2013 AUDI Q7 tow

Adaptive Air Suspension
Air suspension and damping
Description
App lies to vehicles: with Adapt ive Air S uspe nsio n
Air suspension and damping con be adjusted
separately.
Adaptive A ir Suspension is an electronically
controlled springing and damping system.
This chassis system makes it easier on the
driver by adapt ing to the particular situation
through imperceptible control processes.
The
Adaptive Air Suspension component reg ­
ulates ground clearance depending on vehicle
speed and driver input. It functions independ­
ently from the load condition . Accelerating to
a speed above a predetermined limit will make the vehicle lower itself. On the other
hand, driving more slowly results in the vehi­
cle raising again at specific speeds.
The
damping component provides individual
control of the damping forces . For example,
w ith damping characterist ics set to provide
greater comfort, damping is set somewhat
harder for a br ief per iod only as required, for
example, when go ing aro und a curve or when
braking.
Settings
Adapt ive Air Suspension prov ides the driver
with the opportun ity to set the chassis charac­
ter istics also to their individual preference.
W ith the driving modes
Comfort, Automatic
and Dynamic the driver has three chassis set­
tings available, ranging from comfort to spor­
ty. The
Offrood mode can be selected for driv­
ing on poor quality stretches of road. In addi­
tion,
Lift provides a fifth mode, which can be
selected when exceptionally high ground
clearance is needed
c::;, page 155, Chassis con ­
trols .
The modes are set in MMI <::;,page 157.
Adaptive A ir Suspension 155
A WARNING
The height of the parked vehicle can
change due to temperature fluctuations or
changes in load .
@ Note
- Whenever you park your vehicle, a lways
make sure there is adequate clearance
above and below the vehicle. The he ight
of the parked vehicle can change as the
result of temperature fluctuations,
changes in load condition and changes in
the driving mode (ground clearance).
- If the vehicle is being transported (e.g .
by tow truck, train, ship, etc.), mount the
tie-down chains/cables over the running
surface (circumference) o f the tires. Nev­
er secure the vehicle by the axle, the sus ­
pension struts or the front or rear tow­
line eye . For technica l reasons, the pres­
sure in the suspens ion struts may change
during the transport, which could result
in the vehicle no longer being secured
properly .
- If you are going to tow a trailer with a
trailer hitch that was
not installed ac­
cording to factory specif ications, you
must activate the traile r operation mode
man ually
<::;,page 159.
(D Tips
-Before you can raise your vehicle using
the vehicle jack (for example, when
chang ing a flat tire) or a vehicle lift, yo u
must activate the jacking mode
c::;, page 159.
- On some models, the vehicle can reach
its maximum speed only in the
Automat ­
ic
and Dynamic modes.
Chassis controls
App lies to vehicles : wit h Adaptive A ir Suspensio n
Five different driving modes can be set by the
driver.
T he automatic control processes are speed­
and t ime-dependent. For example, it is not

Displaying the vehicle level
The current vehicle leve l is shown with seg­
ments fi lled out in the segment disp lay @. If
on ly the bottom segment is filled out, the ve­
hicle is at highway leve l. If all segments are
fi lled out, the vehicle is at high level 2 and has
the greatest amount of ground clearance pos­
sible.
While the vehicle is being raised or lowered,
the target level is indicated by an arrow @
¢
fig. 189 or a white border @¢ fig. 190. The
arrow/border disappears aga in when the vehi­
cle is at the target level.
Jacking mode when changing a flat tire
Applies to vehicles: with Adaptive Air Suspension
This mode must be activated in the MMI be­
fore raising the vehicle with a jack or on a ve­
hicle lift.
.,. Select: ICARI funct ion button> ! SETUP I
function button > Jacking mode . Or
.,. Select:
I CARI funct ion button > Car sys­
tems *
control button > Servicing & checks >
Air susp.: tire change .
The vehicle jack mode must be activated be­
fore changing a wheel so that the automatic
control processes fo r the a ir suspension do
not make lift ing with the vehicle jack more dif­
ficult.
The check lamp
II in the instrument cluster
d isplay illuminates in vehicle jack mode.
0) Tips
The vehicle jack mode is switched off auto­
mat ically at speeds above 9 mph (15 km/
h).
Towing a trailer
Appl ies to vehicles: with towing hitch and Adaptive Air
Suspension
Automatic lowering is not desirable when
towing a trailer.
