2018 AUDI Q7 ABS

Drivin g
are available when you start driving r=:> poge 83,
Starting to drive .
Preventing th e automatic parking brake
r e leas e
The vehicle could begin rolling unintentiona lly,
depending on the hill or if towing a trailer .
.,. To preve nt the parking b rake from releasing au­
tomat ica lly, pull and hold the© switch and
press the acce lerator pedal. The parking brake
remains set and prevents the vehicle from ro ll­
ing backward.
.,. You can release the(®) switch again once you
are sure that you are g iv ing enough dr iv ing
force to the wheels by pressing the accelerator
pedal.
Emer gency br aking fun ction
You can use the emergency braking function in an
emergency situation, or if the standard brake op­
eration malfunctions or is disabled.
.,. Pu ll and hold the(®) switch.
.,. As soon as you release the © switch or acceler -
ate, the braking stops .
Pulling and holding the<®> switch while driving
the vehicle activates the emergency braking func ­
tion . The vehicle is braked at all four wheels by
activating the hydraulic brake system. The brak­ ing effect is s imilar to heavy braking
r=:> ,&. .
To reduce the risk of activating the emergency
braking by mistake, a warning tone (buzzer)
sounds when the(®) switch is pulled. Emergency
braking stops as soon as the(®) switch is released
or the accelerator pedal is pressed .
Parking
.,. Press the brake peda l to stop the vehicle.
.,. Pu ll the(®) switch to set the parking brake.
.,. Se lect the "P" selector lever pos it ion.
.,. Turn the eng ine off
r=:> ,&. .
.,. Turn the steering wheel when parking on in ­
clines so that the wheels will roll into the curb
i f the veh icle sta rts mov ing .
82
A WARNING
-Do not press the accelerator pedal inadver­
tently if a gear is selected when the vehicle
is stationary and the eng ine is runni ng . Oth­
erwise, the vehicle will start to move imme­
d iate ly and this could result in an accident.
- Eme rgency brak ing shou ld only be used in
a n emergency, when the no rma l bra ke pedal
h as fa iled or the bra ke peda l is obstr ucted.
Dur ing eme rgency brak ing, you r vehicle w ill
brake s imilar to heavy b raking. ESC and the
associated components (ABS, ASR, EDL)
cannot overcome the laws of physics.
Around curves and when road or weather
conditions are bad, a full brake applicat ion
can cause the veh icle to skid or the rear end
to swerve, wh ich increases the risk of an ac­
cident .
- If the power supply fails, you cannot set the parking brake if it is released . In this case,
pa rk the veh icle on leve l ground and secure
it by p lac ing the sele ctor l eve r in the "P " po­
si tion. See an au thor ized A udi dealer o r au ­
thorized A udi Se rvice Fac ility for assis tance.
- Always set the pa rking brake when leaving
your veh icle, even if for a sho rt period of
time . Otherwise the vehicle could roll away,
increasing the risk of an accident.
- If you leave the vehi cle, sw itch the ignition
off and take the ve hicle key with you . This
applies partic ularly when children remain in
the vehicle. Otherwise, chi ldren co uld start
the engine, release the parking brake or op­
erate e lectr ica l equipment such as power
w indows, wh ich increases the r isk of an acci­
dent.
- No one, especially ch ildren, should remain
in the vehicle when it is locked . Locked
doors make it more diff icu lt for eme rgency
wo rkers to get into the vehicle, which puts
lives at r is k .
0) Tips
When stopp ing at a traff ic signa l or stopp ing
i n city traffic, you can set the park ing brake
manua lly . The veh icle does not have to be
h eld wi th the b rake pedal. The par king b rake

Intelligent Technology
Intelligent Technology Electronic stabilization
control (ESC)
Description
Elect ronic stabili zation control ( ESC) suppo rts
driver safety. It red uces the risk of slipping and
improves dr iving stabi lity. ESC detects crit ica l sit­
uations such as when the vehicle is overstee ring
and understeer ing or the wheels a re spinning.
The vehicle is stabilized by applying the brakes or
reducing eng ine torq ue. When t he ESC engages,
the
D.1 ind icator lig ht blinks in the ins trument
cluste r.
The fo llow ing systems are in tegrated in the ESC:
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
ABS p reve nts the whee ls from lock ing whe n brak ­
ing. The vehicle can st ill be steered even d uring
hard brak ing. Apply steady press ure to the bra ke
pedal. Do not pump the pedal. A puls ing in t he
b rake pedal indicates that the system is act ing to
s tabili ze the vehicle .
