2011 AUDI Q7 towing

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ically raised to high level 1 again when the traveling speed falls below
approximately 25 mph (40 km/h) .
Restrictions when operating with a trailer
When operating with a trailer, the lift mode can only be selected up
to about 12 mph (20 km/h). Lift mode is automatically canceled
agai n when a speed of about 25 mph (40 km/h) is exceeded.
If the vehicle is in automatic , comfort, offroad or lift mode before the
trailer towing mode is activated, the dynamic mode cannot be acti­
vated .
If the vehicle is in dynam ic mode before towing operation is acti­
vated, it can be driven in this mode. If the suspension is switched
from th is mode to another mode, dynamic mode cannot be re­
selected.
[I) Tips
• For vehicles with a factory installed towing hitch or a trai ler hitch
that was installed later according to factory specifications, the
system recognizes "Trailer towing mode" and activates this specia l
mode automat ically , as soon as the electr ical connection on the
trailer socket is connected. The mode ceases automatically when the
electrical connection to the trailer socket is disconnected.
• If the trai ler towing mode has been activated, the vehicle will not
drop to the low o r highway level. •
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
A
pp lies to vehicles : w ith Adapt ive Air Sus pens ion
Cargo mode
The rear of the vehicle can be lowered to make it easier to
load .
Fig. 182 Luggage
compartment detail:
Cargo mode switch
Activating cargo mode in the MMI
-Select: Function button [CARI> function button [SETUP)
> Lower for loading.
Using switch for activating cargo mode
- Close all vehicle doors.
- Open the trunk lid.
- Press the lower part of the switch ®~ fig. 182. The rear
of the vehicle is lowered.
- Press the upper part of the switch
(D. The rear of the
veh icle is raised again.
In cargo mode, the rear axle is lowered by 2.2 inches (55 mm),
compa red to the normal level.
While the vehicle is in cargo mode, the segments do not appear as
filled in the segment d isplay. .,,
Vehicle care Technical data

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& WARNING (continued)
• Never place or install floor mats or other floor coverings on top
of already installed floor mats. Additional floor mats and other
coverings will reduce the size of the pedal area and interfere with
the pedals.
• Always properly reinstall and secure floor mats that have been
taken out for cleaning.
• Always make sure that objects cannot fall into the driver foot­
well while the vehicle is moving. Objects can become trapped
under the brake pedal and accelerator pedal causing a loss of
vehicle control. •
Stowing luggage
Loading the Luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be properly stowed
and secured in the luggage compartment.
Fig. 188 Safe load
positioning: place
heavy objects as low
and as far forward as
possible.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can shift suddenly ,
changing vehicle handling characteristics. Loose items can
also increase the risk of serious personal injury in a sudden
vehicle maneuver or in a collision .
Controls and equip­
ment Safety first Vehicle operation
-
Distribute the load evenly in the luggage compartment.
- Always place and properly secure heavy items in the
luggage compartment as low and as far forward as
possible => fig. 188.
- Secure luggage using the tie-downs provided=>
page 97.
- Make sure that the rear seatback is securely latched in
place .
& WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items can fly through the
vehicle causing serious personal injury in the event of hard braking or an accident. To help reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
• Always put objects, for example, luggage or other heavy items
in the luggage compartment.
• Always secure objects in the luggage compartment using the
tie-down eyelets and suitable straps.
& WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your vehicle handles. To help
reduce the risk of a loss of control leading to serious personal
injury:
• Always keep in mind when transporting heavy objects, that a
change in the center of gravity can also cause changes in vehicle
handling:
- Always distribute the load as evenly as possible.
-Place heavy objects as far forward in the luggage compart-
ment as possible.
• Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating or the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating specified on the safety compliance sticker on the left door jamb. Exceeding permissible weight standards can cause
the vehicle to slide and handle differently.
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Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Intelligent technology
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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 tran 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
cause 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 works with vacuum pressure which is created only
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 brake 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 locki ng up under braking.
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
oil
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 . Whe n this happens, a p umping noise can be hea rd. ._

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 182, "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

