2012 AUDI Q7 towing

Lane width
Applies to vehicles: with side assist
-· Fig. 155 Lan es o f a norma l wid th a re in detect ion area
Fig . 156 Narrow lanes: Side ass ist may detect vehicles
two la nes away
Side assist's detection area is designed to cov­
e r l anes of standard w idth to the left and
r ight of your travel lane, depending on wheth­
er you dr ive in the center of your lane or closer
to the edge.
I f you drive in narrow lanes, s ide ass ist's de­
tec tion a rea may a lso incl ude other lanes -es­
pec ia lly if you tend to drive on the edge of
your lane
c:::> fig. 156 . Under these cond it ions,
ve hicles can also be detected that are two
lanes away, and side assist then could switch
between the informat ional and warn ing stage
signals.
When driving in very wide lanes, vehicles in
the adjacent lane may not be detected be ­
cause they are not inside the detection area.
Notes
Messages in instrument cluster display
Applies to vehicles: with side assist
If s ide ass ist t urns off automa tically, the ind i­
cator l igh t on the button wi ll go ou t and you
Aud i side assist 135
will see a message in the instrument cluster
display:
Audi side assist not available: sensors
bloc ked
The side assist sensors are built into the rear
bumper on the left and r ight (not visible on
the outside)
c:::> page 129, fig . 147. To ensure
that you do not adversely affect the way side
ass ist functions, foreign objects (such as stick­
ers or bicycle racks) should not be attached to
the area on the rear bumper where the sen­
sors a re located . If side ass ist functions are
adverse ly affec ted, you w ill see th is message
in the instrument cluster disp lay . Remove any­
th ing t hat may be blocking the sensors.
If no vehicle is detected for a longer per iod of
t ime wh ile dr iv ing, s ide ass ist w ill also switch
off automatically.
Audi s ide as sist cu rrentl y not available
If there is a temporary problem (such as the
vehicle 's battery charge be ing low), side assist
cannot be act ivated temporar ily .
Audi side assis t: sy stem fault
Have the system checked by an author ized Au­
di dealer or qualified workshop.
Audi side assist not availabl e when
towing
The radar sensor's view is limited when tow­
ing a tra iler. For vehicles with a factory instal­
led towing hitch or a trailer hitch that was in­
stalled later according to facto ry specifica­
tions, s ide ass ist is automatically deact ivated
as soon as the ele ctrical connection to the
trailer's e lectrical socke t is made, and this sta­
tus message appears in the instrument clus­
ter display. Deactivation cannot be guaran ­
teed when using a retrofitted towing hitch
that was
not installed according to factory
specifications.

-On -when the parking system is switched
on, either the visual display or the picture
from the rearview camera is disp layed .
Warning tones
- Front volume* -
front sensor vo lume
- Front frequency* -front sensor frequency
-Rear volume -rear sensor volume
-Rear frequency -rear sensor frequency
-In -ca r entertainment fader/Music volume
while parking -
when the parking system is
switched on, the volume of the active audio source is lowered.
The newly adjusted value is briefly heard from
the signal generator.
(D} Tips
- The warning tones can also be adjusted
direct ly by the v isual disp lay* or the pic­
ture from the rearview camera*. Simply
press the
Settings* control button .
- Changed settings are activated when
parking system is switched on aga in.
- The settings are automatically stored
and ass igned to the remote control key.
Trailer hitch
Applies to vehicles: with rear park assist/Audi parking sys·
tem plus with rearview camera and trailer hitch
For vehicles with a factory installed trai ler
hitch, or a trai ler hitch installed according to
factory specifications, the parking system rear
sensors do not come on whenever you shift in­
to reverse gear or when you press the P
11,
switch*. If you install a hitch yourself, th is
function may not work . In general the follow
limitations may come up:
Rear park assist*
There is no warning for distances to the rear.
Audi parking system plus with rearview
came ra*
There is no warning for distances to the rear .
The front sensors remain activated. The visual
display switches to the trailer towing mode.
The picture from the rearview camera will not
Parking system 149
show the orientation lines nor the blue surfa­
ces.
Error messages
Applies to vehicles: with rear park assist/Audi parking sys­
tem plus with rearview camera
There is an error in the system if the LED on
the
P" 1! switch* is blinking and you hear a con­
tinuous alarm for a few seco nds after switch ­
ing on the park ing system or when the park­
ing system is already activated. Have your au­
thorized Audi dea ler correct the error .
(D Tips
If the error is not corrected before you
switch off the ignition, when you switch on
the parking system again, the LED in the
p,,1, switch* will blink .

