height AUDI Q7 2015 Owner´s Manual

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Adaptive Air Suspension
Air suspension and damping
Description
App lies to vehicles: with Adapt ive Air S uspe nsio n
Air suspension and damping con be adjusted
separately.
Adaptive A ir Suspension is an electronically
controlled springing and damping system.
This chassis system makes it easier on the
driver by adapt ing to the particular situation
through imperceptible control processes.
The
Adaptive Air Suspension component reg ­
ulates ground clearance depending on vehicle
speed and driver input. It functions independ­
ently from the load condition . Accelerating to
a speed above a predetermined limit will make the vehicle lower itself. On the other
hand, driving more slowly results in the vehi­
cle raising again at specific speeds.
The
damping component provides individual
control of the damping forces . For example,
w ith damping characterist ics set to provide
greater comfort, damping is set somewhat
harder for a br ief per iod only as required, for
example, when go ing aro und a curve or when
braking.
Settings
Adapt ive Air Suspension prov ides the driver
with the opportun ity to set the chassis charac­
ter istics also to their individual preference.
W ith the driving modes
Comfort, Automatic
and Dynamic the driver has three chassis set­
tings available, ranging from comfort to spor­
ty. The
Offrood mode can be selected for driv­
ing on poor quality stretches of road. In addi­
tion,
Lift provides a fifth mode, which can be
selected when exceptionally high ground
clearance is needed
c::;, page 157, Chassis con ­
trols .
The modes are set in MMI <::;,page 159.
Adaptive A ir Suspension 157
A WARNING
The height of the parked vehicle can
change due to temperature fluctuations or
changes in load .
@ Note
-Whenever you park your vehicle, a lways
make sure there is adequate clearance
above and below the vehicle. The he ight
of the parked vehicle can change as the
result of temperature fluctuations,
changes in load condition and changes in
the driving mode (ground clearance).
- If the vehicle is be ing t ransported (e.g .
by tow truck, train, ship, etc.), mount the
tie-down chains/cables over the running
surface (circumference) o f the tires. Nev­
er secure the vehicle by the axle, the sus ­
pension struts or the front or rear tow­
line eye . For technica l reasons, the pres­
sure in the suspens ion struts may change
dur ing the transport, which could result
in the vehicle no longer being secured
properly.
- If you are going to tow a trailer with a
trailer hitch that was
not installed ac­
cording to factory specif ications, you
must activate the traile r operation mode
man ually
<::;,page 161.
(D Tips
-Before you can raise your vehicle using
the vehicle jack (for example, when
chang ing a flat tire) or a vehicle lift, yo u
must activate the jacking mode
c::;, page 161.
-On some models, the vehicle can reach
its maximum speed only in the
Automat ­
ic
and Dynamic modes.
Chassis controls
App lies to vehicles : wit h Adaptive A ir Suspensio n
Five different driving modes can be set by the
driver.
T he automatic control processes are speed­
and time-dependent. For example, it is not

164 Driving Safel y
• Instr uct passenge rs to adjust the head re­
straints according to their height.
• Make sure to use the right child restraint
correct ly to protect children<=>
page 203,
Child Safety .
• Sit properly i n your seat and make sure that
you r passenge rs do the same
<=> page 74,
General recomm endations .
• Fasten your safe ty be lt and wear it properly.
Also ins truc t you r passengers to f aste n t heir
sa fety belts properly <=>
page 173.
What impairs driving safety?
Safe driving i s directly rela ted to the condi­
t ion of the vehicle , the driver as well as the
driver 's abili ty to concentrate on the road
without being distracted .
The driver is responsib le fo r the s afety o f the
ve hicl e an d all of i ts occupants . If you r ab ility
to d rive is impai red, safety r is k s for everybody
i n the vehicle increase and yo u also become a
hazard to everyone else on the road <=>
&_.
Therefore:
• Do not let yo ursel f be distracte d by passe n­
gers or by using a cellular telephone.
• NEVER dr ive when your dr iv ing ability is im ­
paired (by medicat ions, alcohol , drugs, etc.).
• Observe all traffic laws, rules of the road
and speed limits and plain common sense .
