2010 AUDI Q7 warning light

Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information Your Audi was design ed primarily for passenger transpor ­
tation .
If you plan to tow a t rai ler, p lease rem emb er that the add itiona l load
wi ll affect durab ility, economy and performance.
T railer tow ing not on ly p laces mo re s tress on the vehicle, it a lso calls
for more concentrat ion from the driver.
For this reason, a lways follow the ope rating and dr iv ing instr uctions
prov ided and use common sense .
(D Note
If you are going to tow a t ra iler , you must ac tivate the tra ile r ope ra­
tion mode ::::;,
page 180, "Towing a trailer". •
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a we igh t-car rying hit ch confo rm ing to the g ross tra ile r weig ht.
The hitch must be suitable for your vehicle and tra iler and must be
mou nted secure ly o n th e veh icle's chassis a t a
te chnically sound loca­
tion. Use only a trailer hitch with a removab le ba ll mount. Always
check w ith the tra iler h itch manufacturer to ma ke sure tha t you are
using the correct hitch .
Do not use a bumper hitch .
The hitch must be i nstalled in such a way t hat i t does not interfe re
w ith the impact-absorbing bumper system. No mod ificat ions should
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
be made to the vehicle exhaust and b
rake systems. From time to
time, check that all hitc h mounting bo lts rema in securely fastened.
Whe n you are no t towing a trai ler, remove the trailer hi tch ba ll
mount. This prevents the hitch from caus ing damage should your
vehicle be s truck from behind::::;,& .
Trailer brakes
If your trailer i s eq uipped w ith a b raking system, che ck to be s ure that
it conforms to all regulat ions.
T he tra iler hyd raulic brake system must not be directly connected to
the vehi cle's hydraul ic brake system ::::;, & .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains betwee n your vehicle and t he tra iler .
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulat ions. Be sure to check w ith your
au thor ized A udi deale r for co rrect wi ring, switc hes, and re lays.
Mirrors
If you are unab le to see the traff ic beh ind you us ing t he regular
outside m irro rs, then you
must install extended mirro rs. It is impor­
t an t th at yo u
always have cle ar vision to the re a r.
& WARNING
• If a trailer has electrical brakes please note that these brakes
are not activated by the factory-fitted control unit -ri sk of acci ·
dent!
• Afte r 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