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease brak ing dis­
tance. It inc reases brak ing power when the d river
presses the brake pedal q uick ly in eme rgency sit­
uations . You must press and hold t he b rake pedal
until the dangerous si tuatio n is ove r. In veh icles
w ith adapt ive c ruise con trol*, the bra ke assist
sys te m is more sensitive if t he di stan ce detec ted
t o the veh icle dr iv ing a head is too small.
O n ve hicl es w ith ac tiva ted and funct io ni ng night
vision assist*, the b rake ass ist system ca n re­
spon d mo re sens it ively if there is a w arn ing.
Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR)
ASR red uces eng ine power when the drive wheels
beg in sp inning a nd adap ts the force to the road
conditions . This makes it easie r to start, acceler­
ate and dr ive u p hill s.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
EDL applies the brakes to a wheel that sta rts
sp inning and transfers the drive power to t he
142
othe r driving whee ls. This func tion is no t ava ila ­
ble at higher s peeds .
I n extre me cases , EDL au tomat ic al ly swi tches off
to keep t he b rake o n the br aked whee l from ove r­
h eating. The ve hicle is still wo rking co rrect ly. EDL
will switc h on agai n automatically when condi ­
tions have returned to normal.
Power steering
The ES C ca n also support veh icle st ability
t hr ough stee ring .
Selective wheel torque control
Selective w heel to rque con trol is used when d riv­
i ng on curves. Bra king is targeted towa rd t he
whee ls on the ins ide of the cu rve as needed . T his
a llows mo re pre cise dr iv ing in curves .
Automatic post -collision braking system
The "automat ic post -coll is io n braking system"
can hel p t o reduce the risk of sl iding and of addi­
tiona l co llisions after an acc iden t. If th e a irbag
c ontro l modu le de tects a collision, t he ve hicle is
bra ked by th e ESC.
The veh icle does not brake automatically if :
- the drive r presses t he acce lerator pedal, or
- the ESC, the brake system or the ve hicle elect ri-
cal system are not functioning.
A WARNING
- The ESC and its integ rated systems can not
overcom e the lim its impos ed by natura l
p hys ica l laws . Thi s is es pec ially impo rtan t
on s lippery or w et roa ds. If th e sys tems be­
g in a cting to s tabili ze y our v ehicle, you
s hould immedi ately alter your speed to
mat ch the ro ad and traffic condition s. D o
not let the i ncreased safety provide d tem pt
you into taking risks . This could increase
your r is k of a coll is io n.
- Please note the r is k of a col lision increases
w hen dr iv in g fast, especia lly t hrough c urves
a nd on s lippery or wet roa ds, an d when dr iv­
ing too close to objects ahead. The ESC and
its integrated sys tems ca nnot always pre­
v en t co llisions -there is st ill a risk of acc i­
dents!

a co ...... N r--. N ...... 0
0
:E ' -Press the accelerator pedal carefully when
accelerating on smooth, slippery surfaces
such as ice and snow. The drive wheels can
spin even when these control systems are
installed and this can affect driving stability
and increase the risk of a collision .
(D Tips
-The ABS and ASR only function correctly
when all four wheels have a similar wear
Switching on and off
Intelligent Technology
condition. Different tire sizes can lead to a
reduction in engine power.
- You may hear noises when the systems de­
scribed are working .
- When installing roof rack systems on the
roof rail, the ESC uses sensors to adapt it­
self to a different center of grav ity.
ESC turns on automa tically when you s tar t t he engine .
Fig. 146 Cen ter console w it h the "'°" butto n
The following examples are unusual situations
where it may mak e sense to switch offroad mod e
on to allow the wheels to spin:
- Rocking the vehicle to free it when it is stuck
- Dr iving in deep snow or on loose ground
- Dr iving with snow chains
- Dr iving on rough terrain when much of the car's
weight is lifted off the wheels (axle articula­
tion)
- Dr iving downhill wh ile braking on loose ground
The ESC is designed to function in levels. Depend­
ing on the level selected , the ESC stabilization
function is limited or switched off. The amount of
stabilization control will differ depending on the
level. For your safety, switch the offroad mode off in
advance.
ESC
levels
Offroad mode on ESC/ASRoff Offroad mode off or
ESC /ASRon
Behavior
The ESC and ASR stabiliza- The stabilization function is The full stabilization func-
tion functions are limited not available
¢ &. ESC and
tion of the ESC and ASR is
q _& . ASR a re switched off. avai lable again .
Operating Press the !-P- ,., 1 button brief-
Press and hold the !-P- "' I but- Press the IE m l button again.
Ly .
ton longer than three sec-
onds .
Indicator II turns on . II and !:f.'iit•)H turn on. II turns off or II and
lights !:f.'iit•Ui turn off.
