2017 AUDI Q7 towing

Table of contents
About this Owner's Manual ... .. .
Cockpit ... .. ............... .... .. .
Cockpit overview ................ .
Controls at a glance ... .......... .. .. .
Instrument cluster .. .......... .. .. .. .
Multifunction steering wheel ... .. .. .. .
Driver information system ............ .
H ead-up display .... .. ..... ... .. .... .
On -Board Diagnostic System (OBD) .. .. .
Indicato r lights . ................ ... .
Starting and driving ......... ... .
6
8
8
8
10
12
15
20
21
22
34
Opening and closing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Central lock ing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
L uggage compartment lid . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Ch ild safety lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Power windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Panorama glass roof . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Garage door opener (Homelink) . . . . . . . . 46
Lights and Vision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Exterior lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Interior lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
V1s1on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Windshield wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Dig ital compass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Seats and storage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60
H ead restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
M emory function . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64
Ashtray . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Sto rage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Luggage compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
Roof rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Warm and cold .. .......... .. .. .. . 71
Climate control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
3 zone deluxe automatic climate control . 72
4-zone deluxe automatic climate control . 7 5
Steer ing wheel heating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
2
Driving ..... .. .. .. .. ... .......... . .
General information . ... ........... . .
Steering .......... .. .. . .......... . .
Start ing and stopping the eng ine ..... . .
Start/Stop system .. .. ............. . .
E le ctromechanical parking brake ...... .
Start ing to drive .. .. .. ........ ..... . .
Offroad driving ... ... ...... ....... .. .
T ilt angle display . .. .. ... .......... . .
Automat ic transmission
Trailer towing ... .. ............. . .
Driving with a trail er .. .. ........... . .
T railer towing information
79
79
81
82
84
87
88
89
90
91
98
98
100
Driver assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Assistance systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Electronic speed limiter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Speed warning system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Cruise control system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102
Camera-based traffic sign recognit ion . . . 104
Pred ictive efficiency assist. . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Audi adaptive cruise contro l . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Pred ictive control (eff ic ie ncy assist) . . . . . 113
Traffic jam assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114
Distance indicat or and distance warnin g 116
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Audi pre sense . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Audi pre sense basic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Audi pre sense front . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Audi pre sense rea r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Audi pre sense city . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
Settings in the Infotainment system . . . . 122
Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Audi active lane assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Audi s ide assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 126
Night vision assist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131
Audi drive select . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Parking systems 138
General information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138
Rear parking system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Parking aid plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Rearview camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140
Periphera l cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143
Adjusting the parking aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

u co ...... N r-... N ...... 0
0
:E: ' Fuses and bulbs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367
F uses .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .... ... .. .. .... . 367
Bulbs .. .. .. .. .. ... . .... ... .. .. .. .. . 37 1
Emergency situations... .. .. .... . 372
G ene ral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 372
St art ing by pu shing o r tow ing . . . . . . . . . . 372
S tar ting w it h jumpe r cables . . . . . . . . . . . 372
Using the jump st art cable . . . . . . . . . . . . 373
Towingw ithatowtr uck ..... ... ... .. . 374
Ra is ing the veh icle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 376
Accessories and Technical Data . 37 8
Technical data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
Ve hicl e specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
N otes about tec hnica l data . . . . . . . . . . . . 378
We igh ts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Di mensions ... .. ... . .... ... .. .. .... . 379
Capac it ies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 379
Gasoline engin es . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Diese l eng ines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380
Consumer Information . . . . . . . . . . 381
War ranty cove rages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Oper ating your veh icle outs ide the U .S.A.
o r Can ada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
Aud i Service Repair Ma nuals and
Lit erature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 381
M ain tenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 1
Accesso ries and te chnical changes . . . . . . 383
D eclarat ion of Compli ance,
T elecommun ications and Electronic
Syst ems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 384
Index ..... .. .. ... ..... ... .. .. .... . 385
Table of contents
5

