2012 AUDI Q7 Owner´s Manual

.. Make sure that each of the two guidance fix ­
tures per seat snaps into p lace.
Rem oving the guidance fi xture s
.. Remove the child restrai nt according the
child restra int manufacturer's instruct ions .
.. Push down on the seat cushion so that the
lower anchorages are visib le .
.. Pull
off the guida nee fix t u res from the low­
er anchorages.
.,. Always remove the guidance fixtures and
keep them in a safe place when not in use.
You may find it easier to install child re­
straints equipped with hooks attached to
straps without the guidance f ixtures in place.
If this is the case, remove the guidance fix­
tures by pull ing them
off the anchorages .
H owever, the guidance fixtures can he lp you
to locate the
LATCH anchorages.
_& WARNING
Improper use of tether anchorages or low­
er anchorages can cause serious personal
injury in a crash .
- Always carefully follow the ch ild re­
straint manufacturer 's instruct ions for
proper installation and use of child re­
straint systems.
- Never use the
LATCH or tether anchorag ­
es to attach safety belts o r other kinds of
occupant restraints .
- Child restraint tether attachments and
lower attachments are only designed to
secure a child restraint that has been equipped to use these anchorages.
- Tether anchorages and lower anchorages
are designed to withstand only those
loads imposed by correctly fitted chi ld
restraints. Under no circumsta nces can
they be used safely for adu lt or chi ld
safety belts o r harnesses .
- Never mount more than one ch ild re­
st raint to a sing le tether or to a lower an­
cho rage point. Attach ing two ch ild re­
st raints to a single anchorage point can
ca use the anchorage to fail and cause se­
rious persona l injury in a crash .
Child Safety 215
(D Note
-Remove the g uidance fixtures before
folding the rear seatback to prevent damaging the seat cushion .
- If you leave the guidance f ixtures instal­
led for several days , they could leave a
mark on the upholstery on the seat cush­
ion and backrest in the area that the
guidance fixtures were installed . The up ­
holstery would also be permanently
st retched a round the guidance fixtures.
T hi s app lies especia lly to leather seats.
Installing a child restraint with LATCH
lower anchorages
Whenever you install a child restraint always
follow the child restraint manufacturer's in ­
structions.
F ig. 213 Lowe r anc horages : prope r mount ing
Mountin g
.. Make sure the seatback of the rear seat
bench is in t he upright position and securely
latched in place .
.. Attach both hook-on co nnectors with the
spring catch release on the child safety seat
onto the LATCH lower anchorage so that the
connecto rs lock into place
~ fig. 213.
.. Pull on the connector attachments to make
sure they are properly attached to the LATCH
lower ancho rage .
.. Pull straps tight fo llowing the child re­
straint manufacturer's instructions.
Relea sing
.. Loosen the tension on the straps following
the child restraint manufact urer's instruc ­
tions .

216 Child Safety
• Depress the spring catches to re lease the
anchorage hooks from the lower anchorag­
es.
Remember: Use tether straps to help keep the
child restraint firmly in place.
A WARNING
Improper use of the LATCH system can in­
crease the risk of ser ious personal injury
and death in an accident.
- These anchors were developed only for
child safety seats using the "LATCH" sys­
tem.
- Never attach other child safety seats,
belts or other objects to these anchors.
- Always make sure that you hear a click
when latching the seat in place. If you do
not hear a click the seat is not secure and
could fly forward and hit the interior of
the vehicle, or be ejected from the vehi­
cle.
A WARNING
Improper insta llation of chi ld restraints
w ill increase the risk of injury in an acci­
dent.
- Always follow the child restraint system
man ufactur er's instr uctions for proper
installation of the child restraint system
and proper use of tether straps as we ll as
the lower anchorages or safety belts in
your vehicle.
-Always read and heed the important in­
format ion and WARNINGS about child
safety and the installation of child re­
straint systems¢
page 200, Child Safe­
ty.
-
Tether anchors and tether straps
Fig. 214 T ether ancho rs for second row of seats: at­
tachment hook locations
Fig. 21S Tether anchors fo r th ird row of seats: attach­
m ent hook lo cations
T he tether anchors for the three rear seating
positions in the second row of seats are locat­
ed underneath the seats in the back
<=? fig. 214. For vehicles with third row seat­
ing*, the tether anchors for the two seating
pos itions in the third row of seats are stored
underneath a plastic cover cap in the floor
<=?fig. 215.
