2015 AUDI Q7 ESP

242 Vehicle care and cleaning
Vehicle care and
cleaning
General information
Regular, proper care helps to maintain your
ve hicle 's value. It can also be a requirement
when subm itting warranty claims for co rro ­
sion damage and paint defec ts on the body .
The required cleaning and care prod ucts can
be obtained from your authorized Audi dea ler
or a qualified workshop. Read and follow the
i nstr uctions for use on th e packaging .
A WARNING
-Us ing cle aning and care products incor­
rec tly can be dange rous to yo ur hea lth .
- Always store cleaning and care produc ts
o ut o f reach of childre n to r edu ce the r is k
of po ison ing.
@ For the sake of the environment
- Prefera bly use environmentally-frie ndly
p roducts when buying cleaning agents .
- Do not d ispose of leftover cleaning and
ca re p ro du cts with household trash .
Car washes
-
The longer deposits remai n on t he veh icle, the
mo re the surface ca n be damaged. H igh tem­
pe rat ures such as those caused by su nlight in­
cre ase the d amaging effe cts.
Before washing, wet heavy deposi ts w ith p len ­
ty of wate r.
Stubbor n depos its s uch as bird dropp ings or
tree sap are best removed with plen ty of wa­
ter and a m icrofiber cloth .
A lso, was h the underside of your vehicle once
road salt stop s be ing used for the season.
Pres sure washers
When wash ing your ve hicles w ith a pressure
washer, always follow the operating instr uc­
tions provided w ith the pressure washe r. T his
is especially important in regard to the pres- s
u re and sp raying dis tance. Do not aim the
s p ray direct ly at sea ls on side windows, doo rs,
t h e hood, the rear lid o r the sunroof* or at
t ires, rubber hoses, insu lating material, sen ­
sors" or camera lenses*. Keep a d ista nce of at
least 16 inches (40 cm) .
Do not rem ove snow and ice with a pressu re
washer.
Never use rotary nozzles or high pressure noz­
zles .
T he wate r te mperature m ust not be above
1 4 0
°F (6 0 °( ).
Automatic car washes
S pr ay off the ve hicle befo re washing .
Make sure that the w indows and roof * are
closed and the winds hield wipers are off. Fol­
low instructions from the ca r wash operator,
especially if there are accesso ries attached to
you r vehicle .
If possible, use car washes that do not have
brushes .
Washing by hand
Clean the ve hicle starti ng from the to p and
wor king down using a soft sponge or cleaning
brush. Use solvent-free clean ing products .
Washing vehicles with matte finish paint
by hand
To avoid damaging the paint when washing,
first remove dust and large particles from
yo ur vehicle. Insects, grease spots and fi nger­
pr ints are best removed w ith a spec ial cleane r
for matte finish paint .
Apply t he prod uct using a microfiber cloth. To
avo id damaging the pa int surface, do not use
too much pressure.
Rinse the ve hicle thoroughly with water. Then
clean using a neutra l shampoo and a soft mi­
crofiber cloth.
Rinse the ve hicl e thoro ughly again and let it
air dry. Remove any water residue using a
shammy.

