2012 AUDI Q7 wheel

driving a few yards and correct if neces­
sary . Follow the instructions from the
snow cha in manufacturer when doing so.
- If the Adaptive Air Suspension* should
malfunction, do not mount or use snow
chains beca use the vehicle will be ex­
tremely low. If you do drive with snow
chains on while the vehicle is at this lev­ el, the snow chains might severe ly dam­
age the wheelhouse and other parts of
the veh icle.
(0 Tips
W here snow cha ins are mandatory oncer­
tain roads, this normally also applies to ve­
hicles with all-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 installed r ims. If different rims are fit­
ted, the cor rect wheel bolts wit h the right
lengt h and correctly s haped bolt heads must
be used. This ens ures t hat w heels a re fitted
secure ly an d that the brake system f unctions
correctly.
I n ce rtain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bo lts from a d ifferent vehicle -even if it
is the s ame mode l~
page 3 21.
& WARNING
Improperly tig htened or maintained whee l
bolts can become loose ca using loss of
cont ro l, a co llision and serious persona l in­
jury.
- Always keep the w heel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hubs clean so the
wheel bolts can turn easily and be prop­ erly t ightened.
- Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel hubs. They can
become loose w hile driving if greased or
o iled, even if tig hte ned to the specified
torq ue.
Tire s an d wheel s 2 91
-On ly use whee l bolts that be long to the
rim being installed.
- Never use different wheels bolts on yo ur
veh icle.
- Always maintain the correct t ightening
torque for the whee l bolts to reduce t he
risk o f a wheel loss. If the tightening tor­
que of t he wheel bolts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when t he vehi­
cle is mov ing.
If the tig hte ning torque is
too high, the wheel bolts and threads can be damaged and the whee l can be­
come loose.
(D Note
The specified torque for the whee l bolts is
120
ft l b ( 160 Nm) with a to le rance of
± 7, 4
ft lb( ± 10 Nm). Torque w heel bo lts
d iagon ally . After changi ng a w heel, the
torque m ust be chec ke d as soon as poss i­
b le with a to rque wrench -preferab ly by an
a uthorized Audi dea ler or q ua lified work­
shop .
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equ ipped with tow aspect
ratio tires. These tires have been thoroughly
tested and been se lected specifically for your
model for their superb perfo rmance, road feel
and handli ng under a var iety of drivi ng condi­
tions. As k your au thori zed A udi dealer for
more de tails.
The low asp ect ratio of these tires is ind icated
by a nu mera l of
55 or l ess in the tire's s ize
designation. The n ume ra l rep resen ts the ra tio
of the tire's sidew all height in rel ation to its
tread width exp ressed in percentage . Conven ­
tiona l tires have a he ight/width ratio of 60 or
more.
The performance of low-aspect-ratio tire s is
particularly sensitive to improper inflation
pre ssure. It is therefore important th at low
aspect ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure and that the inflation pressure is
regularly checked and mainta ined. Tire pres-
sures should be checked at least once a .,..
•
•

292 Tires and wheels
month and alway s before a long trip
~ page 280, Checking tire pressure.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
L ow aspect ratio tires can be damaged more
eas ily by impact with potho les, curbs, gu llies
or ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is
underinflated.
I n order to minimize the occu rrence o f impact
damage to the tires of your vehicle, we recom­
mend that you observe the following precau­
tions:
- Always maintain recommended inflation pressures. Check your tire pressure every
2,000 miles (3,000 km) and add a ir if neces­
sary.
- Drive carefu lly on roads with potholes, deep
gullies or ridges. The impact from driving
through or over such obstacles can damage
your t ires. Impact with a curb may also
cause damage to your tires.
- After any impact, immediately inspect your
tir es or have them inspected by the nearest
authorized Aud i dealer . Replace a damaged
t ir e as soon as possible .
- Inspect your t ires every 2,000 miles (3,000
km) for damage and wear . Damage is not al­
ways easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of
air and unde rinflation, wh ich could eventu­
ally cause tire failure. If yo u be lieve that a
tire may have been damaged, replace the
tire as soon as possible.
