2009 AUDI Q7 service indicator

Driver information display
Introduction
General notes
The driver information display inside the instrument
cluster provides you, the driver, with much useful infor­
mation.
F ig. 8 Inst rume nt
c luster: ce nte r display
Information from the Driver Information System is shown in the
display in the center of the instrument cluster.
When you turn on the ignition and whi le you are driving, some func ­
tions and vehicle components are scanned for their operating status . Malfunctions or required service procedures are signa lled
audibly and shown by red and yellow lighted symbols and
reminders to the driver in the display .
The driver is also shown information about radio and CD operation and directions for the navigation system . You can find additional
information on these subjects in the MMI manual.
The Driver Information System provides the following functions:
Con tro ls and eq uip­
ment
Dri ver inf orm atio n di spl ay
Sound system display ~ page26
Outside air temperature ~ page26
Digital speedometer ~ page27
Door open indicator ~ page27
Defective light bulb ~ page27
Service interval display ~ page28
Auto Check system ~ page30
Driver informat ion ~ page30
Speed limiter ~ page29
Trip computer ~ page40
Adaptive Air Suspension* ~ page209
Tire pressure monitoring ~ page42
Selector lever position
~ page 185
[ i ] Tip s
In the event of a malfunction either a red or yellow icon appears in
the display. Red symbols indicate
D ange r~ page 31. Ye llow
symbols indicate a
Warning~ page 35. •
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

& WARNING (continued)
vehicle control and an accident. Have your vehicle repaired imme­diately by your authorized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop.
Drive slowly and avoid sudden, hard brake applications. •
Engine cooling system malfunction -L
A mo/function in the engine cooling system must be
repaired as soon as possible.
When the _ t symbol in the display blinks, then either the
engine coolant temperature is too high, or the coolant level
is too low. An additional driver message can also be
displayed by pressing the [ CHECK] button:
Switch off engine and check coolant level
- Pull off the road .
- Stop the vehicle.
- Turn off the engine.
- Check coolant level => page 338.
- Add coolant if necessary => page 339.
- Continue driving only after the engine coolant
warning/indicator light goes out.
- Contact your authorized Audi dealer for assistance if
necessary.
If the engine coolant level is correct, then the radiator fan may be
the cause of the malfunction.
If the O warning symbol (alternator malfunction) also lights up on
the instrument panel~
page 32, then the fan belt may be damaged .
Controls and equip ­
ment
Driver information display
& WARNING
• If your vehicle should break down for mechanical or other
reasons, park at a safe distance from moving traffic, turn off the
engine and turn on the hazard warning lights
~ page 76, "Emer­
gency flasher
A".
• Never open the hood if you see or hear steam or coolant
escaping from the engine compartment -you risk being scalded.
Wait until you can no longer see or hear steam or coolant
escaping.
• The engine compartment of any vehicle is a dangerous area.
Before you perform any work in the engine compartment, turn of
the engine and allow it to cool. Follow the warning stickers
~ page 324, "Engine compartment".
0 Note
Do not continue driving if the _f_ symbol illuminates. There is a
malfunction in the engine cooling system -you could damage your
engine. •
Engine oil pressure malfunction "l::;r.
The red engine oil pressure warning symbol requires
immediate service or repair. Driving with a low-oil -pres­
sure indication is likely to inflict severe damage to the
engine.
If the 'l::::11 symbol appears in the display and blinks, the oil
pressure is too low. An additional driver message can also
be displayed by pressing the [CHECK] button:
Switch off engine and check oil level
Immediate actions
- Pull off the road.
I • •

Driver information display
-Stop the vehicle.
- Turn off the engine .
-Check the engine oil level with the dipstick=:, page 335.
Dipstick readings checks too low
-Top off oil to the proper level =:, page 336.
-Make sure that the oil pressure warning symbol "t=7':
appears no longer in the display before you start driving
again.
Dipstick reading checks OK
If the oil pressure warning symbol "t=7': starts flashing
again even though the engine oil level checks OK on the
dipstick,
do not continue driving and do not let the
engine run in idle.
Instead, contact your authorized Audi
dealer for assistance .