Messages Stabilization control
(ESC): Stabilization control (ESC): Stabilization control (ESC):
offroad. Warning! Reduced off. Warning!
Restricted
on
stability stability
143

Intelligent Technology
A WARNING
You should only switch offroad mode on or switch ESC/ ASR off if your driving abilities
and the traff ic conditions perm it. There is a
r isk of slid ing.
- The stabilization function is limited when
offroad mode is switched on. The dr iving
wheels co uld spin and the vehicle could
swerve, especially on slick or slippery road
surfaces.
- T here is no vehicle stab ilizat ion when ESC/
ASR are switched off.
Hill descent assist
Hill descent assist makes it possible to drive
down a hill at a constant speed.
Fig. 147 Center console: hill desce nt ass ist button
.. To switch hill descent assist on, press the !~ I
button. The LED in the button turns on.
.. Press the button again to switch it off. The LED
in the button turns off.
Hill descent assist brakes all four wheels auto­
matically in order to limit speed when driving ei­
ther forward or reverse on hills with a grade from
approximately 6 to 60%. The wheels w ill not lock
up because the ABS remains activated.
When hill descent assist is on, the speed your ve­
hicle was traveling when it entered the hill is maintained. The assist begins shortly after you
start driv ing and continues up to approximately
19 mph (30 km/h) . The driver can increase or de­
crease the vehicle speed w ith in these limits by
pressing the accelerator or brake pedal.
However, there must be enough traction . Hill de­
scent assist
cannot function as expected, if for
144
example the hill is icy or if the surface is loose
~ .&. .
Active regulat ion of a speed up to approximately
19 mph (30 km/h) is signaled in the instrument
cluster by an indicator light •. T he indicator
light turns on when in the ready mode.
II.
The system does not work at speeds above ap­
prox imately 19 mph (30 km/h) . The system is
then in ready-mode . This is indicated by the LED
in the button turning on.
Hill descent assist is automatically activated un­
der the following conditions:
- the LED in the button turns on
- the vehicle speed is lower than 19 mph (30 km/
h)
-the hill angle is at least approximately 6%
A WARNING
-
- Always adapt your speed to the weather,
road and traffic conditions. Do not let the
increased safety provided tempt you into
taking risks, because this increases the risk
of an accident.
- The hill descent assist system cannot over­
come the laws of phys ics. Your driving style
must always be adapted to the current road
and traffic cond itions .
- Hill descent assist may not be able to hold
your veh icle at a constant speed under all
conditions while driving on a hill (for exam­
ple if ground under the vehicle is loose).
Brakes
New brake pads
New brake pads do not achieve their full braking
effect during the first 250 mi (400 km). They
must be "broken in" first. However, you can com­
pensate for the slightly reduced braking force by
pressing f irmly on the brake pedal. Avo id heavy
braking during the break-in period.
Wear
Brake pad wear depends largely on the way the
vehicle is driven and on operating conditions .
This is especially true if you are driving frequently .,.

Cl a:, ...... N
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::r ' in the city and on curves or with a sporty driving
style.
Operating noise
Noises may occur when braking depending on the
speed , braking force and outside conditions such
as temperature and humidity.
Wet conditions or road salt
In certain situations, for example after driving
through water, in heavy ra in or after washing
your car, the braking effect may be reduced due
to moisture or ice on the brake rotors and brake
pads . The brakes must be "dried" first with a few
careful brake applications.
At higher speeds and with the windsh ie ld wipers
turned on, the brake pads press against the brake
rotors for a short amount of time. This action,
which is not felt by the driver, happens at regular
intervals and ensures a better reaction time for
the brakes in wet weather.
The braking effect can also be reduced if you are
driving on salted roads and you do not apply the
brakes for long periods of time . The layer of sa lt
on the brake rotors and pads must be worn off
first when the brakes are applied.
Corrosion
Leaving the vehicle parked for long periods of
time, low mi leage and avoiding heavy braking
can contribute to corrosion on the brake rotors
and to dirty brake pads.
If you usually avoid heavy braking or if there is
corrosion present, occasional heavy braking at
high speeds is recommended to clean the brake
rotors and pads¢
A.
Brake system malfunction
If you notice that the brake pedal travel has sud­
denly increased, then a brake circuit in the dual­
circuit brake system may have malfunctioned.
Drive to an authorized Audi dea ler or authorized
Audi Service Facility immediately to have the
problem corrected. On the way there, drive with
reduced speed and keep in mind that you will
need a longer distance to stop and you w ill need
to press the brake pedal harder .
