2012 AUDI Q7 light

directly at locks, or at door or hatch
openings -they can freeze shut.
- Never use sponges designed to remove
insects , or any kitchen scouring sponges
or similar products. They can damage
your paint finish .
- You should remove debris (such as in­
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regular basis, for example when refuel­
ing your vehicle. Never use a dry cloth or
sponge to clean the headlights . Only use
wet cloths or sponges to prevent
scratches . It is best to use soapy water .
@) For the sake of the environment
In the interest of the environment, the ve­
hicle should only be washed in special
wash bays .
Washing your vehicle with a power
washer
Cleaning the exterior of your car with a high­
pressure power washer is safe as long as you observ e a few simple rules.
" Before using the power washer , make sure
you have read and understood the WARN­ INGS ~.&.
in General information on
page 239.
" Always follow the operating instructions for
the pow er wash er.
" Make su re that the jet on the spray hose
produces a "fan shaped spr ay" .
" Do
not hold the spray nozzle too close to
soft materials .
When cleaning the vehicle with a power wash­
er
always follow the operating ins truc tions.
T his applies particularly to the
operating
pressure
and the spraying distance. Maintain
a sufficient distance to soft materials such as
rubber hoses and sound/vibration deadening
materials (particularly on the underside of the
engine hood). Do not use a jet which sprays
water in a
direct stream or one that has a ro­
tating
jet.
Water temperature should not exceed 140 °F
(60 °().
Cleaning and protection 241
A WARNING
Never wash tires with a jet that sprays wa­
ter in a direct stream . This could cause in­
visible damage to the tires and weaken
them, even if the spray is from a relatively
long distance and for a short time . Dam­
aged and weakened tires can fail and cause
accidents and personal injury.
(D Note
To avoid damaging your vehicle, always make sure that there is sufficient distance
between the spray head and soft materials
like rubber hoses, plastic parts and sound­
deadening materials. Never aim the spray
head at the same point for a long time.
This also applies to cleaning headlights
and painted bumpers. Remember : the
closer the nozzle is to the surface of the
material, the greater the stress on the ma­
terial.
Waxing and Polishing
Waxing
A good wax coating protects the vehicle paint
to a large extent against the environmental
factors listed under ~
page 239, Washing and
even against slight scratches.
You can use a liquid car wax to protect your
paint as soon as one week after your vehicle
has been delivered.
Even if you regularly use a
waxing process in
automatic car washes, we recommend that
you manually apply a coat of wax to give the paint extra protection, particularly if water no
longer beads on the clean paint .
Protect plastic body parts with car wax in the
same way as the vehicle body .
During warm weather dead insects tend to
collect on the front bumper and on the for ­
ward area of the hood. They are much easier
to remove from paint that is waxed
often . IJ,-
•
•

242 Cleaning and protection
Polishing
Polish your vehicle on ly if the paint has lost its
shine and the g loss cannot be brought back
with wax.
I f the polish used does not contain preserva­
tive compounds, the paint must be waxed af­
terwards .
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 239 .
~ Note
Do not use car wax on
- matte or anodized metal trim
- rubber or rubbe r-like tr im.
Trim strips
Metal trim needs special core .
For environmental reasons, Audi fabricates
the bright tr im strips and trim pieces from
pure chromium-free aluminum.
Dirt and marks on the trim strips should be
removed with a
pH-balanced cleaning agent
(do not use a chrome cleaner). Authorized Au­
d i dealers carry clean ing products wh ich have
been tested for use on your veh icle and are
not harmful to the environment .
To avoid corros ion on the exterior trim str ips,
only a pH-balanced solution should be used
for the w indshield washer .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 239.
Plastic and vinyl
Plastic needs special core.
Use a clean, damp cloth or sponge to remove
dust and light surface dirt. For other soil, use
a lukewarm all-purpose clean ing solution or a
mild saddle soap for vinyl trim. Remove water
spots and traces of soap w ith a clean, damp cloth
or sponge. Use a clean, soft cloth to rub
dry.
G rease , tar or oil sta ins can be removed with a
clean cloth or sponge soaked with all-purpose
cleaner or with a so lvent designed especially
to clean vinyl.
Occas ional ly apply a colorless vinyl or leather
preservative to re tain the materia l's luster
and pliability.
A WARNING
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ~
page 239.
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral-pH products to remove spots
and deposits from a luminum surfaces.
Chrome care products and alkaline cleaners
will attack aluminum surfaces and can dam­ age them over time.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
~page 239.
