­
verter, requir ing its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis­
sion Control System:
- Have you r vehicle main tained properly
and in accordance w ith the se rv ice rec­
ommendations in your Warranty & Maintenance book let.
- Lack of proper maintenance as we ll as
improper use of t he vehicle will impair
the function of the emission contro l
system and could lead to damage.
@) For the sa ke of the env ironment
Even when the Emission Control System is
operating properly, the exhaust gas can have a sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under
some operat ing states. This depends on
the sulfur content of the fuel being used .
Using a different brand of fuel may help,
or filling the tank with lead-free s uper
g rade gasoline.
Diesel particulate filter
App lies to vehicles: wit h diese l eng ine
The diesel part iculate filter filters nearly all of
the soot pa rticles out of the exhaust . T he fil­
te r clea ns itself automat ica lly under no rma l
driv ing cond itions. If the filter cannot clean it ­
self (for example, because you are on ly driving
short distances), the fi lter becomes clogged
with soot and the
Ill symbo l for the diesel
particulate filter i lluminates
c::> page 36. ..,_
•
•

234 Driving and en vironm ent
,8. WARNING
-Do not park your vehicle over flammable
materials such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel par­
t icu late filter could start a fire .
- Do not apply an underbody protectant in the exhaust system area or a fire could start.
Avoid damaging the vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certain that
low-lying parts such as spoilers and exhaust
system parts do not bottom out and get dam­
aged.
This is especia lly true for vehicles with low­
slung chassis (sports chassis)* and fully load­
ed vehicles.
Shutting down vehicle
If you would like your vehicle to remain inop­
erative for a longer period of time, contact an
Audi or other specialized dealer . They can ad­
vise you on necessary precautions e.g . corro­
sion prevention, maintenance and storage. Pay attention to additional information con ­
cerning the battery. Refer to
c::> page 268.
Operate your vehicle
economically and minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex­
haust and noise levels .
Fuel economy, environmental impact, and
wear on your engine, brakes and tires largely
depend on three factors:
- your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitations
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your
fuel consumption by 10-15 percent . This sec­
tion will give you some tips on how you can help the environment and your pocketbook.
(D Tips
The consumption estimates as published by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the road, which will vary depending upon vehi­
cle load and speed, road and weather con­
dit ions, trip length, etc.
· Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they ore ac­
celerating.
., Avo id unnecessary accelerating and brak ing.
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac ­
celerating . If you anticipate what is going to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus, acce lerate less. Let the vehicle coast
whenever possible -for examp le when you see
that the next traffic light is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
., Try and keep well below your car's maximum
speed.
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consump­
tion, engine wear, and does not disturb the environment.
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and en­
gine noise increase disproportionately at high
speeds. If you drive at approximately three
quarters of top speed, fuel consumption w ill
be reduced by one half. Never drive faster
than the posted speed limit and weather con­
ditions permit.

Driving off road
Driving in difficult road
conditions and offroad
General information
The operation of the E lectronic Stabilization
Control (ESC) is expanded fo r operation away
from paved roads. In situations where slip or a
differential lock ing funct ion is required, the
offroad mode can be activated
c:::> page 224.
Hill descent control is a lso ava ilable in the off ­
road mode, which automat ically brakes the
ve hicl e and thereby keeps speed consta nt
when differe nt w heel speeds a re detected
when descending a hill
c:::> page 226. Your A ud i
a lso has permanent a ll-wheel drive in addi­
tion.
H oweve r, your Aud i is not a pure off road ve hi­
cle . It was not built for d riving unde r extreme
conditions, e.g. for trips that are in the nat ure
of an expedition .
Drive only on road s and offro ad sections
which match the de sign of y our vehicl e and
you r abilitie s as a dri ver. Ne ver t ake ri sks!
Before driving offroad
- Check the eng ine oi l level, t ire pressu re ,
coolant level , and the fluid level in the w ind­
shield washe r reservo ir.
- Stow luggage items a nd other objects in the
l uggage compartment, and sec ure t hem
against s lid ing aro und .
