2015 AUDI Q7 ground clearance

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Instrument s and warnin g/indic ator ligh ts 17
¢1.~ Trailer turn signal assembly
Appl ies to vehicles: with towing hitch
The indicator light also blinks if the turn sig­
nal is operated when towing a trailer .
The indicator light. blinks when the turn
signal is used, if a trailer has been properly
connected to the vehicle.
If one of the turn signal bulbs on the trai ler is
burned out or defective, the indicator light
will not blink when you use the turn signals.
{!) Tips
For vehicles with a factory installed towing
hitch or a trailer h itch that was installed
later according to factory specifications,
the trailer tu rn signal assembly is actuat­
ed.
o Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL)
The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (M IL) is part
of the On-Boa rd D iagnostic (OBD II) system.
The symbol
¢111ij li gh ts up when the igni tion is
turned on and will turn off after the engine has started and has sett led at a constant idle
speed. This ind icates that the MIL is working
properly .
The warning light i lluminates when there is a
malfunction in the engine e lectronic system .
Contact your authorized Audi dealer and have
the malfunction corrected.
An imp roperly clo sed fuel filler cap m ay al so
c au se the MIL light to illuminate (onl y
v ehicles with ga soline eng ine)
c:> page 250.
F or more in format ion c:> page 2 7 .
Ci:> Adaptive Air Suspension
A ppl ies to vehicles: with Ada ptive Ai r Susp en sio n
This II warning/indicator light has the fol­
l owing f unctions:
- It illuminates for a few seco nds after the ig­
nition is t urned on as f unct ion check and
then goes out . -
If the warning/indicator light illuminates or
blinks contin uously, there is a system fault
in the Adaptive Air Suspension. A system
fau lt can result in lim ited ride comfort and
lo w ground clea rance . Drive safely to the
nearest authorized Audi dealer or qualified
wo rkshop, and have the fault corrected.
- If the warning/indicator light flashes, you
should not dr ive the veh icle . The flashing
warning/indicator light points to an extreme H igh level. A very
pronounced lifting of the
veh icle (ext reme H igh leve l) can result, for
examp le, when a heavy load is removed
from the vehicle. As soon as the level has re ­
t u rned to norma l, the wa rning/indicator
light stops flashing, and you can drive away.
- If the warning/indicator lig ht flashes in con ­
junction with the. warning/indicator
light, you should not dr ive off immediately
in order to prevent damage to the under­
body. The two warn ing/ indicator lights
flashing together points to an extreme Low level. A ve ry
pronounced lowering of the ve­
hicle (extreme Low leve l) can result, for ex­
ample, from a heavy load. As soon as the
level has retu rned to normal, the warn ing/
ind icator lights stop flashing, and you can
drive away.
(D Note
If the w arning/ indic ator l igh t flas hes in
conjunction with the. warning/ind icator
li ght, you shou ld not d rive the vehicle be ­
cause low-lying vehicle parts can bottom
out as you drive over uneven ground and be damaged as a result.
~ Adaptive Air Suspension
App lies to vehicles: wit h Adaptive A ir Suspensio n
This. warn ing/indicator light has the fo l­
low ing functions:
- It illuminates for a few seconds after the ig­ nition is turned on as function check and
then goes out .
- It comes on for approximately 15 seconds
as a warning of
reduced ground clearance , if .,,.

128 Adaptive cruise control
Vehicles offset to one side
Applies to vehicles: with adaptive cruise control
Fig. 144 Vehicle traveling a head o utside the detect ion
range of t he rada r se nsor
Vehicles mov ing up ahead but offset i n the
lan e cannot be detected by ACC until they are
in sensor range.
Lane changes by other vehicles
Applies to vehicles: with adaptive cruise control
Fig. 145 A vehicle changes lanes
Vehicles that cut into your lane a sho rt dis­
tance in front of you cannot be detected by
ACC until they are in senso r range.
Vehicles that are difficult to detect
Applies to vehicles: with adaptive cruis e contro l
Fig. 146 Two -wheeled vehicle drivi ng ahead
Some vehicles moving up ahead in your lane
of trave l are difficult to detect, for examp le
two -wheeled veh icles, vehicles w ith high
ground clearance, loads sticking out the back .
Vehicles like this are often detected late or in
some situations not at all.
Stationary vehicles
Applies to vehicles: with adaptive cruise contro l
Fig. 147 Turning and stationary ve hicle
Fig. 148 Sheering out and stat ionary veh icle
If a vehicle that has been detected by ACC ex­
its the highway or sheers out into the neigh­
boring travel lane, and there is a stationary
vehicle ahead of that vehicle, ACC will not de·
tect or react to that stationary vehicle
<=> fig. 147 and c::> fig. 148 .