A tether is a stra ight or V-shaped strap that
attaches the top part of a ch ild restra int to
special anchorage po ints in the vehicle.
The purpose of the tether is to reduce the for­
ward movement of the child restraint in a
crash, in order to help reduce the risk of head
injury that could be caused by striking the ve­
hicle interior.
Forward facing child restraints manufactured
after September 1, 1999, are required by U.S.
federal regulations to comply with new child
head movement performance requirements.
T hese new performance requirements make a
tether necessary on most new child safety
seats.

_& WARNING
Improper installation of child restraints
w ill increase the risk of injury and death in
a crash .
- Always follow the instructions prov ided
by the manufacturer of the ch ild re­
st raint you intend to install in your Audi.
- Improper use of ch ild restraint anchors
(including tether anchors) can lead to in­
jury in a co llision. The anchors are de­
signed to withstand only those loads im­
posed by correct ly fi tted ch ild restraints.
- Never mount two child restrai nt systems
on one LA TCH lowe r ancho r po int.
- Never attach two child restraint systems
to one tethe r strap or te ther anchorage.
- Never attach a tether st rap to a tie-down
hook in the luggage compartment.
- Never use ch ild restra int tether ancho­
rages to secur e safety belts o r other
k inds of o ccupant rest ra ints.
- Never secure o r attach any l uggage or
other items to the LATCH lowe r ancho­
rages or to t he tethe r ancho rs.
- If a tether o r othe r strap is used to at­
ta ch a child rest raint to the front passen­
ger seat, make sure that it is not so
t ight, th at it c auses the weigh t-sensing
mat to measure mo re weig ht than is ac ­
t u ally on the seat.
- T he heav ier we ig ht reg iste red can make
the Advanced Airbag System work as
though an ad ult were on the seat and de­
ploy the Advanced Airbag w hen it must
be suppressed causing serious or even
fatal injury to the child .
- If you must install a rearward facing child safety seat on the front passenger
seat beca use of exceptional circ umstan­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
med iate ly install the rear -facing child
sa fety seat in a rear seating posi tion and
have the a irbag sys tem inspec ted by you r
Audi dealer .
Child Safety 21 7
Installing the upper tether strap on the
anchorage
Fig . 21 6 Tet her s trap: prope r rout ing a nd m ounti ng
Fi g. 217 Tet her st rap fo r seco nd row se ats: prope r
rou ting and moun tin g
Installing the tether strap
... Release or deploy the tether strap on the
child res traint accord ing to the child re ­
st raint manufacture r's ins tructions .
... Guide the upper tether strap
und er the rear
head restraint and into the rear ca rgo area
(raise the head restraint if necessary) .
... Fo r the second row o f seats: Pull the floor­
ing back, in order to reach the anchor brack­
et
c:::> fig. 217 .
... For the third row of seats :* Remove the
plastic cover cap with a screw drive r, in orde r
t o reach the anchor bracket
c:::> page 216,
fig . 215.
... Slide the tether s trap hoo k over the anchor
bracket .
... Pull on the tether strap hook so that the
spring catch of the hook engages .
.,. Tighten the tether strap firmly fo llow ing
the child restra int manufacturer's instruc­
tions.
.,. For the second row of seats: Push the floor­
ing forward into place again.

218 Child Safety
Releasing the tether strap
.. Loosen the tension following the child re­
straint manufacturer's instructions.
.. Depress the spring catch on the hook and
release it from the anchorage.
.. For the second row of seats: Push the floor­
ing forward into place again.
.. For the third row of seats:* Replace the
plastic cover cap .
(D Note
If you leave the child restraint with the
tether strap firmly installed for several
days, this could leave a mark on the up­
holstery on the seat cushion and backrest
in the area where the tether strap was in­
stalled. The upholstery would also be per­
manently stretched around the tether
strap. This applies especially to leather
seats.
Using tether straps on rearward-facing
child restraints
Currently , few rear -facing child restraint sys­
tems come with a tether . Please read and
heed the child restraint system manufactur­
er's instructions carefully to determine how to
properly install the tether.