154 Adapti ve Air Susp en sion
Di spl ay ing the vehicl e lev el
The cu rrent vehicle level is shown w ith seg­
ments fi lled out in the segment disp lay @ . If
only the bottom segment is filled out, the ve­
hicle is at highway level. If all segments are
fi lled out, the vehicle is at high level 2 and has
the greatest amount of ground clearance pos­
sible.
While the vehicle is being raised or lowered,
the target leve l is indicated by an arrow ©
¢
fig. 176 or a white border ©¢ fig. 177. The
arrow/border disappears aga in when the vehi­
cle is at the target level.
Jacking mode when changing a flat tire
Appl ies to vehicles: with Adaptive Air Suspens ion
This mode must be activated in the MMI be­
fore raising the vehicle with a jack or on a ve ­
hicle lift.
,. Select: Funct ion button ICARI > Function
button
! SETUP I> Jacking mode . Or
,. Select : Funct ion button
ICARI > Control but ­
ton
Car sy stem s* > Serv icing & ch eck s > Air
su sp .: tire ch ang e.
The vehicle jack mode must be activated be ­
fore changing a wheel so that the automatic
control processes for the a ir suspension do
not make lifting with the vehicle jack more dif­
ficu lt.
The check lamp
II in the instrument cluster
d isplay illuminates in v ehicle jack mode.
(D) Tips
The vehicle jack mode is switched off auto­
mat ically at speeds above 9 mph (15 km/
h).
Towing a trailer
Appl ies to vehicles: with towing hitch and Adapt ive Air
Suspension
Automatic lowering is not desirable when
towing a trailer.
,. Se lect: Function button ICARI > Function
button
! SE TUP I> Towi ng mod e. Or ,.
Select: Function b utton
I CAR !> Control but ­
ton
Car s ystem s* > Vehicle setting s > Air
su sp.: towing .
As long as towing mode is activated, a vehicle
with a trai ler appears in the
adap tiv e air su s­
pen sion
main menu.
Level Ad ju stment when towing a t railer
- Before hitching up the tra ile r and before ad­
jus ting the tongue weight at the trailer, the
automatic or comfo rt mode
mu st be se lect­
ed so that the ve hicle can be at normal level
¢ page 152, MMI settings .
-If driving in dynamic mode is desired, this
mode
mu st be selected before hitching up
the trailer and before ad justing the tongue
weight. However, note that your vehicle is lowered and ground clearance is reduced.
- If you have to drive under difficult road con­
ditions, you can select offroad or lift mode,
after hitching up the trailer or after adjust­ ing the tongue weight .
- If the veh icle is at
normal level, and you se­
lect offroad mode wh ile traveling at speeds
higher than 22 mph (35 km/h), the veh icle
w ill not be ra ised . Offroad mode will appear
as the active mode in the MM I Disp lay.
- If the veh icle is in offroad mode at
high level
1 ,
it automa tically lowers to normal level
when the vehi cle is t ravel ing at speeds ex­
ceed ing approximate ly 31 mph (SO km/h) .
The vehicle is automatically raised to
high
level 1
again when the traveling speed falls
be low approximately 25 mph (40 km/h).
Rest rictions when ope rating with a tr ailer
When operating w ith a trailer, the lift mode
can on ly be selected up to about 12 mph (20
km/h). Lift mode is automatically cance led
again w hen a speed of about 25 mph (40 km/
h) is exceeded.
If t he vehicle is in au toma tic , comfo rt, offroad
or lift mode before the trai ler towing mode is
activated, the dynamic mode cannot be acti­
vated.
If t he vehicle is in dynamic mode before tow -
ing opera tion is activated, it can be driven in
11>-

