2013 AUDI Q7 245

Adaptive Air Suspension .. .. . .
Air suspension and damping
Homelink ® ... .. .... ... .. .. .. . .
Universal remote control ... .. .. .. . .
S afet y fir st ... ...... ... .. .. .. . .
155
155
161
16 1
165
Driving Safely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Gene ral notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165
Proper occupant seating posit ions . . . 166
Ped al area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170
Stowing luggage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171
Report ing Safety Defects . . . . . . . . . . . 172
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175
General notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 5
Why safety belts? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Safety belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179
Safety bel t pretens ioners . . . . . . . . . . 182
Airbag system .......... ... ... .
Important things to know ......... .
Fr ont airbags ............ .... .. . .
M on itoring the A dvanced Airbag
System .... .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. . .
Side airbags .... ...... ... .. .. .. . .
Side curtain airbags .... ... .. .. .. . .
Child Safety .. .. .... ... .. .. .. . .
Important things to know . ... .. .. . .
Ch ild safety seats ................ .
Instal ling a child safety seat .. .. .. . .
LATC H Lower anchorages and tethers
for chi ldren .... .. .. ..... ... .. .. . .
Addit ional Information
Vehicle operation ....... .. .. . .
Intelligent technology .... ... .
184
184
188
195
199
202
205
205
211
215
218
224
225
225
Not ice about data recorded by vehi cle
con trol mod ules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225
E lect ronic S tabiliz ation Control ( ESC) . 225
Braking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Servotronic ® -advanced power
steering system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 230
Driving w ith your quattro ® . . . . . . . . . 231
Energy management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Table of contents 3
Driving and environment . . . . .
234
The first 1,000 miles (1,500 km) and
afterwa rds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Catalytic co nverter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Diesel particulate filter . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Avoid damaging the vehicle . . . . . . . . . 236
Operate your vehicle eco nomically and
min imize poll ution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 236
Driving off road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Driving in d ifficult road conditions and
offroad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238
Trailer towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
D riving with a trailer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 241
T rai le r tow ing tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Vehicle care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Cleaning and protection . . . . . . 245
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245
Care of exterior . ... .. .. .. .... ... .
Care of inte rior ... .. . .. .. ..... ... .
Fuel supply and filling your
fuel tank ... .... .. . .. .. ..... ... .
Fuel supply ...... .. . .. .. ..... ... .
Diesel f uel .. .. .. .. .. ... ..... ... .
Fuel tank ....................... .
Se lective catalytic reduction ....... .
Checking and filling .......... .
Engine hood ... .. ............... .
E n gine oi l ... .... ..... .... ..... . .
Engine cooling system .. .. ..... ... .
B rake fluid ....... .............. .
B attery ... .. .. .. .. . ............ .
Windsh ie ld/headl ight washer
conta iner . .. .. .. .. ............. . 2
4 5
251
256
256
257
258
261
264
264
266
271
274
2 75
2 79
Tires and wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
T ires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
T ire pressure monitoring system 298
Do -it -yourself service . . . . . . . . . 301
What do I do now? ...... ... .. . 301
Jack , tools and inflatable spare tire . . 301
Changing a wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 304
•
•

Cleaning and protect ion
General information
Regular core preserves vehicle value.
Any automobile is exposed to industrial
fumes , corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after purchase . Regu lar and correct care w ill con­
tr ibute to maintaining the beauty and value of
your Aud i.
F u rth ermor e, good c are may be a conditi on
for subs tantiati ng a w arrant y claim sho uld
c orrosion d amag e or paint d efects oc cur.
Your authorized Audi dealer has a variety of
dedic ated veh icle-car e products and can ad ­
vise which ones to use for cleaning the exter i­
or and interior of your vehicle.
Whether you use products recommended by
Aud i or other commercially available clean ing
agents, please make sure you apply them cor­
rectly .
.&, WARNING
-Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them out of the reach of children.
- Heed all caut ion labels.