Driving
Sel ector l ev e r lo ck
The se lector lever lock prevents you from se lect­
ing a position unintentionally, causing the vehicle
to ro ll. When engaging some selector lever posi­
tions, you must press th e locking button
CD on
the selecto r lever and/or press the brake pedal
¢fig. 92.
You must press the brake pedal to engage a se­
lector lever position when the engine is running
and the vehicle is stationary.
You do not have to press the brake peda l if you
shift from a drive gear (D/S) to reverse gear
(R)
w ithin one second. This allows you to "rock" the
veh icle to free it when it is stuck .
P - Park
This se lector lever posi tion p revents the vehi cle
from rolling . Only shift into park when the vehi ­
cle is stationary ¢.&. . To select the P se lector lev­
er position, press th e P button @on the selector
lever ¢
fig. 92. P appears next to the selector lev­
er.
You can on ly shift out of park when the engine is
r u nning and you are pr ess ing the brake p edal. To
release the parking lock, press the brake peda l,
press the locking button
CD on the selector lever
and select the desired pos it ion ¢
fig. 92 .
P engag es automatically if you switch the engine
off while the selector lever is in D, E, S, R or man­
ual mode.
If you switch the engine off when the N se lector
lever position is select ed, the transmission re­
mains in N for approximately
30 minutes and
then Pis engaged. The vehicle is not secured
from rolling in the N selector lever position, so
you need to set the parking brake<®>¢
page 87.
You must use the parking lock emergency release
before towing the vehicle¢
page 96.
R- Reve rse
The reverse gear is engaged in this pos ition . On ly
select reverse gear when the vehicle is stationary
and the engine is running at idle speed¢.&. . To
engage the R selector lever pos ition, press the
92
brake peda l, press the locking button CD on the
se lector lever and select the R position ¢
fig. 92.
A confirm ation tone will sound when the reverse
gear is engaged.
N -Neutral (idle )
The transmission is in idle in th is position. To en­
gage the
N selector lever position, press the lock­
i ng button
CD on the selector lever and sh ift into
the
N pos ition ¢ fig. 92 .
If you switch the eng ine off when the N selector
l ever posit io n is selected, the transm iss ion re­
mai ns in
N for approx imately 30 minutes and
then Pis engaged.
You cannot se lect the
N pos ition when the igni­
tion is switched off . When dr iv ing through an au­
tomat ic car wash, fi rst select the
N position and
then turn the eng ine off.
For safety reasons , the veh icle cannot be locked
when the t ransmiss ion is in the
N pos it ion .
D/S - Driving forward
When the transm ission is in the D/S posit ion, it
can be operated either in the normal D mode or
i n the S sport mode . Move the selector lever back
to engage the S sport mode. You ca n only select
the S selector lever position when the Dor E pos i­
tion is se lected. To select the Dor E position
again w hen S is engaged, move the selector lever
ba ck ¢ .&. . To sh ift from N to D when traveling at
speeds below 1 mph (2 km/h), press the brake pedal and shift into the D position¢.&. .
In the
n o rmal mode D, the transmission auto­
matically selects the suitable gear ratio. It de­
pends on engine load, vehicle speed and driving
style.
Se lec t the
sport mode S for spo rty d riving. The
vehicle makes f ull use of the engine 's power.
Shifting may become noticeable when accelerat ­
ing .
The S se lec to r lever posit io n engages automat i­
ca lly when you select
Dynamic mode in d rive se -
l ect* . .,.

A WARNING ,~
Read and follow all WARNINGS.
- The vehicle can roll even if the ignition is switched off.
- Power is st ill transmitted to the wheels
when the engine is running at idle. To pre­
vent the veh icle from "creeping", you must
keep your foot on the brake in all selector
lever positions (except P and N) when the
engine is running.
- Before opening the hood, select the P selec­ tor lever position and set the parking brake.
T his reduces the risk of an accident. Always
read and follow the applicable warnings
¢ page 322, Working in the engine com­
partment.
@ Tips
If you accidentally se lect N while d riving, take
your foot off the acce le rator pedal and wa it
for the engine to slow down to idle before se­
lect ing Dor S.
Driving tips
Starting the engine
.. Th e P or N position must be selected.
Starting from a stop
.. Press and hold the brake pedal.
.. Start the engine
c:> page 82.
.. Press the lock ing button @on the selector lev­
er and select the D, E, Sor R position
¢page 91.
.. Wait a moment until the transmission shifts.
You wi ll notice a slight movement when the
gear engages .
.. Release the brake pedal and press the accelera-
tor pedal ¢
&-
Various convenience functions are avai lab le for
starting on hills
c:> page 88.
Stopping temporarily
~ .. Press the brake pedal to stop the vehicle, for
~ example at a traffic light. Do not press the ac-
~ celerator peda l when doing this. 0
0
:E: ' Driving
.. To prevent the vehicle from ro ll ing when you
start driving, set the parking brake when stop­
ping on steep hills¢
A-
.. The parking brake will release automatically
and the vehicle will start moving once you press
the accelerator pedal.
Stopping/parking
If the selector lever is not in the P position when
you open the driver's door, the vehicle could roll.
.. Press and hold the brake pedal
c:> A-
.. Set the parking brake.
.. To select the P se lector lever position, press the
P button
@ on the selector lever c:> page 91 ,
fig. 92.
Under certain conditions, such as driving in the
mountains or when towing a trailer, it may be
helpful to switch to manua l mode temporarily
and shift
manually to adapt to the driving condi­
tions
c:> page 94.
On hills, activate the parking brake first and then
shift into the P position
c:> page 87. This prevents
too much stress from being p laced on the lock ing
mechanism .
A WARNING
--The vehicle can roll even when the eng ine is
sw itched off.
- Unintended vehicle movement can lead to
serious injuries .
- To reduce the r isk of an accident, do not
press the accelerator pedal when changing
the selector lever position while the vehicle
is stationa ry and the engine is running .
- To reduce the r isk of an accident, never se­
lect the R or P positions while dr iv ing.
- Do not inadvertently press the accelerator pedal when the vehicle is stationary . Other­
wise the r is k of an accident increases be­
cause the vehicle will start to move immedi­
ately, even if the parking brake is set.
(D Tips
Fo r safety reasons, the park ing brake only re­
leases automatically when the drive r's door is
closed.
93

