2018 AUDI Q7 ECU

Driving
(D Note
-Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommenda ·
tions in your Warranty & Maintenance book­
let . La.ck of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the emission control system and
could lead to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of the Emission Control System unless ap·
proved by the manufacturer .
- Do not alter or remove any device, such as
heat shields, switches, ignition wires,
valves, which are designed to protect your
vehicle's Emission Control System and other
important vehicle components.
(0 Tips
The consumption estimates as published by
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the
road, which will vary depending upon vehicle
load and speed, road and weather conditions,
trip length, etc.
Steering
Manual steering wheel position adjustment
Applies to: vehicles with manual steering wheel adjustment
The steering wheel position is adjustable up and
down and forward and back.
Fig. 79 Ste eri ng col umn : lev er to adjus t the stee rin g whe el
p os it ion
.,. Pull the lever in the direction of the arrow
9,&. .
76
.,. Bring the steering wheel into the desired posi­
tion.
.,. Push the lever against the steering column un­
til it is secure.
A WARNING
Incorrect use of the steering wheel adjust­ ment and an incorrect seating position can
cause serious injuries.
- Only adjust the steering column when the
vehicle is stationary so that you do not lose control of the vehicle .
-
-Adjust the driver's seat or steering wheel so
that there is at least a 10 in (25 cm) dis­
tance between your chest and the steering wheel. If you do not maintain this distance
I
the airbag system will not be able to provide
its full protection.
- If your physical characteristics prevent you
from sitting at least 10 in (25 cm) or more
away from the steering wheel, see if an au­
thorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi
Service Facility can provide adapters that
will help.
- If your face is level with the steering wheel,
the airbag does not provide as much protec ­
tion during a collision. Always make sure
that the steering wheel is level with your
chest .
- Always hold the steering wheel with your
hands in the 9 o'clock and 3 o'clock posi ­
tions to reduce the risk of injury if the airbag
deploys .
- Never hold the steering wheel in the 12 o'clock position or with both hands on the
rim or the center of the steering wheel.
Holding the steering wheel incorrectly sig­
nificantly increases the risk of injury to the
hands, arms and head if the driver airbag
deploys.

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

Cl a:, ...... N
" N ...... 0
0
::r ' eliminates the tendency to cree p when a se ­
lector lever position is engaged . As soon as
you press the accelerator pedal, the park ing
brake releases automat ica lly and your vehicle
starts to move
r=> page 83.
(D Tips
- Occas iona l noises when the par king b ra ke is
set and re leased a re normal and a re not a
ca use for concer n.
- The park ing bra ke goes th rough a se lf-test
cycle at regular intervals when the vehicle is
stopped. Any noises associated w it h this are
normal.
- If there is a power fa ilure, the parking brake
will not set if it is re leased, and it will not
r elease if it is set
r=> ..&, . See a n author ized
A udi dealer or autho riz ed A ud i Service Fa­
cil ity fo r ass is tan ce.
Starting to drive
Various conven ience and safety functions may be
ava ilable when t he vehicle begins dr iv ing, de­
pending on vehicle eq uipment.
Starting on hills with the parking brake set
Requirement: the doors must be closed and the
driver's safety belt must be fastened .
~ To start driving comfortably when on a hill, set
the parking brake and begin dr iving as usual.
The braking force of the parking brake does not
release automatically u ntil the wheels build up
enough dr iv ing fo rce .
St arting on hills with hill hold a ssist
Hill hold ass ist makes it eas ier to start on hills.
Requirement: the driver's door must be closed
and the engine must be r unning .
~ To activate hill hold assist, press a nd hold the
brake peda l for seve ral seconds. The ve hicle
must be in an up hill direction of travel.
Afte r releasing the bra ke pedal, the bra king pow­
e r i s ma inta ined for a br ief moment
r=> & t o p re­
ve nt the vehicle from rolling back when starting .
During this time, you can easi ly begin to move
your ve hicle .
Driving
A WARNING
--
-If you do not beg in driving immed iate ly or
the engine stalls afte r releasing the brake
pedal, your veh icle may beg in to roll back­
ward. Press the brake pedal or set the park­
i n g br ake immedia tely.
