2009 AUDI Q7 warning light

___ D_ r_i v_ in_... g"'- a_ n_ d_ e_ n_ v_i_r _ o _n_ m __ e_n _ t _______________________________________________ _
one half. Never drive faster than the posted speed limit and weather
conditions permit. •
Reducing unnecessary =citing
Even when your car is just idling it burns up fuel.
- Shut the eng ine off when you are not driving the vehicle .
- Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the engine run at
idle.
It makes sense to shut off the engine in traffic jams, when waiting
for trains to pass at rai lroad crossings , or at traffic lights that have
long waits on red. Turning the engine off for just 30 -40 seconds
saves more fuel than is burned starting the engine again .
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up fu lly when it is
running at idle. However, wear and noxious emissions are especially
high when the engine is warming up. So you should drive away as
soon as you start the engine and avoid running at high rpms while
the engine is still warming up.
0 Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after starting . If warning
lights should come on to indicate improper operation, they would
go unheeded. Extended idling also produces heat, which could result in overheating or other damage to the vehicle or other
property .•
Regu1ar ma1--.tenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel.
- Have your vehic le serviced at regular intervals . By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an authori
zed Audi
dea ler helps to ensure that it runs properly and economica lly. The
condition of your vehicle not only affects its safety and ability to
hold its value, it a lso affects
fu el con sumpti on.
C he ck your oil each time you fill your t ank .
The amount of oil used is related to engine load and speed.
It is norma l for the oil consumption of a new engine to reach its
lowest va lue after a certain mileage has been driven.
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 miles (5,000 kilometers) before you can properly assess oil consumption .
T his also applies to fuel consumption and engine output .
0 Note
• Have your vehicle maintained properly and in accordance with
the service recommendations in your Warranty
& Maintenance
booklet. Lack of proper ma intenance as well as improper use of the
vehic le wi ll impair the function of the emission control system and
cou ld lead to damage.
• Do not alter or remove any component of the Emiss ion Control
System unless approved by the manufacturer.
• Do not alter or remove any device, such as heat shields,
switches, ignition wires, valves, which are designed to protect your
vehicle 's Em ission Control System and other important vehicle
components .•
Fewer short tr ips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively high on short
trips.
- Try to avoid driving short dista nces wi th a cold engine. _,

llffl!I Driving off road __ _...,______;, _____________________________ _
Driving off road
Driving in difficult road conditions
and offroad
General information
The operat ion o f the Elect ronic Stab ilizat ion Prog ram ( ESP) is
e x panded for operation away from paved roads . In situations where
s lip o r a di fferential lockin g function is required, the ESP o ffroad
mode can be activated~
page 288. Hill descent contro l is also avai l­
able in the ESP off road m ode, w hich a utomat ical ly bra kes t he
vehicle and thereby keeps speed constant when different whee l
speeds are de tected whe n descend ing a hill ~
page 289 . You r Audi
a lso has permanent all -wheel drive in add ition .
Howeve r, your Audi is not a pure offroad vehicle . It was n ot bu ilt fo r
dr ivin g und er ex tre me cond itions, e.g . for tr ips t hat ar e in t he n atu re
of an expedition.
Drive only on roads and offroad sections which match the design of
your vehicle and your abilitie s as a driver . Never take r isks!
Before driving offr oad
• Check the engine oil level, tire pressure, coolant level, and the
fl uid level in t he windshie ld wash er r eservo ir.
• Stow luggage items and other objects in the luggage compart ­
ment, and secure the m aga inst sl iding around .
After driving offroad • After trips offroad, remove any twigs and other forei gn ob jects
from the gri ll, the underbody and the whee ls. Pay special attention
t o foreig n objects (stones) which have become lodged in t he tire
tread.
• Clean the body and the vehicle underside, and inspect the
veh ic le for possible damage. •
Clean dirty windows, headlamp lenses, rea r lights, and license
plates.
• Perform a bra ke check (particularly af ter travel ling through
wa ter).
& WARNING
• Drive especially attentively and plan ahead in difficult road
c onditions and when offroad . Excessive speed or in correct maneu ­
vers can cause injuries and damage to the vehicle.
• Alway s adapt your speed and d riv ing style to road , offroad,
traffic, and weather conditions. Drive especially slowly offroad
when your v iew is restri cted .
• Please be aware that in ESP offroad mode , particularly on a
smooth and slippery road , the wheels may have an in creased
tendency to spin and the vehicle may break away -danger of skid ­
ding !
• Stability is limited in the ESP offroad mode.
Avo id dam age to the envir onme nt an d respect na ture .
[ i ] Tips
On ly dr ive where it is perm itted and s tay on marked roads a nd
paths.
Explanation of some technical terms
T he fol lowing data refer to idea l conditions. Depending on vehic le
lo ad and g round cond itions and the environ ment, t he num ber s may ...

Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
Genera l information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger transpor­
ta tion.
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that the add itional load
wi ll affect durability, economy and performance.
Trai ler towing no t only places more s tress on the vehicle, it a lso ca lls
for more concentration from the driver.
F or this reaso n, always fol low the operating and driving instructions
prov ided and use common sense.
(D Note
If you are going to tow a tra iler, you must activate the trailer opera ­
tion mode =>
page 211, "Towing a trailer".
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a we ight-carry ing hitch conforming to the gross tra iler weig ht.
T he hitch must be suitable for your vehic le and trailer and must be
m ounted secure ly 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 trai ler hitch ma nufacturer to make sure that
you are using the correct hitch .
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be instal led in such a way that it does not in terfere
with the impact-absorbing bumper system. No modifications shou ld be made to the vehicle exhaust and b rake systems . Fro m
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Tr
aile r t owing
time to time, check that all hitch mounting bolts remain securely
fastened .
When you are not towing a trai ler, rem ove the t railer hi tch bal l
mount. This prevents the hitch from causing damage should your
vehicle be struck from behind =>
&.
Trailer bra kes
If your trai ler is equipped with a b raking system, check to be sure
that it conforms to all regulations.
The tra iler hydraul ic bra ke system must not be directly co nnecte d to
the veh icle's hydrau lic brake system=> &.
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle and the trailer.
Trail er lights
Trai ler lights must meet a ll regulations. Be sure to check with your
au thorized Audi dea ler for correct wiring, switches, an d relays.
Mirrors
If you are unab le to see the traff ic behind you using the regular
outside mirrors, then you
must instal l extended mirrors. It is impor ­
t ant that you
always have clear v isi on to the rear.
& WARNING
• If a trailer has electrical brake s please note that the se brakes
are not act ivated by the fa ctory-fitted control unit -ris k of acci­
dent!
• After removing the trailer hitch , do not store it in your vehicle.
In case of sudden braking , the hitch could fly forward and injure
you or your passengers .
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

pillar. On Canada vehicles, the tire pressure label is located either on
t he driver's side 8 -pillar or inside the fuel fil ler flap. Inflate trailer
tires to trailer and tire manufacturers' specifications.
L ight s
The head light settings should be checked with the trailer attached
before driving off . Check to make sure both vehicle and trai ler lights
are working properly.
Sa fety c hain s
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly connected from the trailer
to the hitch on the vehicle . Leave enough slack in the chains to
permit turning corners. When you insta ll safety chains, make sure
they will not drag on the road when you are driving .
The chains should cross under the tra iler tongue to prevent it from
dropping in case of separation from the hitch.
0 Note
If you are going to tow a traile r, you must activate the trailer opera ­
tion mode =>
page 211, "Towing a trailer" .
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra care and
consideration.
To obtain the best possible handling of vehicle and trailer,
please note the fo llow ing:
- Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car i tse lf is not
loaded .
- Be especia lly careful when passing other vehicles .
- Observe speed l imits.
- Do not drive at the maximum permiss ible speed .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Tr
aile r t owing
Always apply brakes early .
- Monitor the temperature gauge .
Weigh t dis tr ibution
Towing a loaded trailer wi th an empty car results in a highly
unstable dis tribution of weight . If this 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 vehicle should be loaded to the extent possible and permis ­
sib le, while keeping the trailer as light as possib le under the circum ­
stances . Whenever possible, transfer some cargo to the luggage
compartment of the tow vehicle whi le observing tongue load
requirements and vehicle loading considerations .
Speed
The higher th e speed, the more difficu lt it becomes for the driver to
control the rig . Do not drive at t he maximum pe rmissible speed.
Reduce your speed even more
if load, weather or wind conditions
a re unfavorable -particularly when going downhil l.
Reduce vehicle speed
i mmedi ate ly if the trailer shows the slightest
sign of swaying.
Do not tr y to s top the swaying by accelerating .
Observe speed limits . In some areas, speeds for vehicles towing
trailers are lower than for regular vehicles .
Always apply brakes early. When driving downhill, shift into a lower gear to use the engine braking effect to slow the vehicle. Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fa il.
Coo lant t emperatu re
The coolant temperature gauge=> page 13 must be obse rved care ­
ful ly. If the need le moves close to the upper end of the sca le , reduce
speed immediately and/or turn off the air conditioner .
If the coolant temperature warning light in the instrument cluster
starts f lashing
- f- , pul l off the road, stop and let the engine idle for
about two minutes t o prevent heat build -up.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