244 Vehicle care and cleaning
Component Situation Solution
Wheels
Road sa lt Water
Brake dust Acid-free special cleaning solution
Exhaust tail Road salt Water, cleaning solut ion suitable for sta inless steel, if
pipes necessary
Decorative Dirty Mild soap
solutional, a cleaning solution su itab le for
parts/ sta inless steel, if necessary
trim
Paint
Paint damage Refer to the paint number on the veh icle data label, re-
pair with touch up pa int¢
page 323
Spilled fuel Rinse with water immediately
Rust fi lm Rust film remover, then protect with hard wax; fo r ques-
tions, refer to an a uthorized Audi dea le r or a qualified
workshop
Corrosion Have it removed by an authorized Aud i dealer or a quali-
fied workshop
Water no longer Protect with hard wax (at least twice per year)
beads on the surface
of clean paint
No shine even Treat w ith suitable polish; then apply paint protectant if
though paint has the polish that was used does not con tain any protec-
been protected/
tant
paint looks poor
Deposits such as in- Dampen with water immed iately and remove with a mi-
sects, bird drop- crofiber cloth
pings, tree sap and
road salt
Grease-based con- Remove immediately with a mild soap solution al and a
tam inants such as soft cloth
cosmetics or sun- block
Carbon parts Dirty Clean tlhe same way as painted parts ¢ page 242, Car
washes
a) M ild soap sol utio n: max imum two tablespoo ns neut ral soap in 1 quart (l lit e r) of water
Cleaning interior
Component Situation Solution
Windows
Dirty Glass cleaner, then wipe dry
Decorative Dirty Mild soap solutiona)
parts/
trim
Plastic parts
Dirty Damp cloth
He avily soiled Mild soap solutional, solvent-free plastic cleaning solu-
t ion, if necessary

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Vehicl e ca re a nd cl eanin g 245
Component Situ ation Solution
Dis plays
Dirty Soft cloth with LCD cleaner
Co nt rols Dirty Soft
brus.h, then a soft cloth with a mild soap solut iona)
Sa fety belts Dirty Mild soap solutional, allow to dry before letting them re-
tract
Te xtiles, Stains adher ing to Vacuum cleaner
V in yl, the surface
Alcant ara Water -based stains Absorbent cloth and mild soap solutiona>
such as coffee, tea,
blood, etc.
Oil-based stains Apply a mild soap solutiona), blot away the dissolved oil
such as oil, make- or dye, treat afterward with water, if necessary
up, etc.
Special stains such Special
stain remover, blot with absorbent material,
as ballpoint pen, treat afterward with mild soap solution a>, if necessary
nai l polish , latex
pa int, shoe polish,
etc.
N at ur al lea ther Fresh stains Cotton cloth
with a mild soap solutiona)
Water-based stains Fresh stains: absorbent cloth
such as coffee, tea, Dried stains: sta in remover suitable for leather
blood, etc.
Oi l-based stains Fresh stains: absorbent cloth and stain remover suitable
such as oil, make- for leather
up, etc. dried stains: Oil cleaning spray
Special sta ins such Sta in remover suitable for leather
as ballpoint pen,
nai l polish , latex
paint, shoe polish,
etc.
Care Regularly apply condit ion ing cream that protects from
light and penetrates into the mater ial. Use specially-col-
ored condit ion ing c ream, if necessary.
Carb on pa rt s Dirty Clean the same way as plastic parts
al Mild soap solution: maximum two tablespoons neutral soap in 1 quart (1 liter) of water
_&. WARNING
The windshield may not be treated with
wate r-repelling windsh ie ld coating agents.
Unfavorab le conditions such as wetness,
darkness, or low sun can result in in­
creased glare . Wiper blade chatter is also
possible.
-
@ Note
- Headl ight s/ta il ligh ts
- Neve r clean headlights or tail lights
with a dry cloth or sponge .
- Do not use any cleaning product that
contains alcohol, because they could
cause cracks to form .
-Wheels
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-Blend must contain not more than 1S%
MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform
espec ially we ll for winter or summer driving.
During seasonal change-over, we suggest that
you fill up at busy gas stat ions where the sea­
sonal adjustment is more likely to be made in
time .
(D Note
-Methanol fuels which do not meet these
requirements may cause corrosion and
damage to plastic and rubber compo­
nents in the fuel system.
- Do not use fue ls that fail to meet the
specified criter ia in this chapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether
or not a particular fue l blend meets the
specifications, ask your service station or
its fuel supp lier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents
cannot be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance
problems resulting from the use of fuels
different from those specified are not
the responsibility of Audi and are not
covered under the New Vehicle or the Emission Control System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fuel economy
or driveability and performance prob­ l ems due to the use of one of these fuel
blends, we recommend that you switch
to unblended fuel.
Gasoline additives
Applies to vehicles : wit h gasoli ne e ng in e
A majo r concern among many auto manufac­
ture rs is carbon deposit build-up caused by
the type of gasoline you use.
Although gasoline grades differ from one manufacturer to another , they have certain
things in common. All gasoline g rades contain
substances that can cause deposits to collect
on vital engine parts, such as fuel injectors
and intake valves. Although most gasoline
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 249
brands include additives to keep engine and
fuel systems clean, they are not equally effec­
tive .
