2012 AUDI Q7 brake fluid

236 Trailer to wing
-The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating for yo ur
Audi Q7 would be exceeded if your vehi­
cle is simultaneously equ ipped w ith Pan­
oramic sl iding sunroof; th ird-row seat­
ing; trailer towing equipment (factory or
dealer-installed), and running boards
(dea le r-installed) . UNDER NO C IRCUM­
STANC ES MAY AL L SUC H ITE MS BE IN­
STALLED ON THE SAM E VEH ICLE.
Operating instructions
MAX 6 .9 "
MAX175mm
E
"' E
"' .... a)
rt
Fig. 219 Permi tted ball p osit ion of the t ra iler hitc h
Traile r to wing we ight s
W it h a fac tor y-ins talled trailer hitch, the
maximum permissible trailer we ight is 6 ,615
lbs (3,000 kg) . The maximum permissible un­
braked trailer weight is 1,650 lbs (750 kg) .
W ith an aft er mar ket trailer hitch, the maxi­
m um permissible trailer we ight is 5,512 lbs
(2,500 kg) . These specifica tions apply when
driving on roads having an incline of less than
12%.
Perm issible tongue load
F or best vehicle handli ng u nder these
changed condit ions, adjust the trailer load so
that the tongue load is at the maxim um al ­
l owable or slightly lower. Yo u can get an ap­
proximation of the tongu e load with a bath­
room scale o r you c an measu re the load at a
trucking company or weighing s ta tion.
With a factory-in stalled trailer hitch, the
maximum permissib le load on the ball hitch
may not exceed 662 lbs (300 kg). With an af­
termarket trailer hi tch, the maximum permis­
sib le load on the ball h itch may not exceed 551
lbs (250 kg) . It is recommended to use
the maximum permissible load.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the t ra iler is held secure ly
in place to prevent it from shift ing forward,
backward or sideways.
Nev er allow a pas seng er t o rid e in a trai ler
¢&. in Driving instructions on page 23 7.
Ball m ount
The trailer hi tch may only be used w ith suita­
ble ball mount and ball¢
fig. 219 . Installa ­
tion of the h itch ball must be carried out in ac­
cordance with the manufacturer's inst ruc­
tions . At the height dimens ion of 1.5 in
(38 .5 mm) a tolerance of+/- 0.5 in ( 12. 7 mm)
is permissible .
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard­ er . It is impo rtant that the cooling system's
performance is up to the additional load.
Make sure that the cooling system has enough
fluid.
T ire pressur e
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold ti re pressu re listed under
" F u ll load" on the tire pressure label. The tire
pressure label is located on the drive r's side B­
pillar . Inflate trailer tires to t railer and tire
manufacturers' specifications.
Lights
T he headlight settings should be checked wi th
t h e trai ler attached before d riving
off. Check
to make s ure both vehicle and trailer lights
are worki ng properly.
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly con­
nected from the trai le r to the hitch on the ve­
hicle. Leave enough slack in the ch ains to pe r­
mit turning corners. When you install safety
chains, make sure they will not drag on the
road when you are driving. ..,.