pressure label is located o n the dr iver's side B-pillar. Inflate trailer
t ires to tra ile r and t ire ma nufacturers' spec ifications.
Lights
T he headl ight settings shou ld be chec ked with the tr ailer attached
before driving off. Check to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are wo rking properly.
Safety chains
Be sure tra ile r safety cha ins are p roperly connected from the t rai ler
to the hitch on the vehicle. Leave enough slack in the chains to perm it
tu rning corners . When you install sa fe ty ch ains, ma ke sure they will
not drag on the road when you are driving.
T he chains should cross under the trai ler tongue to prevent it from
dropping in case of separation from the h itch .
0 Note
If you are goi ng to tow a trai ler , you must activate the trai ler opera­
tion mode =>
page 180, "Towing a trailer". •
Driving instructior,s
Driving with a trailer always requires e xtra care and
consideration.
To obtain the best possib le handling of ve hicle a nd trailer ,
please note the following :
- Do not tow a loaded trailer when your car itself is not
loaded.
- Be especia lly careful when pass ing other vehicles .
- Observe speed limi ts.
- Do not drive at the maximum pe rmissible speed.
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
- Always apply brakes early.
- Mo
nitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distri but ion
T owing a loaded trailer with an empty car results in a highly unstable
distribution of we ight . If t his 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 veh icle shou ld be loaded to the extent poss ible and permissib le,
wh ile keeping the tra ile r as lig ht as poss ible unde r the ci rc u mstances.
Whe never possible, transfer some cargo to the luggage compart ­
me nt o f the tow vehicle while observing tongue load requirements
and vehicle loading considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more d ifficult it becomes for the driver to
control the r ig . Do not dr ive at the maxim um permiss ible speed .
Reduce your speed eve n more if load, weather or w ind conditions are
unfavorable -particular ly when going downhill.
Reduce vehicle speed
immed iately if the tra ile r shows the slightest
sign of swaying.
Do not tr y to stop the s wayi ng by a ccele rating .
Observe speed lim its. In some areas, speeds for veh icles towing
trailers are lowe r than for regular veh icles .
Always apply brakes early. When driving downhi ll, shift into a lower
gear to use the engine brak ing effect to slow t he ve hicle . Use of the
brakes alone can cause them to overheat and fa il.
Coolant temperatur e
The coo lant temperature gauge=> page 10 must be observed care­
fu lly. If the needle moves close to the upper end of the sca le, reduce
speed immediately and/or turn off the air conditioner.
If the coo lant temperature warning light in the instrument clus ter
starts flash ing
- F- , pull off the road, stop and let the engine idle for
about two m inutes to prevent hea t buil d-up.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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Cleaning and protection
General information
Regular care preserves vehicl e val ue.
Any automobile is exposed to industria l fumes, co rrosive road salt,
m ud dy dog fee t, e tc. A well c ared for Audi can look like new many
years after p urchase . Regular and correct care will contribute to
m aint aining the bea uty and val ue of your Audi.
Furthermore, good care may be a condition for substantiating a
warranty claim should corrosion damage or paint defects occur.
Y ou r au thor ized Audi d eale r h as a var iety of dedicated vehicle-care
products
and can advise w hich ones to use for clea ning the exterior
a n d inter io r of your ve hicle.
W het her you use products recommended by Aud i or o ther comme r­
cia lly availab le cleaning agents , please ma ke sure yo u appl y them
co rrectly .
& WARNING
• Cleaning agents may be poisonous . Keep them out of the reach
of children.
• Heed all caution labels .
• Always read directions on the container before using any
product. Follow the directions carefully.
• Most chemical cleaners are concentrated and have to be
diluted .
• Use spot removing fluids only in well ventilated areas.
• Do not use gasoline, kero sene , diesel fuel , nail polish remover
or other volatile fluids . They may be toxic, flammable or
hazardous in other ways. Do not wash, wax or dry the vehicle with
the ignition on or the engine running.
& WARNING (co ntinued)
• Do not clean the under sides of chassi s, fenders , wheel covers,
etc. without protecting your hands and arms. You may cut your­
self on sharp-edged metal parts.
• Moisture and ice on brakes may impair braking efficiency
~ page 255, "General information ". Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle .
'£> For the sake of the environment
Select only envir onmenta lly fr iendly clea ning produc ts . Leftover
cleaning pro ducts sho uld not dis posed of i n the household waste .•
Care of exterior
Washing
F re qu ent w ashin g protec ts th e vehicl e.
T he best protection aga inst env ironmental influences is frequent
w ashi ng and w ax ing. How o ften t his is requ ired depen ds on:
• How m uch the vehicle is use d
• Whe re the ve hicle is parke d (gar age, in the o pen un der tr ees, e tc.)
• The seasona l and weather conditions
• E nviron mental influences
T he longer bi rd droppings , insects , tree resin, road and industria l
gr ime, t ar, soo t, road sa lt and o ther ma ter ia ls remain on the veh icle
body, the more lasti ng their destructive effects w ill be. H igh temper­
atu res cause d by ex pos ure to intense s unlight int ensify the co rrosive
effect, part icu larly when humid ity is high as we ll.
~

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Use a separate sponge for cleaning the w heels, door sills and ot her
reg ions exposed to road dirt. I n th is way, yo u w ill not scr atch the
paint w ith coarse part icles imbedded in the sponge the next t ime you
wash the car.
& WARNING
• Do not clean the under side of the chass is, fende rs, wheel
co ve rs, or other hard to reach parts without p rotecting your hands
and arm s. You m ay cut yourself on sharp -edged metal part s.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=;, page
274.
0 Note
• Never try to remove dirt, mud o r dust if the s urface of the vehicle
is dry . Never use a dry cloth or sponge, s ince this could scratch your
vehicle's paint or windows .
• Never was h your car in bright sunlight. Drops of water act as
m agnifying lenses and may dam age your p aint.
• When you wash yo ur car in the winter: if you rinse your vehicle w ith
a hose, be c are ful no t to aim the s tream of w ate r d ir ect ly at locks, or
at door or hatch openings - they can freeze shut.
• Never use s ponges des igned to remove inse cts, o r any ki tchen
sco uring sponges or similar prod ucts. They can damage your paint
fi ni sh .
• You shou ld remove debris (s uch as insects) from the head light
lenses o n a regu lar bas is, for examp le w hen refue ling your veh icle.
Never use a dry cloth or sponge to clean the headlights. On ly use wet
clot hs or sponges to preven t scr atches.
It is be st to use so apy water.
'00' For the sake of the environment
In the in terest of t he env ironme nt, the ve hicl e shoul d onl y be wa shed
in special wash bays. •
Washing your vehicle with a power washer
Cleaning the ex terior of your c ar with a high-pressure
po wer washer is safe as long as y ou obser ve a few sim ple
rules.
- Before using the power washer, make su re you have read
and unders tood the WA RNINGS=>
& in "General info r­
ma tion" on
page 2 74.
- Always fo llow t he operat ing inst ructions fo r the powe r
washer.
- Make sure t hat the jet o n the spray hose produces a "fa n
shaped spray".
- Do
not hold the spr ay nozz le too close t o soft ma ter ials .
When cle ani ng the vehicle wi th a p owe r w ashe r always follow the
operat ing instruct ions . T his applies part icu larly to the
operating
pressure
and the spraying distance. M ain tain a suffic ien t distan ce to
so ft mater ia ls such as rubber hoses and sound/vibration deaden ing
materials (particularly on the unde rside o f the engine hood). Do no t
use a jet wh ic h sprays water in a
direct stream or o ne that has a
rotating jet.
W ate r temperatu re s hou ld not ex ceed 140
°F (6 0 °().
& WARNING
Never wash tires with a jet that sprays water in a direct stream .
This could cause invisible damage to the tires and weaken them ,
even if the spray i s from a relatively long distance and for a short
time . Damaged and weakened tires can fail and c ause accidents
and personal injury .
~

