2011 AUDI Q7 warning

Tires and wheels -________________ fWII
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Run flat t ires may onl y be u sed on vehicles that were equipped
with them at the factory. The vehicle must have a chassi s de signed
for run flat tires. Incorrect use of run flat tires can lead to vehicle
damage or accident s. Check with an authorized Audi dealer or tire
specialist to see if your vehicle can be equipped w ith run flat tires .
If run flat tires are u sed, they mu st be in stalled on all four wheel s.
Mixing t ire types is not permitted.
0 Note
• For techn ical reaso ns, it is not generally poss ible to use the wheel
r ims from o ther vehicles. This c an hold t rue for wheels o f th e s ame
vehicle type.
• If the sp are tire is different from the tires t hat yo u have mo unted
on your vehicle (for examp le w inter t ires or wide profile tires), then
use the spare t ire for a short per io d of t ime on ly and d rive wi th ex tra
care . Replace the flat t ire with the tire matching the others on your
vehicle as soon as possible.
• Never dr ive without the valve stem cap . The valves could get
d amaged .
~ For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old t ires in accordance wit h the loca l req uirements .•
Uniform tire quality grading
• Tr ead we ar
• Tract ion AA A B C
• Temperatu re A B C
Quality g rades can be found where app licab le on the tire side wa ll
be tween tread s hou lde r an d max imum se ct io n w idt h~
page 330,
fig. 245 .
Safety first For example:
Tread wear 200
, Tract ion AA , Temperat ure A.
All passenger car ti res must confo rm to Federa l Safety Requirements
in addition to these grades.
Tread wear
T he tread wear grade is a compa rative rat ing based on the wear rate
o f th e tire when tested under contro lled conditions o n a specifie d
government test cou rse .
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and one half (1 1/2)
ti mes a s we ll on t he governme nt co urse a s a tire graded 10 0 .
The relat ive pe rformance o f tires depe nds upon the actua l conditions
o f their use, however, and m ay depar t sig nificantly from the norm
due to variations in d riving hab its, se rvice practices and differences in
road characte rist ics and cl imate.
Traction
Th e traction grades , from highes t to lowe st, are AA, A, Band C. Those
grades repr esen t the t ire's ability to stop on wet pavemen t as
measu red under con trolled con dit io ns on s pecified government test
surfaces of asphalt and conc rete. A tire marked C may have poor t rac­
tion performance ~& .
Temperature
The tempera ture grades are A (the highest), B, an d C, represen ting
t he t ire's res ista nce to the gene ra tion of heat a nd its ab ility to d issi­
pa te heat when teste d unde r contro lled condi tions on a spec ified
indoor laboratory tes t wheel.
S ustained h igh temperature ca n cause the material of the tire to
degene rate and red uce tire li fe, and excessive tem per at ure c an lead
to sudden tire failure ~& .
Th e grade C cor responds to a leve l of perfo rmance which a ll
passenger car tires mus t meet under the Federal Motor Veh icle
Sa fety Standa rd No. 1 09 . G rades Band A represent higher levels of
performance o n the labo ra tory test w hee l than the minim um
req uired by law . .,_
Vehicle care Technical data

lffll,.___T_ ir_e_ s _ a_ n _ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
in. WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead
braking traction test s, and d oes not include acceleration ,
cornering, hydroplaning or peak tra ction chara cteristics .
in. WARNING
The temperature grade fo r this tire is established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded. Ex cessive speed, underinfla ­
tion, or excessive load ing, either separately or in comb inat ion, can
c ause heat buildup and po ssible tire failure. •
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve v ehicl e handling on snow and
ice . At temper atures below 45 °F (7 °C) we recommend
ch anging to w inter tires.
In some heavy snow areas, loca l governme nts may requ ire true
w inter o r "snow" tires, those with very deep ly c ut trea d. These tires
sho uld only be used in pa irs and be installed on all four whee ls. Make
sure you p urchase snow tires that are the same size and construct ion
type as the ot her t ires on your ve hicle.
