2014 AUDI Q7 service

Winter operation
At temperatures below 20° F (-7° C), Diesel
fuel No.
2 loses its fluidity due to wax separa­
tion, which may clog the fuel filter or tank fil­
ter and keep the engine from running .
To help the filter from being clogged by wax,
the fuel filter in your vehicle is automatically
preheated. Preheating the fuel filter makes
operation of your vehicle possible with Diesel
fuel No . 2 down to -10° F (-24° C).
If you expect temperatures below 5° F
(-15° C) ask your fuel dealer whether their
Diese l fuel No. 2 is sufficiently winterized for
the prevailing and expected temperatures.
If not winterized or insufficiently winterized
Diesel fuel has already thickened to the extent
that the engine will not start, warm the vehi­
cle up by leaving it in a heated garage.
It is normal that the engine noise leve l (die­
seling) is louder during the warm-up period in
winter.
It is also norma l when whitish-blue
smoke comes out of the tailpipe after start ing
and during warm-up . The amount of smoke
depends on the outs ide temperature.
Do not let your Diese l engine id le unnecessari­
ly after a cold start. Driving off slowly will
shorten the warm-up period .
A WARNING
-Never use "starting assist fluids." They
may be potent ially explosive or cause a
"run-away" engine condition. This could
result in serious engine damage and per­
sonal injury.
- Never use fuel line anti-freeze offered for
gasoline engines .
0 Note
- Refueling with gasoline when your vehi­
cle has a diesel engine can cause very se­
rious and expens ive engine and fuel sys­
tem damage that is not covered by any
A udi Limited Warranty.
- If you put any amou nt of incorrect fuel in
the fuel tank, do not start the engine un-
-
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 251
der any circumstances. Immediately con­
tact the nearest authorized Audi dea ler
or authorized Audi Service Fac ility for as­
sistance. These fuels contain substances
that can severely damage the fuel sys­
tem and the engine if the engine is start ­
ed .
- Veh icles with diesel engines must never
be refueled or driven with gasoline, kero­
sene, heating oil, or other non-specified
fuels that have not been expressly ap­ proved for use with the diesel engine.
Other kinds of fuel can cause serious
damage to the fuel system and the en­
gine that is not covered by any Audi Lim­
ited Warranty.
- If Diesel fuel should get on any rubber
hose, it must be wiped off immediately.
Then wash the contaminated hose por­
tion with soap and warm water. Do not
allow D iesel fuel to remain on connect­
ing hoses . They may develop leaks and
cause serious damage.
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
side panel behind the fuel filler flap.
If the power locking system shou ld fai l, you
can still open the flap manually -for detailed
instructions see¢
page 254.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your ve­
hicle inc::>
page 315.
The label on the inside of the fuel filler flap
tells you the correct fuel for your veh icle. For
more information abo ut fuel specifications,
see c::>
page 249.
Your vehicle fuel tank has an on-board refuel­
ling vapor recovery system. This feature helps
to prevent fue l vapors from escaping from the
tank and pollut ing the environment while you
refuel yo ur vehicle. In order to fill the tank
properly while protecting the environment,
please follow this refueling procedure careful-
~-~
•
•

VW 502 00 (vehicles with gasoline engine) or
VW
507 00 (vehicles with diesel engine).
C han gin g the en gin e o il
The engine oil and oil filter must be changed
according to the m ileage (ki lomete rs) and
time inte rva ls specified in your vehicle 's War­
r anty
& M aintenance booklet. Do not ex ceed
t hese intervals -harmf ul depos its from old
engine oi l can reduce engine performance and
can lead to expensive engine repairs.
Changing the o il at the recommended inte r­
va ls is so very important because the lub ric at­
ing p roperties o f oi l decrease grad ually during
norma l vehicle use . If you are not sure when
you have yo ur oi l changed, ask your a uthor­
ized A udi Service Advisor.
Unde r some ci rc u mstances the engine o il
should even be changed more frequently.
