2012 AUDI Q7 tires

Adaptive Air Suspension .. .. . .
Air suspension and damping 150
150
Homelink ® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Universal remote control . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Safet y fir st . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Driving Safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Gene ral notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160
Proper occupant seating posit ions . . . 161
Ped al area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Stowing luggage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 166
Report ing Safety Defects . . . . . . . . . . . 167
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Why safety belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 4
Safety bel t pretens ioners . . . . . . . . . . 177
Airbag system .......... ... ... .
Important things to know .. .. .. .. . .
Fr ont airbags ............ .... .. . .
M on itoring the A dvanced Airbag
System .... .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. . .
Side airbags . ... ...... ... .. .. .. . .
Side curtain airbags .... ... .. .. .. . .
Child Safety .. .. .... ... .. .. .. . .
Important th ings to know . ... .. .. . .
Ch ild safety seats ......... .... .. . .
Instal ling a child safety seat .. .. .. . .
LATC H Lower ancho rages and tethers
for chi ldren .... .. .. ...... .. .. .. . .
Addit ional Information
Vehicle operation ..... .. .. .. . .
Intelligent technology .. .. . .. .
179
179
183
190
194
197
200
200
205
209
212
218
219
219
Not ice about data recorded by vehi cle
con trol mod u Les . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 19
E lect ronic S tabili ty Control ( ES C) . . . . 219
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222
Servotronic ® -advanced power
steering system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224
Driving w ith your quattro ® . . . . . . . . . 225
Energy management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
Table of contents 3
Driving and environment . . . . .
228
The first 1,000 miles (1,SOO km) and
afterwa rds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Catalytic co nverter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Diesel particulate filter . . . . . . . . . . . . 229
Avoid damaging the vehicle . . . . . . . . . 230
Operate your vehicle eco nomically and
min imize poll ution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Driving off road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Driving in d ifficult road conditions and
offroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232
Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
D riving with a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
T rai le r tow ing tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237
Vehicle care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Cleaning and protection . . . . . . 239
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Care of ex terior . ... .. .. .. .... ... .
Care of inte rior ... .. . .. .. ..... ... .
Fuel supply and filling your
fuel tank ... .... .. . .. .. ..... ... .
Fuel supply ...... .. . .. .. ..... ... .
Diesel f uel .. .. .. .. .. ... ..... ... .
Fuel tank .. .. .. .. .... ........... .
Se lective cata lytic reduction ..... .. .
Checking and filling .......... .
Engine hood ... .. ............... .
E n gine oi l ... .... ... .. .... ...... .
Engine cooling system .. .. ... ..... .
B rake fluid ....... ...... ........ .
B attery ... .. .. .. .. . ............ .
Windsh ie ld/headl ight washer
conta iner . .. .. .. .. ............. . 239
244
25
0
250
251
252
255
258
258
260
265
268
2 69
2 73
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
T ires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
T ire pressure monitoring system 292
Do -it -yourself service . . . . . . . . . 295
What do I do now? . . . . . . . . . . . . 295
Jack , tools and inflatab le spare tire . . 295
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 298
•
•

28 Driver information d isplay
On-Board Diagnostics
Fig. 22 Locat ion of Data Link Connector (DLC)
On-Board Diagnostics monitors the compo­
nents of your emission control system. Each
monitored component in your engine system
has been assigned a code . In case of a mal­
function, the component will be ident ified
and the fault stored as a code in the control
module memory .
The MIL light may also illuminate if there is a
leak in the on-board fue l vapor recovery sys­
tem.
If the light illuminates after a refuelling ,
stop the veh icle and make sure the fuel filler
cap is proper ly closed (on ly vehicles with gaso­
line engine)
¢page 253.
In o rder to make an accurate d iagnosis, the
stored data can only be displayed using spe­
cial diagnostic equipment (generic scan tool
for OBD).
I n o rder to connect the special diagnostic
equipment, push the plug into the Data Link
Connector (DLC) . The DLC is located to the
right of the hood release¢
fig . 22.
Your author ized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop can interpret the code and perform the
necessary repair.
A WARNING
Do not use the diagnostic connector for
personal use. Incorrect usage can cause
ma lfunctions, which can increase the risk
of a collis ion!
