engine AUDI Q7 2018 Owner´s Manual

Cockpit overview
A WARNING
Have the safety systems inspected immedi­
ately. Otherwise, there is a risk that the sys­
tems may not activate during a collision,
which increases the risk of serious injury or
death.
( CD ) Brake system
[I] Brakes overheating. Please shift to D
-
There was a heavy load on the brakes. Place the
selector lever in the "D/S" position in order to use
the engine braking effect and reduce the load on
the brakes.
~t~J/(O : Brake pads
II (USA models)/EiJ (Canada models) Brake
pads: wear limit reached. You can continue driv­
ing. Please contact Service
The brake pads are worn .
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility as soon as possible to have
the malfunction corrected.
~ Engine control
II Drive system: malfunction! Please contact
Service
There is an engine control malfunction.
Drive slowly to an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility to have the engine
checked .
W Engine control (diesel engine)
Applies to: vehicles with diesel engines
The engine is preheating if the II indicator light
turns on when the ignition is switched on.
If the indicator light does not turn on or blinks
while driving, there is an engine control malfunc­
tion.
Immediately drive slowly to an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility to have
the malfunction corrected.
26
!?i Engine speed limitation
(II Maximum engine speed: XXXX rpm
The engine speed is automatically limited to the
speed displayed in the instrument cluster. This
protects the engine from overheating.
The engine speed limitation deactivates once the
engine is no longer in the critical temperature
range and you have released the accelerator ped­
al once .
If the engine speed limitation was activated by
an engine control malfunction, the
II indicator
light also turns on . Make sure the engine speed
does not go above the speed displayed, for exam­
ple when downshifting . Drive to an authorized
Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility im­
mediately to have the malfunction corrected.
(D Tips
Depending on the engine: the engine speed
may be limited when the engine is cold -the
full engine output will not be available. When
the engine is at operating temperature, the
red area in the tachometer moves to a higher
RPM range.
~ ... Engine oil sensor
• Oil level system: malfunction! Please con­
tact Service
The sensor to check the engine oil level has
failed . Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected.
• Oil level sensor: oil change necessary. Please
contact Service
Fuel has entered the engine oil as a result of fre­
quent short drives. Avoid high engine speeds, full
acceleration and heavy engine loads. Drive to an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility immediately to have the oil changed.
• Oil pressure sensor: malfunction! Please
contact Service
There is a malfunction in the oil pressure sensor.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized .,.

Cl a:, ......
Audi Service Faci lity immediately to have the
malfunction corrected.
f Engine warm-up request
n Plea se drive to warm up eng in e
Fu el has en tered the eng ine oi l, ei ther from low
outside temperat ures or freq uent short drives.
Drive unti l the engine is warm so that t he fue l in
the eng ine oi l will evaporate. Avoid high engine
speeds, fu ll acce lerating and heavy eng ine loads
when doing this.
Bu Tank system
11D Plea se r efuel
If the indicator lig ht turns on for the first time
and the message appea rs, there are about 2.6
gallons (10 liters) of fue l left in the tank .
liJl Please refuel immediately
If t he in dicator lig ht tu rns on the message ap ­
pears, t he f ue l tank is almost empty. Re fuel t he
veh icle immediate ly.
11D Tank sy ste m : malfun ction! Please conta ct
Service
There is a malfunction in the fue l tank system .
Drive to an authori zed Aud i de aler or aut hori zed
Aud i Service Faci lity immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected .
(D Tips
For more information on fueling, see
¢page 312.
~ Washer fluid level
1:2 Plea se add washer fluid
F ill the washer f luid for the w indshield washer
system and the headlight washer system* when
the ign ition is switched off¢
page 328 .
,s;::>, Windshield wipers
~ f·-P Windshield wipers: malfunc tion! Please con -,.....
g tact Service
::r ' Cockpit o ver view
The re is a ma lfunction w ith the windshield wip­
ers.
