2013 AUDI Q7 ESP

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 sumption.
Ch eck your oil each time you 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 (5,000 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 237
tenance book let. Lack of p roper 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 impo rtant 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
operat 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 mi les
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),
t he 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 emperature is also cr itica l in th is
regard. Your car consumes more fue l in the
winter than in the s ummer.
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238 Driving off road
Driving off road
Driving in difficult road
conditions and offroad
General information
The operation of the E lectronic Stabilization
Control (ESC) is expanded for operation away
from paved roads. In situations where slip or a
differential locking function is required, the ESC offroad mode can be activated
c::> page 225 . Hill descent control is also availa­
ble in the ESC offroad mode, which automati­
cally brakes the vehicle and thereby keeps
speed constant when diffe rent wheel speeds
a re detected when descending a hill
c::> page 226. Your Audi also has permanent
a ll-wheel drive in addition.
H owever, your Aud i is not a pure off road vehi­
cle .
It was not built for d riving unde r extreme
conditions, e.g. fo r trips that are in the nature
of an expedition.
Dri ve only on road s and offroad section s
which mat ch the de sig n of your vehi cle and
y our a biliti es as a driver. Ne ver t ake ris k s!
Before driving offroad
- Check the eng ine oil level, tire pressure,
coolant level , and the fluid level in the w ind­
shield washe r reservo ir.
- Stow luggage items and other objects in the
luggage compartment, and secure them
against s lid ing aro und .
After driving offro ad
- After trips offroad, remove any twigs and
other foreign objects from the grill, the un­derbody and the wheels. Pay spec ia l atten­
t ion to fore ign objects (stones) which have
become lodged in the tire tread.
- Clean the body and the veh icle unders ide,
and inspec t the veh icle for poss ible damage.
- Clean dirty w indows , headlamp lenses , rear
l ights, and license plates .
- Perform a brake check (part icularly after
t ravel ling through water) .
A WARNING
-Drive especially attentively and plan
ahead in d iff icu lt road conditions and
when offroad. 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 weath­
er cond itions. Drive especially slowly off­
road when you r view is res tricted.
- Please be awa re that in ESC off road
mode, particularly on a smoo th 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 off road
mode .
@) For the sake of the environment
Avoid damage to the environment and re­
spect nature .
(D Tips
Only drive w here it is permitted and stay
on marked roads and paths.
Explanation of some technical terms
T he following data refe r to ideal cond itions.
Depend ing on veh icle load and ground 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 ion
c::> ,&. .
Gradient angle
The number of meters in alt itude gained 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 perm itted grade : 3 1
°
Late ral angle (slope of vehicle )
Indicates the angle up to which the vehicle
can be driven diagonally or across the fall line ..,.

chains, make sure they will not drag on the
road when you are driving.
The cha ins shou ld cross under the trai le r
tongue to prevent it from dropping in case of
separation from the hitch.
(D Note
If you are going to tow a trailer, you must
activate the trailer operation mode
¢page 159, Towing a trailer.
Driving instructions
Driving with a trailer always requires extra
core and consideration.
To obtain the best poss ible handling of vehicle
and traile r, p lease note the following:
.,. Do not tow a loaded tra iler whe n your car it­
self is not loaded.
.,. Be especially careful when passing other
vehicles .
.. Observe speed limits.
.. Do not d rive at the maximum permissible
speed.
.. Always apply brakes early.
.. Monitor the temperature gauge.
Weight distribution
Tow ing a loaded trai ler with an empty ca r re­
sults in a high ly unstable distribution of
weight. If this cannot be avoided, drive at very
l ow 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 permiss i­
ble, while keeping the trailer as light as possi­
ble under the circumstances. Whenever possi­
ble, 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 driver to control the rig . Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Re-
Trailer towing 243
duce your speed even more if load, weather or
wind conditions are unfavorable - particularly
when going downhill.
Red uce veh icle speed
immediately if the trail­
er shows the slightest sign of sway ing.
Do not
try to stop the swaying by accelerating.