& WARNING
A child in a rearward-facing child safety
seat installed on the front passenger seat
will be seriously injured and can be killed if
the front airbag inflates - even with an Ad­
vanced Airbag System.
- The inflating airbag will hit the child safety seat or infant carrier with great
force and will smash the child safety seat and child against the backrest, center
armrest, or door .
- A tight tether or other strap on a rear­
ward-facing child restraint attached to
the front passenger seat can put too much pressure on the weight-mat in the
seat and register a heavier weight in the
Advanced Airbag System. The heavier weight
registered can make the system
work as though an adult were on the seat
and deploy the Advanced Airbag when it
must be suppressed causing serious or
even fatal injury to the child.
- If you must install a rearward facing
child safety seat on the front passenger
seat because of exceptional circumstan­
ces and the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF
light does not come on and stay on, im­
mediately install the rear-facing child
safety seat in a rear seating position and
have the airbag system inspected by your
Audi dealer.
Additional Information
Sources of information about child
restraints and their use
There are a number of sources of additional
information about child restraint selection, in­
stallation and use:
NHTSA advises that the best child safety seat
is the one that fits your child and fits in your
vehicle, and that you will use correctly and
consistently.
Try before you buy!
U.S National Highway Traffic Safety Admin­
istration
Tel.: 1-888-327-4236 (TIY: 1-800-424-9153)
http://www.nhtsa.gov
National SAFE KIDS Campaign
Tel.: (202) 662-0600
http://www.safekids .org
Safety BeltSafe U.S.A
Tel.: (800) 7 45 -SAFE (Eng Lish)
Tel.: (800) 747-SANO (Spanish)
http://www.carseat.org
Transport Canada Information Centre
Tel.: 1-800 -333-0371 or call
1-613-998-8616 if you are in the Ottawa area
http://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/roadsafety/
menu.htm
Audi Customer Relations
Tel.: (800) 822-2834

Intelligent technology Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Da­
ta Recorder (EDR), installed by some manu­
facturers for the express purpose of capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or crash
event. EDRs are sometimes called "crash re­
corders".
Some state laws restrict the retr ieval or down­
loading of data stored by EDRs that were in­
stalled in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash
event without the owner's consent.
Although your vehicle is not equipped with an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of electron­
ic control modules for various vehicle systems
such as, for example, engine function, emis­
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts.
These electronic control modules also record
vehicle-related data during norma l vehicle op­
eration for diagnostic and repair purposes.
The recording capacity of the electronic con­
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re­
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac­
tually recorded over a very limited period of
time and stored when a system fault or other
condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of
the data then stored may relate to vehicle
speed, direction, braking as we ll as restraint
system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only be read and downloaded with special equip­
ment.
Intelligent technology 219
Electronic Stability
Control (ESC)
General information
The ESC improves the vehicle stability.
. ..---------..
------- -
Fig. 218 Center console with ESC sw itch
ESC is designed to help you maintain vehicle
control in situations where the car approaches
the limits of "grip", especially when accelerat­
ing and cornering. ESC reduces the risk of
skidding and improves stability under all road
condit ions .
The system operates across the entire speed range in combination with the ABS system. If
the Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) malfunc­
tions, the ESC will also shut down.
How the system works
The Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic
Differential Lock (EDL) and the Anti-Slip Regu­
lation System (ASR) are integrated in the Elec­
tronic Stability Control. In addition to the da­
ta provided by these functions, the ESC con­
trol unit requires additional measurement da­
ta provided by high performance sensors. The
rotational speed of the vehicle about its verti­
cal axis, vehicle acceleration in the fore-and­
aft and lateral directions, the brake pressure and the steering angle are all measured.
T he direction in wh ich the driver wishes to
travel is determined with the aid of the steer­
ing angle and vehicle speed and is continually
compared with the actua l behavior of the ve­
hicle. If the two do not match, for example,
when the vehicle starts hydroplaning on a wet
road, ESC will automatically brake the appro-
priate wheel to correct the problem. ..,_
•
•

220 Intellig ent technol ogy
The vehicle is then stabilized by the forces act­
ing on the whee l during braking. If the vehicle
is
oversteering (rear tends to sk id out of the
turn), the brakes are ma inly applied on the
wheel that is on the outside of the curve. In
the case of a vehicle that is
understeering
(tendency to slide out of the curve), the
brakes are applied as needed on the whee l
that is on the ins ide of the curve or addit ional­
l y on the o ther wheels. An acoustic s ignal indi­
cates when ESC b rake app lication cuts in
¢ A .
