2015 AUDI Q7 tow

216 Child Saf ety
Deactivating the convertible locking
retractor
The convertible locking retractor for child re­
straints will be deactivated automatically when the belt is wound all the way back into the retractor .
.,. Press the red button on the safety belt buck­
le. The be lt tongue w ill pop out of the buck­
le .
.. Guide the safety belt all the way back into
its stowed position .
A lways le t the safety belt retract complete ly
into its stowed position . The safety belt can
now be used as an ordinary safety belt with ­
out the convertib le locking retractor for chi ld
restra ints.
If the convertible locking retractor shou ld be
activated inadvertently, the safety belt m ust
be unfastened and guided completely back in­
to its stowed position to deactivate th is fea­
ture. If the convertible locking retractor is not
deactivated, the safety belt will gradually be­
come tighter and uncomfortable to wea r.
A WARNING
Imprope rly insta lled child safety seats in­
crease the risk of ser ious personal inju ry
and death in a collision.
- Never unfaste n the safety belt to deacti­
vate the convert ible lock ing ret ractor for
c hild rest rain ts while the veh icle is mov­
ing. You would not be rest rained and
cou ld be seriously injured in an accident.
- Always read and heed all WARN INGS
whenever using a child rest rained in ave ­
hicle is being used
¢ page 203. Special
precautions apply when installing a ch ild
safety seat on the front passenger seat
¢ page 184, Child restraints on the front
seat -some important things to know.
LATCH Lower
anchorages and tethers
for children
Child Restraint System anchors and how
are they related to child safety
To p rov ide a simpler and more practicable way
to a ttach the child restra int on the vehi cle
seat, Federal regulat ions req uire spec ia l lowe r
anchorages in vehicles and devices on new
child restraints to attach to the vehicle ancho­
rages.
T he combination of the tether anc horages and
the lowe r anchorages is now genera lly ca lled
t h e
LATCH system fo r "Lower Anchorages and
T ethers for Child ren."
F o rward-facing chi ld restrai nts ma nufactured
after September 1, 1999, are requ ired by U .S .
f edera l regu lations to comply with new child
head movement performance req uirements.
These new performance requirements make a
tether necessary on most new child seats.
Installing a child restraint that requires a top
tether without one can seriously impair the performance of the c hild restra int and its abil­
ity to protect the child in a coll is ion. Insta lling
a chi ld restraint that requires a top tether
without the top tether may be a violat ion of
state law.
Child restraint manufacturers offer LATCH
lower anchorages on their child seats w ith
hook-on or push-on connectors attached to
adjustable straps.
In add ition to the LATCH lower anchorages,
these chi ld restraint systems usually require
the use of tether straps to he lp keep the chi ld
rest raint firmly in place.
A WARNING
-Imp roper installat ion of ch ild restra ints
will i ncrease the r is k of injury a nd death i n
a crash.
-

218 Child S afe ty
A ll child restraints manufactured after Sep­
tember 1, 2002, must have lower anchorage
attachments for the
LATCH system.
Remember that the lower anchorage points
are on ly intended for installation and attach­
ment of child restraints specifically certified
for use w ith
LATCH l ower anchorages . Child
restra ints that are not equipped with the tow­
er anchorage attachments can still be instal­ led in compliance with the ch ild restra int
manufacturer's instruct ions on using vehicle
safety belts.
A WARNING
Improper use of LATCH lower anchorages
can ca use serio us pe rsonal injury in an ac­
cident.
- Always carefully follow the ch ild re­
strain ts manufac turer's instruct io ns for
proper installation of the child restraint
and proper use of the lower anchorages
or safety belts in your vehicle .
- Never secure o r attach any l uggage or
ot her items to the
LATCH lower ancho­
rages.
- Always read and heed the important in­
formation about child restraints in this
chapter and WARNINGS
¢ page 203,
Child Safety.
Guidance fixtures for lower anchorages
Applies to vehicles: with third row seating
Special guidance fixtures increase the conven­
ience of the lower anchorages and are availa­
ble from your authorized Audi dealer.
F ig . 224 T hir d row of seats: install ing the gu idance fix ·
tures
0
Fig. 225 Close-up: fitting the guidance fixture over the
l ower anchorage bracket
T he lower ancho rage attachment points are
located on the third row of seats between the
seatback and the seat cushion. Special guid­
ance fixtures increase the conven ience of the
lower anchorages and help protect the seat
mater ial from possib le damage when instal­
ling ch ild restra ints .