Observe speed limits. In some areas, speeds
f or vehicles towing trailers are lower than for
regular vehicles.
Always apply brakes early. When driving
downh ill, shift into a lowe r gear to use the en­
gine braking effect to slow 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 trai ler 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
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244 Trailer towing
have become comp lete ly familiar with the way
your vehicle-trailer combination behaves and responds.
Backing up is difficult and requires practice.
Backing up with a trai ler genera lly requires
steering action opposite to that when backing
up your veh icle without a trailer .
Maintain a greater distance be tween your ve­
hicle and the one in front of you. You will need
more room to stop. To compensate for the
trailer, you will need a larger than normal
turning radius.
When passing, remember that you cannot ac­
celerate as fast as you normally would be­
cause of the added load. Make sure you have
enough room to pass . After passing, allow
plenty of room for your trailer before chang­
ing lanes again .
Avoid jerky starts, sharp turns or rapid lane
changes.
- Do not tow a trailer during the break-in
period of your vehicle.
- If you tow a trailer, your Audi may re­
quire more freq uent maintenance due to
the extra load
c> page 325.
Parking on a slope
Do not pork on a slope with a trailer. If it can­
not be avoided, do so only after doing the fol ­
lowing:
When parking:
.. Apply the foot brake .
.. Have someone place chocks under both the
vehicle and the trai ler wheels .
.. With chocks in p lace, slowly re lease the
brakes until the wheel chocks absorb the
load .
.. Turn the wheels towards the curb .
.. Apply the parking brake .
.. Move the selector lever to
P.
When restarting after parking:
.. Apply the foot brake. ..
Start the engine.
.. Move the se lector lever to
D.
.. Release the parking brake and s low ly pull
out and away from the wheel chocks.
.. Stop and have someone retr ieve the wheel
chocks .
(D Tips
If you move the selector lever of the auto­
matic transmission to
P before applying
the parking brake and before blocking the
wheels, you may have to use more fo rce
l ater to move the lever out of the
P posi­
tion.

248 Cleaning and protection
-Never clean the camera lens with ab ra ­
sive products .
Waxing and Polishing
Waxing
A good wax coating protects the vehicle paint
to a large extent against the environmental
factors listed under
c:;, page 245, 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 manua lly app ly a coat of wax to give the
pa int extra protection, particularly if water no
longer beads on the clean paint.
Protect p lastic 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
o~en.
Polishing
Polish your vehicle only if the paint has lost its
shine and the g loss cannot be brought back
with wax .
If the polish used does not contain preserva­
tive compounds, the paint must be waxed af­
terwards .
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
c:;, page 245.
(D Note
Do not use car wax on
- matte or anodized metal trim
- rubber or rubber-like trim .
Trim strips
Metal trim needs special care.
For environmental reasons, Audi fabricates
the bright trim strips and trim pieces from
pure chromium-free aluminum.
Dirt and marks on the trim strips should be
removed with a
pH-balanced cleaning agent
(do not use a chrome cleaner). Authorized
Audi dealers carry cleaning products which
have been tested for use on your vehicle and
are not harmful to the environment .
To avoid corrosion on the exter ior trim strips,
only a pH-balanced solution should be used
for the windsh ield washer .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other inform ation
c:;, page 245.
Plastic and vinyl
Plastic needs special care .
Use a clean, damp cloth or sponge to remove
dust and light surface dirt. For other soil, use
a lukewarm all-purpose cleaning solution or a
mild saddle soap for v inyl tr im . Remove water
spots and traces of soap with a clean, damp
cloth or sponge. Use a clea n, soft cloth to rub
dry.
Grease, tar or oil stains can be removed with a
clean cloth or sponge soaked with all-purpose
cleaner or with a so lvent designed espec ia lly
to clean vin yl.
Occas ionally apply a colorless vinyl or leather
preservative to retain the material's luster
and pliability .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
c:;, page 245.