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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 157, Chassis con ­
trols .
The modes are set in MMI <::;,page 159.
Adaptive A ir Suspension 157
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 be ing t ransported (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
dur ing 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 161.
(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 161.
-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 time-dependent. For example, it is not

158 Adapti ve Air Susp en sion
possible to raise the suspension to a h igh level
above certain speeds .
When a speed of about 75 mph (120 km/h) is
exceeded for more than 30 seconds, the vehi­
cle is automatically lowered to
low level when
in comfort and automatic mode. Ground
clearance is about 0.6 inch (15 mm) less,
compared to the
normal level.
When a speed of about 100 mph (160 km/h)
is exceeded for more than 20 seconds, the ve­
h icle is automat ica lly lowered to
highway lev­
el
when in automatic and dynamic mode.
Ground clearance is about 1.4 inches (35 mm)
less, compared to the
normal level. Road
hold ing is optimized as a result of the lower
center of gravity, and fuel consumption is re­
duced as a result of reduced wind resistance.
Level adjustment Ground clearance
high level 2 about 9.4 inches
(2 40 mm)
high level 1 about 8 inches
(205 mm)
normal leve l about 7 inches
(180 mm)
low level about 6.5 inches
(165 mm)
highway level about 5 .7 inches
(145 mm)
The segment disp lay @ in the MMI Display
c:::> page 159 or in the instr ument cluster dis­
p lay
c:::> page 160 shows the current veh icle
level.
Automatic
Select the automatic mode if you prefer a bal­
anced, comfortable suspension setting . The
damping characteristics are adjusted accord­ ingly.
- Autom atic lowe rin g: When a speed of
about 75 mph (120 km/h) is exceeded for
more than 30 seconds, the vehicle is auto­
matically lowered by about 0.6 inch (15
mm) to the
low level, wh ich is more suitable
for highway speeds. Road hold ing is opti­
mized as a result of the lower ce nter of grav- ity and fuel consumption is reduced as a re
­
sult of reduced wind resistance . When a
speed of about 100 mph (160 km/h) is ex ­
ceeded for more than 20 seconds, the veh i­
cle is automatically lowered by an addit ional
0.8 inch (20 mm) to
highway level .
-Automat ic raising: When the vehicle is at
highway level and the speed falls below
about 80 mph (130 km/h) for more than 20
seconds, the vehicle is automatically raised
to
low level. Th e vehicle is automatically
raised aga in to
normal level if the speed
fa lls below about 44 mph (70 km/h) for a
pe riod of 2 minutes . The vehicle is raised im ­
mediately when speed fa lls below about 22
mph (35 km/h).
Dynamic
Se lect the dynam ic mode if yo u pre fer a spor­
ty suspension se tti ng. In t his mode, the veh i­
cle is lowered to
low level while it is still sta­
t ionary and sporty damping characteristics
are selected . The warning light. in the in­
strument cluster will come on for a few sec­
onds just to rem ind you of the reduced ground
clearance .
If you switch off the engine whi le the vehicle
is in the dynamic mode and then switch on the
ignition once aga in, the . warn ing light will
also come on again for a few seconds as a re­ minder .
-Automat ic lowe ring: When a speed of
about 100 mph (160 km/h) is exceeded for
more than 20 seconds, the veh icle is auto­
mat ically lowered by 0.8 inch (20 mm) to
highway level .
-Automa tic raising: The vehicle is automati­
cally ra ised to
low level aga in, if the speed
fa lls below about 80 mph (130 km/h) for a
pe riod of 20 seconds. The ve hicle is raised
immed iate ly w hen speed falls be low about
22 mph (35 km/h).
Comfort
Select the comfort mode if you desire a sus­
pension setti ng with a specia l emp hasis on
comfort. Damp ing cha racteris tics w ith a clear .,.