Dr ive to an author ized A udi dealer or au tho riz ed
A udi Se rvice Faci lity immed iate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
d Driver 's door
II Dri ver 's door : malfunction! Shift to P before
leaving vehicle. See owner's manual
T he re is a ma lfunction in the driver 's doo r. Se lect
the "P " selector lever pos ition to secure the vehi ­
cle.
Drive to an au thor ized A udi dealer or au tho riz ed
A udi Service Facility immed iate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
· ;<;X · Bulb failure indicator
If the II ind icator light turns on, a bulb has
failed. The message indicates the location of the
bulb. Replace the bulb immediately .
Vehicle lights: malfunction! Please contact
Service
The re is a m alfu nct ion in the headlights o r the
li ght sw itch . Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or
a uthorized Audi Service Facility immediately to
have the malfunction corrected.
A WARNING "---
- Light bulbs a re under p ressure and can ex­
p lode when bulbs are replaced, wh ich in­
creases the risk of injury .
- W ith HID headlights (xenon headlights), the
h igh-vo ltage component must be handled
correct ly . Otherwise, there is a risk of fatal
in ju ry .
§.0 Dynamic headlight range control
II Headlight range control : malfunction! S ee
owner' s manual
There is a ma lfunction in the headlight range
contro l system, which may cause glare for other
drive rs . .,.
27

Opening and closing
Central locking
Description
You can lock and un lock the veh icle centrally . You
h ave the following options:
- Remote control key
c> page 32,
-Sensors in the door hand les* c> page 32,
- Lock cylinder on the driver's door c:> page 34,
or
- Interior central locking switch
c:> page 33.
Turn signals
The turn s ignals flas h tw ice when yo u unloc k the
ve hicl e and flash once when you lock the veh icle.
If they do not flas h, then one of the doors, the
l uggage compartment lid or the hood is not
closed.
Automatic locking (Auto Lock )
The Auto Lock f unct io n loc ks all doors and the
l uggage compartment lid on ce the speed has ex ­
ceeded approximately 9 mph (15 km/ h).
The vehicle ca n be un loc ked if the open ing f unc­
tion in t he centra l lock ing system sw itch is used
or one of the door handles is pulled.
I n t he event of a crash with a irbag deployment,
the doo rs will a lso automat ica lly unloc k to allow
access to t he ve hicle.
Selective door unlocking
The doors and luggage compartment lid w ill lock
when they close . You can set in the Infotainment
system whether
only the driver's door or the en­
tire ve hicle should be unlocked w hen unlocking
c:>page 34.
Unintentionally locking yourself out
Only lock your veh icle when all of the doors and
the luggage compa rtme nt lid a re closed and the
r emote control key is not in the vehicle. This
h e lps to p revent yo u from locking yourse lf out
o a ccident ally. a:, ......
~ The follow ing cond it io ns prevent you from lock-
"' 8 in g your remote contro l key in the veh icle: 0 ::r ' Open ing and cl osing
-If the driver's door is open, the vehi cle cannot
be locked by pressing the
l'.D button on the re ­
mote contro l key o r by touching the locking
sensor* on a door.
- If the most recently used convenience key* is
detected in the luggage compartment, the lug­
gage compartment lid automatica lly unlocks
aga in after closing it.
- If the convenience key* that was last used is de­
tected ins ide the veh icle, then the vehicle can­
not be locked from the outside .
Closing aid on the do ors *
T he vehicle doors a re equipped with closing aids.
When closing a door, yo u on ly have to let it fall
li ghtly into the latch. It then closes automatically
¢ ,&. .
A WARNING
-
-If you leave the vehicle, sw itch the ignition
off and take the veh icle key with you . This
applies pa rtic ula rly when children remain in
the vehicle. Ot herwise, ch ildren cou ld start
the engine or opera te e lectr ical equipme nt
(such as power w indows), which increases
the risk of an accident.
- No one, especi ally children, should stay in
the vehicle when it is locked from the out ­
side, because the windows can no longer be
opened from the inside
c:> page 35. Locked
doors make it more diffic ult for eme rgency
workers to get into the vehicle, which puts
lives at risk .