.,. Se lect: ICARI function button > !SETUP I
function button > Towing mode. Or
Adaptive A ir Suspension 159
.,. Select: I CAR I function button > Car sys­
tems*
control button > Vehicle settings >
Air susp.: towing.
As long as towing mode is activated, a vehicle
with a trai ler appears in the
adaptive air sus­
pens ion
main menu.
Level Adjustment when towing a trailer
- Before hit ching up the trailer and before ad­
jus ting the tongue weight at the trailer, the
automatic or comfort mode
must be se lect ­
ed so that the ve hicle can be at normal level
¢ page 157, MMI settings.
-If driving in dynamic mode is desired, this
mode
must be selected before hitching up
the trailer and before adjusting the tongue
weight. However, note that your vehicle is lowered and ground clearance is reduced.
- If you have to dr ive under difficult road con­
ditions, you can select offroad or lift mode,
after hitch ing up the trailer or after adjust­
ing the tongue weight .
- If the veh icle is at
normal level, and you se­
lect offroad mode wh ile traveling at speeds
higher than 22 mph (35 km/h), the veh icle
w ill not be ra ised. Offroad mode will appear
as the active mode in the MMI Display.
- If the veh icle is in offroad mode at
high level
1 ,
it automatically lowers to normal level
when the vehicl e is t ravel ing at speeds ex­
ceeding approximately 31 mph (SO km/h).
The vehicle is automatical ly raised to
high
level 1
again when the traveling speed falls
be low approx imately 25 mph (40 km/h).
Restrictions when operating with a trailer
When operating w ith a trailer, the lift mode
can only be selected up to about 12 mph (20
km/h) . Lift mode is automatically cance led
again when a speed of about 25 mph (40 km/
h) is exceeded.
If t he vehicle is in automatic, comfort, offroad
or lift mode before the trai ler towing mode is
activated, the dynamic mode cannot be acti­
vated .
If t he vehicle is in dynamic mode before tow-
ing operation is activated, it can be driven in
IJI,-

160 Adapti ve Air Su spen sion
this mode. If the suspension is switched from
this mode to another mode, dynamic mode
cannot be re-selected .
(D Tips
-For vehicles with a factory installed tow ­
ing hitch or a trailer hitch that was in­
stalled later accord ing to factory specifi­
cations, the system recognizes "Trailer
tow ing mode" and activates this specia l
mode automatically, as soon as the elec­
trical connection on the trailer socket is
connected. The mode ceases a utomat i­
ca lly when the elect rical connection to
t h e trai ler socket is d isconnected.
- If the tra iler towing mode has been acti­
vated, the vehicle will not drop to the
l ow or highway level.
Cargo mode
Applies to vehicles: with Adapt ive Air Suspe nsio n
The rear of the vehicle can be lowered to
make it easier to load.
Fig. 191 Luggage compa rtment detail: Cargo mode
sw itch
Using switch for activating c argo mode
.. Close all vehicle doors .
.. Open the trunk lid.
.,. Press the lower part of the sw itch ®
~ fig. 191. The rea r of the vehicle is low ­
ered.
.. Press the uppe r part o f the sw itch
(D . The
rear of the vehicle is raised again.
Activating cargo mode in the MMI*
.. Se lect: ICARI funct ion button> I SE TUP I
func tion button > Lower for loading .
In cargo mode, the rear ax le is lowered by 2 .2
inches (55 mm), compared to the normal lev ­
el.
While the veh icle is in ca rgo mode, the seg­
ments do not appear as filled in the segment
display.
Cargo mode i s automatic ally c an ce le d again
when a different mode is selected in the MM I
Display, or when a speed of about 3 mph (5
km/ h) has been exceeded.
If the system is tempora rily unavailable due
to, for instance, an empty compressed air
tank, the
Lower for loading * function appears
greyed out in the MMI Display. As soon as the
system is available again, the funct ion can
once more be selected in the disp lay.
While the vehicle is being lowered, the indica­
tor light @~
fig. 191 on the switch in the
l uggage compartment flashes. When the car ­
go leve l has been reached, the indicator light
comes on and remains on as long as the vehi­
cle is in cargo mode. When the vehicle is
r aised agai n, the indicator light flashes again.
(D Note
M ake sure before canceling cargo mode
that there is sufficient clearance above the
vehicle and a round the trunk lid, if open.
(D Tips
- The vehicle w ill not be lowered if one of
the vehicle doors is open, or if the com­
pressed air tank is empty. The indicator
light on the switch flashes three times.
