2012 AUDI A7 Owners Manual

Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle .
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle . Tires are,
however, one of the most important parts of a
vehicle, particularly considering the compara­
tively small patch of rubber on each tire that
assures that a ll- important contact between
you, your vehicle and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, mak ing
sure that your vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry more weight than they can safely han­
d le, avoiding damage from road hazards and
r eg ularly inspect ing t ires for damage i nclud­
ing cuts, slashes irregu la r wear and ove rall
condition are the most important things that
you can do to he lp avoid sudden tire failure in­
cluding tread separat ion and blowouts.
A vo idin g damage
If you have to drive over a curb or similar ob­
stacle, drive very slow ly and as close as possi ­
b le at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chemicals includ ing grease, o il ,
gasoline and brake fluid off the t ires .
I nspect the t ires regularly for damage (cuts,
cracks or b listers, etc.). Remove any fo reign
bod ies embedded in the treads.
Storing tires Mark tires when you remove them to indicate
the direction of rotation . Th is ensures you to
be ab le to mount them correctly when you re­
i nstall them .
When removed, the wheels or t ires should be
sto red in a cool, dry and preferably dark place .
Store tires in a vertical pos ition if they are not
mounted on rims, in a horizontal pos it ion if
they are mounted on rims .
Tires an d wheel s 231
New tires
New ti res have to be broken in¢& .
The tread depth of new t ires may vary, accord­
ing to the type a nd make of t ire and the tread
patte rn.
H idden damage
Damage to tires and r ims is often not readily
visible . If you notice unusual v ib rat ion or the
vehicle pulls to one s ide, th is may ind icate
that one of the t ires has been damaged . T he
ti res m ust be chec ked immed iate ly by an au­
thorized Audi dea le r or q ua lified wor kshop .
Unidirectional tires
A un idirectional tire can be identified by ar­
rows on the sidewa ll, that po int in the direc­
tion the t ire is designed to rotate. You must
f ol low the specified di rection of rotation . T his
is necessary so that these tires can develop
their optimum characteristics regarding grip, road noise, wear and hydrop laning resistance.
For more information ¢
page 258.
A WARNING
New tires or t ires that are o ld, worn or
damaged cannot provide maximum con­
trol and braking ability .
-
-New tires tend to be slippery and must
be broken in. To reduce the r isk of losing
control, a co llision and ser ious personal
in ju ries, d rive with special ca re for the
fi rst 350 m iles (560 km).
- Driving with worn or damaged tires can
lead to loss of control, sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
fl ation, cras hes and se riou s personal in­
juries . Have worn or damaged t ires re­
placed immediate ly.
- 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 special care and at low
speed.
•
•

232 Tire s and wheel s
-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the comb ined we ight (in excess of
those standard items which may be rep laced)
of automa tic tra nsmission, power steer ing,
power br akes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that these
items are availab le as factory -installed equip ­
ment (whether installed or not) .
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the height to the w idt h of
the tire in percent. Numbers of 55 or lower in ­
dicate a low sidewall fo r improved steer ing re ­
sponse and better overall handling on dry
pavement.
Bead
means t he pa rt of the tire that is made of
steel wires, wrapped o r reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the r im.
Bead s eparation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the
tire.
Cold tire inflatio n pre ssure
means the tire pressure recommended by the
ve hicle manufacturer for a tire of a designated
size that has not been dr iven for more than a
couple of miles (kilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire pressure i s measu red or adjusted. -
If you notice unusual vibration or if the
veh icle pulls to one side when driv ing, a l­
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check the wheels and tires for dam­
age.
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor ve hicle w ith
standard equipment including t he maximum
capa city of fuel, o il, and coola nt, a ir cond i­
tion ing and additional weig ht o f option al
equipment .
Extra load tire
means a tire design to operate at h igher loads
and at h igher inflation pressures than the cor­
respondi ng standa rd tire. Extra load tires may
be identified as "X L", "xl", "EXTRA LOA D", o r
"R F" on the sidewall .
