2011 AUDI Q7 maintenance

Vehicle literature
In addit io n to this Owner 's Manua l, your Aud i comes w ith the
• MMI Operat ing Instructions
• Warra nty
& Ma intenance booklet .
If yo u are m issing one of these pub lications, or if you believe that the
i n fo rm ation is not complete, co ntact your a uth o rized A udi de aler fo r
assistance.
MMI Operating Instructions
contain detailed desc ription of the A udi Mu lti Media Interface (MMI)
including the nav igat ion system, the sound system and the handheld
phone.
The Warranty & Maintenance booklet
exp la ins how you ca n keep your A udi in top d riving condition by having
it serviced regularly and conta ins deta iled informat io n about the
warran ties covering your Audi. Always have the booklet with you
when you take your veh icle to an author ized Aud i deale r for serv ice.
Your Audi Service Adviser will record each scheduled serv ice and can
answe r any questions yo u may have reg arding how to m ainta in your
vehicle.
In Canada,
the vehicle literature is also ava ilab le in French. To obtain a copy,
contact yo ur dealer or wri te to :
Au Canada, on peut se procurer un exemplaire en frani;:ais de ce docu­
ment aupres du concessionna ire o u de:
Volkswagen Canada, Inc. Client Assistance
Assistance a la Clie ntele
7 77 Bayly St reet, West,
Ajax, Ontario LlS 7G7
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Vehicle Literature
If you sell your Audi
all literature should be left in the vehicle to make the Warranty terms
as well as all operating, safety and maintenance information avail­
able to the next owner.
If you change your address or if you bought
this Audi used
be sure to se nd in a "Notice of Address C hange "/ "Notice of Used Car
Purchase" post card. This card can be found in the Warranty
& Ma in­
t enance boo klet o r obta ined from your authorized Audi dealer.
It is in your own int ere st that we are able to contact you should the
need ari se .•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Opening and closing
Opening and closing
Keys
Key set
C !
Fig. 26 Key set
© Master key with remote control
You can centra lly lock and u nlock your vehicle and sta rt the eng ine
w ith the mas ter key w ith remote cont ro l.
@ Valet key
The vale t k ey o nly fi ts the l ock in the d river' s door and t he ignition
lock . If you have to leave t he key with somebody else, you are well­
advise d to tur n over the vale t key only =>
page 45.
© Emergency key
T he e mergen cy key is only for te mpora ry use if t he vehicle key sho uld
be lost or misplaced=> &.
Key replacement
If you lose a key, contact your autho rize d Audi dea ler immediately to
h ave the
lo st key d is abl ed. Be sure to bring a ll your keys wi th you.
Registered keys
You can check to find o ut how many keys have b een reg iste red to your
veh icle . T here fore, w hen buying a used ve hicle, make su re to get all
of the remote keys be long to it .
C alling up the re giste red keys =>
pag e 13 .
Data in the master key
W hile you a re driv in g, se rv ic e and maintenance relev ant da ta ar e
b ein g continuously s to red on yo ur mas ter key . Your Aud i serv ice
a dvise r ca n re ad out th ese d ata and tell you a bout work th at is neede d
on yo ur vehicle. T his also a pplies to vehicles w it h Conv enience key *.
& WARNING
• Do not leave your vehicle unattended with the key in the igni­
tion lo ck. Entry by unauthorized persons could endanger you or
result in theft or damage the vehicle. Always lock alt doors and
take the key.
• Do not leave children unattended in the vehicle, especially with
access to vehicle key s. Unguarded access to the keys provides chil­
dren the opportunity to start the engine and/or activate vehicle
systems such as the power windows etc. Unsupervised operation
of any vehicle system by children can result in serious injury .
(I] Tips
• If you o pen the dr iver 's doo r wi th the key left in the ig niti on loc k,
a c hime will sound . T hi s is your remin der to remove t he key and loc k
t he doo r.
• For security reasons, rep lacement keys a re o nly ava ilab le from
Audi dealers .•

