2010 AUDI Q7 brake 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

-~_C_ le_ a_n_ i_ n_ g=- a_ n_d___. p_ ro_ t_e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
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.
~

-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 .

___ C_h_ e_c _k _i_n -=g :a,__ a_n_ d_ f_ i_ l _li _n _,g;._ __________________________________________ _
& WARNING (continued)
-Always use extreme caution to prevent clothing, jewelry, or
long hair from getting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts or
other moving parts, or from contacting hot parts. Tie back hair
before starting, and do not wear clothing that will hang or
droop into the engine.
• Minimize exposure to emission and chemical hazards=:>
/1::..
& WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
• Engine exhaust, some of its constituents, and certain vehicle
components contain or emit chemicals known to the State of Cali­
fornia to cause cancer and birth defects and reproductive harm. In
addition, certain fluids contained in vehicles and certain products
of component wear contain or emit chemicals known to the State
of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproduc­
tive harm.
• Battery posts, terminals and related accessories contain lead
and lead compounds, chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms. Wash hands after
handling.
0 Note
When adding fluids, a lways make sure that they are poured into the
proper container or filler open ing , otherwise serious damage to
vehicle systems wi ll occur.
ci> For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle floor pan from underneath
reg ular ly. If yo u see spots from oil or other vehicle fl uids, have your
vehicle inspected by an authorized Audi dea ler .•
Engine compartment
These are the most important items that you can check.
Fig. 231 Typical layout for containers, engine oil dipstick and engine oil filler
cap
© Windshield/headlight washer container ( q ) . . . . . . . . 312
@ Coolant expansion tank (- L ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 305
® Engine oil f iller cap
("l!::r.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
© Engine oil dipstick (orange) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
® Brake fluid reservoir ( ) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 307
© Power steering reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 257
0 Jump start connector( +) u nder a cover,(-) with hex head
screw .. ... ... ...... ........ ......... .... .. .. 311,352
The position of the engine oil filling hole and the engine oil dipstick
=:> fig. 231 (position ® and ©> can vary according to the type of
eng ine. .,_

___________________________________________ C_ h _ e_c _k _ i_n -=g .._ a_n _ d_ f_i _ll _i _ n -=g '-- ....... JIII
<£> For the sake of the environment
Dra ined coolant sho uld not be reused. A lways dispose of used coolan t
w hile observing a ll enviro nmental regulations .•
Radiator fan
T he radia tor fa n switc hes on a utoma tically by itself
The radiator fan is driven by the engine via the V-belt. The v iscous
cl utch reg ulates the spee d of t he fan accord ing to t he tem pera ture o f
the coolant.
An aux ili ar y e lec tric r adi ator fan* sw itches on and o ff depend ing o n
coo la nt temperat ure and other vehicle operating conditions.
After you switch the engine off, the auxiliary fan can continue r unning
for up to 10 minutes -eve n w it h t he igni tion o ff.
It can even swit ch on
again later by itse lf => & , if
• t he tem pera ture of the e ngi ne coola nt rises due to the hea t build­
up from the eng ine in the engine compa rtment, o r
• th e engine compar tmen t heats up because the ve hicl e is parked in
intense s unlight.
& WARNING
• To reduce the risk of personal injury never touch the radiator
fan .
• The auxiliary electric fan is temperature cont rolled and can
switch on suddenly even when the engine i s not running.
• The auxiliary radiator fan switche s on automatically when the
engine coolant reaches a certain temperatu re and will continue to
run until the coolant temperature drops. •
~ehicle OP-eration
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake flu id l eve l can be checke d with a quick gl ance .
Fig . 236 Engine
compa rtment : Brake
fluid rese rvoir
Before you check a nyt hin g i n th e eng ine compa rtment ,
always read and heed all WARNINGS~ & in " Working in
the e ng ine co mpartmen t" on
page 297.
- Read the brake fluid level f rom t he bra ke flu id reservoir
~ fig. 2 36 . The bra ke fluid leve l must be between the
" MIN " and "MAX" markings.
Th e brake fl uid rese rvoir is located at the rear partition of t he engine
compartment on the left side=>
page 298.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some time due to the auto­
m atic adjus tmen t of th e br ake pads. This is no t ca use for alarm .
If the brake fluid level falls
considerably below the "MIN" mark, t he
brake warn ing/i nd icator lig ht ( U.S. models :
BRAKE, Canadian mode ls:
ill ) will come on=> page 20 and=> page 29 . Do not continue to
operate the vehicle . The complete brake system s hould be thorough ly
che cked by an au thori zed Aud i dea le r o r q ua lified wor kshop a nd the
cause corrected.
If t h e brake fl uid leve l is too low, the brake .,,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourselt service iTechnical data

