Evan's Q7 Evo Build Thread

[ucsbwsr]

Nice build thread. Although never made any comments, I am followed since.

Question, how are the studs holding? I am getting the motorsport hardware studs for my SQ7

They are great. I run them on all of my vehicles and have had zero issues over 4 years of use. They seem to be to go to for high quality consumer grade studs.

I am working on my vehicles and switching wheels often so it’s very convenient for wheel install, easily adding spacers, etc.

You hear about some track rats stripping threads but for a street vehicle, assuming you are properly over-torquing the wheels the studs should outlast the vehicle. Depending on your climate you may want to give them a little TLC in the form of cleaning the threads from time to time.

Evan

[Poopcorn]

They are great. I run them on all of my vehicles and have had zero issues over 4 years of use. They seem to be to go to for high quality consumer grade studs.

I am working on my vehicles and switching wheels often so it’s very convenient for wheel install, easily adding spacers, etc.

You hear about some track rats stripping threads but for a street vehicle, assuming you are properly over-torquing the wheels the studs should outlast the vehicle. Depending on your climate you may want to give them a little TLC in the form of cleaning the threads from time to time.

Evan

Thanks for the feedback!

[Gunmeister]

Have you had any oil loss kevin?

[4ings]

To the extent ive looked into it, there has been a separate dedicated ebrake caliper. It does seem a significant expense and mostly cosmetic modification. My mechanic and i coincidentally both picked up a 18’ white/brown prestige q7 this summer. He mods his cars, and the brake mod appealed to him (he is the creative sort). Ill update if we make any progress.

[ucsbwsr]

Have you had any oil loss kevin?

Is this directed towards me?

[ucsbwsr]

Tis the season!
22" Q8 wheels w/ Hankook summer tires off
21" Q7 wheels w/ Michelin Ice-X on!

[spartan1748]

Your car is STUNNING. I'm going to look for a high spec 4M like yours to do a TDI swap with shortly. Wish me luck.

[Gunmeister]

Is this directed towards me?

Yeah lol guess your not Kevin. Basically anyone who owns a 4m Q7 lol. Basically just worried about oil loss in the future and anyone has a good solution.

[4ings]

Evan, do you recall any challenges with the swaybar install?
My mechanic is doing my install and said theres . No info regarding which hole on the swaybar end they’re supposed to mount. After some fiddling about it seems they mount in the inner hole while the stock end links mount in the outer holes. That and whether the adjustment sleeves should be mounted with the hex-end (for fitting a wrench to tighten the jam-nuts) facing up or down. I installed them hex-end up as that seemed to offer the best access for a wrench. Can you provide any direction from Your experience?

[ucsbwsr]

Evan, do you recall any challenges with the swaybar install?
Can you provide any direction from Your experience?

I haven't replaced the sway bars so I can't comment on specifics. My suggestion is to make sure your mechanic is following OEM service procedures for the sway bar swap and to have clear instructions from the product manufacturer. It sounds like you're installing something aftermarket and if so, this question regarding setup should be directed towards them.

[4ings]

My mechanic and i both purchased the o34 springs/swaybars/transmission brace package (are q7’s are twins)
I thought you had done the same. Your documentation and delivery of experience and process has been stellar so I contacted you before 034. I will now contact them in hopes for greater detail. Thanks!

[tjlmbklr]

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE!


Installing the hitch itself was straight forward but the wiring for the harness was more involved. I didn't test any of my electrical work so we will see how it goes once I connect a trailer! :/



At the same time as the hitch install I received my Diode Dynamics SS6 (fog/wide) LED light bar which I will use as a reverse light. The OEM back up lights suck and the output after upgrading the bulbs still sucks. I run this light bar on my other 2 vehicles and it's amazing, it's like having a rear-facing headlight when reversing. The DD SS6 in the fog optic has a very flat and wide beam pattern, perfect for reversing. The way I have it set up the light illuminates everything from the waist down. No need to illuminate the tree tops or blast people's faces with light when reversing.

The rear chassis braces was the obvious location to mount the bar and there were multiple grommets in the unibody for the air compressor, rear wheel steer, and other optional equipment.



I originally mounted the bar on this bolt with a couple washers, it fit PERFECTLY.



