2018 AUDI Q7 service

Airbag syste m
Make sure that the PASSENGER AIR B AG
OFF ,;;
light comes on and stays on all the
t ime whenever the ignition is switched on.
A WARNING
- If the PASS ENGER AIR B AG O FF 1'i; light
does not go out when an adult is sitting on
the front passenger seat after tak ing the
steps described above, make sure the adult
is p roperly seated and restrained at one of
the rear seating positions.
- Have the airbag system inspected by your
authorized Aud i dealer before transporting
anyone on the front passenger seat.
(D Tips
If the capacitive passenger detection system
determines that the front passenger seat is
empty, the frontal airbag on the passenge r
side w ill be tu rned off, and the
PA SSENGER
AIR BAG OFF
1'i ; light will stay on.
-
Repair, care and disposal of the airbags
Parts of the airbag system are installed at many
different places on your Audi. Installing, remov ­
ing, servic ing or repa iring a part in an area of the
veh icle can damage a part of an airbag system
and prevent that system from working properly
in a collision .
There are some important things you have to
know to make sure that the effectiveness of the
system w ill not be impaired and that discarded
components do not cause injury or pollute the
env ironment.
A WARNING
Improper care, serv icing and repai r proce­
dures can increase the r is k of personal injury
and death by preventing an airbag from de­
ploying when needed or dep loying an airbag
unexpectedly:
-
- Never cover, obstruct, or change the steer ­
ing wheel horn pad or airbag cover or the in­
strument pane l or modify them in any way.
284
- Never attach any objects such as cupholders
or telephone mountings to the surfaces cov­
ering the a irbag un its.
- For cleaning the horn pad or instrument
panel, use only a soft, dry cloth or one mois­
tened w ith plain water. Solvents or cleaners
could damage the airbag cover or change
the st iffness or strength of the material so
that the airbag cannot deploy and protect
properly.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts of
the airbag system.
- All work on the steering wheel, instrument
panel, front seats or e lectr ica l system ( in­
cluding the installation of a udio eq uipment,
cellular telephones and CB radios, etc.) m ust be performed by a qualified techn ician
who has the training and specia l equipment
necessary.
- For any work on the airbag system, we strong ly recommend that you see your au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
- Never modify the front b umper or parts of
the vehicle body.
- Always make sure that the side a irbag can
inflate without interference:
- Never install seat covers or replacement
upholstery over the front seatbacks that
have not been specifically approved by
A udi.
- Never use additional seat c ushions that
cover the areas where the side airbags in­
flate.
- Damage to the orig inal seat cove rs or to
the seam in the area of the s ide airbag
module mus t always be repaired immedi­
ate ly by an autho rized Aud i dealer .
- The a irbag sys tem can deploy on ly once. Af­
ter an airbag has been deployed, it m ust be
replaced with new replacement parts de­
signed and approved especia lly for your
Audi model version . Replacement of com­
plete airbag systems or airbag components
must be performed by qua lified workshops
only . Make sure that any airbag service ac­
tion is entered in your Audi Warranty
&
Ma intenance booklet under AIRBAG RE-
PLAC EMENT RECORD.
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:E ' -For safety reasons in severe accidents, the
alternator and starter are separated from
the vehicle battery with a pyrotechnic circuit
interrupter.
- Work on the pyrotechnic circuit interrupt­
er must only be performed by a qualified
technicians who have the experience, in ­
formation and special tools necessary to
perform the work safely.
- If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter is
scrapped, all applicable safety precautions
must be followed .
@ For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and pretension­
ers might be classified as Perchlorate Materi­
al -special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/perchlo­ rate. When the vehicle or parts of the re­
straint system including airbag modules and
safety belts with pretensioners are scrapped,
all applicable laws and regulations must be
observed. Your authorized Audi dealer is fa­
miliar with these requirements and we recom­
mend that you have your dealer perform this
service for you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced Airbag System
performs in a crash . For example, using tire-rim
combinations not approved by Audi, lowering the
veh icle, chang ing the stiffness of the suspens ion,
including the springs, suspension struts, shock
absorbers etc. can change the forces that are
measured by the airbag sensors and sent to the
electronic contro l unit. Some suspension changes
can, for example, increase the force levels meas­
ured by the sensors and make the airbag system
deploy in crashes in which it would not deploy if
the changes had not been made. Other kinds of changes may reduce the force levels measured by
the sensors and prevent the airbag from deploy­
ing when it should .