• ALWAYS ad just yo ur speed to road, t raff ic
and weathe r con dit ions .
• Take frequent breaks o n long t rips. Do no t
dr ive for more than two hours a t a str etch .
• Do NOT drive when you are t ired, under
pressure or when you are st ressed .
A WARNING
Impai red driving safety increases the risk
of serious persona l injury and death when­
ever a veh icle is being used.
Proper occupant
seating positions
Proper seating position for the driver
The proper driver sea ting posi tion is imp or­
t ant for safe, relaxed driving.
Fi g. 1 94 Correct seat ing posit ion
For yo ur own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom­
mend that you adjust t he driver's seat to the
fo llow ing pos ition:
• Adj ust t he d river's seat so that you can easi­
ly push the pedals all the way to the floor
while keepi ng your knee(s) slightly bent
¢ &_ .
• Ad just t he angle of the seatbac k so that it is
in an upr ight position so that your back
comes in full conta ct w ith it when you d rive.
• Adj ust t he steering wheel so t hat there is a
d is tance of at least 1 0 inches (2 5 cm) be ­
t ween the steer ing whee l and yo ur breast
bone ~
fig. 194. If not possible, see your a u­
thorized A udi dealer about adaptive equip ­
ment.
• Adjust t he steering wheel so that the steer­
ing wheel and airbag cover poi nts at your
ch est and not at your face .
• Grasp the top of the ste ering whee l w ith
your elb ow(s) slightly ben t.
• Adj ust t he head re st ra in t so the upper edge
is as even as possible wi th th e top of y our
head . If that is not poss ible, try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this pos ition as possib le .
.,. Fasten and wear safety belts correct ly
<=>page 177.

178 Safety belts
the wrong buckle will reduce safety belt effectiveness and can cause serious per­
sonal injury.
- A passenger who is not properly restrain­
ed can be seriously injured by the safety
belt itself when it moves from the stron­
ger parts of the body into critical areas
like the abdomen.
- Always lock the convertible locking re­
tractor when you are securing a child safety seat in the vehicle
c:::> page 215.
Safety belt position
Correct belt position is the key to getting
maximum protection from safety belts .
Fig. 204 Safety be lt pos it ion
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Standard features on your vehicle help you ad­
just the position of the safety belt to match
your body size.
- belt height adjustment for the front seats
and the outer seating positions in the sec­
ond row seating,
- height-adjustable front seats.
.&_ WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can
cause serious personal injury in an acci­
dent.
-
- The shoulder belt should lie as close to
the center of the collar bone as possible
and should fit well on the body. Hold the
belt above the latch tongue and pull it
evenly across the chest so that it sits as
low as possible on the pelvis and there is
no pressure on the abdomen. The belt should always fit snugly
¢
fig. 204. Pull
on the belt to tighten if necessary.
- The lap belt portion of the safety belt
must be positioned as low as possible
across pelvis and never over the abdo­
men. Make sure the belt lies flat and
snug¢
fig. 204 . Pull on the belt to ti9ht­
en if necessary .
- A loose-fitting safety belt can cause seri­
ous injur ies by shifting its position on
your body from the strong bones to more
vulnerable, soft tissue and cause serious
injury.
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information
c:::> page 176.
Pregnant women must also be correctly
restrained
The best way to protect the fetus is to make
sure that expectant mothers always wear
safety belts correctly -throughout the preg­
nancy.
Fig. 20S Safety belt position during pre gnancy
To provide maximum protection, safety belts
must always be positioned correctly on the
wearer's body
¢ page 178.
"Adju st the front seat and head restraint cor­
rectly
c:> page 74, General recommenda ­
tions .
"Make sure the seatback of the rear seat
bench is in an upright position and securely
latched in place before using the belt.
"Hold the belt by the tongue and pull it even­
ly across the chest and pelvis ¢
fig. 205 ,
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.. Inse rt the tongue into the correct b uckle of
your seat until you hear it latch securely
e:> page 177 , fig . 203 .
.. Pull on the be lt to make sure that it is se ­
curely latched in the buckle .
A WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can
cause serious personal injury in an acci­
de nt.
