2009 AUDI Q7 trailer

___________________________________________ ___:A~d~ a~p~t~iv~ e=-.:A~ir~ S~u~ s ~p~ e~n~ s~io~n ~_ffllll
Applies to vehicles : w it h towi ng h itch and Adapt ive Air Su spens io n
Towing a trailer
Automatic lowering is not desirable when towing a trailer.
Fig . 22 9 MMI D isplay:
T rai le r t ow ing mode
Swi tching th e trail er towing mode on and off
Press the (CARI function button. The main menu
Adaptive Air Su spension appears .
-Press the (SETUP I funct ion button. The menu Adaptiv e
Air Susp ension
appears~ fig. 229.
- Select
Trailer towing mod e on or off as req uired .
As long as towing mode is activated, a vehicle with a trailer appears
in the
Ad apti ve Air Sus pension main menu.
Le ve l Ad jus tm ent w hen t owing a tra ile r
• Before hitching up the trai ler a nd before adjusting the tongue
weight at the trai ler, the automatic or comfort mode
mu st be
selected so that the vehicle can be at normal level
=> page 208 ,
"MMI settings".
• If driving in dynamic mode is desired, this mode
mus t be
selected before hitching up the trailer and before adjusting the
tongue weight . However , note that your vehicle is lowered and
ground clearance is reduced.
Controls and equip ­
ment
• If you have to drive under difficult road conditions, you can
se lect offroad or lift mode, af ter hitching up the trai ler or after
adjusting the tongue weigh t.
• If the vehic le is at
normal level, and you select offroad mode
while trave ling a t speeds higher than 22 mph (35 km /h) , t he vehicle
wi ll not be raised . Offroad mode wi ll appear as the active mode in
the MMI Display .
• If the vehic le is in offroad mode at
high level 1 , it automatically
lowers to
normal level when the vehicle is trave ling a t speeds
exceeding approxima tely 31 mph (50 km/h). The vehicle is automat ­
ica lly raised to
high level 1 again when the t raveling speed falls
below approximate ly 25 mph (40 km/h).
R es tric tions when ope ra ti ng w ith a tra iler
When opera ting with a trailer, the lift mode can on ly be se lected up
to about 12 mph (20 km/h). Lift mode is au tomatica lly canceled
again when a speed of about 25 mph (40 km/h) is exceeded .
If the vehicle is in automatic, comfort, offroad or lift mode before
the trai ler towing mode is act iv a te d , the dynamic mod e cannot b e
activated.
If the vehicle is in dynamic mode before tow ing operation is acti­
vated, it can be driven in this mode. If the suspension is switched
from this mode to another mode , dynamic mode canno t be re­
selected .
[ i ] Tips
• For vehicles with a factory installed towing hitch or a trailer hitch
that was installed later acco rding to factory specificat ions , the
system recognizes "Trailer towing mode" and activates this special
mode automatically, as soon as the electrica l connection on the
trai le r sock et is connected. The mode c eases au tomat ica lly wh en
the electrical connection to the trailer socket is disconnected.
• I f the trailer tow ing mode has been activated, the vehicle w ill not
drop to the low or highway level. •
I • •

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

llffl!I Trailer towing
------=---------------------------------
& W ARN ING (continued )
• The Gros s Vehicle Weight Rating for your Audi 07 vehicle ,
found on the safety compliance l abel on the driver's side B -pillar ,
must never be ex ceeded under any cir cumstances . E xceeding the
Gross Vehi cle Weight Rating of your vehicle is likely to damage
your vehicle , and such damage w ill not be covered by your Limited
New Vehicle Warranty. Exceeding the Gro ss Vehicle Weight Rating
will also change the performan ce and handling characteristics of
your vehicle , which could cause a crash resulting in serious injury
or death .
• The Gros s Vehicle Weight Rating for your Audi 0 7 would be
e xc eeded if your veh icle is simultaneously equipped with
Panoramic sliding sunroof ; third -row seating ; trailer towing equip ­
ment (factory or dealer -installed) , and running boards (dealer ­
installedl. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES MAY ALL SUCH ITEMS BE
INSTALLED ON THE SAME VEHICLE .
a
Operating instructions
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MAX 6.9"
MAX 175mm
Trailer towing weights
Fi g. 2 76 P erm itted ball
po sition of the trailer
hitch
With a factory-installed trai ler hitch, the maximum permissible
trai ler weight is 6,615 lbs (3,000 kg). The maximum permissible
unbraked trailer weight is 1,650 lbs (750 kgl. With an
aftermarket
tr ailer h itch , the maxi mum pe rm iss ib le tra iler weigh t is 5,51 2 lb s (2,500
kg). These specifications apply when driv ing on roads having
an in cli ne of less t han 12% .
Permissible tongue load
Fo r best v ehicle ha ndling under th es e changed con ditio ns, a dju st
the trai ler load so that the tongue load is at the maximum allowable
or s lightly lower. Y ou ca n ge t an ap proxi mati on of the tong ue load
with a bathroom sca le or you can measure the load at a trucking
company or weig hing s tati on.
Wtih a
factory -installed trailer hi tch, the max imum perm issib le load
on the ball hitch may not exceed 66 2 lbs (300 kg) . With an
after­
market
t ra iler hitc h, the max imum pe rmi ssible loa d on the ball h itch
may not exceed 55 1 lbs (250 kg). It is recommended to use the
m aximum p ermi ssi ble l oad.
Trailer load distribution B e sure the load in the trai ler is he ld securel y in place to prevent it
from shifting forward, backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer=> & in "D riving ins truc­
tions" on page 307.
Ball mount
T he trai ler hitch may only be used with suitab le ball mount and ball
=> fig. 276 . In sta llati on of t he hitch ball must be ca rr ie d o ut i n a ccor ­
dance with the manufacturer's instructions. At the height dimen­
s io n of 1 .5 in (38 .5 mm) a tole ran ce o f+/- 0 .5 in (12 .7 mm) is pe rmis ­
sib le.
Engine cooling system
T owing a trai ler makes the engine work harder. It is important that
th e c ooli ng system 's per forman ce is u p to the a ddi tiona l loa d. Ma ke
sure that the coo ling s ystem has enough f luid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your vehic le to the cold tire
p re ssure l is ted unde r "Full load" on th e tire press ure l abe l. On USA
vehic les, the tire pressure label is located on the driver's side 8 -