Intelligent Technology
Low brake fluid level
When the brake fluid level is low, malfunctions in
the brake system may occur. The brake fluid level
is e lectronica lly monitored.
Brake booster
T he brake booster amplifies the pressure you ap­
ply to the brake pedal.
Ceramic brakes
Applies to: vehicles with ceramic brakes
Ceramic brakes provide excellent deceleration
rates .
The break-in period for new ceramic brakes may
be significantly longer than for standard brake
rotors. Due to the properties of the material,
they may cause noises at lower speeds. Ceramic
brakes also absorb more moisture in wet condi­
tions. Therefore, there will temporarily be less
braking force than when the brakes are dry. You
can compensate for this by pressing the brake
peda l harder.
& WARNING ~ -
- On ly app ly the brakes for the purpose of
cleaning the brake system when road and
traffic cond itions permit. You must not en­
danger other road users. This increases the
risk of an accident .
- Never let the vehicle roll while the engine is
stopped because this increases the risk of an
accident.
- Never place objects in the dr iver's footwell.
An object could end up in the area around
the pedals and prevent you from using
them. You would not be able to use the ped­
als if sudden driv in g or braking maneuvers
were needed, which increases the ris k of an
accident.
- Only use floor mats that do not obstruct the
area around the pedals and that can be se­
curely fastened in the footwells.
- To reduce the risk of injury, do not place
your foot under the brake pedal.
145

Driving safety
A WARNING
Heavy loads will influence the way your vehi­
cle handles . To help reduce the risk of a loss
of control leading to serious personal injury:
- Always keep in mind when transporting
heavy objects, that a change in the center of
gravity can also cause changes in vehicle
handling:
- Always distribute the load as evenly as
possible.
- Place heavy objects as far forward in the
luggage compartment as possible.
- Never exceed the Gross Axle Weight Rating
or the Gross Vehicle Weight Rating specified
on the safety compliance sticker on th e driv­
er's side B-pillar. Exceeding permissible
weight standards can cause the vehicle to
slide and handle differently .
- Please observe information on safe driving
<=) page 252.
A WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas from
being drawn into the vehicle, always keep the
rear lid closed while driving .
- Never transport objects larger than those
fitting completely into the luggage area be­ cause the rear lid cannot be fully closed .
- If you absolutely must drive with the rear lid
open, observe the following notes to reduce
the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the sunroof*,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument pan-
el,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest speed .
A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win­
dows, the sunroof* and the rear lid are se­
curely closed and locked to reduce the risk of
injury when the vehicle is not being used .
- After closing the rear lid , always make sure
that it is properly closed and locked.
258
-Never leave your vehicle unattended espe­
cially with the rear lid left open. A child
could crawl into the vehicle through the lug­
gage compartment and close the rear lid be­
coming trapped and unable to get out . Be­
ing trapped in a vehicle can lead to serious
personal injury.
- Never let children play in or around the vehi­
cle .
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment . Vehicle occupants must al­
ways be properly restrained in one of the
ve­
hicle 's seating positions.
@ Note
If you are transporting large items with the
backrest folded down*, you should remove
the Rear Seat Entertainment (RSE)* and its
holder* to avoid damage.
© Tips
-Air circulation helps to reduce window fog­
ging. Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel. Be sure to
keep these slots free and open .
- The tire pressure must correspond to the
load. The tire pressure label lists the recom­
mended cold tire inflation pressures for the
vehicle at its maximum capacity weight and
the tires that were on your vehicle at the
time it was manufactured. For recommend­ ed tire pressures for normal load condi­
tions, please see chapter
Q page 341 .
Tie-downs
The luggage compartmen t is equipped with four
t ie-downs to secure luggage and o ther i tems.
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo properly
Qpage 257, L oading the luggage compartment.
In a collision , the laws of physics mean that even
smaller items that are loose in the vehicle will
become heavy missiles that can cause serious in­
jury. Items in the vehicle possess ene rgy which
vary with vehicle speed and the weight of the
item . Vehicle speed is the mos t significant fac tor . ..,.

Safe ty belts
passenge rs, a lways correct ly wear safety
belts when the vehicle is moving.
- Failure to pay attention to the warning light
that comes on could lead to personal injury.
Why use safety belts?
Frontal collisions and the law of physics
Frontal crashes create very strong forces for peo­
ple riding in vehicles .
Fig. 223 Unbe lted occupants in a vehicle heading for a wall
Fig. 22 4 The vehicle crashes into the wall
The physical princip les are simple . Both the vehi­
cle and the passengers possess energy which var­
ies with vehicle speed and body we ight . Engi­
neers call this energy "kinet ic energy."