Change o il more often if you drive mostly
short distances, operate the vehicle in dusty
areas or mostly under stop-and-go traffic con­
d itions, or when you use your vehicle where
temperatures stay below freezing po int for
l ong periods .
Detergent addit ives in the o il w ill make fresh
oil look dark after the eng ine has been run­
ni ng fo r a short time . This is no rmal and is not
a reason to change the o il mo re often than
r ec om mended.
Damage or malfun ctions due to lack of
maintenance
It is essential that yo u change your oil at the
recommended interva ls using only engine oil
that complies with Audi oi l standard
VW
502 00 (vehicles with gasoli ne engine) or
VW
507 00 (veh icles with diesel engine) . You r
Lim ited New Vehicle Wa rra nty does not cove r
damage or m alfu nct ions due to f ailure to fol­
l ow recommended maintenance and use re­
q uir ements as set forth in the A udi Owner's
M anual and Warranty
& M aintenance book let.
Your dea ler will have to deny warranty cover­
age un less you present to the dea ler proof in
the form of Service or Repa ir Orders that all
Checkin g and fillin g 261
scheduled maintenance was performed in a
timely manner.
· Engine oil consumption
To provide effective l ubr ication and cooling for
interna l eng ine parts, all interna l combustion
engines use some oi l. Oi l consumption varies
from eng ine to engine and may change over
the life of the engine . Engines tend to use
more o il du ring the b reak-in period tha n they
do afterward, when o il cons umption has sta­
bilized. Depend ing on the way the vehicle is
driven and the operating conditions, oil con­
s u mption can be up to
1 quart per 1,200
miles (l liter per 2,000 km) . Consumption
may be higher within the first
3,000 m iles
(5,000 km) .
U nder normal conditions , the rate of oi l con ­
s u mption depends on oi l quality as well as vis­
cosity, engine speed (rpm), outs ide tempera ­
ture, road conditions, the amount of oil dilu­
tion caused by condensed water or fue l resi­
due, and ox idat ion of the o il. Oi l consumption
may increas e with eng ine wear over time, un­
t il rep lacement of worn engine pa rts may be­
come ne cessa ry.
Because of all these var iables, there is no
standard o r "n orma l" rate of o il cons umption .
We urge you to check the engine oil level at
regular interval s, preferably every time y ou
fill the fuel t ank, and always before a long
trip .
The oil pres sure warning light. i s not an
indicator of low engine oil level. If the warn ­
ing light does not go out after starting, or
flashes while dr iving (above 1500 rpm), a
buzzer will sound. It indicate s that the oil
pressure is too low . Stop the engine immedi ­
ately , check the engine oil level and add oil if
necessa ry. If the engine oil level is normal,
but the l ight continues to fla sh, do not keep
driving or let the engine idle, as damage may
occur .
IIJ,
•
•

268 Check ing and filling
If the brake fluid level falls considerably be­
low the "MIN" mark, the brake warning/indi­
cator light (U .S . mode ls:
1111 , Canadian
models: .) will come on
<::> page 19 and
<::> page 32. Do not continue to operate the ve­
h icle . The complete brake system should be
thoroughly checked by an authorized Aud i
dea ler or qualified workshop and the cause
corrected. If the brake fluid level is too low,
the brake warning/indicator light will illum i­
nate . Contact an authorized Aud i dealer
im­
m ediatel y.
@ Tips
The brake fluid rese rvoir is located unde r­
neath the cove r.
Changing brake fluid
Hove the broke fluid changed by on experi­
enced technician.
Brake fluid absorbs moisture from the a ir . If
the water content in the brake fluid is too
h igh , corrosion in the brake system may result
after a per iod of t ime. The bo iling po int of the
brake fluid wi ll also decrease considerably and
decrease braking performance.
Therefore, the brake flu id must be changed
e ver y tw o year s. Always use new b rake fluid
which conforms to Federal Motor Vehicle
Standard "FMVSS 1 16 DO T 4".