After driving offroad
- After trips off road, remove any twigs and
othe r foreign objects from the grill , the un­
derbody and the wheels. Pay spec ia l atten­
t ion to fore ign ob jects (stones) which have
become lodged in t he tire tre ad.
- Clean t he body and the vehicle unders ide,
and inspect the veh icle for possible damage.
- Clean dirty w indows , headlamp lenses, rear
li gh ts, and license plates .
- Perfo rm a brake check (particularly after
t ravell ing throug h water) .
Driving off road 237
A WARNING
-Drive especially attentively and plan
ahead in diff icu lt road conditions and
when off road. Excessive speed o r inco r­
rect maneuve rs can cause injuries and
damage to the vehicle.
-
- Always adapt your speed and driving
style to road, offroad, t raff ic, and weath­
e r condition s. D rive e spe cially slowly off­
road when yo ur view is restricted.
- Please be aware that in offroad mode,
pa rti cularly on a smoo th and s lippery
road, the whee ls may have an increased
tendency to spin and the vehicle may
break away -danger of skidding!
- Stability is limited in the offroad mode .
@ For the sake of the environment
Avoid damage to the environment and re­
spect na ture .
@ Tips
Only d rive where it is permitted and stay
on marked roads and paths.
Explanation of some technical terms
T he following data refer to ideal cond itions .
Depend ing on ve hicle load and gro und condi­
tions and the environment, the numbers may
vary .
It is the driver's responsibility to decide
whether a veh icle can overcome a specific sit­
uat ion
c:::> &, .
Gradient angle
The number o f meters in altitude ga ined over
a distance of 109.4 ya rds or 100 meters
(grade) are given as a percentage o r degrees.
Information about the gradient the vehicle
can climb under its own power (depends in
part on the road surface and engine power).
Max imum perm itted grade : 31
°
Lat eral angle (slo pe of veh icle )
Indicates the angle up to which the vehicle
can be driven diagona lly or across the fall line
on a slope without the vehicle tipp ing over
IJll,
•
•

238 Driving off road
sideways (depends on center o f gravity). Maxi ­
mum permitted latera l ang le: 35°
Breakover angle
Indicates the angle up to which the veh icle
can drive ove r a ramp at low speed w ithout
the underside of the vehicle hitt ing the edge
of the ramp.
-Vehicles without air springs: maximum
breakover angle: 21, 1
°
-Vehicles with adaptive air suspension*:
maximum breakove r angle: 23.8° (at high
level 2)
Approach/departure angle
Transition from the horizontal plane to a gra­
d ient or from a grade back to level ground . In­
dicates the angle up to which the vehicle can
drive onto or off a slope at low speed witho ut
str iking the bumper or the underbody.
-Vehicles without air springs: maximum ap­
proach/departure angle : 21.0° (front),
23 .4° (rea r)
- Vehicles with adaptive air suspension*:
maximum approach/departure angle at high
level 2: (front) 23,5°, (rear) 25.4°
Ground clearance
The distance between the road surface and
the lowest point of the veh icle underbody .
-Vehicles without air springs: ground clear­
ance: 8.1 in (204.8 mm)
- Vehicles with adaptive air suspension*:
maximum ground clearance: 9 .4 in
(239 .8 mm) at high level 2
A WARNING
Exceeding the stated maximum figures
-
can result in severe injuries or vehicle dam­
age.
- All the information was gathered on lev­
el, firm and non-slippery road surfaces,
and under dry weather conditions.
- Ideal conditions do not prevail offroad.
Never utilize the maximum readings to
their fullest, always leave a safety re­
serve.
Driving tips
On poor road and offroad, there is always on­
ly one motto: Plan ahead and drive slowly!
Please observe the following when driving
away from paved roads :
.,. Drive on ly on roads and offroad sections
which match the design of your vehicle and
your abilities as a driver. Never take risks!
.,. Dr ive slowly and plan ahead!
.,. Take into consideration the
ground clear­
ance
of your vehicle .
