2012 AUDI A7 brakes

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.
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-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.
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@ For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will a lso increase the
fue l consumption .
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or
weight that any vehicle and any t ire can carry.
A vehicle that is overloaded w ill not handle
well and is more difficult to stop. Overload ing
can not only lead to loss of vehicle control, but can a lso damage importan t pa rts of the
ve hicle and can lead to s udden tire failure, in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation that
can cause the veh icle to crash.
Your safety and that of yo ur passenge rs a lso
depends on making s ure that load limits are
not exceeded . Vehicle load includes everybody
and everything in and on the vehicle. These
load limits are technica lly referred to as the
vehicle's
Gross Veh icle We ight R ating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic
vehicle, all factory insta lled accessories, a full
tank of f ue l, oil, coolant and other fluids plus
maximum load. The maximum load includes
the number of passengers that the vehicle is intended to carry ("seating capacity") with an
assumed weight of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each
passenger at a des ignated seat ing pos ition
and the total we ight of any l uggage in the ve­
hi cle. If you tow a trailer, the weight of the
trailer hitch and the tong ue weight of the
loaded trailer must be included as part of the
vehicle load.
The
Gro ss Axl e W eight R ating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be app lied at each
of the vehicle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating a re listed on the
safety compliance sticker labe l located on the
driver's side B -pillar . Your A udi has 4 seating
positions, 2 in the front and 2 in the rear for
total seating capacity of 4. Each seating pos i­
tion has a safety belt¢
page 128, Safety
belts .
Tire s an d wheel s 239
The fact that there is an upper limit to your
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating means
that the total weight of whatever is being car ­
ried in the vehicle ( includ ing the weight of a
trailer hitch and the tongue weight of the
loaded tra iler) is lim ited. The more passen­
gers in the vehicle or passengers w ho are
heavier than the standard we ights assumed
mean that less we ight can be ca rried as lug­
gage.
The tire pressure label on your Aud i also lists
the maximum combined weight of a ll of the
occupants and luggage or other cargo that
the ve hicl e can carry . For t he locat ion of the
label¢
page 235, fig . 176.
.&_ WARNING ~
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve -
h icle contro l, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more weight than your vehicle
was designed to carry wi ll prevent the
veh icle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of the loss of vehicle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a vehicle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
veh icle w ith in a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has been over load­
ed can fail suddenly, including a blowout
and sudden deflation, causing loss of
control and a crash .
- Always make sure that the total load be­
ing transported -includ ing the weight of
a t railer hitch and the tongue we ight of a
loaded trailer - does not ma ke t he vehi­
cle heavier than the vehicle's G ross Vehi­
cle Weight Rating.
Determining correct load limit
U se th e exa mple below to cal­
c ulat e the total weight of the
pa ssen ger s a nd lu ggag e or ot h-
e r thin gs that you pl an t o .,..
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Driving with different tires reduces vehi­
cle handling and can lead to a loss of
control.
- If the spare tire is not the same as the
tires that are mounted on the vehicle -
for example with winter tires -only use
the spare tire for a short period of time
and drive with extra care. Refit the nor­
mal road wheel as soon as safely possi­
ble.
- Never drive faster than the maximum
speed for which the tires on your vehicle
are rated because tires that are driven
faster than their rated speed can fail
suddenly.
- Overloading tires cause heat build-up,
sudden tire failure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation and loss of control.
- Temperature grades apply to tires that
are properly inflated and not over or un­
deri nflated.
- For technical reasons it is not always
possible to use wheels from other vehi­
des -in some cases not even wheels
from the same vehicle model.
- If you install wheel trim discs on the ve­
hicle wheels, make sure that the air flow
to the brakes is not blocked. Reduced air­
flow to the brakes can them to overheat, increasing stopping distances and caus­
ing a collision.
- Run flat tires may only be used on vehi­
cles that were equipped with them at the
factory. The vehicle must have a chassis designed for run flat tires . Incorrect use
of run flat tires can lead to vehicle dam­
age or accidents. Check with an author­
ized Audi dealer or tire specialist to see if
your vehicle can be equipped with run flat tires. If run flat tires are used, they
must be installed on all four wheels. Mix­
ing tire types is not permitted.
- For technical reasons, it is not generally
possible to use the wheel rims from oth­
er vehicles. This can hold true for wheels
of the same vehicle type.