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

ll'I __ T_ r _a_ il_e _r_ t_ o_ vv_ in__... g,_ __________________________________________________ _
& WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving vehicle is at a much
greater risk
in an accident. Never let anyone ride in your car who
is not properly wearing the restraints provided by Audi .
c:
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when towing a trailer because of
the additional weight and different weight distribution. Safety,
performance and economy will greatly depend on how carefully you
load your trailer and operate your rig.
Before you actually tow your trailer, practice turning, stopping and
backing up in an area away from traffic. Keep practicing until you
have become completely familiar with the way your vehicle -trailer
combination behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice. Backing up with a
trailer generally requires steering action opposite to that when
backing up your vehicle without a trailer.
Maintain a greater distance between your vehicle and the one in
front of you. You will need more room to stop. To compensate for
the trailer, you will need a larger than normal turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot accelerate as fast as you normally would because of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass. After passing, allow plenty of room for your
trailer before changing lanes again.
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane changes.
[ i] Tips
• Do not tow a trailer during the break-in period of your vehicle. • If you tow
a trailer, your Audi may require more frequent mainte­
nance due to the extra load~
page 401. •
Parking on a s1ope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot be
avoided , do so only after doing the following:
When parking:
-Apply the foot brake.
- Have someone place chocks under both the vehicle and
the trailer wheels.
- With chocks in place, slowly release the brakes until the
wheel chocks absorb the load.
- Turn the wheels towards the curb.
- Apply the parking brake.
- Move the selector lever to
P.
When restarting after parking:
- Apply the foot brake.
- Start the engine.
- Move the selector lever to
D.
-Release the parking brake and slowly pull out and away
from the wheel chocks.
- Stop and have someone retrieve the wheel chocks.
[ i] Tips
I f you move the selector lever of the automatic transmission to P
before applying the parking brake and before blocking the wheels, II-

you may have to use more force later to move the lever out of the P
position .•
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Trailer towing
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service
Technical data