Electronic speed
limiter
Your vehicle may be factory equipped w ith
t ir es that are rated for a maximum speed of
130 mph (210 km/h) . This is less than the
maximum speed of your vehicle . To reduce the
risk of sudden tire fa ilure a nd loss of contro l if
the vehicle is operated at excessive speeds,
your vehicle also has an elec tronic speed limit­
er . The e lectronic speed limiter prevents your
vehicle from going faster than the tire speed
rating . For more information ¢
page 285.
If the engine control unit receives faulty vehi­
cle roadspeed signals, the Malfunction Indica ­
tor Lamp (MIL)
II will ill uminate. If this oc­
curs, contact the nearest authorized Audi
dealer for assistance.
A WARNING
-
Always observe the posted speed limits
and adjust your speed to suit prevailing
road, traffic and weather cond itions . Never
drive your vehicle faster than the maxi­
mum speed rating of the tires installed.
-
Speed warning system
Overview
The speed warning system helps you to keep
your driving speed below a set speed limit.
T he speed warning system warns the driver if
he exceeds a previo usly stored maximum
speed . A warning tone wi ll so und as soon as
the vehicle speed exceeds the set speed by about 3 mph (3 km/h). At the same time, a
warning symbol appears in the display.
The speed warning system has
two warning
thresholds
that function independently of
each other and that have somewhat different
purposes:
Speed warning 1
You can use speed warning 1 to set the maxi­
mum speed while you are driving. This setting "'

will remain in effect until you turn off the igni­
tion, assum ing that you have not changed or
reset the setting.
The speed warning symbol. (U SA mode ls)/
• (Canada mode ls) in the warning 1 display
appears when you exceed the maximum
speed . It goes out when the speed falls below
t he stored maximum speed.
The speed warning symbo l wi ll also go out if
the speed exceeds the stored maximum speed
by more than about 25 mph (40 km/h) for at
least 10 seconds. The stored maximum speed
is deleted .
Setting speed warning 1 <:!;>page 29.
Speed warn ing 2
Storing warn ing 2 is recommended if you al­
ways want to be reminded of a certa in speed ,
for example when you a re traveling in a coun­
try that has a general maximum speed limit,
or if you do not want to exceed a specified
speed for winter tires .
The speed warning 2 symbol, . (USA mod­
els)/ . (Canada models) appears in the dis ­
p lay when you exceed the stored speed limit.
Unlike warning 1, it will not go out unti l the
ve hicle speed drops below the stored speed
limit.
Setting speed warning 2
r:!;> page 29.
@ Tips
Even though your vehicle is equipped with
a speed warning system, you should still
watch the speedometer to make sure you
are not driving faster than the speed limit.
Dri ver inform ation di spl ay 29
Speed warning 1: setting a speed limit
Warning threshold 1 is set by the I CH ECKi
button .
Fig . 23 CHECK button in the instr umen t clus te r
Storing the ma ximum speed
"' Drive at the des ired maximu m speed .
"' Briefly p ress the
I CH ECK i button c;> fig. 23.
Resetting the m aximum speed
.. Drive the veh icle at a speed of at least
3 mph (5 km/h)
.. Press the
ICHECK I button for more than 2
seconds.
The speed warn ing symbol . (USA models)/
• (Canada models) w ill appear br iefly in the
display when you release the
I CH ECK I button
to indicate t hat the maximum speed has been
stored suc cessf ully.
T he maximum speed rema ins stored until it is
changed by pressing the
I CH ECKi button again
briefly or until it is deleted by a lengthy push
o n the bu tton.
Speed warning 2: setting a speed limit
Warning threshold 2 is set, changed and de­
le ted in the MMI .
.. Select: Function button
I CAR I > Control but­
ton
System s*> Instrument clust er> Speed
warning .
Or
"' Select: Func tion b utton I CAR I> Control but ­
ton
Car system s* > Driver a ssi st > Speed
wa rn in g .
Warning threshold 2 can be set in the speed
range starting from 20 mph to 150 mph ..,.

110 On the road
The parking brake warning light. (USA)/ .
(CON) illuminates when the parking brake is
set and you switch on the ignition.
_& WARNING
-
Always release the parking brake com­
pletely. A partially engaged brake will
overheat the rear brakes, reduce their ef­
fectiveness and cause excessive wear. This could lead to brake failure and an accident .