The brake flu id reservo ir can be difficult to
reach, therefore, we recommend that yo u
have the brake f luid changed by you r author­
ized
Audi dea ler. Your dea ler has the correct
too ls, the right brake fluid and the know -how
to do this for you.
A WARNING
- Brake fluid is poisonous . It must be stor­
ed only i n the closed orig inal container
o ut of the reach of children!
- Brake fa ilure can result from old or inap­
propriate b rake fluid. Observe these pre­
caut ions: -
Use only brake fluid that meets SAE
specification
J 1703 and conforms to
Federa l Motor Vehicle Standard 116.
Always check with your authorized Audi
dealer to make sure you are using the
correct brake fluid . The correct type of
brake f lu id is also ind icated on the
brake flu id reservoir.
- T he brake fluid must be new. Heavy use
of the bra kes ca n cau se a vapo r lock if
the b rake fluid is left in the system too
l ong . This can seriously affect the effi ­
c iency of the brakes as well as your
safety. This co uld resu lt in an accident.
(D Note
Bra ke fluid will damage the paint of you r
vehicle .
(® For the sake of the environment
Because of the p rob lem of p roper disposal
of b ra ke fluid as well as the spec ial too ls
r equired and the necessary expertise, we
re commend that yo u have the brake fluid
changed by yo ur authorized Aud i dea ler.
Battery
General information
U nder normal ope rat ing cond itions, the bat­
tery in yo ur Audi does not need any ma inte­
nance. With
high o utside tempe ra tur es or
l ong dai ly drives we recommend that you have
the e lectrolyte level checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualif ied workshop. The elec­
trolyte level should also be checked each time
the battery is charged
<::> page 2 70.
Have the battery checked when yo u take your
vehicle in for service. You are well advised to replace a battery that is o lder than 5 years .
With certain types of airbag deployment, the batte ry is disconnected from the veh icle elec­
trical system for safety reasons¢.&
in Re ­
pair , core and disposal of the airbags on
page 197.
~

-If the ti re is not flat and y ou do not have
to change a wheel immed iate ly, drive at
reduced speed to the nearest service sta­
t ion to check the tire pressure and add
air as required.
(D Note
Dr iving without va lve stem caps can cause
damage to the t ire va lves. To prevent this,
always make sure that factory installed
valve stem caps on all wheels are secu re ly
mounted on the va lve.
@) For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will a lso increase the
fue l consumption.
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or
weight t hat any veh icle and any t ire ca n car ry.
A vehicle that is overloaded w ill not handle
well and is more difficult to stop. Overload ing
can not on ly lead to loss of vehicle contro l,
but can a lso damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden tire failure, in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation that
can cause the ve hicle to crash.
Your safety and that of yo ur passenge rs a lso
depends on making sure that load limits are
not exceeded. Vehicle load includes everybody
and everyth ing in and on the vehicle. These
load limits a re tech nica lly referred to as the
ve hicle's
Gross Veh icle Weight Rating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the we ight of the basic
ve hicle, all factory installed accessories, a full
tank of f uel, oil, coo lant and othe r fluids plus
max imum load. The maximum load includes
the number o f passenger s that the ve hicl e is
intended to carry ("se ating capacity") w it h an
assumed weig ht o f 150 lbs (68 kg) for each
passenger at a designated seating position
and the tota l weight of any luggage in the ve­
h icle. If you tow a trailer, the weight of the
trailer hitch and the tong ue weight of the
Tire s an d wheel s 281
loaded tra ile r must be included as part of the
vehicle load .
T he
Gro ss Ax le Weight Rating (" GAWR") is
the max imum load th at can be applied at each
of the vehicle's two axles .
