2012 AUDI A7 wheel bolts

24 4 T ire s and wheel s
T up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
U up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/ h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
1l
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)ll
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)ll
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)l)
Your veh icle is norma lly fac to ry equipped with
tires , which possess excellent driving charac­
teristics and give yo ur Audi opt imum driving
comfort . An e lectronic speed limit er
c:> page 28 wi ll normally prevent your vehicle
from go ing faster th an the tire speed rating
c:> & .
U.S . DOT Tir e Identification Numb er (TIN )
a nd tire manufacture d ate
This is the t ire's "serial number". It begins
with the letters "DOT" and indicates that the
tire meets all federal standards . The next two
numbers or letters indicate the p lant whe re it
was manufactured, and the last four numbers r epresent the week and year of manufacture.
F or example, the numbers 2211 mean the ti re
was p roduced in the 22nd week of 2011. The
other numbers are marketing codes that may
or may not be used by the ti re manufacturer .
T his informat ion is used to contact consumers
if a tire defect requires a recall.
Aud i Original tire
Tires wi th the ident ification "AO" or "RO" have
been specially matched with your Audi . We
recommend using only these tires because
they meet the highest standards regard ing
safety and driving character istics when used
correctly . Your authorized Audi dealer will
gladly prov ide you with more information .
Tire ply composition and materials u sed
The number of p lies ind icates the number of
layers of rubber-coated fabric in the t ire. In
general, the greater the number of plies, the mo re weight a tire can support . Tire manufac -
ll F t· "t h . or ires w 1 a m ax im um s pee d ca pabil ity ove r
1 4 9 mp h (240 k m/h) , tir e man ufactur ers somet imes
use the letters " ZR."
turers also must indicate the materials in the
tire, which include stee l, nylon, po lyester, and
others .
Maximum Load Rating
Th is number ind icates the maximum load in
k ilograms and po unds that can be carr ied by
the tire .
Tire quality grading for treadwear,
traction , and temperature resistance
Tre ad wear, traction and tempera ture grades
c:> page 245 .
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
This number is the greatest amount of a ir
pressure tha t should ever be put in the tire
u nder norm al driv ing cond it ions .
_& WARNING
= -
-Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/
or wheels or improper tire and wheel
combinations can lead to loss of control
coll is ion and serio us personal in jury.
'
- Always use ti res, rims and whee l bolts
that meet the specifications of original factory-insta lled tires or other comb ina­
tions that have been specifically ap­ proved by the vehicle manufacturer.
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fai l sudden ly, especially at hig h
speeds . Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith specia l care and at lower
speeds.
- Ne ver mo unt used tir es on your veh icle if
you are not sure of the ir "p revio us histo­
ry." O ld used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire fa ilure
and loss of vehicle control.
- All fo ur whee ls must be fitted with radial
tires of the same type, size (rolling cir­ cumference) an d the same tread pattern . ..,_

The speed rating letter code (c::> page 233) is
on the side wall of the tire
c::> page 242 .
A WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower than your vehicle's max­
imum speed . Always know the maximum
speed before driving off. Never drive faster
than the speed permitted for your specific
winter tires . This will cause damage to the
tires leading to an accident and serious
personal injury to you and your passen­
gers.
A WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your vehicle
were designed can cause tire failure in­ cluding a blowout and sudden deflation,
loss of control, crashes and serious per­
sonal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately.
- 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 .
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and
traffic conditions. Never let the good ac­
celeration of the winter tires and all-wheel
drive tempt you into taking extra risks . Al­
ways remember :
- When braking, an all-wheel drive vehicle
handles in the same way as a front drive
vehicle.
- Drive carefully and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
cannot help under black ice conditions.
@l For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather condi­
tions permit. They are quieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumption.
-
Tires and wheels
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted only to the front
wheels , and only to certain tire sizes. Ask your
authorized Audi dealer on which tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
If you are going to use snow chains, then you
must install them on the front wheels at
least.
The snow chains must have low-profile links
and must not be thicker than 0.4 inch
(10,S mm) , including the lock.
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs
before putting snow chains on your vehicle
c::> (]) . For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bolts. These are avail­
able from authorized Audi dealers.
A WARNING ,..__
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi­
cle or installing them incorrectly can in­
crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different
sizes . Always make sure to follow the in­
structions provided by the snow chain manufacturer .
- When driving with snow chains never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains .
- Always observe local regulations.
(D Note
- Remove snow chains before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into direct con­
tact with the wheel rim, can scratch or
damage it. Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered . Check
the position of the snow chains after
driving a few yards and correct if neces­
sary. Follow the instructions from the
snow chain manufacturer when doing so. ..,.
247
•
•