.,. Activate the
offroad mode ¢ page 224 as
needed .
.,. Use the
hill des cent control¢ page 226
when driving down steep sections on hills .
Unpaved roads and offroad
Drive slowly on unfamiliar roads and unknown
offroad sections, and look out for unexpected
obstacles (e.g. potholes, rocks, tree stumps,
etc.).
To prevent the veh icle from bottoming and
avo id damage to the underbody, you should
drive straight across severe bumps in the
ground with only one side o f the vehicle so
that only two of your whee ls cross the bumps.
Drive briskly through sandy or ma rshy offroad
sections and do not stop, if at all possible .
Driving through water
Note the following to avoid veh icle damage
when driving through water, for example on
flooded roads:
- The water must not be any higher than the
bottom of the vehicle body.
- Do not dr ive faster than walk ing speed .
Driving on a slope
If you ever find yourse lf not able to climb a
s lope, do not try to turn around, drive back
down in
reverse. Otherwise, you run the risk
of tipping over. ..,.

240 Trailer towing
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, p lease remember
that the additional load will affect durability,
economy and performance .
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
For this reason, always fo llow the operating
and driving instructions provided and use
common sense.
@ Note
If you are going to tow a trai ler, you must
activate the trailer operation mode
c:::> page 159, Towing a trailer.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suita­ ble for your vehicle and trailer and must be
mounted securely 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 trailer hitch manufacturer to
make sure that you are using the cor rect
hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way that
it does not interfere with the impact-absorb­
ing bumper system. No modifications should
be made to the vehicle exhaust and brake sys­
tems. From time to time, check that all hitch
mounting bolts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer, remove the
trai ler hitch ball mount. This prevents the
hitch from causing damage should your vehi­
cle be struck from behind
c:::> A.
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a brakin g sys­
tem, check to be sure that it conforms to all
regulations.
T he trailer hydraulic brake system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system
c:::> A .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your veh icle
and the tra iler.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be
sure to check with your authorized Audi dealer
for correct wiring, sw itches, and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you
using the regular outside mirrors, then you
must install extended mirrors.
It is important
that you always have clear v is ion to the rear .
A WARNING ,-
- If a trailer has electrical brakes please
note that these brakes are not activated
by the factory-fitted control unit -risk of
accident!
- Afte r removing the trailer hitch, do not
store it in yo ur vehicle. In case of sudden
braking, the hitch could fly forward and
injure you or your passengers.
- Never install a "weight distributing" or
"load equalizing" trailer hitch on your ve­
hicle. The vehicle was not designed for
these kinds of trailer hitches. The hitch
attachment can fail, causing the trailer
to tear loose from the vehicle.
- The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating for your
veh icle, found on the safety compliance
label on the driver's side B-pillar, must
never be exceeded under any c ircumstan­
ces. 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 per­
formance and handling characteristics of
your vehicle, which could cause a crash resulting in serious injury or death .
- The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating for your
vehicle would be exceeded if your vehicle
is simultaneously equipped with Panor ­
amic sliding sunroof; third-row seating;
trailer towing equipment (factory or
dealer-installed), and running boards
(dealer-installed) . UNDER NO CIRCUM­
STANCES MAY ALL SUCH ITEMS BE IN­
STALLED ON THE SAME VEHICLE.
Operating instructions
MAX 6.9"
MAX175mm
E
1/1 E 1/1 ... a)
m
Fig. 231 Perm itted ba ll posit ion of the trailer hitch
Trailer towing weights
With a factory-installed trailer hitch, the
maximum permissible trailer weight is 6,615
lbs (3,000 kg). The maximum permissible un­
braked trailer weight is 1,650 lbs (750 kg).
With an
aftermarket trailer hitch, the maxi­
mum permissible trailer weight is 5,512 lbs
(2,500 kg). These specifications apply when
driving on roads having an incline of less than
12%.
Permissible tongue load
For best vehicle handling under these
changed cond itions, adjust the trailer load so
that the tongue load is at the maximum al­
lowable or slightly lower. You can get an ap­
proximation of the tongue load with a bath­
room scale or you can measure the load at a
trucking company or weighing station .
