2012 AUDI Q7 ECU

that must have a certain size. The system re­
sponds only after the distance measurement has been made. If a measurement is not pos­
sible, the system cannot respond and w ill not
react to a vehicle or someth ing else up ahead.
Open road
When the road is clear, the adaptive cruise
contro l works like cr uise control. It maintains
a constant target speed specified by the driv­
er.
Driving in traff ic
If a slowe r vehicle driving ahead is detec ted,
the adaptive cruise contro l decelerates (within
the limits of the system)
¢ page 124, Driver
intervention prompt
and c:> page 125, System
limitations
to its speed and after adjust ing,
tr ies to maintain the set distance from the ve­
h icle ahead. The vehicle may temporarily drive
slower than the set speed while adjust ing
¢ & in Description on page 113 .
If the vehicle in front accelerates, adaptive
cruise control also accelerates up to the speed
that you have set.
If the vehicle ahead slows to a stop, ACC will
slow your vehicle down and to a complete
stop if this is possible w ith in the system's lim ­
its and capabilities . ACC will not make an
emergency stop. The text message
ACC off :
manual c ontrol!
appears in the instr ument
cluster display . Once the veh icle stops, you
must depress the brake pedal to prevent the
vehicle from moving forward or "creeping". Depressing the brake pedal turns
off ACC.
When the veh icle ahead accelerates you can
reactivate ACC
¢ page 118, as soon as your
ve hicle has reached a speed of 1 mph (2 km/
h) .
Situ ation s re quiring dri ver int ervention
In some s ituations you w ill have to use the
footbrake to s low the vehicle down in order to
keep a safe distance from vehicle in front of
you or to avo id a rear-end coll is ion. In this sit­
uation, a symbol appears and a warning tone
sounds
¢ page 124.
Ada pti ve crui se control 115
Passing another vehicle
If you move in to the passing lane and no ve hi­
cle is detected ahead, the adaptive cr uise con­
trol acce le rates to the speed you have set and
maintains it.
Overr iding ACC
You can in cr ease yo ur speed at a ny time by
stepping on the accelera tor ped al. A fter you
release the accelerator peda l, the system ad­
justs back down to the speed you prev ious ly
set .
Reducing stopp ing distance
If the radar sensor detects that the d istance
to the vehicle a head is less than de fined m ini­
mum distance, the brakes are automatically
prepared fo r emergency braking by the driver .
The brake pads are moved very close to the brake d iscs without actually braking the vehi­
cle. This brake assistant feature reacts more
quick ly to the dr ive r's brak ing, and also works
when adapt ive cruise control is off . The stop­
ping distance is reduced as a result of th is ad­
vance brake p reparation . Th is fun ction does
not perform any emergency b rak ing mane u­
vers by itse lf; the dr iver mus t always apply the
brakes.
A WARNING
If ACC initiates a braking maneuver, the brake pedal w ill be retracted. Inter ference
with the brake peda l can prevent ACC from
slowing the veh icle down and cause a
crash and serious personal injury.
- Never put anything in the driver's foot­
well or let anyth ing fall into it. An object
in the driver's footwe ll can interfe re with
the peda ls and prevent the acce le rator
from being used to override ACC or pre­
vent ACC from being switched off when
the brake pedal is depressed and also
prevent the vehicle from being slowed
down or stopped .
- On ly use floor mats that keep the area
around the peda ls free and that can be
securely fastened to the footwell .
-