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emphasis on comfort are selected in this
mode.
- Automatic lowering: When a speed of
about 75 mph (120 km/h) is exceeded for
more than 30 seconds, the vehicle is auto­
matically lowered by 0.6 inch (15 mm) to
low level .
-Automatic raising: The vehicle is automati­
ca lly raised to
normal level again, if the
speed falls below about 44 mph (70 km/h)
for a period of 2 minutes . The vehicle is
raised immediately when speed falls below
about 22 mph (35 km/h) .
Offroad
Select the offroad mode when you have to
travel over poor quality sections of road (e .g.
trails). In th is mode, the vehicle is raised to
high level 1, and damp ing characteristics for
poor road stretches are selected . When
sw itch ing to offroad mode , the Adaptive Air
Suspension indicato r appears automat ically in
the instrument cluster display¢
page 160.
The offroad mode can only be activated at
speeds below 37 mph (60 km/h) . Offroad
mode ends automatically and the automatic
mode is activated when a speed of approxi­
mately 50 mph (80 km/h) is exceeded.
Lift
Select the lift mode when except ionally high
ground clearance is needed at a reduced
speed. In this mode, the vehicle is raised to
high level 2. When switching to lift mode , the
Adaptive A ir Suspension indicator appears au­
tomatically in the instrument cluster display
¢ page 160.
The lift mode can be activated only at speeds
below 12 mph (20 km/h). When a speed of
about 25 mph (40 km/h) is exceeded, the sys­
tem automatically leaves lift mode and the
offroad mode is activated. The instrument
cluster display automat ically switches the dis­
play to Adaptive Air Suspens ion to indicate re­
duced ground clearance .
Adaptive Air Suspension 159
MMI settings
Applies to vehicles: wit h Adaptive A ir Suspension
Driving modes are adjusted in the MMI and
the current vehicle level is displayed .
Fig. 189 MMI Display: Sett ings
Fig. 190 MMI Display: Sett ings
Th e ign ition must be switched on to set the
driving modes.
1-Select: !CAR ! function button .
Raising and lowering
If the arrow (D ¢ fig. 189 is white or if the ar­
rows
(D blink ¢ fig. 190, the vehicle is being
raised .
If the arrow @i=>
fig. 189 is white or if the ar­
rows
(D point downward and blink ¢ fig. 190,
the vehicle is being lowered .
The respective arrow stays on/blinks until the
level change is complete . The time used for a
level change can vary, depending on the cur­
rent driving conditions .
Displaying the vehicle level
The c urrent vehicle level is shown with seg­
ments filled out in the segment display@. If
only the bottom segment is filled o ut, the ve-
hicle is at highway level. If all segments are
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160 Adapti ve Air Su spen sion
filled out, the vehicle is at high level 2 and has
the greatest amount of ground clearance pos­
sib le.
While the vehicle is being raised or lowered,
the target level is indicated by an arrow@
c::> fig. 189 or a white border @ c::> fig. 190 . The
arrow/border disappears aga in when the vehi­
cle is at the target level.
Limitations to MMI setting s
Please note that not eve ry dr iving mode can
be selected in every driving situation . For ex­
ample, it is not possible to switch to "lift"
mode at speeds above 12 mph (20 km/h) .
This mode is then shown
greyed out in the
MMI Display .
The vehicle can only be lowered when
a ll of
the vehicle's doors are closed. If one door is
open, all driving modes whose level sett ing is
belo w the current vehicle level appear
greyed
out
i n the MMI Display . If a door is opened
while the vehicle is being lowered, the lower­ ing process is interrupted until all doors are
closed again .
If the system is temporar ily unava ilable due
to, for instance, an empty compressed air
tank, the driving modes that cannot be set ap­ pear
greyed out in the MM I Disp lay. As soon
as the system is available again, the driv ing
modes can once more be selected in the dis­
p lay .
(D} Tips
- Fo r addition al in format ion on the driv ing
modes
c::> page 157, Chassis controls.
- When the compressed air tank is empty,
the compressor can be switched on by
starting the engine . The Adaptive Air
Suspension is once again available, after
waiting a few minutes.
- To prevent over load, the system switches
off tempera rily if several adj ustments
are made in a row. The Adaptive Air Sus­
pension is once again available, after
waiting a few minutes. Appearance in the instrument cluster
display
Applies to veh
icles: w ith Adapt ive A ir Suspens ion
You can view th e current vehicle l evel in the
instrument cluster display.
Fi g. 1 91 Display: Adapt ive Air Suspensio n
Fig . 1 92 Disp lay: Adapt ive A ir Susp ensio n
Repeated, brief tapping of the I RESET ! button
on the windshield wiper lever allows you to
se lect whether information concerning the
trip computer, digital tachometer, nav igat ion*
or "Adapt ive Air Suspension" is to appear in
the instrument cluster d isp lay .
Display of the Adaptive Air Suspension is auto­
matic when the offroad or lift mode is select­
ed, or when the vehicle is automatically low­
ered in lift mode .
Rai sing and lowe ring
If arrow
(J) is white c::> fig. 191 or c::> fig . 192,
the vehicle is raised.
If arrow @is
white, the vehicle is lowered .
The respective arrow stays on until the level c hange is complete. The time requ ired for a
level change can vary, depending on the cur-
ren t drivi ng conditions . ..,_