- T hese tires may wear more quickly than oth­
ers.
- Please also remember that, while these tir es
deliver responsive handling, they may ride
l ess comfortably and make more noise than
other choices.
Reduced performance in winter/cold
season conditions
All tires are designed for certain purposes .
The low aspect ratio, ultra high performance
tires originally installed on your vehicle are in­
tended for maximum dry and wet road per­
formance and handling . They are not suitable
for cold, snowy or icy weather condit ions . If you drive
under those circumstances, you
shou ld equip your vehicle with all-season or
winter tires , which offer better traction under
those conditions. We suggest you use the rec­ ommended snow or all-season t ires specified
for your vehicle, or their equivalent .
Refer to~
page 289 for more detailed infor­
mation regarding winter tires.
Tire pressure
monitoring system
General notes ill
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and in­
flated to the inflation pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your
vehicle has tires of a different size than the
s iz e indicated on the vehicle placard or tire in­
flat ion press ure la bel, you should determine
the proper tire inflation pressure for those
ti res.)
As an added safety feature, your ve hicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure monitoring
system ( TPMS) that illuminates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or more of your
tires is significantly under-inflated. According­
l y, when the low tire pressure te lltale illumi­
nates, you should stop and check your tires as
soon as possible, and inflate them to the
proper pressure . Driving on a sign ificantly un ­
der- inflated t ire causes the tire to overheat
and can lead to tire fa ilure. Under-inflation al­
so reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle's hand ling and
stopping ability .
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute
for proper tire ma intenance, and it is the driv­
er's responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not
reached the leve l to trigger illuminat ion of the
T PMS low tire pressure tellta le .
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
T PMS ma lfunction indicator to indicate when
the system is not operating properly. The
ll>

TPMS malfunction indicator is combined with
the low tire pressure tellta le . When the sys·
tern detects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash for approximately one minute and then
remain continuously illuminated. This se·
quence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunction ex ists .
When the malfunc tion indicator is illuminat·
ed, the system may not be able to detect or
signal low tire pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunct ions may occur for a variety of rea·
sons, including the installation of replace·
mentor alternate tires or wheels on the vehi·
cle that prevent the TPMS from functioning
properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the re­
p lacement or alternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly.
Tire pressure indicator appears
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction.
-
- -..,
;g
Fig. 242 Display: underinflat io n warning
Fig. 243 Display: Syste m ma lfunct io n
Using the ABS sensors , the tire pressure moni·
toring system compares the tire tread circum·
Tires and wheels 293
ference and vibration characteristics of the in­
dividual tires. If the pressure decreases in one
or more tires, this is indicated in the instru­
ment cluster with a warning symbol
[I] and a
message
c;, fig. 242 . The driver message in the
display goes out after S seconds . The driver
message can be displayed again by pressing
the
ICHECKI button . If only one tire is affect·
ed, the disp lay wi ll indicate its posit ion.
The tire pressure monitoring must be reset via
MMI each time the pressures are adjusted (e.
g. when switching between part ial and fu ll
load pressu re) o r after changing or replacing a
tire on your vehicle
c;, page 294. You can find
the recommended tire pressures for your vehi ·
cle on the label on the driver's door pillar
c;,page 278.
Tire tread circumference and vibration charac·
teristics can change and cause a tire pressure
warning if:
- the tire pressure in one or more tires is too
low,
- the tir e has structural damage ,
- the tir e pressure was changed, wheels rotat-
ed or replaced but the TPMS was not reset
c;,page294 .
Warning symbols
[I] loss of pressure in at least one tire c;, .&, .
Check the tire or tires and replace or repair if
necessary . The indicator light
[I] in the instru·
ment cluster also illum inates
c;, page 14.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires
and reset TPMS via MMI.