Audi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline . For more information on TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline, please go to the official
webs ite (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended per iod of using inadeq uate
fuels, carbon deposit build-ups can rob your
engine of peak performance.
CD Note
Damage or malf unct ion due to poor fuel
quality is not covered by the Audi New Ve­
hicle Limited Warranty.
Diesel fuel
Applies to veh icles: w ith diesel engine
Always use ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel)
No. 2. The ULSD No. 2 meets the ASTM D97S.
Diesel fuel with concentrations of biodiesel
highe r than S % such as Bll, B2O or BlOO are
strictly prohib ited .
Se rv ice stat ion fuel pumps are labeled with
the cor rect fuel informat ion for easy recogn i­
tion by the user. If the diesel fuel pump is not
labeled ask the station operator what fuel is
being dispensed before filling up your vehicle.
ULSD No. 2 may not be available outside the
USA and Canada. Be sure to check before trav­
eling to other countries .
ULSD No. 2 can become thicker in very cold
temperatu res, and this can impair the en­
gine's start ing and running. Depending on the
season, gas stations provide ULSD No. 2 that
flows better in cold temperatures so that you
can continue operating your vehicle as usua l.
CD Note
-Yo ur vehicle's diesel engine was de­
signed soley for use with ULSD No. 2.
Therefore, never use gasoline, heating oil, other fuels or flow improvers. These
conta in substances that will severely
damage the fuel system and the engine . .,.
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~ Check the label on the inside of the fuel fi ll­
er flap to determine if the vehicle must be
fueled with gasoline or diesel fuel.
Refuelling procedure
~ Insert the fuel nozzle from the gasol ine
pump into the fue l filler neck as far as it will
go.
~ Se lect a medium refuelling rate so that the
no zzle switches off automatica lly when the
tank is full.
Putting the fuel cap back on
~ After filling your tank, twist the fuel fi ller
cap clockwise as far as it will go.
~ Close the fuel filler flap.
To avoid fuel spi lling or evaporating from the
fuel tank always close fuel fi ller cap properly
and comp lete ly. An improperly closed fuel fill­
er cap may also cause the M IL lamp
r=) page 2 7
to come on (only vehicles with gasoline en­
gine) .
A WARNING
Improper refueling or handling of fuel can
cause fire, explosion and severe burns.
- Fuel is highly flammable and can cause
severe burns and other injuries .
- Failure to shut the engine off while refu­
eling and/or to insert the pump nozzle
fully into the fuel filler neck could cause
fuel to spray out of f iller neck or to over­
flow. Fuel spray and ove rflow ing fuel can
cause a fire.
- Never use a cellular telephone wh ile re­
fueling. The electromagnetic radiation
can cause sparks that can ignite fue l va­
pors and cause a fire.
- Never get back into you r vehicle while re­
fueling. If in exceptiona l circumstances
you must get back in your vehicle whi le
refueling, make certain that yo u close
the door and touch metal to discharge
static electricity before touching the fill­
er nozzle again. Static electricity can
cause sparks that can ignite fuel vapors
released during refueling.
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 251
-Never smoke or have an open flame any­
where in or near your vehicle when refu­
eling or filling a portable fuel conta iner .
- For your safety, we strongly recommend
that you do not travel with a portable
fuel container in your vehicle . The con­
tainer, full or empty may leak and could
cause a fire, especially in a crash.
- If, under exceptional circumstances, you
must transport a portable fuel container,
please observe the following:
- Never fill a portable fuel container
while it is anywhere in or on the vehicle
(for example, in the luggage compart­
ment, or on the trunk). Stat ic electrici­
ty can build up while filling and can ig­
nite fuel vapors causing a fire .
- Always place a portable fuel conta iner
on the ground before filling.
- Always keep the filler no zzle complete­
ly inside the portable container before
and dur ing filling .
- If filling a portable container made of
metal, the f iller nozzle must always be
in contact with the conta iner . This will
help prevent static electric ity from d is­
charging and cause a fire .
- Never spill fue l inside the vehicle or
luggage compartment. Fuel vapors are
highly flammable .
