2017 AUDI Q7 suspension

Cockpit over view
Indicator lights
Description
The indicato r lights in the inst rument cluste r
b link or t urn on. They indicate funct ions or ma l­
functions .
Messages may appear with some indicator lights .
A wa rni ng signal w ill sound at the same time.
The indica to r lights and messages in the instru­
ment cluster display can be covered by other d is­
p lays. To show them again, select the second tab
with the mu ltifunction steering wheel
¢ page 12 .
If there are several malfunctions, you can display
them one at a time using the thumbwheel.
Some ind icator lights in the disp lay can display in
several colors .
& Central indicator light
If the . or Q indicator light turns on, check
the message in the instrument cluster .
Overview
Some indicator lights turn on briefly as a function
check when you switch the ign ition on . These sys­
tems are marked with a./ in the following tables .
I f one of these indicato r lights does not turn on,
there is a malfunction in that system .
Red indicator lights
22
--------------
Central indicator light
r=;, page 2 2,
Aud i pre sense*
r=;, page 117
USA models :
Brake system ,/
r=;, page 25
Canada models:
Brake system .I
r=;, page 25
USA models :
Electromechanica l parking brake
r=;, page 26
C anada models:
Ele ct romecha nical park ing brake
r=;, page 26
Cooling system
r=;, page 26
Engine o il pressure
r=;, page 27
Engine oil level
¢ page 27
Alterna tor
¢ page 27
Safety be lt
¢ page 27
El ectromechanical power steer ing,
a ll-wheel steering* ,/
¢page 152
Steering lock
¢page 28
Engine start system
r=;, page 28
Transmission
¢ page 95
Hood
¢page 28
Adaptive cruise contro l* ,/
r=;, page 109
Traffic jam ass ist*
¢ page 114
Air suspension*
r=;, page 28
Night vision assist*
r=;, page 132
Night vision assist*
r=;, page 132
Ad B lue*
r=;, page 318
Ad Bl ue*
¢ page 318
Yellow indicator lights
--------------
Centra l indicator light
r=;, page 22
Electronic Stabilization Contro l
(ESC)
¢ page 29

Cockpit over view
Electromechan ica l power stee ring,
all-wheel steer ing*
<=:> page 152
Air suspension*
c::>page28
Air suspension*
c::>page28
Sport differentia l*
c::> page32
Backrest*
c::> page 61
Eme rgency call function*
c::> page204
Ad B lue*
c::> page 318
Ad Blue *
c::> page 318
Other indicator lights
)\
24
- -------------Tu rn signa ls
<=:> page 32
Trailer turn signals*
c::>page33
USA models :
Cruise control system*
<=:>page 102
Canada mod els:
Cruise control system*
<=:> page 102
Adapt ive cruise control*
<=:> page 109
Adapt ive cruise control*
<=:> page 109
Adapt ive cruise control*
<=:>page 109
Adaptive cruise control*
<=:>page 109
Adaptive cr uise control *
c::> page 110, c::> page 113
Adaptive cruise control *
c::> page 113
Traffi c jam assist*
c::> page 114
Active lane assist*
c::> page 124
Predictive eff iciency assist*
<=:> page 105
USA models:
Predictive efficiency assist *
<=:>page 105
Canad a model s:
Predictive eff ic iency assis t*
<=:> page 105
Predictive eff iciency assist*
¢ page 105
Pred ictive eff iciency assist*
c::> page 105
Predictive eff iciency assist*
<=:> page 105
Hill descent assist
c::>page 150
Start/Stop system*
c::>page 84
Start/Stop system*
~page 84
Remote control key
c::> page 84
Ad Blue*
c::> page 318
Transmission
c::> page 95
Air suspension*
c::> page 13 7
Adaptive cruise contro l*
c::> page 110,
Traffic jam assist*
¢ page 116
Traffic jam assist*
c::> page 116
Audi pre sense*
<=:> page 122
USA mode ls:
Elec tromechanical parking brake
c::> page 26

Cockpit over view
Add the maximum amount of oil indicated in the
disp lay as soon as possible¢
page 326.
~- Steering lock
• Steerin g: malfunction ! Plea se stop vehicle
There is a malfunction in the electronic stee ring
lock . You cannot t urn the ignition on .
