2011 AUDI Q7 engine overheat

If the needle is well in the upper area of the gauge, the coolant
tempe rat ure is too high.
Stop the vehicle , switch the engine off and
allow the engine to cool.
If the warning light comes on again after
driving a short distance, contact an authorized dealer.
& WARNING
• Alway s observe th e warning in=> page 290 , "Engine comp art ­
ment ", before opening the hood and checking the engine coolant
level.
• Never open the engine hood if you see or hear steam, or if you
s ee engin e coolant dripping from the engine compartment. You
could burn yourself. Let the engine cool off first so that you cannot
hear or see any steam or engine coolant .
0 Note
• Mounting additiona l lights or accessories in fron t of the a ir inlets
reduces the cooling effect of the radiator . At high outside tempera­
t ur es o r high engine load, the engine could overheat.
• The front spo iler has bee n des igned to prope rly d istribute the
coo ling air when the vehicle is moving.
If the spoiler is damaged, this
cou ld reduce the coo ling effect and the eng ine could then overheat .
Ask your author ized A udi dealer for assistance .•
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicat es th e engine RPM (revolutions
per minutes).
Th e ta chomete r@ ::::> page 1 0, fig. 2 is the left of the tw o large clock­
type displays.
Th e engine tu rns at a speed
1,000 times the si ng le dig it in the
display, e.g. if the need le is po int ing at the "2 " the engi ne is t urning
at 2,000 RP M.
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
Instruments and warning
/indicator lights
If e ngine RPM drops below 1,500, you s hould dow nsh ift to t he next
lower ge ar. T he re d area at t he e nd of the s cale i ndic ates m aximum
permissible e ngine RPM after the break-in per iod . Before reaching
this area, move the selector lever to posit ion "D (Drive)" or ease yo ur
foot off the accelerator pedal.
0 Note
T he tachome ter needle s houl d not move into the red range. If it does,
then only fo r a very short period of time . You could damage your
e n g in e by driv ing at h igh RPM .
c£> For the sake of the environment
Upshifting early saves fuel a nd reduces e ngine noise. •
Digital clock with date display
Date and time of day can be set in the MM I.
Fig. 3 Instrumen t
cluster with digital
clock
Th e d ate, t ime o f day, and time and date fo rmat c an be se t in the
MMI. You can find o ut more in the MMI manual.
Vehicle care Technical data

Ill On the road ..___ ______________ _
• If you close the driver's door and lock your vehicle from the
outs ide. •
Parking brake
Op eration
The parking brake replaces the handbrake.
Applying parking brake
Fig. 128 Sect ion of
instrument cluster: Par king brake
- Press the pedal down forcefully~ page 132, fig. 128 @
in the d irection of the arrow.
Releasing parking brake
-Pull the handle to the rear ® in the direction of the arrow
~& -
If you should drive off with the parking brake still set, a warning tone
w ill sou nd and the following will appear in the instrument cluster to
remind you to release the parking brake:
Parking brake i s applied
The parking brake warning comes on only after you have driven for
longer than 3 seconds and faster than 5 mph (5 km/h). The parking brake warn
ing light ::, (USA)/ © (CON) illuminates when
the parking brake is set and you switch on the ignition.
& WARNING
Always release the parking brake completely. A partially engaged
brake will overheat the rear brakes, reduce their effectiveness and
c ause excessive wear. This could lead to brake failure and an acci­
dent.
0 Note
Only after the vehicle has come to complete stop, should you firmly
set the parking brake and move the selector leve r into "P". •
Parking
To prevent a parked vehicle from rolling away, there are
a few things you should do.
When you park your vehicle, do the following
-Stop the vehicle using the brake pedal.
- Apply the parking brake firmly.
- Move the selector lever into the
P position =;,& .
- Switch off the engine and remove the ignition key from
the ignition lock .
When you park your vehicle on hills, do the
following
- Stop the vehicle using the brake pedal.
- Apply the parking brake firmly.
- If you are parking headed
downhill , turn the front wheels
toward the curb . .,_

Intelligent technology
'-----------------------------------------------
& 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 260. 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 spin ning wh en 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 260, 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 gri p to lock onto
the road s urface. The system is active ac ross the en tire speed range .
'1>

Intelligent 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 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. ._

Driving and environment
New brake pads have to be "burnished in" before they have optimal
grab ~& .
Dur ing the break-in period, you should avoid putting severe loads on
the bra kes. Severe loads incl ude, for example, sudden hard braking,
in part icu lar at very high speeds or, for examp le, on mountain passes .
& WARNING
New brake pads don't have the be st stopping power and must be
" b roken-in " du ring the initial 100 to 150 miles (150 to 200 kilo­
meters ) of normal city driving . You can compensate for this by
pressing the brake pedal more firml y. This also applies later when
new pad s are installed.
'1
Ap plies to veh icles : w it h gasoline eng ine
Catalyt·c converter
It is very important tha t your emission con trol system
(catalytic c onverte r) is f unctioning properly to ensure
that your vehicle is running in an environmentally sound
manner.
- Always use lead-free gasoline~ page 291, "Gasoline" .
- Never ru n the tan k down a ll the way to empty .
- Nev er put to o mu ch mot or oil in y our engin e~
pag e 306,
"Add ing engin e oil~" -
- Neve r try to push -or tow-start yo ur vehicle .
The catalytic converter is an efficient "clean-up" dev ice built into the
exhaust system of the ve hicle. The catalytic converter burns many of
the pollutants in the exhaust gas before they are released into the
atmosphere. The exclusive
use of unleaded fuel is critically important for the life of
t he c atal ytic converte r and proper f unct ion in g of t he engi ne.
& WARNING
• Do not park or operate the vehicle in areas where the hot
e x haust system may come in contact with dry grass , brush , fuel
s pill or other material whi ch can cau se a fire.
• Do not apply additional undercoating or rustp roofing on or
near the exhau st manifold, exhaust pipe s, catalytic converter or
heat shields. During driving , the substance used for undercoating
c ould overheat and cau se a fire .
0 Note
• Be aware th at just one tank fi lling wit h le aded fu el w ill alre ady
ser iously degrade the performance of the catalytic co nverter.
• Do not excee d the correct engine oil leve l~
page 306.
• Do not drive unti l the f uel tank becomes complete ly empty . The
eng ine could misfire. Unbu rned fuel could also ge t into the exha ust
system and th is could cause the catalytic converter to overheat.
• Do not tu rn off the igni tion whi le the veh icle is moving .
• Do not contin ue to operate your vehicle under these conditions, as
o therwise fuel can reach the cata lytic converter . This could result in
overheating of the converte r, requiring its rep lacement.
• To assu re eff icient operat ion of the Emission Co ntrol System:
- Have yo ur vehicle main taine d pr operly and in a ccordan ce wi th
the service recommendations in your Warranty
& Maintenance
booklet .
- Lack of p roper maintenance as well as improper use of the
veh icle w ill imp air the f unction of the emiss io n con trol syste m and
could lead to damage. ..

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