Types Of Gas An Audi Q7 Takes (All Generations)

The Audi Q7 has proven to be a force to be reckoned with, and it has captured a great deal of market share in the luxury SUV segment. However, many people wonder if this SUV takes regular or premium gasoline. Let’s have a look:

All generations of the Audi Q7 sold in the United States and manufactured from 2007 onwards have premium, unleaded gasoline with an octane rating of 91 or higher recommended. However, they can temporarily take 87 octane if premium gasoline is unavailable.

All model years of the Audi Q7 that have a diesel engine use ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel) No. 2. which meets ASTM 0975 standards.

As stated in the owner’s manual, premium gasoline is recommended, and the higher grade will eliminate any power seepage and enhance your engine’s health and life. That’s true not only for the Q7 but also for most Audi vehicles from the A8 and Q8 to the A6 and everything in between.

Let’s look at all the engines of the Audi Q7 and see what type of fuel Audi recommends for each of them in more detail.

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Does The Audi Q7 Require Premium Gasoline?

Let´s first classify a few things about the recommended octane ratings of the Audi Q7. As stated, all Q7s across all model years use premium gasoline. Furthermore, they can take 87-octane when premium gasoline is temporarily not available.

However, there´s one exception: the Audi Q7 that´s sold from 2020 onwards and is equipped with a 4.0L V8 twin-turbo engine. Audi recommends that you use 93-octane gasoline for this engine and drop no lower than 91-octane. Dropping lower than this rating will result in engine knocking (more on that later).

If you’re interested in the different gasoline requirements for all Audis, please read the article we just linked.

What Types Of Gasoline Can And Can’t Be Used?

Today, we have various types of fuel options in the market. Some are blended with octane enhancers, some with other additives, etc. Let us look at some available options and see how the Audi Q7 performs when refueled with these options.

Reformulated Gasoline

The focus on environmental pollution and air quality issues has forced engineers to develop fuels that burn green and clean. And this is rightfully so since the emissions from our vehicles significantly reduce the overall air quality. One such type is reformulated gasoline. This type of gasoline burns cleaner and is even mandatory in some parts of the United States.

Although some car owners prefer reformulated gasoline to fuel their cars, the best bet is to go with the manufacturer’s word. The owners’ manuals for Audi Q7, and other models like the Audi Q3, or the Audi Q5, among others, are silent about using reformulated gasoline.

However, from experience, we know that all car makers recommend reformulated gasoline whenever possible. This is because the fuel gives the same performance as regular fuel while not costing any more or reducing your engine’s lifespan. For this reason, use reformulated gasoline whenever possible.

Gasoline/Oxygenated Blends

Many high-performance vehicles use ethanol-blended fuels for their cars. Typically an oxygenated blend of gasoline contains ethanol or methanol in a certain percentage. However, there are strict rules for the use of these oxygenates.

2007 – 2015 model years of the Audi Q7 can take gasoline with a maximum of 10% ethanol. Q7s manufactured from 2016 onwards can take gasoline with a maximum of 15% ethanol. For this reason, Audi Q7s can´t take E30, E50, or E85 (with the latter being referred to as flex-fuel)

Furthermore, it´s also strictly forbidden to use gasoline with a high percentage (5%-100%) of methanol since this is a very corrosive substance. If you have to use methanol in your gasoline for whatever reason, Audi states this gasoline must contain no more than 3% methanol and have more than 2% co-solvents. Still, it´s not advised to use methanol in your gasoline.

Gasoline With Added Materials

Some products that act as additives are also available today, mixed with gasoline. These products serve different purposes. Some are deposit cleaners, cleaning agents, detergents, etc. Based on their level of detergency, the outcome of using such additives can vary quite a bit.

However, it’s good to know that Audi strongly advises against using additives in your Q7. This is because these additives can contain materials such as silicon or metallics that will seriously damage the engine and the fuel system.

Therefore, it’s recommended that you buy fuel that already has all the proper additives mixed into it. This kind of fuel can be purchased at certified TOP TIER gasoline retailers. These retailers sell gasoline that will provide the optimal performance for your engine and clean it as well as possible without damaging it. You can find a retailer at toptiergas.com.