T he Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ing and t he
G ross Ax le Weig ht Ra ting are l iste d on the
s af ety comp liance s tic ke r la bel lo cated on the
driver's side 8 -pillar . Your Audi has 5 seating
positions, 2 in the front and 3 in the rear fo r
total seating capacity of 5. On vehicles with
s ix seats*, your vehicle has two front seats,
two seats in the second row seat ing and two
seats in the th ird row seati ng. On veh icles
with seven seats*, your vehicle has two front
seats, t hree seats in the second row s eating
and two seats in t he third row seating. Ea ch
seat ing pos itio n has a se at belt
~page 174,
Safety be lts .
The fact that ther e is a n upper limit to you r
vehicle's G ross Vehicle Weigh t Rati ng means
that the to tal weig ht of whatever is bei ng car­
ried in the vehicle ( in cl ud ing the weight of a
trailer hitch and the tongue weight of the l oa ded trai le r) is limite d. The more passen­
gers in the vehicle or passengers who are heavier than the standard we ights assumed
mean that less we ight can be carried as lug­
gage.
The tire pressure label on your Audi also lists
the max imum combined weight of all of the
occupants and luggage or other cargo that
t h e ve hicle can carry. Fo r the locat ion of the
label
~page 277, fig . 249.
A WARNING
Overloading a veh icl e can cause loss of ve­
h icl e cont ro l, a crash or o ther accide nt, se­
rio us pe rson al inj ury, a nd eve n death .
- Ca rrying more we ight tha n your ve hicle
was des igned to carry w ill prevent the
veh icle from h andling proper ly and in ­
crease the risk of the loss o f vehicle con ­
trol.
•
•

.,.Check the tire sidewall
(i=> page 284, fig. 253) to de­
termine the designated load rating for a specific tire.
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of
different things including proper installation
and balancing, correct tire pressure and driv­
ing style.
Fig. 251 Tire tread: tread wear indicators (TWI)
Fig. 252 Rotating tires for more even wear
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
The original tires on your vehicle have
1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high "wear indicators"
c::> fig. 251 running across the tread. Depend­
ing on the make, there will be six to eight of
them evenly placed around the tire. Marks on
the tire sidewall (for example "TWI" or other
symbols) indicate the positions of the tread
wear indicators . Worn tires must be replaced.
Different figures may apply in other countries
c::> &. .
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premature wear
and can cause sudden tire blow-out . For this
Tires and wheels 283
reason , tire pressure must be checked at least
once a month
c::> page 2 79.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves, heavy acceleration
and hard braking increase tire wear .
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your vehicle to have the
same service life, we recommend that the
front and rear tires are rotated according to
the tire manufacturer's suggested tire rota­
tion intervals. Please remember the follow­
ing:
- Tire rotation intervals may differ from the
vehicle service intervals outlined in your
Warranty & Maintenance booklet.
- The longer one tire is used in one location
on the vehicle, the more it wears at certain
points ; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufacturer's suggested
tire rotation intervals.
- Vehicles with front-wheel drive experience
more tread wear on the front wheels com­
pared to all-wheel drive (q uattro).
- Please rotate tires as shown
c::> fig. 252.
-Extra care must be taken when rotating di-
rection-specific tires
c::> page 301.
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced .
However, various situations during everyday
driving can cause them to become unbal­ anced, resulting in vibrations you can usually
feel through the steering wheel.
Unbalanced wheels must be rebalanced to
avoid excessive wear on steering, suspension
and tires. A wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can cause exces­
sive tire wear, impairing the safety of the vehi­
cle.
If tires show excessive wear, have the
wheel alignment checked by an authorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
Ill>

308 Emergen cy si tuation s
@ Tips
- The discharged battery must be properly
connected to the vehicle's electrical sys­
tem. When jump starting or charging the
battery, never connect the negative
ground cable to the battery negative post because the battery manager sys­
tem must be ab le to detect the battery 's
state of cha rge. A lways connect the neg­
at ive g round c able to the neg ative
ground post o f the battery manager co n­
trol uni t.
Use of jumper cables
Make sure to connect the jumper coble
clomps in exactly the order described below!