(D Note
Only after the vehicle has come to com­ plete stop, should you firmly set the park­
ing brake and move the selector lever 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 igni-
tion 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.
• If you are parking headed uphill, turn the
front wheels
away from the curb.
• Move the selector lever into the
P position.
• Switch off the engine and remove the igni­
tion key from the ignition lock.
_& WARNING
This is how you can reduce the risk of in­
jury when leaving your vehicle. -
Never park the vehicle where it can come
in contact with dry grass, spilled fuel or
any other flammable materials.
- When parking on hills, always turn the
wheels so that the front wheels will first
roll into the curb, if the vehicle should
start to roll.
- Never allow anyone - especially small
children - to remain in the vehicle when
it is locked. locked doors make it more
difficult for rescuers to access the pas­
senger compartment in the event of an
emergency. Danger to life!
- Never leave children unsupervised in the
vehicle. Children could release the park­
ing brake or move the gearshift lever out
of gear. The vehicle could start to roll
away and cause an accident.
- No matter what the season is, the tem­
perature in a parked vehicle can reach
dangerous levels.
@ Note
-Please exercise care when you park your
vehicle in parking areas with parking bar­
riers or curbs. Parking barriers and curbs
vary in height and could damage your
bumper and related components as the
front of your vehicle moves over a barrier or curb that is too high, as you park or as
you back out of a parking spot. In order to be sure that no such damage can oc­
cur, you may wish to stop short of having
the front tires of your car touch the park­
ing barrier or curb.
- Please also exercise exceptional care
when you drive up or down steep ramps
or drive over curbs or other obstacles, for
which the vehicle is not designed, be­
cause components of the vehicle close to
the ground, such as bumper covers, spoilers and suspension and exhaust sys­
tem components, may become dam­ aged.
Starting on hills
Hill Hold makes it easier to start on hills.

150 Adapti ve Air Susp en sion
Adaptive Air
Suspension
Air suspension and damping
Description
App lies to vehicles: with Adapt ive Air Suspe nsion
Air suspension and damping can be adjusted
separately.
Adaptive Air Suspension is an electronically
controlled springing and damping system .
This chassis system makes it easier on the
driver by adapt ing to the particular situat ion
through imperceptible control processes.
The
Ad apti ve Air Su sp ension component reg ­
ulates ground clearance depending on vehicle
speed and driver input. It functions independ­
ently from the load condition . Accelerating to
a speed above a predetermined limit will make the vehicle lower itself . On the other
hand, driving more slowly results in the vehi­
cle raising aga in at specific speeds.
The
d am ping component provides individual
control of the damping forces. For example,
with damping characterist ics set to prov ide
greater comfort, damping is set somewhat
harder for a brief per iod only as required, for
example, when going around a curve or when brak ing .
Set tings
Adapt ive A ir Suspension provides the driver
with the opportun ity to set the chassis charac­
teristics also to their individual prefe rence.
W ith the dr iv ing modes
Comfort, Automatic
and Dynamic the driver has three chassis set ­
tings available, ranging from comfort to spor­
ty. The
Offrood mode can be selected for driv­
ing on poor quality stretches of road. In addi­
tion,
Lift provides a fifth mode, which can be
selected when exceptionally high ground
clearance is needed
c::> page 150, Chassis con ­
trols.
The modes are set in MMI r:::;, poge 152.
A WARNING
The height of the parked vehicle can
change due to temperature fluctuations or
changes in load.
([) Note
- Whenever you park your vehicle, a lways
make sure there is adequate clearance
above and below the vehicle. The he ight
of the parked vehicle can change as the
result of temperature f luctuations,
changes in load cond ition and changes in
the driving mode (ground clearance).
- If the vehicle is being t ransported (e.g.
by tow truck, train, sh ip, etc.), mount the
tie-down chains/cables over the running
surface (circumference) of the tires. Nev­
er secure the vehicle by the axle, the sus­
pension struts or the front or rear tow­
line eye. For technical reasons, the pres­
sure in the suspens ion struts may change
during the transport, which could result
in the vehicle no longer be ing secured
properly .
- If you are going to tow a trailer with a trailer hitch that was
not installed ac­
cording to factory specif ications, you
must activate the tra iler operation mode
manually
c;, page 154.