Installing the guid anc e fixture s
.,. Push down on the seat cushion so that the
tower anchorages are v is ible.
.,. Hold the guidance fixture with the part
number facing downward and push it in the
d irection of the arrow onto the anchorage
¢fig. 225.
.,. Ma ke sure that each of the two guidance fix­
t ures per sea t snaps into place.
Removing the guidance fixtures
.,. Remove the ch ild restra int according the
child restraint manufacture r's instructions .
.,. Push dow n on the seat cushion so that the
lowe r ancho rages are v is ible.
.,. Pull off the gu idance fixtures from the lower
anchorages.
.,. Always remove the guidance f ixt ures and
keep them in a safe p lace when not in use .
You may find it easier to install chi ld re­
straints equipped with hooks attached to
straps witho ut the g uidance fixtures in place.
If this is the case, remove the guidance fix­
tures by pulling them off the anchorages. However, the guidance fixtures can help you
to locate the
LATCH anchorages . ..,.

226 Intellig ent technol ogy
firm ly a few times from a mode rately high
speed ¢.&. .
Faults in the brake system
If you should notice a sudden increase in
brake peda l travel, t hen one of the two bra ke
circ uits may have failed ¢.&. .
Low brak e flu id le vel
Malfunct ions can occur in the brake system if
the brake fluid level is too low . T he brake fluid
l eve l is monitored electronically .
Bra ke boo ster
The brake booster increases the pressure that
you generate w ith the brake pedal. It only op­
erates while the eng ine is running ¢,&. .
Brake lining we ar sta tu s
Brake lining wear may be checked by visual in­
spection of the condition of the brake pads
through the openings in the wheel. If neces­
sary, the wheel may be removed for this in­
spection ¢
page 307, Changing a wheel.
A WARNING
- You should perfo rm bra king maneuve rs
for the p urpose of clean ing the b rake
system on ly if road condit ions permit.
Other road users must not be put at risk -
you may cause an accident!
- Be fore descending a steep grade, reduce
speed and shift transmission into a lower
gear or lower driving range. Do not ride
the brakes or hold the pedal down too long or too often. This could cause the
brakes to get hot and dimin ish braking
efficiency .
- Do not "ride the brakes" by resting your
foot on the pedal when you do not intend
to brake . Th is may cause the brakes to
overheat, premature wear and inc reased
stopping distance.
- Under certain climat ic and operating
condit ions such as passing through wa­
ter, driving in heavy ra in or after wash ing
the vehicle, the effect iveness of the
brakes can be reduced . In winter, ice can accumu
late on the brake pads, linings,
discs and drums. Carefully app ly brakes
for a test. Brakes will dry and ice coat­ ings w ill be cleaned off after a few care­
ful brake applicat ions .
- Driving for an extended period of time on
salt-covered roads without using your
brakes can also affect braking efficiency .
Clean off accumulated salt coating from
b rake discs and pads with a few ca reful
brake applications.
- If you damage the front spoiler, or if you
i n stall a diffe rent spoiler, be s ure the a ir
f low to the front brakes is not obs truct­
ed . Otherwise the brake system could
overheat reducing the effectiveness of
the entire brake system .
- Fai lure of one brake circuit will impai r
the braking capability resulting in an in­
creased stopping distance . Avoid driving
the vehicle and have it towed to the near­
est authorized Audi dea ler or qualified
workshop .
- Never let the ve hicle roll to a stop with
the engine shut off.
- If the brake booster is not working, the
brake peda l must be pressed cons idera­
b ly harder to make up for the lack of
booster assistance.
Servotronic - advanced power steering system
The power steering systems uses the power of
the running engine to allow precise steering
with Little effort.
T he advanced Servotronic power steer ing sys ­
tem senses the road speed and electronica lly
adjusts power assistance to provide comforta­
ble and safe steering response exactly match­
ed to the vehicle speed.
Power s teer ing will not work if the engine is
off. As a result, the steering wheel will be hard
to turn.
T he powe r steering fluid level is checked d ur-
ing the sched uled maintenance services . ..,.

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,...., ..,., ,....,
(D Note
If there is an electronic malfunction, ser­
votronic
w ill still function like a conven­
tional power steer ing system, providing a
constant steer ing support force that is no
longer proportionate to the vehicle speed.
This is most noticeable when turning the
steer ing whee l at low speeds (for examp le
when parking), -more effo rt will be re­
qui red than usual.
