2014 AUDI Q7 ECU

140 Automatic transmission
-Never hold the vehicle on an incline with
a slipping clutch. The clutch opens auto­
matically when it becomes too hot from
the overload. An indicator lamp
[O] illu­
minates and a driver message appears
c!;> page 141 when the clutch is overload­
ed.
- If the engine must remain running, never
have any driving position engaged when
checking under the hood. Make sure the
selector lever has securely engaged and
is locked in P with the parking brake
firmly set¢
page 257. Otherwise, any
increase in engine speed may set the ve­
hicle in motion, even with the parking
brake applied.
(D Note
- When stopping on an incline, do not try
to hold the vehicle in place by pressing
the accelerator peda l while a driving gear
is selected. This can cause the transmis­
sion to overheat and can damage it. Acti­
vate the park ing brake or press the brake
pedal to prevent the vehicle from rolling.
- Allowing the vehicle to roll when the en­
gine is stopped and the selector lever is
in
N will damage the transmiss ion be­
cause it is not lubricated under those cir­
cumstances.
Hill descent control
The hill descent control system assists the
driver when driving down declines.
H ill descent control is activated when these­
lector lever is in D/S and you press the brake
pedal. The transmission automatically selects
a gear that is suitab le for the incline. Hill de­
scent control tries to maintain the speed ach­
ieved at the time of braking, within physical
and technical limitations . It may st ill be nec­
essary to adjust the speed with the brakes.
Hill descent control switches off once the de ­
cline levels out or you press the accelerator pedal. When the speed
is set in the cruise control
system
c!;>page 111, hill descent control is al­
so activated.
A WARNING
--
Hill descent control cannot overcome
physical limitations, so it may not be able
to maintain a constant speed under all
conditions. Always be ready to apply the brakes.
· Manual shift program
Using the manual shift program you can
manually select gears.
Fig. 160 Center console: shift ing the gears manually
Fig. 161 Steering wheel: Sh ift buttons•
Gear selection with selector lever
The tiptronic mode can be selected either with
the vehicle stationary or on the move.
.,. Push the selector lever to the right from D.
An
M appears in the instrument cluster dis­
play as soon as the transmission has shifted .
.,. To upshift, push the se lecto r lever forward
to the plus position
0 c!;> fig. 160 .
.,. To downshift, push the lever to the minus
position
Q . 1J>-

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

Homelink
Universal remote
control
Description
Applies to vehicles: with Home link
The HomeLink universal remote control can
be programmed with the remote control for
devices that are already present.
With Home Link, you can control devices such
as the garage door, security systems, house
lights , etc. comfortably from the inside of you
vehicle.
Homelink makes it possible for you to rep lace
three different remote controls from devices
in your home with one universal remote. This
feature works for most garage door and exte­
rior door motor signals. Programming the in­
dividual remote control for your remote con ­
trol takes place on the left side of the front bumper. There is a control module attached at
this location .
A one-time programming of the sensor must be performed before you are able to use sys­
tems with Homelink. If the system does not activate after performing the one-time pro­
gramming, check whether the system uses a rolling code
¢ page 163 .
A WARNING
-Never use the Homelink transmitter
with any garage door opener that does
have not the safety stop and reverse fea­
ture as required by federa l safety stand­
ards. This includes any garage door open­
er model manufactured before April 1,
1982.
- A garage door opener which cannot de­
tect an object, signaling the door to stop
and reverse does not meet current feder­
al safety standards . Using a garage door
opener without these features increases
risk of serious injury or death.
Homelink 161
- For safety reasons never release the
parking brake or start the engine while
anyone is standing in front of the vehicle .
- A garage door or an estate gate may
sometimes be set in motion when the
Homelink remote control is being pro­
grammed. If the device is repeatedly ac­
tivated, th is can overstrain motor and
damage its electrical components - an
overheated mo to r i s a fire hazard!
- To avoid possib le injuries or property
damage, please always make abso lutely
certa in that no persons or objects are lo­
cated in the range of motion of any
equipment being operated.
(0 Tips
- If you would like more information on
Homelink, where to purchase the Home­
Link compat ible products, or would like
to purchase the Home Link Home Light­
ing Package, please call toll-free :
1-800-355-3515.
- For Declaration of Compliance to United
States FCC and Industry Canada regula­
tions
¢page 319.
-For security reasons, we recommend that
you clear the programmed buttons be­
fore selling the vehicle.
Operation
App lies to vehicles : with Homeli nk
111111 111111
-
Fig. 191 Headl iner: controls
Req uirement: The buttons must be program­
med
<:!)page 162.