Touch-up paint
Minor point damages should be touched up
immediately.
"' Use e ither a touch-up paint stick or spray
pa int to cover m ino r scratches and nicks.
Your authorized Audi dealer has touch-up
paint for minor scratches and stone chips.
Scratches should be touched up soon after
they occur to prevent corrosion .
If a spot starts to rust, however, a simple
touch-up job will not be enough. The affected
surface must be sanded smooth and coated
with an anti-rust primer before the painted
finish can be restored.
The number for the original veh icle paint can
be found on the vehicle identification label
~page 314. ..,.

& WARNING
Always read an d heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 239.
Windows
Clear vision to all sides.
Clean all windows regularly to remove road
film and ca rwash wax bu ildup.
.,. Remove snow from windows using a brush .
.,. Use a plast ic ice scraper to remove ice from
windows and mirrors .
.,. Remove other res idue on the wi ndows with
a spray-on glass cleaner .
.,. Wipe the windows dry with a cle an p iece of
cloth o r kitchen paper towel.
The best way to remove snow from w indows
and mir rors is to use a b rush . U se a non -abra­
sive
pla stic ice scra per -better still, a spray
deicer -to remove
ice from windows and mir­
rors.
The window s m ust no t be cleaned wi th insect
r emover or wax s ince these can interfere wi th
the function of the windshield wipe r blades
(chatter) .
O il, g rease , or silicone residue can be removed
with
gla ss cleaner or silicone r emover. How­
ever, wax residue req uires the use of a specia l­
l y form ulated solvent. P lease contact yo ur au­
thorized Audi dealer for adv ice on safe prod­
ucts for wax removal.
Windows sho uld a lso be cleaned on the inside
at regular interva ls .
Never dry w indows w ith the same chamois
that you use to dry pain ted s urfaces. Wax resi­
d ue on the chamois can impair vision thro ugh
the windows .
& WARNING
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 239.
-The windshie ld m ust not be treated with
water-repellent materials. They can in­
crease glare under poor visib ility condi-
Cleaning and protec tion 243
tions such as wetness, darkness, or when
the sun is low on the hor izon. In addi­
tion, they can cause the windshield wip­
ers to chatter.
@ Note
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow and ice from windows and mirrors.
Th is could cause the glass to crack.
- To prevent damage to the wires of the
rear defogger, do not place any adhesive
st ickers on the ins ide of the rear w indow
over the wires.
- To help prevent dirt from scratching the
window, always scrape in a forward di­
rection -pushing the sc raper away from
you -never back and forth.
Cast (light) alloy wheels
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care .
.,. Wash the wheels with a sponge or hose
brush every other week.
.,. For deep cleaning afterwards, use only a
ded icated
acid-fre e cast alloy wheel cleaner .
.,. Rub a coat of
liquid wa x onto the rims every
three month. Be su re to rea ch and treat all
pa rts of the rim.
T o preserve the decorative appea rance of the
cast alloy wheels, some special care is neces­ sa ry. In addi tion to road d irt and salt, brake
dust is a lso co rrosive . If left on fo r too long,
brake d ust can cause pitting.
U se only spec ia l
acid-free cleaners formulated
for alloy r ims. Safe produc ts a re ava ilab le at
your aut ho rized Aud i dea le r. Neve r leave the
cleaner on the rims longer than specified on
the labe l. If not rinsed off promptly, the acid
contained in some cleaners can attack the
threads on the wheel bolts.
Never use abrasive o r metal po lish ing clean­
ing agents . If the protective coating has been
c hi pped, e .g . by kicked up road dirt, to uch it
u p as soon as possible .
•
•

24 4 Cl eaning and protec tio n
8_ WARNING
- Moisture and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency¢
page 222, Gen eral
information.
Test the brakes carefu lly
e ach time you wash the veh icle .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
-
other information ¢ page 239.
Body cavity sealing
The body cavity sealing does not need to be
checked .
All body cavities wh ich could be affected by
corrosion have been thoroughly protected at
the factory.
This sealing does not require any inspection or
additional treatment. If any wax should seep
out of the cavity when the ambient tempera­
ture is high, it can be removed with a plastic
scraper and a suitable solvent.
8_ WARNING , ~
Solvents can be dangerous .
- Benzine is flammable and toxic . If you
use benzine for removing the wax, keep
sparks, flame and lighted c igarettes
away. Never dump benzine on the
ground, into open streams or down sew­
age drains.
- Be sure to observe all safety and env iron­
menta l regulations. Follow all instruc­
tions on the con tainer .