[ i] Tips
• The engine oil pressure symbol ~ is not an indicator for a low
engine oil level. Do not rely on it . Instead, check the oil level in your
engine at regular intervals, preferably each time you refuel, and
always before going on a long trip .
• The yellow oil level warning indication requires oil refill or
workshop service without delay . Do not wait until the red oil pres­
sure warning
~ starts to flash before you respond to the low oil
level warning _ . By then, your engine may already have suffered
serious damage. •
Steering malfunction i
If there is a malfunction in the electronic steering column
lock, the steering cannot be unlocked.
If the i symbol in the display blinks, there is a malfunction
i n the electronic steering column lock. An additional dr iver
message can also be displayed by pressing the
I CHECK]
button:
Do not drive vehicle: Steering defective
-Contact your nearest authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop .
- Do
not tow your vehicle.
& WARNING
Your vehicle must not be towed in the event of a malfunction in the
electronic steering column lock because it cannot be steered due
to the locked steering .
If it is towed with the steering locked, there
is the risk of an accident. •
Ignition lock malfunction ~
A malfunction in the ignition lock must be repaired imme ­
diately.
If the .Pe symbol in the display blinks, there is a malfunction
in the electronic ignition lock. An additional driver message
can also be displayed by pressing the
(CHECK] button:
Ignition lock defective. Contact workshop!
-Do not turn the eng ine off.
- Drive immediately to an authorized Audi dealer to have
the malfunction corrected.
~

possible that an airbag will not deploy at a seating position where
the safety belt is being used but will inflate at the position where the
safety belt is not being used . It is important that nothing interfere
with the safety belt buckles so that the sensors can send the correct
information about safety belt use to the electronic control unit .
& WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension including use of unapproved
tire -rim combinations can change Advanced Airbag performance
and increase the risk of serious personal injury in a crash.
• Never install suspension components that do not have the
same performance characteristics as the components originally
installed on your vehicle.
• Never use tire-rim combinations that have not been approved
by Audi.
& WARNING
Items stored between the safety belt buckle and the center
console can cause the sensors in the buckle to send the wrong
information to the electronic control module and prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from working properly.
• Always make sure that nothing can interfere with the safety
belt buckles and that they are not obstructed.
Undeployed airbag modu les and pretensioners might be classified
as Perchlorate Material -special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc .ca.gov/ha zardouswaste/perchlorat e. When the vehicle or
parts of the restraint system including airbag modules and safety
belts with pretensioners are scrapped, all applicable laws and regu­
lations must be observed. Your authorized Audi dealer is familiar
with these requiremen ts and we recommend that you have your
dealer perform this service for you.•
Safety first
Side airbags
Description of side airbags Airbag
system
The airbag system
can provide supplemental protection
to properly restrained occupants.
Fig . 254 Side airbag
location in the driver's
sea t
The side airbags are located in the sides of the front seat backrests
~ fig. 254 and the rear backrest * facing the doors . They are identi ­
fied by the word "AIRBAG" .
The side airbag system basically consists of:
• the electronic control module and external side i mpact sensors
• the two side airbags located in the sides of the front backrests
• two rear side airbags (as an ordered
option)
• the airbag warning light in the instrument cluster.
The airbag system is mon itored e lectronica lly to make certain that
it is functioning prop erly at all times. Each time you turn on the igni ­
tion, the airbag system indicator light will come on for a few
seconds (se lf diagnostics) .
The side airbag system supplements the safety belts and can help
to reduce the risk of injury to the driver's , front and rea r*
passenger's upper torso on the side of the vehicle that is struck in a
s ide collision . The airbag dep loys on ly in side impacts and only
when the vehicle acceleration registered by the control unit is high
~
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from
"XXX" kilo­
grams or
"XXX" pounds shown on the
sticker=>
page 351, fig. 291.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if the
"XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will
be five 150 lbs. passengers in your
vehicle, the amount of available cargo and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs. (1400-750 (5
X 150) = 650 lbs.)
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely exceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult this manual to determine how this reduces the avail­
able cargo and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
Tires and wheels -
-Check the tire sidewall (=> page 359,
fig. 295) to determine the designated
load rating for a specific ti re. •
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of different things
including proper installation and balancing, correct tire
pressure and driving style.