Do
not tow your vehicle because i t cannot be
s teered. See an au thori zed A udi dealer o r au tho r­
ized Aud i Service Faci lity for assistance .
Ell Steering lock : malfunc tion! Plea se contact
Service
There is a malfunction in the electronic steering
lock .
Drive to an authori zed Aud i dea ler or authori zed
Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
A WARNING
-
Do not tow your veh icle when the re is a mal­
function in the electronic stee ring loc k - this
increases the risk of an accident.
~ Engine start system
• Engin e s tart system : malfunction ! Plea se
c on tact Service
Do not switch the ignit ion off because you may
not be able to switc h it o n aga in.
Drive to an authorized Aud i dealer or authorized
Aud i Serv ice Fac ility immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected .
= Engine start system : malfunction ! Plea se
c ontact Service
There is a malfunction in the engine start ing sys­
tem.
D rive to an a uthorized Audi dea ler or authorized
Aud i Service Facility imm ediately to have t he
malfunct ion corrected.
28
· c:::::::, Hood
• Warning! Hood i s not lo cked. Stop vehicl e
and ch eck the lo ck
If the indicator light turns on and the message
appears , the hood lock ing mechanism is not en­
gaged co rrectly .
Stop immediately and close the hood
¢ page 323 .
0/Q Air suspension
Applies to: vehicles with air suspension
• Air suspension : malfunction . Saf ely stop ve ­
hi cle. St ee ring and ground clearan ce limited
Due to a system malfunction, you r vehicle's
ground clearance is very low at the front or rea r
axle* (in veh icles with all-wheel stee ring). Be­
ca use of this, the wheels no longer have enoug h
clea rance to steer co rrectly.
See an author ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Se rvice Facility for assis tance .
• Air s uspens ion: mal func tion! You can con­
t inu e driv ing slowl y. Speed limited to max .
35 mph
(60 k m /h)
There is a ma lfunction that can resu lt in restrict­
ed driving s tabili ty . T he speed is limited to a
max imum of 35 mph (60 km/h) .
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have the
malfunc tion corrected .
• Air suspens ion: malfunction! You m ay con ­
tinue dri ving slowl y at m ax. 3 5 mph
(60 km /h )
There is a ma lfunction that can res ult in restric t­
ed driving stability .
D rive to an authori zed A udi dealer or authori zed
Audi Se rvice Fac il ity immediate ly a t a maxim um
speed of 35 mph (60 km/h) to have the mal func­
tion corrected .
• Air su spen sion: service mode. Vehicle can b e
m oved but han dling may be impaired
Carefully drive to an a uthorized Aud i dealer or
autho rized Aud i Serv ice Facility immediately to
have the service mode deactivated.
jll,,

u co ...... N r-... N ...... 0
0
:E: ' II Air suspension: malfunction! Please contact
Service
There is a system malfunction that can result in
rest ricted driving stability or reduced ground
clearance.
Drive to an authorized Audi dea le r or authorized
Aud i Service Facility imm ediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
II Air suspension: vehicle too low. Limited
ground clearance
T he ground clearance is very low due to a system
malfunction. Wait until the air suspens ion sys­
tem has restored normal ground clearance . Ot h­
e rwise, conditions such as an uneven road s urface
can lead to vehicle damage .
B Suspension: malfunction! You may continue
driving
There is a suspension control malfunction .
Drive to an authorized Audi dea ler or authorized
Audi Service Faci lity immediately to have the
malfunct ion corrected.
J=J,t !J Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC)
If the D] indicator light blinks while driving, the
ESC or ASR (Anti -Slip Regulation) is actively regu ­
l ating .
If thE:
G1 indicator light turns on, the system has
switched the ESC off. In this case, you can switch
the ignition off and then on to switch the ESC on
aga in . The ind icator l ight turns off when the sys­
tem is functioning fully.
If the
fil indicator light turns on, ESC was
sw itched off using the
!B ,« I button <=> page 148.
Stabilization control (ESC/ ABS): malfunction!
See owner's manual
If thE: DJ indicator light and the fJ]J (USA mod­
els)/ 11] (Canada models) ABS indicator light turn
on and the message appears, there is a malfunc­
tion in the ABS or the electronic differential lock.
This a lso causes the ESC to malfunct ion. The
brakes still funct ion w ith their normal power, but
ABS is not active . Cockpit overview
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
(D Tips
For additional information on ESC and ABS,
see
¢ page 148.