....then I realized I just occupied my rear jacking point *doh* Consequently I slid it forward and attached with some zip ties. The chassis braces are stacked and aren't level so I used some rubber washers to level the light. Some people may scoff at zip ties but I am not above them, I am actually a huge fan of them. The front mount air-air 50lb intercooler on my wagon is mounted with 2 large zip ties, I considered swapping the zip ties for hardware but after removing and installing it multiple times I kept the zip ties since A) they work and B) install/removal is easier with the zip ties. I will likely replace the current zip ties with some beefier ones but essentially this is how it will be mounted moving forward.


If you are mindful about where you mount the light bar is can be really stealthy, I like to mount mine forward by the rear differential if possible so you only see it if you are far behind the vehicle or bending over, with the light bar mounted forward it also acts as a shield to block light from shining upwards. I also try to tuck it up as high as possible to optimize clearance and minimize drag. As you can see it's pretty tidy and sits just about as low as the exhaust. Also, notice the Stealth Hitch, not much to see with no receiver installed but that's the point.

I have the factory hitch but can't stand how dim the backup lights are on this thing. I find myself riding the brakes when backing up for more (red) light. Do you think there is a way to do 2 smaller LED lights like this but one on each side of the hitch?

Also, I saw on on your build post on AudiWorld you said you may play around with long coding for the headlights. Any progress on making those brighter?

[ucsbwsr]

I have the factory hitch but can't stand how dim the backup lights are on this thing. I find myself riding the brakes when backing up for more (red) light. Do you think there is a way to do 2 smaller LED lights like this but one on each side of the hitch?

Also, I saw on on your build post on AudiWorld you said you may play around with long coding for the headlights. Any progress on making those brighter?

I haven't played around with any headlight coding yet. As for adding small back up lights by the hitch, in short - anything's possible but I haven't personally explored that as I don't have an OEM hitch and I like to mount my reverse lights further forward so they are a bit more stealthy. Depending what the hitch looks like you might be able to have a local fabricator weld some mounting tabs specifically for the lights you want to run.

[4ings]

The sway bars/springs/transmission mount were installed, picked the q7
Up saturday, and put 200 miles on it yesterday on a twisting highway. Surprisingly The ride quality is improved in addition to the handling. For reference I have a s5 4.2 and a q5 tdi, i has hoping for more car like handling. with swaybars in the soft position the q7 has lost the truck feel, its planted similar to the s5 With the ride position of the q5. Highly recommended.

[ucsbwsr]

Winter has come and gone in Colorado ....well, sorta, not really, but kinda.* April was a flip flop of 75F and then snow, 70+F again, then 6" of snow.* Even got some snow flurries yesterday.* *

The Q7 is now over 100k and I'm happy to report everything looks healthy and I've only received the "add engine oil" message once and it was when I was 1,300 miles delinquent on my 5,000 mile oil changer interval.* Honestly some of this is luck as I bought this with 83k and previous maintenance really could have set me up for failure but thankfully that doesn't appear to be the case.**

I ordered an 034 Motorsport supercharger clutch delete to remove the weak link in this engine's ability to make power.* I'm patiently waiting for 034 to come out with their software so I can ditch APR and run a tune that allows you to easily switch between pump gas and E85.* *Dual pulleys, no supercharger clutch, E85 tune, and ideally optimized software for the ZF 8HP should make for a nice reliable setup for the Q7.* It's been bugging me there is a lot of untapped potential of this technically-revised supercharged 3.0T and the supercharger clutch and non-ethanol tuning have been the big hurdles.**

Here are some pics from over the winter.

Fighting the good fight to keep the undercarriage clean.* With the Q7s mostly aluminum construction and numerous panels the underside fairs very well in winter conditions but I still spray any salty stuff off with a pressure washer "broom".





Some snow!




....the next morning.* Gotta love the Colorado sun.

[ucsbwsr]

Wife's Q7 has been chugging along without much drama but there are some repairs/upgrades on the To Do list. One is a coolant temp warning which I believe is a faulty sensor in the expansion tank, of course the sensor is sold only as part of a new coolant reservoir. Although my wife claims she still can't hear it, I find the engine noise transmitted through the firewall via the intermediate steering shaft to be quite annoying. Again, to replace the seal you are forced to purchase the entire steering shaft assembly. *Pfft*

Another more interesting item on the To Do list is to get the 034 SC Clutch delete installed on my spare blower clutch. I'm kind of stalling until 034 comes out with an engine tune (although they sure are taking their sweet time). I know Jackal has a good buzz around their tunes too but haven't heard anything about ethanol. The ability for map switching between ethanol and pump is a must as is overriding the error message after the clutch delete is installed.

