2012 AUDI Q7 heating

Catalytic converter
Applies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
It is very important that your emission con­trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in an environmentally sound manner .
... Always use lead-free gasoline¢ page 250,
Gasoline .
... Never run the tank down all the way to
empty .
... Never put too much motor oil in your en-
gine ¢
page 264, Adding engine oil~-
.,. Never try to push- or tow-start your veh icle.
The catalytic converter is an eff icient "clean­
up" device built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle. The catalytic converter burns
many of the poll utants in the exhaust gas be ­
fore they are released into the atmosphe re.
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is cr it ically
i mportant for the life of the cata lytic convert­
e r and proper fu nctioning of the engine.
A WARNING ,~
- Do not park or operate the veh icle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fuel spill or other material which can
cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
man ifold, exhaust p ipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shie lds . During driving, the
substance used for undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
{[) Note
-Be aware that just one tank fi lling with
le aded fuel will already seriously de­
grade the performance of the catalytic
conve rter .
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
¢ page 264.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty. The eng ine could mis­
fire . U nburned fuel could a lso get into
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 229
the exhaust system and this cou ld cause
the catalytic converter to overheat .
- Do not turn off the igni tion while the ve ­
hicle is moving.
- Do not con tinue to ope rate your veh icle
unde r these conditions, as othe rwise fuel
can reach the catalytic converter. This
co uld result in overheating o f the con­
verter, requir ing its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis ­
sion Control System:
- H ave your vehicle maintained prope rly
and in accordance w ith the se rv ice rec­
ommendat ions in you r Warranty &
M ain tenance boo klet.
- L ack of prope r maintenance as we ll as
improper use of the vehi cle w il l impair
the function of the em ission contro l
system and could lead to damage .
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emiss io n Control System is
operat ing properly, the exha ust gas can
have a sul fur -li ke exhaust gas smell under
some operating states . This depends on
the sulfur content of the fuel being used .
Using a different brand of fue l may help,
or f illing the tank with lead-free super
grade gasoline .
Diesel particulate filter
Applies to vehicles : with diese l eng ine
The diesel part ic u late filter filters nearly all of
the soot particles out of the exhaust . The fil­
ter cleans itself automat ica lly under normal
driv ing cond itions . If the filter ca nnot clean it­
self (for example, because you a re o nly dr iving
short distances), the fi lter becomes clogged
with soot and the. symbo l for the diesel
particu late filter ill uminates ¢
page 3 7.
A WARNING
- Do not park your vehicle over flammable
materia ls such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel par-
ticulate fi lter could start a fire. ..,. •
•

It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fu lly when it is running at idle. However , wear
and nox ious em issions are especially high
when the engine is warming up. So you should drive away as soon as you start the engine and
avoid running at high rpms while the engine is
still warming up .
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af­
ter starting . If warning lights should come
on to indicate improper operation, they
wou ld go unheeded. Extended idling also
p roduces heat, which cou ld resu lt i n over­
heating or other damage to the vehicle or
other property.
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel.
"' Have your vehicle serv iced at regular inter-
vals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
author ized Audi dealer helps to ensure that it
r uns p roper ly and economically. The condition
of your vehicle not only affects its safety and
ab ility to hold its value, it also affects
fuel
c on sumpt ion .
Ch eck your oil each tim e yo u fill your tank .
The amount of oil used is related to engine
load and speed .
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reach its lowest v alue after a certain
mileage has been dr iven .
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 miles (S,000 ki lometers) before you can properly
assess o il consumption .
This a lso applies to fuel consumption and en­
gin e output.
0 Note
- Have yo ur vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance wit h the service rec­
ommendations in your War ranty
& Main-
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 231
tenance book let. Lack of proper mainte­
nance as well as improper use of the ve ­
hicle will impair the function of the
em ission contro l system and could lead
to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of the Emission Control System unless ap­proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such as heat shie lds, switches, ign ition w ires,
valves, which are designed to protect
your vehicle's Emission Control System and other important vehicle compo­
nents.