- The intelligent technology of h ill hold assist
can not ove rcome the limitat io ns imposed by
n atural physical laws. The increased comfort
offe red by hill ho ld assist should not cause
you to ta ke safety risks .
- Hi ll hold ass ist canno t hold the vehi cle in
p lace on all hills (for examp le, if the ground
is s lippery or icy).
- T o re duce the r is k of an accident, alw ays
make su re the ve hicle is situated safe ly
while stationary .
Offroad driving
General information
The electronic stab il izat io n control (ESC) func­
tions were enhanced for driving offroad . Offroad
mode can be activated when driv ing in situa tions
whe re s lippage o r a d iffe ren tial lock f unct ion is
ne cessary
r:=>page 143. The hill desce nt assist is
also availab le, w hic h automatically brakes the ve ­
hicle and maintains a constant speed as a res ult
r:=> page 144. In addition, your A udi provides con­
t inuous all wheel dr ive.
However, yo ur Audi is not a purely offroad vehi ­
cle . Yo ur vehicle was not designed to drive under
extreme operating conditions s uch as driv ing in
an expedit ion style.
Onl y drive in terrain that is su itable fo r the vehi­
cle and you r dri ving ability. Never take any un­
ne cessa ry risks!
Befor e driving offroad
-Check the engine o il leve l, the tire p ressure, the
coo lant level and t he fluid leve l in t he washer
fluid reservoir .
- Sto re pieces of luggage and other objects in the
luggage compartment and secure them from
sliding out of place. .,.
83

Driving
and downshifts at a higher RPM to improve fuel
efficiency.
The transm ission switches to a spo rty mode afte r
a ki ck-down or when the drive r uses a
sp o rty
driving sty le
character ized by quick accelerator
pedal movements, heavy acce leration, frequent
changes in speed and traveling at the maximum
speed.
I f desired, the driver can a lso select the gears
manually ( tiptronic mode)¢ page 89.
Selecting a selector lever position
Fig. 85 Center conso le : se lec tor lever
The cu rrent selecto r leve r pos ition is s hown nex t
to the selector lever ~
fig. 85 . The current selec ­
tor lever position is also shown in the instrument
cluste r display .
.. Yo u may need to re lease the selec tor lever lo ck
depen ding on which selector lever position is
selected and which one you would like to se­
lect.
.. To do this, press the lock ing button
(I) on the
selector lever¢
fig. 85.
.. To engage the nearest selector lever position,
move the se lector lever forward/back unt il you
feel t he fi rst press ure point. The selector lever
will ret urn to its origina l posit ion.
.. To skip over one sele ctor lever pos ition, move
the selecto r lever past the press ure point into
the des ired posi tion . The se lector lever will re ­
turn to its original position.
F or examp le, you c an skip over t he "N" position if
you would like to go directly from "D " into "R".
86
Selector lever lock
The selector leve r lock prevents yo u from select­
i ng a position unintentionally , causing the vehicle
to roll. When engag ing some selecto r lever pos i­
tions, you must press the locking button @on
the selector lever and/or press the brake peda l
¢fig. 85.
You m ust press the brake peda l to engage a se ­
l ector lever position when the engine is running
and the vehicle is stationary .
You do not have to press the brake pedal if you
shift from a drive gear
(" D/S") to reverse gear
("R") within one second . This allows yo u to "rock"
the veh icle to free it when it is stuck.
P - Park
This selector leve r position preven ts the vehicle
from ro lling . On ly shift into park when the vehi­
cle is stationary ¢&. . T o se lect the "P" selecto r
l ever posit ion, press the "P " button @on these­
lector lever¢
fig. 85. P appears next to the se lec­
tor lever.
You can only shift out of park when the engine is run ning and you are pressing the brake peda l. To
release the parking lock, press the brake pedal,
press the locking button @on the selector lever
and select the des ired position ¢
fig. 85.
"P" engages automatically if you switch the en­
gine off whi le the se lector lever is in "D ", "E", "S",
"R" or manual mode.