A WARNING
Applies to: vehicles with closing aids on the doors
-To reduce the r is k of injury, m ake sure that
the area where the d oor is closing is cle ar
du ring the closing process.
- Th e closing process ca n be stopped at any
time by pulling on the ou ter or inne r door
handle.
(D Tips
- Do not leave valuables unattended in the ve-
hicle. A lo cked ve hicl e is not a sa fe! ..,
29

Opening and clo sin g
Luggage compartment lid emergency
release
Fig. 27 Inner luggage compart men t lid : acces s to the
emergency rel ease
.. Remove the mechanica l key ¢ page 31 .
.. Pry out the cover using the mechanical key
¢fig . 27.
.. Press the lever in the direction of the arrow to
release the luggage compartment lid .
Child safety lock
The child safety lock prevents the rear doors
from being opened from the inside and the rear
power windows from be operated.
Fig . 28 Sect io n of drive r's door: c hild safety lock butto ns
a,
~ co a,
.. To activate/deactivate the inner door handle
and the power window switch for the respective
rear door , press the left/right
t button in the
driver 's door ¢
fig. 28 . The indicator light in the
button turns on/b links .
.. To activate/deact ivate the child safety lock on
both sides, you must press the
T buttons one
after the othe r.
It is not possible to operate the rear climate con­
trol system* when the child safety lock is switch­
ed on . T he
S ET REAR function allows you to app ly
38
a ll settings to the rear using the climate control
system controls in the cockpit
¢ page 72.
Message in th e instrument cluster di splay
(BJ Childproof catch : ma lfun ction! Plea se con­
tac t Service
There is a ma lfunction in the ch ild safety lock .
Press the
t button aga in .
If the message stays on, dr ive immediately to an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Serv ice
Facility to have the malfunction repaired.
A WARNING
- If you leave the vehicle, sw itch the ignition
off and take the veh icle key with you. This
app lies pa rtic ula rly whe n children remain in
the vehicle. Otherwise chi ldren cou ld start
the engine or operate e lectrica l equipment
(such as power windows), which increases
the risk of an accident.
- A ma lfunction in the chi ld safety lock could
allow the rear doors to be opened from the
inside, which increases the risk of an acci­
dent.
Power windows
Controls
The driver can control all power windows .
Fig. 29 D river 's doo r: pow er w indow con trols
A ll power window switches are equipped with a
two-stage function:
Opening and closing the windows
co ~ M 0
=> co a,
.. To open o r close the window comp letely, press
the swit ch down o r pull the swit ch up b riefly to .,.

Cl a:, ...... N
" N ...... 0
0
::r ' the second level. The operation will stop if the
switch is pressed/pu lled again.
• To se lect a position in between opened and
closed, press/pull the sw itch to the first level
until the desired window position is reached.
Po we r w indow switch es
(D Left front door
@ R ight front door
@ L eft rea r door
@ Right r ear door
A WARNING
- If you leave the veh icle, switch the ignit ion
off and take the vehicle key with you . This
applies particularly when children remain in
the vehicle . Otherwise children could start
the engine or operate elect rical equipment
(s uc h as powe r windows), whi ch in cr eases
the risk of an a ccident. The power windows
contin ue to f unct ion until the driver's door
or front passenge r's door has been opened .
- Pay c areful a ttent ion when closing the win­
dows. Pinching co uld cause serious injur ies .
- When lo cking the veh icle from outside, the
vehicle mus t be unoc cupied since the win­
dows can no longer be opened in an emer ­
gency.
(D Tips
You c an still open an d close the w indows for
app roxima tely 10 minutes after tu rning the
ign it ion off. The power windows do no t switch
off until the driver's door or front passenger's
door has been opened .
Convenience opening/closing
Applies to: vehicles wit h convenience key
All of the windows and the roof* can be opened/
closed at the same time.
Convenience opening feature
• Press and hold the III button on t he remote con­
t ro l key until a ll of the w indows reach the de ­
s ir ed position and the roof* is tilted open .
