2010 AUDI Q7 warning

Tether anchors and tether straps
Fig. 216 Tether
anc hors fo r second row
of seats: attachment
h ook location s
Fig . 217 T ether
anch ors for third row
of seats: a tt ac hment
h ook location s
The tether anchors for the three rea r seating positions i n the s econd
row of seats are located u nderneath the seats in the back~ fig. 216.
For vehicles wi th t hir d row seating *, th e tet her anchors for the two
seating pos it io ns in th e third row of seats are stored un derneath a
p lastic co ve r cap in th e floor~ fig. 217 .
A tethe r is a straight o r V-shaped strap that attaches the top part of
a child restra int to special anch o rage points in t he vehicle .
Th e purpose of the te the r is to reduc e the fo rwa rd movemen t of t he
child rest raint in a cras h, in order to help reduce the risk of head injury
th at could be c au se d by striki ng the ve hicle in ter ior.
Forward facing child restraints man ufactured after September 1,
1 99 9, ar e re quir ed b y U.S. feder al regulat ions to co mply wi th new
Safety first Vehicle OP-eration
Child Safety
child head movem ent performance requ ireme nts . These new per for ­
ma nce re quiremen ts mak e a t eth er nece ssary on m ost new child
sa fety s eats .
& WARNING
Improper installation of child restraints will increase the risk of
injury and death in a crash.
• Always follow the instructions provided by the manufactu rer
of the child restraint you intend to install in your Audi.
• Improper use of child restraint anchors (including tether
anchors) can lead to injury in a collision . The anchors are designed
to withstand only those loads imposed by correctly fitted child
restraints.
• Never mount two child restraint systems on one LATCH lower
anchor point.
• Never attach two child restraint systems to one tether strap or
tether anchorage .
• Never attach a tether strap to a tie-down hook
in the luggage
compartment.
• Never use child restraint tether anchorages to secure safety
belts or other kinds of occupant restraints .
• Never secure or attach any luggage or other items to the LATCH
lower anchorages or to the tether anchors.
• If a tether or other strap is used to attach a child restraint to
the front passenger seat, make sure that it is not so tight, that it
causes the weight-sensing mat to measure more weight than is
actually on the seat.
• The heavier weight regi stered can make the Advanced Airbag
System work as though an adult were on the seat and deploy the
Advanced Airbag when it must be suppressed causing serious or
even fatal injury to the child.
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG
OFF light does not come on and stay on, ..
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

Child Safety -
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The up ho lstery wou ld also be perma ne ntly stre tc h ed a round t he
t e th er strap . T his app lies esp eci ally to l eath er s eats .•
Using tether straps on rearward-facing
child restraints
Cu rren tly, few re a r-f acing child restra int s yste ms come w ith a t eth er.
Please read and hee d the c hild restraint system manufac turer's
i nst ructions car efu lly to d ete rm in e ho w to prop erl y i nsta ll the te the r.
& WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child safety seat installed on the front
passenger seat will be seriously injured and can be killed if the
front airbag inflates· even with an Advanced Airbag System .
• The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant
carrier with great force and will smash the child safety seat and
child against the backrest, center armrest, or door.
• A tight tether or other strap on a rearward-facing child
restraint attached to the front passenger seat can put too much
pressure on the weight-mat in the seat and register a heavier
weight in the Advanced Airbag System. The heavier weight regis­
tered can make the system work as though an adult were on the seat and deploy the Advanced Airbag when it must be suppressed
causing serious or even fatal injury to the child.
• If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the
front passenger seat because of exceptional circumstances and
the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light does not come on and stay on ,
immediately install the rear-facing child safety seat in a rear
seating pos ition and have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer. •
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Additional Information
Sources of information about child
restraints and their use
T he re are a numbe r of sources of additional inf ormat ion abo ut child
re straint s ele ction , insta llation an d use:
N HTSA adv ises t hat t he b est ch ild saf ety s eat is th e on e that f its your
child and fits in yo ur vehicle, a nd that yo u will use cor rectly an d
c o nsis ten tly.
Try before you b uy!