!f Safety systems
The E,i indicator light monitors the safety sys­
tems.
If the m indicator light turns on or blinks, there
is a ma lfunction in a safety system .
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility immed iate ly to have the
malfunction corrected.
,& WARNING ~ -
Have the safety systems inspected immedi­
ately. Otherwise, there is a r isk that the sys­
tems may not activate during a collision,
which increases the risk of serious injury or
death.
((D) Brake system
liJ Brakes overheating. Please shift to D
There was a heavy load on the brakes. P lace the
selector lever in the D/S pos ition in order to use
the engine braking effect and reduce the load on
the brakes.
wt:t./(0) Brake pads
II (USA models).!EiJ (Canada models) Brake
pads: wear limit reached. You can continue driv­
ing. Please contact Service
The brake pads are worn.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or authorized
Audi Service Facility as soon as possible to have
the malfunction corrected.
29

u (0 ...... N r--. N ...... 0
0
:E and the lengthwise angle @ of the veh icle are
disp layed. The accuracy depends on the driv ing
situation and is normally around 1
°. T he side­
ways angle of your vehicle should not exceed the
yellow range in the gauge. If it reaches the red range, there is a risk that the vehicle might tip
c::, A .
Dis playing the til t angle di splay
.. Select in the Infotainment system: IMENUI but-
ton
>V ehicle > Lift / Offro ad or Allro ad *.
Showing the additional display
To change the contents shown in the rig ht area of
the screen, select in the Infota inment system:
right control button
> Additiona l d isplay.
Angle :
this displays the c urren t steering wheel
angle and the maxim um angle that was reached
during a drive . These values are reset when the
ignition is switched off .
Posit ion : disp lays the height, direction and geo­
coordinates of the current vehicle pos ition.
Off : only the air suspension display remains o n.
& WARNING
- Do no t exceed the yellow range in the
gauge . Your vehicle can tip, which i ncreases
the risk of an acc ident.
- Under some circumsta nces, the vehicle can
tip over or til t sideways even if the sideways
angle is low . The angle display does not re­
place the driver's attention. To reduce the
risk of an accident, make sure the vehicle
does not t ip , especia lly when you are driving
at h igh speeds.
Automatic transmission
Introduction
The automat ic transmission is controlle d elec­
tronica lly . Power is transfe rred using a torque
converte r.
When a
m oderate driving styl e is used , the
transmission selects the most economical driving mode. The t ransmission upshifts at a lower RPM
D rivi ng
and downs hifts at a higher RPM to improve fue l
efficiency.
T he tra nsmission switches to a sporty mode after
a kick-down or when the driver uses a
s porty
dri ving style
characterized by quick acce lerator
peda l movements, heavy acceleration, frequent
changes in speed and t raveling at the maximum
speed .
If desired, the driver can also se lect the gears
manually ( tiptronic mode ) c::, page 94.
Selecting a selector lever position
Fig . 92 Cen te r conso le: se lecto r lever
0 ,.._ N 0
~ a, m
T he curren t se lector lever posi tion is show n next
to the se lector lever
c::, fig. 92. The curren t se lec­
tor lever position is a lso shown in t he instrument
cluster disp lay.
.. You may need to release the selector lever lock
depending on wh ich selecto r lever pos it ion is
selected and which one you wou ld like to se ­
lect .
.. To do th is, press the locking button(!) on the
selector lever
<=> fig . 92.
.. To engage the nearest selector lever position,
move the selector lever forward/back until you
fee l the first pressure po int. The selec to r lever
w ill return to its orig inal position .
.. To skip over one selec tor lever posit io n, move
the selector lever past the pressure point into
the desired position. The selector lever will re­
turn to its origina l position .
F or ex ample , you can s kip over the N position if
yo u wou ld like to go d irectly from D into R . ..,.
91

u co ...... N r-... N ...... 0
0
:E: ' characteristics of your vehicle, which could
cause a crash resulting in serious injury or
death.
Operating instructions
Trailer towing weights
The maximum permissible unbraked trailer
weight is 1,650 lbs (750 kg) .
The maximum permissible braked trailer weight
is:
- Q7 2.0: 5,500 lbs (2,500 kg)
- Q7 3 .0: 7,700 lbs (3,500 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
conditions, adjust the trailer load so that the
tongue load is at the maximum allowable or
slightly lower . You can get an approximation of
the tongue load with a bathroom scale or you can
measure the load at a trucking company or
weighing station.
