28 2 T ire s and wheel s
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or
weight that any veh icle and any t ire can carry.
A vehicle that is overloaded wi ll not handle
well and is more difficult to stop. Overload ing
can not on ly lead to loss of vehicle control
,
but can a lso damage impo rtant parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden tire failure in-
,
eluding a blowout and sudden deflation that
can cause the veh icle to crash .
Your safety and that of your passengers a lso
depends on making sure that load limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load includes everybody
and everyth ing in and on the vehicle . These
load limits are tech nically referred to as the
vehicle 's
Gr oss Vehicl e W eig ht Rating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the we ight of the basic
vehicle, all factory installed accessories , a full
tank of fuel , oi l, coo lant and other fluids plus
maximum load. The maxim um 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 designated seating position
and the tota l weight of any l uggage in the ve
h icle. If you tow a trailer, the weight of the
trailer h itch and the tongue weight of the
loaded trailer must be included as part of the
ve hicle load .
The
G ro ss Ax le We ight Rat ing ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each
of the vehicle's two axles .
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance st icker label located on the
driver's side B -p illar . Your Audi has 5 seating
positions, 2 in the front and 3 i n the rear for
total seating capacity of 5. On vehicles w ith
six seats*, your veh icle has two front seats,
two seats in the second row seating and two
seats in the third row seating . On vehicles
with seven seats*, your vehicle has two front
seats, three seats in the second row seating
and two seats in the third row seating . Each seating position has a seat belt
q
page 170,
Safety belts .
The fact that there is an upper limit to yo ur
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating means
that the total weight of whatever is being car
ried in the vehicle (including 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 who are
heavier than the standard we ights assumed
mea n that less we ight can be carr ied as lug
gage .
The tire pressure label on your Audi also lists
the maximum combined weig ht of a ll of the
occupants and luggage or other cargo that
the vehicle can carry . Fo r the location of the
label qpage278, fig. 237.
_& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve
h icle cont ro l, a crash or other accident, se
rious personal injury, and even death.
- Ca rrying more we igh t than your veh icle
was des igned to carry wi ll prevent the
vehicle 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 s uddenly, including a blowout
and sudden deflation, causing loss of
control and a crash .
- Always make sure that the total load be
ing transported -including the weight of
a trailer hitch and the tongue we ight of a
loaded trailer -does not ma ke the vehi
cle heavi er than the vehicle's Gross Vehi
cle Weight Rating.
Determining correct load limit
U se t he exa mple b elo w t o ca l
c ulat e th e t otal w eight of the
pa sseng ers a nd luggage or
other things that you plan to
transport so that you can make sure that your vehicle will not
be overloaded.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF OC
CUPANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX LBS"on your vehi
cle's placard (tire inflation
pressure label)
¢ page 2 78,
fig. 237.
2.
Determine the combined
weight of the driver and pas sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from
"XXX" kilo
grams or
"XXX" pounds
shown on the sticker
¢ page 278, fig. 237 .
4. The resulting figure equals
the available amount of car
go and luggage load capaci
ty . For example, if the
"XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs.
and there will be five 150
lbs. passengers in your vehi
cle, the amount of available
cargo and luggage load ca-
Tires and wheels 283
pa city is 650 lbs. (1400-7 so
(5 X 150) = 650 lbs.)
5. Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle .
That weight may not safely exceed the available cargo
and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step
4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, load from your trail
er will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual
to determine how this re
duces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
~ Check the tire sidewall
( ¢ page 285 , fig. 241) to de
termine the designated load rating for a specific tire.
•
•
'
S up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
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)
1
)
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)1
)
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)1
)
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)1>
Your vehicle is no rma lly facto ry equipped with
tires , which possess excellent driving cha rac
ter istics and give yo ur Audi opt imum driving
comfort . An e lectronic speed limiter
¢ page 28 wi ll normally prevent your vehicle
from going faster than the tire speed rating
¢ A .
U.S. DOT Tir e Identification Numbe r (TIN )
a nd tir e m anufactur e date
T his is the t ire's "serial number". It begins
with the letters "DOT" and indicates that the
t ire meets all federal s tandards. 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 .
F or example, the numbers 2211 mean that
the t ire was produced in the 22nd wee k of
20 11. The othe r numbe rs a re mar ke ting co
des that may or may not be used by the tire
manufacturer . This informat ion is used to con
tact consumers if a tire defect requi res a re
call.
Audi Original tir e
Tires with the identi fication "AO" or "RO" have
been specia lly matched w ith your Audi . We
recommend using only t hese tires because
they meet the highest standards rega rd ing
safety and driving character istics when used
correctly . You r authorized Audi dealer will
g lad ly provide you with more information .