- Always observe local and state/provin­
cia l laws regarding the use, storage
and transportation of fuel containers.
- Make certain the fuel container meets
in dustry standa rds (ANSI/ AS TM
F852-86).
(D Note
If any fuel has spilled onto the car, it
shou ld be removed immediately to prevent
damage to the paint.
@ For the sake of the environment
As soon as the correctly operated nozzle
switches off automat ica lly for the first
time, the tank is full. Do not try to add
more fuel because fuel may spill out. In •
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256 Checking and filling
Checking and filling
Engine hood
Releasing the engine hood
The engine hood is released from inside the
vehicle.
F ig . 2 40 Dr iver's side footwell: eng ine hood re lease
lever
.. With the driver's door open, pull the lever
under the instrument panel in the direction
of the arrow¢
fig. 240.
The hood pops up slight ly under spring pres­
sure.
Opening the engine hood
F ig. 241 Re lease lever under the eng ine hood
Before o pening the engine hood, make s ure
that the windsh ie ld w ipers are flat against the
windshie ld . Otherwise, they could damage the
pa int on the hood .
.. Lift the hood sli ght ly¢ &_.
.. Pull up on the release unde r the hood
¢
fig . 241 . This releases the catch.
.. Open the hood all the way.
A WARNING
-Hot eng ine co olant can burn you.
- To reduce the risk of being b urned, never
o pen the hood if you see or hear steam
or coo la nt escaping from the eng ine
compa rtment . W ait unt il no steam or
coo lant can b e seen o r heard before care­
fu lly openi ng the ho od.
Closing the engine hood
.. Pull the hood down un til the pressure from
t he stru ts is reduced .
.. Le t t he hood
drop down and latch in p lace .
Do not try to push it shut; it may fail to en­
gage ¢&_ .
A WARNING
--
A hood that is not completely latched
could fly up an d block your vi ew while dr iv­
i ng.
- W hen you close the engine hood, c heck it
to make sure the safety catch has p roper­
ly engaged . The hood sho uld be flush
wit h the surrou nding vehicle body parts.
- If you notice while dr iv ing t hat t he hood
is not s ecured properly, stop at once and
close it .
Working in the engine compartment
Be especially careful whenever you work in
the engine compartment .
Whenever you must perform any wo rk in the
engine compartment, for example checking
and filling different fluids, th ere is a risk of
injury, burns and accidents. To pr event per­
sonal injury alway s observe the following
WARNINGS. The engine compartm ent of any
vehicle is a hazardous area
¢ &, .
A WARNING
To he lp avoid injury, before yo u check any­
thi ng under the hoo d:
- Tu rn off the eng ine.
- Remove the igni tion key.

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If you must add coolant, use a mixture of wa­
ter and coolant additive. Mixing the coolant
addit ive with distilled water is recommended .
.&_ WARNING
Before you check anything in the engine
compartment, always read and heed all
WARNINGS
¢ .&. in Working in the engine
compartment on page 256 .
(D Note
-Before winter sets in, have the coolant
checked to see if the coolant additive in
your vehicle is suffic ient to meet the cli ­
mate cond itions . Th is is especially impor­
tant if you live in a region where the w in­
te r is extremely cold. If necessary, in­
crease the proport ion of coolant additive
to 60% .
- When adding coolan t addi tive to you r
cooling system , remember:
- We recommend using only coolant ad­ ditive G12 ++ or G13 for your vehicle.
This coo lant additive is available at au­
thorized Aud i dealers . Other types of
antifreeze can significantly reduce cor­
rosion protection . Th e resu lting co rro­
sion c an cause a loss of coo la nt and se­
r ious engine damage.
- Do not add a ny type of radiator leak sea l­
ant to your veh icle's engine coo lant.
Adding rad iator repair fluid may adverse ­
l y affect the function and performance of
your cooling system and could result in damage not covered by your New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
-
Checkin g and fillin g 263
Checking the engine coolant level
The engine coolant level can be checked with
a quick glance .
F ig . 2 4 6 En gin e compar tmen t: Coolant expan sio n ta nk
Befo re you check anyth ing in the eng ine com ­
partment,
alw ays r ead and he ed all WARN­
INGS ¢ A in Working in the engine comport­
ment on page 256 .