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively
high on short trips .
"' Try to avoid driv ing short distances w ith a
cold engine .
The eng ine and cataly tic converter have to
reach their opt imal
op erat ing temperature t o
reduce fuel consumpt ion and nox ious em is­
s ions effect ively .
Just after starting, a co ld eng ine in a mid-s iz e
car only achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 miles
per gallon (30 -40 l/l00km). After about a
half a mile , fuel economy cl imbs to 12 mpg
(20 l/100 km) . After about
2.5 miles (4 km),
the engine is at i ts p rope r opera ting tempe ra­
tu re and f uel economy has reached a normal
l evel. So you can see that yo u should avo id
short trips whenever possible.
T he
out sid e t emperat ure is also cr itica l in th is
regard. Your car consumes more fue l in the
winter than in the summer.
•
•

248 Clea ning and protec tio n
• Dab at the stain . Start at the outside and
work inwards .
• Once the stain is no longer visible, use a
soft dry cloth or t issue to soak up the mois­
ture.
Do not use leather cleaning products on Al­
cantara.
You may use a suitable shampoo for removing
dust and dirt .
Dust and gr it in the pores and seams can
scratch and damage the surface. If the car is
l eft standing in the sun for long periods, the
A lcantara should be protected against direct
sunlight to prevent it from fading. Slight color
variations will deve lop in normal use and are
not an indication of material deterioration .
- Never use chemical solvents (e.g . lighter
fluid, turpentine), waxes, shoe polish or
s imilar products on Alcantara ® surfaces .
- To avoid damage, have stubborn stains
removed by a commerc ial cleaning spe­
cia list.
- Do not use br ushes, stiff sponges or sim­
i larly abrasive cleaning aids.
Safety belts
Only well-maintained safety belts work relia ­
bly when needed.
• Keep be lts clean.
• For cleaning, use a mild soap and water sol­
ution. Let be lts dry thoroughly and away
from direct sunlight.
• Do not allow inertia reel safety belts to re­
tract before they are completely dry.
• Check the condition of your safety belts
reg­
ularly.
Heavily soiled safety belts may not retract
properly .
A WARNING
Damaged safety belts can b reak in a crash . -
Anything that might damage your safety
be lts could mean that you and your pas­
sengers would not be adequately pro­
tected in an accident.
- Safety belt performance depends on cor­
rect insta llation. Never remove be lts
from the veh icle to clean them .
- Do not use chemical clean ing agents,
bleach or dyes. They have corrosive prop­
erties which weaken the webb ing.
- When clean ing your safety belts, inspect
them for damage . If you discover dam­
age, see your authorized Audi dealer .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 239.
' Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en­
gine comportment.
Alwa ys switch off the ign ition before clean ­
i ng the engine¢ .&, .
Plenum panel
Remove leaves from the plenum panel in front
of the windshield under the engine hood . This
prevents the water drain holes from becoming
blocked, and it prevents debris from enter ing
the vehicle interior through the heating and
ventilat ion ducts.
Cor rosion protection
The engine compartment and transmission
have been corrosion -protected at the factory .
Good anti- corrosion treatment is very impor­
tant, particu larly in the w inter.
If the vehicle
is frequently driven on salt treated roads, the
entire engine compartment and plenum panel
shou ld be thoroughly cleaned at the end of
winter and retreated to prevent salt damage.
At the same time, the underside of the vehicle
should be washed as well. ..,_

252 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Winter operation
At temperatures below 20° F (-7° C), Diesel
fuel No.
2 loses its fluidity due to wax separa­
tion, which may clog the fuel filter or tank fil­
ter and keep the engine from running .
To help the filter from being clogged by wax,
the fue l filter in your vehicle is automatically
preheated. Preheating the fuel filter makes
operation of your vehicle possible with Diesel
fuel No. 2 down to -10° F (-24° C).
If you expect temperatures below
5° F
(-15° C)
ask your fuel dealer whether their
Diese l fuel No.