--
~-----------~
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
Fig. 293 Tire tread:
tread wear indicators
(TWI)
Fig. 294 Rotating tires
for more even wear
The original tires on your vehicle have 1 /16 inch (1.6 mm) high "wear
indicators" => fig. 293 running across the tread. Depending on the ._
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
make, there will be six to eight of them evenly placed around the
tire. Marks on the tire sidewall (for example "TWI" or other symbols)
indicate the positions of the tread wear indicators. Worn tires must
be replaced. Different figures may apply in other countries=>& .
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premature wear and can cause
sudden tire blow-out. For this reason, tire pressure must be checked
at least once a month =>
page 353.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves, heavy acceleration and hard braking
increase tire wear.
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your vehicle to have the same service life, we
recommend that the front and rear tires are rotated according to the
tire manufacturer's suggested tire rotation intervals. Please
remember the following:
• Tire rotation intervals may differ from the vehicle service inter­
vals outlined in your Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
• The longer one tire is used in one location on the vehicle , the
more it wears at certain points; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufacturer's suggested tire rotation intervals .
• Vehicles with front-wheel drive experience more tread wear on
the front wheels compared to all-wheel drive (quattro ®l.
• Please rotate tires as shown =>
page 357, fig. 294.
• Extra care must be taken when rotating direction-specific tires
=>
page 379.
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced. However, various situa­
tions during everyday driving can cause them to become unbal ­
anced, resulting in vibrations you can usually feel through the
steering wheel. Unbalanced
wheels must be rebalanced to avoid excessive wear on
steering, suspension and tires. A wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can cause excessive tire wear , impairing
the safety of the vehicle. If tires show excessive wear, have the
wheel alignment checked by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop.
All Wheel Drive
Vehicles with quattro® must always have tires of the same size,
construction and tread type. For details see=>
page 294.
& 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 indicators.
• Worn tires are a safety hazard, 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 history." Old used tires may have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control. •

__________________________________________________ T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ _
•
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN) and tire
manufacture date
This is the tire's "serial number". It begins with the letters "DOT"
and indicates that the tire meets all federal standards . The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it was manufactured,
and the last four numbers represent the week and year of manufac ­
ture . For example, the numbers 2208 mean that the tire was
produced in the 22th week of 2008. The other numbers are
marketing codes that may or may not be used by the tire manufac­
turer. This information is used to contact consumers if a tire defect
requires a recall.
Tire ply composition and materials used
The number of plies indicates the number of layers of rubber-coated
fabric in the tire. In general, the greater the number of plies, the
more weight a tire can support. Tire manufacturers also must indi­
cate the materials in the tire, which include steel, nylon, polyester,
and others.
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates the maximum load in kilograms and pounds
that can be carried by the tire.
Tire quality grading for treadwear, traction, and
temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and temperature grades~ page 363.
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
This number is the greatest amount of air pressure that should ever
be put in the tire under normal driving conditions.
Replacing tires or rims on vehicles equipped with tire
pressure monitoring system
The wheels on your vehicle are equipped with a sensor which
constantly monitors the air pressure inside the tire, and then trans ­
mits this information to the tire pressure monitoring system. If you
are going to replace the wheel rims on your vehicle, make sure the new rims also have these sensors
. The sensors must be compatible
with the tire pressure monitoring system on your vehicle.
If you install rims, which do not have the sensors, or have sensors
which are not compatible, then the tire pressure monitoring system
will not work properly. In this case, the tire pressure monitoring
system would not be able to monitor the tire pressure or warn you
if it is necessary.
• The battery inside of the tire pressure sensor has a limited
service life.
• Always drive with the valve stem caps securely mounted. We
recommend using factory installed valve stem caps. Ask your autho­
rized Audi dealer to replace lost valve stem caps .
The installation of replacement tires with steel cord body plies in
the tire sidewall may cause malfunction of the tire pressure moni­
toring system, and is not recommended (cord material information
in molded on the tire sidewall).
Always check your tire pressure monitoring system indicator after replacing one or more tires on your vehicle. If the tire pressure
monitoring system indicator flashes, or is on, your system is not
working properly. Your replacement tire might be incompatible with
your tire pressure monitoring system, or some component of the
tire pressure monitoring system may be damaged.
& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/ or wheels or improper
tire and wheel combinations can lead to loss of control, collision and serious personal injury.
• Always use tires, rims and wheel bolts that meet the specifica­
tions of original factory-installed tires or other combinations that
have been specifically approved by the vehicle manufacturer .
• 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 . .,.
Vehicle care
I t •

______________________________________________ A_ l_,_ p _h_ a_ b_e _t_ic _ a _ l _in _ d_e _ x __ lll
Important things to know . ... .. .... 241
Indi cator light ...... .. .... ... ..... 252
Monitoring ... .... .... ..... .. .... 252
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light ... .. 253
Repairs .. .... .... .... ... .... .... 255
Safety instructions ... .... ..... .. . 254
Side airbags ... .. .... .... ...... .. 257
Side curtain airbags ... .. .... .... . 260
Weight -sensing mat .... ........ .. 264
When must the system be inspected? ..
252
All Wheel Drive .. .... ....... ...... .. 294
Alloy wheels ... .. .... .... ..... .. .... 318
All-whee l drive
Winter tires .... .. .... ...... ... .. . 363
Alternator Malfunction . .... .... ........ ..... 32
Anti-freeze
See Engine coo lant system .. ...... . 337
Anti-glare inside day-night mirror .... 86, 87
Anti -lock brake system
How the ABS system works . .... ... 292
Warning/indicator lights .. .... .... .. 22
Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR)
How the system works ........ .... 290
Anti-theft systems
Anti-theft alarm system ... ......... 63
Elec tronic immobilizer .. ... .... .... 51
Approach/departure angle ............ 302
Ashtray Front .. .... ... .. .... .... ...... .. 116
R ear .... ... .. .... .... ........... 116
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first
ASR
How the Anti-Slip Regulation System
works ...... ............. ...... 290
Asterisk What does it mean when something is
marked with an asterisk? .. ....... .. 6
Audi braking guard ....... .... ... .... 168
Error messages ....... .... ... .... 170
Settings ........... ... .... .... ... 169
Status messages .......... .... ... 170
Switching on and off .. .... .... .... 169
Audi Service Repair Manuals and Literature
401
AUTO mode AC climate contro ls ..... ...... .... 126
Auto Safety Hotline ..... ... ... .. .... . 229
Auto -Check Control ...... ..... ... .... . 30
Automatic belt retractor ... .. .... .... . 235
Automatic car wash
See Washing ............... .... .. 313
Au tomatic mode
Four -zone automatic comfort air
conditioning .... ...... ...... ... 132
Automatic Shif t Lock (ASU ...... ... ... 186
Automatic transmission
6 -speed automatic transmission .... 184
Automatic Shift Lock (ASU ...... .. . 186
Driving ...... ....... ...... .... ... 1 84
Dynamic shift program .... ........ 187
Emergency release for selector lever 189
F ail-safe mode ...... ... .. .... ... . 189
Ignition key safety lock ..... .. .... . 143 Manua
l sh ift program .. .. ....... .. 188
Selector lever .................... 185
Shift buttons ...... .... .... ...... . 189
Steering wheel with tiptronic® ..... 189
Average speed ....................... 40
Avo id damaging the vehicle ... .... .... 299
B
Background lighting
Lighting profiles . ......... ......... 79
Bass box ........... ... .. .... ...... . 371
Battery ...... .... ... .... .... .... ... 342
Battery location .......... .... .... 343
Charging ........................ 344
Important warnings when working on the
battery ...... ....... .... ...... . 343
Jump starting ................ .... 387
Low ...... ........... ....... .. .. 295
Replacing the battery ............ . 346
State of charge ................... 295
Voltage ........... ...... .... .... . 36
Winter operation ............ ... .. 342
Working on the battery ... ....... .. 343
Before driving ... .... .... ...... .... . 221
Blended gasoline .................... 325
Body cavity sealing .. .... .... .... ... . 318
Booster seats ...... ... .. .... .... .... 271
How do I properly insta ll a booster seat in
my vehic le? . .... .... .... ... .... 271
Safety instructions .... .......... .. 271
Brake assistant .......... .... .... ... 293
K ick -down .... .... ...... ...... ... 187 Brake booster ....................... 292
Vehicle operation Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data