The maximum permissible load on the ball hitch may not exceed:
- Q7 2.0: 550 lbs (250 kg)
- Q7 3 .0: 770 lbs (350 kg)
It is recommended to use the maximum permis­
sible load. Please also observe the information
¢page 343, ¢page 347.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held securely in
place to prevent it from shifting forward, back­
ward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer¢.&.
in Messages on page 100.
Ball mount
The trailer hitch may only be used with suitable ball mount and ball. Installation of the hitch ball
must be carried out in accordance with the manu­
facturer's instructions .
Trailer towing
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work harder. It
is important that the cooling system's perform­
ance is up to the additional load. Make sure that
the cooling system has enough fluid.
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the tire pressure listed under "Full
load" on the label <:!;>
page 343. Inflate trailer
tires to trailer and tire manufacturers' specifica­
tions.
Lights
The headlight settings should 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 connect­
ed from the trailer to the hitch on the vehicle .
Leave enough slack in the chains to permit turn­
ing corners. When you install safety chains, make
sure they will not drag on the road when you are
driving.
The chains should cross under the trailer tongue
to prevent it from dropping in case of separation
from the hitch.
Setting drive select(air suspension)*
Make sure the vehicle is on a level surface before
hitching the trailer and before adjusting the
tongue weight. The driving mode must be in
Au­
to or Comfort ¢page 134, ¢ (D
If you would like to drive in the Dynamic driving
mode, then you must select this mode before
hitching the trailer and before adjusting the
tongue weight. Please note that your vehicle will
lower and the ground clearance is reduced.
If you have to drive through difficult road condi­
tions, you can raise the vehicle again after hitch­
ing the trailer or after adjusting the tongue
weight
¢ page 136.
(D Note
Vehicles with air suspension*:
99

Trailer towing
- Changes in temperature or load can affect
the height of the vehicle .
- Always se lect
Auto or Comfort mode. Ot h­
erwise, the tongue load specified for your
vehicle will no longer be applicable.
Messages
Driving with a trailer requires extra caution .
Weight distribution
Towing a loaded trailer with an empty car res ults
i n a hig hly unstable dist ribution of weight. If this
cannot be avo ided, drive at ve ry low speeds o nly
to avoid the risk of lo sing s teeri ng con trol.
A "balanced" rig is eas ie r to operate and cont rol.
T his means that the tow veh icle should be loaded
to the exte nt poss ible a nd permiss ible , while
keep ing the tra ile r as lig ht as possib le unde r th e
circumstances . Whenever possible, transfer
some cargo to the l uggage compa rtment of the
tow vehicle whi le observ ing tongue load req uire­
ments and ve hicle loading considerat ions.
Speed
T he higher the spee d, the more d ifficult i t be­
comes for the drive r to co ntro l the rig. Do not
drive at the maximum permissible speed. Reduce
your speed even more if load, weather or w ind
conditions a re unfavorable -part icularly when
going downhill.
Re du ce veh icle spee d
immediately if the trai le r
shows the s lightest sign o f swaying.
Do not try
to stop the sway ing by accele rating .
Observe speed lim its. In some areas, speeds for
ve hicles towing trai lers are lower than for reg ular
veh icles.
A lways app ly b rakes early. When dr iv ing down ­
hi ll, shift into a lower gear to use the engine
braking effect to slow the veh icle. Use of the
brakes a lone can cause them to ove rheat and fail.
Air suspension*
If you are connecting a trailer to a fa cto ry -ins tal­
led trai ler hitch, trai ler mode a utomat ic all y
switches on in the ai r suspensio n. This will limit
the reg ulation by the a ir s usp ension whi le dr iv -
100
ing . If you want to swi tch off tra iler mode wh ile
driving, for example when using a bicycle rack system, se lect in the Infota inment system :
IM ENUI button> Vehicle > left control button>
Vehicle settings > Air suspension: trailer .
If the vehicle has a retrofitte d tra iler hitc h, the
trailer mo de might not switch on automatically .
In this case, switch the tra iler mode on before
hitc hing the tra iler and switch it off after un­
hitc hing the tra ile r.