The system operates across the entire speed
range in combination with the ABS system
¢ page 223. If the Anti-Lock Brake System
(ABS) malfunctions, the ESC wi ll be out of ac­
tion as well .
Activating
When you turn on the engine, ESC w ill auto­
mat ica lly be act ivated and will perform a se lf­
test. As soon as the test is comp leted, the sys­
tem is in normal operating mode.
Offroad mod e
ESC should normally be ope rated in normal
mode because this ensures maximum vehicle
stability. If necessary, you can act ivate the
ESC offroad mode by pressing the but to n
¢ fig . 218 to obtain maximum traction and
braking ability when driving
off paved roads at
l ow speeds. In ESC offroad mode, the indica­
tor light
fi illuminates and the message Off ­
road control Warning! Red uced t ract ion
ap­
pears briefly in the display .
The ESC offroad mode can be usefu l in the fo l­
low ing except iona l situations when slip or a
h ighly effective differentia l locking function is
desirable . Examples:
- when driving with tire chains,
- when driving in deep snow or on loose
ground,
- when driving on uneven surfaces with the
wheels severe ly unloaded (articulation), and
- when rocking the vehicle loose after it has
become stuck.
When the unusua l situat ion is past, you
should shift back to the normal ESC operating mode by pushing the button again
. The mes­
sage
S tabilit y prog ram on then appears brief­
l y in the display.
H ill descent control
T he hill descent con trol is swi tched on in ESC
offroad mode . When slowly descending steep
gradients on loose gro und or when the axles
are articulated, hill descent control provides
ass istance by automatically applying the
brakes to keep vehicle speed constant. The ve­
hicle is also rendered easier to steer by selec­
t ive d istr ibut ion of braking force . H ill descent
control intervenes when:
- the acce lerator pedal is not pressed,
- the vehicle is travelling less than 12 mph
(20 km/h),
- a steep gradient is detected,
- wheel behavior indicates loose ground or
conditions with poor adhesion (e.g . a lso axle
articu lation).
Hill descent con tro l operates both d riving for­
ward and in reverse. Active hill descent con­
trol is deactivated by pressing the accelerator
pedal unti l the conditions for activation al­
ready listed are met again.
A WARNING
- The Electronic Stability Control is never­
theless subject to the laws of phys ics. It
is part icu larly important to pay attention
to this fact on wet and slippery roads. It is therefore impo rtant that you a lways
a dapt your d riving to the condit ion of the
road and traffic cond itions. Do not allow
the increased safety provided by the Electron ic Stability Control system to lull
you into accepting additional safety
risks.
- Please be aware that in ESC offroad
mode, particularly on a smooth and s lip­
pery road, the wheels may have an in­
creased tendency to spin and the vehicle
may break away - danger of skidding!
- Stability is limited in the ESC offroad
mode.

Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The electronic differential lock monitors the
rotational speed of the drive wheels.
G ener al note s
The electronic differentia l lock (EDL) helps the
car to start mov ing, accelerate and climb a
gradient on surfaces providing poor or almost
no gr ip . W ithout EDL, this would be difficult,
if not impossible .
How the s yst em work s
The EDL operates automatically . It monitors
the rotat ional speed of wheels w ith the help
of the ABS sensors <=>
page 223. If a noticea­
ble
slip i s detected at the wheels (e.g . on slip­
pery ground
on one side), the spinning wheels
are braked and power is transferred to the
other wheels. This is done up to a speed of
about 60 mph (100 km/h). Noises from the b rake system signal that wheel spin is being
contro lled .
Driving off
When driv ing off , a lways be sure to keep road
conditions in mind as you accelerate . If one
drive whee l spins because it is on a surface
with less grip, apply
plenty of throttle until
the car starts to move.
Overheating of brakes
To prevent the disc brake of the b raked wheel
from ove rheating if subjected to excessive
l oads on this whee l, the EDL cuts out tempo ­
ra rily. The vehicle remains operational and be­
h aves in the same way as a vehicle without
EDL.
As soon as the brake has cooled down, EDL
switches on again automatically .