248 Tire s and whee ls
Where snow chains are mandatory oncer­
tain roads, this normally also applies to ve­
hicles with a ll-wheel drive.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque .
The design of whee l bolts is matched to the
factory insta lled rims . If different rims are fit­
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the r ight
length and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used. This ensures that wheels are fitted
securely and that the brake system functions
correctly .
In certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a different vehicle -even if it
is the same model
r=> page 275.
A WARNING
Improperly tightened or maintained wheel
bolts can become loose caus ing loss of
cont ro l, a co llision and serious persona l in­
Jury .
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hubs clean so the
wheel bolts can turn easily and be prop­
er ly t ightened .
- Never grease or oil the wheel bo lts and
the threads in the wheel hubs. They can
become loose while d riving 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 whee ls bolts on your
vehicle.
- Always maintain the co rrect tighten ing
torq ue fo r the wheel bo lts to reduce the
risk of a wheel loss . If the tightening tor­
que of the wheel bo lts is too low, they
can loosen and come out w hen the veh i­
cle is moving. If the tighteni ng torque is
too high, the whee l bolts and threads can be damaged and the whee
l can be­
come loose.
@ Note
The specified torque for the whee l bolts is
90 ft lb (120 Nm) with a tolerance of± 7,4
ft lb(± 10 Nm) . Torque whee l bolts diago­
nally. After changing a whee l, the torque
must be checked as soon as possible with a
torque wrench -preferably by an author­
i zed Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-eq uipped w it h low aspect
ratio tires. These tires have been tho roughly
tested and been se lected specifically fo r your
model for their superb perfo rmance, road fee l
and handling under a variety of driving condi ­
t ions . Ask your author ized A udi dealer for
more details.
T he low aspect ratio of these tires is ind icated
by a numera l of
55 or less in the tire's s ize
designation. The numera l represents the ratio
of the tire's sidewa ll height in relation to its
tread width expressed in percentage. Conven­
t iona l tires have a he ight/w idth ratio of 60 or
more .
The performance of low-aspect -ratio tires is
particularly sens iti ve to imp roper inflation
pre ssure. It is therefore important that low
a spect ratio tires ar e inflat ed to the specified
pre ssure and that the inflation pressure i s
r e gularly ch ecked and maintain ed. Tire pre s·
sure s should be checked at lea st once a
m onth and alw ays bef ore a long trip
r=> page 237, Checking tire pressure .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be d amaged more
easily by impact with potholes, curbs, gull ies
or ridges on t he road, particularly if the tire is
u nd eri nflated.

252 What do I do n ow ?
What do I do now?
Emergency warning
triangle
App lies to vehicles: with emerge ncy warning triangle
The warning triangle is located on the inside
of the trunk lid .
-
"' M ~ 0 6
~ ~
Fig. 183 Trunk lid: Warning triang le
.,. To open the cover, turn the locking mecha ­
nism and pull the cover downward .
" m
.,. Remove the warning triangle from its hold­
er.
The rear lid is only designed to hold the warn ­
ing triangle offered by the original accessories
program. If you would like to retrofit your ve­
hicle with a warning triangle, p lease contact
your authorized Audi dealer.
Vehicle tool kit
Vehicle tool kit and jack
The vehicle tool kit is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor cover.
Fig . 184 Luggage compartment: cargo floor cover
folded upward/spa re t ire
Fig. 185 Trunk lid: Veh icle tool kit
.,. Fold the floor to the seatback with the help
of the handle .
.,. Tu rn the handwheel counter-clockwise
~ fig. 184 and remove the spare t ire to
reach the vehicle tool kit.
The onboard tool k it includes:
- Hooks to remove the wheel covers*
- Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt covers*
- Wheel bolt wrench
-Alignment pin for changing wheels
- Screwdriver with reversib le b lade
- Towing loop
-Jack
Before storing the jack, make sure it is wound
back down as far as it will go.
A WARNING
Improper use of the vehicle jack can cause
serious pe rsonal injuries.
- Never use the screw driver hex head to
tighten wheel bolts, since the bolts can­
not attain the necessary tighten ing tor­
que if you use the hex head, potentially
causing an acc ident.
- The factory-supplied jack is intended on­
ly for your vehicle model. Under no c ir­
cumstances sho uld it be used to
lift
heavy veh icles or other loads; you risk in­
juring yo urself.
- Never start the engine when the vehicle
is raised, which could cause an accident.
- Support the vehicle securely with appro­ priate stands if work is to be performed
underneath the vehicle; otherwise, there
is a potentia l risk for injury. .,.

