2012 AUDI Q7 warning

232 Driving o ff road
Driving off road
Driving in difficult road
conditions and offroad
General information
The operation of the E lectronic Stability Con­
trol (ESC) is expanded for operation away
from paved roads. In situations where slip or a
d ifferential locking function is required, the
ESC offroad mode can be act ivated
c::;, page 219 . Hill descent control is also availa­
ble in the ESC offroad mode, which automati­
cally b rakes the vehicle and thereby keeps
speed constant when diffe rent wheel speeds
a re detected when descending a hill
c::;, page 220. Your Audi also has permanent
a ll-whee l drive in addition.
H oweve r, your Aud i is not a pure off road vehi­
cle .
It was no t built for d riving unde r extreme
conditions, e .g. fo r trips that are in the natu re
of an expedit ion .
Dri ve only on road s and offroad section s
which match the de sign of y our vehicl e and
y ou r abilitie s as a dri ver. Never take risks!
Before driving offroad
- Check the eng ine oil level, ti re p ressu re ,
coolant level , and the fluid level in the w ind­
shield washe r reservo ir.
- Stow luggage items and o ther objects in the
luggage compartment, and secure t hem
against s liding aro und .
After driving offroad
- After trips offroad, remove any twigs and
othe r foreign objects from the grill, the un­
derbody and the wheels. Pay spec ia l atten­
t ion to fo re ign objects (stones) which have
be come lodged in the tire tread.
- Clean t he body a nd the veh icle unders ide,
and in spec t the veh icle for poss ible damage.
- Clean dirty w indows , headlamp lenses , rear
l ights, and li cense plates .
- Perfo rm a brake check (part icularly after
t ravel ling th rough water) .
A WARNING
-Drive especially attentively and plan
a head in d iff icu lt road conditions and
when off road. Excessive speed o r inco r­
rect maneuvers can cause injuries and
damage to the vehicle.
-
- Always adapt your speed and driving
style to road, offroad, t raff ic, and weat h­
er cond itions. Drive e specially slowly off­
ro ad when you r view is res tricted.
- Please be awa re that in ESC off road
mo de, particularly on a smoo th and s lip­
pe ry road, the wheels may have an in­
crease d tendency to sp in and the vehicle
may b reak away - danger of skidding!
- Stabili ty is limited in the ESC off roa d
mode .
@) For the sake of the environment
Avoid damage to t he environmen t an d re­
s pect na tu re .
(D Tips
Only d rive w here it is permitte d and stay
on marked road s and pat hs.
Explanation of some technical terms
The following data refe r to ideal cond itions.
Depend ing on veh icle load and gro und condi ­
tions and the environment, the numbers may
vary. It is the driver's responsibility to decide
whether a vehicle can overcome a specific s it­
uat io n
c::;, ,&. .
Gradient angle
The number of meters in alt itude ga ined over
a distance of 109.4 yards or 100 meters
(grade) are given as a percentage or degrees.
Information about the gradient the vehicle
can climb under its own power (depends in
part on the road surface and engine power) .
Max imum pe rm itt ed grade : 3 1
°
Later al angle (slope of vehicle )
Indicates the angle up to which the vehicle
can be driven diagonally or across the fall line ..,.