.,.. Park your vehicle on a level su rface.
.,.. Tu rn
off t he ignition .
.,.. Let the engine cool down.
.,.. Plac e a thick rag over the coolant expans ion
tank ¢
fig. 246, ¢ page 258, fig. 242 and
carefull y twist the cap counter-clockwise
¢_&. .
.,.. Read the engine coolant level in the open
coo lant expansion tank. W it h a co ld eng ine,
the coolant leve l should be between the
"min " and "max" markings. W hen the en­
gi ne is wa rm, the level may be slightly above
t he "max" marking.
T he location of the coo lant expansion tank
can be seen in the engi ne compa rtment illus­
trat ion
¢ page 258 .
To obtain an accu rate reading, the engine
must be switched off.
The expansion ta nk in your vehicle i s equ ipped
with an electric coolant level sensor .
When the coolant leve l is too low, the warning
light i n the Auto-Check System¢
page 32 will
blink unti l you add coolant and the level has
been restored to normal. Even though there is
an electric coo lant level senso r, we still rec­
ommend you check the coolant level from
t ime to t ime .

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Disconne cting the batt ery t erminals
Some vehicle functions (power w indow regu ­
l ators, for example) are lost if the battery ter­
minals are disconnected . These functions have
to be re learned after the battery terminals are
connected again. To prevent this, the battery
should only be disconnected from the vehicle
electrical system when absolutely necessary
for repairs .
Vehicle s not driven fo r lo ng period s
If you do not drive your vehicle over a period
of several days or weeks, electrical compo­
nents are gradually cut back or switched off .
This reduces energy consumption and main­
tains starting capab ility over a longer per iod
¢ page 228 .
Take into consideration that when you unlock
your vehicle, some convenience functions,
such as the inter ior lights or the power seat
adjustment, may not be available . The con­
ve nience funct ions w ill be available again
when yo u turn on the ignition and start the
engine.
Winter op eration
During the winter months, battery capacity
tends to decrease as tempe ratures d rop . This
i s because more powe r is also consumed while
start ing, and the headl ights, rea r window de ­
fogger, etc., are used more often.
Avo id unnecessary power consumption, par­
ticularly in c ity t raffic or when t rave ling on ly
short d istances. Let you r autho rized Aud i
dealer check the capacity of the vehicle bat­
tery before winter sets in ¢
page 268. A well
charged battery wi ll not only prevent starting
prob lems when the weather is cold, but will
also last longer .
If your vehicle is left standing for severa l
weeks at extremely low temperat ures, the
veh icle battery should be removed and
stored where it will not freeze. This will
prevent it from bei ng damaged and hav ing
to be replaced.
Checkin g and fillin g 267
Working on the battery
Be especially careful when working on or near
the battery.
The battery is located under the driver 's seat.
Before you check anyth ing under the dr iver's
seat,
read and h eed all WARNINGS G &_ .
Always heed the safety warnings , when work­
ing on the vehicle battery or the vehicle e lec­
trical system to prevent injury .
The following WARNINGS are ver y
important when working on the batter y:
Alway s heed the following WARN IN G SY M-
BOLS a nd safety p re caution s when working
on the battery .
®
Alway s wear e ye prote ction.
~
Batt ery acid contain s sulfuric acid. Al -
w ay s we ar gloves and eye prot ection.
@
No
-spa rk s
- flam es
- smoking .
~
When a b atter y is ch arged , it produces
h y drogen g as w hic h is e xplosi ve and
could cause pe rsonal injur y.
®
Alw ays keep the batt ery well out of
r e a ch of childr en.
A WARNING
Whenever working on the battery or on
the electrical system, there is the risk of
injury, accident and even fire. Read and
heed the following WARNINGS:
- Always wear eye protection. Do not let
battery ac id or any lead particles get on
your skin or clothing. Shield your eyes.
Exp losive gases can cause blindness or
other inju ry.
- Battery acid conta ins sulfuric acid. Sulfu­
ric acid can cause blindness and severe
bu rns.
- Always wear g loves and eye protection.
Do not tilt the battery because acid
~
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