2012 AUDI S7 four wheel drive

24 6 T ire s and whee ls
Tra ction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, Band
C. T hose grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance
c:> .&. .
Te mp eratu re
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and
C, representing the t ire's resistance to
the generation of heat and its ability to dissi­
pate heat when tested under con trolled condi­
tions on a specified i ndoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the
material of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure
c:> ,& .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Veh icle Safety Stand­
ard No .
109 . Grades Band A represent h igher
l eve ls of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the m inimum required by law.
.&_ WARNING
T he traction grade assigned to this t ire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydrop laning o r peak traction
characteristics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is es­
tablished for a t ire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
separately or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible tire fa ilu re.
-
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice . At temperatures below 45 °F
(7 °C) we recommend changing to winter
tires.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments
may require true w inter o r "snow" t ires, those
with very deeply cut tread . T hese tires should
o n ly be used in pairs and be installed on a ll
f o ur wheels . Make sure you purchase snow
ti res that are the same size and construction
type as the othe r tires on yo ur vehicle.
If your vehicle is equ ipped w ith all-whee l
drive*, t his w ill improve traction during win ter
driv ing, even with the standard tires . Howev ­
er, we strongly recommend that you always
equip all four wheels on your vehicle w ith cor­
rect ly fitted winter tires or all-season t ires,
when winter road condit ions are expected.
This also improves the veh icle 's brak ing per­
formance and reduces stopping d istances .
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted on all fo ur whee ls .
Ask your au thorized A udi dealer or qualified
workshop for permit ted
winter ti re size s. Use
only radial winter tires .
Winter tires lose their effec tivenes s whe n the
tread is wo rn down to a depth o f
0.157 inch
(4 mm) .
Only d rive w ith w inter t ires under w inte r co n­
ditions. S umme r tir es handle bette r whe n
there is no snow o r ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °C) .
If you have a flat ti re, see notes on spare
whee l
c:> page 242 .
Please always remember that winter tires may
have a lowe r speed rating than the tires o rigi­
nally i nstalled on your vehi cle at the time it
was ma nufactu red. P lease see
c:> page 243,
Speed rating (Letter code)
for a lis ting o f the
speed rating lette r codes and the max imum
speed at which the tires can be driven . ..,.

250 Tires and wheels
When the malfunction indicator is illuminat­
ed, the system may not be able to detect or
signal low tire pressure as intended . TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety of rea­
sons, including the installation of replace­ ment or alternate tires or wheels on the vehi ­
cle that prevent the TPMS from funct ioning
properly . Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after replacing one or more t ires or
wheels on your veh icle to ensure that the re­
p lacement or a lternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly.
Tire pressure indicator appears
Applies to vehicles: with tire p ressure mo nitoring syste m
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction.
Fig. 181 Display : underinflatio n warning
Fig. 182 Display : Syste m mal functio n
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni­
toring system compares the tire tread circum­
ference and vibration characteristics of the in­
d ividual tires.
If the pressure decreases in one
or more tires, th is is indicated in the instru­
ment cluster with a warning symbol
'9] and a
message ¢
fig . 181.
The tire pressure monitoring system must be
reset via MMI each time the pressures are ad- justed
(e.g. when switching between partial
and full load pressure) or after changing or re­
placing a tire on your vehicle ¢
page 251. You
can find the recommended tire pressures for
your vehicle on the label on driver 's side B-pil­
lar ¢
page 235 .
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 tire has structural damage,
- the tire pressure was changed, wheels rotat -
ed or replaced but the TPMS was not reset
¢page 251.
Warning symbols
'9] Loss of pressu re in at least one tir e ¢ & .
Check the tire or tires and replace or repa ir if
necessary. The indicator light
'9] in the instru­
ment cluster also illuminates
¢page 11.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires
and reset TPMS via MMI.
••MIS, ( Ti re Pressure Monitoring System) Tire
pressure! System malfunction .
If IIMIS, appears after switching the ignition
on or while driving¢
fig. 182 and the indica­
tor light
'9] in the instrument cluster blinks
f or approximately one minute and then stays
on, there is a system malfunction . See your
authorized Audi dea ler as soon as possible .
A WARNING
--If the tire pressure indicator appears in
the instrument cluster display, one or more of your tires is significant ly under­
inflated. Reduce you r speed immediately
and avoid any hard steer ing or braking
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¢
page 235. 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 ability.
- The driver is responsible for maintaining
the correct tire pressures. You must
check the t ire pressures regularly.
- Under certain conditions (such as a spor­
ty driving style, w inter condit ions or un­
paved roads), the pressure monitor ind i­
cator may be de layed.
- Ask your authorized Audi dealer if run­
flat tires may be used on your veh icle.
Your vehicle registrat ion becomes invalid
if you use these tires when not permit­
ted. Damage to your veh icle or acc idents
cou ld also resu lt.
(0 Tips
- The t ire pressure monitoring system
stops working when there is an ESP/ABS malfunction.
- Using snow chains may result in a system malfunction .
- To ensure a proper TPMS function use
AUDI Origina l Tires wh ich are marked
with "AO" or "RO" on the tire sidewall.
¢page 242.
- The t ire pressure monitoring sys tem on
you r A udi was syntoni zed using tires w ith
the "AO" or "RO" identific ation. We rec­
omme nd using these tires.
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monito ring system
If the tire pressure is adjusted, wheels are ro­
tated or changed, the T PMS must be reset via
MMI .
"' Switc h on the igni tion.
"' Se lect in the M MI: !CAR !func tion button>
Car system s contro l button > Servi cing &
checks > Ti re pre ssure mon itoring > Store
tire press ures> Ye s, store now .
@ Tips
Before reset ting the TPMS, the current
pressures of all four tires must correspond
to the specified values. Adjust the t ire
Tire s an d wheel s 251
pressure and reset the pressure in the ti re
pressure monitoring system according to
the load you are car ry ing
c::!;> page 235 .
-Do not store the tire p ressu res if you are
driving with snow chains . Othe rwise, a
system malfunction may occur.
•
•

.. 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 ..