Gross Axle Weight Rating ( "GAWR ")
means the load-carrying capacity of a s ingle
axle system, measured at the tire-ground in­
te rfaces .
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ( "GVWR ")
means the maximum total loaded we ight of
t h e ve hicle.
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ribs .
Load rat ing (code )
means the maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry for a given inflation press ure. Yo u
may not find this information on all tires be­
ca use it is not required by law.
Maximum load rating
me ans the lo ad r ating for a tire a t the m axi­
mum pe rm issib le inflation pressure for that
t ir e.

Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressure
to which a tire may be inflated. Also called
"maximum inflation pressu re."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs . (68 k ilograms) times the
number of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the total seating capacity of your vehicle .
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle .
Outer diameter means the overall diameter of an inflated new
tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteri­
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ­
ing e levations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated para llel cords.
Production options weight
means the comb ined weight of those installed
regular production options weighing over 5
lbs . (2 .3 kg) in excess of those standard items
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes, r ide leve lers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and specia l trim .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic t ire in which the p ly cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan­
tially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread.
Tires and wheels 233
Recommended inflation pressure
see~
page 232, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire design to operate at higher loads
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standard tire. Reinforced tires
may be identified as "XL" , "x l", " EXTRA LOAD",
o r "R F" on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a t ire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads are
seated.
Rim diameter
means nom inal d iameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you w ill have to
purchase new tires to match the new r im di­
ameter.
Rim size designation
means r im diameter and width.
Rim width
means nom inal distance between rim fla nges.
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
tread and bead.
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at which a tire is designed to
be driven for extended periods of time. The
ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h) to
186 mph (298 km/h)
~ page 243 . You may
not find this information on all tires because
it is not requ ired by law.
The speed rating letter code, where applica­
ble, is molded on the tire sidewall and indi­
cates the max imum pe rm issib le road speeds
~ .&. in Winter tires on page 247 .
Tire pressure monitoring system*
means a system that detects when one or
more of a veh icle's tires are underinflated and
illuminates a low tire pressure warning tell­
tale.
•
•

234 Tires and wheels
Tread
means that portion of a tire that comes into
contact with the road.
Tread separation
means pull ing away of the tread from the tire
carcass .
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the principal
grooves designed to give a visual ind ication of
the degrees of wear of the tread . See
~ page 241, Tread Wear Indicator (TWI) for
more informat ion on measuring tire wear.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire information system developed by the
United States Nat ional Highway Traffic Safety
Administration (NH TSA) that is designed to
help buyers make relative comparisons among
tires. The UTQG is not a safety rating and not a
guarantee that a tir e will last fo r a prescribed
number of miles (kilometers) or perform in a
certain way. It simply gives tire buyers addi ­
tional information to combine with other con­
siderat ions, such as price, brand loyalty and
dealer recommendations. Under UTQG, tires
are graded by the tire manufacturers in three
areas: treadwear, tract ion, and temperature
res istance. The UTQG information on the tires,
mo lded into the sidewalls.
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN)
This is the tire's "serial number". It begins
with the letters "DOT" and indicates that the ti
re meets a ll federal standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it
was manufactured, and the last four numbers
represent the week and year of manufacture.
For example,
DOT . .. 2211 ...
means that the tire was produced in the 22nd
week of 2011. The other numbers are market­
ing codes that may or may not be used by the
tire manufacturer . This information is used to
contact consumers if a tire defect requires a
recall.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and luggage load plus
150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the vehicle's to­
ta l seating capacity as listed on the label lo­
cated on the driver's side B-pillar.
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
means that load on an individua l tire that is
determined by distributing to each axle its
share of the maximum loaded vehicle weight
and dividing by two.
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that load on an individua l tire that is
determined by distributing to eac h axle its
share of the curb weight , accessory weight,
and normal occupant weight (distributed in
accordance with tab le below ~
page 234)
and dividing by two.
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for various designated seating
capacities
Designated seating capacity,
number of occupants
4
Vehicle normal load, number Occupant distribution in a nor-
of occupants _____ malty loaded vehicle
2 2 in front

Tires and wheels 235
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle .
Fig . 17 6 Tir e pr essur e labe l: located on drive r's s ide B ·
p ill ar
Tire pressu re genera lly refers to the amount
of air in a t ire tha t it needs it to do its job and
safely carry the combined load of the entire
vehicle and its contents . Tire pressure is
measured in kilopasca ls (kPa), the i nterna­
tional measuring unit and in pounds pe r
square inc h (PSI). Tire pressure is based in
p ar t o n the vehicle's desig n an d load limit­
the greatest amount of weight that the vehi­
cle can carry safe ly and the ti re size . The prop ­
er tire pressure is freq uent ly referred to as the
"recommended cold tire inf lation pressure ."
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
because of interna l frict io n when it flexes in
use . The ti re p ressu re is higher when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "cold ." It is the
i nflat io n pressure i n a "cold" tire that counts.
Therefo re, you s ho ul d never let air ou t of a
warm tire to matc h "cold tire infla tion p res­
sure" recommendations . The tires wo uld then
be underinf lated a nd could fail suddenly.
M ain taining proper t ire press ure is one of the
most impor tan t thi ngs you c an do to he lp
avoid sudden tire failure. Underinfla ted tires
are a major cause of s udden tire failure . Keep­
ing tires at the r ight pressure is also impor­
tant for safe and responsive vehicle handling,
traction, b rak ing and load carrying .
Tire pres­
sures are part icularly important wh en th e
vehicle is being driven at higher speeds , and
then especially when h eavily loaded even
within the permi ssible load -carrying capaci­
tie s approved for your vehi cle.
~
"' ~
,.------------------- ~
•(=~: I := I ~ I )§ :ll
,.,,. ........................ ...., .... ~----.... _ ... t.._.. .... _..,.. .... ......,... .. ~--......... ·- ..
- KPA. . PSI
- KPA. . PSI
- KPA. . PSI
Fig. 17 7 Tir e pressu re labe l
The recommended tire pressures for your Audi
depe nd on the kind of tires on your ve hicle
and t he number of passe ngers and/or amount
of luggage you w ill be t ransporting .
The tire pressure label is located on the driv­
er's side 8-pillar . The tire pressure labe l lists
the recommended cold t ire inflat io n pressures
for the veh icle at its maximum capac ity
weight and tires that we re o n your veh icle at
t h e time it was manufactu red.
If you wish to improve comfort when op erat­
ing the ve hicle at normal load (up to 3 occu­
pant s), you can adju st tire pres sures to those
spe cified for normal vehi cle load . Before op­
erating the vehicle at maximum load, you
must increase the tire pressure s to those
speci fied for maximum vehicle load
¢ .&.
Bear in mind that the tire pressure mon itor ing
system* can on ly mon itor the tire p ress ures
yo u have sto red. The sys tem does not recog ­
nize the load condi tion of your veh icle.
T he effectiveness of the t ire p ress ure monitor­
ing system * w ill be impa ired i f you s to re no r­
m al load pressures but t hen opera te the veh i­
cle a t its maximum load
¢ .& .
See the ill ustration 9 fig. 176 fo r the lo cat ion
of the label o n driver's s ide B-pillar (color of
the actu al label a nd exact lo cat ion on the ve­
hicle will vary s light ly).
Note t hat the follow ing table is accu rate at
the time of going to press and is s ubject to

236 Tires and wheels
change. In the event of discrepancies, the tire
pressure labe l is located on the driver's side B­
p ill ar a lways takes precedence.
The table below lis ts the recommended cold
tire inflation pressures for the Audi model covered
by your Owner's Literature at the vehi ­
cle's capacity weight and the tire sizes instal­
l ed on the respective models as orig inal
equipment, or as a factory option.