The higher the speed of the vehicle and the
greater the vehicle's weight, the more energy
that has to be "absorbed" in the crash.
Veh icle speed is the most signific ant fac tor .
If
the speed doubles from 15 to 30 mph (25 to 50
km/h), the energy increases 4 times!
Because the passengers of th is veh icle are not us­
i n g safety bel ts
¢fig. 223, they will keep mov ing
at the same speed the ve hicle was moving j ust
262
before the crash, until something stops them -
here, the wall ¢
fig. 224.
The same principles apply to people s itting in a
vehicle that is invo lved in a fronta l collision . Even
at city speeds of 20 to 30 mph (30 to 50 km/h),
the forces acting on the body can reach one ton
(2,000 lbs . or 1,000 kg) o r more . At g reater
speeds, these forces are even higher.
People who do not use safety belts are a lso not
attached to their vehicle . In a frontal collision
they will also keep mov ing forward at the speed
their vehicle was travelling just before the crash.
Of course, the laws of physics don't just apply to
frontal collisions, they determine what happens
i n a ll kinds of accide nts and co llisions .
What happens to occupants not wearing
safety belts?
In crashes unbelted occupants cannot stop
themselves from flying forward and being in­
jured or killed. Always wear your safety belts!
Fig. 225 A drive r not wearing a safety belt is violently
thrown forward
F ig . 22 6 A rear passe nger not wea ring a safety belt w ill fly
forwa rd and strike the driver
Unbelted occ upants a re not ab le to res ist the tre-
mendous forces of impac t by holdi ng tight o r
llll-

a co ...... N r--. N ...... 0
0
:E ' bracing themselves. Without the benefit of safe­
ty restraint systems , the unr estrained occupant
will slam violently into the steering wheel, in ­
strument panel, windshield , or whatever else is
in the way
c:;, fig. 225 . This impact with the vehi­
cle interior has all the energy they had just be ­
fore the crash.
Never rely on airbags alone for protection. Even
when they deploy , airbags provide only additional
protection . Airbags are not supposed to deploy in
all kinds of accidents. Although your Audi is
equipped with airbags, all vehicle occupants, in­
cluding the driver, must wear safety belts cor­
rectly in order to minimize the risk of severe in­
jury or death in a crash.
Remember too, that airbags will deploy only
once and that your safety belts are always there
to offer protection in those accidents in which
airbags are not supposed to deploy or when they
have already deployed. Unbelted occupants can
also be thrown out of the vehicle where even more severe or fatal injuries can occur.
It is also important for the rear passengers to
wear safety belts correctly. Unbelted passengers in the rear seats endanger not only themselves
but also the driver and other passengers
c:;, fig. 226 . In a frontal collision they will be
thrown forward violently, where they can hit and injure the driver and/or front seat passenger .
Safety belts protect
People think it's possible to use the hands to
brace the body in a minor collision . It's simply
not true!
Fig. 227 Drive r is co rr ectly restrained in a sudden b rak ing
maneuver
Safety belts
Safety belts used properly can make a big differ­
ence. Safety belts help to keep passengers in
their seats, gradually reduce energy levels ap­ plied to the body in an accident , and help prevent
the uncontrolled movement that can cause seri­ ous injuries. In addition, safety belts reduce the
danger of be ing thrown out of the vehicle .
Safety belts attach passengers to the car and give
them the benefit of being slowed down more gently or "softly" through the "give" in the safety
belts, crush zones and other safety features engi­
neered into today's vehicles . By "absorbing" the
kinetic energy over a longer period of time, the
safety belts make the forces on the body more
"tolerable" and less likely to cause injury .
Although these examples are based on a frontal collision, safety belts can also substantia lly re­
duce the risk of injury in other kinds of crashes.
So, whether you're on a long trip or just going to
the corner store, always buckle up and make sure
others do, too. Accident statistics show that vehi­
cle occupants properly wearing safety belts have
a lower risk of being injured and a much better
chance of surviving an accident. Properly using
safety belts also greatly increases the ability of
the supplemental a irbags to do their job in a col­
lision. For this reason, wearing a safety belt is le­
gally required in most countries including much
of the United States and Canada.
Although your Aud i is equipped with airbags, you
still have to wear the safety belts provided. Front
airbags, for example, are activated only in some
frontal collisions. The front airbags are not acti­
vated in all frontal collisions, in side and rear col­
lisions, in rollovers or in cases where there is not
enough deceleration through impact to the front
of the vehicle . The same goes for the other airbag
systems in your Audi. So, always wear your safety
belt and make sure everybody in your vehicle is
properly restrained!
263