Warm and cold -
----------------
Warm and cold
Climate control
Description
The air conditioner is fully automatic and is designed to
maintain a comfortable and uniform climate inside the
vehicle.
We recommend the following settings:
- Set the temperature to 72
°F (+22 °C).
- Press the
[AUTO] button.
With this setting, you attain maximum comfort in the least amount
of time. Change this setting , as desired , to meet your personal needs.
The climate controls are a combination of heating, ventilation and cooling systems, which automatically reduce humidity and cool the
air inside your vehicle .
The air temperature, air flow and air distribution are automatically regulated to achieve and maintain the desired passenger compart­
ment temperature as quickly as possible.
The system automatically compensates for changes in outside
temperature and for the intensity of the sunlight entering the
vehicle. We recommend you use the
Automatic mode ~ page 114
for year-round comfort .
Please note the following:
Turn on the air conditioner to reduce humidity in the vehicle. This also
prevents the windows from fogging up.
When the outside temperature is high and the air is very humid,
condensation from the evaporator may drip under the vehicle . This is
normal and does not indicate a leak.
Controls and equip ­
ment Safety first
If the outside temperature is
low, the fan normally only switches to a
higher speed once the engine coolant has warmed up sufficiently .
The air conditioner temporarily switches off when you drive off from
a standstill using full throttle to save engine power.
The compressor also switches off if the coolant temperature is too
high, so that the engine can be adequately cooled under extreme
loads.
Air pollutants filter
The air pollutants filter (a combined particle filter and activated char­
coal filter) reduces or prevents outside air pollution (dust, or pollen)
from entering the vehicle. The air is also filtered in air recirculation
mode.
The air pollutants filter must be changed at the intervals specified in
your Warranty
& Maintenance booklet, so that the air conditioner can
properly work.
If you drive your vehicle in an area with high air pollution, the filter
may need to be changed more frequently than specified in your Audi
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet. If in doubt, ask your authorized
Audi Service Advisor for advice .
Key coded settings
The air conditioner settings selected are automatically stored and
assigned to the key being used. When the vehicle is started, the air
conditioner automatically selects the settings assigned to that key.
This way every driver will maintain his/her own personal settings and
does not have to reset them manually.
If a different driver uses your key and changes the air conditioner
settings, the latest adjustments will erase and replace the settings
you have stored. _.,
Vehicle care Technical data

-L___!_A~ ir~b~ a ~ g!..-= s~y :_:s ~t ~e ~ m~ -----------------------------------------------
& WA RNING (conti nued)
ment, cellular telephones and CB radios, etc. ) must be performed
by a qualified technician who h as the training and special equip ­
ment necessary .
• For any work on the airbag system, we strongly recommend
that you see your authorized Audi dealer or qualified wo rkshop.
• Never modify the front bumper or parts of the vehicle body .
• Always make sure that the side airbag can inflate without
interference :
- Never in stall seat cover s or replacement upholstery over the
front seatbacks that have not been specifically approved by
Audi.
- Never use addit ional seat cushions that cover the areas
where the side airbags inflate.
- Damage to the or iginal seat covers or to the seam in the area
of the side airbag module mu st always be repaired immedi­
ately by an authorized Audi dealer.
• The airbag sy stem can be activated only once . After an airbag
has inflated, it must be replaced by an authorized Audi dealer or
qualified technician who has the techni cal information, training
and special equipment necessary.
• The airbag sy stem can be deployed only once . After an airbag
has been deployed, it must be replaced w ith new replacement
parts designed and approved e specially for your Audi model
version. Replacement of complete airbag systems or a irbag
c omponents must be performed by qualified workshops onl y.
Make sure that any airbag service action is entered in you r Audi
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet under AIRBAG REPLACEMENT
RECORD .
• For safety reasons in severe accidents, the alternator and
starter are separated from the vehicle battery with a pyrotechnic
circuit interrupter.
-Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupter must only be
performed by a qualified dealer -risk of an accident!
& WARNING (c on tinued )
-If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter is scrapped , all appli­
cable safety precautions must be followed.
c£' For the sake of the environment
Undep loyed a irbag mod ules and pretensione rs might be class ified as
Perch lorate Mate rial -special handling may apply, see
www.dt sc.ca.gov/ha zardou sw ast e/perc hlor ate. When the vehicle or
parts o f the restraint system including ai rbag modu les and sa fety
be lts with p rete nsioner s are sc rappe d, all app lic able laws and r egu la­
tions m ust be observed. Yo ur authorized Aud i dealer is familiar w ith
t hese requi reme nts and we recommend th at you have yo ur dealer
per form t his service for you .•
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Chang ing the vehicle's suspension system can change the way that
th e Adva nced Airbag System pe rforms i n a cr ash. Fo r examp le, us in g
t ire-rim combinations not approved by Audi, lowering the vehicle,
c hang ing the stiffn e ss o f th e suspension, incl uding t he sp rings,
suspension struts , shock absorbers etc. can change t he forces that
are meas ured by the a irbag sensors an d sent to the elect ronic contro l
unit . Some suspension c hanges can, fo r example, increase the force
levels meas ure d by the senso rs and make the airbag system deploy in
crashes in which i t would not deploy if the changes had not been
ma de. Other ki nds of changes may reduce the force levels meas ure d
by th e sensors a nd p rev ent the airbag from dep loying when it should.
T he sensors in the safety belt b uckle for the drive r and front
p assenge r se at tell the e lec tron ic co ntrol mo dule if the safety bel t i s
latched or not. If the safety belt is being used, the front a irbag w ill
dep loy at a sligh tly higher rate o f vehicle deceler ation t han if t he
sa fety belt is not be ing used . Therefo re, in a pa rt icu lar collis io n, it is
possible that an a irbag w ill not dep loy at a seating posi tion where the .,_

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. ..