Your vehicle is equipped with a ll-wheel drive, th is will improve trac­
tion dur ing wi nter dr iv ing, even w it h the standar d tires. Howeve r, we
strong ly recommend that you always eq uip a ll four wheels on yo ur
veh icle with correctly fitte d winter t ires or all-season ti res, when
w inte r road conditio ns are exp ect ed. This also imp roves th e veh icle's
bra king perfo rmance an d red uces stopping distances.
S um mer tir es p rovide le ss grip on ice and snow .
Winter tires (snow tires) m ust always be fitted on all four wheels.
Ask your aut horized Audi dealer or q ualified workshop for permitted
winter tire sizes . Use only ra dial w inter tires. W
inter tires lose the ir effectiveness when the tread is wor n down to
a dep th o f 0. 157 inch ( 4 mm).
On ly drive w ith w inter t ires under w inter cond it io ns. S umme r tires
han dle better when the re is no snow or ice on the roads and the
tempe ra ture is a bove 45 °F (7 °C).
If you have a flat tire, see notes on spare wheel=>
page 330.
Please always remember that winter tires may have a lower speed
rat ing than the tires originally installed on yo ur veh icle at t he time it
was man ufact ured . Please see=>
page 331, "Speed rating (letter
c ode)" for a list ing of t he speed ra ting le tte r c odes and the maxi mum
speed at which the tires can be driven .
Th e spee d rat ing let ter code (=>
page 3 21) is on the side w all of the
tire=>
page 330.
in. WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits that may be lower than
your vehicle 's maximum speed . Always know the maximum speed
before dr iving off. Never drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specifi c winter tires . This will caus e damage to the tires
lead ing to an accident and serious personal injury to you and your
pa ssengers.
in. WARNING
Driving fa ster than the maximum speed for whi ch the winter tires
on your vehicle were designed can cause t ire failure including a
blowout and sudden deflation , lo ss of control , crash es and seriou s
personal injuries. Have worn or damaged tires replaced immedi­
ately.
• Winter tires have maximum speed rating that may be lower
than your vehicle's maximum speed .
• Never drive faster than the speed for which the winter or other
tires installed on your vehicle are rated.
~

Tires and wheels -________________ fff'II
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and traffic condit ions.
Never let the good a cceleration of the winter tires and all-wheel
drive t empt you into tak ing e xtra ri sks. Always rememb er:
• When braking , an all-wheel drive vehicle handle s in the same
way as a front drive vehicl e.
• Drive carefully and reduce your speed on icy and slippery road s,
even winter tires cannot help under black ice condit ions.
c£> For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather co ndit ions permit. They are qu ieter,
do not wea r as qu ickly and r educe fuel consumpt ion. •
Snow chains
Snow c hains m ay be fi tted on ly to the rear w heels, and only to cer tain
tire sizes . Ask your authorized Audi dea ler on wh ich tire sizes snow
c hains can be used .
Th e snow chains must have low-profile links and m ust not be thicker
than 0.53 inch ( 13 .S mm), including the lock .
Remove wheel ce nter covers and trim discs before put ting snow
chains on your vehicle~
0. For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fi tted over t he wheel bolts . T hese a re av ail able fro m auth o rized
Audi dealers.
& WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehicle or installing them
in correctly can increa se the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
Safety first
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Snow chains are available in different sizes . Always make sure
to follow the instruction s provided by the snow chain manufac­
turer.
• When driving with snow cha ins never drive fa ster than the
speed permitted for your specific snow chains .
• Always observe local regulat ions.
0 Note
• Remove snow chains before driving on roads not covered wit h
snow to avoid damaging t ires and wear ing the snow chains down
unnecessar i Ly .
• Snow chains, whi ch come into direc t contac t wi th the w heel rim,
can scratch o r damage it. Therefore, make s ure that the snow chai ns
are sui tably covered. Chec k the pos ition of the snow chains after
dr iv ing a few yards and correct if necessary . Follow the instruct ions
from the snow chain ma nufact urer when do ing so.
• If the Adaptive Air Suspension* should malfunct io n, do not mount
or use snow chai ns because the ve hicle w ill be extreme ly low. If you
do d rive with snow chains on while the vehicle is at this level, the
snow c hains m ight severe ly damage the whee lhouse and other parts
of t he ve hicle .