With a
factory-installed trailer hitch, the
maximum permissible load on the ball hitch Trailer towing 241
may not exceed 662 lbs (300 kg). With an
af­
termarket
trailer hitch, the maximum permis­
sible load on the ball hitch may not exceed
551 lbs (250 kg).
It is recommended to use
the maximum permissible load.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely
in place to prevent it from shifting forward,
backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢ .& in Driving instructions on page 242.
Ball mount
The trailer hitch may only be used with suita­
ble ball mount and ball ¢
fig. 231. Installa­
tion of the hitch ball must be carried out in ac­
cordance with the manufacturer's instruc­
tions. At the height dimension of 1.5 in
(38.S mm) a tolerance of+/- 0.5 in (12. 7 mm)
is permissible.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard­
er . It is important that the cooling system's
performance is up to the additional load.
Make sure that the cooling system has enough
fluid .
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressure listed under
"Full load" on the tire pressure label. The tire
pressure label is located on the driver's side B­
pillar . Inflate trailer tires to trailer and tire
manufacturers' specifications .
Lights
The headlight settings should be checked with
the trailer attached before driving
off. Check
to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working properly .
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the
ve­
hicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to per­
mit turning corners. When you install safety
Ill-
•
•

24 2 Trailer towing
chains, make sure they wi ll not drag on the
road when you are driving .
The cha ins shou ld cross under the tra ile r
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separation from the hitch.
0 Note
If you are going to tow a tra ile r, you must
activa te the trailer operation mode
~ page 159, Towing a trailer.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
cor e and consid eration.
To obta in the best poss ible handling of vehicle
and tra ile r, p le ase no te the following:
.. Do not tow a loaded tra iler when your car it­
self is not loaded.
.,. Be especia lly careful when pass ing othe r
vehicles .
.. Observe speed limits.
.. Do not driv e at the maximum p ermissible
speed.
.. Always apply brakes early.
.. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight di stributio n
Towing a loaded trai ler with an empty ca r re­
sults in a high ly unstable distribution of
weight . If this cannot be avoided, drive at very
l ow speeds only to avoid the risk of los ing
steering control.
A "balanced" rig is eas ier to operate and con ­
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should
be loaded to the extent possible and permiss i­
ble, while keeping the trailer as light as possi­
b le under the circumstances. Whenever possi­
b le, transfer some cargo to the luggage com­
pa rtment of the tow veh icle wh ile observing
tongue load requirements and vehicle loading
considerations .
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the driver to control the rig . Do not
drive at the maximum permiss ible speed . Re- duce your speed even more i
f load, weather or
wind conditions are unfavorable - particularly
when going downhill.
Red uce veh icle speed
immediately if the trail­
er shows the slightest s ign of sway ing.
Do not
t ry to stop the swa ying by acceleratin g.
Observe speed limits. In some a reas, speeds
f or vehicles tow ing tra ile rs are lower than for
r egular vehicles.
Always apply brakes early. When driving down hill, shift into a lowe r gear to use the en­
gine braking effect to s low the vehicle . U se o f
the brakes alone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
T he coo lant tempe ratu re gauge ~ page 10
must be observed caref ully. If the need le
moves close to the upper end of the scale, re­
duce speed immediately and/or turn off the
air conditioner.
If the coolant temperature warn ing light in
the instr ume nt cluster starts flashing., pull
off the road , stop and let the engine
idle for
about two min utes to prevent heat build -up .
A WARNING "--
Anyone not proper ly restrained in a mov-
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident. Never let anyone ride in your car
who is not properly wearing the restraints
p rov ided by A udi .
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles d ifferently when towing
-
a trai ler because of the additional weight and
different weight distr ibut ion. Safety, perform­
ance and economy will great ly depend on how
ca refully you load your tra iler and operate
yo ur rig .
Before you act ua lly tow your tra iler, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area
away from traffic. Keep pract ic ing unt il you