If you switc h the eng ine off when the " N" selecto r
l ever posit ion is selected, the t ransm iss ion re­
mains in "N " for approximately 30 min utes and
then "P" is engaged. The vehicle is not secured
from ro lling in the "N " selector lever posit ion, so
yo u need to set the parking brake®)¢
page 81.
You must use the park ing lock emergency release
before towing the vehicle¢
page 91.
R- Reverse
The reverse gear is engaged in th is posi tion . On ly
select reverse gear when the vehicle is stationary and the engine is running at idle speed¢&. . T o
engage the "R" selector lever position, press the brake peda l, press the locking button
(I) on the ..,.

-The parking lock was released using the emer­
gency release
¢ page 91. Or
- The parking lock can no longer be engaged.
Drive to an authorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility immediately to have
the malfunction corrected .
[il Move selector lever to automatic position
There is a malfunction in the tiptronic mode . End
tiptron ic mode by pushing the selector lever to
the left into the "D/S" position.
Parking lock emergency release
The parking lock must be released with the
emergency release when driving through moun­ tains/maneuvering.
Fig. 88 Drive r's side footwell : releas ing th e parking lock
us ing the eme rgency re lease
The emergency release is located under the floor
mat on the driver 's side .
Releasing the parking lock using the
emergency release
"'To prevent the vehicle from rolling unintent ion­
ally, set the parking brake(®)¢
page Bl or
press the brake pedal.
"' There are two slits on the cover. Position the
screwdriver from the vehicle tool kit in one of
the slits on the cover and pry the cover off.
"' Insert the socket wrench (from the vehicle tool
k it) into the opening
c:> fig . 88.
"'T urn the socket wrench all the way clockw ise @
and press it downward @unti l it locks into
place.
~ "'L eave the socket wrench inserted c:> .&_ . ...... N r--.
~ Resetting the parking lock
0
0
~ "'Press the brake pedal and start the engine .
Driving
"' Keep the brake pedal pressed and engage the
following selector lever positions one after the
other: "N" , "D" and back to "N".
"' Turn the engine off again.
"' Grasp the socket wrench with both hands and
pull it up and out carefully to remove
c:>(D .
"'Install the cover .
When the parking lock emergency release is
used, the
[il indicator light and the "N " selector
lever posit ion turn on in the instrument cluster.
The message
Danger of rolling away! P not pos­
sible. Please apply parking brake
also appears.
_& WARNING
-Only activate the emergency release while
on a level surface or a slight slope.
- The parking lock may only be released using
the eme rgency 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 r isk of an accident, you must
not drive when the emergency release is ac­
tivated .
@ Note
-Read and follow the important instructions
about tow ing
<=> page 371.
-The risk of damage increases if you do not
remove the socket wrench carefully when
resetting the parking lock.
91

Trail er to wing
Trailer towing
Driving with a trailer
General information
Your veh icle is primari ly intended for transport­
ing peop le and luggage. Howeve r, if you dr ive
with a tra iler , follow the techn ica l requirements ,
the operation and driving tips, and the lega l reg ­
ulations.
Dr iving w ith a trailer affects the vehicle 's fuel
consumpt ion, performance and wear. It a lso re­
quires higher concentration from the driver .
A WARNING
Do not transport any people in a trailer due to
the risk of fatal injury .
Technical requirements
Certain requirements must be met when towing
a trailer.
Trailer hitch
Only use a trailer hitch with a removab le ball
h itch mount and ball h itch. The tra ile r hitc h must
be pe rm it t ed for the vehicle, the tra iler and the
permitted tota l weight of the trailer being
pu lled . Above all, it must be secure ly and safe ly
attached to the vehicle trailer.
Never mo unt a t rai ler hitch on the bumper. The
trai ler hitc h must be mounted in a way that does
not impair the function of the bumper. Do not
make any changes to the exhaust system and the
brake system.
Check regu larly if the trai ler hitc h is securely
mounted . A lways follow the instructions given by
the trai ler hitch manufacturer .