2 is sufficiently winterized for
the prevailing and expected temperatures.
If not winterized or insufficiently winterized
Diesel fuel has already thickened to the extent
that the engine will not start, warm the vehi­
cle up by leaving it in a heated garage.
It is normal that the engine noise leve l (die­
seling) is louder during the warm-up period in
winter. It is also norma l when whitish-blue
smoke comes out of the tailpipe after starting
and during warm-up . The amount of smoke
depends on the outs ide temperature.
Do not let your Diese l engine idle unnecessari ­
ly after a cold start. Driving off slowly will
shorten the warm-up period.
A WARNING
- Never use "starting assist fluids." They
may be potent ially explosive or cause a
"run-away" engine condition. This could
result in ser ious engine damage and per­
sonal injur y.
- Never use fuel line anti-freeze offered for
gasoline engines.
(D Note
- Your Diesel engine has been specifically designed to operate only on Ultra Low
Sulfur Diesel fuel. Therefore, never use
home heating oil or regular gasoline. The
properties of these fuels may cause seri­
ous damage to the fuel injection system
and to the engine. Using these fuels can
-
cause expensive engine repairs and will
also adversely affect your New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
- If Diesel fuel sho uld get on any rubber
hose, it must be wiped off immediately.
Then wash the contaminated hose por­
tion with soap and warm water. Do not allow D iesel fuel to remain on connect­
ing hoses . They may develop leaks and
cause serious damage.
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
side panel behind the fuel filler flap.
If the power locking system shou ld fail, you
can still open the flap manua lly -for detailed
instructions see
¢page 255.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your ve­
hicle in
Technical Data ¢page 316 .
The label on the inside of the fuel filler flap
te lls you the correct fuel for your vehicle. For
more information about fuel specifications,
see ¢
page 250.
Your vehicle fuel tank has an on-board refuel­
ling vapo r recovery system. This feature helps
to prevent fue l vapors from escaping from the
tank and polluting the environment while you refuel your vehicle. In order to fi ll the tank
proper ly while protecting the environment,
please fo llow this refueling procedure careful­
ly.
A WARNING
-Under normal operating conditions, never
carry addit ional fuel conta iners in your car .
Gas canisters and other conta iners used to
transport fuel can be dangerous. Such con­
tainers, full or empty, may leak and could
cause a fire in a collision .
If you must
transport fuel to use for your lawn mower,
snow b lower, etc., be very careful and al ­
ways observe loca l and state laws regard­
ing the use, transportation and storage of
such fuel containers. Make certain the ..,.

a reason to change the oil more often than recommended.
A WARNING
Stop! Before working in the engine com­
partme nt, always read and heed all WARN­
INGS
q & in Working in the engine com­
partment on page 258.
The engine com­
partme nt of any motor veh icle is a poten­
tially dangerous a rea and can cause ser i­
ous pe rsonal injury.
A WARNING
If you must change t he engine o il i n your
vehicle:
- Always wea r eye p rotection.
- To reduce the r isk of burns from hot en-
gine oil let the engine cool down to the
t ouch.
- When removing the oil drain plug with
yo ur finge rs, stay as far away as possible.
Always kee p your forea rm pa ra llel to the
ground to he lp prevent ho t oi l from r un­
ning down your arm.
- Drain the o il into a co nt ainer designed
f or this p urpose, one large enough to
hold at least the total amount of oil in
yo ur engine .
- T o reduce the r is k of po ison ing, never use
empty food or beverage containers that
might mis lead someone into dr inking
from them.
- Engine oil is poisono us. Keep it well out
of the reach of chi ldren.
- Cont in u ous contact with used engi ne oil
is harmful to your skin. Always protect
yo ur sk in by washing tho ro ughly with
soap and water.
(D Note
Never mix oi l ad dit ives with your engine
oil. These additives can damage your en ­
gine and adverse ly affect your Audi Limit­
ed New Vehicle Warranty.