[ i ] Tips
Whe re snow c ha in s are mandatory on ce rtain roads, t his norm ally
also app lies to vehicles with All Whee l Dr ive. •
Vehicle care Technical data

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must al ways be tightened to the correct
torque .
The design of wheel bolts is matched to the factory installed rims. If
different r ims a re fitted, the cor rect wheel bolts with the r ig ht leng th
and correctly shaped bolt heads must be used. Th is ensures that
w heels are fitted secure ly and that t he br ake system func tion s
correctly .
In certain circ umstances, you may not use whee l bolts from a
different veh icle -even if it is the same model~
page 370.
&_ WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel bolts can become
loose causing lo ss of control , a c ollision and seriou s personal
injury .
• Always keep the wheel bol ts and the thread s in the wheel hub s
clean so the wheel bolts can turn easily and be properly t ighten ed .
• Never gr ease or oil the wheel bolt s and the threads in the wh eel
hubs. They can become loose while driving if greased or oiled, even
if tightened to the specified torque.
• Only use wheel bolts that belong to the rim being installed.
• Never use different wheels bolts on your vehicle .
• Alway s maintain the correct tightening torque for the wheel
bolt s to reduce the risk of a whee l los s. If the tightening torque of
the wheel bolts is too low , they can loosen and come out when the
vehicle is moving . If the tightening torque i s too h igh, the wheel
bolts and threads can be damaged and the wheel can become
loose .
0 Note
The spe cifie d torq ue for the whee l bolts is 120 ft lb (160 Nm) wi th a
tolerance of ± 7,4 ft lb( ± 10 Nm). Torque whee l bolts diagona lly. After changing a wheel, the torq
ue m ust be checked as soo n as
possible wi th a t orqu e w rench -prefer ably by an auth o riz ed Audi
dealer or qualified workshop. •
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect ratio tires. These tires
h ave bee n thorou ghly teste d and been se lec ted spe cifically fo r yo ur
model for their superb performance, road feel and hand ling u nder a
var iety of dr iving con ditions . Ask your authorized A udi dea le r for
more deta ils.
The low aspect ratio of these t ires is ind icated by a n umera l of
55 or
le ss
in t he tire 's s ize designation . T he numera l rep resents the ratio o f
the tire's sidewall he ight in relat ion to its tread width exp ressed in
pe rcen tage . Co nven tional ti res have a heig ht/w idth r atio o f 60 o r
more.
The performance of low-aspect-ratio tires i s particularly sensitive to
improper inflation pressure. It is therefore important that low
aspect ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure and that the
inflation pre ssure is regularly checked and maintained. Tire pre s­
sures should be checked at least once a month and always before a
long trip~
page 324, "Che cking t ire press ure".
What you can do to avoid tire and rim damage
Low aspe ct ratio tires ca n be damaged more eas ily by imp act wi th
potholes, curbs, gul lies or ridges on the road, part icu lar ly if the tire is
unde rinfl ated.
I n order to minimize the occu rrence of impact damage to the tires of
your vehicle, we recommend that yo u observe the follow ing p recau ­
tions:
• Always ma inta in recommen ded inflation p ressures. Check your
t ire press ure every 2,000 m iles (3,00 0 km) a nd a dd air i f ne cess ary.
• Drive ca ref ully on roads with potho les, dee p gullies or ridges. The
i m pact from d riving t hrough or over such obsta cles can damage you r
tires. Impact w it h a c urb may also cause damage to your tires . .,_

___ T_ i_ r_e _s_ a_ n_ d _ w _h _e_e_ l_ s _______________________________________________ _
Tire pressure indicator appears
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument cluster
informs you if the ti re pressure is too low or if there is a
system malfunction.