Coolant tempe rature
The coo lant tempe rat ure gauge c:::> page 11 m ust
be obse rved caref ully. The coolant temperature
can increase if you drive o n long inclines in a low
gear at high eng ine speeds. Reduce your speed
i mmediately if the LEDs in the top part of the d is ­
play turn on .
Fo r more information about indicator lights, re­
fer to.
c:;, page 26.
A WARNING
Anyone not prope rly res trained in a moving
v e hicle is a t a much greater risk in an acci ­
d ent. Never l et anyon e ride in your car who is
n ot prope rly we aring the rest rain ts provide d
by Au di.
Trailer towing
information
' Important to know
-
You r vehicle handles d ifferently when towing a
t railer becau se o f th e ad dit iona l we igh t and dif­
f erent we igh t d istribu tion. S afety, per forman ce
and eco nomy will g reatly depend on how caref ul­
l y you load your trai ler and operate yo ur rig .
B efo re yo u ac tually tow yo ur trailer, pra ct ice
tu rning, s to p ping and b acking up in an are a away
from traffic. Keep pra ct icing u nti l yo u h ave be­
come comp lete ly familiar w ith the way yo ur vehi­
cle-tra ile r combination behaves and responds .
Bac king up is diff icul t and requ ires pra ctice.
Backing up w ith a trailer genera lly req uires steer ­
ing action opposite to that when backing up your
vehicle witho ut a t railer .

u (0 ...... N r--. N ...... 0
0
:E Air suspension*
The air suspension* is an electronically-control­
l ed air suspens ion and damping sys tem . The ad­
justment depends on the driving mode selected, steer ing movements, the driver's braking and ac­
celeration, and as the road surface, vehicle speed
and load. The vehicle ground clearance depends
on the mode selected and the speed .
The ground clearance increases s ignificantly
when the vehicle is in the
Allroad mode . At
speeds from approximately 50 mph (80 km/h) to
75 mph (120 km/h), the ground clearance re­
duces in stages. When the speed decreases, the
ground clearance increases again automat ically .
The ground clearance is the lowest in
Dynamic
mode.
Steering
The power steering adapts. Ind irect steer ing that
moves easily as in
Comfort mode is especially
suited to long drives on highways. The
Dynamic
mode provides sporty, direct steering.
All-wheel steering*
All-wheel steer ing increases driving comfort by
providing addit ional steering ability at the rear
axle . Steer ing in the opposite d irection at low
speeds decreases the turning rad ius. Steering in
the same d irect io n at high speeds improves the
response time while increasing driving stability at
the same time .
Sport differential*
As a component of the all wheel drive system
(quattro)
~ page 152, the sport diffe rential dis­
tributes the dr iv ing power to the rear axle de­
pending on the situation. The distribution of
power varies depending on the selected mode
from moderate
( Comfort ) to sporty (Dynamic ).
The goal is a high level of agility and ability to ac ­
celerate on curves . The vehicle is very responsive
to steering.
Adaptive cruise control (ACC)*
The behavior when accelerating can be adjusted
from comfortab le to sporty, depending on the
drive select mode. Adaptive cruise control also
Assistance systems
responds to the driving behavior of the vehicle
ahead in a more conservative or sporty manner.
Engine sound*
T he eng ine sound adapts to the current mode
and can be subtle to sporty .
(D Note
Applies to: vehicles wi th air suspensio n
-Make sure there is enough clearance above
and below the vehicle when parking. The
height of the ve hicle (gro und clearance) can
change once it is parked due to temperature
fluctuations, changes to the load conditions
and changes to the dr iving modes.
- When transporting the vehicle on a car car­
rier, train, ship or by other means, only tie
the vehicle down at the running surface of
the tires, which is the outer c ircumference.
Sec uring the vehicle at the axle compo­
nents, suspension struts o r towing eyes is
not permitted because the pressure in the
air suspens ion struts can change during
transport. The vehicle may not be secured
sufficiently if this happens.
@ Tips
The S selecto r lever position automatically en­
gages when the
Dynamic mode is selected .
Selecting the driving mode
Applies to: vehicles w ith Aud i dr ive select
~- ------ -
~
Fig. 133 Center console: co ntro ls for d rive select
.,. Press the left or right arrow key~ fig. 133 until
the desired mode appears in the instrument
cluste r/Infotainment system disp lay. Or
II>-
135