2010 AUDI Q7 Owner´s Manual

Intelligent technology
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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®
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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- ...

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& WA RNING (c on tinued )
planing ). If this should occur, you will have no warning from a
sudden in crease in e ngine speed as with a front -wheel drive
veh icle. Always drive at speeds which are suited to the road condi ­
tions - risk of crash .•
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
E nergy ma nagement co ntr ols the distribution of elec­
trical energy and thus optimizes the availa bility of elec ­
trical energy for s tarting the engine.
If a vehicle with a convention al ene rgy sys tem is not driven fo r a lo ng
pe riod of time, the battery is d ischarged by idling cu rr ent consumers
(e.g. immo bilizer) . In ce rtain c ircumstances it can result i n there
being insufficien t energy avai lab le to start the engine .
Inte llige nt ene rgy management in your ve hicl e han dles the dist ribu ­
ti on of e lectr ica l energy. Sta rting ability is m arkedly improved a nd
the life of the battery is extended.
B as ically , energy managemen t consis ts of
battery diagno sis , idling
current management
and dynamic energy management .
Battery diagnosis
Battery d iagnosis continuously determ ines the state of the battery .
Sensors de term ine ba tte ry vo ltage, ba ttery curren t and batte ry
temperature. Th is determines t he current state of charge and the
powe r of th e battery .
Idling current management
Idli ng cu rrent m anageme nt reduc es ene rgy consu mptio n while the
vehicle is standing. W ith the ignition switc hed off, it controls the
ene rgy su ppl y to the v ari ou s ele ct rical com pone nts. Da ta fr om
battery diagnosis is considered .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Depend
ing on the battery 's state of charge, individual consumers are
gr adu ally t urned o ff to prevent excess ive disch arge of the bat tery an d
t hus maintain start ing capability .
Dynamic energy management
While the vehicle is being dr iven, dynamic energy management
dis tributes the energy gene rated a ccording to the needs o f the in d i­
vidua l compo nen ts. It regulates consumpt io n, so that more electr ica l
energy is no t be ing use d th an is being gene ra ted and ensures an
op timal state of charge for the battery .
(I) Tips
• But even energy ma nagement cannot negate the limits o f phys ics .
Consider that t he power and life o f a battery are limited.
• If starting ab ility is threatened, yo u are informed by a warn ing
~ page 260, "D river notification i n the instrument cluste r display" .
What you should know
The high est priorit y is g iv e n to maintaining starting capa­
bility .
The b att ery i s seve rely t axed in short -dist ance d riving, in city t raffic
and dur ing the cold time of year . Ab undant electr ica l energy is
re quir ed, bu t on ly a li ttle is generate d. It is also crit ical if t he engine
is not run ning and electr ica l compone nts ar e turn ed on. In this
instance energy is being cons umed but none is being ge ne rated.
It is i n pre cise ly these s itu ations t hat yo u will notice energy m anage­
ment act ive ly regulat ing the d istribut ion of ene rgy .
Vehicle stands for an extended period
If yo u do not drive your ve hicle over a period of several days or wee ks,
elect rical compo nents are g radually cut bac k or switched off. This
red uces ene rgy cons umption and ma inta ins start ing capability ove r a
l o nger pe riod.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Intelligent technology
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Take into consideration that when you unlock your vehicle, some
convenience functions, such as the remote key or power seat adjust­
me nt, may not be available. The convenience functions will be avail­
able again when you turn on the ignition and start the engine.
With the engine turned off
If you listen to the radio, for example, with the engine turned off or
use other MMI functions, the battery is being discharged.
If start ing capability is jeopardized due to energy consumption, the
following warning appears in the MMI display:
Please start engine, otherwise system will switch off in
3 minutes .
The warning indicates that the system will be turned off automati­
cally after 3 minutes. If you wish to continue using the functions, you
have to start the engine.
With the engine running
Although electrical energy is generated when the vehicle is being
driven, the battery can become discharged. This happens mostly
when little energy is being generated and a great deal consumed and
the battery's state of charge is not optimal.
To bring the energy balance back into equilibr ium, consumers which
require especially large amounts of energy are temporarily cut back
or switched off. Heat ing systems in particular require a great deal of
energy. If you notice, for example, that the heated seats* or the
heated rear window are not heating, they have been temporarily cut
back or switched off. These systems will be available again as soon as
the energy balance has been restored .
You will also notice that engine idle speed has been increased
slightly. This is norma l and not a cause for concern. By increasing
engine idle speed the additional energy required is generated and the
battery is charged.
Driver notification in the instrument
cluster display
If battery power drops into the range where it can limit the ability of
the engine to start, this is shown in the instrument cluster display
with the following driver message:
i...-3 Low battery charge: battery will be charged while driving
This notification reminds you that the starting capability of the
engine may be limited. As soon as you start driving again, the battery
w ill be recharged and the notification will go out.
Driver notification appears and goes out again
If th is driver notification appears after the ignition is turned on or
whi le driving and it goes out again after a while, the battery has been
adequately recharged.
Driver notification appears and does not go out
again
If this driver notification appears after the ignition is turned on o r
wh ile driving and does not go out again, the battery's state of charge
is not in the optimal range. Starting ability is restricted. Have the
battery checked as soon as possible by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified workshop. •