U.S National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
T el. : 1-8 88- 327-42 36 (TTY : 1-80 0-4 24 -9153)
www .nhtsa .gov
National SAFE KIDS Campaign
Te l.: (202) 662-0600
www. safe kids .o rg
Safety BeltSafe U .S.A
T el. : (800) 745-SAFE ( Eng lish)
Te l.: (800) 747-SA NO (Spa nish )
www .c ars eat .org
Transport Canada Information Centre
Te l.: 1 (800) 333-0371 or call 1 (613) 998 -8616 if you are i n the
Ott awa are a
www .t c.gc.ca/ roadsaf ety
Audi Customer CARE
Te l.: (800) 822-2834 •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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fore-and-aft and lateral directions, the brake pressure and the
steering angle are all measured.
The direction in which the driver wishes to travel is determined with
the aid of the steering angle and vehicle speed and is continually
compared with the actual behavior of the vehicle. If the two do not
match, for example, when the vehicle starts hydroplaning on a wet
road, ESP will automatically brake the appropriate whee l to correct
the problem.
The vehicle is then stabi lized by the forces acting on the whee l during
braking. If the vehicle is
oversteering (rear tends to skid out of the
turn), the brakes are main ly applied on the wheel that is on the
outs ide of the curve. In the case of a vehicle that is
understeering
(tendency to slide out of the curve), the brakes are applied as needed
on the wheel that is on the inside of the curve or additionally on the
other wheels. An acoustic s ignal indicates when ESP brake application
cuts in=> &.
The system operates across the entire speed range in combination
with the ABS system ~
page 256 . If the Anti -Lock Brake System
(ABS) ma lfunctions, the ESP wi ll be out of action as well.
Activating
When you turn on the engine, ESP will automatically be activated and
will perform a self-test. As soon as the test is comp leted, the system
is in normal operating mode .
Offroad mode
ESP should normally be operated in normal mode because this
ensures maximum vehicle stability. If necessary, you can activate the
ESP offroad mode by pressing the button=>
page 252, fig. 220 to
obtain maximum traction and braking ability when driving off paved
roads at low speeds. In ESP offroad mode, the ESP indicator light
=> page 16 illuminates and the message ESP Offroad Caution!
Limited driving stability
appears briefly in the disp lay.
The ESP offroad mode can be useful in the following exceptiona l situ­
ations when slip or a highly effe ctive different ial loc king funct ion is
desirable. Examples:
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
•
when driving w ith tire chains,
• when driving in deep snow or on loose ground,
• when driving on uneven surfaces with the wheels severely
unloaded (articulation), and
• when rocking the vehicle loose a fter it has become stuck.
When the unusual situation is past, you should sh ift back to the
normal ESP operating mode by pushing the button again. The
message
ESP/ ASR on then appears briefly in the display.
Hill descent control
The hill descent control is switched on in ESP offroad mode. When
slowly descending steep gradients on loose ground or when the axles
are art iculated, hill descent control provides assistance by automati­
cally applying the brakes to keep vehicle speed constant. The vehicle
is also rende red easier to steer by select ive distribution of braking
force. Hill descent control intervenes when:
• the accelerator pedal is not pressed,
• the vehicle is travelling less than 12 mph (20 km/h),
• a steep gradient is detected,
• wheel behavior indicates loose ground or conditions with poor
adhesion (e.g. also axle articulat ion).
Hill descent control operates both dr iving forward and in reverse.
Active hi ll descent control is deactivated by pressing the accelerator
pedal until the conditions for activation already listed are met aga in .
& WARNING
• The Electronic Stabilization Program is nevertheless subject to
the laws of physics . It is particularly important to pay attention to
this fact on wet and slippery roads. It is therefore important that
you always adapt your driving to the condition of the road and
traffic conditions. Do not allow the increased safety provided by
the Electronic Stabilization Program system to lull you into
accepting additional safety risks. ..
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Intelligent technology
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& WA RNING (conti nu ed )
• Plea se be aware th at in ESP offroad mode , particularly on a
s mooth and slippery road, the wheels may have an incr eased
tendency to spin and the vehicle may break awa y -danger of skid ­
ding!
• Stabilit y is limited in the ESP offroad mode. •
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The electronic differential lock monitors the rotational
speed of the drive wheels.
General notes
The electronic differe ntia l lock (EDL) helps the ca r to sta rt moving,
acce lerate and climb a gradient on surfaces provi ding poor or almost
no grip. W ithout ED L, th is would be d iff ic ul t, if not impossible .
How the system works
The EDL operates automatically . It mo nitors the rotational speed of
w heels wi th the help of the ABS sensors ==>
page 256 . If a not iceab le
slip is detected at the wheels (e .g . o n slippery g round on one side),
the spin ning whee ls are braked and power is transferred to the other
wheels. This is done up to a speed of about 60 mph ( 100 km/h) .