- Always read directions on the container
before using any product. Follow the di­
rect ions carefu lly.
- Most chemical cleaners are concentrated
and have to be diluted .
- Use spot removing fluids only in well
ventilated areas.
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, d iesel
fuel, nail polish remover or other volatile
fluids. They may be toxic, flammab le or
haza rdous in other ways. Do not wash,
wax or dry the vehicle with the ign it ion
on or the engine running .
- Do not clean the undersides of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, e tc. w ithout pro­
tecting your hands and arms. You may c u t yourself on sharp -edged metal parts .
Cleaning and protec tion 245
- Moisture and ice on brakes may impair
brak ing effic iency¢
page 228, General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle.
@) For the sake of the environment
Select on ly environmentally friend ly clean­
i ng products . Leftover cleaning products
should not d isposed of in the household
waste.
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protects the vehicle .
The best protection against environmental i n­
fluences is
frequent washing and waxing . How
often t his is required depends on:
- How much the veh icle is used
- Where the veh icle is parked (garage, in the
open under trees, etc.)
- The seasona l and weather conditions
- Environmental infl uences
T he longer b ird droppings, insects, tree resin,
road and indus tria l gr ime, ta r, soot, road salt
and other materials remain on the vehicle body, the more lasting their destructive ef­
fects wi ll be . High temperatures caused by ex­
posure to intense sun light intens ify the corro­
s ive effect, particularly when humid ity is high
as well.
Under certain circumstances,
weekl y washing
may be necessary. Under other cond itions, a
monthly washing and waxing may be ade­
quate .
After the winter, the underside of the vehicle
should be thoroughly washed, preferab ly in a
professional car wash .
.&, WARNING ,_
A lways read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 245.
•
•

24 6 Cl eaning and protec tio n
Automatic car wash
The vehicle can be washed in almost any
modern automatic car wash .
The vehicle paint is so durable that the vehicle
can normally be washed without problems in
an automatic car wash. However, the effect on
the paint depends to a large extent on the de­
sign of the facility, the filtering of the wash
water, the type of wash and care mater ial , etc.
I f the pa int has a dull appearance afte r going
through the car wash or is scratched, bring
this to the attention of the operator immedi­
ately. If necessary, use a different car wash.
Before going through a car wash, be sure to
take the usual precautions such as closing the
windows and the Panoramic sliding s unroof.
Factory installed antennas must not be re­
moved.
I f you have installed additional accessories on
the vehicle - such as spoilers, roof rack, etc. -
it is best to ask the car wash operator if these
should be removed.
A WARNING
Please take note of the following po ints
before going through an automatic car
wash with your vehicle, so that you can avoid damage to your vehicle .
- Compare the track of your vehicle with the distance between the gu ide rails of
the fac ility- there is a risk of damage to
the whee ls and t ires.
- Compare the height and w idth of your
vehicle with the height and width of the
tunnel at the facility.
- Fold the exte rior mirrors flat - there is a
risk of damag ing the exte rior m irrors.
Power folding exterior mirrors* mus t not
be folded in or out by hand. Use the pow­
er function!
- Do not al low the wiper blade to fall onto
the windshield after the vehicle is dried -
there is a risk of damag ing the paint on
the hood.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information ¢
page 245.
Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of water is needed when washing a vehi­
cle by hand .
.,. Before you start washing, make sure you
have read and understood the WARNINGS
¢ .&. in General information on page 245 .
.,. First soak all dried d irt unt il it is soft, then
r inse it off .
.,. As you clean you r vehicle , start w it h the
roof and work your way down to the bottom,
using a sponge, a sponge g love or a clean
brush.
.,. Rinse the sponge or the sponge glove often,
flushing it clean each time.
.,. Use spec ial car shampoo only for very per­
sistent d irt .
.,. Rinse the car thoroughly wit h water .
.,. Use a chamo is leather to gently w ipe the ex-
ter ior d ry.