-
Checkin g and fillin g 265
@) For the sake of the environment
-Before changing the oil, first make sure
you know where you can prope rly dispose
of the old o il.
- Always dispose of used oil p ro perly. Nev­
er dump it on garden soil, in wooded
areas, into streams or down sewage
dra ins.
- Recycle used o il by tak ing it to a used en ­
gine oil collection facility in your area, or
contact a service station.
- We strongly recommend that yo u have
your oil cha nged by an authorized Audi
dealer or a qualified wo rkshop with the
special tools a nd expert ise required, and
proper m eans of disposa l.
Engine cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro­ tects the engine from freezing in the winter.
T he cooling sys tem is sealed and genera lly re­
quires little attention.
T he cooli ng system has bee n filled a t the fac­
t ory with a permanent coolant which does not
need to be c hanged . The coo lant cons ists of a
mixture of water and the manufacturer's gly ­
col-based coo lant additive G l3 antifreeze
with anticorrosion additives (50% for USA
models; 60% for Canadian mode ls). This m ix­
ture both assures the necessary frost protec­
tion and protects meta l compone nts in t he
engine's cool ing system from corros io n and
sca ling.
It also raises the boiling point of the
c oolant.
Do not reduce the concentration of the cool ­
ant in the s ummer by adding p lai n water .
The
proportion of coolant additive must be at
lea st 50 % but not more than 60 %
to main ­
tai n antifree ze pro te ct io n a nd coo ling eff icien­
cy .
If the coo lant fros t protection is too low,
the coo lant co uld freeze and damage the vehi-
cle heating and engine cooling system. .,..
•
•

Coolant loss
Coolant loss may indicate a leak in the cool ing
system . In the event of coolant loss, the cool ­
ing system should be inspected immediately
by your authorized Audi d ealer. It is not
enough merely to add coolant.
I n a
sea led system, losses can occur only if
the boiling point of the coolant is exceeded as
a result of overheating.
A WARNING
The cooling system is under pressure and can get very hot. Reduce the risk of scald­
ing from hot coolant by following these
steps.
- Turn off the engine and allow it to coo l
down.
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by covering the
cap with a large, thick rag .
- Turn the cap slowly and very carefully in
a counter -clockwise direction wh ile ap ­
plying light, downward pressure on the
top of the cap .
- To avoid be ing burned, do not spill ant i­
freeze or coolant on the exhaust system
o r hot eng ine parts. Under certai n condi­
t ions, the ethy lene g lycol i n engine cool­
an t ca n ca tch fire.
(D Note
Do not add any type of rad iator leak seal­
ant to you r vehicle's eng ine coolant. Add­
ing radiator repair f luid may adversely af­
fec t the function and pe rformance of your
cooling system and could res ult in damage
not covered by your New Vehicle Limited
Warranty .
Adding coolant
Be very careful when adding engine coolant.
Before you check anything in the engi ne com­
partment ,
alwa ys read and heed all WARN ­
INGS c:> A in Working in the engine compart ­
ment on page 258 .
Checking and fillin g 267
.. Turn off the engine .
.. Let the engine coo l down .
.. Place a thick rag over the coo lant expansion
tank
c:> page 266 , fig . 233 and carefully
twis t the cap coun ter-clockwise c:> &, .
.. Add coo lant .
.. Twist the cap on aga in
tightly.
Rep lacemen t engine coolant must conform to
exact spec ificat ions
c:> page 265, Coolant . We
recommend us ing on ly coo lant additive G12+
+, G 13 or in an eme rgency G12 +. Do
not use a
different additive. In an emergency use pla in
water until you can ge t the co rrect addi tive
and can restore the correc t ratio. This sho uld
be done as soon as possible.
If you have lost a cons iderab le amount of
coolant , the n you sho uld add cold ant ifree ze
and cold wate r on ly when the engine is cold.
Always use
n ew engine coolant when refilling .
Do not f ill coolant above the "MAX" mark. Ex­
cess coola nt will be forced out through the
pressure relief valve in the cap when the en ­
gine becomes hot .