Noises from the brake system signa l that wheel spin is being
cont rolled.
Driv ing off
W hen d rivi ng off, always be sure to keep road conditions in mind as
you acce lerate. If one drive wheel spins because it is on a surface with
less grip, apply
plenty of th rottle until t he car starts to move .
Overheating of brakes
To prevent the disc b rake of the bra ked wheel from overhea ting if
subjected to excessive loads on this whee l, t he EDL cuts out tempo ­
ra rily. The vehicle rema ins operat iona l and behaves in the same way
as a veh icle without EDL. As soon as the brake has coo
led down, EDL sw itches on again auto­
m atically.
& WARNING
• When accelerating on slippery surfaces, such as on ice or snow,
always be careful when depressing the accele rator pedal. Even
with the EDL working , the drive wheels c an spin and reduce your
ability to control your car . Risk of crash!
• The increased safety afforded by EDL does not mean that you
can take safety risks . Always adapt your d riv ing style to the road
c ondition s and traffic situation.
[ i ] Tips
If a fa ult occurs in the A BS, the ED L is also no t fu nct io ni ng. This is
ind icated by the ABS warn ing light==>
page 19. •
Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR)
The Anti- S lip Re gula tion System preven ts the drive n
w heels from spinning when the car is acc ele rating .
General notes
The Anti-S lip Reg ulation Sys tem (ASR) is in tegr ated in the ele ctroni c
stabilization program (ESP) . When the ve hicle starts up and acceler­
a tes, the whee ls are p reven ted from sp inning by adjust ing t he engine
power to match the amoun t of grip ava ilable from the road surface.
How the system works
ASR performs automatica lly, i.e. witho ut the driver 's intervent ion.
With the aid o f th e ABS sensors ==>
page 256, ASR moni to rs the speed
of the driven wheels. If the whee ls start to spin, engine torque is
reduced automatically unt il the tires find enough grip to lock onto
the road s urface. The system is active ac ross the en tire speed range .
'1>

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The ASR works in conjunction with the ABS. If a malfunction should
occur in the ABS, the ASR w ill also be out of action.
& WARNING
The increased safety afforded by ASR does not mean that you can
take safety risks. Always adapt your driving style to the road
conditions and traffic situation.
[ i] Tips
To ensure that the ASR works properly, all four whee ls must be fitted
with ident ical tires. Any differences in rolling radius of the tires can
cause the system to reduce engine power when th is is not desired.
See also=>
page 326, "New tires and replacing tires and whee ls" .•
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automobiles are still subject to wear,
depending large ly on operating conditions and driving habits=>& .
On vehicles that are either driven mostly in stop -and -go city traffic or
are driven hard, the brake pads should be checked by your authorized
Audi dealer more often than specified in the
Warranty & Mainte­
nance booklet.
Failure to have your brake pads inspected can result
in reduced brake pe rformance .
On steep slopes, you should use the brak ing effect of the engine . This
way, you prevent unnecessary wear on the brake system. If you must
use your brakes, do not hold the brakes down continuously. Pump the
brakes at intervals.
Noises may occur when braking depending on the speed , braking
force and outside conditions such as temperature and humidity.
Safety first
Moisture or road salt
If you are driving faster than 31 mph (SO km/h) and the windshield
wipers are on, the brake pads wi ll briefly touch the brake discs in
regular interva ls so as to improve reaction time when braking on wet
surfaces . You, the driver, will not not ice anything.
Under certain cond itions, for example, when driving through wa ter or
very heavy rain, or even after washing yo ur vehicle , the braking effect
can be reduced due to moisture (or in free zing conditions ice) on the
brake pads. A few careful brake applications should dry off the brake
pads or remove any ice coatings .
The effect iveness of the brakes can be reduced when the vehicle is
dr iven on a sa lt-covered road and the brakes are not used. Here too,
you should clean off accumu lated salt coating from brake discs and
pads with a few careful applications of the brake=> & -
Corrosion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up o n the brake pads and
corrosion to form on the dis cs if the car is no t driven regularly or only
for short trips with little use of the brakes.
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if corrosion has formed on
the discs, it is advisable to clean off the pads and discs by braking
firmly a few times from a moderately high speed=> &.
Faults in the brake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in brake pedal travel, then one
o f the two brake circuits may have failed==>& .