254 What do I do now?
-Never st ore the inflatable spare tire or
jack and tools in the passenger com­
partm ent.
- Always s tore a ll jacking equipment,
too ls, and the inflatable spare tire in
the luggage compartment.
- Tighten the knurled retaining screw for
the inflatable spare tire securely.
Changing a wheel
Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your
own and your passenger's safety when chang­
ing a wheel .
" After you experience a tire fa ilure, pull t he
ca r well away from moving traffic and try to
r each
level gro und before you stop c::> ,&. .
" All passengers sho uld leave the car and
move to a safe loca tion (fo r inst ance, behind
the g uardrail)
c::> ,&. .
" Engage the parking brake to prevent your
vehicle from ro lling unintentionally
c::> ,&. .
" Move selecto r lever to pos ition Pc::> ,&. .
" If you are tow ing a trailer, unh itch the tra il­
er from your veh icle .
" Take the
jack and the spare tire out of the
l uggage compartment
c::> page 252 ,
c::> page 253.
.&_ WARNING
You or your p assengers cou ld be injured
while changing a whee l if you do not fol ­
low t hese safety preca utions:
- If you have a fl at t ire, move a safe dis­
tance off the road . Tur n off the engine,
t ur n the emergency flas hers o n and use
other warning dev ices to alert other mo­
torists .
- Make su re that passengers wait in a safe
place away from the vehicle and well
away from the road and traff ic.
- To help p revent the veh icle from mov ing
sudden ly and possibly slipping off the
jack, always fully set the parking brake and block th e whee l diago na lly opposite
-
the wheel be ing changed . When one
front wheel is lifted off the ground, plac­ ing the Automatic Transmission in "P"
(Park) will
not prevent the vehicle from
mov ing .
- Before you change a wheel, be sure t he
ground is level and firm. If necessary, use a sturdy board under the jack .
- After insta lling the spare wheel, make
sure tha t you replace the fla t tire/wheel
i n its storage area prope rly and tighten
the knurled retain ing screw secu rely.
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel , follow these ­
quence described below step-by-step and in
exactly that order.
1. Remove the decorative wheel cover* . For
more details see also
c::> page 255, Deco­
rative wheel covers
or c::> page 255,
Wheels with wheel bolt caps.
2 . Loosen the wheel bolt s c::>page 255.
3. Loc ate the p roper moun ting poin t for th e
jac k an d align the jack be low that poin t
c::>page 256 .
4. Raise the car with the jack c::> page 256.
5. Remove the wheel with the flat tire and
then insta ll
the spare c::> page 257.
6. Tig hte n all whee l bolts lightly .
7.
Lower the vehicle wi th the jack .
8 . Use the wheel bolt w rench and
firmly
t ig ht en al l w heel bo lts c::> page 25 5.
9. Re place the decora tive wheel cover* .
A WARNING
Always read and fo llow all WA RNINGS and
i nformat io n
c::> & in Raising the vehicle on
page 257
and c::> page 258 .
After changing a wheel
A wheel change is not complete withou t the
doing the following .
" Replace the too ls and the jac k in their prop-
er lo cat io n. .,.

.. The fault wheel will not fit ins ide the spa re
whee l wel l. Store it in the luggage compart­
ment and secure it so that it does not slide
r=> page 59 .
.. Check the tire pres sure on the spare wheel
immediately after mounting it .
.. As soon as possible, have the
tightening
t o rqu es
on a ll wheel bolts checked with a
torque wrench . The correct tightening tor­
que is 90 ft lb ( 120 Nm) .
.. Have the flat tire
re pl ac ed as soon as possi­
ble.
(D Tips
- If you notice that the whee l bolts are
corroded and difficult to t urn w hile
changing a tire, they should be replaced
before you check the tightening torque .
- Drive at reduced speed until you have the
tightening torques checked .
- After changing a wheel, the tire pressure
in a ll four tires must be checked/cor rect­
ed and the tire pressure monitoring indi­
cator must be stored in the MMI
r=> page 251.
Decorative wheel covers
App lies to vehicles: with deco rat ive wheel cove rs
T h e decorativ e whe el covers must b e re moved
firs t to access the wheel bol ts.
Fi g. 186 Ch ang ing a w hee l: Remov ing the wheel cove r
Removing
.. Insert the hook (provided with the vehicle
tool kit) in the hole in the wheel hub cover .
.. Pu ll off the
dec orativ e whe el c over
r=> fig . 186.
What do I d o now ? 255
Wheels with wheel bolt caps
Applies to vehicles: wit h wheel bo lts with caps
T he cops must be removed first from the
wheel bolts before the bolts con be un­
screwed .
Fig . 1 87 Changin g a whee l: r emovi ng th e wheel bolt
c ap s
Removing
.. Push the pla stic clip (provided with the ve­
hicle tool kit) over the wheel bolt cap unt il
the inner reta iners on the clip align with the
edge of the cove r.
.. Remove the cap w it h the
pl as tic clip (veh i­
cle too l kit)
r::!:> fig . 187.
Refitting
.. Place the caps over the wheel bolts and
push them back on.
The caps are to protect and keep the wheel bolts clean.
Loosening and tightening the wheel
bolts
The wheel bolts must be loosened before rais­
ing the vehicle .
Fig. 188 Changing a whee l: loosening t he w hee l bo lts ..