Use a separate sponge for cleaning the
wheels, door s ills and other regions exposed
to road dirt . In this way, you will not scratch
the pa int with coarse pa rticles imbedded in
the sponge the next time you wash the car.
A WARNING ~ -
- Do not clean the underside of the chas­
sis, fenders, wheel covers , or other ha rd
to reach pa rts without protect ing your
hands and arms . You may cut yourself on
sharp-edged metal parts.
- Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 245.
(D Note
- Never try to remove dirt, mud or dust if
the surface of the ve hicle is dry . Never
use a dry cloth or sponge, s ince this
co uld scratch your vehicle's paint or win ­
dows .
- Never wash your car in bright s unlight.
Drops of water act as magn ifying lenses
and may damage your paint .
- When you wash your car in the winter: if you rinse your vehicle with a hose, be careful not to aim the stream of water

directly at locks, or at door or hatch
openings -they can freeze shut.
- Never use sponges designed to remove
insects , or any kitchen scouring sponges
or similar products. They can damage
your paint finish .
- You should remove debris (such as in­
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regular basis, for example when refuel­
ing your vehicle. Never use a dry cloth or
sponge to clean the headlights . Only use
wet cloths or sponges to prevent
scratches . It is best to use soapy water .
@) For the sake of the environment
In the interest of the environment, the ve­
hicle should only be washed in special
wash bays .
Washing your vehicle with a power
washer
Cleaning the exterior of your car with a high­
pressure power washer is safe as long as you observ e a few simple rules.
" Before using the power washer , make sure
you have read and understood the WARN­
INGS ~.&.
in General information on
page 245.
" Always follow the operating instructions for
the pow er wash er.
" Make su re that the jet on the spray hose
produces a "fan shaped spr ay" .
" Do
not hold the spray nozzle too close to
soft materials .
When cleaning the vehicle with a power wash­
er
always follow the operating ins truc tions.
T his applies particularly to the
operating
pressure
and the spraying distance. Maintain
a sufficient distance to soft materials such as
rubber hoses and sound/vibration deadening
materials (particularly on the underside of the
engine hood). Do not use a jet which sprays
water in a
direct stream or one that has a ro­
tating
jet.
Water temperature should not exceed 140 °F
(60 °().
Cleaning and protection 247
A WARNING
Never wash tires with a jet that sprays wa­
ter in a direct stream . This could cause in­
visible damage to the tires and weaken
them, even if the spray is from a relatively
long distance and for a short time . Dam­
aged and weakened tires can fail and cause
accidents and personal injury.
(D Note
To avoid damaging your vehicle, always make sure that there is sufficient distance
between the spray head and soft materials
like rubber hoses, plastic parts and sound­
deadening materials. Never aim the spray
head at the same point for a long time.
This also applies to cleaning headlights
and painted bumpers. Remember : the
closer the nozzle is to the surface of the
material, the greater the stress on the ma­
terial.
Sensors and camera lenses
- Remove snow with a hand brush and remove
ice with a de-icing spray that does not con­
tain solvents.
- Clean the sensors (adaptive cruise control*,
parking system*) with a cleaning solution
that does not contain solvents and a soft
cloth.
- Dampen the camera lens with a household
alcohol-based glass cleaner, and then wipe
the lens clean with a dry cloth.
(D Note
- If you wash your vehicle with a pressure
washer,
- make sure there is enough distance to
sensors in the rear bumper .
- do not clean the camera lenses and the
area around them with the pressure
washer .
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow or ice from the camera lens. This
could cause the lens to crack .
•
•

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-

Chrome care products and alkaline cleaners
will attack aluminum surfaces and can dam­
age them over time.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information ¢
page 245.
Touch-up paint
Minor paint damages should be touched up
immediately.
.. Use either a touch-up paint st ick or spray
paint to cover minor scratches and nicks.
Your authorized Audi dealer has touch-up paint for minor sc ratches and stone chips.
Scratches should be touched up soon after
they occur to prevent corrosion .