Here are some pics of the clutch delete





Boy do I love the meaty fitment of 285/40/22


I'm finally wrapping up a garage remodel and the new lighting really makes the body lines of the Q7 pop!

[JLAllroad]

I would guess that O34 will address the clutch monitoring issue the same way that Jackle runs without the delete, essentially locking the clutch all the time.

I does sound like Jackle is supporting E85 (not flex), requires a sensor (or math) and mobile flashing.

The one thing they don’t currently support is 91 octane, but they are willing to do a high altitude 91 octane tune for us.


Sent from my iPhone using Audizine Forum

[ucsbwsr]

I would guess that O34 will address the clutch monitoring issue the same way that Jackle runs without the delete, essentially locking the clutch all the time.

I does sound like Jackle is supporting E85 (not flex), requires a sensor (or math) and mobile flashing.

The one thing they don’t currently support is 91 octane, but they are willing to do a high altitude 91 octane tune for us.

Understandably we get the short end of the stick in the tuning market since we have a last-gen Audi engine in an SUV platform, not exactly the market engine tuners are focused on.

I don't know exactly what Jackal does with the SC clutch but I assume they adjust the signal so the magnet engages with more strength. It's a nice idea to optimize the holding power of the clutch but it's really a band aid for those with worn clutches. A worn clutch is still a worn clutch and even if the clutch is brand new it has it's limits on holding power, best to delete it for 100% reliability and far superior drivability.

Odd they don't have a 91 oct tune yet but cool about the ethanol. I am used to all the ethanol-isms with my E61 so I'm well versed in fuel sensors, backend flashes, etc. Thankfully I have pump E85 just down the street which is awesome that convenience makes a big difference. In CA, I had to drive 11+ mins from home for ethanol.

[Dispatch20]

Maybe I am misunderstanding the last couple comments, but Jackal does have a 4M CREC 91 octane tune. I'm running it now on my 2017.

Their tune locks the supercharger clutch so that it never disengages. 100% solenoid duty cycle applied. There is no clamping strength adjustment; just off/on duty cycle modulation. Electrically locking the s/c clutch on will certainly prevent additional clutch wear, and will probably still work well for s/c clutches that are pretty worn. I suppose a welded clutch is even better but that doesn't seem necessary in most situations.

Sent from my SM-G991U1 using Tapatalk

[ucsbwsr]

Their tune locks the supercharger clutch so that it never disengages. 100% solenoid duty cycle applied. There is no clamping strength adjustment; just off/on duty cycle modulation. Electrically locking the s/c clutch on will certainly prevent additional clutch wear, and will probably still work well for s/c clutches that are pretty worn. I suppose a welded clutch is even better but that doesn't seem necessary in most situations.

The OEM SC clutch is the weak point on this engine making power, having it locked 100% of the time is a useful improvement but over stock operation but still not an optimal solution since it will slip at some point. Welding the clutch was a crude solution used in the past that is now obsolete with clutch deletes as shown above.

[allbizns]

The OEM SC clutch is the weak point on this engine making power, having it locked 100% of the time is a useful improvement but over stock operation but still not an optimal solution since it will slip at some point. Welding the clutch was a crude solution used in the past that is now obsolete with clutch deletes as shown above.

Jackyl is also working with garage autosports or GAS with their cluch delete kit. Similar to 034's

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

[ucsbwsr]

Jackyl is also working with garage autosports or GAS with their cluch delete kit. Similar to 034's

Yes, I'm aware. I put a deposit down as an early adopter and then GAS tried to collect $600+ for the unit while feeding me incorrect/misleading information so it was an easy decision to pull out from that situation.

Honestly I'm not sure why anyone would spend $450 for the GAS offering when you can get one from 034 for $178 but to each their own.

[allbizns]

Ahh, completely understandable. I had not looked that deep into it. I just knew they had been working with Jackal tuning, and they had a clutch delete. Good info to know.