Cleaning and protect ion
General information
Regular core preserves vehicle value.
Any automobile is exposed to industrial
fumes , corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after purchase . Regu lar and correct care w ill con­
tr ibute to maintaining the beauty and value of
your Aud i.
F u rth ermor e, good c are may be a conditi on
for subs tantiati ng a w arrant y claim sho uld
c orrosion d amag e or paint d efects oc cur.
Your authorized Audi dealer has a variety of
dedic ated veh icle-car e products and can ad ­
vise which ones to use for cleaning the exter i­
or and interior of your vehicle.
Whether you use products recommended by
Aud i or other commercially available clean ing
agents, please make sure you apply them cor­
rectly .
.&, WARNING
-Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them out of the reach of children.
- Heed all caut ion labels.
- Always read directions on the container
before using any product. Follow the di­
rect ions carefu lly.
- Most chemical cleaners are concentrated
and have to be diluted .
- Use spot removing fluids only in well
ventilated areas.
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, d iesel
fuel, nail polish remover or other volatile
fluids. They may be toxic, flammab le or
haza rdous in other ways. Do not wash,
wax or dry the vehicle with the ign it ion
on or the engine running.
- Do not clean the undersides of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, e tc. w ithout pro­
tecting your hands and arms. You may c u t yourself on sharp -edged metal parts .
Cleaning and protec tion 239
- Moisture and ice on brakes may impair
brak ing effic iency¢
page 222, General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle.
@) For the sake of the environment
Select on ly environmentally friend ly clean­
i ng products . Leftover cleaning products
should not d isposed of in the household
waste.
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protects the vehicle .
The best protection against environmental i n­
fluences is
frequent washing and waxing . How
often t his is required depends on:
- How much the veh icle is used
- Where the veh icle is parked (garage, in the
open under trees, etc.)
- The seasonal and weather conditions
- Environmental infl uences
T he longer b ird droppings, insects, tree resin,
road and indus tria l gr ime, ta r, soot, road salt
and other materials remain on the vehicle body, the more lasting their destructive ef­
fects wi ll be . High temperatures caused by ex­
posure to intense sun light intens ify the corro­
s ive effect, particularly when humid ity is high
as well.
Under certain circumstances,
weekl y washing
may be necessary. Under other cond itions, a
monthly washing and waxing may be ade­
quate .
After the winter, the underside of the vehicle
should be thoroughly washed, preferab ly in a
professional car wash .
.&, WARNING ,_
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 239.
•
•

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. .,..

-Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever to "P" (Park).
- Always let the engine cool down. Hot
components will burn skin on contact.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment. Wa it until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fully opening the hood.
- Keep children away from the engine com­
partment .
- Never spill fluids on hot engine compo­
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxili­
ary electric fan is temperature controlled
and can switch on suddenly.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm. The cool­
ant system is pressurized and hot cool­
ant could spray out .
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir .
- If work on the fuel system or the electri­
cal system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery.
- Never smoke or work near heaters or
open flames. Fluids in the engine com­
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im­
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal in­
jury while the engine is running or being
started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
-If you must perform a check or repair
with the engine running:
- First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever to "P" (Park).
Checking and filling 259
-Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact­ ing hot parts . Tie back hair before
starting, and do not wear clothing that
will hang or droop into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and
chemical hazards
9 .&, .
&_ WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de­
fects and reproductive harm. In addition,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con­
tain or emit chemicals known to the
State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories contain lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc ­
tive harms. Wash hands after handling .
(D Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container
or filler opening, otherwise serious dam­
age to vehicle systems will occur.
@ For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly. If
you see spots from oil or other vehicle flu­
ids, have your vehicle inspected by an au­
thorized Audi dealer. •
•

260 Checking and filling
Engine compartment
These are the most important items that you can check .
Fig. 229 Typical layout for containers, engine oil di pstick and engin e oil fille r cap
(D W indshield/head light washer
t . (
;R ) con ainer ,.... .............. .
@ Coolant expansion tank (-L) .. .
@ Engin e oi l filler cap ('t".:r.) . .. .. .
©
®
®
(j)
Eng ine oil dipstick (orange) . .. .
Brake fluid reservoir
((0)) ..... .
Power steering reservoir ... .. .
Jump start connector( +) under 273
266
264
263
268
224
a cover,( ·) with hex head screw 271,308
The pos ition of the engine o il fi lling hole and
the engine oil dipstick
r=;, fig. 229 (position ®
and @) can vary according to the type of en­
gine .
_&. WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS ¢.&.
in Working in the engine
c omportment on page 258.
-
Engine oil
Engine oil specifications
The engine oil used in your Audi needs the
right kind of oil.
The engine in your Audi is a sophist icated
powerplant that was built to exacting specifi­
cations. Th is engine needs the right kind of
engi ne oil that meets specifications regard ing
quality and v iscosity so that it can run
smooth ly and reliab ly. Choosing the right oil
and changing oil within the time and mileage
intervals printed in your vehicle's Warranty
&
Maintenance booklet matters a lot more to­
day tha n it did years ago . Audi has developed
a spec ia l quality standard for eng ine oil that
will help assure that your vehicle's engine w ill
get the lubr ication it needs for proper opera­
t ion .
Modern engine lubr ication has taken a quan ­
tum leap in the last few years. Many synthetic "'