Tires a nd wh eels -
----------------
•
Because technical changes may be made to vehicle equipment
during the mode l year, always compa re the tire size designation on
the tire pressure label on your vehic le with the tires on your vehicle.
Make sure that the tire size information on the vehicle labe l is the
same as the size of the tires on the vehicle . This is especially impor­
tant if the vehicle belongs to someone else or you bought the
veh ic le with different rims/tires or you bought the vehicle as a previ ­
ously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your passengers also depends
on making sure that load limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load
includes everybody and everything in and on the vehicle . These load
limits are technically referred to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating ("GVWR"l. The Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR"l is
the maximum load that can be applied at each o f the vehicle's two
ax les . The Gross Vehic le Weight Rating and the Gross Ax le Weight
Rating are l isted on the safety compl iance sticker labe l located
either on the driver's side 8 -pillar or on the inside of the fuel fi ller
flap. The ti re pressure labe l on your Audi lists the maximum
combined we ight of a ll of the occupants and luggage or other cargo
t hat the vehic le can carry. For the location of the tire pressure la bel
=>
page 357, fig . 291.
& WARNING
O verload ing a vehi cle can c ause loss of vehi cle co ntrol , a cra sh or
other a ccid ent , s eriou s per sonal injury , and even death.
• Carrying more weight than your vehicle wa s de signed to carry
w ill p revent the vehicle from h andling properly and incre ase the
ri sk of a l oss of vehi cle control .
• The brake s on a vehicle that ha s been o verloaded m ay not be
a ble to stop the vehicle with in a safe distance .
• Tires on a v ehi cle that ha s been o verlo aded can fail suddenl y
c au sin g loss o f control a nd a cra sh .
• Alwa ys ma ke sure that the total l oad being tr ansp o rted -
including th e wei ght of a trailer hit ch and the tongu e weight of a
& W AR N IN G (c ontinued )
loaded trailer -does not m ake the vehi cle heavier than the
v ehicle' s Gro ss Vehicle W eight Rating.
& WARNING
• Incor re ct t ire pre ssures a nd/o r underi nfl ation can le ad to a
s erious or fatal a ccident.
• Incorre ct t ire pre ssure s and/or u nderinfla tion ca use in crea sed
tire w ear and can affect th e handling of the vehicle.
• Incorre ct t ire p ressu res and /or underinfl ation c an als o lead to
s udden tire failure , including a blowout and sudden deflation ,
c au sin g lo ss of vehi cle co ntr ol. •
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires originally installed
o n your vehicle is listed on the tire pressure label located
either on driver's side 8 -pil/ar or inside the fuel filler flap .
The recommended tire pressures are on the tire pressure label and
in the table=>
page 351, "Cold tire inflation pressure" .This means
that the pressure must be checked and adjusted when the tire has
not been driven for more than a couple of mi les (kilomete rs} at low
speeds during the previous three hours. Air in the tires expands
when the tire heats up as a result of internal fric tion as i t flexes in
use. The tire pressure is higher when the tire has warmed up than
when it is "cold ."
It is the inflation pressure in a "cold" tire that counts. Therefore, you
should never let air out of a warm tire to match "Co ld tire inflation
pressure" recommendations=>
page 351 . The tires wou ld then be
underinflated and could fail suddenly.
The tire pressure label on your Audi lists the recomme nded cold tire
inflation pressures at maximum capacity for the new, origina l equip -.,.
Vehicle care I t •

Tires and wheels -_____________ .:.....::...=..____:__:_:_:_=-=----
•
& WARNING (continu ed )
• Incorrect tire pressure and /or under inflation can cause
in creased tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability .
• Incorrect t ire pressures and /o r underinflat ion can also lead to
sudden tire failure, including a blowout and sudden deflation,
causing lo ss of vehicle control .
• The driver is respon sible for the correct tire pressures for all
tires on the vehicle. The applicable pre ssure values are located on
a sticker on the driver 's side 8-pillar or on the inside of the fuel
filler flap .
• Only when all tires on the vehicle are filled to the correct pres ­
sure , the tire pressure monitoring sy stem can work correctly .
• The use of incorrect tire pressure values can lead to accidents
or other damage . Therefore it is essential that the driver observe
the specified tire pressure value s for the tires and the correct pres ­
sures for the function of the tire pressure monitoring system.
• Always inflate tires to the re commended and correct tire pres ­
sure before driving off .
• Driving with underinflated tires bend more , letting them get
too hot resulting in tread separation , sudden tire failure and loss
of control.
• Ex cessive speed and /overloading can cause heat build-up ,
s udden tire failure and lo ss of control .
• If the tire pres sure is too low or too high , the t ires will wear
prematurely and the vehicle will not handle well .
• If the tire is not flat and you do not have to change a wheel
immediately , drive at reduced speed to the nearest service station
to check the t ire pressure and add air as required.
0 Note
Dr iving wi thout valve stem caps ca n cause damage to t he tire
valves. To prevent this, always make sure that factory instal led va lve
stem caps o n all wheels are sec urely mou nted on the va lve .
c£> For the sake of the environment
Underi nflate d tir es w ill a lso inc rease the fue l consu mptio n.•
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are li m its to the a mou nt o f load or weig ht th at any ve hic le and
any tire can carry . A vehicle that is overloaded wil l not handle wel l
and is more diff icu lt to stop . Overload ing ca n no t only lead to loss
of vehic le control, but can also damage important parts of the
ve hicle a nd can lead to sud den tire failu re, i nclu di ng a bl owou t and
sudden deflat ion that can cause the vehic le to crash.
Your safety an d that of your passengers also depends on ma kin g
su re tha t load l imits are not exceeded . Vehicle load includes eve ry ­
body and everything in and on the vehic le. These load limits are
t echnica lly re ferred to as the ve hicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR"l.
The "GVWR" in clu de s th e we ig ht of t he basi c ve hicle, all fac tory
insta lled accessories, a ful l tank of fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids
plus m aximu m load. The maxi mum l oad inc lude s the n umber of
passen gers that the vehicle is intended to carry !"seating capacity")
with an assumed weight of 150 lbs (68 kg) fo r each passenger at a
designated seating position and the total weight of any lugga ge in
the vehicle. If you tow a trailer, the weight of the trailer hitch and the
to ngue we ig ht of th e loaded tra iler must b e included as par t of th e
vehic le load.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is the m aximum loa d th at
can be applied at each of the vehicle's two ax les. _,,,
Vehicle care I t •