256 What do I do now ?
Loo sening
.,. Slide the wheel wr ench onto the wheel bolt
as far as it will go .
.,. Take tight hold of the
end of the wrench
hand le and turn the wheel bolts
co unter ­
clock wise
about one single turn in the direc ­
t ion of arrow
c:;, fig. 188.
Tighten ing
.,. Slide the wheel wrench onto the whee l bolt
as far as it will go .
.,. Take tight hold of the
end of the wrench
hand le and turn each wheel bolt
clock wise
until it is seated.
_& WARNING
- Do not use force or hurry when changi ng
a whee l - you can cause the vehicle to slip
off the jack and cause ser ious persona l
injuries.
- Do not loosen the wheel bolts more than
one turn
before you raise the veh icle with
the jack. -You r isk an injury.
@ Tips
- Never use the hexagonal socket in the
handle of the screwdrive r to loosen or
tighten the wheel bo lts.
- If a wheel bolt is very tight, you may find
i t easier to loosen by ca refully p ush ing
down on the end of the wheel bolt
wrench w ith
one foot only. As yo u do so,
ho ld on to the car to keep your ba lance
and take care not to slip .
Raising the vehicle
The vehicle must be lifted with the jock first
before the wheel can be removed .
Fig . 1 89 C hang ing a whee l: moun ting po in ts for th e
j ack
Fi g. 1 90 Close -up: prope r posit io ni ng o f jack
.,. Engage the p ar king brak e to prevent your
veh icle from rolling unintentionally .
.,. Move the
select or lever to p osition P .
.,. Posit ion the jack below the door s ill under
the
mounting point that is closest to the
wheel to be changed
c:;, fig . 189.
.,. Extend the ja ck u nder the lifting point on
t he door s ill until its arm is pos it ioned di ­
rectly under the lifting point
c:;, &_ .
.,. Align the jack so that its arm @ c:;, fig. 190
engages in the designated lifting point in
the door s ill and the movable base @ lies
flat on the ground . The base @ must be
ver­
tical
under the lifting point @ .
.,. Wind the jack up further until the flat t ire
comes off the ground
c:;, ,& .
The jack must be installed only at the places
indicated
c:;, fig . 189 . There is exactly one loca ­
t ion for each wheel. The jack must not be
positioned at any other location
c:;, ,&. .
An
unstab le surface under the jack can cause
the vehicle to slip off the jack . Always provide
II>-

a firm base for the jack on the ground. If nec­
essary place a sturdy board or similar support
under the jack. On
hard, slippery surfaces
(such as tiles) use a rubber mat or sim ilar to
prevent the jack from slipping¢ .&.
A WARNING
-You or your passengers could be injured
wh ile chang ing a wheel if you do not fol­
low these safety precautions:
- Positioning the jack under the vehicle
at any other place than those indicated
above may damage the vehicle or may
result in personal injuries.
-A soft or unstab le surface under the
jack may cause the vehicle to slip off the jack. Always provide a firm base for
the jack on the ground. If necessary, use a sturdy board under the jack.
- On hard, slippery surface (such as tiles)
use a rubber mat or similar to prevent
the jack from slipping.
- To help prevent injury to yourself and
your passengers:
- Do not raise the vehicle until you are
sure the jack is securely engaged.
- Pa ssenge rs must not remain in the
ve­
hicle when it is jacked up.
- Make sure that passengers wait in a
safe place away from the vehicle and
well away from the road and traffic.
- Make sure jack position is correct , ad­
just as necessary and then continue to
raise the jack .
- Changes in temperature or load can af­
fect the height of the vehicle .
What do I do now? 257
Taking the wheel off /installing the spare
Follow these instructions step-by-step for
changing the wheel.
F ig . 191 Changing a wheel: u sin g the screwd river han­
dle (with the blade removed) to turn the bolts
Fig. 192 Changing a whee l: alignment pin inside the
top ho le
After you have loosened all wheel bolts and
raised the vehicle off the ground, remove and
replace the wheel as follows:
Removing the wheel
.., Use the hexagonal socket in the screwdriv­
er handle
to completely remove the top·
most wheel bolt and set it aside on a
clean
surface ¢fig. 191.
.., Screw the threaded end of the alignment
pin
from the tool kit hand-t ight into the
empty bolt hole
¢fig. 192 .
.., Then remove the other wheel bolts as de­
scribed above .
.., Take off the wheel leaving the alignment
pin in the bolt hole ¢(D.
Putting on the spare wheel
.., Lift the spare wheel and carefully slide it
over the alignment pin to guide it in place
¢(D.