A WARNING
- The cooling system is under pressure and
can get ve ry hot. Reduce the risk of
scalding from hot coolan t by following
these steps.
- Turn off the engine and allow it to coo l
down .
- Protect your face, hands and arms from
escaping fluid and steam by covering
the cap w ith a large, th ick rag .
- Turn the cap s lowly and very carefully
i n a counter-clockwise direction while
applying light, downward pressure on
the top of the cap.
- To avoid being burned, do not spill a n­
tifreeze o r coolant on the exhaust sys­
tem or hot engi ne pa rts. Under certain
c ond it ions, the ethy lene glycol in en­
gine coolant c an catch fire .
- Antifree ze is po isonous. Always s to re an­
tifree ze in its o rigina l container and well
ou t of the rea ch of child ren. .,.
•
•

• Secure the wheel with the large screw.
• Fold the cargo floor back down.
After using the inflatable spare wheel
The inflatable spare tire can be re-used as
long as it is not damaged and is not worn
down to the tread wear indicators~.&. .
When you let the air out of the inflatable
spare tire, it does not assume its folded shape
again for several hours. Until then, it cannot
be placed back in the spare wheel well and
stowed securely.
A WARNING
- Never use the spare tire if it is damaged
or if it is worn down to the tread wear in­
dicators.
- If the inflatable spare tire is more than 6
years old, use it only in an emergency
and with extreme caution and careful
driving .
- The inflatable spare tire is intended only
for temporary and short-term use .
It
should be replaced as soon as possible
with the normal wheel and tire.
- The tire pressure value for the inflatable
spare tire is located on the driver's side
8-pillar
~ page 2 78, fig . 238.
-Maximum permissible speed is 50 mph
(80 km/h).
- Avoid full-throttle acceleration, heavy
braking, and fast cornering.
- When the air is let out of the inflatable
spare wheel, it does not assume its fold­
ed shape for several hours . Until then, it
cannot be placed back in the spare wheel
well and stowed securely.
- Never drive with more than one inflata­
ble spare tire.
- For technical reasons, the use of tire
chains on the inflatable spare tire is not
permitted. If it is necessary to drive with
tire chains, the inflatable spare wheel
must be mounted on the front axle in the
event of a flat in a rear tire. The newly
available front wheel must then be in­
stalled in place of the rear wheel with
What do I do now? 297
the flat tire. Installing the tire chain be­
fore mounting the wheel and tire is rec­
ommended.
- Loose items in the passenger compart­
ment can cause serious personal injury
during hard braking or in an accident.
Never store the inflatable spare tire or
jack and tools in the passenger compart­
ment.
(D Note
- The inflatable spare tire has been devel­
oped specifically for this vehicle model.
It must not be exchanged or used for
other vehicle models. Similarly, inflata­
ble tires from other vehicle models must
not be used.
- Normal summer or winter tires must not
be installed on the inflatable tire rim.
Inflating inflatable spare tire
• Remove the compressor from the luggage
compartment
~ page 296, fig. 248.
• Unscrew the valve stem from the spare tire.
• Screw the tire filler hose from the compres­
sor firmly onto the valve of the spare tire.
• Insert the plug from the compressor into a
socket of the vehicle
~ page 87 .
• Switch the compressor on.
• Let the compressor run until the value
specified on the tire pressure label is
reached
~ page 2 78, fig. 238. Switch the
compressor off after running for 12 minutes
at the most -danger of overheating!
A WARNING
-
The compressor and the tire filler hose can
become extremely hot while they are run­
ning -danger of burns!
(D Note
Switch the compressor off after running
for 12 minutes at the most -danger of
overheating! Allow the compressor to cool
down for a few minutes before you use it
again .
•
•

Engine Compartment .... ..... ... ... ... ...
260
Coolant .. .. .... ........ ... .. .. .. . 265
Hood .. .. .. ...... ........... .. ... 258
Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105 , 106
Starting with jumper cables .. ... .... 308
Stopping ... ... .. ... ... .. .. .. .. .. . 106
Engin e compartm ent
Safety instructions ... ..... .. .. .. .. .
