2011 AUDI Q7 trailer

lffllL__.!.A~d~a!!p~t~iv~e~A~i r'......=S:.!u:!:s~p:.::e:.!n..::s==.:_:io~n:..:.... ________________________________________ _
Adaptive Air Suspension
Air suspension and damping
Applies to veh icles : w ith Adap tive Air Suspens ion
Description
Air suspension and damping can be adjus ted separately.
Adaptive Air Suspens ion is an e lectron ically controlled springing and
damping sys tem. This chass is sys tem makes it eas ie r on the d river by
adapting to the particular si tuation through imperceptible control
processes.
T he
Adaptive Air Su spen sion component regu lates ground clea rance
depending on vehicle speed and driver input . It funct ions indepen ­
dently from the load cond it io n. Ac ce le rating to a speed above a
predetermined limit will make the vehicle lower itse lf. On the other
hand, dr iv ing more slowly res ults in the vehicle r aising again at
specific speeds.
T he
damping component provides individua l control of the damping
forces . For example , w ith damping characte rist ics set to p rovide
greater comfort, damping is set somewhat harder for a brief period
only as req uir ed, for example, whe n going a ro und a curve or when
brak ing.
Sett ings
Adaptive Air Suspension provides the driver with the opportun ity to
set the chass is characte rist ics also to their individual p refe rence.
With the driving modes
Comfort, Automatic and Dynamic the dr iver
has three chass is sett ings available, ranging from comfort to spo rty.
The
Offroad mode ca n be selected for dr iv ing on poor quality
s tr etc hes of road. In addition,
Li~ provides a fif th mode, w hich can be
selected when exceptiona lly high g round clearance is needed
==> page 179, "C hass is controls ".
T he modes are set in MMI
==> page 180 .
& WARNING
The height of th e parked vehicle can change du e to temperature
fluctuations or changes in load.
0 Note
• Whenever you park yo ur vehicle, always make sure there is
ade qua te clearance above and below t he ve hicle. The height of the
parked vehicle can change as the result of temperature fluctuations,
c hanges in loa d condition and changes in the dr iv ing mode (ground
cleara nce).
• If the veh icle is be ing transported (e .g . by tow truck, tra in , sh ip,
etc.), mount the tie-down cha ins/cables over the running su rface
(circumference) of the tires. Never se cure the vehi cle by the ax le, the
suspension struts or the front or rear tow line eye. For technical
reaso ns, the p ressure in the suspension st ru ts may change dur ing the
t ransport, whic h could result in the vehicle no longer being secured
pro perly.
• If you are goi ng to tow a trailer w ith a tra iler h itch that was
not
ins talled accor ding to f actory s pecifi cations, you mus t activa te t he
t rai ler operation mode manually:::::,
page 182.
[{] Tips
• Before you ca n raise your vehicle using the vehicle jack (for
example, when c hangi ng a flat tire) or a vehicle lift, you must activate
t he jac kin g mode :::::,
page 182.
• On some mode ls, the vehicle can reach its maximum speed on ly in
t he
Automatic and Dynamic modes .•

1111....__A_ d_ a_,_ p_t _i_ v _e _ A_i_ r_ S_ u_ s ... p,_ e_n_ s_ io_ n __________________________________________ _
Raising and l owering
If a rrow (Dis solid red=> page 181, fig. 180 or white => page 181,
fig. 181, the veh icle is raised .
If arrow
0 is solid red or white, the vehicle is lowered .
T he respective arrow stays on until the level change is complete . The
time required for a level change can vary, depending on the current
dr iving cond it ions .
Displ aying the vehicle le vel
The current vehicle leve l is show n wit h segments fi lled ou t in the
segment display@. If only the bottom segment is filled out, the
vehicle is at highway leve l. If all segments a re filled o ut, the vehicle is
at high level 2 and has the greatest amount of ground clearance
possible.
W hile the vehicle is being ra ised or lowe red, t he target leve l is ind i­
cated by an arrow © next to the correspond ing segment. The arrow
disappe ars aga in whe n the vehicle is a t the target level. •
Applies to veh icles: w ith Ad ap tiv e A ir Suspens ion
Jacking mode when changing a flat tire
This mod e must be activated in the MMI bef ore raising
the vehicle with a jack or on a vehicle
li~ .
-Select: Fu nction button [CAR)> function butto n [SETUP ]
> Jacking mode .
The veh icle jack mode must be activated before c hanging a whee l so
that the automatic contro l processes for t he air s uspensio n do not
make lifting w ith the vehicle jack more difficult.
The check lamp in the instr ument cluster display illuminates in
vehicle jac k mode.
W Tips
Th e veh icle ja ck mode is switc hed off automat ica lly at speeds above 9
mph (15 km/h). •
Appli es to veh icles : with tow ing h itc h and Adaptive Air Sus pen sion
Towing a trailer
Automatic lowering is not desirable when towing a
trailer.
- Selec t: Fu nct ion button [CARI > fun ction but ton [S ETUP I
> Towing mode .
As long as towing mode is activated, a ve hicl e w ith a t railer appears
in the
adaptive air suspension main menu.
Level Adjustment when towing a trailer
• Before h itching up the trailer and befo re adjust ing the tongue
we igh t at the trailer, the automatic or com fort mode mu st be
selected so that the vehicle can be at normal leve l=>
page 180, "MMI
se ttings" .
• If dr iv ing in dynamic mode is desired, this mode
must be selected
befo re hitc hing up the tra iler and before adjus ting the tongue
we ight. However, note that yo ur vehicle is lowered and ground clear­
ance is reduced.
• If you have to drive under diff icu lt road conditions, you can select
offroad or li ft mode, aft er hitching up the trai le r or after adjust ing
the tongue weight .
• If the vehicle is at
normal level, an d you se lec t offro ad mode wh ile
traveling at speeds higher than 22 mph (35 km/h), the vehicle will
no t b e raised. O ffroad mode will a ppear as t he active mode in the
MMI D isplay.
• If the veh icle is in o ffro ad mode at
high level 1, it automatic a lly
lowers to
normal level when the vehicle is traveling at speeds
exceeding approximate ly 31 mph ( SO km/h). The vehicle is automat -...