Trailer towing
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& WARNING (cont inued)
• The Gro ss Vehicle Weight Rating for your Audi Q7 vehicle,
found on the safety compliance label on the driver's side B-pillar, must never be exceeded under any circumstances . Exceeding the
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of your vehicle is likely to damage
your vehicle, and such damage will not be covered by your Limited
New Vehicle Warranty. Exceeding the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating will also change the performance and handling character­
istics of your vehicle, whi ch could cause a crash resulting in serious
injury or death.
• The Gro ss Vehicle Weight Rating for your Audi Q7 would be
exceeded if your vehicle is simultaneously equipped with
Panoramic sliding sunroof; third-row seating ; trailer towing
equipment (factory or dealer-installed ), and running boards
(dealer-installed) . UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES MAY ALL SUCH
ITEMS BE INSTALLED ON THE SAME VEHICLE .•
Operating instructions
M AX 6 .9"
MA X
175mm
Trailer towing weights
Fig. 223 Permitted
ball position of the
tra iler hit ch
With a factory -installed tra ile r hi tch, the maximum pe rmissib le
t ra iler weig ht is 6,615 lbs (3,000 kg). The maximum pe rmissib le
unbraked trailer we igh t is 1,650 lbs (750 kg) . With an
aftermarket
trail er hi tch, the m axi mum permissibl e traile r weig ht i s 5,5 12 lbs (2,500
kg) . These specifications app ly when driv ing on roads havi ng
an in cline o f less t han 12%.
Permissible tongue load
For best ve hicle handl ing un der t hese ch ange d co ndition s, adju st the
tra ile r l oad so that the tongue load is at the maxim um a llowab le or
sligh tly lower. You can get an app roxim atio n of the tongue load w it h
a bat hroom scale or you ca n measure the load at a t ruc king company
or we ighing st ation.
W it h a
factory-installed trailer h itch, the max imum pe rmissible load
on t he ba ll hitc h may not exceed 662 lbs (300 kg). W it h an
after­
market
tra ile r hi tc h, t he ma ximum pe rm issi ble loa d on the b all hi tch
may not exceed 551 lbs (250 kg). It is recommended to use the
maxim um permi ssible loa d.
Trailer load distribution
Be su re the load in t he tra ile r i s held se curely in p lace to p revent it
from shi fting forward, backwa rd or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer=> & in "Dr ivin g in struc­
t ions" on
page 275.
Ball mount
The tra ile r hitch may on ly be used w ith suitable ball mount and ball
=> fi g. 223 . Ins tallat ion of the hi tch b all mus t be c arrie d out in acco r­
dance with the manufacturer's instructions . At the height d imension
of 1. 5 in (38 .5 mm) a toler ance of+/- 0.5 in ( 12. 7 mm ) is per miss ible
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes t he eng ine work harder. It is impo rtant that
t he cooling system 's performan ce is up to the addi tional loa d. Mak e
sure that the coo ling system has enough fluid .
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inf late the tires ofyourvehicle to the cold tire
pre ssure listed unde r "Full lo ad" on t he tire pre ssu re lab el. Th e tire ...

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 182, "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

Trailer towing
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in. WARNING
Anyone not properly restrained in a moving vehicle is at a much
greater risk in an a ccident . Never let an yone ride in y our car who i s
not prop erly wearing the re straints provided by Audi. •
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differe ntly when tow ing a tra iler because of the
additiona l weight and different we ight distribution. Safety, perfor­
man ce and economy w ill greatly depend on how ca refu lly yo u load
your trailer and operate your rig.
Be fore you actua lly tow your tra ile r, prac tice turning, stopp ing and
back ing u p in a n area away from traffic. Keep pract ic in g until you have
become completely familiar with the way your vehicle -trailer combi­
nation behaves and responds .
Backing up is diff icult and requ ires pract ice. Backing up w ith a trailer
gene rally requires s teer ing a ction opposi te to th at when ba cki ng up
your vehicle witho ut a trailer.
Maintain a greate r d istance between your ve hicl e and the one in front
of yo u. You will need more room to stop . T o compensate fo r the
trai ler, you will need a larger than normal turning radius .
W hen p assing, remember that you c annot acceler ate as fast as yo u
normally wou ld because of the added load. Make sure yo u have
enoug h room to pass. After passi ng, allow plen ty of room fo r yo ur
tra iler before changing lanes again .
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane changes .
[ i ] Tips
• Do not tow a trai ler d uring the brea k-in perio d of your vehicle. •
If you tow a tra iler, your Aud i may require more frequent mai nte­
n an ce due to the ex tra load:::::>
page 368. •
Parking on a slope
Do not park on a slope with a trailer. If it cannot be
av oided, do so only after doing the following:
When parking:
- Apply the foot brak e.
- Have someone p lac e chocks un der bo th the vehicle and t he
traile r w he els .
- With c hoc ks i n place, slowly release the brakes u ntil the
wheel c hoc ks absorb t he load.
- Turn the w hee ls towards t he curb .
- A pply the parking brake.
- M ove th e selector le v er to
P.
When restarting after parking:
- A pply the foot brake .
- Start the engine .
- Mov e th e s elector lever to
D .
- Release the par king brake a nd s low ly pull o ut and away
fro m the w heel chocks.
- Stop a nd have someone retr ieve the w heel chocks .
(I) Tips
If you move the se lector lever of the a utomat ic t ransmiss ion to P
befo re applying t he par king br ake an d befo re blo cking the w heels, II-

-Tires and wheels
5. Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the
v ehicle . That weight ma y not safel y
e xceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6 . If your v ehicl e will be towing a trailer,
load from your trailer will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult this manual to determine how this redu ces the a vailable
cargo and luggage load capacity of your
vehicle.
Check the tire sidewall( =>
page 330,
fig. 245) to determine the designated
load rating for a specific tire .•
Tire service life
The servi ce li fe of tires depends on a lot of different
t h ings inclu ding p roper installatio n and b alancing,
correct tire pr essur e and driving style.
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Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
Fig. 24 3 Tire tre ad :
t rea d wea r ind ic at ors
(TWI)
Fig. 244 Rotat ing
t ires for more e ven
wear
T he origin al tir es on you r vehi cle h ave 1/16 in ch (1. 6 mm) high "wear
ind icators "~ fig . 243 ru nning across the t read . Depend ing on the
ma ke, there wi ll be six to eight of them eve nly placed around the t ire.
Marks o n the t ire sidewall (for e xample "T WI" or other symbols) indi­
cate the positions of the tread wear indicators. Worn tires must be
replace d. D ifferent fig ures may apply in othe r countr ies ~& . ._,.