I Engine Tire designation
Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear I
(displace-
normal load full load normal load full load
ment in
li-condition condition condition condition
I
ter) PSI II kPA PSI JI kPA PSI II kPA PSI II kPA :
6-cylinder 235/55
Rl 7 99Y
3.0 High Performance 32
220
35 240 29 200
38 260
255/45 Rl8 99H '
32 220 35
240
29 200 38 260 All Season I
255/45 Rl8 99Y
32 220 35 240 29 200 38 260
High Performance
255/40 Rl9100H XL
35 240
38 260
30 2 10 41
280 All Season
255/40
Rl9100YXL
36 250 38 260 32 220 41 280
High Performance
265/35 R20 99Y XL '
36 250 38 260 32 220 41 280
High Performance .. • .. .. .. .. ..
XL= reinforced or extra load tire. It may also appear as xl, EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire side­
wall.
The correct tire pressure for the spore wheel is
loc ated on a label on the driver's side B-pillar.
Because technical changes may be made to
vehicle equ ipment dur ing the model year, a l­
ways compare the tire size designation on the
tire pressure labe l on your vehicle w ith the
tires on your vehicle . Make sure that the tire
size information on the vehicle label is the
same as the size of the ti res on the vehicle.
This is especially important if the vehicle be­
longs to someone else or you bought the vehi­
cle with different rims/tires or you bought the
vehicle as a previously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on making sure that load limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
vehicle . These load limits are technically refer­
red to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle We ight
Rating ("GVWR"). The Gross Ax le Weight Rat­
ing ("GAWR") is the maximum load that can be applied at each
of the vehicle's two ax les .
T he Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ing and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance sticke r label located on the
driver's side B-pillar. The tire pressure labe l on
your Audi lists the maximum combined
weight of all of the occupants and luggage or
other cargo that the vehicle can carry . For the
location of the tire pressure label
¢fig. 176 .
A WARNING
-Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve-
hicle control, a crash or other accident, se­
r ious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more weight than your veh icle
was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of a loss of vehicle con­
trol.

-The brakes o n a vehicle t hat has been
overloaded may not be a ble to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly causing loss of con­
trol and a crash.
- Always make sure that the tota l load be­
ing transported -including the we ight of
a tra ile r hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer - does not make the veh i­
cle heav ier than the veh icle's Gross Vehi­
cl e Weight Rating.
A WARNING
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
fla tion can lead to a serious o r fatal acci­
dent.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
fla tion cause increased tire wea r and can
affect the handling of the vehicle .
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can also lea d to sud den tire fa il­
ure, incl uding a blowo ut and sudden de ­
flation, causing loss of vehicle control.
Checking tire pressure
.
The correct tire pressure for the tires original­
ly installed on your vehicle is listed on the tire
pressure Lobel located on driver's side 8-pil­ lor.
The re commended t ire press ures a re o n the
tire pressure label and in the tab le
c=> page 235, Cold tire inflation pressure. This
means that the pressure must be checked and
adj usted when the tire has not been driven for
more than a couple of m iles (kilometers) at
low speeds during the previous three hours .
A ir i n the tires expands when the tire heats up
as a result of inte rnal fr iction as it flexes in
use. The t ire p ress ure is higher w hen the tire
h as wa rmed up th an when it is "cold."
It is the inflat io n pressu re in a "cold" tire that
counts. Therefore, you shou ld never let air out
of a warm t ire to ma tch "Cold tire in flation
p ressu re" recommend ations
c::> page 235. T he
Tire s an d wheel s 237
tires wo uld then be unde rinflated and co uld
fail suddenly.
T he tire pressure label on your Aud i lis ts the
re commended co ld tire inflation pressures at
maximum capacity for the new, orig inal
equipment tires that were on your ve hicle at
the time it was manufactured. For the loca­
tion of the labe l
c::> page 235, fig. 176.
Most tires lose air naturally over t ime. They
can a lso lose some air if yo u drive over a pot­
ho le or hit a curb while par king. It is usually
not possible to see whether the rad ia l tires
u sed today are underinflated just by looking
at them .