on a slope w ithout the veh icle tipping over
sideways (depends on center of gravity). Maxi­ m um permitted latera l ang le: 35°
Breakover angle
I ndicates the angle up to whi ch the veh icle
can drive ove r a ramp at low speed w it h out
the unde rside of the vehicle hitting the edge
of the ramp.
- Vehicl es with out air spring s: maximum
breakover ang le: 21, 1 °
- Vehicles with adaptive air su spen sion* :
maximum b reakove r angle: 23.8° (at h igh
l evel 2)
Approach /d eparture angle
Transition from the horizontal p lane to a gra­
d ient or from a grade bac k to level ground . In ­
d ic a tes the angle up to which the vehicle can
drive onto or off a slope at low speed wi thout
striking the bumper or the underbody.
- Vehicl es without air spring s: maximum ap­
proach/depart ure angle: 21.0° (front),
23.4 ° (rear)
- Vehicl es with adaptiv e air su sp ension* :
maximum approach/departu re angle at high
l evel 2 : (front) 23,5°, (rear) 25 .4°
Ground clearance
The distance between the road surface and
the lowest po int of the ve hicle underbody .
-Vehicles w ithout air spring s: ground clear­
ance: 8 .1 in (204.8 mm)
- Vehicles w ith adapti ve air suspension *:
maximum ground clearance: 9 .4 i n
(239 .8 mm) at high level 2
A WARNING
Exceeding the stated maximum figures
can result in severe injuries or ve hicle dam­
age.
- All the information was gathered on lev­
el, firm and non-slippery road surfaces,
and unde r dry wea ther conditions.
- Ideal conditions do not p revail offroad.
Never utilize the maximum read ings to
Driving off road 233
their f ullest, always leave a safety re­
serve.
Driving tips
On poor road and offroad, there is always on ­
ly one motto: Plan ahead and drive slowly!
Please obse rve the fo ll ow ing when d riving
away from paved roads :
.,. Drive on ly on roads and offroad sections
which ma tch the design of yo ur vehicle and
your abilities as a driver. Never take r is ks!
.,. Drive slow ly and plan ahead!
.,. Take into consideration the
ground clear­
an ce
of your vehicle .
.,. Act ivate the
ESC off road mode q page 219
as needed.
.,. Use the
hill descent control q page 220
when dr iv ing down steep sections on h ills .
Unpa ved ro ads and offroad
Drive slowly on unfamiliar roads and unknown
offroad section s, and look out for unexpected
obstacles (e .g. po tholes, rocks, tree s tumps,
etc .) .
To prevent the vehicle from bottoming and
avo id damage to the underbody, you should
drive straight across severe bumps in the
ground with only one side of the veh icle so
that only two of your whee ls cross the bumps .
Drive b risk ly through sandy or marshy offroad
sec tions and do not stop, i f at all possible .
Driving throu gh wate r
Note the following to avoid vehicle damage
when d riving through water, for examp le on
flooded roads:
- The wa ter must not be any higher than the
bottom of the vehicle body .
- Do not dr ive faste r tha n walk ing speed .
Driving on a slope
If you ever find yourself not able to climb a
s lope, do not try to turn around , drive back
down in
r e ver se . Otherwise, you run the r isk
of tipp ing ove r. ..,.
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234 Driving off road
If the vehicle threatens to tip over when
driving across a slope, you must immediate­
ly steer downhill in the di rection of the
slope.
D o not par k your veh icle on steep slopes or
g rades .
T o reduce t he risk of tippi ng over, dr ive o n
slopes in the d irection o f the downwa rd slope
(fa ll line) -
not cros swise .
A WARNING
After drivin g through wate r, m ud, slush ,
etc ., the brakes may be slow to take effect
because of wet brake roto rs and pads. Dry
the brakes f irst by braking carefully to re­
sto re the full braking effect.
-
(D Note
Vehicle components s uch as the engine,
transmiss io n, suspension or elect rical sys ­
tem can be severely damaged by drivi ng
thr ough wat er.
(1) Tips
- Check the depth of the wate r before dr iv­
i ng th rough it.
- Do not stop the veh icle, dr ive in reverse
or switc h the engine off whe n driving
t hr ough water .
- Keep in mind that oncoming vehicles may create waves that raise t he water
l eve l a nd make it t oo deep fo r yo ur vehi­
cle to dr ive th rough safely.
- Avoid dr iving thro ugh salt water because
i t can ca use corrosion.

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.
-
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•