this mode. If the suspension is switched from
this mode to another mode, dynamic mode
cannot be re-se lected .
{D) Tips
-For vehicles with a factory installed tow­
ing hitch or a trailer hitch that was in­
stalled later accord ing to factory specifi­
cations, the system recognizes "Trailer
tow ing mode" and activates this special
mode automatically, as soon as the elec­
trical connection on the trailer socket is
connected . The mode ceases automat i­
cally when the elect rical connection to
the trailer socket is d isconnected.
- If the tra iler towing mode has been act i­
vated, the vehicle will not drop to the l ow or highway level.
Cargo mode
A pp lies to vehicles: wit h Adap tive Air S uspe nsio n
The rear of the vehicle con be lowered to
make it easier to load .
Fig. 178 Luggage compa rtment detail: Cargo mode
sw itc h
Using sw itch for activating cargo mode
~ Close all vehicle doors .
~ Open the trunk lid .
~ Press the lower pa rt of the switch@
Q fig. 178. The rear of the vehicle is low­
ered.
~ Press the uppe r part of the sw itch (D . The
rear of the vehi cle is raised aga in .
Activating cargo mode in the MMI*
~ Se lect: Function button ICAR I > Function
button
! SE TUP I> Lower f or load in g. Ad
apti ve A ir Sus pension 155
In cargo mode, the rear ax le is lowered by 2 .2
inches (55 mm), compared to the normal lev­
el.
While the ve hicl e is in ca rgo mode, the seg­
ments do not appear as filled in the segment
display.
Cargo mode is a utomatically c ance led again
when a different mode is selected in the MM I
D isplay, or when a speed of about 3 mph (5
km/ h) has been exceeded.
If the system is tempora rily unavailable due
to, for instance, an empty compressed ai r
tank, the
Lower fo r loading* function appears
greyed out in the MMI Display. As soon as the
system is available again, the function can
once more be selected in the disp lay.
While the vehicle is being lowered, the indica­
tor light @~
fig. 178 on the switch in the
luggage compartment flashes. When the car­
go level has been reached, the indicator light
comes on and remains on as long as the vehi­
cle is in cargo mode. When the vehicle is
raised agai n, the indicator l ight f las hes aga in.
(D Note
Make sure before canceling cargo mode
that there is sufficient clearance above the
vehicle and around the tru nk lid , if open .
(D Tips
-The ve hicle w ill not be lowered if one of
the vehicle doors is open, or if the com­
pressed air tank is empty . T he indicator
light on the switch flashes three times.
- When the compressed air tank is empty,
it will refill when you drive at speeds
over 25 mph (40 km/ h). The vehicle can
be lowered to cargo level when the com­
pressed air tank is adequately fille d.
- If the veh icle is i n lift or off road mode
when you act ivate cargo mode, the vehi­
cl e w ill first drop dow n to norma l level.