Opening and cl osing
Convenience closing feature
• Press the 0 b utton on the remo te con trol key
until the roof* is closed
q .&, , or
• Touch the sensor * on the door handle unti l all
of the windows and the roof* are closed. Do not
place your hand in the door handle when doing
this .
Sett ing convenience op ening in the
Infotainment system
• Select in the Infotainment system: I MENU ! but­
ton
> Vehicle > left control button > Vehicle
setting s
> Central locking > Long press to
open windows .
A WARNING
-
-Never close the w indows o r the roof* ca re­
lessly or in an uncontrolled manner, be­
c a use this increases the risk of injury.
- For secur ity reasons, the windows and the
roof* c an only be opened and close d wit h
the remote con trol key a t a maxim um dis­
tance of approx imately 6.5 feet (2 m) away
from the vehicle . Always pay attention when
using the
0 button to close the windows
and the roof* so that no one is pinched. The
clos ing process will stop immediately when
the 6j button is released .
(D Tips
Applies to: vehicles with panorama glass roof:
the power sunshade also opens/closes when
opening/closing the roof .
Correcting power window malfunctions
You can reactivate the one-touch up/down func­
tion if it ma/func tion s.
• Pull the powe r window switch up until the win ­
dow is compl ete ly raised.
• Release the switch and pu ll it up aga in for at
least one second .
39

Warm and cold
Warm and cold
Climate control system
Description
A pp lies to: ve hicles w ith 3 -zo ne del uxe automatic c limate
co ntrol or 4-zo ne de luxe au tomatic cl imate co ntrol
The climate control system warms, cools and re­
moves humidity from the air in the vehicle interi­
or.
It is the most effective when the windows and
sunroof* are closed . If there is a bu ild-up of heat
inside the vehicle, ventilat ion can he lp to speed
up the cooling process.
In all heating mode functions except for
defrost,
the blower on ly switches to a h igher speed once
the engine coolant has reached a suffic ient tem­
perature.
Pollut ant filt er
The pollutant filter removes pollutants such as
dust and pollen from the a ir .
K ey recognit ion
The climate control settings are automatically
stored and assigned to the remote control key
that is in use .
66
@ For the sake of the environment
- If you would like to reduce fuel consump­
t ion, sw itch the air conditioning off. This
will also reduce emissions.
- In vehicles with a diesel engine, you can
switch the auxiliary heater off in the Info­
tainment system.
(D Tips
- To prevent interference with the heating
and cooling output and to prevent the win­
dows from fogging over, the a ir intake in
front of the windshield must be free of ice,
snow or leaves.
- Condensation from the cooling system can
dr ip and form a puddle of water under the
vehicle . This is normal and does not mean
there is a leak.
- The energy management system may tem­ porarily switch off certain functions, such as
the seat heating* or rear window defogger.
T hese systems are ava ilable again as soon
as the ene rgy supply has been restored.

Warm and cold
is switched off. This can cause fog on the win­
dows . Cooling mode switches off automatica lly
when the outside temperature is below zero.
When the cooling mode is switched on,~ the
vehicle interior is coo led and dehumidified as
qu ickly as possible .
~ Recirculation mode
In recirculation mode, the air inside the vehicle is
circu lated and fi ltered. This prevents the unfil­
tered a ir outside the vehicle from entering the
veh icle inter ior . Switch ing recirculation mode on
when dr iv ing through a tunnel or when s itting in
traffic is recommended
~ ,& .
Using the button, recircu lation mode is switched
on and off using the~ button. You can also
sw itch off the recirculation mode by pressing the
knob @ (left side) or the off using the
3% button.
AUTO Automatic mode
Automatic mode maintains a constant tempera­
ture inside the vehicle. Air temperature, airflow
and a ir distribu tion are controlled automatically .
You can switch automatic mode on or off by
pressing the knob @ (left side) .
Temperature
You can adjust the temperature between 60°F
( + 16°()
and 84°F ( +28°() by turn ing the knob
@ . If outs ide of this range,
LO or HI will appear
in the climate control system d isplay . At both of
these settings, the climate control system runs
cont inuously at maximum cooling or heating
power. The re is no temperature regulation.