The chains should cross under the trai ler
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separation from the hitch.
([) Note
If you are going to tow a trai le r, you must
activate the trailer operation mode
¢ page 154, Towing a trailer.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
care and consideration .
To obtain the best poss ible handling o f vehicle
and trai ler, p lease note the following:
~ Do not tow a loaded trailer whe n your car it­
self is not loaded.
~ Be especially careful when passing other ve­
hicles.
~ Observe speed limits .
~ Do not drive at the maximum permissible
speed .
~ Always apply brakes early.
~ Monitor the temperature gauge .
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trai ler with an empty car re­
sults in a highly unstable distribution of
weight . If this cannot be avoided, drive at very
low speeds only to avoid the risk of losing
steering control.
A "balanced" rig is easier to operate and con­
trol. This means that the tow vehicle should be loaded to the extent possible and permissi­
ble, wh ile keeping the trailer as light as poss i­
ble under the circumstances . Whenever possi­
b le, transfer some cargo to the luggage com­
partment of the tow vehicle wh ile observing
tongue load requirements and vehicle loading
considerations.
Speed
The higher the speed, the more difficult it be­
comes for the drive r to control the rig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Re­
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
Trailer towing 237
wind conditions are unfavorable -pa rticularly
when going downhill.
Reduce veh icle speed
immediately if the trail­
er shows the slightest s ign of sway ing .
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some a reas, speeds
for vehicles tow ing tra ilers are lower than for
regular veh icles .
Always apply brakes early. When driving
down hill, shift into a lower gear to use the en­
gine braking effect to s low the vehicle . Use of
the brakes alone can cause them to overheat
and fail.
Coolant temperature
The coolant temperature gauge¢ page 10
must be observed carefully. If the need le
moves close to the upper end of the scale, re­
duce speed immediately and/or turn off the
air conditioner.
If the coolant temperature warning light in
the instrument cluster starts flashing ., pull
off the road, stop and let the engine
idle for
about two minutes to prevent heat build -up .
A WARNING ~
Anyone not properly restrained in a mov-
ing vehicle is at a much greater risk in an
accident. Never let anyone ride in your car
who is not properly wearing the restraints
prov ided by Audi.
Trailer towing tips
Important to know
Your vehicle handles differently when towing
-
a trailer because of the additional weight and
different weight distr ibution . Safety, perform­
ance and economy will great ly depend on how
carefully you load your trailer and operate
your rig .
Before you actua lly tow your tra iler, practice
turning, stopping and backing up in an area away from traffic. Keep practicing until you
have become completely familiar w ith the way.,.
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•

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.
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24 0 Cl eaning and protec tio n
Automatic car wash
The vehicle can be washed in almost any
modern automatic car wash .
The vehicle paint is so durable that the vehicle
can normally be washed without problems in
an automatic car wash. However, the effect on
the paint depends to a large extent on the de­
sign of the facility, the filte ring of the wash
water, the type of wash and care mater ial , etc.
I f the pa int has a dull appearance afte r going
through the car wash or is scratched, bring
this to the attention of the operator immedi­
ately. If necessary, use a different car wash.
Before going through a car wash, be sure to
take the usual precautions such as closing the
windows and the Panoramic sliding s unroof.
Factory installed antennas must not be re­
moved.
I f you have installed additional accessories on
the vehicle - such as spoilers, roof rack, etc. -
it is best to ask the car wash operator if these
should be removed.
A WARNING
Please take note of the following po ints
before going through an automatic car
wash with your vehicle, so that you can avoid damage to your vehicle .
- Compare the track of your vehicle with the distance between the gu ide rails of
the fac ility- there is a risk of damage to
the whee ls and t ires.
- Compare the height and w idth of your
vehicle with the height and width of the
t u nnel at the facility.
- Fold the exte rior mirrors flat - t here is a
risk of damag ing the exte rior m irrors.
Power folding exterior mirrors* mus t not
be folded in or out by hand. Use the pow­
er function!
- Do not al low the wiper blade to fall onto
the windshield after the vehicle is dried -
there is a r isk of damag ing the paint on
the hood .
- Always read and heed all WARNI NGS and
other information ¢
page 239.
Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of water is needed when washing a vehi­
cle by hand .
.,. Before you start washing, make sure you
have read and understood the WARNINGS
¢ .&. in General information on page 239 .
.,. First soak all dried d irt unt il it is soft, then
r inse it off .
.,. As you clean you r vehicle , start w it h the
roof and work your way dow n to the bo ttom,
using a sponge, a sponge g love or a clean
brush.
.,. Rinse the sponge or the sponge glove often,
flushing it clean each time.
.,. Use spec ial car shampoo only for very per­
sistent d irt .
.,. Rinse the car thoroughly wit h water .
.,. Use a chamo is leather to gently w ipe the ex-
ter io r d ry.
Use a separate sponge for cleaning the
wheels, door s ills and other regions exposed
to road dirt . In this way, you will not scratch
the pa int with coarse pa rticles imbedded in
the sponge the next time you wash the car.
A WARNING ~ -
- Do not clean the underside of the chas­
sis, fenders, wheel covers , or other ha rd
to reach pa rts without protect ing your
hands and arms . You may cut yourself on
sharp-edged metal parts.
- Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 239.
(D Note
- Never try to remove dirt, mud or dust if
the surface of the ve hicle is dry . Never
use a dry cloth or sponge, s ince this
co uld scratch your vehicle's paint or win ­
dows .
- Never wash your car in bright s unlight.
Drops of water act as magn ifying lenses
and may damage your paint .
- When you wash your car in the winter: if you rinse your vehicle with a hose, be careful not to aim the stream of water

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,-
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