Audi SUV Range

You could have a problem anywhere in the wiring between the starter button and the starter motor. It could even be a problem with the starter motor itself. This function is computer controlled, too, so you may find the body computer is the root cause. An auto electrician will be able to check this out and diagnose the fault.

But there’s one thing you can check before that, and that is to remove and clean the contacts on the actual starter button. You will need to remove it from the dashboard (disconnect the car’s battery first) and carefully take the button apart and spray some terminal cleaner or contact cleaner on to the contacts. If you’re not confident to do this, the same auto electrician will be able to help you out.

These buttons (which are really switches) accumulate all sorts of grime and moisture from the air, the car’s interior and, of course, the fingers that operate the button.

While this version of the Audi Q5 uses a wet-clutch version of the dual-clutch transmission, failures and problems are not unknown. Generally, any shuddering or jerking in a DSG transmission suggest either worn clutch packs or a problem with the electronics that control the gearbox.

But it’s important to make sure that this is not an engine problem contributing to the jerking behaviour, so an electronic scan of the driveline is in order. This should help narrow down the potential causes and make diagnosis more accurate and repairs cheaper. The gearbox can be scanned, too, to check the operation of the clutch packs.

That’s a fair question, because the subject of towing limits is a pretty topical one right now as caravans get heavier and heavier and the police crack down harder on overloaded vehicles. That said, Audi makes no distinction between the towing capacity of its Q7 based on what accessories (including the moon-roof) are fitted.

But it definitely pays to remember that many vehicles, once hitched up to their heaviest legal towed load, can then be very close to their Gross Combination Mass (GCM) which is the mass of the trailer, the vehicle and everything in it including people, fuel, luggage and any aftermarket accessories fitted to it.

As an example, there’s one US-made ute on the market now that, when towing its maximum legal load, is so close to its GCM (has so little payload remaining) that it could only be legally operated by one small person with no luggage, nothing in the tray and no fuel in the tank.