Driving and environment
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Driving and environment
The first 1,000 miles (1,500 km)
and afterwards
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first 1,000 miles
(1,50 0 km) .
For the first 600 miles (1,000 kilometers):
Do not use fu ll thrott le .
- Do not drive fas ter t han 3/ 4 of the top speed marked on
t h e speedometer.
- Avo id high engine speeds .
From 600 to 1,000 miles (1,000 to 1,500
kilometers):
- Spe eds can
gradually be i ncr eas ed to the maxi mu m
perm iss ible road or engin e spee d.
During and after break-in period
- Do not rev the eng ine up to high speeds when it is co ld.
This app lies whether t he tra nsmission is in N ( Neutra l) or
1 n gear.
After the break-in period - Do not exceed maximum engi ne s pee d und er any circum­
stances .
- Up shift i nto t he next hi ghe r g ear
befor e reach in g the red
area at t he end of the tachometer sc al e=>
pa ge 10 .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
During the first few ho
urs of d riving, the engine's interna l fr iction is
highe r than later when all the moving parts have been broken in . How
well th is br eak -in p rocess is done depends to a cons iderab le extent on
the way the veh icle is driven dur ing the f irst 1,000 miles (1,500 kilo­
meters).
0 Note
E x tremely high e ngine speeds a re au tomat ically re duced. However,
these rpm limits are programmed for an engine well run -in, not a new
engine .
~ For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with u nnecessa rily high engine s peeds -upshift ing early
saves f uel, reduces no ise and protec ts the environme nt.
New tires
If your v eh icl e is run ning on new t ires, driv e p arti cul ar ly
c a refu l fo r the first 35 0 miles (50 0 kilometers) af ter fit ting.
& WARNING
New tires tend to be slippery and must al so be "broken-in ". Be
sure to remember this during the first 350 m iles (500 kilome ­
ter s). Brake gently . Avoid following closely behind other vehicles
or other situations that might require sudden, hard braking. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Driving and environment
New brake pads
Remember that new brake pads do not have a f ull braki ng
e ff e ct during the first 250 miles (400 kilometers) after they
are i nsta lle d.
New bra ke pads have to be "b urnished in" before they have opt ima l
grab=> &.
Dur ing the break -in period, you sho uld avoid putting severe loads on
the brakes. Severe loads incl ude, for example, sudden hard braki ng,
in particu lar at very high s peeds or, for examp le, on mountai n passes.
& WARNING
New brake pads don 't have the be st stopping power and must be
" broken -in " during the initial 100 to 150 miles (150 to 200 kilo­
meters ) of normal cit y driving. You can compensate for thi s by
pressing th e brak e pedal more firmly. This also applies lat er wh en
new pad s are installed. n
Appli es to ve hicles : w it h g aso line eng ine
Catalytic converter
--
I t is very important th at your emission control system
(ca talytic co n verter) i s func tioning properly to e nsure
that you r vehicle is running in an environmentally sou nd
manner.
- Always us e lead-fr ee gasoli ne ~ page 287, "Gaso line" .
- Never run the tan k down a ll the way to empty.
- Never put too m uch motor oil in your engine~
page 302,
"Add ing e ngi ne o il "t::r.11
•
-Nev er try to p ush- or tow-sta rt yo ur veh icle.
The catalytic converter is an efficient "clean- up" device b uilt into the
exha ust sys te m of the ve hicle. The cat alytic converte r burns many of
t he polluta nts in the exhaust gas before they are released into the
atmosphe re.
Th e e xcl usive use of unleaded fuel is cr itic ally important for the life of
the catalytic converte r and proper f unction ing of the engine.
& WARNING
• Do not park or operate the vehicle in areas where the hot
exhaust system may come in contact with dry grass, brush, fuel
spill or other material which can cause a fire .
• Do not apply additional undercoating or rustproofing on or
near the exhaust manifold , exhaust pipes, catalytic conve rter or
heat shields. During driving, the substance used for undercoating
could overheat and cause a fire .
0 Note
• Be aware that just one tank fi lling wit h leaded fu el wi ll alrea dy
ser iou sly degrade the performan ce of the ca talyt ic co nve rter.
• Do not excee d the correct engine oil leve l=>
page 302 .
• Do not dr ive unti l the f uel tank becomes complete ly empty. The
eng ine could misfire . Unburned fuel could a lso get into the exha ust
system and th is could cause the catalytic converter to overheat.
• Do not t urn o ff the igni tion whi le the ve hicl e is moving.
• Do not contin ue to operate your vehicle under these conditions, as
o therwi se fuel c an reach the cat alytic c onve rter. Th is cou ld resu lt in
over heating of t he converte r, requir ing its rep lacement.
• T o ass ure eff ic ient opera tion of the Emi ssion C ontro l Sy stem:
- Have your vehicle maintaine d properly and in accordance with
t h e se rvice recommenda tions in your Warranty
& M ain tenance
booklet. •