Fig. 271 Eng ine compartme nt: Co nnecto rs fo r jumper
cab les and c harger
®
Fi g. 272 Jump starting with the battery of another ve­
hicle: A - booste r battery, B - discha rged vehicle battery
The procedure described below for connecting
jumper cables is intended to provide a jump
start for your veh icle.
Vehicle with discharged b attery :
.. Turn
off lights and accessories, move lever
of automatic transmission to N (Neutral) or
P (Park) and set parking brake. Connect POSITIVE(+) to POSITIVE(+
)
(red )
.. Open the red cover on the positive pole
¢fig. 271.
1. Connect one end of the red positive cable
on the
jump start bolt c::;, fig. 2 72 @
(Bolts under red cover = "positive") of the
vehicle to be started @.
2. Connect th e othe r end to the positive ter-
mi na l@ of the booster batte ry @ .
Connect NEGATIVE (-) to NEGATIVE (-)
(black )
3. Connect one end of the b lack negative ca­
ble to the negat ive termi na l@ of the
booster ba ttery @.
4 . Connect the othe r end of the black nega­
tive cab le to the
jump start bolt@ (Bolts
with hex head= "negative") of the vehicle
to be started @.
Sta rting the engine
.. Start t he engine o f the veh icle w ith the
booste r ba ttery @. Run the engine at a
moderate speed .
.. Start engine with discharged vehicle battery
@ in the usual manner.
.. If the engine fails to start: do not keep the
starter crank ing for lo nger than 10 seconds.
Wait for about 30 seconds an d the n try
again.
"" With engine running, remove j umpe r cab les
from both vehicles in the exact
reverse o r·
de r .
.. Close the red cover on the positive pole .
T he battery is vente d to the outside to p reven t
gases from entering the veh icle inter ior. M ake
s u re that the j umper clamps are well connec t­
ed with their
metal ports in full contact with
the battery term inals.
A WARNING
-
To avoid serious persona l injury and dam-
age to the veh icle, h eed all warnings and
i nstructions of the jumper cable ma nufac-
turer. If in doubt , call for road service. ,..

316 Consumer Information
Consumer Information
Warranty coverages
You r Audi is covered by the following war­
ranties:
- New Vehicle Limited Warranty
- Limited Warranty Against Corrosion Perfo-
ration
- Emissions Control System Warranty
- Emissions Performance Warranty
- California Emissions Control Warranty (USA
vehicles only)
- California Emissions Performance Warranty
(USA vehicles only)
Detailed information regarding your warran­
ties can be found in your
Warranty & Mainte­
nance booklet .
Operating your vehicle
outside the U.S.A. or
Canada
Government regu lations in the United States
and Canada require that automobiles meet
specific emission regulations and safety
standards. Therefore, veh icles built for the
U.S.A . and Canada differ from vehicles sold in
other countries .
If you p lan to take your vehicle outside the
continental limits of the United States or Can­
ada, there is the possibility that:
- unleaded fuels for vehicles with cata lytic
converter may not be available;
- fuel may have a considerably lowe r octane
rating. Improper fuel may cause engine
damage ;
- service may be inadequate due to lack of
proper service facilities, tools or testing
equipment ;
- replacement pa rts may not be readily availa­
ble.
- Navigation systems for vehicles built for the
U.S.A. and Canada will not necessar ily work
in Europe, and may not work in other coun­
tries outside North America .
(D Note
Audi cannot be responsible for mechanical
damage that could result from inadequate
fuel, service or parts availability.
Audi Service Repair Manuals and Literature
Audi Official Factory Service Manuals and Lit­
erature are published as soon as possible after
model introduction. Service Manuals and liter­
ature are available to order from the Audi
T echnical Literature Ordering Center at:
www.audi.techliterature.com
Maintenance
General
Your vehicle has been designed to help keep
maintenance requirements to a minimum.
However, a certain amount of regular mainte­
nance is still necessary to assure your vehicle's
s afety, economy and rel iability. For detailed
vehicle maintenance consult your Warranty &
Maintenance booklet.