Trailer brakes
If t he tra ile r has its own bra ke system, then fol­
low the manufacturer specifica tions. Howeve r,
the brake system on the trai ler must never be
connected to the vehicle brake system.
92
Engine cooling system
D riving w ith a tra ile r means a higher load on t he
engine and the cooling sys tem. The coo ling sys­
tem must be designed for additiona l load and
contain enoug h coo lant ~@ .
A WARNING -
- Never mount a "weight -distributing" or
"load-balancing" trailer coupler as the trail­
er hitch. The ve hicle was not des igned for
these types of tra iler h itches. The tra iler
h itch can malfunction and t he tra ile r can
b reak off from the vehicle.
- If t he tra ile r i s equ ipped w ith elect ronic
brakes, these brakes can not be activated by
a facto ry-installed control system, whi ch in­
creases the r isk of an accide nt.
- To red uce the r is k of injury, always remove
the ball hitch mount if no tra ile r is mo unt ­
ed.
@ Note
L onge r incl ines cannot be dr iven without a
su itab le cooli ng system, especially if the out­
s ide temperatu res a re high. ot herwise, this
i nc reases the risk of eng ine da mage.
Operating instructions
Several things must be noted when towing a
trailer.
Towing capacity
The permitted towing capacity must not be ex ­
ceeded under any circumstances~
page 376.
You can dr ive up larger inclines if you are not us­
i ng the maximum towing capacity.
The towing capacities given only apply to e leva ­
tions up to 3,200 ft (1,000 m) above sea level. As
the e levation increases, the engine power de­
creases due to the decreasing air pressures. T his
reduces the hill climb ing ability and towing ca­
pac ity . For every additional 3,200
ft (1,000 m),
t h e maximum permitted tow ing weight must be
r educed by app roximately 10% . T he pe rm itted
tow ing weight is t he comb ined we igh t of the
( loaded) vehicle and the (loaded) trailer .

Cl a:, ...... N
" N ...... 0
0
::r ' Tongue weight
The maximum permitt ed tongue weight of the
trailer drawbar on the trailer hitch ball head may
not be exceeded .
If the tongue we ight is too low, this affects the
trailer's handling . For driv in g safety, we recom­
mend to always utilize the maximum permitted
tongue weight, but not exceed it. You can reach
it, for example , by distributing the cargo in the
trailer correctly.
You can determine the tongue weight, for exam­
ple, with a bathroom scale or a public weigh sta ­
tion .
The permitted tongue weight of your veh icle can
be found in the vehicle documentation or in
¢page 376.
Load distribution
Poor cargo load and distribution can negatively
i mpact ve hicle handl ing.
- Store objects preferably in the vehicle luggage
compartment . The vehicle shou ld always carry
the heaviest possible load and the trailer
shou ld have the lightest possible load.
- Distribute the load in the tra iler so that the
heavy objects are as close to the axle as possi­
ble.
- Secure objects from slid ing out of p lace.
- Utilize the maximum permitted tongue weight
if possible .
Tires
Set the tire pressure on your vehicle for a "full
load"; see the t ire pressure sticker¢
page 340.
If necessary, also adjust the tire pressure on the
trailer according to the manufacturer's recom­
mendation .
The tire pressure must be increased an addi tional
3 PS I (0 .2 bar) for towing loads over 6,600 lbs
(3,000 kg) .
W inter tires shou ld be mounted on the vehicle
and on the trailer during winter temperatures .
Trailer towing
Outside mirrors
If you cannot see the traffic behind the trailer
with the standard exterior mirrors, then you
must attach additional exterior mirrors. Adjust
them so you have a sufficient visibility behind
you.
Exterior lighting
Follow the legal regu lations rega rding the light ­
ing equipment on your trailer. Contact an author­
ized Audi dea ler or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty for more information.
Before starting to drive , check all lighting eq uip­
ment on the hitched trailer.
T he headl ight range cont rol adj usts automat ica l­
ly to the light range of the headlights .
Safety chains
Make sure the safety chains are correctly applied
when pulling a trailer . The cha ins should hang
enough so that the trailer can drive around
curves . Howeve r, they must not touch the
ground.