Airbag system
A WARNING
Changing the vehicle's suspension including
use of unapproved tire-rim combinations can
change Advanced Airbag performance and in­
crease the risk of serious personal injury in a
crash.
- Never install suspension components that
do not have the same performance charac­
teristics as the components originally instal­
led on your vehicle.
- Never use tire-rim combinations that have
not been approved by Audi.
Side airbags
· Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide supplemental
protection to properly restrained occupants.
Fig. 237 Side a irbag locatio n in the driver's seat
The side airbags are located in the sides of the
front seat backrests ¢
fig. 23 7 and the rear back­
rest* facing the doors.
The side airbags installed for the front seating
pos itions have been des igned and certified to
help reduce the risk of injury that can be caused
by airbags when they inflate, particularly when
the occupant s itting next to it is not seated prop­
erly. The side airbag for the front passenger seat
can be used w ith proper ly installed chi ld re­
straints . Please be sure to read the important in­
formation and warnings whenever using a child
restraint in a vehicle: Safety belts¢
page 261,
Airbag system ¢ page 269, Child safety
r:=> page 291.
The side airbag system basically consists of: .,..
285

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::r ' -If you are unable to determine whether or
not a particular fue l blend meets the speci ­
ficat ions, ask your service station or its fuel
supplier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents can ­
not be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance prob ­
l ems resulting from the use of fue ls differ­
ent from those specif ied are not the respon­
s ibility of Audi and are not covered under
the New Veh icle or the Emiss ion Control
System Warrant ies .
- If you experience a loss of fue l economy or
driveability and performance problems due
to the use of one of these fuel blends, we
r ecommend that you switch to unblended
fuel.
Gasoline additives
A ma jor concern among many auto manufactur ­
ers is carbon deposit build-up caused by the type
of gasoline yo u use.
A lthough gasoline grades d iffer from one manu­
facturer to another, they have certain things in
common . A ll gasoline grades contain substances
that can cause deposits to collect on vita l engine
parts, such as fue l injectors and intake valves. A l­
though most gasoline brands include additives to keep engine and fuel systems clean, they are not
equally effective .
Audi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent Gas­
oline. For more informat ion on TOP TIER Deter­
gent Gasoline, please go to the official website
(www .toptiergas .com) .
After an extended period of using inadequate
fuels, carbon deposit build-ups can rob your en­
g ine of peak performance.
@ Note
Damage or malfunction due to poor fuel q ual­
ity is not covered by the Aud i New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
Ch eck ing and F illing
Diesel fuel
App lies to : veh icles w it h diese l eng ine
Always use U LSD (Ult ra Low Sulfur Diesel) No. 2.
T he ULSD No. 2 meets the AS TM D975.
D iesel fuel w ith concentrations of b iod iesel h igh­
er than 5
% such as B 11, B20 or B100 are strict ly
proh ib ited.
Service station fuel pumps are labeled with the
correct fuel information for easy recogn it ion by
the user . If the d iesel fue l pump is not labeled
ask the station operator what fuel is being dis ­
pensed before fill ing up your vehicle.
U LSD No . 2 may not be ava ilable outside the USA
and Canada . Be su re to check befo re traveling to
othe r countr ies.
ULSD No . 2 can become thicker in very cold tem­
peratures, and th is can impa ir the engine's start­
i ng and runn ing . Depend ing on the season , gas
stations provide ULSD No. 2 that flows bette r in
co ld tempe ra tures so that you can co nti nu e ope r­
at ing you r vehicle as usual.
{Qj) Note
- Yo ur vehicle's d iese l eng ine was des igned
so ley for use w ith ULS D No. 2. Therefo re,
never use gasoline, heating oil, other f uels
or flow improvers. These contain s ubstances
that will severely damage the fuel system
and the engine. Such damage will not be
covered by your New Vehicle Limited War­
ranty.
- If you put any amo unt of incorrect fuel in
the fuel tank, do not start the engine under
any c ircumstances. Immed iately contact the
nearest author ized Audi dealer or author­
ized Aud i Serv ice Facility fo r ass istance.
Th ese f uels con ta in substa nces that can se­
verely damage the fuel system a nd the en ­
gine if the engi ne is st arted.
311

Checking and Filling
Fuel filler door emergency release
If the central locking system is faulty, the fuel
filler door can be unlocked manually.