Sent from my SM-G986U using Tapatalk

[winreboot]

Just to add to the toppic, I been running jakyl stage 2, 93 tune with GAS supercharger pulley and car pulls like bat out of hell but it demends a lot from suspension. I have oem air suspension and car feels like a boat, might need sway bars to stiff it up but it awakes the car up and more fun to drive. I run oem supercharger clutch that I replaced few thousands of mile ago.

[nicholas_b90]

Pulley time! I went with a CTS SC pulley and a ECS crank pulley, these pulleys give the same over-drive ratio as APRs pulleys (but these cost less) so it seemed like a good match for APR's software. A 7pk1320 belt was fairly elusive to get my hands on and I had absolutely terrible experience dealing with 034Motorsports it was a bunch of smoke and mirrors, they made mistakes, underdelivered, and didn't take responsibility for their mistakes. Very disappointing.

I only have a short test drive under my belt but initial impressions are very positive and the performance bump is as-expected. Low end response is noticeably improved and the powerband overall is very linear. I will try to collect some Dragy 0-60 and 1/4 mile just for fun. The way my wife drives she won't be capitalizing on the performance, although even putting around at low RPMs there is more "eagerness" with the Q7. But when you lay the hammer down there is more performance when you need it, power is "safety." :)

Oh, blower wine is also more pronounced and with my custom intake is sounds pretty good. I must say the EA837 sounds decent for a V6 too with a nice growl that turns into an enthusiastic wail. Decent engine note + blower whine = satisfactory. It's not loud or annoying from the outside, you get plenty of noise inside when you're on it, and there isn't any stupid synthetic noise being pumped through speakers.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Vz26m3BFRMI

Evan, first and foremost, your attention to detail is outstanding and I am sure all other 4M Q7 enthusiasts really appreciate you sharing your work and each step along the way with us! Having recently acquired a 2017 Q7 3.0T, I read through your entire thread which inspired me to perform both maintenance work, as well as upgrades & tuning.

So far, I have installed the GAS titanium intake along with a BMC filter, and just received the ECS Tuning 57mm supercharger and 187mm crank pulleys. Next up will be a 7PK1310 belt to match the new ratio, Jackal's tuning software, and eventually a clutch-delete with a larger throttle body to better match my aftermarket intake size. I have yet to decide if I will go straight to a dual-pulley setup, or take the time to enjoy each stage and incremental bump in power as I move up.

In the meantime, and if you do not mind, I have a few questions for you:

- After you installed your pulleys, I'm assuming you tuned right to stage 2 with APR? That must have been a big bump in power?
- Any particular reason you went with a 7PK1320 belt and not a 7PK1310? It seems our pulley ratio is the same but I was told 1310 would be optimal.
- Do you know if both Jackal and APR offer 91 and 93 octane for all of their tunes, including when running a dual-pulley setup? I would prefer 91, so I am hoping there are no roadblocks here.
- I noticed that GAS's clutch delete installation instructions mention that their product does not need to be 'energized' given the lack of a magnetic solenoid - what are your thoughts on this? I know you went with 034's product, but see last page at link below if you're curious:

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/00...tions_v1.2.pdf

Thanks in advance for your time and keep up the great work! Cheers!

[ucsbwsr]

- After you installed your pulleys, I'm assuming you tuned right to stage 2 with APR? That must have been a big bump in power?
- Any particular reason you went with a 7PK1320 belt and not a 7PK1310? It seems our pulley ratio is the same but I was told 1310 would be optimal.
- Do you know if both Jackal and APR offer 91 and 93 octane for all of their tunes, including when running a dual-pulley setup? I would prefer 91, so I am hoping there are no roadblocks here.
- I noticed that GAS's clutch delete installation instructions mention that their product does not need to be 'energized' given the lack of a magnetic solenoid - what are your thoughts on this? I know you went with 034's product, but see last page at link below if you're curious:
Thanks in advance for your time and keep up the great work! Cheers!

Glad you are enjoying the thread. Build threads were always a source of inspiration and information for me as well so I'm happy to give back. As a visual learner photos are also particularly useful.