138 Automatic transmi ssion
co uld "creep" forward or backward.
When stopped, keep the brake pedal
fully depressed and use the parking brake if necessary to keep the vehicle
from ro lling .
- If the selector lever is unintentionally
moved into N wh ile you are driving, take
yo ur foot off the accele rato r pedal and
wa it for the engine to return to idle
speed befo re selecting a d rivi ng position .
- Never shift into "R" or "P" when the vehi­
cle is in mot ion.
- Never get out of the dr iver 's seat when
the engine is runn ing .
- If you must get out of the vehicle, move
the se lector lever securely into the P po­
sit io n and apply the par king brake f irm ly.
- If the eng ine must remain ru nning, never
hav e any driv ing pos ition engaged when
c hec king under the hood . M ake sure t he
sele ctor lever has securely eng aged and
is locke d in "P" with the par king brake
firmly set ¢
page 248, Engine compart ­
ment .
Otherw ise, any increase in eng ine
speed may set the vehicle in m otion,
even w ith the par kin g brake applied.
Selector lever positions
This section describes the selector lever posi ­
tions and driving ranges.
F ig. 158 Display in t he in st rum en t cluste r: selecto r
lev er in po sit ion P
The inst rumen t cluste r display shows the c ur­
rent selector lever position .
P - Park
In this selector lever posi tion the transm is­
s ion is mechanica lly locked. Engage
P only
whe n the vehicle is
completely stopped¢&.
in Driving the automatic transmission on
page 137.
T o shift in or out of posit ion P , you mus t first
press and ho ld the brake pedal and then press
the re lease button in the selector leve r hand le
whi le moving the selector lever to or from
P .
You can shift out of th is position only with the
ignition o n.
R • Reverse
The transm iss ion w ill automatically select the
lowest gear ratio when you shift into reverse .
Se lect
R o nly when t he vehi cle is at a full stop
and the engine is running at idle speed¢&. in
Driving the automatic transmission on
page 137.
B efore you move the se lector lever to R , press
both the button in the hand le o f the se lecto r
lever and the brake pedal at the same t ime.
W hen the ignition is on, the bac kup light s illu­
minate w hen t he selec to r l ever is
moved in to
R .
N -Neutral
The transm iss io n is in neut ral in this pos it ion .
S hi ft to t his position fo r standing with the
brakes app lied
¢ page 139.
When the vehicle is stat iona ry or at speeds
below 3 mph (5 km/h) , you must always app ly
t h e foo tbrake before and wh ile mov ing the
l ever o ut o f
N.
D - Normal position for driving forward
Position D is for no rma l city and highway driv ­
ing . It ranges from zero to top speed and all
gears shift automatically , depend ing on en­
gine load, d riving speed and a utomat ically se­
l ected shift p rog rams.
When the vehicle is stat iona ry or at speeds
below 3 mph (5 km/h), you must always app ly
IJ,,

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

Erasing the programming of the
Homelink® transmitter
Applies to vehicles: with Homelink® unive rsal remote
control
When you erase the programming, the pro­
gramming on all three of the transmitter channels with be lost!
.,. Perform steps 1 to 4 as described on
¢page 157, Phase 1: program­
ming the overhead keypad .
When completed, the Homelink ® system will
be in the programming mode and is then
ready to learn the codes for remote controlled
devices .
@ Tips
-Programmed buttons cannot be erased
individually.
- For security reasons you are advised to
erase the programming of the Home­ Link ® system before yo u sell your vehicle. Homelink
® 159