-~_C_ le_ a _ n_i_n ...::g ::....- a_ n_ d_,__ P_r _o _t _e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
Use a separate sponge for cleaning the wheels, door sills and other
regions exposed t o road dirt. In this way, you wil l n o t sc ratch the
paint with coarse particles imbedded in the sponge the next time
you wash the car.
& WARNING
• Do not clean the underside of the cha ssis, fender s, wheel
c overs , or other h ard to rea ch part s without prote cting your h and s
and ar ms. You ma y cut your self on sharp -edged met al part s.
• Alw ays re ad and heed all WARNINGS and other inform atio n
=> pa ge 312 .
0 Note
• Never try to remove d irt, mud or dus t if the surface of the vehicle
is dry. Never use a dry cloth o r sponge, since this cou ld scratch your
vehic le's paint or windows .
• Never wash your car in bright sunl ight. Drops of water act as
magnifying lenses and may damage your pain t.
• When you wash your car in the winter: if you rinse your vehic le
with a hose, be careful not to aim the stream of water directly at locks, or at door or hatch openings -they can freeze shut.
• Never use sponges designed to remove insects, or any k itchen
scouring sponges or similar products. They can damage your paint
fi nish.
• Never use a dry cloth or sponge to c lean the head lights. Only use
wet cloths or sponges to preven t scratches . It is best to use soapy
water .
In the interes t of the environmen t, the vehic le shou ld on ly be
washed in spec ia l wash bays .•
Washing your vehicle with a power washer
Cle aning the exterior of you r ca r with a high- pressure
power washer is safe as long as you observe a few simple rules .
-Before us ing the powe r washer, make su re you have read
and unders tood the WAR NINGS~
& in "General infor ­
mation" o n
page 312.
Always follow the operat ing instructions fo r th e power
washer.
Make sure t hat the jet o n th e sp ray hose p ro d uces a "fa n
sha ped sp ray".
D o
not hold t he spray n ozzle too close to s oft ma te rials .
When cleani ng the vehicle with a power washer always follow the
operating instructions . T his applies particularly to the operating
pressure and the spraying distance. Maintai n a sufficient distance
to soft materia ls such as rubber hoses and sound/vibration dead ­
ening materia ls (pa rt icularly on the underside of the engine hood).
Do not use a jet which sprays water in a direct stream or one that
has a rotating jet.
Water temperature shou ld not exceed 140 °F (60 °C).
& WARNING
Never wash tires with a jet that sp ray s water in a direct stream .
Thi s could cause invisible damage to th e tires and weaken them ,
even if the spray i s from a re lat ively long distan ce and for a short
time . Damaged and weakened t ires can f ail and cause accidents
and person al injury .
~

Cleaning and protection --------------------=-----------
•
0 Note
To avoid damaging your vehicle, always make sure that there is
sufficient distance between the spray head and soft materials like
rubber hoses, plastic parts and sound-deadening materials. Never
aim the spray head at the same point for a long time. This also
applies to cleaning headlights and painted bumpers. Remember:
the closer the nozzle is to the surface of the material, the greater the
stress on the material. •
Waxing
Wax protects the vehicle's paint.
- Use a manually applied car wax occasionally to protect
the paint .
A good wax coating protects the vehicle paint to a large extent
against the environmental factors listed under => page 312,
"Washing" and even against slight scratches.
You can use a liquid car wax to protect your paint as soon as one
week after your vehicle has been delivered.
Even if you regularly use a
waxing process in automatic car washes,
we recommend that you manually apply a coat of wax to give the
paint extra protection, particularly if water no longer beads on the
clean paint.
Protect plastic body parts with car wax in the same way as the
vehicle body.
During warm weather dead insects tend to collect on the front
bumper and on the forward area of the hood. They are much easier
to remove from paint that is waxed
often.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
:=> page 312.
0 Note
Do not use car wax on
• matte or anodized metal trim
• rubber or rubber-like trim. •
Polishing
Polishing restores the gloss to the paint.
Polish your vehicle only if the paint has lost its shine and the gloss
cannot be brought back with wax.
If the polish used does not contain preservative compounds, the
paint must be waxed afterwards=> page 375, "Waxing".
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=> page 312.
0 Note
Do not treat matte anodized metal trim, plastic or rubber parts with
polish or wax. •
Trim strips
Metal trim needs special care.
For environmental reasons, Audi fabricates the bright trim strips
and trim pieces from pure chromium -free aluminum. ._
Vehicle care I t •