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
other information
¢ page 239 .
Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time.
The lower body shell of your Audi is also thor­
oughly protected against corrosion .
Any damage to the undercoating caused by road hazards should be repa ired promptly .
8_ WARNING
Too much undercoating in the wrong p la­
ces can cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustp roofing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields. While driving, the substance used fo r undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other info rmation ¢
page 239.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road salt and o ther co rrosive materials w ill
damage the material in the exhaus t tail pipes
i f they a re not cleaned regular ly . Do not clean
the tail pipes with wheel cleaner, paint polish, chrome polish or other abras ive cleaners .
Clean the tail pipes with car care products
that are suitable for sta inless steel.
Your a uthorized Audi dea ler can provide clean­
ing products that have been tested and ap­
proved for your vehicle .
Care of interior
MMI display
.,. Clean the MM I display wi th a soft clean
cloth and an LC D cleaner .
T he M MI display can be cleaned wit h a profes­
s io nal ly availab le " LCD cleane r". The cloth
sho uld be slightly dampened with t he clean­
ing fluid to clean the disp lay.
CIT) Note
To avoid sc ratching the M MI display, you
shou ld never clean it dry.
MMI control console
.,. First clean the MMI contro l conso le with a
brush to remove dust from the housing .
.,. Then wipe the MMI control console with a
clean, soft, slightly damp cloth. .,..

24 6 Cl eaning and protec tio n
8_ WARNING
So lvents can change the properties of
some plastics and make it harder for the
airbag to deploy .
-
-Never clean the instrument panel or the
surface of airbag modules with cleaning
products that contain solvents .
- Products containing solvents w ill make
the surface of th is part porous.
- Serious injur ies can result if plastic parts
come loose when the airbag is deployed.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 239.
(D Note
Cleaning agents containing solvents will
attack the mater ial and can change the
way it behaves.
Natural leather
App lies to vehicles: with natura l leather
Audi makes great efforts to maintain the
properties, natural look and feel of interior
leather.
Gen eral
We offer many different types of leather on
our vehicles. Most are different types of nappa
leather, which has a smooth surface and
comes in various colors.
The intensity of the color determines the visu­ al characteristics and appearance . If the sur­
face of the leather has a typical natural look,
then the leather is a nappa leather that has
been left in a relatively natural condition. This
leather offers particularly good comfort and
breathes well. F ine veins, closed grains, insect
b ites, ski n folds , and subtle var iations in color
remain visible. These characte ristics demon­
strate that the mater ial is natural.
Natural nappa leather is not covered by a col­
or finish.
It is therefore more sensitive to soil­
ing and wear, which is something you need to
consider if chi ld ren, anima ls or othe r factors
might prove to be particular ly hard on the
leather. By cont
rast, leather types that are covered by
a colored finish layer are more durable . This
has a positive effect on the leather's resist­
ance to wear and soiling in dai ly use. On the
other hand, the typical characteristics of natu­
ral leather are barely or not apparent . Howev ­
er, th is does not mean that the leathe r itself
is of inferior quality .
Care and h andling
Because of the exclusive nature of the types of
leather that Aud i uses and their unique prop­
erties (such as sensit ivity to oils, grease, soil ­
ing, etc.), you will need to be somewhat care­
ful with these leathers, and a ce rtain type of
ca re is requ ired . For example , dark clothing
mater ials can disco lor leathe r seats (especia l­
ly if such clothing is damp and was not dyed
correct ly). Dust and dirt particles in pores,
folds, and seams can have an abrasive effect and can damage the leather surface as we ll as
weaken seams.
The leather should be cleaned regularly as
needed . After having been used for a relatively
l ong time, your leather seats will acqu ire a
rich aged fin ish. This is a characteristic of nat­
ural leather and a sign of true quality.
In order to maintain the value of this natural
product over the life of your vehicle, you
should follow the recommendat ions below:
(D Note
- To keep your leather from b leaching out,
do not allow it to be exposed to bright
sunlight for long periods of time. If you
have to leave the veh icle parked outside
for long per iods, cover the leather to
protect it from direct exposure to sun­
light.
- Sharp objects on cloth ing, such as zip­
pers, rivets or sharp pieces on belts can
leave permanent s cratches or s crape
ma rks on the su rface of the leather.
(D Tips
- After each time you clean the leather and
at regular intervals, use a leathe r
1111>

preservative creme that contains UV­
blockers and that works into the leather .
This creme w ill nourish and mo istur ize
the leather, he lp ing it to breathe and
stay supple. It also helps to build up a
protective coating on the surface.