Fig. 2 46 Disp la y:
u nd erinfl ation
warni ng
Fi g. 2 47 Dis play:
Syst em m alf un ction
Us ing the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monitoring system compares
t he t ire tread c ircumference and vibrat ion characte rist ics o f the indi ­
vidual tires. If the pressure decreases in one or more tires, this is indi­
cated in the ins trument cl uste r wi th a warning symbol
1 and a
message=> fig. 246 . The dr iver message in the display goes o ut after
5 seconds . T he driver message can be disp layed again by p ressing the
[ CHECK ] button. If only one t ire is affected , the display will ind icate
its position . The tire press
ure monitoring must be reset via MMI each time the
pressu res are adju sted (e.g. when sw itching between partial and full
load pressure) or after chang ing or replacing a t ire on your veh icle
=>
page 339. You can find the recommended tire pressures fo r your
vehicle on the label o n the dr iver's door pillar=>
page 322.
Ti re tread circumference and v ibration characterist ics can change and
c ause a tire p ress ure warning if:
• the tire pressure in one or more tires is too low,
• t he ti re has s tructur al damage,
• the t ire pressure was changed, wheels rotated or rep laced but the
T PM S w as no t rese t=>
page 339.
Warning symbols
' ' Loss of press ure in at least one tir e=> .&. Chec k the t ire or t ires
and rep lace or repair if necessary. The indicator light in the instru-
me nt cluster a lso illumina tes=>
page 14. C heck/co rrect t he p res­
sures of all four ti res and reset TPMS via MMI.
( T ire Pressure Monitor ing System)
Tire pre ssure! System
malfunction .
If appears afte r sw itch ing the ignition o n or while
dr iv ing =>
page 338, fig. 2 47 and the indicator ligh t in the ins tru­
me nt clus ter blinks for approx imately one minu te and then s tays on,
there is a system ma lfunction . See your a uthorized Audi dealer as
soon as poss ible.
& WARNING
• If the tire pressure indicator appear s in the instrument cluster
display, one or more of your tires is significantly under-inflated.
Reduce your speed imm ediately and avoid any hard steering or
brak ing maneuvers . Stop as soon as possible and check the tires
and their pres sures. Inflate the tire pre ssure to the proper pres­
s u re as indicated on the vehicle 's tire pressure label=>
page 322.
Driving on a significantly under-inflated tire cau ses the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure . Under-inflat ion also is l ikely
to impair the vehicle 's handling and stopping ability .
~

________________________________________________ T_i_re _ s_ a _ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ _
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• The driver is responsible for maintaining the correct tire pres­
sure s. You must check the tire pressures regularly.
• Under certain conditions (such as a sport y driving style , winter
cond ition s or unpaved roads) , the pre ssure monitor indicator may
be delayed.
• Ask your authorized Audi dealer if run-flat t ires may be used on
your vehicle. Your vehicle registration becomes invalid if you use
the se tires when not permitted. Damage to your vehicle or acci­
dents could al so result.
[ i ] Tips
• Th e tire pressure monito ring system stops wo rking when there is
an ESP/ABS ma lf u nct ion.
• Using snow cha ins may res ult in a sys tem malfunction.
• The tire press ure mon itor ing system on your Audi was calibrated
u sing t ires wi th the "AO" or "RO" identifi cat ion . W e recommend
using these tires. •
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
If the tire pres sur e is adjuste d, wheels ore ro tated o r
change d, th e TP MS mus t be rese t via MMI .
- Tur n on th e ig nit ion.
- Select : Func tion button [C AR]> Systems* > Tire pressure
monitoring > Store now .
[I) Tips
Before resetti ng the T PMS, the curr ent pr essures of all fo ur tires
must co rrespond to the specif ied values. Adjust the tire pressure and
Safety first
reset the pressure in the t ire p ressure mo nitoring system acco rd in g
t o the loa d you are carry ing ::::>
page 322. •
Vehicle care Technical data

_______________________________________________ W __ h_a _t_ d_o_ I_ d_o_ n_ o_ w_ ? _ __._
Release the two hook-and-loop fasteners, and remove the two
chocks . To use the chocks, you first have to raise the support plate
=>
page 340, fig . 250 (D and then insert the locking plate with the
two "tabs" into the elongated holes in the base plate @=>& .
& WARNING
• The chock cannot fulfil its function and may lose its stability if
the "tabs" on the support plate are not inserted correctly into the
elo ngated holes in the base plate. If this happens, the vehicle may
start to move while a wheel is being changed.