8fr Blower
You can manually adjust the volume of a ir gener ­
ated by the blower to your preference by turning
the knob @. The blower should a lways run at a
low sett ing to prevent the windows from fogging
and to ensure a continuous exchange of air insid e
the vehicle . To have the b lower regulated auto­
matica lly, press the knob@ (left side).
Air distribution
You can use the buttons to select the vents
where the air will flow. To have the air distribu-
68
tion regulated automatically, press the knob @
( left side).
J ~ Seat heating/ventilation*
Pressing the JI~ button switches the seat
heating/ventilation on at the highest setting
( leve l 3). The LEDs indicate the temperature lev­
e l. To reduce the temperature, press the button
again. To switch the seat heating/ventilation off,
press the button repeatedly until the LED turns
off.
3%: Defogging
The windshield and side windows are defrosted
or cleared of condensation as quick ly as possible.
The maximum amount of air flows mainly from
the vents below the windshield. Recirculation mode switches off. The temperature should be
set at
+ 72°F (+22°() or higher . The tempera ture
i s controlled automat ically .
Defrost is switched on and off switched on and
off using the~ button. You can sw itch the func­
tion off by pressing the knob@Cleft side).
Applies to vehicles with windshield defogger: the
windshield defogger switches on automatically
when outside temperatures are low . If you would
like to sw itch the winds hield defros ter on man­
ually, press the~ button . The LED in the button
blinks .
f!. Rear window defogger
Press the button~ to switch the rear window de­
fogger on. It on ly operates when the engine is
running . It switches off automatically after
10 to
20 minutes, depending on the outs ide tempera ­
ture .
To keep the rear window defogger on cont inuous­
ly, press and hold the~ button longer than
three seconds . This is stored until the ign ition is
switched off .
Synchronization
The function is activated by pressing and holding
the knob @ (left side) . The temperature disp lays
will blink briefly . When synchron izat ion is switch­
ed on, the settings for the driver's side are ap-
plied to the front passenger's side and the rear .,.

~ Cooling mode*
The max imum coo ling mode can be sw itched on
and off using the~ button. The air is not cooled
and h umidity is not removed when cooling mode
is switched off. This can cause fog on the win ­
dows. Cooling mode switches off automatica lly
when the outside temperature is below zero.
When the coo ling mode is sw itched on,~ the
veh icle interior is cooled and dehum id ified as
qu ickly as possib le .
cE:> Recirculation mode
In recircu lation mode, the a ir inside the vehicle is
ci rcu lated and fi ltered. This prevents the unfil­
tered air outside the vehicle from entering the
veh icle inter ior . Switch ing recirculation mode on
when dr iv ing t hrough a tunnel or when s itti ng i n
traffic is recommended
~ ,& .
Using the button, recirculation mode is switched
on and off us ing the
ol;) button . You can also
sw itch the recircu lation mode off by pressi ng the
knob @) or the off us ing th e ~ button.
AUTO Autom atic mode
Automatic mode ma inta ins a constant tempera­
ture ins ide the veh icle . Air temperature, airflow
a n d a ir distribution are controlled automatica lly .
You can switc h automatic mode on or off by
p ressing the knob @.
Temperature
You can adjust the temperature be tween 60° F
( + 16°C) and 84°F (+28°() by tur ning the knob
@ . If outs ide of this range,
LO or HI will appea r
in the cl imate contro l system display. At bot h of
these se tt in gs, the cl imate contro l system runs
con tinuously at ma ximum coo ling o r hea ting
power. There is no temperature regula tion .
86'~ Blower
You can adjust the volume of a ir generated by the
b lowe r to yo ur preference using the rocker
sw itches @. T he blower should always ru n at a
l ow se tt ing to preven t the wi ndows from fogg ing
~ an d to ens ure a continuous exchange of ai r ins ide
...... "' the vehicle . To have the b lowe r reg ulated auto-
" ~ mat ica lly, press the knob @. 0
0
::r ' Warm and c old
Air distribution
Yo u can use the rocker sw itches @to adjus t the
ven ts where the air wi ll flow o ut o f. Press t he
roc ker switches @repeatedly unti l the desired
air distrib ution setting is disp layed in the climate
contro l system contro ls . To have the air distribu ­
t ion regulated automat ically, press the knob @.