Tires and wheels 245
- If the spare tire is different from the
tires that you have mounted on your ve­
hicle (for example winter tires or wide
profile tires), then use the spare tire for a
short period of time only and drive with
extra care. Replace the flat tire with the
tire matching the others on your vehicle
as soon as possible .
- Never drive without the valve stem cap .
The valves could get damaged.
@) For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accordance with the
local requirements.
' Uniform tire quality grading
-Tread wear
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire side wall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width
c:> page 242,
fig. 180.
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA,
Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Feder­
al Safety Requirements in addition to these
grades.
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course.
For example, a tire graded 1S0 would wear
one and one half (11/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, how­
ever, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, serv­
ice practices and differences in road character-
istics and climate. .,.. •
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Manual shift program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105
Selector lever .................. ... 103
Shift buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Steering wheel with tiptronic . .. .. .. . 106
Automatic wipers .......... .. .. .. .... 45
Auto Safety Hotline ............ ... .. 126
Average consumption .......... ... .. .. 23
Average speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Avoid damaging the vehicle .. .. .. .. .. . 193
B
Battery ... .. .. ............. .. .. ... 226
Charging . .. ............. .... .. ... 229
Important warnings ...... .. .. .. .. . 227
Jump starting ............... ... ... 264
Location ... ... .. .. ...... .. .. .. .. . 227
l ow . .. .. .. .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. .. . 190
Replacing the battery ..... .. .. .. .. . 230
State of charge ........... .... .. ... 190
Winter operation ............ ... .. . 226
Working on the battery ....... ... .. . 227
Before driving . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
Blended gasoline .......... .... .. .. . 211
Blower (automatic climate control) . . . . . . 68
Blower (climate control) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65
Body cavity sealing ............ ... .. . 205
Booster seats ............. .. .. .. .. . 172
Brake fluid Changing the brake fluid ....... ... .. 226
Checking the brake fluid level ... ... .. 225
What is the correct brake fluid level? .. 225
What should I do if the brake fluid warn-
ing light comes on? ....... .. .. .. .. . 225
Brake system Anti-lock braking system . ......... ... 18
Brake assist system .......... .... .. 184
Brake booster ............ .... .. .. . 188
Brake fluid .............. .... .. .. . 225
Brake fluid specifications for refill and re-
placement ................. ... ... 226
Brake light defective ......... ... .. .. 20
Brake pads . ............. .... .. ... 192
Electromechanical parking brake .. .. .. 74
Fluid reservoir ........... .... .. .. . 225
How does moisture or road salt affect the
brakes? .. ............ ...... .... .. 187
Index 279
Warning/indicator lights ............. 14
Worn brake pads symbol ............. 19
braking guard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Messages . .. .. .. .... ........... .. . 86
Settings .. .. .. .. ................. . 86
Break-in period .. .... .. .. ...... ..... 192
Brake pads ...... .. ............... 192
T ires ... .. .. .. .. ... .. .......... .. 192
Bulbs .... .. .. .. .. .. ............... 263
C
California Proposition 65 Warning ..... 217
Battery specific .. .... ............. 228
Capacities .. .. .. .. .... ........... .. 272
Engine oil ........................ 218
Car care .. .. .. .. .. .. . .. .... ........ 200
Exterior ... .. .. .... ... .. ..... ..... 200
Interior . .. .... .. .. . .............. 206
Cargo area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124
Cargo net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Catalytic converter ................. . 193
Center armrest Cockpi t ..... .. ................... .
Sl
Central locking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Emergency locking . ............... .. 35
Certification ...... .. ............... 276
Changing a wheel .. ............. .. .. 254
Changi ng engine oil .... ............. 222
Chassis (undercoating) ............... 205
Checking Engine coolant level ............ .... 223
Tire pressure . .. .. ................. 237
Child restraints Danger of using child restraints in the
front seat ........................ 139
Where can I get additional information
about child restraints and their use? .. 181
Child restraint system anchors ....... . 177
Child safety ....... .. ..... .......... 163
Convertib le locking retractor ......... 17 4
Important safety instructions for using
child safety seats . .. ........... .... 167
Important things to know when driving
with children .. .... ............... 163
Tether anchors ..... .............. . 180
Tether straps .. .. ................. 180
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