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if the brake fluid level is
too low. The brake fluid level is monitored e lectron ically .
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual inspection of the condi­
tion of the brake pads through the openings in the wheel. If neces­
sary, the wheel may be removed for this inspection =>
page 339,
"Changing a wheel". ._.
Vehicle care Technical data

lillill.a._...:I:..: n~ t .::.e::::..::.: ll~igent technology ,_ _______________________________________ _
in. WARNING
• You should perform braking maneuvers for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system only if road condition s permit. Other
road u sers must not b e put at r isk - you may cau se an ac cident!
• Before d esc ending a steep gr ade , redu ce speed and shift t ran s­
mission into a lower gear or lower driving range. Do not ride the
brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too often . This could
c ause the brake s to get hot and diminish braking efficiency.
• Do not "ride the brakes " by re sting your foot on the pedal when
you do not intend to brake. Thi s may caus e the brakes to overheat ,
premature wear and increa sed stopping di stance.
• Under certain climatic and operating conditions such as
pas sing through water, driving in heavy rain or after washing the
vehicle, the effectiveness of the brake s can be reduced . In winter,
ice can accumulate on the brake pads , linings , disc s and drums .
Carefully apply brakes for a test. Brake s will dry and ice coatings
will be cleaned off after a few careful brake applications.
• Driving for an extended period of time on salt -cov ered roads
without using your brakes can al so affect braking efficiency. Clean
off accumulated salt coating from brake d iscs and pads with a few
careful brake applications.
• If you damage the front spoiler , or if you install a different
s poiler , be sure the air flow to the front brakes is not obstructed.
Otherwise the brake system could overheat reducing the effective­
ness of the entire brake system.
• Failure of one brake circuit will impair the braking capability
resulting in an increased stopping distance. Avoid driving the
vehicle and have it towed to the nearest authorized Audi dealer or
qualified wo rkshop. •
Brake booster
The brake booster adds e xtra brakin g pow er .
The brake booster wor ks with vacuum pressure which is created on ly
w hen the en gine is ru nning =>& .
in. WARNING
• Never let the vehicle roll to a stop with the engine shut off .
• If the brake booster i s not working , for example when towing
your vehicle , or because the brake booster has somehow been
damaged , the b rake pedal must be p ressed considerably harder to
make up for the lack of booster assistan ce.
Functioning of Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS)
AB S prevents the wheels from locking up under br aking.
T he ABS co ntribu tes effectively to vehicle co ntrol s ince it prevents t he
w hee ls from
locking when the b rakes are a pplied. This means t hat t he
veh icle rema ins steerable and is less likely to s kid .
W ith ABS you do not need to
pump the brake. Just hold the brake
pedal down .
However, do not expect the ABS to shorten braking distance u nder
all
circums tances. When driving on grave l or on newly fa llen snow on top
of icy su rfaces, braking dis tance may be even longer, therefore, under
these c irc umstances, it is especially important that you dr ive slowly
and w it h great care .
How the ABS system works
An automatic check is made when a speed of about 12 mph (20 km/h)
is reached . When this happens, a p umping noise can be hea rd. ._

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If an individual wheel begins to rotate too slowly in relation to vehicle
speed and tends to lock, the ABS automatically reduces brake pres­
sure to prevent that wheel from locking .
Thi s automatic adjustment process wi ll cause a
slight vibration of
the brake pedal and some noises to alert you that vehicle speed must
be adapted to existing road and traffic conditions.
_& WARNING
Although the ABS is very effective, always remember that braking
capability is limited by tire traction. Always adjust your driving
speed according to the road and traffic conditions. Do not let the
extra safety afforded by the ABS tempt you into taking extra risks.
The ABS cannot overcome the laws of physics .
(I) Tips
• If ABS is not funct ioning properly, a warning light will come on .
See ~
page 19.
• If a fault occurs in the ABS, the EDL is also not functioning. This is
ind icat ed by the ABS warning light. •
Brake assistant
The brake assistant is designed to achieve the optimum
braking effect.
The brake assistant helps to increase the effective braking power and
thus to achieve a shorter stopping distance.
If the driver presses the
brake peda l very qu ickly , the brake assistant automatically boosts the
braking force to the maximum level, up to the point where the anti­
lock brake function (ABS) intervenes to stop the whee ls from locking.