258
Working the engine compar tmen t ... . 258
Engine coolant system ... ... .. .. .. .. . 265
Adding coolant . .. ..... ... .. .. .. ... 267
Checking coolant leve l .. ... .. .. .. .. . 266
Checking the eng ine coolant leve l .. .. . 266
M alfunct ion .. ........... .. .. .. .. .. 32
Radiator fan .............. ... ... .. 268
Engine coolant temperature
Temperature ga ug e .... ... .. .. .. .. ..
10
Eng ine data .. .. ........... .. .. .. .. . 3 16
Eng ine hood
C losing ...................... ....
258
H ow to release the hood . .. .. .. .. .. . 258
Engine oil . .. ............. .... .. .. . 260
Adding .. .. ........ ..... .... .. .. . 264
Addi tives . .. ............. .... .. .. . 264
Changing .................. .... .. 264
Checking the eng ine o il level .. .. .. .. . 263
Consumpt ion ................. .... 262
Indications and cond it ions requ iring ex-
tra checking ............. .... .. ...
263
O il grades .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. .. ... 260
Recommended oil check intervals .. .. . 263
Specification and viscosity . ... .. .. .. . 260
Eng ine oi l level ..... ..... .. .... .. .. .. 36
Eng ine oil pressure
Malfunct io n ... .. ... ... .. .. .. .. .. ..
33
Eng ine oil sensor defective . ... .. .. .. .. 36
E ng ine speed limitat io n ..... .. .. .. .. .. 36
Entry assist
Rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 5
Environment Break-in period . .. ..... ... .. .. .. ...
228
Catalytic converter ........ .. .. .. .. . 229
Diesel particulate filter .... .. .. .. .. . 229
Disposing of your vehicle battery .. .. . 273
Driving at h igh speeds ......... ... .. 230
D riving to m inimize pollution and no ise 230
Inde x 329
Fuel . ... .. .. .... .. . .. .. ..... ... .. 253
Fuel economy .. .... . ... ...... ... .. 230
Leaks unde r your vehicle ..... ... .. .. 258
Letting the vehicle stand and warm up . 230
Proper disposal of dra ined brake fluid . 269
P roper disposal of drained eng ine cool -
ant .. .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. ... ... .. ....
267
Proper disposal of d ra in ed eng ine oi l .. 264
Recycling used eng ine oil . ....... .... 2 64
Un leaded fuel .. .. .... .... ....... .. 2 50
Wha t shou ld I do with an o ld battery? . 273
EPC
refer to Elect ron ic power control ...... 15
ESC
refer to E lectron ic Stability Control ( ESC) 16
Event Da ta Recorde r (ED R) ..... ... .. .. 219
Exhaust tail pipes
Cleaning .. .. .. .. .. . ... ...... ... ..
244
Expansion tank .. .. ................. 266
Explanation of some technical te rms ... 232
Ex terior lighting in the mirror housing 59
Exterior m irrors
Adjusting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
68
Dimming .. .. .. .. .. ............... . 69
Heating ... .. .. .. .... ....... .... ...
68
Eyeglasses compartment . ..... ... .. .. . 89
F
Fa ll line
Fan Fou r-zo ne automatic comfo rt air condi-232
t 1o ni ng ... .. .. .. .. . .. .......... .. . 98
Radiator .. .. .. .. .. . ... ........... 2 68
Fasten ing
Booster seats .. ... ...... ......... .
208
Convertible child safety seats ... ... .. 206
Infant seats . .. .. .. ........... .... 205
Flat tire
Changi ng ... .. .. .................
298
Floor mats . ... .. .... . ... ...... ... .. 165
Fog lights .. .. .. .... .......... ...... 58
Fo lding chocks .. .. ............. .... 295
Fo ld ing master key wi th remo te control . . 38
Foot pedals . .. .. .... .......... ..... 165
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