268 Checking and filling
-If you drain the coolant, it must be
caught and safely stored in a proper con­
tainer clearly marked "poison".
(D Note
- Coolant pollutes the environment and
could cause an engine fire . Excess cool-
ant will be forced out through the pres­
sure relief valve in the cap when the en­
gine becomes hot.
- If, in an emergency, only water can be
added , the correct ratio between water
and antifreeze
c:::> page 265 must be re­
stored as soon as possible .
@ For the sake of the environment
Drained coolant should not be reused. Al­
ways dispose of used coolant while observ­ ing all environmental regulations.
Radiator fan
The radiator fan switches on automatically by
itself
The radiator fan is driven by the engine via the
V-belt . The viscous clutch regulates the speed
of the fan accord ing to the temperature of the
coolant.
An auxiliary electric radiator fan* switches on
and off depending on coolant temperature
and other vehicle operating conditions.
After you switch the engine off, the aux iliary
fan can continue running for up to 10 minutes
- even with the ignition off. It can even switch
on again later by itself
c:::> &. , if
- the temperature of the engine coolant rises
due to the heat build-up from the engine in
t he engine compartment, or
- the engine compartment heats up because
the vehicle is parked in intense sunligh t.
_&. WARNING
- To reduce the risk of personal injury nev­
er touch the radiator fan. -
The auxiliary electric fan is temperature
controlled and can switch on suddenly
even when the engine is not running.
- The auxiliary radiator fan switches on au­
tomatically when the engine coolant reaches a certain temperature and will
continue to run until the coolant temper­
ature drops.
Brake fluid
Checking brake fluid level
The brake fluid level can be checked with a
quick glance.
Fig. 234 E ngine compart men t: cove r on the brake fluid
reserv oir
Before you check anyth ing in the engine com­
partment,
always read and heed all WARN­
INGS c:::> _&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 258.
.,. Read the brake fluid level from the brake
fluid reservoir
c:::> fig. 234, c:::> page 260,
fig.
229. The brake fluid level m ust be be­
tween the "MIN" and "MAX" markings.
The brake fluid reservoir is located at the rear
partition of the engine compartment on the
left side
c:::> page 260.
The fluid level may drop slightly after some
time due to the automatic adjustment of the
brake pads. This is not cause for alarm.
If the brake flu id level falls
considerably be­
low the
"MIN " mark, the brake warning/indi­
cator light ( U.S. models: -· Canadian
models :. ) w ill come on
c:::>page 19 and
c:::>page 32. Do not continue to operate the ve-
hicle. The compl ete brake system should be ..,.

thoroughly checked by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop and the cause
corrected .
If the brake fluid level is too low ,
the brake warning/indicator light will i llum i­
nate. Con tact an au thori zed Aud i dealer
im ·
mediately .
@ Tips
The brake fluid reservoir is located under­
neath the cover.
Changing brake fluid
Have the brake fluid changed by an experi­
enced technician .
Brake fluid absorbs moist ure from the a ir. If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
h igh, corrosion in the brake system may result
after a per iod of t ime . The bo iling po int of the
brake fluid w ill also decrease considerably and
decrease b raking performance .
Therefore, the brake flu id must be changed
every two years . Always use new brake fluid
which conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle
Standa rd "FMVSS 116 DOT 4".
The brake f lu id reservoir can be difficult to
reach, therefore, we recommend that yo u
have the brake f lu id changed by your author­
i zed
Audi dea ler . Your deale r has the co rrect
too ls, the right b rake fluid and the know-how
to do this fo r you.
_& WARNING
- Br ake fluid is po isonous . It must be s to r­
ed only in the closed orig inal con tainer
o ut of the reac h of c hildren!
- Br ake f ailure can resu lt from old or in ap ­
propr iate b ra ke fluid. Observe these pre ­
caut ions:
- Use on ly brake fluid that meets SAE
specif ication
J 1 703 and conforms to
Federal Motor V ehicle Sta ndard 116.
A lways check wi th you r auth o riz ed Audi
deale r to ma ke s ure you are using the
correct brake flu id . T he correc t type of
Checkin g and fillin g 269
brake f luid is also ind icated on t he
brake f luid rese rvoir.
- The bra ke fl uid must be new. Heavy use
of the brakes can cause a vapo r lock if
the brake fluid is left in the system too
l ong. This can seriously affect the effi­
c iency of the brakes as well as your
safe ty. This co uld resu lt in an accide nt.
(1) Note
Brake fluid will damage the paint of your
vehicle.
@) For the sake of the environment
Because o f the prob lem of proper disposal
of brake fluid as well as the spec ial too ls
required and the necessary expertise, we
recomme nd that you have the brake flu id
changed by you r autho rized Aud i deale r.
Battery
General information
U nder normal operating cond itions, the bat­
tery in your Audi does not need any ma inte­
nance. With
high outside temperatures or
long da ily drives we recommend that you have
the e lectrolyte level chec ked by an au thorized
Audi dealer or qualified wo rkshop . The elec­
t ro lyte level should also be che cked each time
t h e battery is cha rged
~ page 271.
Have the battery checked when you take your
vehicle in for se rv ice . You a re well advised to
replace a battery that is o lde r th an 5 years .
With certain types of airbag deployment, the ba tte ry is disconnected from the ve hicle elec­
t rical sys tem for safety reasons
~ A in Re­
pair, care and disposal of the airbags on
page 193.
Disconnecting the battery terminals
Some vehicle fu nctions (power window regu ­
lators, fo r example) are lost if the battery te r­
mina ls are disconn ected . T hese functions have
to be relearned after the bat tery termina ls are
conne cte d ag ain. To p revent t his, the battery .,. •
•