- Whe n the compressed air tank is empty,
it will refill when you drive at speeds
over 25 mph (40 km/ h). The vehicle can
be lowered to cargo level whe n the com­
pres sed air tan k is a dequately filled.
- If the vehicle is i n lift or off road mode
when you act ivate cargo mode, the vehi­
cle will fi rst drop down to no rma l level.

~ Always keep both feet in the footwell so
that you are in control of the vehicle at all
times.
For detailed information on how to adjust the
driver's seat, see
¢ page 72.
A WARNING
Drivers who are unbelted, out of position
or too close to the airbag can be seriously
injured by an airbag as it unfolds. To help
reduce the risk of serious personal injury:
- Always adjust the driver's seat and the
steering wheel so that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between your breast­
bone and the steering wheel.
- Always hold the steering wheel on the
outside of the steering wheel rim with
your hands at the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock positions to help reduce the risk of per­
sonal injury if the driver's airbag inflates.
- Never hold the steering wheel at the
12 o'clock position or with your hands at
other positions inside the steering wheel
rim or on the steering wheel hub. Hold­
ing the steering wheel the wrong way
can cause serious injuries to the hands,
arms and head if the driver's airbag de­
ploys.
- Pointing the steering wheel toward your
face decreases the ability of the supple­
mental driver's airbag to protect you in a
collision .
- Always sit in an upright position and nev­
er lean against or place any part of your
body too close to the area where the air ­
bags are located.
- Before driving, always adjust the front
seats and head restraints properly and
make sure that all passengers are prop­
erly restrained.
- Never adjust the seats while the vehicle
is moving . Your seat may move unexpect­
edly and you could lose control of the ve­
hicle.
- Never drive with the backrest reclined or
tilted far back! The farther the backrests
are tilted back, the greater the risk of in-
Driving Safely 167
jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
tion .
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats ¢
page 205. Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenger seat¢
page 184 .
Proper seating position for the front
passenger
The proper front passenger seating position
is important for safe, relaxed driving .
For your own safety and to reduce the risk of
injury in the event of an accident, we recom ­
mend that you adjust the seat for the front
passenger to the following position :
~ Adjust the angle of the seatback so that it is
in an upright position and your back comes
in full contact with it whenever the vehicle is
moving .
~ Adjust the head restraint so the upper edge
is as even as possible with the top of your
head. If that is not possible , try to adjust
the head restraint so that it is as close to
this position as possible¢
page 168.
~ Keep both feet flat on the floor in front of
the front passenger seat .
~ Fasten and wear safety bel ts correct­
ly ¢
page 179 .
For detailed information on how to adjust the
front passenger 's seat, see ¢
page 71.
A WARNING ,_
Front seat passengers who are unbelted,
out of position or too close to the airbag
can be seriously injured or killed by the air­
bag as it unfolds. To help reduce the risk of
serious personal injury:
- Passengers must always sit in an upright
position and never lean against or place
any part of their body too close to the
area where the airbags are located.
- Passengers who are unbelted, out of po­
sition or too close to the airbag can be
seriously injured by an airbag as it
•
•

Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be prop­
erly stowed and secured in the luggage com­
partment.
Fig . 197 Safe load pos ition ing: place heavy objects as
low and as far forward as possible.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handling
characteristics . Loose items can also increase
the risk of serious personal injury in a sudden
veh icle maneuver or in a collision .
.. Distribute the load evenly in the luggage
compartment.
.. Always place and properly secure heavy
items in the luggage compartment as low
and as far forward as possible
<=>fig. 197.
.. Secure luggage using the tie-downs provid­
ed
¢ page 80.
.. Make sure that the rear seatback is secure ly
latched in place.
A WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items
can fly through the vehicle causing serious
personal injury in the event of hard brak­
ing or an acc ident. To help reduce the risk
of serious personal injury:
- Always put objects, for example, luggage
or other heavy items in the luggage com­
partment.
- Always secure objects in the luggage
compartment us ing the tie-down eye lets
and suitable straps .
Drivin g Sa fely 1 71
A WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your ve­
hicle handles. To help reduce the risk of a
loss of control leading to serious personal
injury:
-Always keep in mind when transporting heavy objects, that a change in the cen­
ter of gravity can also cause changes in
veh icle handling:
- Always distribute the load as evenly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in
the luggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rat­
ing or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
specified on the safety compliance stick­
er on the left door jamb. Exceeding per­
missible weight standards can cause the
veh icle to slide and handle differently.