IIQ§S, (Tir e Pressure Monitoring System) Tire
pressure! System malfunction . If llQ§f:1 ap·
pears after switching the ignition on or while
driv ing
c;, fig. 243 and the indicator light [I] in
the instr ument cluster blinks for approxi­
mately one minute and then stays on, there is
a system malfunction . See your authorized
Audi dealer as soon as possible.

29 4 T ire s and wheel s
,8. WARNING
-If the t ire pressure indicator appears in
the instrument cluster display, one or
more of your tires is s ignificantly under­
inflated. Reduce your speed immediately
and avoid any hard steering or bra king
maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible and
check the tires and their pressures. In­
flate the tire pressure to the proper pres­ sure as indicated on the vehicle 's tire
pressure label
c> page 2 78. Driving on a
significantly under-inflated tire causes
the tire to overheat and can lead to tire
failure. Under-inflation also is likely to impair the vehicle's handling and stop­
ping ab ility.
- The driver is responsible for ma inta ining
the correct tire pressures. You must check the t ire pressures regularly.
- Under certain cond itions (such as a spor­
ty driving style, winter condit ions or un­
paved roads), the pressure mon itor ind i­
cator may be de layed.
- Ask your author ized Audi dealer if run­
flat tires may be used on your veh icle.
Your vehicle registrat ion becomes inval id
if you use these tires when not permit ­
ted. Damage to your vehicle or accidents
cou ld also resu lt.
(D Tips
- The tire pressure monitoring system
stops working when there is an ESC/ABS
malfunction.
- Using snow chains may result in a system
malfunction.
- The tire pressure monitoring system on
you r A udi was ca lib rated using tires with
the "AO" or "RO" identification. We rec­
ommend using these tires .
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
If the tire pressure is adjusted, wheels are ro­
tated or changed, the TPMS must be reset via
MMI .
.. Turn on the ignition. ..
Select: Function b utton
I CAR !> Control but ­
ton
S ys tem s* > Tire p re ss ure mo nitoring >
Sto re no w. Or
.. Select: Function button
I CAR !> Control but­
ton
Ca r systems * > Servi cing & checks >
Tire pre ss ure mon itoring > Stor e tire pr es­
s ure s.
(D Tips
Before resetting the TPMS, the current
pressures of all four tires must correspond
to the specified values. Adjust the tire pressure and reset the pressure in the t ire
pressure monitoring system acco rding to
the load you are car ry ing
.:>page 278.

What do I do now?
Jack, tools and
inflatable spare tire
Tools
The tool kit is located in the luggage com­
partment under the cargo floor cover.
F ig . 2 4 4 Luggage compa rtme nt: ve hicle tool ki t
The on board tool kit includes:
- Hook for removing wheel covers*
- Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt cove rs*
- Wheel bolt wrench
- Alignment pin for changing wheels
- Screwdriver with reversible blade
- 10 x 13 open ended wrench
- Towing eye
@ Tips
Some of the onboard items listed above
are prov ided on certa in models only or are
optional extras .
What do I do now ? 295
Jack and folding chocks
The jack and the folding chocks are located in
the luggage compartment under the cargo
floor cover.
F ig . 2 4 5 Luggage compar tme nt ve hicle jack and fold·
i ng chocks
--------
F ig. 246 Ope ning fo ldi ng chocks
Vehi cle jack
The jack is located under the tool kit
¢ fig . 245. Before storing the jack, make sure
it is wound back down as far as it will go.
Folding chocks
Two unassembled fo lding c hocks are attached
to the foam section at the front with the jack
¢fig . 245.
Re lease the two hook-and-loop fasteners, and
remove the two chocks. To use the chocks, you
first have to raise the support plate
¢ fig . 246 (D and then insert the locking plate
with the two "tabs" into the elongated ho les
in the base plate @¢.&. .
A WARNING
-The chock cannot fulfil its function and
may lose its stability if the "tabs" on the
support p late are not inse rted co rrectly
into the elong ated holes in the base

2 96 What do I do now ?
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 assem­
bled correctly.
A WARNING
Improper use of the vehicle jack can cause
ser ious persona l injuries.