As for your questions:
1. Yes, APR Stg 2 was flashed after the pulley installs. Big bump in power? Hmmm, no. noticeable, yes, big, no. I feel like my APR tunes are weaker than what APR claims online which makes sense because I now live at higher elevation and in-house dyno testing with a controlled environment should produce more power than on the street ...but still even Stage 1 when I was in CA didn't feel like the power numbers would suggest.
2. 7PK1320 is what I found during my research online and there were many others with the same pulley ratio running it with success. If 1310 works presumably that would be tighter and superior fit.
3. That info should be on their respective websites and if it isn't clear best to go to the source and contact them directly. Multiple tuners are currently developing their offerings for the 4M platform so it's always progressing.
4. The energizing is for controlling activation of the SC clutch, with the clutch removed from the equation -no need for that magnetic control.

Cheers!

[ucsbwsr]

Our family has a Colorado to California road trip this Fall so there is a short list of maintenance and upgrades to address before we depart.

First things first, 5k oil change. I am sending a sample off to Blackstone for analysis. Old girl has 103,000 on her.


With a baby boy recently joining our family and the Q7 being the (wife's) preferred road trip vehicle it was time for a new cargo box. I've previously used our Yakima Skybox on the Q7 and it was terrible, very terrible. The taper of the Q7s roof caused the Skybox to go through the air nose-up and create all kinds of wind noise, particularly annoying in a vehicle as quiet as the Q7.

There are a few options on the market but SkiGuard caught my eye for their sleek functional design. I also love that it's NOT a cookie-cutter Yakima of Thule, variety is the spice of life.

Turns out SkiGuard's North American HQ is based in Colorado not far from my house.



Tight fit in the garage but if it fits it fits



I went with the 830 Sport

[Smokymance]

That fits the Q7 pretty nicely...even looks almost custom made!!!

[ucsbwsr]

Get comfy, grab a drink, we have a big update!

September was the month of the wife's Q7. The Q7 has been treating us well since I did the major service shortly after acquiring it. 100,000+ miles on it now and aside from some small issues/annoyances it's been smooth sailing. In preparation for a 2,000+ mile road trip out and back to CA in Oct it was time to make sure the Q7 was in good standing. This means some maintenance, some repairs, and of course ...some modifications!

Here is a list on what's been done:

- SkiGuard 830 Sport cargo box
- 3rd Row Delete
- DIY solution for noise coming through intermediate steering shaft TSB 48 22 28 2063528/3
- Address NVH on start up from exhaust hangers TSB 26 19 35 2054935/2
- Revert intake muffler back to stock
- Turned brake rotors
- Oil change
- New front lower rear control arms
- Added sound deadening material to doors and tailgate
- Alignment
- Misc Coding
- OEM black seat back trim
- OEM emergency triangle
- Int/Ext Cleaning

First up was attempting a DIY solution for the faint DI *ticking* noise you would hear coming through the firewall by the pedals during acceleration. Wife didn't notice, other people didn't notice, I noticed. It's the curse of having a quiet vehicle, the quieter it is the more noises you're able to hear. The Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) says the noise comes from the seal around the steering shaft, of course this isn't sold individually so you are required to replace the entire $300+ intermediate shaft. Although people in the Q7 Owners group on FB are quick to call you poor since you aren't wanting to spend unnecessary money on a part I decided to attempt a DIY repair. Worst case scenario if it doesn't work I can buy the part. Good news is my DIY hack with materials laying around worked beautifully, well the repair itself isn't beautiful but the results are satisfactory. No cost to me and <1 hour of fuffing around in the garage.



The culprit


Point of entry


I used some Boom Mat I had laying around


Measured/Cut a piece, wrapped it around the shaft and lightly secured with some zip ties.


That was then secured with some VHB to hold down into place. Pretty, no. Effective, yes. VHB is amazing.


I added another piece of Boom Matt on the rubber cover for the shaft. The rest of the firewall is covered with heavy sound insulating carpet so it seemed like this was a good place to add some material.
It was secured to the rubber with 3M spray adhesive.



B and C pillar gloss black trim were in rough shape so I hit them with Griot's polisher and some Chem-Guys compound. I hardly ever do polishing or correction so results aren't great but they do look much better.




Up next was addressing the TSB for rattling/ticking noise during initial engine start up. I believe the noise comes from the flex-section of the exhaust just after the cats. These hangers reside just after those flex-sections. You can see the mounts have added material at the top. This is enough to better stabilize the exhaust and keep the rattling noise from occurring. Cheap parts and easy swap so I definitely recommend this if you haven't done so.