Air suspension
Applies to: vehicles with air suspension
The air suspens ion must be at the standard vehi ­
cle he ight before you set the tongue weight on
the tra iler and hitch the trailer¢@ ,
¢page 130,
Raising/lowering the vehicle.
For vehicles with a factory-installed trailer hitch,
the a ir suspension trailer mode w ill automatically
switch on if you connect the trailer cable to the
socket.
For vehicles with a retrofitted trailer hitch, you
must sw itch on the a ir suspension trailer mode
manua lly . Select in the Infotainment system:
IMENU I button> Vehicle > left control button>
Vehicle settings > Air suspension: trailer. Switch
it off again after towing a trailer.
You can also sw itch off trailer mode manually
wh ile dr iving, for example, whe n using a bicycle
rack system. ..,.
93

Ass is tanc e system s
your steering whee l ang le as long as you are ac­
tively steering . Evasive steering support is availa ­
b le at speeds between approximate ly 20 mph
(30 km/h) and 90 mph (150 km/h).
Tu rn as sist
When start ing to drive and up to speeds of maxi ­
mum
6 mph (10 km/h), the turn assist uses a
braking intervention to prevent your vehicle from
colliding with an oncoming vehicle when turning
left or right (available in certain countries). The
braking in tervent ion causes your vehicle to stay
in its lane .
A WARNING
-Pre sense front cannot overcome the laws of
physics. It is a system des igned to assist a nd
i t cannot prevent a collision in every c ircum­
sta nce. The d rive r must a lways i nte rvene.
T he driver is always responsib le for b raking
at the correct time. Do not let the increased
safety provided tempt you into taking risks .
This cou ld increase your risk of a collision.
- The system can deploy incorrectly due to
system -specific limits .
- Please note that the sensors and the camera
do not always detect all objects or lane
markings. This increases the risk of an acci­
dent.
- Pre sense front does not react to people, an­
ima ls or ob jects that are crossing the veh i­
cle's path or that are diff icu lt to detect¢
&
in General information on page 103.
-Reflective objects suc h as guard rails or the
entrance to a tunnel, heavy rain and ice can
affect the function of the radar sensors and
the system's ability to detect a coll is ion risk.
@ Note
The sensors can be displaced by impacts or
damage to the bumper, whee l housing and
underbody . Pre sense fro nt can be impa ired
by this. Have an autho rized Aud i dea le r or a u­
thorized A ud i Service Fac ility check the ir func­
tion.
l) Th is is not available in so m e co un tri es.
114
(D Tips
- You can cancel the braking with increasing
force that is initiated by t he system by brak ­
ing yourself, by acce lerating not iceably or
by swerving.
- Keep in mind that pre sense front can brake unexpectedly. Always secure any cargo or
objects that you are transporting to reduce
the risk of damage or injury .
- Specific pre sense front functions switch
off
when the ESC is restricted or sw itched off
¢ page 143 or the hi ll hold assist is switch­
ed on
¢ page 144.
Audi pre sense rear
App lies to : vehicles wi th Audi side ass ist
If the risk of a co llision with a vehicle ahead is de­
tec ted, the fo llow ing f unct ions can be t rigge red:
- Reversible tens ion ing of the front safety belts
at the corresponding speeds.
- Clos ing the windows and sunroof* .
- Inflating the side bo lsters* i n the seat backrest
and seat surface .
- Activat ing the emergency flashers with in-
creased frequency
ll .
The message Audi pre sense. ¢ page 113,
fig. 108
will warn you about the danger.
Audi drive select* : the function is not act ive de ­
pending on the mode selected .
A WARNING
-To reduce the risk of an accident, please
note that the s ide assist* radar sensors do
not a lways detect every object.
-
- Pre sense rear does not react to people, ani ­
mals or objects that a re c ross ing t he vehi­
cle's path or that are d ifficult to detect.
- Reflective objects such as guard ra ils, heavy
rain and ice can impair the function of the
radar sensors and the ability to detect a col-
lision risk .
~