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral-pH products to remove spots
and deposits from a luminum surfaces .
ll-

252 Cleaning and protec tio n
In the case of genera l soi ling of the uphols ­
tery and cover material, we re commend hiring
a specialist that has the equ ipment to clean
the seat cove rs an d other fa bric surfaces by
shampooing and spray ex traction.
.&_ WARNING
Always r ead and heed all WARNINGS and
the information
~ page 245.
(D Tips
Open Velcro fasteners on your clothing can
damage the seat cover. Please make sure
that Velcro fasteners are closed.
Plastic parts and instrument panel
Always use a clean cloth mo istened in clear
wate r to clean these areas. For pers istent dirt
use an Audi approved
s olvent -fr ee plas tic
cleane r/pro tectan t.
.&_ WARNING
So lvents can change the propert ies of
some plastics and make it harder for the
airbag to dep loy.
-
- Never clean the instr ument pane l or the
s u rface of air bag modules with cleaning
products that contain solvents .
- Products conta ining solvents wi ll make
the surface o f th is part porous.
- Serious injuries can result if plastic pa rts
come loose when the airbag is deployed .
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
other information ~
page 245.
(D Note
Cleaning agents con taini ng solvents will
at tac k t he mater ial and can change the
way it behaves .
Natural leather
Applies to vehicles: wit h natural leather
Audi makes great efforts to maintain the
properties, natural look and feel of interior
leather .
General
We offer many d ifferent types of leather on
o u r vehicles. Most are d ifferent types of nappa
leather, which has a smooth surface and
comes in various colo rs .
The intensity of the co lo r determines the visu­
al characterist ics and appearance .
If the sur­
face of the leather has a typ ica l natural look,
then the leather is a nappa leather that has
been left in a relat ive ly natura l condit ion. This
l eat her offe rs part icular ly good comfort and
breathes we ll. Fine veins, closed grai ns, insect
bi tes, sk in fo lds, and s ubtl e va ria tions in color
remain visible . These characteristics demon­
strate that the material is natura l.
Natu ra l na ppa le athe r is not covere d by a co l­
o r finish. It is therefore mo re sensit ive to soil ­
ing and wea r, which is something you need to
consider if children, animals or other factors
mig ht prove to be part icu larly hard on the
leat her.
By cont rast, leather types that are covered by
a colo red finish layer are more durable . This
has a positive effect on the leather's resist­
ance to wear and soiling in dai ly use. On the
other hand, the typica l characteristics of natu­
ral leather a re barely or not apparent . Howev ­
er, th is does not mean that the leathe r itse lf
i s of infe rior quality .
Care and handling
Because of the exclusive nature of the types of
leather that Aud i uses and their unique prop­
erties (such as sens it ivity to oils, grease, soil ­
i ng, etc.), you will need to be somewhat ca re­
ful with these leathers, and a ce rtai n type of
ca re is req uired. Fo r example, dark clothing
ma ter ials can dis co lor le athe r seats (especi al­
ly if such clothing is damp and was not dyed
correct ly). Dust and dirt particles in pores ,
fo lds, and seams can have an abrasive effect .,..

and can damage the leather surface as well as
weaken seams .
The leather sho uld be cleaned reg ularly as
needed. After having been used for a re latively
l ong time, yo ur leather seats will acquire a
rich aged finish. This is a characteristic of nat­
ura l leather and a sign of true quality .
I n o rder to maintain the va lue of th is natura l
p roduct over the life of your vehicle, you
should follow the recommendations below :
(D Note
-To keep yo ur leather from bleach ing out,
do not a llow it to be exposed to bright
sunlight for long periods of time. If you
have to leave the vehicle parked o utside
for long periods, cover the leather to
protect it from d irect exposure to sun­
light.
- Sharp objects on clothing, such as zip­
pers, rivets or sharp pieces on be lts can
leave permanent scratches or scrape
marks on the surface of the leather .
- After each time you clean the leather and
at regu lar inte rva ls, use a leather preser­
vat ive creme that conta ins UV-blockers
and that wor ks into the leather. This
c reme will no urish and moistur ize the
l eather, helping i t to brea the and stay
supple .