___ C_ le_ a_n _i_n ~g_ a_ n_ d _~ p_r _o _t_e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
Dirt and marks on the trim strips should be removed with a pH­
b ala nc ed
cleaning agent {do not use a c hrome cleaner). Au thorized
Audi dealers carry c leaning products which have been tested for use
on your vehicle and are not harmfu l to the environment.
To avoid corrosion on the exterior trim strips, only a pH-balanced solution shou ld be used for the windshield washer .
& WARNING
Always re ad and heed all WARNINGS and other inform ation
~ p age31 2.•
Plastic and vinyl
Plastic needs special care.
Use a c lean , damp cloth or sponge to remove dust and light surface
dirt . For other soil, use a lukewarm all -purpose cleaning solution or
a mild saddle soap for viny l trim. Remove water spots and traces of
soap with a clean, damp cloth or sponge . Use a clean, soft cloth to
rub dry.
Grease, tar or oil stains can be removed with a clean cloth or sponge
soaked with all -purpose cleaner or w ith a solvent designed espe ­
cia lly to clean vinyl.
Occasionally apply a colorless vinyl or leather preservative to retain
the material's lus ter and pl iability.
& WARNING
Alw ays re ad and heed all W ARNIN GS and other infor mation
~ pag e 312 . •
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral -pH products to remove spots and deposits from
a luminum surfaces . Chrome care products and alka line cleaners
wi ll attack aluminum surfaces and can damage them over time .
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and oth er inform ation
~ page 312. •
Touch-up paint
Min or paint damages should be touched up immediately.
Use e ither a touch- up paint stick or spray pain t to cover
m inor scratches and n icks.
Your authorized Audi dealer has touch -up paint for minor scratches
and stone chips. Scratches should be touched up soon after they
occur to prevent corrosion.
If a spot starts to rust, however, a simple touch -up job will not be
enough . The affected surface must be sanded smooth and coated
with an anti -rust primer before the painted finish can be restored .
The number for the original vehicle paint can be found on the
vehic le identification labe l~
page 396.
& WARNING
Al way s read and heed all WARNINGS and oth er info rm ation
~ p ag e31 2.•

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[ i ] Tips
Keep si licone sprays off the windshie ld to avoid wiper smear in
rain. •
Cast (light) alloy wheels
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care.
-Wash the wheels with a sponge or hose brush every
o ther week.
- For deep clean ing afterwards, use only a dedicated acid­
free cast alloy whee l cleaner.
Rub a coat of liquid wax onto the rims every t hree month .
Be sure to reach and treat all parts of the rim.
To preserve the decorative appearance of the cast alloy wheels,
some special care is necessary. In add ition to road dirt and salt,
brake dust is also corrosive . If left on for too long, brake dust can
cause pitting.
Use on ly special
acid -free cleaners formu lated for a lloy rims . Safe
produc ts are available at your authorized Audi dealer. Never leave
the cleaner on the rims longer than specified on the label. If not rinsed off promptly, the acid contained in some cleaners can attack
the threads on the wheel bolts .
Never use abrasive or metal po lishing c leaning agents. If the protec ­
t ive coating has been chipped, e.g . by kicked up road dirt, touch it
up as soon as possible .
& WARNING
• Moisture a nd i ce on b rake s m ay affect brak ing effi cienc y
=> page 291 , "General information ". Te st the brake s carefully ea ch
t ime you wa sh the vehi cle .
& W ARN IN G (c ontinued )
• Always read and h eed all WARNINGS and other inform ation
=> p age 31 2. •
Body cavity sealing
The b ody cavity sealing does not need to b e checked.
All body cavities which could be affected by corrosion have been
thoroughly protected at the factory .
T his seal ing does not require any inspection or add it ional trea t­
ment. If any wax should seep out of the cavity wh en the ambient
t emperature is h igh, i t ca n be removed with a p lastic scrape r and a
suitable solvent.
& WARNING
S olvent s can be dangerous .
• Ben zine is flammable and toxic . If you use benz ine for re moving
the wax , keep sparks , flame and l ighted cigarettes away . Never
dump benzine on th e ground , into open streams or down sewage
dr ains.
• Be sure to ob serve all safety and environmental regulat ion s.
Follow all instru ctions on the cont ainer .
• Alway s r ead and heed all WARNINGS and other info rmation
=> page 312 . •
Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage from time to
time.
The lower body shell of your Audi is also thoroughly protected
against corrosion .