J ~ Seat heating /ventilation*
P ressing the JI~ but ton switches the sea t
heating/ventilation on at the highest setting
( lev el 3). The LEDs indicate the temperatur e lev ­
el. To reduce the tempe rature, press the button
again. To swi tch the seat heating/ventilat ion off,
press the b utton repeatedly unti l the L ED turns
off .
@ MAX Defogging
The w indshield and side windows are defrosted
o r cleared of condensat ion as quick ly as poss ible.
The maximum amount of air flows mainly from
the vents below the windsh ield . Recirculation
mode switches off . The temperat ure should be
set at +72°F (+22°C) or highe r. T he tempe rature
i s con trolled automat ica lly.
Defrost is sw itched on and off®
MAX button.
You can also sw itch the f unct io n off by press ing
t h e knob @.
Applies to vehicles with windshield defogger: the
windshield defogger switches on automatically
when ou tside tempera tures are low . If you would
li ke to sw itch the windsh ield defroster on ma n­
u ally, press the ~ button. The L ED in the button
blinks.
[ffi) REAR Rear window defogger
Press the button ~ to switch the rear window de ­
fogger on .
It only operates when the engine is
r un ning . It switc hes off automatically afte r 10 to
2 0 m inutes, depe nding on the ou ts ide tempera­
tu re .
T o keep the rear w indow defogge r o n con tinuous­
ly, press a nd ho ld the
Qul R EAR butto n longe r
t h an th ree seco nds. This is sto red un til the ign i-
t ion is swi tched o ff. ..,.
71

Drivin g
Driving
General information
Breaking in
A new vehicle must be broken in for the first 1,000 mi les (1,500 km). Do not dr ive at speeds
t hat will exceed 2/3 of the max imum pe rm itted
engine speed (RPM) for the first 600 miles
(1,000 km), and avoid fu ll acceleration during
this period . You may gradually start increasing
the RPM and the speed between 600 miles
(1,000 km) and 1,000 miles (1,500 km) .
During the first hours of use, the engine has a
higher internal friction than later on when all
moving parts have settled into place with each
other.
How the vehicle is driven d uring the first 1,000
miles (1,500 km) a lso affects the engine quality .
Drive at moderate engine speeds after the initial
break-in per iod, part icu larly when running a cold
eng ine . Th is will reduce eng ine wear and improve
the m ileage.
Do not drive at too low of an engine speed (RPM) .
Shift down if the engine stops running "smooth­ ly". Extremely high eng ine speeds are automati­
cally reduced .
Reducing the risk of vehicle damage
@ Note
When driving on poo r roads, by cu rbs and on
s teep ramps, make su re t hat low-hang ing
compone nts such as the spo ile r and exha ust
system do not come into contact with these
or they could be damaged. This especially ap ­
plies to vehicles with low ground clearance
and veh icles that are heavily loaded.
Driving through water on roads
Note the following to reduce the r isk of vehicle
damage when driv ing through water, for example
on flooded roads :
- The water must not be any higher than the bot­
tom of the vehicle body .
74
-Do not drive faster than walking speed .
A WARNING
After driving through water or m ud, the effec­
tiveness of the brakes may be red uced due to
mo isture on the brake rotors and brake pads.
A few careful brake applications shou ld dry
off the brakes and restore the full braking ef­
fect .
@ Note
- Vehicle components such as the eng ine,
transmiss ion, suspens ion or electrical sys-
tem can be severely damaged by drivi ng
throug h water .
- Always switch the Start/Stop system* off
when driv ing through water¢ page 79.
(D Tips
-Determine the depth before driving throug h
water.
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or
switch t he engine off when driving through
water.
- Keep in mind that oncom ing vehicles may
create waves that raise the water level and
make it too deep fo r yo ur vehicle to drive
throug h safe ly.
- Avoid dr iv ing through salt water, beca use
this can cause corrosion .