It also helps to b uild up a protec­
tive coating on the s urface .
- Clean the lea ther every 2 -3 months,
and clean any areas that get soiled.
- Remove fresh mar ks made by ba llpoint
pens, ink, lipstick, shoe polish, e tc. as
soon as possib le .
- Preserve the colo r of the lea ther as need­
ed by using a special colored leather care
creme to to uch up areas of uneven co lor.
Cleaning and protec tion 253
Cleaning and caring for leather
upholstery and trim
App lies to vehicles : with natural lea ther
Natural leather requires special care and at­
tention .
Normal cleaning
.. Clean so iled areas with a slightly moistened
cotton or woolen cloth .
More stubborn dirt
.. More st ubborn dirt can be removed using a
cloth saturated with a mild soap solut ion (2
tablespoons mild liquid soap).
.. Never allow the soap solution to saturate
the leather, and make certain that no water soaks into the seams.
.,. Wipe off the soap so lution with a soft, dry
cloth.
Cleaning spots
.. Remove fresh wat er-based spots (such as
coffee, tea, juices, blood) with an absorbent
cloth or pape r towel.
.. Remove fresh
greas e or oil-ba sed spot s
(such as bu tte r, mayonnaise, chocola te) with
an absorbent cloth or paper towel, or use
the cleaner from the leather care kit if the
spot has not yet penetrated into the surface
of the leather.
.. Use an oil/grease dissolving spray, if
oil/
grease spot s ha ve dried on.
.. Remove specific k inds of spots (ballpoint
pen, felt marker, fingerna il polish, water­
based pa int, shoe po lish, etc.) with a spot
remover specifically fo rmu lated for leather.
Leather care
.. Every half year use an approved leather care
product (available from your authorized
Aud i dealer) to care fo r the leather.
.,. App ly the product very spar ingly.
.. Wipe it off with a damp clot h.
If you have any questions about clean ing and
ca ring for the leather in your v ehicle, it is best
to contact you r authorized Audi dea ler, who
will be g lad to help you and tell you abo ut o ur
f ull range of leather care products, such as : .,..
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Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en­
gine compartment.
Al ways s witch off the ign ition befor e clean ­
ing the eng in e
c:> & .
Plenum panel
Remove leaves from the plenum pane l in front
of the windshield under the engine hood. This
prevents the water drain holes from becoming
blocked, and it prevents debris from entering
the vehicle interior through the heating and
ventilation ducts .
Corrosion protecti on
The engine compartment and transmission
have been corrosion-protected at the factory.
Good anti-corrosion treatment is very impor ­
tant, particular ly in the winter . If the vehicle
is frequent ly driven on salt treated roads, the
entire engine compartment and plenum panel
should be thoroughly cleaned at the end of
winter and retreated to prevent sa lt damage.
At the same time, the underside of the vehicle
should be washed as we ll.
If the engine compartment is cleaned at any
time with grease removing solut ions
1>, or if
you have the engine washed, the anti-corro­
sion treatment is a lmost always removed as
well.
It is therefore essential to have a long­
lasting co rrosion protection reapp lied to a ll
surfaces, seams, joints and components in the
engine compartment.
A WARNING
Be aware: The engine compa rtment of any
motor vehicle is a potentially hazardous
area.
- Before working in the engine compart­
ment, be s ure to read the in format ion
c:> page 264.
- Before reaching into the front plenum
pane l, always remove the ignition key.
l) Use only the correct cleaning sol utions. Never use gas­
oline or diesel fuel.
Cleaning and protec tion 255
Otherwise, the windshield wiper system
could un intentionally be switched on,
possibly caus ing personal injury from the
mov ing wiper linkage.
- Never reach into the area around or
touch the radiator fan. The aux iliary fan
is temperature controlled and can sw itch
on suddenly - even when the ignition is
off.
- Do not wash, wax or dry the eng ine with
the engine running. Moving or hot parts could injure you.
- 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 all WARNINGS and
o ther info rmation
c:> page 245.
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