- Expectant mothers must a lways wear the
lap po rtion of the safety belt as low as
poss ible across the pe lv is and be low the
ro unding of the abdomen.
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
other impor tant information
e:> .&. in Fas­
tening safe ty belts on page 177.
Unfastening safety belts
Unbuckle the safety belt with the red release
button only after the vehicle has stopped.
F ig . 2 06 Relea sing the to ngu e fr om th e buc kle
.. Push the red re lease button on the buck le
e:> fig . 206 . The belt tongue wi ll spring out
of the bu ckle
c:> _& .
.. Let the bel t wind up on the retractor as you
guide the belt tongue to its stowed posit ion.
On vehicles with
third ro w seat* : an unfas­
t ened safety belt can be secured in the retain­
ing clip in t he luggage compartment s ide
tr im . In this way, the luggage compartment
cover can be removed without obst ruct io n. Al­
so, the belt tongue height can be adjusted so
that luggage compartment can be loaded
without obst ruction wit h the backrest folded
:5: forward.
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Safety belts 179
A WARNING
Never unfasten safety belt whi le the vehi­
cle is mov ing . Do ing so will increase your
risk of being injured o r killed.
Adjusting safety belt height
Wi th the aid of the safety belt heigh t adjust­
ment, the three point safety belt strap rout­
ing can be fitted to the shoulder area , accord ­
ing to body size .
Fig. 207 Safety belt heig ht adj ustm en t - loop-a round
fi ttings
The shoulder belt should lie as close to the
center of the collar bone as possible and
should fit well on the body
e:> .&. in Safety belt
position on page 178 .
.. Push
the loop-around fittings up c:> fig. 207
@ , or
.. squeeze together the (D button, and push
the loop-around fittings d own @.
.. Pull the belt to make sure that the upper a t­
t achment is properly engaged .
A WARNING
-
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information
c::> page 176 .
(0 Tips
With the front seats, the he igh t adj ust­
ment of the sea t can also be used to ad just
the position of the sa fety belts.

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to the backrest on the vehicle seat. Ad­
just or remove the rear seat head restraint if it is difficult to inst all the
child seat with the head restraint in place
¢ page 80. Install the head restraint
again immediately once the child seat is
removed. Driving without head restraints
or with head restraints that are not prop­
erly adjusted increases the risk of serious
or fatal neck injury dramatically.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave­
hicle is being used
¢page 173, Safety
belts,¢ page 182, Airbag system
and
¢ page 203, Important things to know.
A WARNING
If exceptional circumstances require the
use of a forward-facing child restraint on
the front passenger's seat, the child's safe­
ty and well-being require that the follow­
ing special precautions be taken:
- Make sure the forward-facing seat has been designed and certified by its manu­
facturer for use on a front seat with a passenger front and side airbag.
-Always follow the manufacturer's in­
structions provided with the child safety
seat or infant carrier.
- Always move the front passenger seat in­
to the rearmost position of the passen­
ger seat's fore and aft adjustment range,
and as far away from the airbag as possi­
ble before installing the child restraint.
- Always make sure that nothing prevents
the front passenger's seat from being
moved to the rearmost position in its
fore and aft adjustment range.
- Always make sure the backrest is in an
upright position.
- Make sure that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF
light comes on and stays on all the
time whenever the ignition is switched
on.
- If the light does not stay on, perform the
checks¢
page 193, Monitoring the Ad­
vanced Airbag System.
-
Child Safety 211
- Ta ke the child restraint off the front pas­
senger seat and install it properly at one
of the rear seat positions if the
PASSEN­
GER AIR BAG OFF
light does not stay on
whenever the ignition is switched on.
Booster seats and safety belts
Properly used booster seats con help protect
children weighing between about 40 lbs. and
80 lbs. (18 kg and 36 kg) who are less than 4
ft. 9 in . (57 inches/1.45 meters) tall.
In .... N 0 ±
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Fig. 220 Rear seat: c hild properly res trained in a boos­
ter seat
The vehicle's safety belts alone will not fit
most children until they are at least 4
ft. 9 in .
