2012 AUDI Q7 trailer

146 Parking system
Switching on and off
Applies to vehicles: with Audi parking system plus w ith
rea rview camera
The reorview camera switches on automati­
cally together with the acoustic and visual
pork assist when you put the vehicle in re­ verse .
Fig. 168 Ce nter console: Park ing system switc h
Fig. 169 MMI display: visual d istance d isplay
Switching on
> Switch the MMI on and se lect reverse gear.
> Switc h on the Adaptive Air Suspension*
comfort or automatic mode.
> To use the front pa rking system , press the
switch P"1t in the center console
c:> fig. 168. A
short confirmat ion tone sou nds a nd the in ­
di ca to r li ght in the swi tch lights up.
Switching betwe en the r earview camera
and visual display
> Press the Graphi c control button
¢
page 147, fig. 170@to see the v isua l
display.
> Press the Rea r view contro l button to see
the rearview camera image
<=:> fig. 169.
Switching off
> Drive faster than 6 mph (10 km/h), or
> press the sw itch P 1t or
> switch off the ignition.
Segm ents in the visual display
The red segments in fro nt of and behind the
vehicle
<=:> fig. 169 help you to determ ine t he
distan ce between yo u and an obstacle. As
your vehicle comes close r to the obstacle, the
segments move closer to the vehicle . The co l­
lision area has been reached when the next to
l ast segment is displayed . Do not continue
driving farther ¢
& in General Information
on page
145!
A WARNING
-
- The MMI d isplay cannot show, or ca nnot
adequately show, certain objects (such as
sma ll posts or grating), recesses in the
g rou nd a nd p rot ruding pa rts on ano ther
car.
- Onl y use t he rearview camera to ass ist
you i f it shows a good, clear pic ture. For
examp le, the image may be affec ted by
the sun s hining into the lens, d irt on the
lens or if there is a defect.
- Use the rearv iew came ra only wi th the
rear lid comp lete ly closed . Make s ure any
objects you may have mounted on the
rear lid do not b lock the rearview cam­
era.
(D Tips
- The sensors m ust be kept clean and free
of snow and ice for the park assist to op­
erate.
- The visua l display is shown in the ill us­
tration of the rearview camera. Th is dis ­
play shows where the sensors have de­
tected an obstacle.
- You can change the volume and pitch of
the s ignals as we ll as the disp lay
c:> page 148.
- Please follow the instructions for tow ing
a trailer
c:> page 149.
- What appears in the display is time-de­
layed.

Reverse Parking
Applies to vehicles: with Audi parking system plus w ith
rea rview camera
Parking mode 1 can be used when parking in
a garage or into a parking space.
Fig. 170 MMI display: aiming at a park ing spot
Fig. 171 MMI display: aligning the vehicle
• Switch the MMI on and select reverse gear.
• Turn the steering wheel until the orange
orientation lines
(D appear in the parking
spot¢
fig. 170. Use the markings @to help
you estimate the distance from an obstacle .
Each marking represents 3
ft (1 meter). The
blue area represents an extension of the ve­
hicle's outline by approximately 16
ft (5 me­
ters) to the rear.
• While driving in reverse gear, adjust the
steering wheel angle to fit the parking space
with the aid of the orange orientation lines ¢ (D. @ marks the rear bumper. Stop the
vehicle when the red orientation line© bor­
ders an object¢
,A.
A WARNING
-The rearv iew camera does not show the
entire area beh ind the veh icle
¢
page 144, fig. 166. Watch out espe­
cially for smal l children and animals. The
Parking system 147
rearview camera cannot always detect
them, posing risk of an accident!
- Please note that objects not touching the
ground can appear to be further away
than they really are (for example, the bumper of a parked vehicle, a trailer
hitch, or the rear ofa truck). In this case,
you shou ld not use the help lines to help
with parking, which poses danger of an accident!
(D Note
In the MMI d isplay, the direction of travel
of the vehicle rear is represented depend­
ing on the steering wheel angle. The vehi­
cle front swings out more than the vehicle
r ear. Maintain plenty of distance so that
your outside mirror or a corner of your ve­
hicle does not collide with any obstacles.
This can damage to your vehicle.
Parallel Parking
Applies to vehicles: wit h Aud i parking syste m plus with
rearv iew camera
Use parking mode 2 to help you parallel park
along the side of a street.
Fig. 172 MMI display: blue surface in the park ing spot
Fig. 173 MMI display: Blue curve on the curb

-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 .

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

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.

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. ..,.