(D Tips
- Before you can raise your vehicle us ing
the vehicle jack (for example, when
changing a f lat t ire) or a veh icle lift, yo u
must activate the jac king mode
c::>poge 154.
-On some mode ls, the vehicle can reach
its maxim um speed only in the
Automat ­
ic
and Dynamic modes.
Chassis controls
Applies to vehicles: wit h Adaptive A ir Suspensio n
Five different driving modes con be set by the
driver.
The automatic control processes are speed­
and t ime -dependent . Fo r example, it is not

to reduce the risk of injury when the vehi­
cle is not be ing used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es­
pecially with the rear lid left open . A
child could crawl into the vehicle through
the luggage compartment and close the
rear lid becoming trapped and unable to
get out . Be ing trapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious persona l injury .
- Never let children play in or around the vehicle .
- Never let passe ngers r ide in the luggage
compartment . Ve hicle occupants must
always be properly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions.
(D Tips
- Air c irculation helps to reduce window
fogging . Sta le air escapes to the outside
th rough vents in the trim pane l. Be su re
to keep these slots free and open .
-The t ire pressure must correspond to the
load. The t ire pressur e is shown o n the
tire p ress ure label. The tire pressure la­
bel is loc ated on the d river's s ide B-pi ll a r.
The t ire pressure label lists the recom­
mended cold ti re inflat ion pressu res for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weig ht and the tires that were on you r
vehicle at the time it was man ufactured .
For recommended t ire pressures fo r nor­
mal load conditions, please see chap ter
c:> page278 .
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items .
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop­
erly
c:> page 166, Loading the luggage com ­
partment.
In a coll is ion, the l aws of phys ics mean that
even smalle r items that are loose in the vehi­
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
Dr iving S afel y 167
serious injury. Items in the ve hicle possess en ­
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and th e
weight o f the item . Vehicle speed is the most
s ignificant factor.
Fo r example, in a fronta l collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a
10 -lb (4.5 kg) object are about 20 t imes the
no rmal weight of the item. This means t hat
the weigh t of the item would sudden ly be
about 200 lbs. (90 kg) . You can imag ine the
i njur ies that a 200 lbs . (90 kg) item fly ing
fr eely th ro ugh the passenger compar tme nt
c ould cause in a co lli sion like this.
A WARNING
We ak, dam aged or imprope r str aps used
to secure items to tie -downs can fail dur­
ing hard braking or in a collision and cause
serio us personal injury .
-Always use s uita ble mount ing stra ps and
properly secu re items to the tie-downs in
the l uggage compa rtme nt to he lp pre­
vent items from shift ing or f ly ing fo r­
ward as dangerous missiles .
-When the rea r seat backrest is folded
down, a lways use suitable mounting
straps and properly secure items to the
tie-downs in the luggage compartment
to hel p prevent items from fly ing for­
ward as da ngerous missiles into the pas­
s enger compartment .
- Never attach a chi ld safety seat te th er
s trap to a t ie- down .
Reporting Safety
Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If you b elieve that your v ehi cle
has a d efe ct whi ch could cause
a crash or could cause injury or
d eath, you should imm ediately
inform the National Highway
Tr affic Safet y Admini stration ..,.
•
•

222 Intelligent technology
To ensure that the ASR works properly, all
four wheels must be fitted with identical
tires. Any differences in rolling rad ius of
the t ires can cause the system to reduce
engine power when this is not desired. See
also¢
page 285, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels.
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automob iles are st ill
subject to wea r, depending la rgely on operat­
ing cond itions and dr iv ing habits
Q ,& . On ve­
hicles that are eithe r driven mostly in stop­
and -go city traffic or are driven hard, the
brake pads should be checked by your author­
ized Audi dealer more often than specified in
the
Warranty & Maintenance booklet . Failure
to have your brake pads inspected can result
in reduced brake performance .
On steep slopes, you shou ld use the braking
effect of the engine. This way, you prevent un­
necessary wear on the brake system. If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the brakes
down continuously . Pump the brakes at inter­
va ls.
Noises may occur when braking depending on
the speed, braking force and outside condi­
tions such as temperature and humidity.
Moisture or road salt
Under certain conditions, for examp le, when
driving through water or very heavy rain, or
even after washing your vehicle, the braking
effect can be reduced due to moisture (or in
freezing conditions ice) on the brake pads. A
few careful brake applications should dry off
the brake pads o r remove any ice coatings.