•
Fig . 256 Lu ggage compartment: removing the light cover
•
Fig . 257 Luggage compartment: fuel fi ller door emergency
r ele ase
The emergency release mec hanism is located be ­
h ind the r ight light cover in the luggage compart­
ment .
.. Use a screwdriver to remove the light cover
.:>fig . 256 .
.. Loosen the loop from the retainer and then pull
on the loop carefully
c> fig. 257 i=> @. The filler
doo r is released .
.. Press on the left side of the fuel fille r door to
open it
c> page 312, fig . 254.
@ Note
O nl y pull on the loop until you feel resistance .
You will not hear it release. Otherwise yo u
co uld damage the emergency re lease mecha­
nism .
314
Selective catalytic
reduction (AdBlue/DEF)
General information
App lies to: vehicles with selective catalytic reduct ion
In vehicles with selective catalytic reduction, a
urea solution (AdBlue/DEF) is injected into the
exhaust system in front of a nitrogen oxide cata­ l ytic converter to reduce nitrogen em issions. The
urea solution is known as Ad Blue or DEF (Diesel
Exhaust Fluid) . The informat ion that follows w ill
u se the name Ad B lue .
The Ad Blue is carried in a separate tank in the ve­
hicle. The AdBlue consumption depends on the
dr iv ing behavior and veh icle operat ing cond i­
tions .
It is within a range of 1.0 L -3.0L every 600
miles (1,000 km). In some cases, the consump­
tion may a lso differ from this range depending
o n the dr iving behavior and vehicle operat ing
cond it ions.
When a message about refi lling the AdBlue ap­
pears in the instrument cl uster display, you must
refi ll the Ad B lue yourse lf or have it refilled by an
authorized Aud i dea le r o r a utho rized Audi Service
Facility
c> page 315.
(D Tips
- T he d isp lay ind icates the dista nce rema ining
that can be dr iven
c> page 314 . If the Ad Bl ­
ue tank is completely empty, the engine will
not start again after the ignition is switched
off .
- Ad Blue is required by law to operate this ve ­
hicle .
Messages in the instrument cluster display
App lies to: vehicles with selective cata lyt ic reduct ion
The display indicates if the Ad Blue level is low or
if there is a system malfunction.
AdBlue level low
You w il l be informed in the instrument cl uster
display if the Ad Blue in the tank drops below a
ce rtain level. Ad d at a minim um the amount of
AdBlue shown in the message: .,..

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:E ' U Please refill with at least x qt (l) AdBlue/
DEF at the next refueling. Range x mi (km)
This message appears when there is only enough
Ad Blue left to drive the distance indicated in the
instr ument cluster. Fill the Ad Blue.
U Refill with at least x qt (I) Ad Blue/DEF. No
engine start in x mi (km). See owner's manual
This message appears when there is only enough
Ad Blue left to drive the distance indicated in the
instrument cluster. Fill the Ad Blue. Otherwise
the engine will not start again if you stop i t once
the distance indicated has been driven.
• Refill with at least x qt (I) Ad Blue/DEF. Un­
able to start engine. See owner's manual
This message appears when the AdBlue tank is
empty. Fill the AdBlue. Otherwise you will not be
ab le to start the engine again once yo u stop it .
The Ad Blue must be refilled when the amount in
the tank has reached the minimum level
c::, page 315, Preparation.
Incorrect filling/system malfunction
A message appears if the Ad Blue tank was filled
with a fluid other than AdBlue and the system
has detected that the tank was filled incorrectly,
or if there is a system malfunction .
II AdBlue/DEF: malfunction! No engine start
in x mi (km). See owner's manual
This message appears when it is only possible to
drive the distance indicated in the instrument
cluster . Drive to the nearest authorized Audi
dealer or authori zed Audi Service Facility to have
the ma lfunction corrected. Otherwise the engine
will not start again if you stop it once the dis­
tance indicated has been driven .
• AdBlue/DEF: malfunction! Unable to start
engine. See owner's manual
This message appears if the system has detected
that the tank was filled incorrectly or that there is a malfunction . Drive immediately to the near­
est authori zed Aud i dealer or authori zed Audi
Service Facility to have the malfunction correct ­
ed . Othe rwise you will not be able to start the en­
g ine again once you stop it.
Checking and Filling
Preparation
Applies to: veh icles w ith selective catalytic reduction
Fig . 258 Right rear s ide o f th e ve hicle: removing th e Ad B l­
u e cap
T he Ad Blue tank opening is located near the die­
sel tank opening. Add at least the amount of
AdBlue shown in the instrument cluster display.