164 Driving Safel y
Driving Safely
General notes
Safe driving habits
Please remember -safety first!
This chapter contains important information,
tips, instructions and warnings that you need
to read and observe for your own safety, the
safety of your passengers and others . We have
summarized here what you need to know
about safety belts, a irbags, ch ild restra ints as
well as child safety. Your safety is for us
priori­
ty number 1.
Always observe the info rmat ion
and warn ings in th is sect ion -fo r yo ur own
safety as well as that of your passengers .
The information in this se ction app lies to all
model ve rsions of your veh icle . Some of the
feat ures desc ribed in this sec tions may be
standard equipment on some models, or may
be optional equipment on others . If you are
not sure, ask your authorized Aud i dealer.
A WARNING
- Always make sure that you follow the in­
struct ions and heed the WARNINGS in
this manual. It is in your interest and in
the inte rest of you r passengers.
- Always keep all of the Owner's Literature
man uals in your Audi when you lend or
sell your veh icle so that this impo rtant
information will a lways be availab le to
the drive r and pas sengers.
- Always keep the Owner's Literature han­
dy so tha t you can find it easily if yo u
have ques tions.
Safety equipment
The safety features are part of the occupant
restraint system and work together to help
redu ce the risk of injury in a wide variety of
accident situations.
Your safety and the safety of you r passenge rs
should not be left to chance. Advances in
technology have made a varie ty o f fea tures
avai la bl e to he lp re duce the risk of inj ury in an accident
. The following is a list of just a few of
the safety features in your Audi:
- sophis tic ated s afety be lts for d rive r and a ll
passenger sea ting pos it ions,
- be lt te nsione rs fo r th e fro nt sea ts a nd the
ou ter sea ting posit ions in the second row
seating,
- be lt h eight adjustment fo r th e front sea ts
an d the o ute r seat ing pos itions in the sec ­
ond row seating,
- he ad restra ints for e ach sea ting pos ition,
- fro nt airbags,
- side airbags in the fro nt seats and the outer
seating positions in the second row seat­ ing*,
- side curta in ai rbags,
- specia l LATCH anchorages for child re-
st raints,
- ad justab le steering colum n.
These individual safety features, can work to­ gether as a system to he lp protect you and
your passengers in a wide range of accidents .
These features cannot work as a system if
they are not always correctly adjusted and cor­ rectly used .
Safety is everybody's responsibil ity!
Important things to do before driving
Safety is everybody 's job! Vehicle and occu­
pant safety always depends on the informed
and careful driver.
Fo r yo ur safety and the safety of your passen­
gers,
before driving always:
.. Ma ke s ure t hat all lights and sign als are op ­
erati ng correctly .
.. Make s ure t hat the tire pressure is correct.
.. Make s ure that all windows are clean and af­
ford good vis ibility to the outs ide.
.. Secure all luggage and other items carefu lly
¢ page 88.
.. Make s ure that nothing can inte rfere with
the peda ls.
.. Adj ust fron t seat, head restraint and m irrors
correc tly fo r you r height . .,.