- Be awa re of the different than usual
stee ring response and adjust your stee r­
i ng force accord ingly .
- Have the problem checked and set right
by an Aud i dealer as soon as possible .
(D Tips
-When the engine is runn ing, never hold
the steer ing whee l turned a ll the way to
the right or to the left for longer than 15
seconds. The power s teer ing p ump w ill
overheat the hydraulic fluid if you keep ho lding the steering whee l turned a ll the
way . This is likely to damage the power
steering system .
- If the power steer ing system should fai l
entirely, or if the engine is not running
(for example, while being towed), you
will still be ab le to steer the vehicle .
However,
considerably more effort will
be required to do so .
- If the power steering system should
have a leak, or is not functioning proper­
l y, contact your authorized Aud i dealer
i mmediately.
- The power steering system requires a
spec ially formulated hydraulic fluid . T he
power steer ing reservo ir is the one locat­
ed farthest to the rear on the left side o f
the engine compartment
~ page 258.
The correct fluid leve l in the reservoir is
important for proper functioning of the
power steer ing .
Int ellig ent technolog y 22 7
Driving with your
quattro
With all-wheel drive , all four wheels are driv­
en .
Gener al info rmation
With all-wheel drive, power is distributed to
all four wheels. This happens au toma tically
depending on your driving style and the road
cond it ions at the time . See also
~ page 223.
Winter t i res
When d riving in the winter, your vehicle with
a ll-wheel drive has an advan tage, even with
regular tires. In winter road conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all -sea ­
son tires) for improved driveability and brak­
ing: these tires must be mounted on
a ll four
wh eels. See also ~ page 298, Winter tires.
Tire ch ains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain
roads, this normally also applies to veh icles
with all-wheel drive~
page 299, Snow
chains .
Replacing whee ls/tire s
Vehicles with all-wheel drive must always
have tires of the same s ize . Also avoid tires
with different tread depths . For deta ils see
page ~
page 291, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels.
.8, WARNING
A lways adj ust yo ur dr iv ing to road and t ra f­
fic conditions . Do not let the extra sa fety
afforded by all-wheel drive tempt you into
taking extra risks.
- Altho ugh the a ll-wheel drive is very ef ­
fective, always remember that braking
capacity is limited by tire traction . You
should therefore not drive at excessive
speeds on icy or slippery road surfaces.
- On wet road surfaces, be careful not to
drive too fast because the front wheels
could begin to slide on top of the water
(aquaplaning). If th is should occur, you •
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Catalytic converter
Applies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
It is very important that your emission con­
trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in an environmentally sound manner .
... Always use lead-free gasoline c::> page 248,
Gasoline .
... Never run the tank down all the way to emp­
ty .
... Never put too much motor oil in your engine
c::> page 261, Adding engine oil 't=r..
.,. Never try to push-or tow-start your veh icle.
The catalytic converter is an eff icient "clean­
up" device built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle. The catalytic converter burns
many of the pollutants in the exhaust gas be­
fore they are released into the atmosphere.
The exclus ive use of unleaded fuel is cr it ically
i mportant for the life of the cata lytic convert­
e r and proper functioning of the engine.
& WARNING ,~
T he temperature of the exhaust system is
high, both when driving and after stopping
the engine .
- Never touch the exha ust tail pipes once
they have become hot. This could result
in burns.
- Do not park or operate the vehicle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fuel spill or other material which can
cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
manifold, exhaust p ipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shields . During driving, the
substance used for undercoating cou ld
overheat and cause a fire.
(D Note
- Be aware that just one tank f illing with
leaded fuel will already seriously de-
grade the performance of the catalytic
conve rter.
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 231
-Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
c::> page 261.
- Do not drive until the fue l tank becomes
completely empty. The engine cou ld mis­
fire. Unburned fuel could also get into
the exhaust system and this cou ld cause
the catalytic converter to overheat.
- Do not turn off the ignition while the ve­
hicle is mov ing.
- Do not continue to operate your veh icle
under these conditions, as otherwise fuel
can reach the catalyt ic converter. Th is
cou ld result in overheating of the con­
verter, requir ing its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis­
sion Control System:
- Have you r vehicle main tained properly
and in accordance w ith the se rv ice rec­
ommendations in your Warranty & Maintenance book let.
- Lack of proper maintenance as we ll as
improper use of t he vehicle will impair
the function of the emission contro l
system and could lead to damage.
@) For the sa ke of the env ironment
Even when the Emission Control System is
operating properly, the exhaust gas can have a sulfur-like exhaust gas smell under
some operat ing states. This depends on
the sulfur content of the fuel being used .