This is the minimum amount required to ensure
the system detects the refilling and to start the engine. You can add a maximum of 6.3 gallons
(24 liters) .
Requirement: the request to add Ad Blue must
appear in the instrument cluster display.
.. Park the vehicle on a level surface.
.. Switch the ignit ion
off .
.. Open the tank filler door c::>poge 312.
.. Turn the tank filler neck cap to the left to re­
move
¢fig. 258.
.. Refill Ad Blue using a pump nozzle c::;, page 316,
a canister c;,page 316 or a bottle c;,page 317 .
A WARNING
f-
AdBlue can irritate the skin, eyes and respira-
tory system .
If there is contact with the fluid,
flush immed iately with plenty of water. Con­
sult a physician if necessary.
(D Note
-Only use Ad Blue that conforms to the
standard ISO 22241-1. Do not mix any addi­
ti ves with the Ad Blue and do not dilute it
w ith water.
- Do not add Ad Blue to the diesel tank or add
diesel fuel to the Ad Blue tank . Do not start
the engine under any circumstances if the
wrong fuel is filled in the ta nk. There is a
315

Checking and Filling
If the indicator light does not turn off, drive im­
mediately to an authorized Audi dea ler or author­
ized Audi Service Fac ility to have the malfunction
corrected.
A WARNING
The temperature of the exhaust system is
high, both whe n driving and after stopping
the engine .
- Never touch the exhaust ta il pipes once they
have become hot. This could result in burns .
- Do not park you r vehicle over flammable
materials such as g rass or leaves because
the h igh temperat ure of the emiss ions con­
t rol sys tem cou ld start a f ire.
- Do not apply underbody p rotectant in the
exha ust system a rea, because this increases
the risk of fire.
- Applies to: vehicles wi th diesel particulate
filte r: always adjus t your speed to the
weathe r, road, te rra in and traffic con ditio ns
dur ing diesel partic ulate fi lter regene ration.
Yo u should never disobey tra ffic laws in or­
der to fo llow dr iv ing recommendations.
(D Tips
Applies to: ve hicles with diesel particulate filter
- Due to the high temperatures that occur
d uring diesel pa rticu late filter regenerat ion,
the radiator fan may continue runn ing after
the engine stops, even if the engine did not reach its operat ing temperatu re.
- Noises, odors and increased speeds may oc­
cur d uring the regeneration.
- Always use the co rrect engine oil and fuel to
ens ure that the serv ice life of the d iesel par­
ticulate filter is not reduced.
318
On Board Diagnostic
System (OBD)
The On-Board Diagnostic System monitors the
engine and transmission components that influ­
ence emissions.
Fig. 260 Footwe ll on left s ide of t he ve hicle : con necti on
port fo r the O n-Boa rd D iagnostic Sys tem (OBD)
On -Board Diagnostic System
Engine data can be read out a t the On-Board Di­
agnost ic System connection port using a specia l
testing device
c::> fig. 260 .
Indicator light
If thP ¢'4 ind icator light blink s or turns on , the re
i s a ma lfunction that is causing poor emissions
quality a nd that cou ld damage the catalytic con­
verter .
D rive slowly to an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Serv ice Facility to have the mal­
funct ion corrected .
The ind icator light can a lso turn on if the fuel fill­
er cap is not closed correctly
c::> page 312 .
A WARNING
Incorrect use of the co nnect ion port for the
On-Board D iagnost ic System can cause mal­
f u nct ions, wh ich can t hen resul t in accidents
and se rious inj uries.
- Only allow an a utho rized Aud i dea le r or au­
thorized A udi Se rvice Fa cility to read out the
e ngine da ta.
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::r - Engine compartment
Working in the engine compartment
Special care is required if you are working in the engine compartment
F or wo rk in th e en gine co mpartm en t, suc h as
ch eck ing and filli ng flu id s, th ere is a r isk o f in­
jur y, sca lding, ac cident s, a nd b urn s. Fo r this
re aso n, follow all the warning s and gener al
s af ety pr ecau tions pr ovided in the f ollowin g in­
f o rm ation . The engine comp artm en t is a d an­
g ero us ar ea .
¢ ,&. .
A WARNING
- T urn the engine off.
- Swit ch the ign ition off.
- Set the parking brake .
- Select the "P" selector lever posit ion .