Economical and environmentally-friendly
driving
The amou nt o f fuel consumption, the environ ­
mental impact and the wear to the engine,
brakes and tires depends mostly on your driving
sty le. With an ant icipatory and economic driving
style, fuel consumpt ion can be reduced by ap­
prox imately 10-15%. The fol low ing t ips will help
you conserve the environment and your money at the same time .
Anticipatory dri ving
A vehicle uses the most fuel when accelerating.
When you drive with anticipation, you do not
need to brake as often and so you acce lerate less .
When poss ible, let your vehicle coast with a gear .,.

Cl a:, ...... N
" N ...... 0
0
::r ' engaged, for example when you notice that t he
next traffic light is red . This produces an engine
b raking effect, wh ich he lps to protect the brakes
and tires and reduces the emissions and f uel con­
sumpt ion to zero (fuel shut-off dur ing decelera­
tion) .
Shift efficientl y
Upshifting earlier is an effective way to save fue l.
Staying in a gear too long uses fue l unnecessari­
ly .
Press down on the acce lerator peda l slowly and
avoid "kick -down".
Avoid full acceleration
You sho uld rare ly t rave l at the maxim um vehicle
speed. High speeds cause a d isp roportiona tely
hi gh increase in fuel consump tion, emissions and
traffic noise . Driving more slowly saves f uel.
Reduce idling time
The Start/Stop system* he lps to reduce the id ling
time automatically. In vehicles wi thout the Sta rt/
Stop system*, it is efficient to switch the engine
off when stopped at ra ilroad crossings and long
red lights . Stopping the engine for
30 -40 sec­
onds already saves more fuel than the amount of
extra fuel needed to restart the eng ine.
I t takes a very long time in idle to wa rm the en­
gine up to operating temperature . Wear and
emissions are especially high in the warm -up
phase. Therefore, you should begin driving im­
mediately after starting the engine. Avoid high
RPMs while do ing th is .
Have maintenance perf ormed regularly
By having maintenance performed regu larly on
your ve hicle, you can he lp to reduce fuel con ­
sumpt ion before you even start to drive. The
maintenance condition of your vehicle not only
affects traffic safety and long-term value but a l­
so impacts fuel consumption . A poorly main­
tained engine can lead to fuel consumpt ion that
i s
1 0% hi gher tha n normal.
Driving
Avoid short trips
T he eng ine and exh aust cleaning system mus t
r each their optima l operat ing temperatu re to ef ­
fectively reduce consumption and emissions.
A cold engine uses a d isp roportionately high
amoun t of fue l. The engine re ac h es operat ing
temperat ure and cons umption norma lizes on ly
after approximate ly 2.5 mi les (4 km) .
Check the tire pressure
To save fuel, ma ke sure the t ires are always i n­
flated to t he correct pressure~
page 340. The
fuel consumpt io n can increase by
5% if the pres ­
s u re is on ly
0 .5 bar too low. Due to the increased
rolling resistance, low tire pressures wi ll also
l ead to greater tire wear and will affect driving
behavior.
Do not drive on winter tires year -round, as this
will consume up to
10% more fuel.
Eliminate unnecessary weight
S ince eve ry po und of ext ra weight increases f uel
co nsump tion , a quick inspect io n of the luggage
compartment may be worth it to avoid unneces ­
sary weight .
When not be ing used , a roof rac k sho uld be re­
moved to decrease the w ind resis tance of the ve ­
hicle . This will save you approximately
12% fu el
at speeds from
62 -75 mph (100 -120 km/h) .
Save energy
The eng ine d rives the generator, which generates
electric ity; the fuel consumpt io n also increases
wi th the dema nd for e lec tric ity . T he refore, sw itch
electrical eq uipment off when you no longer
need it . Examples of eq uipment that uses a lot of
energy are air blowers at a high setting, the rear
window defogger and seat heating* .
@ Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after
starting. If warning lights sho uld come on to
i ndicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also produces
heat, which could resu lt in overheating or
other damage to the veh icle or other proper ­
ty .
75