(57 inches/1.45 meters) tall and weigh about
80 lbs. (36 kg). Booster seats raise these chil­
dren up so that the safety belt will pass prop­
erly over the stronger parts of their bodies
and the safety belt can help protect them in a
crash.
.,. Do not use the convertible locking retractor
when using the vehicle's safety belt to re­
strain a child on a booster seat.
... The shoulder belt must lie as close to the
center of the child's collar bone as possible
and must lie flat and snug on the upper
body. It must never lie across the throat or
neck . The lap belt must lie across the pelvis
and never across the stomac h or abdomen .
Make sure the belt lies flat and snug . Pull on
the belt to tighten if necessary.
.,. If you must transport an older child in a
booster seat on the front passenger seat,
you can use the safety belt height adjust­
ment to help adjust the shoulder portion
properly.

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Weight Rating will also change the per­
formance and handling characteristics of
your vehicle, which could cause a crash result ing in serious injury or death .
- The Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ing for your
vehicle would be exceeded if your vehicle is simultaneously equipped with Panor ­
amic sliding sunroof; th ird-row seating;
trailer towing equipment (factory or
dealer-installed), and running boards
(dea ler-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. 232 Perm itted ba ll posit ion of t he tra iler hitch
Trailer towing weights
W ith a factory-installed tra iler hitch, the
maximum permissible trailer we ight is 6,600
l bs (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 t railer we ight is 5,500 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
l owable or slightly lower. You can get an ap­
prox imation 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 tra iler hitch, the
maximum permissible load on the ball hitch
Trailer towing 239
may not exceed 660 lbs (300 kg). With an af­
termarket
trailer hitch, the maximum permis ­
s ib le load on the ba ll hitch may not exceed
550 lbs (250 kg).
It is recommended to use
the maximum permissible load.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held secure ly
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 240.
Ball mount
The trailer hitch may only be used w ith suita­
ble ball mount and ball ¢
fig. 232. Installa­
t ion 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
(38.5 mm) a tolerance of+/- 0.5 in (12 . 7 mm)
is perm issib le.
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 tra iler, 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 . Inf late trailer tires to trai ler and t ire
manufacturers' spec ificat ions .
Lights
The headlight settings sho uld 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-
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Vehicl e ca re a nd cl eanin g 243
& WARNING
-Only wash the vehicle when the ignition
is off and follow the instructions from
the car wash operator to reduce the risk
of accidents.
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect your­
self from sharp meta l components when
washing the underbody or the inside of
the wheel housings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking ef­
fect may be delayed due to moisture on
the brake rotors or ice in the winter . The
brakes must be dried first with a few
careful brake applicat ions .
{[) Note
-If you wash the vehicle in an automatic
car wash, you must fold the exterior m ir­
rors in to reduce the r isk of damage to
the mirrors . Power folding exterior m ir­
ro rs* must only be folded in and out us­
i ng the power folding function.
- Compare the track of your vehicle w ith
the d istance between the gu ide ra ils of
the faci lity- there is a risk of damage to
the wheels and tires.
- Compare the height and width of you r
vehicle with the he ight and width of the
tunnel at the facility. -
To prevent paint damage, do not wash
the vehicle in direct sunlight.
- To reduce the r isk o f damage to the sur­
face, do not use insect removing spong­
es, kitchen sponges or similar items.
- Matte finish painted vehicle compo­
nents:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the
surface, do not use polishing agents or
ha rd wax .
- Never use car wash cycles that apply
protective wax.
It can destroy the
matte fin ish effect .
- Do not place any stickers o r magnet ic
signs on vehicle parts painted w ith
matte fin ish paint. The pai nt cou ld be
damaged when the stickers o r magnets
a re removed.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the ve hicl e in facilities spe cially
designed for that purpose . This will red uce
the r is k of dirty water contam ina ted with
oil from entering the sewer system.
Cleaning and care information
When cle aning and caring for individua l vehi ­
cle components, refe r to the fo llowing tab les.
The information contained there is simply rec ­
ommendations. For questions or for compo -nents that are not listed,
re fer to an author­
ized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop . Also
follow the information fo und in¢.& .