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0 Note
T o avo id damaging your vehicle, a lways make sure that there i s suffi­
cient distance between the spray head and soft materia ls like r ubber
hoses, plastic part s and sound-de adening mate ria ls. Never aim the
spray head at the same point for a long time . This a lso applies to
cleaning headl ights and painted bumpers. Remembe r: the closer t he
nozzle is to the surface of the mater ia l, the greater the stress on the
mate rial. •
Wa xing
Wax protects the vehicle's paint.
- U se a manua lly applied car wax occas ionally to pro tect t he
pa int.
A good wax coat ing protects the vehicle paint to a la rge extent
agai nst the env ironmen ta l fa ctors liste d un der~
page 2 74,
"Washing" and even against slight scratches.
You can use a liquid car wax to protect yo ur paint as soon as one wee k
after your ve hicle has been delivered .
Even if you regula rly use a
wa xing process in automatic car washes,
we recomme nd that you m anually apply a co at of wax to give the
paint extra protection, part icularly if water no longer beads on t he
cl ean pa int .
Protec t plast ic body parts with car wax in t he same way as the vehicle
body .
Dur ing warm wea ther de ad insec ts te nd t o collec t on t he fron t
bumper and on the forward area of the hood. They a re much easier to
remove from p aint th at is waxed
often.
Safety first
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
:=> page 274 .
0 Note
Do not use car wax on
• matte o r anodized metal trim
• rub ber or rubbe r-like trim .•
Polishing
P olishing restores the gloss to the paint.
P olis h your ve hicl e only if t he pa int 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 277, "Waxing".
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
:=> page 274 .
0 Note
Do no t trea t matte a nodize d meta l trim, p lastic o r ru bber p arts wi th
polish or wax . •
Trim strips
fv1 etal tri m needs s pec ial care .
For env ironmental reasons, Aud i fabr icates the brig ht trim strips and
trim p ieces from pure chrom ium -free a lum inum. ._
Vehicle care Technical data

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Dirt and marks on the trim str ips should be removed with a pH­
balanced
cl eani ng agen t (d o no t use a chr ome cleaner). Au thori ze d
Audi dealers carry cleaning products w hich have bee n tested fo r use
on yo ur vehicle an d are not harmful to the environment.
T o avoid co rrosion on the exte rio r trim s trips, o nly a pH-b alanced
so lution should be used for the windshield washer.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~ page 274. •
Plastic and vinyl
Plastic nee ds special care.
Use a clean, damp cloth or s ponge to remove d ust and light surface
dirt . For other soil, use a lukewarm all-purpose cleaning solution or a
m ild saddle soap fo r viny l tr im . Remove water spots and traces o f
soap with a clean, damp cloth or sponge. Use a clean, soft cloth to rub
dry.
Grease , tar or oi l stains can be removed with a clean cloth o r sponge
soa ke d wi th all- pur pose cleaner or wi th a so lvent des igned especially
to clean v inyl.
Occas ionally app ly a colorless v inyl or leather p reservative to retain
t he m ateria l's luster and p liabili ty.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~ page 274. •
Aluminum trim
Use on ly neutral-pH products to remove spots and depos its from
alum inum su rfaces. Chro m e care produ cts an d alka line cle aners will
attack aluminum surfaces and ca n damage them over t ime .
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 274 . •
Touch-up paint
M inor paint damages should be touched up immedia tely.
- Use e ither a touch-up paint st ick o r spray p ain t to cover
minor scratches a nd nicks.
Your author ized A udi d ea le r has touch- up paint fo r minor scratches
and stone ch ips. Sc ra t ch es should be touched up soon afte r they
occur to preve nt corros ion .
If a s pot start s to ru st, however, a sim ple touch-up job will not be
enoug h. T he affected surface must be sanded smooth and coated
w it h an an ti- rus t pr ime r before the pai nte d finish can be restore d.
Th e number fo r the o rigina l veh icle pain t can be found o n the vehicle
ide ntificat io n label ~
page 360 .
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~ page 274 . •