Using a different brand of fuel may help,
or filling the tank with lead-free s uper
g rade gasoline.
Diesel particulate filter
App lies to vehicles: wit h diese l eng ine
The diesel part iculate filter filters nearly all of
the soot pa rticles out of the exhaust . T he fil­
te r clea ns itself automat ica lly under no rma l
driv ing cond itions. If the filter cannot clean it ­
self (for example, because you are on ly driving
short distances), the fi lter becomes clogged
with soot and the
II symbol for the diese l
particulate filter i lluminates
c::> page 36. ..,_
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Driving off road
Driving in difficult road
conditions and offroad
General information
The operation of the E lectronic Stabilization
Control (ESC) is expanded fo r operation away
from paved roads. In situations where slip or a
differential lock ing funct ion is required, the
offroad mode can be activated
c::;, page 223.
H ill descent control is a lso ava ilable in the off­
road mode, which automat ically brakes the
ve hicl e and thereby keeps speed consta nt
when differe nt w heel speeds a re detected
when descending a hill
¢page 2 2 5. Your A ud i
a lso has permanent a ll-wheel drive in addi­
tion.
H oweve r, your Aud i is no t a pure off road ve hi­
cle. I t was not built for d riving unde r extreme
conditions, e.g. fo r trips that are in the nat ure
of an expedition .
Drive only on road s and offro ad sections
which match the de sign of y our vehicl e and
you r abilitie s as a dri ver. Ne ver t ake ri sks!
Before driving offroad
- Check the eng ine oi l level, t ire pressu re,
coolant level, and the fluid level in the w ind­
shield washe r reservo ir.
- Stow luggage items a nd other objects in the
l uggage compartment, and sec ure t hem
against s lid ing aro und.
After driving offroad
- After trips off road, remove any twigs and
othe r foreign objects from the grill, the un­
derbody and the wheels. Pay spec ia l atten­
t ion to fore ign ob jects (stones) which have
become lodged in t he tire tre ad.
- Clean t he body and the vehicle unders ide,
and inspect the veh icle for possible damage.
- Clean dirty w indows, headlamp lenses, rear
li gh ts, and license plates .
- Perfo rm a brake check (particularly after
t ravell ing throug h water).
Driving off road 235
A WARNING
- Drive especially attentively and plan
ahead in diff icu lt road conditions and
when off road. Excessive speed o r inco r­
rect maneuve rs can cause injuries and
damage to the vehicle.
-
- Always adapt your speed and driving
style to road, offroad, t raff ic, and weath­
e r condition s. D rive e spe cially slowly off­
road when yo ur view is restricted.
- Please be aware that in offroad mode,
pa rti cularly on a smoo th and s lippery
road, the whee ls may have an increased
tendency to spin and the vehicle may
break away -danger of skidding!
- Stability is limited in the offroad mode .
@ For the sake of the environment
Avoid damage to the environment and re­
spect na ture.
@ Tips
Only d rive where it is permitted and stay
on marked roads and paths.
Explanation of some technical terms
T he following data refer to ideal cond itions .
Depend ing on ve hicle load and gro und condi­
tions and the environment, the numbers may
vary .
It is the driver's responsibility to decide
whether a veh icle can overcome a specific s it­
uat ion
c::;, &, .
Gradient angle
The number o f meters in altitude ga ined over
a distance of 109.4 ya rds or 100 meters
(grade) are given as a percentage o r degrees.
Information about the grad ient the vehicle
can climb under its own power (depends in
part on the road surface and engine power).
Max imum perm itted grade : 31
°
Gr ound cle arance
The distance between the road s urface and
the lowest point of the vehicle underbody.
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238 Trailer towing
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passen­
ger transportation .
If you plan to tow a trailer, p lease remember
that the additional load will affect durability,
economy and performance .
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on
the vehicle, it also calls for more concentra­
tion from the driver.
For this reason, always follow the operating
and driving instructions provided and use
common sense.
@ Note
If you are going to tow a trai ler, you must
activate the trailer operation mode
c:::> page 161, Towing a trailer.
Technical requirements
Trailer hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trailer weight. The hitch must be suita­ ble for your vehicle and trailer and must be
mounted securely on the vehicle's chassis at a
technically sound location . Use only a trailer
hitch with a removable ball mount. Always
check with the trailer hitch manufacturer to
make sure that you are using the cor rect
hitch.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch must be installed in such a way that
it does not interfere with the impact-absorb­
ing bumper system. No modifications should
be made to the vehicle exhaust and brake sys­
tems. From time to time, check that all hitch
mounting bolts remain securely fastened.