I removed my custom intake muffler delete ....errr I deleted my delete? Over time the added blower since seemed a bit excessive. With the OEM piece back in place I am happy with the noise levels, you still hear the blower under light load and it's very noticeable under WOT so it appeases the enthusiast in me without being overbearing.


Much needed exterior clean and clay bar



Little garage buddy


Why so serious?!?



This is Part 1, Part 2 incoming...

[ucsbwsr]

.... Pt II

Sound deadening. The 4M Q7 is well built and well insulated but that doesn't mean there is room for improvement. Over the winter I gutted my E70 X5 to install Kilmat on all applicable surfaces and it made a very noticeable difference. The best bang for your buck came from doing the doors and rear hatch. My plan was to add this product in those locations in the Q7 and when the cargo area was gutted with my 3rd row delete project, add it there too. This material is an aluminum-backed butyl which is best used to stop resonance in large flat panels.

Up first was the rear hatch. Relative to other parts of the Q7 this relatively has less sound deadening material on it.


Before


The interior panel has some fiber-based deadening material very similar to the Boom Mat I used around the steering shaft.


After. It's bit tedious to cut all the little squares around the female holes for the clips but this is best practice for retaining proper panel fitment.



Onto the rear doors


A look at the interior panel


Rear door panel, just sharing a pic as it might be helpful for others. It would have been helpful for me to find a photo like this before starting my sound deadening project but few people are as big of a nerd as me.


Front door panel, pretty impressive engineering and air sealing going on here. The woofer enclosure is ported and the back of the enclosure has a gasket to seal it to the interior metal panel. Impressive engineering and surprisingly easy to work on relative to my BMWs.



Here are some pictures where I added the Kilmat to the backside of the exterior door panel. A bit of a pain to install but adding this material to those large flat metal panels (doors) is ideal. It's not necessarily blocking sound but this adds (actual) weight to the doors and also kills the resonance so if you thought the door slam sounded good before you should hear it now. It has the bank vault like *fffump* Very satisfying, very Bentley like. One could argue this is an aesthetic mod. But considering how often one opens/closes doors, if you notice/care this is another worthwhile mod.



My wife said her keyless entry wasn't working so I plugged in wit VCDS to pull module codes. Grabbed a Montucky Cold Snack to stay hydrated.


Turns out I forgot to connect one of the antennas in the rear doors. Rookie mistake.


Under hard braking there was a very noticeable rumble and vibration you could hear and feel through the steering wheel. There were some small deposits on the rotors so I took them to get turned. Both F/R rotors were ~90% life so plenty to work with.


Here you can see some of the deposits I am referencing



Hammer time


Cleaned everything up and added anti-seize



Rotors turned



One of the front/lower/rear control arms failed. The bushings are hydro filled so the dark fluid leaking out is a dead giveaway, engine mounts have the same colored fluid inside. These bushings take a huge load while under braking so I figured this could be contributing to the rumble as well.


New control arms and the VAG T10444 special tool for popping the ball joints from wheel carriers.


...aaaand "Boom goes the Dynamite!" IYKYK


Cleaned up the Motorsport hardware studs. Always good to keep them fresh especially in a winter climate.


Power washed the splash shields, might seem OCD to some and it kind of is but this has 100k miles of dust, coolant, hydraulic, and oil leaks on it so now that I am starting fresh it will be very easy to ID a future leak. It's not for aesthetics, it's for diagnostics.


All buttoned up


With the new arms in it was time for an alignment. Turns out even though the Q7 rode pretty well previously, the alignment was pretty jacked. In fairness this was the first alignment since lowering the Q7. *Shhhh*


My helper and I did some miscellaneous coding. One thing we did was have the gauge cluster show what gear you are in while using both D and S modes. Useful data when you are grabbing paddles to manually shift.



Part III coming.....

[Cfdtuc]

Looking forward to seeing information about that third row delete.

Love the work done to date (and glad to see I'm not the only one who cleans the splash shield to track what drips.) Awesome job on your car!!

[ucsbwsr]

Pt III

It was time for another Leatherique treatment on the leather. The rear seats where still in decent shape so I focused on the front that is where most of the wear happens. Here are some before pics.