- Never use the jack supplied with your Au­
di on anothe r vehicle, pa rticularly on a
heavier one. The jack is only suitable for
use on the vehicle it came w ith.
- Us ing a bumper jack to raise the vehicle
will damage the bump er system. The
jack may slip, causing in jury.
- Never support your veh icle on cinder
blocks, b ricks or other objec ts. These
may no t be ab le to suppor t the load and
c ou ld cau se injury whe n they fail.
- Never start o r run the engine while the
vehicle is supported by the j ack.
- If you must wo rk under the vehicle, al­
ways use safety stands specifically de­
signed for this purpose.
- Always make su re the inf latable spare
ti re and even a flat tire a re se cu red in
pla ce and not loose, otherwise t hey
c ou ld f ly forward, causing personal in jury
to passengers in the veh icle in an acc i­
dent o r sudden mane uver.
Removing bass box
Applies to vehicles: with bass box
Before the inflatable spare tire can be taken
out, the bass box must be removed .
Fig. 247 Spare wheel well: Bass box
Removing bass box
" Squee ze the locking tabs ¢ fig. 247 (!) of
the connector .
" Disconnect the connector @and place the
lead to one side.
" Turn t he large screw counter-clockwise.
" Carefully
remove the bass box.
Installing bass bo x
" Carefully place the bass box in the wheel.
The insc ription " FRO NT" on the bass box
m ust face forward .
" Reconnect the connector that was removed.
" Secure the bass box with t he large screw.
· Inflatable spare tire
The inflatable spare tire expands to its full di­
ameter when it is inflated.
Fi g. 2 48 In flatable spare t ire w ith compressor
Removing inflatable spare tire
" Lift up the cargo floor us ing the handle .
" Tu rn the large screw¢
fig. 248 co unter-
clockwise.
" Remove the bass box as required
¢page 296.
" Take out the inflatable spare tire .
" Always sto re the vehicle tool kit, the jack
and the replaced tire in the luggage com­
partment
¢page 166.
Stowing the inflatable spar e tire
" Release the air by unscrewing the valve
stem.
" Screw the
valve stem back in afterwards .
" Wait a few hours befo re p lacing the wheel
in the spare whee l we ll
r=:, _.&.
" Install the bass box as required r=:, page 296 . ..,.

• Secure the wheel with the large screw.
• Fold the cargo floor back down.
After using the inflatable spare wheel
The inflatable spare tire can be re-used as
long as it is not damaged and is not worn
down to the tread wear indicators~.&. .
When you let the air out of the inflatable
spare tire, it does not assume its folded shape
again for several hours. Until then, it cannot
be placed back in the spare wheel well and
stowed securely.
A WARNING
- Never use the spare tire if it is damaged
or if it is worn down to the tread wear in­
dicators.
- If the inflatable spare tire is more than 6
years old, use it only in an emergency
and with extreme caution and careful
driving .
- The inflatable spare tire is intended only
for temporary and short-term use .
It
should be replaced as soon as possible
with the normal wheel and tire.
- The tire pressure value for the inflatable
spare tire is located on the driver's side
8-pillar
~ page 2 78, fig . 238.
-Maximum permissible speed is 50 mph
(80 km/h).
- Avoid full-throttle acceleration, heavy
braking, and fast cornering.
- When the air is let out of the inflatable
spare wheel, it does not assume its fold­
ed shape for several hours . Until then, it
cannot be placed back in the spare wheel
well and stowed securely.
- Never drive with more than one inflata­
ble spare tire.
- For technical reasons, the use of tire
chains on the inflatable spare tire is not
permitted. If it is necessary to drive with
tire chains, the inflatable spare wheel
must be mounted on the front axle in the
event of a flat in a rear tire. The newly
available front wheel must then be in­
stalled in place of the rear wheel with
What do I do now? 297
the flat tire. Installing the tire chain be­
fore mounting the wheel and tire is rec­
ommended.
- Loose items in the passenger compart­
ment can cause serious personal injury
during hard braking or in an accident.