unfolds with great force in the blink of
an eye .
- Always make sure that there are at least
10 inches (25 cm) between the front
passenger 's breastbone and the instru­
ment panel.
- Each passenger must always sit on a seat of the ir own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt be longing to that
seat .
- Before driving, always adjust the front
passenger seat and head restra int prop ­
erly .
- Always keep your feet on the f loor in
front of the seat. Never rest them on the
seat, instrument panel, out of the win­ dow, etc. The airbag system and safety
belt w il l not be ab le to protec t you prop­
er ly and can even increase the risk of in­
jury in a crash .
- Never drive with the backrest reclined o r
ti lted far back! The farther the backrests
are ti lted back , the greater the risk of in ­
jury due to incorrect positioning of the
safety belt and improper seating posi­
t ion.
- Children must always ride in child safety
seats
c> page 204 . Special precautions
apply when installing a child safety seat
on the front passenger seat
c> page 183 .
Proper seating positions for passengers
in rear seats
Rear seat passengers must sit upright with
both feet on the floor consistent with their
physical size and be properly restrained whenever the vehicle is in use .
To reduce the risk of injury caused by an incor ­
rect seat ing pos ition in the event of a sudden
brak ing maneuve r or an acc ident , your pas­
se ngers on the rea r bench seat must always
observe the fo llow ing :
~ If there are passengers in the rear seat, fold
the head rest ra ints up on the occupied seats
or slide the center head restrain t upward at
least to the next notch
c> page 78 .
Drivin g Sa fely 167
~ Make sure that the seatback is secure ly
latch ed in the upright posi tion
c> page 80.
~ Keep both feet flat in the footwell in front of
the rear seat .
~ Fasten and wear safety belts proper ly
<=> page 178 .
~ Make sure that children are always properly
restrained in a child restraint that is appro­
pria te for the ir s ize and age
c> page 204.
A WARNING
Passengers who are imp roperly seated on
the rea r seat can be seriously inj ured in a
crash .
- Each passenger must always si t on a seat
of their own and properly fasten and
wear the safety belt belonging to that
seat.
- Safety belts only offer maximum protec­
tion when the seatback is sec urely latch­
ed in the upright position and the safety
bel ts are properly posit ioned on the
body . By not sitting upright, a rear seat
passenger increases the risk of personal
in ju ry from improperly positioned safety
be lts!
- Always adjust the head rest raint p roperly
so that it can give maximum protection .
Proper adjustment of head restraints
Correctly adjusted head restraints are an im­
portant port of your vehicle's occupant re ­
straint system and can help to reduce the risk
of injuries in accident situations .
Fig. 1 94 Head restr ain t: v ie wed from th e front
The head restraints must be correct ly adjust-
ed to achieve the best protectio n. ..,.

Pedal area
Pedals
The pedals must always be free to move and
must never be interfered with by a floor mat
or any other object.
Make sure that all pedals move freely without
interference and that nothing prevents them
from returning to their original positions .
Only use floor mats that leave the peda l area
free and can be secured with floor mat fasten­
ers .
If a brake circuit fails, increased brake peda l
travel is required to bring the vehicle to a
full
stop.
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can cause
loss of vehicle control and increase the r isk
of serious injury.
- Never place any objects in the driver's
footwell. An object could get into the
peda l area and interfere w ith pedal func­
tion. In case of sudden braking or an ac­
cident, you would not be able to brake or
accelerate!
- Always make sure that nothing can fall
or move into the driver's footwell.
Floor mats on the driver side
Always use floor mats that can be securely
attached to the floor mat fasteners and do
not interfere with the free movement of the
pedals.
"' Make su re that the floor mats are properly
secu red and cannot move and interfere with
the pedals ~
A,.
Use o nly floor mats that leave the pedal a rea
unobstructed and that are firmly secured so
that they cannot s lip out of position. Yo u can
obtain suitable floor mats from your author­
ized Audi dealer.
Floor mat fasteners are installed in your Audi .
Driving S afel y 169
Floor mats used in your vehicle must be at­
tached to these fasteners . Properly securing
the f loor mats will prevent them from sliding
into positions that could interfere with the
pedals or impair safe operat ion of your vehicle
in other ways.
A WARNING
Pedals that cannot move freely can result
in a loss of vehicle control and increase the
risk of serious persona l injury.
- Always make sure that floor mats are
properly secured.
- Never p lace or install floor mats or other
f loor coverings in the vehicle that cannot
be properly secured in place to prevent
them from slipping and interfer ing with
the peda ls or the ability to contro l the
vehicle .
- Never place or install floor mats or other
f loor coverings on top o f already instal­
led floor mats . Additiona l floor mats and
other coverings will reduce the size of
the pedal area and interfere with the
pedals.
- Always properly reinstall and secure floor
mats that have been taken out for clean­
ing.
- Always make sure that objects cannot
fall into the dr iver footwell while the ve­
hicle is moving . Objects can become
trapped under the brake pedal and accel­
erator pedal causing a loss of vehicle
control. •
•