You should then keep the brake pedal pressed until the vehicle has
braked to the required speed. The brake assistant switches itself off
as soon as you release the brake pedal.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Automatic full braking
assist
This function allows full braking in spite of high brake pedal forces
(e .g . when the brakes are severely stressed because the veh icle is fully
loaded). The driver notices this function through a reduction of pedal
force and increased pedal travel. When the brake pedal is released,
full braking assist switches off again automatically.
If there is an ABS failure, the brak e assistant and automatic full
braking assist are not available.
Th e brake assistant will not be operative if there is a ma lfunction in
the ABS .
_& WARNING
Please remember that the accident risk always increases if you
drive too fast, especially in corners or on a slippery road, or if you
follow the vehicle ahead of you too closely. Increased risk of an
accident cannot be compensated for even by the brake assistant ,
so always maintain a safe speed.•
Servotronic® -advanced power
steering system
The power steering systems uses the power of the
running engine to allow precise steering with little effort.
The advanced Servotronic ® power steering system senses the road
speed and electronically adjusts power assistance to provide
comfortable and safe steering response exactly matched to the
vehicle speed .
Power steering will not work if the engine is off. As a result , the
steering wheel will be hard to turn .
Th e power steering fluid level is checked during the scheduled main­
tenance services.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Intelligent technology
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0
Note
If t he re is an elect ro n ic malfunc tion, servotroni c will still funct io n
like a conventional power steering system, provid ing a constant
steer ing suppo rt force tha t is no longer proportiona te to the vehi cle
speed. This is most noticeable when t urning the steer ing wheel at low
speeds (for ex ample when p arki ng) , - m ore effo rt will be req uire d
than usua l.
• Be aw are of the d iffe ren t than usual steeri ng respo nse and adjust
your steering force accord ingly.
• Have t he pr oblem chec ked and set r igh t by a n Audi dea ler as soo n
as possib le .
[I) Tips
• When the engine is runni ng, neve r hold t he steering wheel turned
a ll the way to the r ig ht o r to t he left fo r longe r th an 1 5 seco nd s. The
powe r steering pump will over heat the hydraulic fluid if yo u keep
holding t he s teering w heel turne d all the w ay . This is likely to damage
the power steer ing system.
• If the powe r stee ring sys tem s ho uld fail entire ly, or if the engine
is not running (for examp le, while be ing towed), you will still be able
t o steer the vehicle. Howeve r,
considerably more effo rt will be
required to do so.
• If the powe r stee ring sys tem s ho uld have a leak, or is not func ­
tioning properly, contact your author ized Audi dealer immediately.
• Th e power s teeri ng system re quir es a specially fo rm ulated
hydraulic fluid. The power stee ring reservoir is the one located
f ar the st to the rea r on t he left side of the eng ine compa rtment
=> page 298 . The correct fluid level in the reservo ir is important for
pr op er f unctio ning o f the power steer ing.•
Dr"v ing witr your quattro®
--------
Wit h All Wheel Drive, all four wheels are d riven .
General information
With All Wheel Drive, power is dist ribu ted to all fo ur wheels. This
hap pens a utomat ically depending o n your dr iv ing style and t he road
conditions at the time. See also =>
page 254, "Electronic different ia l
lock (EDL)" .
Winter tires
When d riving in the win ter, your vehicle with A ll Whee l Dr ive has an
advantage, even w ith regula r tir es. In w inter road con ditions i t may
be advisable to mou nt wi nte r ti res (or all-seaso n tires) for improve d
dr iveability and b raking: these tires m ust be mounted on
all four
wheels .
See also=:> page 330, "W inter tires".
Tire chains
Whe re tire chains are ma nda to ry on certa in roa ds, th is no rma lly a lso
ap plies to vehicles with A ll Whee l Drive =:>
page 331, "Snow chains" .
Replacing wheels/tires
Vehicles wit h All W heel Dr ive must a lways have t ires of the same si ze .
Also avoid tires with different tread depths. For details see page
=> pa ge 32 6, "N ew tires and rep lacing tires and wheels".
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to road and traffic conditions . Do not
let the extra safety afforded by All Wheel Drive tempt you into
taking extra risks.
• Although the All Wheel Drive is very effective, always
remember that braking capacity is limited by tire traction. You
should therefore not drive at excessive speeds on icy or slippery
road surfaces.
• On wet road surfaces, be careful not to drive too fast because
the front wheel s could begin to slide on top of the water (aqua- ...