When you are not towing a trailer, remove the
trai ler hitch ball mount. This prevents the
hitch from causing damage should your vehi­
cle be struck from behind
c:::> A.
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped with a brakin g sys­
tem, check to be sure that it conforms to all
regulations.
T he trailer hydraulic brake system must not be
directly connected to the vehicle's hydraulic
brake system
c:::> A .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your veh icle
and the tra iler.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be
sure to check with your authorized Audi dealer
for correct wiring, sw itches, and relays.
Mirrors
If you are unable to see the traffic behind you
using the regular outside mirrors, then you
must install extended mirrors.
It is important
that you always have clear v is ion to the rear .
A WARNING ,-
- If a trailer has electrical brakes please
note that these brakes are not activated
by the factory-fitted control unit -risk of
accident!
- Afte r removing the trailer hitch, do not
store it in yo ur vehicle. In case of sudden
braking, the hitch could fly forward and
injure you or your passengers.
- Never install a "weight distributing" or
"load equalizing" trailer hitch on your ve­
hicle. The vehicle was not designed for
these kinds of trailer hitches. The hitch
attachment can fail, causing the trailer
to tear loose from the vehicle.
- The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating for your
vehicle, found on the safety compliance
label on the driver's side B-pillar, must
never be exceeded under any circumstan­
ces. Exceeding the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating of your vehicle is likely to damage
your vehicle, and such damage will not
be covered by your Limited New Vehicle
-
Warranty. Exceeding the Gross Vehicle ~

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Weight Rating will also change the per­
formance and handling characteristics of
your vehicle, which could cause a crash result ing in serious injury or death .
- The Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ing for your
vehicle would be exceeded if your vehicle is simultaneously equipped with Panor ­
amic sliding sunroof; th ird-row seating;
trailer towing equipment (factory or
dealer-installed), and running boards
(dea ler-installed) . UNDER NO CIRCUM­
STANCES MAY ALL SUCH ITEMS BE IN­
STALLED ON THE SAME VEHICLE.
Operating instructions
MAX 6.9"
MAX175mm
E
1/1 E 1/1 ... a)
m
Fig. 232 Perm itted ba ll posit ion of t he tra iler hitch
Trailer towing weights
W ith a factory-installed tra iler hitch, the
maximum permissible trailer we ight is 6,600
l bs (3,000 kg). The maximum permissible un­
braked trailer weight is 1,650 lbs (750 kg).
With an
aftermarket trailer hitch, the maxi­
mum permissible t railer we ight is 5,500 lbs
(2,500 kg). These specifications apply when
driving on roads having an incline of less than
12%.
Permissible tongue load
For best vehicle handling under these
changed cond itions, adjust the trailer load so
that the tongue load is at the maximum al­
l owable or slightly lower. You can get an ap­
prox imation of the tongue load with a bath­
room scale or you can measure the load at a
trucking company or weighing station .
With a
factory-installed tra iler hitch, the
maximum permissible load on the ball hitch
Trailer towing 239
may not exceed 660 lbs (300 kg). With an af­
termarket
trailer hitch, the maximum permis ­
s ib le load on the ba ll hitch may not exceed
550 lbs (250 kg).
It is recommended to use
the maximum permissible load.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held secure ly
in place to prevent it from shifting forward,
backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢.& in Driving instructions on page 240.
Ball mount
The trailer hitch may only be used w ith suita­
ble ball mount and ball ¢
fig. 232. Installa­
t ion of the hitch ball must be carried out in ac­
cordance with the manufacturer's instruc­
tions. At the height dimension of 1.5 in
(38.5 mm) a tolerance of+/- 0.5 in (12 . 7 mm)
is perm issib le.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard­
er . It is important that the cooling system's
performance is up to the additional load .
Make sure that the cooling system has enough
fluid .
Tire pressure
When towing a tra iler, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressure listed under
" Full load" on the tire pressure label. The tire
pressure label is located on the driver's side B­
pillar . Inf late trailer tires to trai ler and t ire
manufacturers' spec ificat ions .
Lights
The headlight settings sho uld be checked with
the trailer attached before driving
off . Check
to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working properly .
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the
ve­
hicle . Leave enough slack in the chains to per­
mit turning corners. When you install safety
Ill-
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