Cle aning ex terio r
Component Situation Solution
Wipe r bla des
Dirty c:> page 69, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
H eadligh ts/ Dirty Soft sponge with a m ild soap solutiona >
tail lights
S ensors /
Dirty Sensors: soft cloth with a so lvent-free cleaning product
camera l enses Came ra lenses : soft cloth with an alcohol -free cleaning
solution
Snow/ice Hand brush/solvent-free de-icing spray
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-If you notice unusual vibra­
tion or if the vehicle pulls to one side when driving, al­
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check the
wheels and tires for dam­ age.
(D Note
-Please note that summer
and winter tires are de­
signed for the conditions
that are typical in those sea­
sons. Audi recommends us­ing winter tires during the
winter months. Low tem­ peratures significantly de­
crease the elasticity of
summer tires, which affects
traction and braking ability.
Tires and wheels 273
If summer tires are used in
very cold temperatures, cracks can form on the tread
bars, resulting in perma­
nent tire damage that can
cause loud driving noise and unbalanced tires. Audi is not
responsible for this type of
damage.
-Burnished, polished or chromed rims must not be used in winter road condi­
tions. The surface of the
rims does not have suffi­
cient corrosion protection
for this and could be perma­
nently damaged by road salt
or similar substances.
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Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weight (in
excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of auto­ matic transmission, power
steering, power brakes, power
windows, power seats, radio, and heater, to the extent that
these items are available as fac­
tory-installed equipment (whether installed or not).
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the height to
the width of the tire in percent. Numbers of 55 or lower indi­
cate a low sidewall for im­
proved steering response and
better overall handling on dry
pavement.

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,&_ WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead
to loss of control, a crash and
serious personal injury!
-Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire is worn down to the wear indica­
tors.
-
-Worn tires are a safety haz­
ard, they do not grip well on
wet roads and increase your
risk of "hydroplaning" and
loss of control.
-Always keep chemicals that
can cause tire damage, such
as grease, oil, gasoline and
brake fluid away from tires.
-Tires age even if they are
not being used and can fail
suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more
than 6 years old can only be
used in an emergency and
then with special care and
at lower speeds.
-Never mount used tires on
your vehicle if you are not
sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have
been damaged even though
the damage cannot be seen
that can lead to sudden tire
Tires and wheels 291
failure and loss of vehicle
control.
New tires and replacing
tires and wheels
New tires and wheels hove to
be broken in.
Fig. 254 Tire specification codes on
the sidewall of a tire
No. Description
CD Passenger car tire (where
applicable)
0 Nominal width of tire in
millimeters
® Ratio of height to width
(aspect ratio)
© Radial
® Rim diameter code

Tires and wheels 293
characteristics, and safety of This contains the following in-•
the vehicle. The table formation: • '
(¢ page 2 78) lists specifica-p Indicates the tire is for pas-
tions of the tires approved for senger cars (where applica-
the Audi models covered by ble)
your Owner's Literature.
255 Nominal tire width in mm
The tire pressure label located of the tire from sidewall
on the driver's side B-pillar edge to sidewall edge. In
¢page 278~ fig. 251 lists the general, the larger the num-
specifications of the original ber, the wider the tire
equipment tires installed on
55 Height/width ratio in per-
your vehicle at the time it was cent (aspect ratio)
manufactured.
R Tire construction: Radial
Federal law requires tire manu-
18 Rim diameter code (in in-
facturers to place standardized ches)
information on the sidewall of
109 Load rating code
all tires ¢
fig. 254. This infor-H Speed rating letter code
mation identifies and describes
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD" , or
the fundamental characteris- "RF" Indicates that the tire is
tics, the quality grade of the a"Reinforced" or an "Extra
tire and also provides a tire Load" tire
identification number for safety
M+S (or "M/5") Indicates that
standard certification and in the tire has some mud and
case of a recall. snow capability
Tire specifications The tires could also have the in-
Knowledge of tire specifications formation of direction of rota-
tion
¢
page 2 72.
makes it easier to choose the
correct tires . Radial tires have
Tire manufacturing date
the tire specifications marked
The manufacturing date is also
M on the sidewall, for example: indicated on the tire sidewall N
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