There fore, be sure to check t ire p ress ures at
l east once a month and always before going
on a long tr ip. Make sure to take the n umber
of peop le and the amount of luggage into ac ­
count when adjust ing tire pressure for a tr ip -
even one that you wou ld not conside r to be
"long." See
c::> page 239, Tires and vehicle
food limits
f or mo re import ant inform ation .
Always use an accurate ti re pressu re gauge
when checking and ad justing inflation pres­
s ur es. Check a ll of t he tires and be s ure not to
forge t the spare tire.
If the pressure in any t ire
is too high when the ti re is "cold," let air out
of the ti re s low ly with the edge of the tire
gauge and keep checking the pressure until
you reach the pressure that is correct for the
load (passengers and luggage) and k ind of
driv ing you plan to do.
If the pressure in any ti re is too low, note the
difference between the pressure in the co ld
tire and the pressure you need and add the air
that you need to reach the correct pressure for
the ve hicle load (passengers and luggage) for
the tires on you r veh icle as listed on the on
you r vehicle and in this ma nual and the kind
of d rivi ng you plan to do .
Never exceed th e maximum inflation pr es­
sure listed on the tire sidewall for any rea­
s on.
•
•

238 Tire s and whee ls
Remember that the vehicle manufacturer, not
the tire manufacturer, determines the correct
tire pressure for the t ires on your vehicle.
I t is important to check the tire pressu re when
the tires are cold.
- Read the requ ired t ire pressure from the tire
pressure label. The tire pressure labe l is lo ­
cated on the drive r's side 8-p illar.
- T urn the valve stem cap counter-clockwise
to remove it from the tire valve.
- Place the air pressu re gauge on the valve.
- The tire pressures should only be checked
and adjusted when the tires are cold. The
sl ightly raised p ressures of warm tires must
not be reduced.
- Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying.
- Re install the va lve stem cap on the valve .
When should I check the ti re pres sure ?
The correct tire pressure is especially impor­
tant at high speeds. The pressure should
therefore be checked at least once a month
and always before start ing a jou rney. Do not
fo rget to check the tire pressure for the spare
wheel
<=? page 253.
When should I adju st the tire p re ss ure s?
Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carry ing . After changing a wheel
or replacing
wheels you have to adjust the tire pressures
on all wheels. In addition, you must then
sto re t he new ti re press ures in the t ire pres­
sure mon itor ing system* ~
page 249.
_8 WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinf la­
tion can lead sudden tire failure, loss of
contro l, collision, ser ious persona l injury
or even death.
- When the warning symbo l
RI] appears in
the instrument cluster, stop and inspect
the tires .
- Incorrect tire pressure and/or underinfla­
t ion can cause increased t ire wear and
can affect the handling of the veh icle and
stopp ing ability. -
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
f lation can a lso lead to s udden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
flation, caus ing loss of veh icle control.
- The driver is responsible for the correct
tire pressures for all tires on the veh icle.
The applicable pressure values are locat­ ed on a sticker on the dr iver's s ide 8-pil­
lar.
- Only when all tires on the vehicle are fil­ led to the correct pressure, the t ire pres­
sure mon itor ing* system can work cor­
rectly.
- The use of incorrect t ire pressure va lues
can lead to acc idents or other damage.
Therefore it is essential that the drive r
observe the spec ified tire pressure values
for the tires and the correct pressures for
the function of the ti re press ure monitor­
ing system*.
- Always inflate tires to the recommended
and correct tire press ure before driving
off.
- Driving with underinflated tires bend
more, letting them get too hot resulting
in tread separation, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
- Excessive speed and/overloading can cause heat build-up, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
- If the tire pressure is too low or too high,
the t ires will wear prematurely and the
veh icle w ill not handle well.
- If the tire is not flat and you do not have
to change a wheel immediately, drive at
reduced speed to the nearest service sta­
tion to check the t ire p ress ure and add
air as req uired .
Q) Note
Driving without valve stem caps can cause
damage to the tire valves. To prevent this,
always make sure that factory insta lled
valve stem caps o n all whee ls are sec urely
mounted on the valve.