-Checking and filling
-------=------=---------------------------------------------------
warning/ind icator light will illum inate . Contac t an authorized Aud i
de aler
immediately .
[ i ] Tips
T he b rake fl uid reservoir is located unde rneath t he cover. •
Changing brake fluid
Have the b rake fluid chan ged by an exp eri enc ed t echni ­
cian.
B ra ke flui d absorbs mois ture fro m th e air . If the w ater con ten t in the
brake fl uid is too high, corros io n in th e brake system may result afte r
a p eriod of time. The boil ing po int of the br ake fl uid will also de cre as e
cons iderab ly and decr ease brak ing performa nce.
Th erefo re, the brake fl uid m ust be changed
every two years. Always
use new br ake fluid w hich conforms to Federal Motor Veh icle Stan­
dard "FMVSS 1 16 DOT
4" .
The b rake fl uid reservo ir can be diffi cult to rea ch, there fore, we
recommend that you have the brake fluid c hanged by your author ized
Audi dealer. Your dea ler has the correct tools, the rig ht b rake f luid
and the k now-how to do t his for you .
& WARNING
• Brake fluid is poisonous. It must be stored only in the closed
original container out of the rea ch of children!
• Brake failure can result from old or inappropriate brake fluid.
Observe these precautions:
-Use only brake fluid that meets SAE specification
J 1703 and
conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle Standard 116. Alway s check
with your authorized Audi dealer to make sure you are using
the correct brake fluid. The correct type of brake fluid is also indicated on the brake fluid reservoir .
& WARNING (co ntinued )
-The brake fluid must be new. Heavy use of the brakes can
cause a vapor lock if the brake fluid is left in the system too
long . This can seriously affect the efficiency of the brakes as
well as your safety . This could result in an accident.
0 Note
B rak e fluid will dam age the pai nt of yo u r ve hicl e.
<£> For the sake of the environment
Beca u se of the pr oblem of pro per dispo sal o f b rak e fl uid as we ll a s
the spec ia l too ls req uired and the necessary expertise, we recom ­
me nd that you h ave t he brake f luid chan ged b y yo ur a uth oriz e d Audi
dea ler. •
Battery
General information
Under normal operat ing co ndit io ns, the battery in your Aud i does not
need any maintenance. With high outs ide temperatures or long daily
dr iv es we re comme nd that yo u have th e ele ct rolyte level checked by
an a uth orized Audi dealer o r qualified wor kshop. The electro lyte leve l
s ho uld a ls o be che cked e ach time the batte ry is ch arge d=>
page 311.
Have the batte ry chec ked when yo u take yo ur vehicle in for serv ice.
Yo u ar e well advised to rep lace a batte ry that is older th an 5 years .
W ith certa in types of airbag deployme nt, the ba ttery is disconnected
from the vehicle e lectrica l system for safety reasons=>
& in "Repair,
c are and dis posa l o f the air bag s" on
page 223. ~

_____________________________________________ W __ h_a_ t_ d_o_ I_ d_o _ n_ o_ w _ ? __ _
& WARNING (continued)
-Never store the inflatable spare tire or jack and tools in the
passenger compartment.
- Always store all jacking equipment, tools, and the inflatable
spare tire in the luggage compartment.
- Tighten the knurled retaining screw for the inflatable spare
tire securely.
0 Note
• The inflatable spare tire has been developed specifically for this
vehicle model. It must not be exchanged or used for other vehicle
models . Similarly, inflatable tires from other vehicle models must
not be used.
• Normal summer or winter tires must not be installed on the inflat­
able tire rim. •
Inflating inflatable spare tire
-Remove the compressor from the luggage compartment
~ page 338, fig. 250.
- Unscrew the valve stem from the spare tire.
- Screw the tire filler hose from the compressor firmly onto
the valve of the spare tire.
- Insert the plug from the compressor into a socket of the
vehicle ~
page 104.
- Switch the compressor on .
- Let the compressor run until it has reached SO PSI (3.5
bar). Switch the compressor off after running for
12 minutes at the most - danger of overheating!
Safety first
& WARNING
The compressor and the tire filler hose can become extremely hot
while they are running · danger of burns!
0 Note
Switch the compressor off after running for 12 minutes at the most­
danger of overheating! Allow the compressor to cool down for a few
minutes before you use it again.
[ i] Tips
The compressor must not be connected to the cigarette lighter
socket, as this socket does not provide the required power.•
Changing a wheel
Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your own and your
passenger's safety when changing a wheel.
- After you experience a tire failure, pull the car well away
from moving traffic and try to reach
level ground before
you stop ~& -
- All passengers should
leave the car and move to a safe
location (for instance, behind the guardrail)~ &.
- Engage the
parking brake to prevent your vehicle from
rolling unintentionally~ &.
- Move
selector lever to position P ~ & .
- If you are tow ing a trailer: unhitch the trailer from your
vehicle. ..,_
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data