Tire ply composition and materi als used
The number of plies indicates the n umber of
l ayers of rubber-coated fabric in the t ire. In
ll Fo r tires wit h a m ax im um s pee d ca pabil ity over 149
mph (2 4 0 k m/h) , tire ma nufa cturers some times use
t h e l ett ers " ZR."
Tire s an d wheel s 287
genera l, the greater the number of plies, the
more weight a tire can support . Tire manufac
turers also must indicate the materials in the
tire, which include steel, nylon, po lye ster, and
others.
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates the maximum load in
ki lograms and pounds that can be carr ied by
the tire.
Tir e quality grading for treadwear ,
tract ion, and temp eratu re resis tance
T read wear, t raction and temperat ure grades
¢ page 288.
Ma ximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
This number is the g reatest amount of a ir
pressure that should ever be put in the tire
u nder normal driving conditions.
A WARNING ~
- Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/
or wheels or improper tire and wheel
comb inat ions can lead to loss of control,
col lis ion and serious personal injury.
-Always use t ires, rims and whee l bolts
that meet the specif ications of original
factory- installed tires or other combina
tions that have been specifically ap
proved by the vehicle manufacture r.
- T ires age even if they are not being used
and can fai l sudden ly, especially at high
speeds . Tir es that are more than 6 yea rs
old can only be used in an emergency
an d then w ith speci al care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mo unt used tires on your veh icle if
you are not sure of the ir "previous histo
ry." O ld used tires may have been dam
aged even thoug h the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire fai lure
and loss of vehicle control.
•
•
fall f rom a lift if the re is a change in ve
h icle we ight d istr ibut ion and balance.
This might happen, for examp le, when
heavy components such as the engi ne
b lock or transmiss io n are removed .
- Whe n removing heavy components like
these, ancho r vehicle to ho ist o r add cor
respond ing weig hts to ma inta in the cen
te r of g ravity . Othe rwise, the vehicl e
m ig ht tilt o r slip off th e hois t, causi ng
s erious perso nal inju ry.
(D Note
- Be awa re of the fo llowing po in ts befo re
li fting t he vehi cle:
- The vehicle should never be lifted or
jacked up from underneath the engine oil pan, the transmission housing, the
front or rear axle or the body side
members. This could lead to serious
damage .
- To avoid damage to the underbody or
chassis frame, a rubber pad must be
inserted between the floor jack and
the lift points.
- Before driving over a workshop hoist,
check that the vehicle weight does not
exceed the permissible lifting capacity
of the hoist.
- Before driving over a workshop hoist,
ensure that there is sufficient clear ance between the hoist and low parts
of the vehicle .
Emergency situations 313
•
•
314 General information
General information Explanation of
technical data
Some of the technical data listed in this man
ual requires further explanation .
The technical data for your vehicle is listed in
the charts starting on
r:::>page 316. This sec
tion provides general information, notes and restrictions which apply to this data .
Vehicle identification
The key data is given on the vehicle identifica
tion number (VIN) plate and the vehicle data
sticker.
Fig. 269 Veh icle Ide ntific atio n Number (VlN) p late: lo
cation on driver 's sid e das h panel
Fig. 270 The vehicle identi fication label -inside the
luggage co mpa rtmen t
The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
is located on the driver's side so that it is visi
b le from the outside through the windshield
r:::> fig . 269. You can also display the Vehicle
Identification Number of your vehicle in the
MMI. Select function button
!CAR l > control
button
Systems* > Vehicle ID number (VIN)
or ICARI > control button Car systems*> Serv
icing
& checks> VIN number . The
vehicle identification label
is located in the luggage compartment under
the cargo floor cover.
The label¢
fig. 2 70 shows the following vehi
cle data :
(D Production control No.
@ Vehicle identification No.
® Type code number
@ Type designation/engine output in Kilo-
watts
® Engine and transmission code letter
@ Paint No./Interior
(f) Optional equipment No.'s
Vehicle data 2 to 7 are also found in your War
ranty
& Maintenance booklet.
The safety compliance sticker
is you r assurance that your new vehicle com
plies with all applicable Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standards which were in effect at the
t ime the vehicle was manufactured . You can
find this sticker on the left door jamb .
It
shows the month and year of production and
the vehicle ident ification number of your vehi
cle (perforation) as well as the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR) and the Gross Axle
Weight Rating (GAWR) .
The high voltage warning label
is located on the lock carrier.
The spark ignition system complies with
the Canadian standard ICES-002.
Weights
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR), and
the Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) for
front and rear are listed on a sticker on the
left door jamb.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating includes the
weight of the basic vehicle plus fu ll fuel tank,
oi l and coolant, plus maximum load , which in
cludes passenger weight (150 lbs/68 kg per
Ill>
designated seating position) and luggage
weight~&. .
Gros s Axle W eight Rating
The G ross Axle Weight Rating is the maximum
l oad that can be applied at each axle of the
vehicle
q .&. .