Driving and environment
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and improves your
mileage.
-Try and keep well below your car's maximum speed.
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consumption, engine wear, and does
not disturb the environment.
Fuel consumption , exhaust emiss ions and eng ine no ise increase
disproportionately at high speeds . If you drive at approximately three
quarte rs of top speed, fuel consumption will be reduced by one ha lf.
Never drive faster than the posted speed limit and weather condi­
tions permit. •
Reducing unnecessary idling
Even when your car is just idling it burns up fuel.
- Shut the engine off when you are not driving the vehicle.
- Do not warm up the vehicle by letting the engine run at
idle .
It makes sense to shut off the engine in traffic jams, when waiting for
trains to pass at railroad crossings , or at traffic lights that have long
waits on red. Turning the engine off for just 30-40 seconds saves
more fuel than is burned starting the engine aga in.
It takes a long time for the engine to warm up fully when it is running
at idle . However, wea r and noxious emiss ions are especially high
when the engine is warming up. So you should drive away as soon as
you start the engine and avoid running at high rpms while the engine
is still warming up .
0 Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after starting. If warning
lights should come on to indicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also produces heat, which could result in
ove rheating or other damage to the vehicle or other property. •
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel .
-Have your vehicle serviced at regular intervals .
By having your vehicle regularly serv iced by an authorized Aud i dealer
helps to ensure that it runs properly and economically. The condition
of your vehicle not only affects its safety and ability to hold its value,
it a lso affects
fuel consumption.
Check your oil each time you fill your tank.
The amount of oil used is related to engine load and speed .
It is norma l for the oil consumption of a new engine to reach its
lowest value after a certain mileage has been d riven.
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 miles (5,000 kilometers) befo re you can properly assess oi l consumption.
This also app lies to fuel consumption and engine output .
0 Note
• Have your veh icle ma inta ined properly and in accordance w ith the
service recommendations in your Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
Lack of proper maintenance as well as im proper use of the vehicle will
impair the function of the emission control system and could lead to
damage .
• Do not alter or remove any component of the Emission Control
System un less approved by the manufacturer. ._

Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
(I) Tips
• Runn ing your eng ine while refuelling may cause vapors to escape
or even cause fuel to spill out of the tank. This would then shut off the
fuel nozzle before the tank is full.
• Do not refuel your vehicle with the ignition turned on. The fuel
gauge may otherwise not ind icate the correct fuel level after refuel­
ling.
• Diesel vehicles* are equipped w ith a mechanism to prevent incor­
rect fueling. They can only be fueled with diesel pump nozzles. A
worn, damaged, or improperly specified nozz le may not allow this
mechanism to open, thereby preventing refueling. If you cannot
insert the pump nozzle, rotate it in the tank opening. This should
open the mechanism and allow refueling. •
Unlocking the fuel filler flap by hand
You can open the fuel filler flap by hand if the power
locking system should fail.
•
Fig. 226 Luggage
compartment: Prying
cover open Fig. 227
Luggage
compartment: Emer­
gency opening of fuel
fille r flap
- Remove the right -s id e trim panel with the aid of a screw ­
driver => fig. 226.
- Pull the loop down in the direc tion of the arro w to unlock
the fuel filler flap=> fig . 227. •
TDI clean diesel
App lies to veh icles: w ith diese l eng ine
General information
On TOI clean diesel vehicles, an urea solution (AdBlue®) is injected
into the exhaust system before a specia l catalytic converter to reduce
nitrogen emissions.
The Ad Blue is stored in a separate tank in the vehicle and f illed during
maintenance intervals. Under norma l driving conditions, there will be
enough Ad Blue to last from one maintenance interval to the next.
Because of this, the scheduled maintenance intervals should always
be followed.
The Ad Blue usage accounts for approximately 0.5% to 1 % of the
diesel fuel that is us ed. The Ad Blue tank capacity is approximately 6
gallons (23 liters). ..,_