A WARNING
-When accelerating on slippery surfaces,
such as on ice or snow, always be careful
when depressing the acce lerator pedal.
Even with the EDL working, the drive
wheels can spin and reduce your ability
to control your car . R isk of crash!
Int ellig ent technolog y 221
-The increased safety afforded by EDL
does not mean that you can take safety
risks. Always adapt your driving style to
the road condit ions and traffic situation .
(!) Tips
If a fault occurs in the ABS, the EDL is also
not functioning. This is ind icated by the
ABS warning light <=>
page 18.
' Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR)
The Anti-Slip Regulation System prevents the
driven wheels from spinning when the car is
accelerating.
G eneral not es
The Anti-Slip Regulation System (ASR) is inte­
grated in the Electronic Stability Control
(ESC). When the vehicle starts up and acceler­
ates, the wheels are prevented from spinning
by adjust ing the eng ine power to match the
amount of grip available from the road sur ­
face .
How the system works
ASR performs automatica lly, i.e. without the
driver 's intervention. With the aid of the ABS
sensors <=>
page 223, ASR monitors the speed
of the dr iven wheels. If the wheels start to
spin, engine torque is reduced automatically
unt il the t ires find enough grip to lock onto
the road surface. The system is active across
the enti re speed range.
The ASR works in conjunction with the ABS. If
a malfunction should occur in the ABS, the
ASR wi ll also be ou t of act ion.
A WARNING
The increased safety affo rded by ASR does
not mean that you can take sa fety risks.
A lways adapt your driving sty le to the road
conditions and traffic situation. ...,
•
•

222 Intelligent technology
To ensure that the ASR works properly, all
four wheels must be fitted with identical
tires. Any differences in rolling rad ius of
the t ires can cause the system to reduce
engine power when this is not desired. See
also¢
page 285, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels.
Braking
General information
What affects braking efficiency?
Operating conditions and driving habits
The brakes on today's automob iles are st ill
subject to wea r, depending la rgely on operat­
ing cond itions and dr iv ing habits
Q ,& . On ve­
hicles that are eithe r driven mostly in stop­
and -go city traffic or are driven hard, the
brake pads should be checked by your author­
ized Audi dealer more often than specified in
the
Warranty & Maintenance booklet . Failure
to have your brake pads inspected can result
in reduced brake performance .
On steep slopes, you shou ld use the braking
effect of the engine. This way, you prevent un­
necessary wear on the brake system. If you
must use your brakes, do not hold the brakes
down continuously . Pump the brakes at inter­
va ls.
Noises may occur when braking depending on
the speed, braking force and outside condi­
tions such as temperature and humidity.
Moisture or road salt
Under certain conditions, for examp le, when
driving through water or very heavy rain, or
even after washing your vehicle, the braking
effect can be reduced due to moisture (or in
freezing conditions ice) on the brake pads. A
few careful brake applications should dry off
the brake pads o r remove any ice coatings.
When you are driving at higher speeds with
the w indshield wipers on, the brake pads will
brief ly touch the brake discs in regular inter- vals so as
to improve reaction time when brak ­
ing on wet surfaces . You, the driver, will not
notice anything.
T he effect iveness of the brakes can be reduced
when the vehicle is driven on a sa lt-covered
road and the brakes are not used . Here too,
you should clean off accumulated sa lt coating
from brake discs and pads w ith a few careful
applications of the brake¢,&.
Corrosion
There may be a tendency for dirt to build up
on the brake pads and corrosion to form on
the discs if the car is not driven regu larly or
only for short trips w ith litt le use of the
brakes.
If the brakes are not used frequently, or if cor­
rosion has formed on the discs, it is advisable
to clean off the pads and discs by braking
firmly a few times from a moderately high
speed
c> ,& .
Faults in the brake system
If you shou ld notice a sudden increase in
brake pedal trave l, then one of the two brake
c ir cuits may have fa iled
c> ,& .
Low brake fluid level
Malfunctions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fluid level is too low. The brake fluid
l evel is monitored electronically .
Brake lining wear status
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spect ion of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the wheel. If neces­
sary, the wheel may be removed for this in­
spect ion
c> page 298, Changing a wheel.
A WARNING
-- You shou ld perform braking maneuvers
for the purpose of cleaning the brake
system only if road conditions permit.
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an accident!