Vehicle capacit y weight
The vehicle capac ity we ight (max. load) is list
ed on the driver 's side B-p illar.
Roof weight
The maximum permissible roof weight is 220
lb (100 kg ).
The roof weight is made up of
the we ight of the roof rack system and the
weight of the object be ing transported
q page 84, Loading the roof rack.
..&, WARNING
- The Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ing for yo ur
Audi Q7 vehicle, found on the safety compliance label on the driver's side B
pillar, must never be exceeded under any
circumstances. Exceed ing the Gross Vehi
cle Weight Rating of your vehicle is like ly
to damage your vehicle, and such dam
age will not be covered by your Limited
New Vehicle Warranty . Exceeding the
Gross Vehicle We ight Rating will also
change the performance and handling
characteristics of your vehicle, which
cou ld cause a crash result ing in serious
injury o r death.
- The Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ing for your
Audi Q7 wo uld be exceeded if your vehi
cle is s imultaneously equ ipped with Pan
oramic sliding sunroof; third-row seat
ing; trailer towing equipment (factory or
dealer-installed), and running boards
(dealer-installed). UNDER NO CIRCUM
STANCES MAY ALL SUCH ITEMS BE IN
STALLED ON T HE SAME VEHICLE .
- The actual Gross Axle Weight Rat ing at
the front and rear axles should not ex
ceed the perm iss ible weights, and their
c ombination must not exceed the Gross
Vehicle Weight Rat ing.
G ene ral in formation 315
-Exceeding perm iss ible weight ratings can
result in veh icle damage, acc idents and
personal injury.
([) Note
-The ve hicle capacity weight figures apply
when the load is d istr ibuted evenly in the
vehicle (passengers and luggage). When
transport ing a heavy load in the luggage
compartment, carry the load as near to
the rear axle as poss ible so that the vehi
cle's handling is not impaired.
- Do not exceed the maximum permissible
axle loads or the maximum gross veh icle
we ight. Always remember that the vehi
cle's handling w ill be affected by the ex
tra load. Therefore, ad just yo ur speed ac
co rding ly.
- Always observe local regulat ions .
Dimensions
T he specifications refer to the basic model.
D ifferences may occur depending on the mod
el type and op tions ordered, fo r example, tire
sizes .
Q) Note
When dr iv ing up steep ramps, on rough
r oads, over c urbs, etc. it is important to re
member that some parts of your vehicle,
such as spoi lers or exhaust system compo
nents, may be close to the ground. Be
careful not to damage them.
•
•
I
324 Index
A
Accessories
Adaptive Air Suspension ....... .. .... .
Cargo mode in the MMI .... .. .. .. .. .
Controls .
..................... .. .
321
150
155
150
D .. escnpt1on ... ........... .. .. .... . 150
High level .................. ...... 150
Highway level ................ .... . 150
Instrument cluster display . . . . . . . . . . 153
Jacking mode when changing a flat tire 154
Low level ................ .... ..... 150
Normal level ............. .... .... . 150
Segment display ........... .. .. ... 152
Setting the driving modes .. .. .. .... . 152
Trailer towing mode ....... .... .... . 154
Using switch for cargo mode ...... ... 155
Warning/indicator lights ..... .. .... .. 17
Adaptive cruise control .......... .. .. . 113
Changing speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Driver information
Driver intervention prompt ..... .... .
Driving in traffic .......... .. .. .. .. .
Driving program .................. .
Error messages .................. .
Open road . ................. ..... .
Override
. .. ............. .. .. .. .. .
Request for driver to assume control . .
Save speed . ... ....... ... .... .. .. .
Setting distance . ............... .. .
Settings ... ... .... ...... .. .. .... .
Setting time interval ........ .. .. .. .
Special driving situations .. .... .... .
Status messages ......... .. .. .... .
Switching on and off ......... ..... .
System limits .................... .
120
124
114
124
122
114
114
114
116
118
124
118
125
122
116
125
Temporarily turning off . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118
warning/indicator lights ..... .. .. .. . 121
Adaptive light ... .......... .. .. .. .. .. 59
defective ................... ..... .. 37
AdBlue .. .. .. ..... ........... ... .. . 255
Filling ... .. ............. ........ . 256
Messages in the instrument cluster dis-
play ... .. .. ............. .. .. .. .. .
255
Adding
Engine coolant .............. ... ...
267
Engine oil .. ... .. ..... ... .. .. .. .. . 264
Windshield washer fluid ... .. .. .... . 273
Additional accessories
Additives
Engine oil ....... ............. ... .
Adjusting 321
264
Instrument cluster illumination .. .. .. . 13
Steering column electrically ...... ... 103
Steering column manually .......... 103
Adjusting front seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Airbag
Warning/indicator lights .............