lffll __ C_ h_e _c_ k_ i_ n _ g_ a_ n _ d_ f_il _l _in ____ g ___________________________________________ _
Applies to vehicles with diesel engine only : Only if the level of t he
oil is a t or be low the m inimum m ark o n the o il d ipstick -and no o il
that express ly conforms to A udi o il standard VW 507 00 spec ifica ­
tions is available -may you top off with a high q ua lity engine oil , that
meets ACEA C3 o r API CF spec ifications, but even then, on ly in
viscosity gra des SAE 5W- 40, SAE SW -30, or SAE OW -40 . However,
dur ing t he e ntire time between o il change i nte rvals, neve r top off
w ith more than a tota l of 0.5 qt/liter engine oil that does not
c onfor m to Audi o il specification VW 5 07 00.
For more information about eng ine oi l th at has been approved for
your vehicle, please con tact either your au thorized A udi dea le r or
Aud i Customer Relations at 1 (800) 822 -2834 or vis it our web site at
www.aud iusa .com or www .aud icanada.ca . He re yo u w ill also find a
cu rrent list of oils (manufactu rers, brand names e tc.) that co nform to
Audi oil standard VW 502 00 (vehicles with gaso line e ngine) or VW
507 00 (vehicles w it h die sel eng ine).
Changing the engine oil
The eng ine oil and oil fi lter mus t be changed according to the mileage
(kilome ters) and t ime intervals specified i n your vehicle 's Warranty &
Ma intenance booklet . Do not exceed these interva ls - harmful
deposi ts from o ld engi ne oil can reduce engine pe rfo rmance and ca n
lead to expensive engine repa irs.
C hangi ng the oil at the recommende d interva ls is so very imp ortant
because the lubricating properties of o il decrease gradually during
normal ve hicl e use. If yo u ar e not sure w hen you have yo ur oil
changed, ask your author ized Audi Service Adv isor .
Under some circumstances the eng ine o il should even be changed
more fr eq uent ly. Chang e oil mor e of ten if you d rive mostly short
distances, operate the veh icle in d usty areas or mostly under stop­
and -go t raff ic condi tion s, or when you use yo ur vehicle where tempe r­
atures stay be low free zing po int for long periods.
De tergen t ad dit ives in the o il wi ll m ake fres h oil look dark a fter the
eng ine has bee n ru nning for a short t ime . This is normal and is not a
reason to ch ang e the oil mo re of ten t han re commended.
Damage or malfunctions due to lack of maintenance
It is essentia l that you change your o il at the recommended intervals
using only en gine oil th at com plies wi th A udi o il st and ard VW 502 0 0
(vehicles w ith gasoline eng ine) o r VW 507 00 (vehicles with d iesel
eng ine) . Your Limited New Vehicle Wa rranty does not cover damage
or ma lfunct ions due to fa ilure to follow recomm ended maintena nce
and use requirements as set forth in t he Au di Owner's Man ua l and
W arranty
& M aintenance boo klet. Y ou r deale r will have to deny
wa rranty coverage unless yo u present to the dealer proof i n th e form
of Se rvice o r Rep air O rders tha t al l sche dul ed main tena nce was
performed in a time ly ma nner. •
Engine oil consumption
To provide effective lubr ication a nd cooling for interna l eng ine parts,
a ll in ter na l c omb ustion e ngines use some oil. Oil cons umption v aries
from engine to engine and may change over the life of the eng ine .
E ngines te nd to use m ore oi l dur ing the b re a k-i n period t han t hey do
after ward, when oil consumption has stab ilized. Depending on t he
way the vehicle is driven and the operatin g cond itions, oi l cons ump ­
tion ca n be up to 1 qua rt pe r 1,200 m iles
(I liter per 2 ,000 km).
Consumption may be higher withi n th e first 3,0 00 miles (5,00 0 km).
Under nor mal co ndi tions, the rate o f oi l consu mptio n depe nds o n oil
quality as well as viscosity, engine speed ( rpm), o utside tempe rature,
roa d condi tion s, the amou nt of o il d ilution caused by co nde nsed
water or fu el residue, and oxidation of the oil. O il cons umption may
increase wi th en gine we ar ove r time, un til repl aceme nt of worn
eng ine pa rts may become necessa ry.
Because of all these var ia bles, there is no standa rd o r "norma l" rate
of oil consumption .
We urge you to check the engine oil level at
regular intervals, preferably every time you fill the fuel tank, and
always before a long trip .
The oil pressure warning light
~ is not an indicator of low eng ine
oil level. If the warning light does not go out after starting, or
flashes while driving (above 1500 rpm), a buzzer will sound . It
indicates that the oil pressure is too low. Stop the engine immedi- _.,,