- Please observe information on safe driv­
ing
<=>page 165 .
A WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from being drawn into the vehicle, a lways
keep the rear lid closed while driving.
- Never transport objects larger than
-
those fitting comp letely into the luggage
area because the rear lid cannot be fu lly
closed .
- If you absolutely must dr ive with the rear
lid open, observe the following notes to
reduce the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the Panoramic sliding sunroof *,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument panel,
- Switch off the air rec irculat ion,
- Set the fresh a ir fan to the highest
speed.
A WARNING
A lways make sure that the doors, all win­
dows, the Pano ramic s liding sunroof* and
the rear lid are securely closed and locked

.. Inse rt the tongue into the correct buckle of
your seat until you hear it latch securely
c:> page 179, fig. 204 .
.. Pu ll on the be lt to make sure that it is se­
curely latched in the buckle .
A WARNING
Improperly positioned safety belts can
cause serious personal injury in an acci­
de nt.
- Expectant mothers must a lways wear the
lap po rtion of the safety belt as low as
poss ible acros s the pe lv is and be low the
ro unding of the abdomen.
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS and
other impor tant info rmation
c:> .&. in Fas­
tening safe ty belts on page 179.
Unfastening safety belts
Unbuckle the safety belt with the red release
button only after the vehicle has stopped.
F ig. 20 7 Releas ing the to ngue from t he buck le
.. Push the red re lease button on the b uck le
c:> fig . 207 . The belt tongue wi ll spring out
of the buckle
c:> _& .
.. Let the belt wind up on the retractor as you
guide the belt to ngue to its stowed posit ion.
On vehicles with
third row seat* : an unfas­
tened safety belt can be sec ured in the retain­
ing clip in t he luggage compartment s ide
tr im . In this way, the luggage compartment
cover can be removed without obst ruct io n. Al­
so, the belt tongue height can be adjusted so
t hat luggage compartment can be loade d
without obst ruction wit h the backres t fo lded
forward.
Safety belts 181
A WARNING
Never unfasten safety be lt whi le the vehi­
cle is mov ing . Do ing so will increase you r
risk of being inj ured o r killed.
Adjusting safety belt height
With the aid of the safety belt height adjust­
ment, the three point safety belt strap rout­
ing can be fitted to the shoulder area, accord ­
ing to body size .
Fig. 208 Safety bel t heig ht adj ustment - loop-around
fittings
The shoulder belt should lie as close to the
center of the co llar bone as possible and
should fit well on the body
c:> .&. in Safety belt
position on page 180 .
.. Push
the loop-around fitt ings up c:>fig. 208
@, or
.. squeeze together the (D button, and push
the loop-around fittings down @.
.. Pull the bel t to make sure tha t the upper at­
t achme nt is properly engaged .
A WARNING
-
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other importa nt information
c::> page 178 .
(0 Tips
With the front seats, the he igh t adju st­
men t of the sea t can also be used to ad just
the position of the sa fety belts .

192 Airbag system
-Improper repair or disassembly of the
front passenger and driver seat will pre­
vent the Advanced Airbag System from
functioning properly.
- Repairs to the front passenger seat must
be performed by qualified and properly
trained workshop personnel.
- Never remove the front passenger or
driver seat from the vehicle .
- Never remove the upholstery from the
front passenger seat.
- Never disassemble or remove parts from the seat or disconnect wires from it.
- Never carry sharp objects in your pockets
or place them on the seat. If the weight­
sensing mat in the passenger seat is punctured it cannot work properly.
- Never carry things on your lap or carry
objects on the passenger seat. Such
items can increase the weight registered
by the weight-sensing mat and send the
wrong information to the airbag control
unit.
- Never store items under the front pas·
senger seat. Parts of the Advanced Air­
bag System under the passenger seat
could be damaged, preventing them and
the airbag system from working proper­
ly.
- Never place seat covers or replacement
upholstery that have not been specifical­
ly approved by Audi on the front seats.
- Seat covers can prevent the Advanced Airbag System from recognizing child re­
straints or occupants on the front pas­
senger seat and prevent the side airbag in the seat backrest from deploying prop­
erly.
- Never use cushions, pillows, blankets or
similar items on the front passenger
seat. The additional padding will prevent
the weight-sensing mat in the seat from
accurately registering the child restraint
or person on the seat and prevent the
Advanced Airbag System from function­
ing properly.