- Clean the leather every 2 - 3 months,
and clean any areas that get soiled.
- Remove fresh marks made by ballpoint pens, ink, lipst ick, shoe polish, etc. as
soon as possib le.
- Preserve the color of the leather as need­
ed by using a special colored leather care
creme to touch up areas of uneven color .
Cleaning and caring for leather
upholstery and trim
Applies to vehicles: with natural leather
Natural leather requires special care and at­
tention.
Norm al cleaning
.,. Clean soiled areas w ith a slightly mo istened
cotton or woolen cloth.
Mor e stub born dir t
.,. More stubborn dirt can be removed using a
cloth saturated with a m ild soap so lution (2
tablespoons m ild liquid soap) .
.,. Never allow the soap solution to saturate
the leather, and make certa in that no water
soaks into the seams .
.,. Wipe off the soap solut ion with a soft, dry
cl oth.
Cleaning spots
.,. Remove fresh water -b ased spots (such as
coffee, tea, ju ices, blood) w ith an absorbent
cloth or paper towel.
.,. Remove fresh
gr eas e or oil -ba sed spot s
(such as b utter, mayon naise , chocolate) wi th
an absorbe nt cloth or paper towe l, or use
the cleaner from the leat her ca re kit i f the
spot has not yet penetrated into the s urface
of the leather .
.,. Use an oil/grease disso lv ing spray, if
oil /
grease spots h ave d ried on.
Cleaning and protec tion 247
.,. Remove specific k inds of spots (ba llpoint
pe n, fe lt marker, fingernai l polish, water­
based pa int, shoe po lish, etc .) with a spot
remover specifically formu lated for leather.
L e ather care
.,. Every half year use an approved leather care
product (available from your authorized Au ­
di dea ler) to care for the leather .
.,. App ly the product very sparingly.
.,. Wipe it off with a damp cloth.
If you have any q uestions about cleaning and
caring for the leather in yo ur vehicle, it is best
to contact your a uthorized Audi dea ler, who
will be g lad to help you and tell you about our
full range of leather care products, such as :
- Leather cleaning and care kit
- Creams to ca re fo r colored leather
- Spot removers for ballpoin t pens, shoe pol-
ish, etc.
- Oil/grease d issolving spr ay
- New and upcom ing products .
.&_ WARNING
Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
other in formation
r::!)page 239 .
(D Note
- Never use chem ica l so lvents (e .g . lighte r
fluid, tu rpe nti ne), waxes, s hoe polish o r
simi la r prod ucts on the lea ther surfaces
i n yo ur Audi .
- T o avoid damage, have stubbo rn sta ins
remove d by a comme rci al clean ing spe­
c ialist .
Cleaning Alcantara ® (synthetic suede)
Applies to vehicles: with Alcantara upholstery
Removing du st and dirt
.,. Mois ten a cloth, squeeze out excess water
and wipe down the seat surfaces .
Removing stains
.,. Moisten a cloth with lukewa rm wate r o r
w ith di luted
ethyl (rubbing ) alc ohol.
•
•

248 Clea ning and protec tio n
• Dab at the stain . Start at the outside and
work inwards .
• Once the stain is no longer visible, use a
soft dry cloth or t issue to soak up the mois­
ture.
Do not use leather cleaning products on Al­
cantara.
You may use a suitable shampoo for removing
dust and dirt .
Dust and gr it in the pores and seams can
scratch and damage the surface. If the car is
l eft standing in the sun for long periods, the
A lcantara should be protected against direct
sunlight to prevent it from fading. Slight color
variations will deve lop in normal use and are
not an indication of material deterioration .
- Never use chemical solvents (e.g . lighter
fluid, turpentine), waxes, shoe polish or
s imilar products on Alcantara ® surfaces .
- To avoid damage, have stubborn stains
removed by a commerc ial cleaning spe­
cia list.
- Do not use br ushes, stiff sponges or sim­
i larly abrasive cleaning aids.
Safety belts
Only well-maintained safety belts work relia ­
bly when needed.
• Keep be lts clean.
• For cleaning, use a mild soap and water sol­
ution. Let be lts dry thoroughly and away
from direct sunlight.
• Do not allow inertia reel safety belts to re­
tract before they are completely dry.
• Check the condition of your safety belts
reg­
ularly.
Heavily soiled safety belts may not retract
properly .
A WARNING
Damaged safety belts can b reak in a crash . -
Anything that might damage your safety
be lts could mean that you and your pas­
sengers would not be adequately pro­
tected in an accident.