Under difficult operating conditions, for ex­
ample at extremely low outside temperatures,
i n very dusty regions , when towing a trailer
very frequently, etc., some service work
should be performed between the intervals
specified. This applies particularly to:
- oil changes, and
- cleaning or replacing the air filter .
(® For the sake of the environment
By regularly maintaining your vehicle, you
help make sure that emission standards
are maintained, thus minimizing adverse
effects on the environment.
Important considerations for you and
your vehicle
The increasing use of electronics, sophisticat­
ed fuel injection and emission contro l sys-
tems, and the genera lly increasing technical
liJJ,

322 Index
Alcantara Cleaning 247
All-wheel drive . ........... .... .... . 228
Winter tires
Alternator 288
Malfunction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Ambience lighting Lighting profiles .......... .... .... .. 62
Anti-freeze
refer to Engine coolant system ....... 264
Anti-lock brake system ...... .. .. .. .. . 224
Warning/indicator lights . . . . . . . . . 16, 18
Anti-slip regulation ........ .. .. .... . 224
Warning/indicator lights ... .. .. .. .. .. 16
Anti-theft systems Anti-theft alarm system . . . . . . . . . . . . . SO
Electronic immobilizer ............. .. 40
Approach/departure angle . .. .. .. .. .. . 237
Ashtray . .. ... ............ .. .. .. .. .. 87
Asterisk What does it mean when something is
marked with an asterisk? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Audi braking guard ....... .. .. .. .. .. . 127
Error messages .............. .... . 128
Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Status messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128
Switching on and off ...... .. .. .. .. . 128
Audi Service Repair Manuals and Litera-
ture .. .. .. .. ............. .. .. .... . 316
Auto -Check Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Automatic belt retractor ..... .... ... . 178
Automatic mode
Four-zone automatic comfort air condi-
tioning ........................... 99
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL) . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Automatic transmission ..... .. .. .... . 137
Automatic Shift Lock (ASL) . .. .. .. .. . 138
Driving .. ................. .. .... . 139
Emergency mode .......... ... .. .. . 141
Emergency release ......... ... .. .. . 141
Hill descent control ........... .. ... 140
Ignition key safety lock ...... .. .. .. . 105
Kick-down .. ... .......... .. .. .. .. . 141
Manual shift program ......... .. .. . 140
Selector lever .................... . 13 7
Shift buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140 AUTO mode
A/C climate controls ............ ... . 95
Auto Safety Hotline ............. .... 171
Average speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Avoid damaging the vehicle ........ ... 234
B
Bass box
Battery .... .. .. .. .. ........... ... .
Battery location .. ................ .
Charging ...... .. .. ... ........... .
Important warnings when working on
the battery .... .. ............. ... . 295
268
269
270
269
Jump starting .. .. ... .......... .. .. 307
Low ..... ..... ............... .... 229
Replacing the battery .............. 272
State of charge ................... . 229
Voltage ... .... ................... . 35
Winter operation . ............. .... 268
Working on the battery .. .... ... .. .. 269
Before driving ..... ............. .... 164
Blended gasoline .. ................ . 249
Booster seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 212
Brake fluid
Changing the brake fluid ............ 268
Checking the brake fluid level ..... ... 267
Reservoir ... .. .. .. .............. . 267
What is the correct brake fluid level? .. 267
What should I do if the brake fluid warn-
ing light comes on? ...... ...... .. .. 267
Brake light Defective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Brake system .... ... .............. .. 267
Anti-lock brake system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Brake assist system ................ 224
Brake booster .... ............. .... 226
Brake fluid . ..... ................ . 267
Brake fluid specifications for refill and re-
placement .... .. ............. .... 268
Brake pads .. .. .. ..... ........... . 232
General information .............. . 226
How does moisture or road salt affect the
brakes? . .. .. .. .. ............. .. .. 226
Malfunction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Parking brake .. .. ... .......... .. .. 109
Warning/indicator lights ............. 19
Worn brake pads symbol . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36