160 Driving Safel y
Driving Safely
General notes
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instructions and warnings that you need
to read and observe for your own safety, the
safety of your passengers and others . We have
summarized here what you need to know
about safety belts, a irbags, ch ild restra ints as
well as child safety. Your safety is for us
priori­
ty number 1.
Always observe the info rmat ion
and warn ings in th is sect ion -fo r yo ur own
safety as well as that of your passengers .
The information in this se ction app lies to all
model ve rsions of your veh icle . Some of the
feat ures desc ribed in this sec tions may be
standard equipment on some models, or may be optional equipment on others . If you are
not sure, ask your authorized Aud i dealer.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in­
struct ions and heed the WARNINGS in
this Manual. It is in your interest and in
the inte rest of you r passengers.
- Always keep the complete Owner's Liter­
ature in your Audi when you lend or sell
yo ur vehicle so that this important info r­
mation will always be ava ilable to the
dr iver and passengers.
- Always keep the Owner's literature handy
so that you can find i t eas ily if you have
ques tions.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant
restraint system and work together to help
redu ce the risk of injury in a wide variety of
accident situations.
Your safety and the safety of your passenge rs
should not be left to chance. Advances in
technology have made a varie ty o f fea tures
avai la bl e to he lp re duce the risk of inj ury in an accident
. The following is a list of just a few of
the safety features in your Audi:
- sophis tic ated s afety be lts for d rive r and a ll
passenger sea ting pos it ions,
- be lt te nsione rs fo r th e fro nt sea ts a nd the
ou ter sea ting posit ions in the second row
seating,
- be lt h eight adjustment fo r th e front sea ts
an d the o ute r seat ing pos itions in the sec ­
ond row seating,
- he ad restra ints for e ach sea ting pos ition,
- front airbags,
- side airbags in the fro nt seats and the outer
seating positions in the second row seat­ ing*,
- side curta in ai rbags,
- specia l LATCH anchorages for child re-
st raints,
- ad justab le steering colum n.
These individual safety features, can work to­ gether as a system to he lp protect you and
your passengers in a wide range of accidents .
These features cannot work as a system if
they are not always correctly adjusted and cor­ rectly used .
Safety is everybody's responsibil ity!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody 's job! Vehicle and occu­
pant safety always depends on the informed
and careful driver.
For yo ur safety and the safety of your passen­
gers,
before driving always:
.. Make s ure that all lights and signa ls a re op ­
erati ng correctly .
.. Ma ke s ure that the tire pressure is correct .
.. Make s ure that all windows are clean and
afford good v is ibility to the o utside.
.. Secure a ll luggage a nd other items carefu lly
¢ page 87.
.. Make su re that nothing can in terfe re with
the peda ls.
.. Adjust fron t se at, head restraint and mir­
rors co rrec tly for you r heigh t.

unfolds with great force in the blink of
an eye .
- Always make sure that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between the front
passenger 's breastbone and the instru­
ment panel.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat of the ir own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt be longing to that
seat .
- Before driving, always adjust the front
passenger seat and head restra int prop ­
erly .
- Always keep your feet on the f loor in
front of the seat. Never rest them on the
seat, instrument panel, out of the win­ dow, etc. The airbag system and safety
belt w il l not be ab le to protec t you prop­
er ly and can even increase the risk of in­
jury in a crash .
- Never drive with the backrest reclined o r
ti lted far back! The farther the backrests
are ti lted back , the greater the risk of in ­
jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
t ion.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats
c> page 200 . Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenger seat
c> page 179 .
Proper seating positions for passengers
in rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with
both feet on the floor consistent with their
physical size and be properly restrained whenever the vehicle is in use .
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incor ­
rect seat ing pos ition in the event of a sudden
brak ing maneuve r or an acc ident , your pas­
se ngers on the rea r bench seat must always
observe the fo llow ing :
~ If there are passengers in the rear seat, fold
the head rest ra ints up on the occupied seats
or slide the center head restrain t upward at
least to the next notch
c> page 77 .
Dr ivin g Sa fely 163
~ Make s ure that the seatback is secure ly
latch ed in the upright posi tion
c> page 79.
~ Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front
of the rear seat.
~ F asten and wear safety be lt s properly
<=> page 174 .
~ Make sure that children are always properly
restrained in a child restraint that is appro­
pria te fo r the ir s ize and age ¢
page 200.
A WARNING
Passengers who are imp roperly seated on
the rear seat can be se riously inj ured in a
crash .
- Each passenger must always si t on a seat
of their own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt belonging to that
seat .
- Safety belts only offer maximum protec­
tion when the seatback is sec urely latch­
ed in the upright position and the safety
be lt s are properly posit ioned on the
body . By not s itting up right, a rear seat
passenger increases the risk of personal
in jury from improperly positioned safety
be lts!
- Always adjust the head restraint p roperly
so that it can give maximum protection .
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an im­
portant port of your vehicle's occupant re ­
straint system and can help to reduce the risk
of injuries in accident situations .
Fig. 1 83 Head restr ain t: v ie wed from th e front
The head restraints must be correct ly adjust-
ed to achieve the best protectio n. ..,.

Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must always be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mat
or any other object.
Make sure that all pedals move freely without
interference and that nothing prevents them
from returning to their original positions .
Only use floor mats that leave the peda l area
free and can be secured with floor mat fasten­
ers .
If a brake circuit fails, increased brake peda l
travel is required to bring the vehicle to a
full
stop.
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can cause
loss of vehicle control and increase the r isk
of serious injury.
- Never place any objects in the driver's
footwell. An object could get into the
peda l area and interfere w ith pedal func­
tion. In case of sudden braking or an ac­
cident, you would not be able to brake or
accelerate!
- Always make sure that nothing can fall
or move into the driver's footwell.
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely
attached to the floor mat fasteners and do
not interfere with the free movement of the
pedals.
"' Make sure that the floor mats are properly
secu red and cannot move and interfere with
the pedals ~
A,.
Use o nly floor mats that leave the pedal a rea
unobstructed and that are firmly secured so
that they cannot s lip out of position. Yo u can
obtain suitable floor mats from your author­
ized Audi dealer.
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi .
Driving S afel y 165
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be at­
tached to these fasteners . Properly securing
the f loor mats will prevent them from sliding
into positions that could interfere with the
pedals or impair safe operat ion of your vehicle
in other ways.
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can result
in a loss of vehicle control and increase the
risk of serious persona l injury.
- Always make sure that floor mats are
properly secured.
- Never p lace or install floor mats or other
f loor coverings in the vehicle that cannot
be properly secured in place to prevent
them from slipping and interfer ing with
the peda ls or the ability to contro l the
vehicle .
- Never place or install floor mats or other
f loor coverings on top o f already instal­
led floor mats . Additiona l floor mats and
other coverings will reduce the size of
the pedal area and interfere with the
pedals.
- Always properly reinstall and secure floor
mats that have been taken out for clean­
ing.
- Always make sure that objects cannot
fall into the dr iver footwell while the ve­
hicle is moving . Objects can become
trapped under the brake pedal and accel­
erator pedal causing a loss of vehicle
control. •
•

166 Driving Safel y
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be prop­ erly stowed and secured in the luggage com ­
partment.
Fig . 184 Safe load pos ition ing: place heavy objects as
low and as far forward as possible.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handling
characterist ics . Loose items can also increase
the r isk of serious personal injury in a sudden
vehicle maneuver or in a collision .
,. Distribute the load evenly in the luggage
compartment .
,. Always place and properly secure heavy
items in the luggage compartment as low
and as far forward as poss ible
¢fig. 184.
,. Secure luggage using the tie-downs provid­
ed
¢ page 80.
,. Make sure that the rear seatback is securely
latched in place .
A WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items
can fly through the vehicle caus ing serious
personal inj ury in the event of hard brak­
ing or an acc ident. To help reduce the r isk
of serious persona l injury:
- Always put objects, for example, luggage
or other heavy items in the luggage com­
partment.
- Always secu re objects in the luggage
compartment us ing the tie-down eye lets
and suitable straps.
A WARNING
-Heavy loads wi ll influence the way your ve-
h icle ha ndles. To help reduce the risk of a
loss of control leading to serious personal
i njury:
-Always keep in mind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the cen­
ter of gravity can also cause changes in
veh icle handling:
- Always distribute the load as evenly as
poss ible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in
the luggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Axle We ight Rat­
ing or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
specif ied on the safety compliance stick­
er on the left door jamb. Exceed ing per­
miss ible weight standards can cause the
veh icle to slide and handle differen tly.
- Please observe information on safe dr iv­
ing
¢page 160.
A WARNING
-
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from being drawn into the vehicle, a lways
keep the rear lid closed while driving.
- Never transport objects larger than those fitting comp letely into the luggage
area because the rear lid cannot be ful ly
closed.
- If you absolutely m ust dr ive wi th the rear
lid open, observe the following notes to
red uce the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the Panoramic sliding sunroof *,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument pane l,
- Switc h off the air recirculat ion,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.
A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win­
dows, the Panoramic sliding sunroof * and
the rear lid are securely closed and locked
-