1 7 0 Dr iving Safel y
Stowing luggage
Loading the luggage compartment
All luggage and other objects must be prop­
erly stowed and secured in the luggage com ­
partment.
Fig . 195 Safe load position ing: place heavy objects as
low a nd as far forward as possible.
Loose items in the luggage compartment can
shift suddenly, changing vehicle handling
characteristics . Loose items can also increase
the r isk of serious personal injury in a sudden
vehicle 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. 195.
,. Secure luggage using the tie-downs provid­
ed
¢ page Bl.
,. Make sure that the rear seatback is securely
l atched in place .
A WARNING
Improperly stored luggage or other items
can fly through the vehicle caus ing serious
personal inj ury in the event of hard brak­
ing or an acc ident. To help reduce the r isk
of serious personal injury :
- Always put objects, for example, luggage
or other heavy items in the luggage com­
partment.
- Always secu re objects in the luggage
compartment using the tie-down eyelets
and suitable straps.
A WARNING
-Heavy loads wi ll influence the way your ve-
hicle handles. To help reduce the risk of a
loss of control leading to serious personal
in jury:
-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
r=;,page 164.
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 fully
closed.
- If you absolutely m ust 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
pane l,
- Switch off the air recirculat ion,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.
A WARNING
A lways make sure that the doors, all win­
dows, the Panoramic sliding sunroof * and
the rear lid are securely closed and locked
-

to reduce the risk of inj ury when the vehi­
cle is not be ing used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es­
pecially with the rear lid left open . A
child could crawl into the vehicle through
the luggage compartment and close the
rear lid becoming trapped and unable to
get out . Be ing trapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious persona l injury .
- Never let children play in or around the vehicle .
- Never let passengers r ide in the luggage
compartment . Veh icle occupants must
always be properly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions.
(D Tips
- Air c irculation helps to reduce window
fogging . Sta le air escapes to the outside
th rough vents in the trim pane l. Be sure
to keep these slots free and open .
-The t ire pressure must correspond to the
load. The t ire pressure is shown on the
tire p ress ure label. The tire pressure la­
bel is located on the d river's s ide B-pi llar.
The t ire pressure label lists the recom­
mended cold tire inflat ion pressures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured .
For recommended t ire pressures for nor­
mal load conditions, please see chapter
c:> page277 .
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items .
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop­
erly
c:> page 1 70, Loading the luggage com­
partment.
In a coll is ion, the l aws of phys ics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi­
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
Dr iving S afel y 171
serious injury. Items in the veh icle possess en ­
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and th e
weight of the item . Vehicle speed is the most
s ignificant factor.
For example, in a fronta l collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a
10 -lb (5 kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item. This means th at
the weigh t of the item would suddenly be
about 200 lbs. (90 kg) . You can imagine the
i njur ies that a 200 lbs . (90 kg) item flying
freely th rough the passenger compartment
could cause in a co llision like this.
A WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur­
ing hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
-Always use s uitable mount ing straps and
properly secu re items to the tie-downs in
the l uggage compartment to he lp pre­
vent items from shift ing or f lying fo r­
ward as dangerous missiles.
- When the rear seat backrest is folded
down, a lways use suitable mounting
straps and properly secure items to the
tie-downs in the luggage compartment
to help p revent items from fly ing for­
ward as dangerous missiles into the pas­
senger compartment .
- Never attach a chi ld safety seat tether
strap to a t ie-down .
Reporting Safety
Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If yo u b elieve that your vehicle
ha s a defec t w hi ch could cau se
a c rash or co uld cause i njur y or
d ea th, you sh ould imm ediat ely
inform th e National Hi ghwa y
Tr affi c Sa fet y Admini strati on ..,.
•
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