Leatherique Rejuvinator slathered on.


Now the fun part, cleaning with Pristine Clean. Clean bucket of hot water.


Before/After



This bucket of water was clean when I started the driver seat. Ewww David!


The always satisfying, plump, and buttery smooth Leatherique results! Looks pretty good for a 100,000 mile interior. Obviously I try to take care of the interior but I've been impressed with the durability of the leather.



Now onto the good stuff. With a newborn in the picture and a road trip from Colorado to California on the horizon, we needed space for 2 humans, an infant, and a dog. The storage of the Q7 wasn't going to cut it. The cargo box is a big help but we needed more. All Q7s in the US are sold with a 3rd row but in certain global markets they are spec'd as a 2 row with option for a 3rd. Google's searching algorithm made it difficult to find information pictures on this but I was able to dig up a post in a FB Group from a European owner who was showing what we was able to fit under his cargo floor when he packed for his Holiday trip. Here is said photo which was a huge help and honestly an inspiration as he was able to fit a small stroller under there as well. When I first saw this photo I almost didn't believe that he fit all those items.


I'll be making a separate post on this project with more detailed information and P/Ns so keep an eye out for that if you're interested. I was able to track down the parts I needed for the 3rd row delete from Lithuania and I also purchased some Euro-spec parts for whatever reason are not sold by Audi USA. I paid about as much for shipping as I did parts but they arrived in a couple days and was happy to see the seller did in fact know how to properly package parts for safe shipment.


One of the Euro goodies I got was a road-side emergency triangle. For whatever reason the USA doesn't spec these on vehicles and doesn't even sell them. When I was installing sound deadening in the rear hatch I noticed the storage nook in the tailgate that was empty, I looked it up and learned it was intended to house the triangle. I also noticed there was some missing hardware from that interior hatch panel. Aside from the pile of screws on the far left, all other hardware in this photo was missing from the hatch panel.


Triangle deployed


Triangle stored


The other Euro goodie I got was the cargo rails system. Contrary to what this photo suggests the rails are not installed, I accidently ordered 2 Left rails. Oddly the website sold them as a pair but it wasn't R/L but L/L, my error but also that's a dumb way to list them. lol I'll get these installed eventually.


Back to the 3rd row delete. As many of you are familiar wit, this is the view you have when you look under the cargo floor of a US-Spec Q7 (with Bose). Storage is essentially nothing. I think I had an ice scraper and a rag in there.



It's pretty easy to gain access to the 3rd row, remove the trim around the hatch, the side R/L cargo trim, and then the lower R/L trim.


Seat out! You can see the amount of sound deadening material Audi puts in the vehicle, love it.


In case anyone is wondering the 3rd row weights 75lbs.


With the 3rd row out my plan was to add the Kilmat sound deadening material to the rear but as you can see there are not many locations where it would be useful. With the stamping of the unibody and all the sound deadening material already in place I ended up not adding any!



New lower R/L cargo floor trim installed (supports cargo floor)


So much room for activities! Especially without the subwoofer but in Bass We Trust


After




Pulling the fuse for the J857 3rd Row Module will remove the MMI errors and keep the Raise/Lower buttons from flashing red. There are still module errors but you won't see them unless you plug in with VCDS (or similar) and there is no function lost with the rest of the vehicle so it was exactly the quick solution I was after on the electronics/coding side.


Carry-on bag will fit. If the subwoofer was 2" narrower you could fit 2!



The proof is in the pudding! This is what fit UNDER the cargo floor on our first road trip.




Added some lights to the cargo box



Here is what fit in the cargo box. It's worth noting that those 7 pairs of shoes are size 17 and 18 and take up more space than one might think.



Lastly some fresh OEM parts: Black seatbacks and new front all-weather mats.


Previous all weather mats I purchased when we acquired the vehicle already has a hole in it. The original mats are made of a heavier, more traditional rubber were the new mats feel like they are a a rubber/durable foam hybrid, lights and a little stiffer but I assume it's a revised part and should be more durable. New mats also have the Q7 logo in silver.




Seatback install! Everything brown (cedar) in the interior is actual leather except the front seatbacks and it bugged me. So I fixed it.