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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. 191 or a white border @¢ fig. 192. 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 func­
t ion button >
Jacking mode. Or
.,. Select:
I CARI funct ion button > Car systems*
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 i n the instrument cluster
d isp lay 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: ICAR I function button> !SETUP I func­
tion button >
Towing mode . Or
Adaptive A ir Suspension 161
.,. Select: !CAR I function button > Car systems*
contro l 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
pension
main menu.
Level Adjustment when towing a trailer
- Before hitching up the trailer and before ad­
jus ting the tongue weight at the trailer, the
automatic or comfort mode
must be select ­
ed so that the ve hicle can be at normal level
¢ page 159, 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 ve hicl e is t ravel ing at speeds ex­
ceeding approximately 31 mph (SO km/h).
The vehicle is automatically raised to
high
level 1
again when the traveling speed falls
be low approximately 25 mph (40 km/h).
Restrictions when operating with a trailer
When operating w ith a tra iler, 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 the 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 the vehicle is in dynamic mode before tow-
ing operation is activated, it can be driven in
IJI,-

236 Driving o ff road
- Veh icles wi thout air spring s: ground clear­
ance : 8.1 in (204 .8 mm)
- Veh icles w ith adap tiv e air su sp en sion *:
maximum ground clearance: 9.4 in
(239.8 mm) at high level 2
A WARNING
Exceeding the stated maximum figures
can result in severe injuries or vehicle dam­
age.
- All the information was gathered on lev­ el, firm and non-slippery road surfaces,
and under dry weather conditions.
- Ideal conditions do not prevail offroad.
Never utilize the maximum read ings to
their fullest, always leave a safety re ­
serve .
Driving tips
On poor road and offroad, there is always on­
ly one motto : Plan ahead and drive slowly!
P lease obse rve the following when dr iving
away from paved road s:
• Drive only on roads and offroad sections
which match the design of your vehicle and
your abilities as a driver. Never take risks!
• Drive slowly and plan ahead!
• Take in to consideration the
g round cl ea r­
a nc e
of your vehicle .
• Activate the
offroad m ode Q page 223 as
needed.
• Use the
hill desce nt control ~ page 225
when driving down steep sect ions on hills.
Unp aved road s and offroad
Drive slowly on unfamiliar roads and unknown
offroad sections, and look out for unexpected
obstacles (e.g. potho les, rocks , tree stumps ,
etc .).
To prevent the vehicle from bottom ing and
avoid damage to the underbody, you should
d rive st ra ight ac ross severe bumps in the
g round with on ly one s ide of the vehicle so
that on ly two of your wheels cross the bumps. Drive brisk
ly through sandy or marshy offroad
sections and do not stop , if at all possible .
Driving through w ater
Note the following to avoid veh icle damage
when d riving through wate r, for example on
flooded roads :
- The water must not be any higher than the
bottom of the vehicle body.
- Do not dr ive faster than walk ing speed .
Driving on a slope
If you ever find you rself not able to climb a
s lope, do not try to turn around, drive back
down in
r e v erse . Otherwise, you run the r isk
of tipp ing over .
If the veh icle th re at en s to t ip ov er whe n
dr ivin g a cross a slop e, you mus t immediate ­
ly ste er downhill in the dir ection of th e
s lop e.
Do not park your vehicle on steep slopes or
grades .
To reduce the risk of t ipping over, drive on
s lopes in th e direction of the downward s lope
(fall line) -
not c ross wise.
A WARNING
-After driv ing through water, mud, slush,
etc ., the brakes may be s low to take effect
because of wet brake rotors and pads . D ry
the brakes first by brak ing carefully to re­
store t he fu ll braking effect.
(D Note
Vehicle components such as the eng ine,
transmission, suspension or e lectrica l sys­
tem can be severe ly damaged by dr iv ing
th rough water .
(D Tips
-Check the depth of the water before d riv­
ing through it .
- Do not stop the vehicle, drive in reverse or switch the engine off when driving
through water.