16
Airbag system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179, 196
Advanced Airbag System ........... . 183
Advanced Airbag System components . 186
Care ...... .... .. .. ........... .... 193
Children .. .. .... ................ . 201
Child restraints ... ............. .... 202
Components (front airbags) ......... 186
Danger of fitting a child safety seat on
the front passenger seat ........ ....
181
Disposal .. ...... ............. .... 193
Front airbags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183, 184
How do the front airbags work? .. .. .. 188
How many airbags does my vehicle
have? ........ ...................
186
How the Advanced Airbag System com-
ponents work together .............
187
Important things to know ....... .. .. 179
Indicator light ... ................ . 190
Monitoring .... .. ............. .... 190
PASSENGER AIR BAG OFF light ... .... 190
Repairs ... .... .. ............. .... 193
Safety instructions ................. 192
Side airbags ... .. ....... ...... .. .. 194
Side curtain airbags ............ .. .. 197
Weight-sensing mat ............. .. 201
When must the system be inspected? . 190
Air conditioning
refer to Climate controls ..... ... .. .. . 91
Air distribution
Climate controls .. ... .......... .... .
94
Four-zone automatic comfort air condi-
tioning ....... .. .. ... ....... ... .. .
99
Air pollutants filter
Climate controls .. ............. .... .
91
All-wheel drive .. .. ............. .... 225
Winter tires
Alloy wheels 289
243
330 Index
For the sake of the environment
Gasoline fumes and the environment .. 253
Lett ing your engine warm up ... .. .. . 106
Reducing engine noise by early upshift-
ing .. .. .. .... ............. .. .... .. 10
Refueling .. ................ ... ... 253
Saving fuel by early upshift ing .. .. .. . . 10
Using the rear window defogger . . . . . . . 95
Four- zone automatic comfort air cond i-
tioning .. .. .. ............... .. .... .. 97
Automatic mode in rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
H eated rear seats .. ....... .. .. .. .. . 10 1
Rear a ir distribution ........... .. .... 99
Rear controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Rear fan . .. ............. .. .. .. .. .. 98
Rear operat ion . ... ...... ... .. .... . 100
Rear temperature . ..... ... .. .. .... .. 98
Synchronization .. ..... ... .. .. .... . 100
Turn ing on/off ..................... 98
F ront airbags
Descr ipt ion ............ .. .. .. .. .. . 183
How they work . .. ..... ... .. .. .... . 188
Fronta l co llisions and the laws of physics 17 1
Front fog lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Fr ont seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
Ad justing . .... .. ..... ... .. .. .... . 162
Child restraints in the front seat ..... . 181
Fue l
Addit ives . .... ........... .... .... . 250
Blended gasoline .................. 250
Consumption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
F ill er neck . .... . ...... ... ... ..... . 252
F ue l gauge .. .. .. ..... ... .. .. .... .. 12
Gasoline . .. ............. .. .. .. ... 250
Gasoline additives .......... .. .... . 251
Low fuel level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12, 35
Octane rating ................. .... 250
Recommendation ... ...... .. .. .. .. . 250
Refue lling ..... ......... ... .. .. .. . 253
Reserve .. .... ........... .... .... .. 12
Tank capacity ............ .. .. .... . 316
Un locking the fuel f iller flap by hand .. 255
Fuel economy messages (eff iciency pro-
gram) . .. .. ... ....... ........ ..... .. 27
Fuse arrangement ......... .... .... . 303 G
Garage doo r opener ( Homelink ®) . . . . . . 156
Gas discha rge lamps ..... ....... ... .. 306
Gauges Engine coolant temperature . . . . . . . . . . 10
Fuel gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Speedometer .. .................... 12
T achometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
T rip odometer . .. ................ .. 12
General illustration Instruments and controls ............. 8
General rules and driving tips ... .. .. .. 232
Before driving offroad .. ..... ... .. .. 232
Driving offroad ... .. .... .... ... .. .. 232
G lossary of tire and loading terminology 275
G love compartment .................. 88
Cooling box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Valet key funct ion ..... ....... ... .. . 41
G love compartment -emergency unlock-
ing ................................ 88
G low p lug system
Ind icator light ... .. ... ..... ... .. .. . 15
Gradient angle ..................... 232
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) ... 314
G ro u nd clearance 232
H
Headlights . .. .. .. ............. .. .. . 57
Adaptive light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Defec tive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
F ront fog lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Headlight range control ... ... ... . .. . 36
Switching off .... ... .. ..... ... .. .. . 57
Switching on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Washer system . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Xenon headlights ................. .. 57
Head light washer reservoir .. ... .. .. .. 273
Head restra ints .. .. ............. .... 163
Adjusting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 163
Front se ats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Rear seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
Heated Exterior mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Fron t seats .. .. .. ... .......... .... 100
Rear seats . .. .. .. ............. .. .. 101