With the seatback off you get a good look at the pneumatics for the massage feature


1/2 Bueno


Bueno


I'm a happy camper

[tdietro]

Excellent work! That 3rd row delete is very intriguing. Not sure I would do it, but it is very, very tempting. So, I will be on the lookout for your separate thread on it.

Sent from my SM-S918U using Audizine Forum mobile app

[ucsbwsr]

Just sharing some various road trip pictures. The Q7's fuel economy underwhelmed over the 1,200 mile trip returning 15.7mpg. I used cruise control set to 75mph for a majority of the journey. I fairness the Q7 wasn't primed for success with a cargo box up top and 2 large MTBs hanging off the rear all acting as air brakes.

With an infant dictating the schedule there were many road-side feeding in the middle of nowhere which made for slow progress but also created some photo shoot opportunities as I was kicking rocks.

Somewhere in Wyoming


Air brakes!


Used a decibel mater app to record noise at 75mph (mainly for the cargo box). I found the box to be fairly quiet considering the Q7 doesn't has mesh instead of a solid partition for the pano roof; that and I have a hunch the Thule base bars and their bulky design are big offenders regarding wind noise.


No, no issues, just helping the engine cool off while we sit in 90+F heat.


Rear fitment looking good


Golden hour


Absolute unit of a burger from "Chill Grill" in Rocksprings, WY. 2 1/2lb patties, add bacon, add jalapenos!


Hotel parking structure vibes


Deep in the Santa Cruz mountains!


Black seat backs looking mint

[19birel]

+1 on the Kilmat! I used that to line the spare tyre well in the trunk of my A4 prior to a roadtrip to VT last winter. Whilst it wasn't life changing it helped! Going to copy what you did with the doors next as I have quite a bit left.

Third row seat delete is the most shockingly practical mod I've seen in a minute btw, I saw your IG postings on it and was blown away by the extra storage!

[Raife]

Amazing work!

How did you do this:

"One thing we did was have the gauge cluster show what gear you are in while using both D and S modes. Useful data when you are grabbing paddles to manually shift."

[ucsbwsr]

+1 on the Kilmat! I used that to line the spare tyre well in the trunk of my A4 prior to a roadtrip to VT last winter. Whilst it wasn't life changing it helped! Going to copy what you did with the doors next as I have quite a bit left.

Third row seat delete is the most shockingly practical mod I've seen in a minute btw, I saw your IG postings on it and was blown away by the extra storage!

Yea, Kilmat is only one part of the sound deadening equation but it does a good job serving it's intended purpose. The material I used in the Q7 was also left over from a previous project on my E70 X5 which was pretty elaborate.

The 3rd row delete has been a game changer. I'll be making a future post about the interior/cargo dimensions of the Q7 and how it compares to my in-laws X7. I was able to make some interesting discoveries.

Amazing work!

How did you do this:

"One thing we did was have the gauge cluster show what gear you are in while using both D and S modes. Useful data when you are grabbing paddles to manually shift."

Check out this thread or Google "Q7 4M Coding" to find similar threads.
https://www.audiworld.com/forums/q7-...di-q7-3005163/

[19birel]

Holy crap, the interior work in the E70 is impressive! I imagine that had to make a noticeable difference

[flyfishing]

Are those aero blades?

I’ve had those on q5 and for sq7 I put evo wings on and they are waaaaaaaaaaaay quieter than the aero blades. I think it does have to do with thickness.

[ucsbwsr]

Holy crap, the interior work in the E70 is impressive! I imagine that had to make a noticeable difference

I made a noticeable difference, the door slam is so satisfying, even better than the Q7s with Kilmat added.

Are those aero blades?

I’ve had those on q5 and for sq7 I put evo wings on and they are waaaaaaaaaaaay quieter than the aero blades. I think it does have to do with thickness.

Yes, Thule Aeroblades. I'm a fan of the blade/bar design (I run old Yakima Whispbars on my BMWs w/ raised rails) but the mounting feet seem unnecessarily bulky and the bars sit too high. I just looked up the specs on the Wingbar Evos and the bars sit 2" lower than the Aeroblades, if they are also noticeably quieter than that's a compelling option. Personally I'm not a fan of the bars protruding past the feet, although I understand the function, but I can look past that for their lower height and wind noise.