- Let the engine cool down.
- Never open the hood when there is steam or coolant escaping from the eng ine compart­
ment, because there is a risk that you could
be burned . Wait until no steam or coolant is
escaping.
- Keep children away from the engine com­
partment .
- Never spill flu ids on a hot engine. These flu­
ids (such as the anti -freezing agent con­
tained in the coolant) can ignite .
- Avoid short circu its in the electrical system .
- When working in the engine compartment,
remember that the radiator fan can sw itch
on even if the ign ition is switched off, which
increases the risk of injury .
- Never open the cap on the coolant expan­
sion tank when the eng ine is warm. The
cooling system is under pressure .
- To protect your face, hands, and arms from hot steam or coolant, cover the cap with a
large cloth when opening.
- Do not remove the engine cover under any circumstances . This increases the risk of
burns.
- If tests need to be performed w ith the en­
gine running, there is additional danger due
to moving components (such as the ribbed
Ch eck ing and F illing
be lt, alternator and radiator fan) and from
the high-voltage ignition system.
- Do not under any circumstances activate the
throttle inadvertently (for example, by hand
from the engine compartment) if the veh i­
cle is stat ionary but the eng ine is running
and a gear is engaged . Otherwise, the veh i­
cle will start to move immed iately and this
could result in an acc ident.
- Pay attent ion to the following warnings
when work on the fue l system is required :
- Do not smoke .
- Never wor k nea r open flames .
- Always have a working fi re extingu isher
nearby.
- All work on the battery or electrical system
in your veh icle can result in inju ries, chemi­
cal burns, acc iden ts or bu rns . Because of
this, all work m ust be performed
onl y by an
authorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility.
- To reduce the risk o f electric shock and in ­
jury, never touch the following components
when the engine is running or is being start­
ed:
- Ign it ion cable
- Other components in the electronic high -
voltage ign ition system
- If you must check or perform work on the
engine wh ile it is running:
- Set the parking brake first and then se lect
the "P" selector lever position .
- Always proceed w ith extreme caution so
that clothing, jewelry or long hair do not
become caught in the radiator fan, fan
belt or other moving components or do
not come into contact with hot compo­
nents. Tie back long hair before beginning
work and do not wear clothing that can hang down into the engine .
- lim it your exposure to exhaust and chemi­
cals to as short a time as possible
¢ ,&. .
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
319

Checking and Filling
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain or
emit chemicals known to the State of Cali­
forn ia to cause cancer and birth defects and
reproduct ive harm . In addition, certain flu­
ids contained in veh icles and certain prod­
ucts of compo nent wear contain or emit
chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm .
- Battery posts, termina ls and related acces­
sories contain lead and lead compounds, chemicals known to the State of California
to cause cancer and reproductive harms.
Wash hands after handling .
(D Note
When filling flu ids, be sure not to mix the flu ­
ids up . Otherwise severe ma lfunctions and en­
gine damage w ill occur .
@ For the sake of the environment
You shou ld regularly check the ground under
your vehicle in order to detect leaks quickly. If
there are visible spots from oil or other fluids,
bring your vehicle to an authorized Audi deal­
er or author ized Audi Service Facility to be
checked .
Opening/closing the hood
The hood is released from inside the vehicle.
Fig . 261 D river footwell : release leve r
320
Fig. 262 Unlocked hood : lev er
Make sure the wiper arms are not raised up from
the windshie ld. Otherw ise the paint could be
damaged .
Opening the hood
"'With the driver's door open, pull the lever be ­
low the instrument panel in the direction of the
arrow ~
fig. 261 .
"' Raise the hood slightly~ &-
"' Press the lever~ fig. 262 in the direction of the
arrow. This releases the hooks .
"' Open the hood.
Closing the hood
"' Push the hood down until you over ride the
force of the struts .
"' Let the hood fall lightly into the latch .
Do not
press it in.
~ .&_ .
A WARNING
-Never open the hood when there is steam or
coo lant escaping from the engine compart­
ment, because there is a risk that you could
be burned. Wait until no steam or coolant is
escaping.
- For safety reasons, the hood must always be
closed securely while driving . Because of
this, always check the hood after closing it
to make sure it is latched correctly . The
hood is latched if the front corners canno t
be lifted .
- If you notice that the hood is not latched
while you are driving, stop immed iate ly and
close it, because driving when the hood is
not latched increases the r isk of an accident . ..,.