When you are driving at higher speeds with
the w indshield wipers on, the brake pads will
brief ly touch the brake discs in regular inter- vals so as
to improve reaction time when brak ­
ing on wet surfaces . You, the driver, will not
notice anything.
T he effect iveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is driven on a sa lt-covered
road and the brakes are not used . Here too,
you should clean off accumulated sa lt coating
from brake discs and pads w ith a few careful
applications of the brake¢,&.
Corrosion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not driven regu larly or
only for short trips w ith litt le use of the
brakes.
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if cor­
rosion has formed on the discs, it is advisable
to clean off the pads and discs by braking
firmly a few times from a moderately high
speed
c> ,& .
Faults in the brake system
If you shou ld notice a sudden increase in
brake pedal trave l, then one of the two brake
c ir cuits may have fa iled
c> ,& .
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fluid level is too low. The brake fluid
l evel is monitored electronically .
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spect ion of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the wheel. If neces­
sary, the wheel may be removed for this in­
spect ion
c> page 298, Changing a wheel.
A WARNING
-- You shou ld perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road conditions permit.
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an accident!

@ Tips
- When the engine is running, never hold
the steer ing whee l turned a ll the way to
the right or t o the left f or longer than 15
seconds . The power steering pump w ill
overheat the hydraulic f lu id if you keep
hol ding the steer ing wheel turned all the
way . This is likely to damage the power
steering system .
- If the power steer ing system should fail
ent irely, or if the engine is not running
(fo r example , while being towed), you
will still be able to steer the vehicle .
However ,
considerably more effort will
be required to do so.
- If the power s teer ing system should
have a leak, or is not f unct ioning proper ­
l y, contact yo ur authorized Audi deale r
immediately.
- The power stee ring system requires a
spec ially formulated hydraulic fl uid. The
power steer ing reservo ir is the one locat­
ed farthest to the rear on the left side of
the engine compartment
c> page 260.
The co rrect flu id leve l in the reservoi r is
i mportant for p roper functioning of the
power steer ing .
Driving with your
quattro ®
With all-whe el drive , oil four whe els ore driv ­
en.
General information
W ith all -whee l dr ive , power is dis tr ibuted to
a ll fo ur wheels. This happens automatica lly
dep ending on yo ur driving sty le and the road
conditions at th e time . See a lso
¢ pag e 221,
Electronic differential lock ( EDL) .
Winter tires
When driv ing in the w inter , your ve hicl e w it h
all -wheel drive has an advan tage, even with
regu lar tir es. In wint er road conditions it may
be adv isable to mount wint er tires (o r all -sea­
son t ires) for improved driveability and b rak-
Int ellig ent technolog y 225
ing: t h ese tires must be mounted on all four
wheels. See also ¢
page 289, Winter tires .
Tire chains
Where tire chains a re ma ndatory o n cer tain
roads, this no rma lly also app lies to veh icles
with all-wheel drive¢
page 290, Snow
chains.
Replacing wheels/tires
Vehicles with all-wheel drive must always have ti res of t he same s ize. A lso avo id tires
with different t read dep ths. For det ails see
page
c!;> pag e 285, New tir es and replacing
tires and wheels .
_& WARNING
A lways adj ust yo ur driv ing to road and traf­
f ic conditions. Do not let the extra safety
afforded by all-wheel drive tempt you into
taking extra risks .
-Altho ugh the all-wheel drive is very ef ­
fective, always remember that braking
capacity is lim ited by tire traction. You
should therefore not drive at excessive
speeds on icy or slippe ry road surfaces .
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to drive too fast because the front wheels
could begin to slide o n top of the water
(aquaplaning). If th is should occur, yo u
will have no w arning from a s udden in­
cre ase in engine speed as w ith a front ­
wheel drive veh icle. Always drive at
speeds which are su ited to the road con­
ditions -risk of crash.
Energy management
Starting ability is optimized
E nergy management controls the distribution
of electrical energy and thus optimizes the
availability of electrical energy for starting the engine.
If a vehicle with a conventiona l energy system
is not drive n for a long per iod of t im e, the bat­
te ry is discharged by idling cur rent consume rs
(e .g. immobi liz e r) . In cert ain circum stan ces it ..,_
•
•