I f a spot starts to rust, however , a simple
touch -up job wi ll not be enough . The affected
surface must be sanded smooth and coated
with an anti-r ust primer before the painted
finish can be restored.
The number for the origina l vehicle paint can
be found on the vehicle identification labe l
¢page 320.
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 245.
Windows
Clear vision to all sides .
Clea n all windows reg ularly to remove road
fi lm and carwash wax bui ldup.
.,. Remove snow from windows using a brush.
.. Use a plast ic ice scraper to remove ice from
windows and mirro rs.
.. Remove other residue on the windows with
a spray-on glass cleaner.
.. Wipe th e windows dry with a clean piece of
cloth or kitchen paper towel.
Cleaning and protec tion 249
The best way to remove snow from windows
and mirrors is to use a brush . Use a non-abra ­
s ive
pl astic ice scrape r -better sti ll, a spray
deicer -to remove
ice from w indows and mir­
rors.
The windows must not be cleaned with insect remover or wax since these can interfere w ith
the function of the windshie ld w iper blades
(chatter) .
Oil, grease, or s ilicone residue can be removed
with
gla ss cle ane r or s ilicone remo ve r. How­
ever, wax re sidue requires the use of a spec ial­
ly formulated solvent. Please contact your au­
thorized Audi dea ler for advice on safe prod ­
ucts for wax removal.
Windows should also be cleaned on the inside
at regu lar in tervals .
Never dry windows w ith the same chamois
that you use to dry painted surfaces. Wax resi­ due on the chamois can impair v is ion through
the windows .
A WARNING
-Always read and heed all WARNINGS a nd
other information ¢
page 245.
-The windsh ield must not be treated w ith
water -repellent materials . They can in ­
crease glare unde r poor v is ibility condi­
tions such as wetness, da rkness, or when
the sun is low on the hor izon. In addi­
tion, they can ca use the w indshield w ip ­
ers to chatter.
(D Note
- Never use warm o r hot wate r to remove
s now and ice from windows and mirro rs.
T his could cause the glass to crack .
- To prevent damage to t he w ires of the
rear defogger, do not place any adhesive
st ic kers on the ins ide of the rear w indow
over the wires.
- To help prevent d irt from scra tching the
w indow, always scrape in a forward di ­
rection -pushing the sc ra per away from
you -never back and forth .
•
•

250 Cleaning and protec tio n
Cast (light) alloy wheels
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care .
• Wash the whee ls with a sponge or hose
brush every other week.
• For deep cleaning afterwards, use only a
dedicated
aci d-fr ee cast alloy wheel cleaner .
• Rub a coat of
liq uid wax onto the r ims every
t h ree months. Be su re to reach and treat all
parts of the rim .
To preserve the decorat ive appearance of the
cast alloy whee ls, some specia l care is neces­
sa ry. In addit ion to road dirt and sa lt, b rake
d ust is a lso corros ive. If left on for too long,
b rake dust can cause pitting.
Use only specia l
acid-free cleaners formulated
for a lloy rims . Safe p roducts are available at
your author ized Audi dealer. Never leave the
cleane r on the rims longe r than specified on
the label. If not rinsed off promptly, the acid
contained in some cleaners can attack the
threads on the whee l bolts.
Never use ab rasive or metal polishing clean­
ing agents. If the protective coating has been
chipped, e .g. by k icked up road dirt, touch it
up as soon as possible.
A WARNING
- Moisture and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency¢
page 228, General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the veh icle .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢ page 245.
-
Body cavity sealing
The body cavity sealing does no t need to be
checked.
A ll body cavities which co uld be affected by
corrosion have been thoro ughly protected at
the factory.
This sealing does not require any inspection or
addit ional treatment . If any wax should seep
out of the cav ity when the ambient tempera- ture is high, it can be removed with a p
lastic
scraper and a suitable solvent.
A WARNING
-Solvents can be dangerous.
- Benzine is flammab le and toxic. If you
use benzine for removing the wax, keep
sparks, flame and lighted cigarettes
away. Never dump benz ine on the
ground, into open streams or down sew­
age drains.