Never store the inflatable spare tire or
jack and tools in the passenger compart­
ment.
(D Note
- The inflatable spare tire has been devel­
oped specifically for this vehicle model.
It must not be exchanged or used for
other vehicle models. Similarly, inflata­
ble tires from other vehicle models must
not be used.
- Normal summer or winter tires must not
be installed on the inflatable tire rim.
Inflating inflatable spare tire
• Remove the compressor from the luggage
compartment
~ page 296, fig. 248.
• Unscrew the valve stem from the spare tire.
• Screw the tire filler hose from the compres­
sor firmly onto the valve of the spare tire.
• Insert the plug from the compressor into a
socket of the vehicle
~ page 87 .
• Switch the compressor on.
• Let the compressor run until the value
specified on the tire pressure label is
reached
~ page 2 78, fig. 238. Switch the
compressor off after running for 12 minutes
at the most -danger of overheating!
A WARNING
-
The compressor and the tire filler hose can
become extremely hot while they are run­
ning -danger of burns!
(D Note
Switch the compressor off after running
for 12 minutes at the most -danger of
overheating! Allow the compressor to cool
down for a few minutes before you use it
again .
•
•

2 98 What do I do now?
The compressor must not be connected to
the c igarette lighter socket, as this socket
does not provide the required power.
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 failure, pull the
car well away from moving traffic and try to
reach
level ground before you stop r::::> /.1. .
• All passengers should leave the car and
move to a safe location (for instance, behind
the guardrai l)
r::::> /.1. .
• Engage th e parking brake to prevent your
vehicle from rolling unintentionally
r::::> /.1. .
• Move selector lever to position P r::::> /.1..
• If you are towing a trailer: unhitch the trail­
er from your vehicle .
• Block the diagonally opposite wheel with
the fo ld ing chocks or other objects .
• Take the
jack and the inflatable spare tire
out of the luggage compartment
r::::>page 295.
& WARNING
You or your passengers cou ld be injured
while changing a whee l if yo u do not fol­
low these safety precautions :
- If you have a flat tire, move a safe dis ­
tance
off the road. Turn off the engine,
turn the emergency flashers on and use other warning devices to alert other mo­
torists .
- Make sure that passengers wait in a safe
place away from the vehicle and well
away from the road and traff ic .
- To help prevent the vehicle from moving
suddenly and possibly slipping off the
jack, always fully set the parking brake
and block the whee l diagonally opposite
the whee l being changed with the fold­
ing chocks or other objects. When one front wheel is lifted
off the ground, plac­
ing the Automatic Transmission in "P"
(Park) will
not prevent the vehicle from
moving .
- Before you change a wheel, be sure the
ground is level and firm. If necessary,
use a sturdy board under the jack.
- After installing the inflatable spare tire,
make sure that you replace the flat tire/
wheel in its storage area properly and
tighten the knurled retaining screw se­
curely.
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel , follow these ­
quence described below step-by-step and in
exactly that order.
1. Activate the vehicle jack mode (only vehi­
cles w ith Adaptive Air Suspens ion)
r::::> page 154.
2. Remove the decorative wheel cover*. For
more details see also
r::::> page 299, Deco­
rative wheel covers or r::::> page 299,
Wheels with wheel bolt caps.
3. Loosen the wheel bolts r::::>page 299 .
4. Locate the proper mounting point for the jack and align the jack below that point
r::::>page 300.
S. Lift the car with the jack r::::> page 300.
6. Remove the wheel with the flat tire and
then insta ll the
inflatable spare tire
r::::>page 301.
7. Tighten all wheel bolts lightly.
8.
Lower the vehicle with the jack.
9. Use the wheel bolt wrench and
firmly
tighten all wheel bolts r::::> page 299.
10. Rep lace the decorative wheel cover*.
11. De activate the vehicle jack mode (only ve­
hicles wi th Adaptive Air Suspension)
r::::> page 154.
& WARNING
Always read and follow all WARNINGS and
in format ion
c:::> &. in Raising the vehicle on
page 301
and c:::> page 302.