u co ...... N r-... N ...... 0
0
:E: ' The message Danger of rolling away! P not pos­
sible. Please apply parking brake
also appears.
A WARNING
- Only activate the emergency release while
on a level surface or a slight slope.
- The parking tock may only be released using
the emergency release if the parking brake
is set. If it is not functioning, secure the ve­
hicle from rolling using the brake pedal or
other suitable means, such as blocking a
front and a rear wheel. An unsecured vehicle
may roll away, which increases the risk of an
accident.
- To reduce the risk of an accident, you must
not drive when the emergency release is ac­
tivated.
(D Note
- Read and follow the important instructions
about towing
c::;, page 3 74.
- The risk of damage increases if you do not
remove the socket wrench carefully when
resetting the parking lock.
Driving
97

Trailer towing
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your Audi was designed primarily for passenger
transportation.
If you plan to tow a trailer, please remember that
the additional load will affect durability, econo­my and performance.
Trailer towing not on ly places more stress on the
ve hicle, it also ca lls for more concentration from
the dr iver.
F or this reason, always follow the operating and
driving instructions provided and use common
sense.
@ Note
If you are going to tow a trailer, you must ac­
tivate the tra ile r operation mode
¢page 100.
Technical requirements
Traile r hitch
Use a weight-carrying hitch conforming to the
gross trai ler weight. The hitch must be suitab le
for your ve hicle and tra iler and must be mounted
securely on the vehicle 's chassis at a
technically
sound
locat ion . Use on ly a trailer hitch with a re­
movable ba ll mount . Always chec k w it h t he t rail ­
er hitch man ufactur er to make s ure t hat you a re
using the co rrect hi tc h.
Do not use a bumper hitch.
The hitch m ust be installed i n such a way that it
does not interfere with the impact -absorbing
bumper sys tem . N o mod ificat ions should be
made to the vehicle exhaust and b rake systems .
Fr om t ime to t ime, che ck t hat all hitch mo unti ng
bol ts rem ain securely faste ned.
W hen you are not tow ing a tra iler, remove the
tra ile r hitc h ba ll mount . This prevents the hitch
from ca using damage shou ld your veh icle be
s truck from behind¢ &..
98
Trailer brakes
If your trailer is equipped wi th a bra king sys tem,
c h ec k t o be sure that it con forms to all regu la ­
tions.
The trailer hydrau lic br ake system mus t not be
directly connecte d to the vehicle's hydr auli c
brake system ¢&. .
Safety chains
Always use safety chains between your vehicle
and t he tra ile r.
Trailer lights
Trailer lights must meet all regulations. Be sure
to check w ith your author ized Audi dealer for cor­
r ect wir ing , sw itches and relays .
Mirrors
If you are unab le to see the traffic behind you us­
i ng the regular outs ide mirrors, then you
must in­
stall extended mirro rs. It is important that you
always have clear vision to the rear.
A WARNING
-
- After remov ing the tra iler hitch, do not
sto re it in your vehicle . In case of sud den
braking , th e hitch co uld fl y forwar d and i n­
jure you o r yo ur passenge rs.
- I f a tra ile r has e lectr ica l brakes p lease no te
t h at the se brakes are not ac tivated by the
fact ory-fi tted contro l uni t - r isk of accident!
- N ever i nst all a "we igh t distribut ing" or
"lo ad equ alizing" trailer hi tch o n yo ur veh i­
cle. The vehicle was not desig ned fo r these
kinds of trailer hitches. The hitch attach ­
ment can fai l, ca us ing the tra iler to tear
loose from the vehicle .
- The Gross Veh icle Weight Rating for your
veh icle, found on the safety compliance la­
be l on the driver's s ide B -pillar, m ust never
be exceeded under any circumstances. Ex­
ceed ing the Gross Vehicle Weight Rati ng of
your veh icle is likely to damage yo ur vehicle,
and such damage will not be covered by
your Limi te d N ew Vehicle War ranty. Exceed ­
ing the G ros s Ve hicl e W eight Ratin g will al-
so ch ange the pe rform ance and ha ndling .,._

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 .