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
-

-Before descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmiss ion into a lower
gear or lower driving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too
long or too often. This could cause the
brakes to get hot and dimin ish braking
efficiency.
- Do not "r ide the brakes" by resting your
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to bra ke. Th is may cause the brakes to
overheat, prema ture wear and increased
stopping distance .
- Under certain climat ic and operating
condit ions such as passing through wa­
ter, driving in heavy rain or after washing
the vehicle, the effectiveness of the
brakes can be reduced . In winter, ice can
accumulate on the brake pads, linings,
discs and drums. Carefully apply brakes
for a test . Brakes will dry and ice coat­
ings will be cleaned off after a few care­
ful brake applications.
- Driv ing for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads w ithout us ing your
brakes can also affect braking efficiency .
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
brake discs and pads w ith a few caref ul
brake applicat ions.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
install a different spoiler, be sure the air
flow to the front brakes is not obstruct ­
ed. Otherwise the brake system co uld
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system.
- Failure of one brake circuit will impair
the braking capability resulting in an in­
creased stopp ing distance. Avoid driv ing
the vehicle and have it towed to the near­
est author ized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop .
Brake booster
The brake booster adds extra braking power.
The brake booster works with vacuum pres­
sure which is created only when the engine is
running¢ &,.
Int ellig ent technolog y 223
A WARNING
-Never let the veh icle roll to a stop with
the engine shut off .
- If the brake booster is not working, for
example when towing your vehicle, or because the brake booster has somehow
been damaged, the brake pedal must be
pressed considerably harder to make up
for the la ck of booster assistance .
Functioning of Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS)
ABS prevents the wheels from locking up un­
der braking.
T he ABS contributes effect ively to vehicle con­
trol s ince it preve nts the whee ls from
locking
when the brakes are applied. This means that
the vehicle remains steerable and is less likely
to skid .
With ABS y ou do not nee d to pump the
bra ke. Just h old t he br ake ped al d own .
However, do not expect the ABS to shorten
braking distance under
all circumstances.
When dr iving on g ravel or on new ly fallen
snow o n top of icy s urfaces, braking dis tance
may be even longer, therefore, under these
circumstances, it is especia lly important that
you drive s low ly and wit h great care.
How the ABS s ystem works
An a utomat ic check is made when a speed of
about 12 mph (20 km/h) is reached . When
th is happens, a pumping noise can be heard.
If an ind iv idual whee l begi ns to rotate too
s low ly in relation to vehicle speed and tends
to lock, the ABS automatically reduces brake
pressure to prevent tha t whee l from locking .
T his automatic adjustment p rocess will cause
a
sli ght vibrati on of the brake pedal and some
no ises to a le rt you that ve hicle speed m ust be
adapted to existing road and traffic condi ­
tions. •
•

Trailer towing Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, p lease remember
that the additional load will affect durability,
economy and performance .
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
F or this reason, always fo llow the operating
and driving instructions provided and use
common sense.
(D Note
If you are going to tow a trai ler, you must
activate the trailer operation mode
q page 154, Towing a trailer.
Technical requirements
Traile r hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suita­ ble for your vehicle and trailer and must be
mounted securely on the vehicle's chassis at a
technically sound location. Use only a trailer
hitch with a removable ball mount. A lways
check with the trai ler hitch manufacturer to
make sure that you are using the correct
hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way that
it does not interfere with the impact-absorb­
i ng bumper system. No mod ifications should
be made to the vehicle exhaust and brake sys­
tems . From time to time, check that all hitch
mounting bo lts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer, remove the
trai ler hitch ball mount. This prevents the
hitch from causing damage should your veh i­
cle be struck from behind~.&.
Trailer towing 235
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a brak ing sys­
tem, check to be sure that it conforms to all
regulations.
T he trailer hydraulic bra ke system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system
q .& .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your veh icle
and the trai le r.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be
sure to check with your authorized Audi dealer
for correct wiring, sw itches, and relays.
M irr ors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you
using the regular outside mirrors, then you
must install extended mirrors.
It is important
that you always have clear v is ion to the rear.
_&. WARNING
- If a trailer has electrical brakes please
note that these brakes are not activated
by the factory-fitted control unit -risk of
accident!
- After removing the trailer hitch, do not
store it in you r vehicle. In case of sudden
brak ing, the hitch could fly forward and
injure you or your passengers.
- The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating for your
Audi Q7 vehicle, found on the safety
compliance labe l on the driver's side 8 -
pillar, must never be exceeded under any
circumstances. Exceeding the Gross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating of your vehicle is likely
to damage your veh icle, and such dam­
age will not be covered by your Limited New Vehicle Warranty. Exceeding the
Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ing will a lso
change the performance and handling
characteristics of your vehicle, which
could cause a crash resulting in serious
injury or death.
-
•
•

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. ..,.