- If you must use a child restraint on the
front passenger seat and the child re- straint manufacturer's instructions
re­
quire the use of a towel, foam cushion or
something else to properly position the
child restraint, make certain that the
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light comes
on and stays on whenever the child re·
straint is installed on the front passen­
ger seat.
- If the PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light
does not come on and stay on, immedi­
ately install child restraint in a rear seat­
ing position and have the airbag system
inspected by your authorized Audi dealer.
How the Advanced Airbag System
components work together
The front Advanced Airbag System and the
side airbags supplement the protection of­
fered by the front three-point safety belts
with pretensioners and load limiters and the
adjustable head restraints to help reduce the
risk of injury in a wide range of accident and
crash situations. Be sure to read the impor­
tant information about safety and heed the
WARNINGS in this chapter.
Deployment of the Adv a need Airbag System
and the activation of the safety belt preten­
sioners depend on the deceleration measured
by the crash sensors and registered by the
electronic control unit. Crash severity depends
on speed and deceleration as well as the mass
and stiffness of the vehicle or object involved
in the crash .
When the electronic control unit registers a low severity crash and the safety belt is being
used, the airbag will not deploy. If the safety
belt is not being used, the first stage deploys,
followed by the second stage after a much lat· er time in the crash sequence.
If the electronic control unit registers a crash
of medium severity, the first stage of the air ·
bag deploys followed by the second stage at a
much later time in the crash sequence· re·
gardless of whether the safety belt is being
used or not . In higher severity crashes as reg­
istered by the electronic control unit, both the ..,.

218 Child Saf ety
Deactivating the convertible locking
retractor
The convertible locking retractor for child re­
straints will be deactivated automatically when the belt is wound all the way back into the retractor.
.,. Press the red button on the safety be lt
buck le. The belt tongue wi ll pop out of the
buck le .
.. Guide the safety belt all the way back into
its stowed position .
A lways le t the safety belt retract complete ly
into its stowed position . The safety belt can
now be used as an ordinary safety belt with ­
out the convertib le locking r etractor for chi ld
restra ints .
I f the convertible locking retractor shou ld be
activated inadvertently, the safety belt m ust
be unfastened and guided completely back in­
to its stowed pos ition to deactivate th is fea­
ture. If the convertible locking retractor is not
deactivated, the safety belt will gradually be­
come tighter and u ncomfortable to wear .
A WARNING
Improperly insta lled child safety seats in­
crease the risk of ser ious personal inju ry
and death in a collision .
- Never unfaste n the safety belt to deacti­
vate the convert ible lock ing ret ractor for
c hild rest rain ts while the veh icle is mov­
ing. You would not be restrained and
cou ld be seriously injured in an accident.
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS
whenever using a child restrained in ave ­
hicle is being used
c::> page 205. Special
precautions apply when installing a ch ild
safety seat on the front passenger seat
<=> page 186, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know .
LATCH Lower
anchorages and tethers
for children
Child Restraint System anchors and how
are they related to child safety
To p rov ide a simpler and more practicable way
to a ttach the child restra int on the vehi cle
seat, Federal regulat ions req uire spec ia l lowe r
anchorages in vehicles and devices on new
child restraints to attach to the vehicle ancho­
rages.
T he combination of the tether anc horages and
the lowe r anchorages is now genera lly ca lled
t h e
LATCH system fo r "Lower Anchorages and
T ethers for Child ren."
F o rward-facing chi ld restrai nts ma nufactured
after September 1, 1999, are requ ired by U .S .
f edera l regu lations to comply with new child
head movement performance req uirements.
These new performance req uirements make a
tether necessary on most new child seats.
Installing a child restraint that requires a top
tether without one can seriously impair the performance of the c hild restra int and its abil­
ity to protect the child in a coll is ion. Insta lling
a chi ld restraint that requires a top tether
without the top tether may be a violat ion of
state law.
Child restraint manufacturers offer LATCH
lower anchorages on their child seats w ith
hook -on or push-on connectors attached to
adjustable straps .
In add ition to the LATCH lower anchorages,
these chi ld restraint systems usually require
the use of tether straps to he lp keep the chi ld
rest raint firmly in place.
A WARNING
-Imp roper installat ion of ch ild restra ints
will i ncrease the r is k of injury a nd death i n
a crash.
-