-Cleaning and protection
-----=---=----------------------------------------
(I] Tips
Keep silicone sprays off the windshield to avo id wipe r smear in ra in. •
Cast (light) alloy wheels
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care.
- Wash the whee ls with a sponge or hose brush every o ther
wee k.
- For deep cleaning afterwards, use on ly a ded icated
acid­
free cast a lloy wheel c leaner .
- Rub a coat of
liquid wax onto the rim s every three m onth .
B e su re to re ach an d treat all part s o f the rim .
To preserve th e decorat ive ap pea rance of the cast a lloy whee ls, some
special care is necessary. In a ddition to road dirt and sa lt, brake dust
is a lso co rro sive . If left o n fo r to o long, brake dust ca n ca use pi tting.
Use only spec ial
acid -free clea ners formulated fo r a lloy r ims . Safe
pro duct s are available at your author iz ed Audi de aler. Neve r leave the
cleaner on t he rims longer than spec ified on t he label. If not rinsed
off promptly , the acid conta ined in some cleaners can attack t he
t hreads on the wheel bolts .
N ever use abrasive or metal po lish ing cleaning agents.
If the protec ­
t ive c oating ha s b een ch ipped, e.g. by k icked up ro ad dir t, touch it up
as soon as possible.
& WARNING
• Moisture and ice on brakes may affect braking efficiency
=> page 255, "General information ". Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=> page 274 . •
Body cavity sealing
Th e body c avity s ealing do es no t n eed to b e chec ked.
All body cavit ies which co uld be affected by cor rosion have been tho r­
ough ly pr ote ct ed at th e f actor y.
Thi s sea ling does no t req uire any in spect ion or addit ional t reat men t.
If any wax sho uld seep out of the cavity when t he ambient tempera ­
ture is high , it can be re m ov ed with a plastic sc rap er and a sui table
solvent.
& WARNING
Solvents can be dangerous.
• Benzine is flammable and toxic. If you use benzine for
removing the wax , keep sparks , flame and lighted cigarettes
away. Never dump benzine on the ground, into open streams or
down sewage drains.
• Be sure to observe all safety and environmental regulations.
Follow all instructions on the container.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other informat ion
:=> page 274 . •
Chassis
H av e t he und erc oat ing ch ecke d for damag e from tim e to
tim e.
Th e lower body sh ell of yo ur A udi is a lso thoro ughly prot ected against
corrosion.
Any d am age to th e u ndercoat ing cau sed by ro ad haz ards sho uld be
repaired promptly.
& WARNING
Too much undercoat ing in the wrong places can cause a fire .

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& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Do not apply additional underco ating or rustproofing on or
near th e exhaust manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic converter or
heat shields. While driv ing, the substance us ed for undercoating
could overheat and cause a fire .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
:::>page 274. •
Exhaust tail pipes
Road salt and other co rrosive materials w ill damage the mate rial in
t he exhaus t tai l pipes if they a re not cleaned regula rly. Do no t clean
t he ta il pipes wi th whee l cleaner, pain t po lish , chrome polish o r ot her
abras ive cleaners. C lean the ta il pipes w it h car care products that are
suitable for sta in less stee l.
Your authori zed Audi dealer can provide clean ing products that have
bee n teste d an d a pproved for your ve hicle.•
Care of interior
MMI display
- Clean th e MM I dis pla y w ith a so ft clean clot h and an LCD
cleane r.
T he MM I display ca n be cleaned with a professiona lly available "LCD
cl eaner". The cloth sho uld be sligh tly dampened with the cleaning
fluid to clean t he d isp lay.
0 Note
T o avoid scra tch ing the MMI display, you should never clean it dry .•
Safety first
MMI control console
- First clean t he MMI co ntrol console w it h a bru sh to
r e mov e dust from th e h ousin g.
- Then wi pe the MMI co ntrol co nsole w ith a clea n, soft,
slightly da mp c loth .
The MMI control conso le sho uld be clea ned with a brush first so that
no dirt is trapped betwee n the buttons and the ho usin g. We re com ­
mend g iv ing t he M MI co ntro l co nsole a final w ipe wi th a cloth mo ist­
ened w ith wate r and dish washing detergent .
0 Note
To prevent damage, make s ure that no fluid ever gets into the MMI
contr ol console. •
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral-pH products to remov e spo ts and deposits from
al uminum surfaces . Chrome care pro ducts and al ka line cleaners w ill
a tta ck al umi num su rfaces and c an damage them ove r time .
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=>page 274. •
Fabrics and fabric coverings
Fabrics and fabr ic coverings (e.g . seats , d oor trim p anels, et c.) s hou ld
be cleaned at regular interva ls with a vacuu m cleaner . T hi s removes
s u rface di rt part icles which co uld become embedded in the fabr ic _,,,
Vehicle care Technical data