____________________________________________ A_ d_a_ p ,_ t_iv _ e_ A _ i_ r _ S_ u_s_, p __ e_n _ s_ i _o_ n __ _
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

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
~-----------------------------------------
& 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
"---------------------------------------------------
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-

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
Vehicle Weight Rating and the G ross Ax le We ig ht Rating a re listed on
t he sa fe ty co mplianc e stick er la bel lo ca ted on t he dr ive r's side B­
pillar. The tire press ure label on your Aud i lists the max imum
combine d weight of a ll of t he occ upants an d lugga ge or other cargo
that the veh icle can car ry . For the locat io n of the t ire pressure label
~ pa ge 32 2, fig . 241.
& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause los s of vehicle control , a crash or
other accident, serious personal injury, and even death.
• Carrying more weight than your vehicle wa s designed to carry
will prevent the vehicle from handling properly and increase the
risk of a loss of vehicle control.
• The b rakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not be
able to stop the vehicle within a safe distan ce.
• Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail suddenly
causing loss of control and a crash.
• Always make sure that the total load being transported -
including the weight of a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehicle heavier than the
vehicle 's Gro ss Vehicle Weight Rating.
& WARNING
• Incorrect tire pressures and /or underinflation can lead to a
serious or fatal accident.
• Incorrect tire pressures and /or underinflation cause increased
tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle.
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can also lead to
sudden tire failure , including a blowout and sudden deflation,
c ausing loss of vehicle control. •
Checking tire pressure
The c orrec t t ire pre ssur e fo r th e tires origina lly insta lled
o n yo ur veh icle is listed on th e tir e p res su re l abe l lo cat ed
on driv er's side 8-pi llar.
Th e recommended tire pressures are on the tire p ress ure labe l an d in
t he table~
page 322, "Cold tire infla tion pressure" .This means that
the pressure m ust be chec ked an d adj usted w hen the tire has not
bee n driven for more tha n a co uple of m iles (kil om ete rs) at low
speeds dur ing the prev io us three hours . A ir in the tires expan ds when
t he tire heats up as a res ult of in ter nal fric tion as it flexes in use. The
t ire pressure is higher w hen the tire has warmed up than whe n it is
" ld "
c o .
It is the inflation pressu re in a "cold" tire that counts. Therefore, yo u
should never let air out of a wa rm tire to match "Col d tire inflat ion
pressu re" recomme ndat ions~
pag e 322. The t ir e s would t hen be
unde rinflated and co uld fail sudden ly .
Th e tire p ress ure label on your Aud i list s th e recommended co ld t ire
inflation pressures at maximum capacity fo r the new, o rigina l equip­
ment tires tha t were on yo ur vehicle at the t ime it was man ufactu red.
For the location of the label~
page 322, fig. 241.
M ost tires lose a ir nat urally ove r time. They can a lso lose some a ir if
you drive over a potho le or hit a curb while pa rking.
It is usually not
possible to see whether the rad ia l tires used today are underinflated
jus t by loo king at them.
T herefore, be sure to check t ire pressures at least once a month and
always before going o n a long tri p. M ake sure to take the num be r of
peop le and the amount of luggage i nto account whe n ad justi ng tire
press ure for a t rip -even one tha t you would no t conside r to be
" lo ng." See~
pag e 326, "Tires and vehicle load lim its" for mo re
impo rtant i nformat ion.
Alw ays use an a ccu rat e t ire pres sure g auge whe n checki ng a nd
ad justing i nflat io n pressures. Check all of the tires and be sure not to
f o rge t the s pare tire. If the pre ssu re in any tir e is too h igh when the
t ir e is "co ld," let air out of t he tire slowly with t he edge of the ti re ..,_