Gasoline With MMT

MMT is also added to regular gasoline and used by several car owners. MMT, or Methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl, was sold as a supplement at the time of introduction. Later on, it started selling as an octane enhancer. Another octane enhancer, MTBE, is also available today.

Audi does not say much about the MMT, but they mention MTBE in their owner manuals for Audi Q7. MTBE may be blended with regular gasoline only up to 15% with 85% regular gasoline.

Diesel

As stated, all model years of the Audi Q7 that have a diesel engine use ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel) No. 2. which meets ASTM 0975 standards. This is similar to the diesel option in the A7.

However, there are some precautions you need to take when using diesel fuel during winter.

At temperatures below 20° F (-7° C), diesel fuel No. 2 loses its fluidity due to wax separation, which may clog the fuel filter or tank filter and keep the engine from running.

If not winterized or insufficiently winterized diesel fuel has already thickened to the extent that the engine will not start, warm the vehicle up by leaving it in a heated garage.

Depending on the season, gas stations provide ULSD No. 2 that flows better in cold temperatures so that you can continue operating your vehicle as usual.

Biodiesel

Biodiesels are an excellent option for diesel vehicles in that they are nature-friendly. These are extracted from recycled restaurant grease, soybean oil, animal fat, etc. They tend to be very easy on nature, and many manufacturers suggest using biodiesel. Audi also is in favor of biodiesel usage for their diesel engines.

The only thing they want car owners to pay attention to is that the concentration of biodiesel should not be more than 5%. B11, B20, or B100 are strictly prohibited due to the higher biodiesel concentration.

What If I Hear A Knocking Noise From The Engine After Refilling?

Engine knocking can be caused by using fuels with lower octane grades than recommended. In the case of the Audi Q7, it is associated with fuels at an octane rating lower than 87. This knocking sound is also known as spark knock.

This can easily be fixed by using fuels with higher octane grades. As recommended by Audi in their owner manuals, premium gasoline is something every car owner is encouraged to use. Fuel with octane grades equal to or above 91 is a good fit to fix engine knocking.

However, if you hear loud engine knocking, it´s best to stop the car immediately and call your dealer. Most likely, your car needs to be drained of its fuel, and the fuel filter will need to be replaced.

Finally, it´s good to know that slight engine knocking is a normal occurrence, especially if you´re towing with the car or temporarily using gasoline with an octane rating between 87 – 91 (which is lower than recommended but still safe).

Does The Audi Q7 Have Good Gas Mileage?

As you most likely know, the Audi Q7 is a very large SUV. For this reason, the MPG has never been one of its major selling points. Below, we´ve outlined the different engines used throughout the generations. We´ve also noted the MPGs you can expect with these model years. As you see, even the MPG of the current 3.0L hybrid version doesn´t go above 20, which is typical for SUVs this size.

Engine	Model Year	Combined MPG	City MPG	Highway MPG
3.0L Diesel	2006 – 2009	20	17	24
3.6L	2007 – 2009	16	14	19
4.2L	2007 – 2010	15	13	18
3.0L Diesel	2009 – 2015	20	17	24
3.0L	2010 – 2015	18	16	21
2.0L	2016 – Present	21	19	25
3.0L	2016 – Present	21	19	25
3.0L Hybrid	2016 – Present	20	18	23

What’s The Gas Tank Size Of An Audi Q7?

• Audi Q7, manufactured between 2006 – 2016, have a fuel tank capacity of 26.4 gallons or 100 liters.
• Audi Q7, manufactured from 2017 onwards, have a fuel tank capacity of 22.5 gallons or 85 liters.

Sources

• https://ownersmanuals2.com/audi/q7-2009-owners-manual-71970
• https://ownersmanuals2.com/audi/q7-2014-owners-manual-71955
• https://ownersmanuals2.com/audi/q7-2017-owners-manual-71137
• https://ownersmanuals2.com/audi/q7-2022-owners-manual-83658
• https://audimediacenter-a.akamaihd.net/system/production/car_motorizations/1032/file_en/781429a131882ec69a1543cb1863331d6ba73a7a/eTD_Audi_SQ7_TFSI_7seats_220705.pdf?1657111526
• https://fueleconomy.gov