- Be sure to observe all safety and environ­
mental regulat ions . Follow all instruc­
tions on the container .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 245.
, Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time.
The lower body shell of your Audi is also thor­
oughly protected against corros ion.
Any damage to the undercoating caused by road hazards should be repaired prompt ly .
A WARNING
Too much undercoating in the wrong p la­
ces can cause a fire.
- Do not app ly additional undercoating or
r u stproof ing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields. While driving, the substance used for undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
'
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information ¢
page 245.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road salt and other corrosive materials will
damage the material in the exhaust tail pipes
if they are not cleaned regularly. Do not clean
the tail pipes with wheel cleaner, pa int polish,
chrome polish or other ab rasive cleaners.
Clean the tail pipes with car care products
that are suitable for stainless steel.

Your authorized Audi dealer can provide clean­ing products that have been tested and ap­
proved for your vehicle .
Care of interior
MMI display
"' Clean the MMI disp lay with a soft clean
cloth and an LCD cleaner .
The MMI display can be cleaned with a profes­ sionally available "LCD cleaner". The cloth
should be s light ly dampened with the clean­
ing f lu id to clean the display.
(D Note
To avo id scratching the MM I display, you
should never clean it d ry.
MMI control console
"' First clean the MMI control console with a
brush to remove dust from the housing.
"' Then wipe the MMI contro l conso le with a
clean, soft, slightly damp cloth .
The MM I control console shou ld be cleaned
with a brush first so that no dirt is trapped be­
tween the buttons and the housing. We rec­ ommend giv ing the MMI control console a fi­
nal w ipe with a cloth mo istened with water
and d ish washing detergent.
Cl) Note
To prevent damage, make sure that no flu­ id ever gets into the MMI control console.
Aluminum trim
Use only neutral-pH products to remove spots
and depos its from alum inum surfaces .
C hr ome ca re produ cts and alkaline cleaners
will attac k alum in um s urfaces and can dam­
age them ove r time.
A WARNING
Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
~ page 245 .
Cleaning and protec tion 25 1
Fabrics and fabric coverings
Fabr ics and fab ric cover ings (e.g. seats, door
trim pa ne ls, etc.) sho uld be cleaned at regular
intervals w ith a vacuum cleaner . This removes
s u rface dirt particles which could become em ­
bedded in the fabric throug h use. Steam
cleaners should not be used, because the
steam tends to push the dirt deeper into the
fabric and lock it there.
No rmal cl ean ing
Generally, we recommend using a soft sponge
or a lint-free microfiber cloth to the clean fab­ ric . Brushes shou ld only be used for carpets
and floor mats, since other fabr ic surfaces
could be harmed by brushes.
Normal s urface stains can be cleaned using a
commerc ially available foam cleaner. Spread
the foam on the surface of the fabric with a
soft sponge and work it in gently. Do not satu­
rate the fabric. Then pat the foam dry us ing
absorbent, dry cloths (e.g. m icrofiber cloth)
and vacuum it after it has dried completely.
Cleaning sta in s
Stains caused by beverages (e.g. coffee, fruit
juice, etc.) can be treated with a mild deter­ gent solution . Apply the detergent solution
with a sponge . In the case of stubborn stains,
a dete rgent paste can be applied directly to
the stain and worked into the fabric . After ­
wards, use copious amoun ts of clean wa ter to
remove the rema ining de tergent. App ly the
water with a damp cloth or sponge and pat
the fabric dry with an absorbent, dry clot h.
Stains from choco late or ma keup sho uld have
detergent paste (e.g . ox-gall soap) rubbed in ­
to them. Afterwards, remove the soap with
water (damp sponge) .
A lcohol can be used to treat sta ins from
grease, o il, lipstick or a ballpoint pen. Melted
grease or dye must be patted off using ab­
sorbent mater ial. It may be necessary to re­
treat the areas with detergent paste and wa­
ter.
•
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