• Never use the folding chocks if they are damaged or if they
have not been assembled correctly.
& WARNING
Improper use of the vehicle jack can cause serious personal inju­
ries.
• Never use the jack supplied with your Audi on another vehicle,
particularly on a heavier one. The jack is only suitable for use on
the vehicle it came with.
• Using a bumper jack to raise the vehicle will damage the
bumper system. The jack may slip, causing injury.
• Never support your vehicle on cinder blocks, bricks or other
objects . These may not be able to support the load and could cause
injury when they fail.
• Never start or run the engine while the vehicle is supported by
the jack.
• If you must work under the vehicle, always use safety stands
specifically designed for this purpose.
• Always make sure the inflatable spare tire and even a flat tire
are secured in place and not loose, otherwise they could fly
forward, causing personal injury to passengers in the vehicle in an
accident or sudden maneuver. •
Vehicle OP-eration
Applies to vehicles : with bass box
Removing bass box
Before the inflatable spare tire can be taken out, the bass
box must be removed.
Fig. 251 Spare wheel
well: Bass box
Removing bass box
-Squeeze the locking tabs=> fig. 251 (D of the connector.
- Disconnect the connector @ and place the lead to one
side.
- Turn the large screw counter-clockwise.
- Carefully remove the bass box.
Installing bass box
-Carefully place the bass box in the wheel. The inscription
"FRONT" on the bass box must face forward.
- Reconnect the connector that was removed.
- Secure the bass box with the large screw. •
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service iTechnical data

lffll.,___W_ h_ a_t _ d_ o_ I_d_ o_ n_o _w_ ? ___________________________________________ _
Inflatable spare tire
The inflatable spare tire expands to its full diameter
when it is infl ated.
Removing inflatable spare tire
Fig. 252 I nfl ata ble
sp are tir e wi th
c ompr essor
- Lift up the cargo floor using the handle.
- Turn the large screw=> fig. 252 counter -clockwise .
- Remove the bass box as required==>
page 341.
Take out the in flatab le spare tire .
Stowing the inflatable spare tire
- Release the air by unscrewing the valve stem .
- Screw the valve stem back in afterwards.
- Wa it a few hou rs before placing the w hee l in the spare
wheel well=>
&-
- Install the bass box as required=> page 341.
- Secure the whee l with the large screw .
- Fold the cargo floor bac k down .
After using the inflatable spare wheel
The inflatable spare t ire can be re -used as long as it is not damaged
and is not worn down to the tread wear indica tors=>
& -
When you let the air out of the inflatab le spare tire, it does not
assume its folded shape again for severa l hours. Until then, it cannot
be placed back in t he spare wheel well and stowed secure ly.
& WARNING
• Never use the spare tire if it is d amaged or if it is worn down to
the tread wear indicators.
• If the infl atable spare tire is more than 6 years old , use it only
in an emergency and with extreme caution and careful driving.
• The inflatable spa re tire is intended only for temporary and
short-term use. It should be replaced a s soon as possible with the
n o rmal wheel and tire .
• The tire pressure value for the inflatable spare t ire is located on
the dri ver' s s ide B-pillar
=> page 322, fig. 242.
• Ma ximum permiss ible speed is SO mph (80 km /h ).
• Avo id full-throttle a cceleration, heavy braking, and fast
corne ring .
• When the air is let out of the inflatable spare wheel, it d oes not
assume its folded shape for se veral hours . Until then , it cannot be
pla ced back in the spare wheel w ell and stowed securel y.
• Never drive with more than one inflatable spare tire.
• For technical re asons , the use of tir e chains on the inflatabl e
spare tire i s not permitted. If it i s necessary to dri ve with tire
c ha in s, the inflatabl e spare whe el must be mounted on the front
axle in the event of a flat in a rea r tire. The newly a vailable front
whee l mu st then be installed in place of the re ar wheel with the
flat tire. Ins talling the tire chain before mounting the wheel and
tir e is recomm ended.
• Loo se items in the passenger compartment can cause serious
per sonal injury during hard braking or in an accident . .,,.