- Safety belt performance depends on cor­
rect insta llation. Never remove be lts
from the veh icle to clean them .
- Do not use chemical clean ing agents,
bleach or dyes. They have corrosive prop­
erties which weaken the webb ing.
- When clean ing your safety belts, inspect
them for damage . If you discover dam­
age, see your authorized Audi dealer .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 239.
' Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en­
gine comportment.
Alwa ys switch off the ign ition before clean ­
i ng the engine¢ .&, .
Plenum panel
Remove leaves from the plenum panel in front
of the windshield under the engine hood . This
prevents the water drain holes from becoming
blocked, and it prevents debris from enter ing
the vehicle interior through the heating and
ventilat ion ducts.
Cor rosion protection
The engine compartment and transmission
have been corrosion -protected at the factory .
Good anti- corrosion treatment is very impor­
tant, particu larly in the w inter.
If the vehicle
is frequently driven on salt treated roads, the
entire engine compartment and plenum panel
shou ld be thoroughly cleaned at the end of
winter and retreated to prevent salt damage.
At the same time, the underside of the vehicle
should be washed as well. ..,_

250 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Fuel supply and filling
your fuel tank
Fuel supply
Gasoline
Appl ies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
Using the right fuel helps keep the environ­
ment clean and prevents engine damage .
Fuel recommendation
The fuel recommended for yo ur vehicle is un ­
lead ed premium
grade gasolin e. See a lso
¢ pag e 316, Data . Audi recommends usi ng
T OP TIE R Detergent Gaso line wi th a minim um
o ct ane rating of 9 1 AKI (95 RON). For more
i nf ormat ion on TO P TI ER De tergent Gaso line,
p lease go to t he officia l webs ite (www.toptier ­
gas.com).
T he re commended g asoline octa ne r ating for
your engine can a lso be fo und on a la bel locat ­
e d on the inside of the fue l filler flap . This ra t­
ing may be specif ied as A KI or RO N.
Your veh icle m ay also be oper ated using un ­
l eaded regular gasoline with a minimum o c­
tane rating of 87 AKI/91 RO N. However, using
87 AKI/91 RON octa ne fue l w ill slightly re­
d uce engine performance.
Use unleaded gasoline only. Unleaded gaso ­
line is available th rougho ut the USA, Ca nada ,
and i n most E uropean countries . We recom­
mend that you do not ta ke yo ur vehicle to
areas or count ries w here unleaded gasoline
may not be available.
F or mo re informat io n on refue ling your ve hi­
cle, see
¢ page 2 52.
Octane rating
O cta ne r ating ind icates a gaso line's abili ty to
res ist engine damagin g "knoc k" ca use d b y
p remature ign ition and detonation. Therefore,
buy ing the correct grade of gaso line is very
important to help prevent possible engine
damage and a loss of engine performance.
Gasoline most commonly used in the Unite d
States and Canada has t he following octane r
atings t hat can usu a lly be found on the fi ller
p ump:
- Premium Gra de: 91 -9 6 A KI
- Regular Grade : 87 -90 AKI
Explanation of the abbreviations:
AKI = Anti Knock In d ex = (R+M) /2 = (RO N
+M ON)/2
R ON= Resea rch Octane Number
MON = Motor Octane Num ber.
(D Note
- Do not use a ny fue l w it h octane rat ings
lower tha n 87 A KI or 91 RO N othe rwise
e xpensive engine damage w ill occur.
- Do
not use leaded gasoline. The use of
leaded gasoline w ill severely damage
yo ur v ehicl e's cata lytic co nve rter a nd its
abi lity to co ntrol exha ust em issions .
Blended gasoline
Applies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
Use of gasoline containing alcohol or
MTBE (methyl tertiary butyl ether )
You may use unleaded g asoline blende d wi th
alcohol o r MTBE (commonly referred to as
oxygenates) if the blende d mixture meets t he
f o llow ing criteria:
Blend of gasoline methanol (wood alcohol or
methyl alcohol)
- Anti -kno ck index must be 87 A KI or higher.
- Blend must contain no more t han 3% meth-
anol.
- Blend must contain more than 2% co -sol -
vents.
Blend of gasoline and ethanol (grain alcohol
or ethyl alcohol)
- Anti -knock index must be 87 AKI or higher .
- Blend must not conta in mo re tha n 10%
ethanol.
Blend of ga soline and MTBE
- Anti-knoc k index mus t be 87 AKI or higher. IJll,