28 2 T ire s and wheel s
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or
weight that any veh icle and any t ire can carry.
A vehicle that is overloaded wi ll not handle
well and is more difficult to stop. Overload ing
can not on ly lead to loss of vehicle control
,
but can a lso damage impo rtant parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden tire failure in-
,
eluding a blowout and sudden deflation that
can cause the veh icle to crash .
Your safety and that of your passengers a lso
depends on making sure that load limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load includes everybody
and everyth ing in and on the vehicle . These
load limits are tech nically referred to as the
vehicle 's
Gr oss Vehicl e W eig ht Rating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the we ight of the basic
vehicle, all factory installed accessories , a full
tank of fuel , oi l, coo lant and other fluids plus
maximum load. The maxim um load includes
the number of passengers that the vehicle is intended to carry ("seating capacity") with an
assumed weight of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each
passenger at a designated seating position
and the tota l weight of any l uggage in the ve­
h icle. If you tow a trailer, the weight of the
trailer h itch and the tongue weight of the
loaded trailer must be included as part of the
ve hicle load .
The
G ro ss Ax le We ight Rat ing ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each
of the vehicle's two axles .
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance st icker label located on the
driver's side B -p illar . Your Audi has 5 seating
positions, 2 in the front and 3 i n the rear for
total seating capacity of 5. On vehicles w ith
six seats*, your veh icle has two front seats,
two seats in the second row seating and two
seats in the third row seating . On vehicles
with seven seats*, your vehicle has two front
seats, three seats in the second row seating
and two seats in the third row seating . Each seating position has a seat belt
q
page 170,
Safety belts .
The fact that there is an upper limit to yo ur
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating means
that the total weight of whatever is being car­
ried in the vehicle (including the weight of a
trailer hitch and the tongue weight of the
loaded tra iler) is lim ited. The more passen­
gers in the vehicle or passengers who are
heavier than the standard we ights assumed
mea n that less we ight can be carr ied as lug­
gage .
The tire pressure label on your Audi also lists
the maximum combined weig ht of a ll of the
occupants and luggage or other cargo that
the vehicle can carry . Fo r the location of the
label qpage278, fig. 237.
_& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
h icle cont ro l, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Ca rrying more we igh t than your veh icle
was des igned to carry wi ll prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of the loss of vehicle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
veh icle w ith in a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been over load­
ed can fail s uddenly, including a blowout
and sudden deflation, causing loss of
control and a crash .
- Always make sure that the total load be­
ing transported -including the weight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue we ight of a
loaded trailer -does not ma ke the vehi­
cle heavi er than the vehicle's Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.
Determining correct load limit
U se t he exa mple b elo w t o ca l­
c ulat e th e t otal w eight of the
pa sseng ers a nd luggage or