2013 AUDI Q7 warning

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 2212 mean that
the t ire was produced in the 22nd wee k of
20 12. 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
layers of rubber-coated fabric in the tire. 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 293
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 294.
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
a nd 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.
•
•

The relative perform a nee of ti res depends
upon the actua l conditions of their use, how ­
ever, and may depart sign ificantly from the
norm due to var iat ions in dr iving habits, serv­
ice practices and differences in road character­
istics and climate .
Trac tion
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled cond itions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete . A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance ¢,&. .
Temp erature
The temperature grades are A (the h ighest),
B, and
C, representing the t ire's resistance to
the generat ion of heat and its ability to dissi ­
pate heat when tested under controlled condi­
tions on a specified i ndoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the
materia l of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden ti re fa ilu re ¢ ,&. .
The grade
C corresponds to a level of perform ­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet
u nder the Federa l Moto r Veh icle Safety Stand­
a rd No.
1 09. G rades Band A represent h igher
l eve ls of perfo rmance on the laboratory tes t
wheel than the m inimum required by law .
A WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this ti re is
based on stra ight-ahead b raking t raction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydrop lan ing or peak traction
character istics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this t ire is es­
tablished for a t ire that is p roperly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
-
Tire s an d wheel s 295
separately or in combinat ion, can ca use
heat bui ldup and possible tire failure.
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 winter o r "snow" tires, those
with very deeply cut tread. These tires should
o nly be used in pairs and be installed o n all
four wheels . Make sure you purchase snow
t ires that are the same size and construction
type as the other tires on you r vehicle.
Your vehicle is equipped with all-wheel drive,
th is w ill improve traction during winter driv­
i ng, even with the standa rd tires . However, we
strong ly recommend that you always equip all
fo ur wheels on you r vehicle wit h corre ct ly fit­
ted winter tires or all-season t ires, when win­
te r road cond itions are expected . This also im ­
proves the veh icle's braking per formance and
reduces stopping dista nces.
Summe r tires provide less grip on i ce and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted
o n all fo ur wheels .
Ask your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop for permitted
winter tire size s. Use
o nly rad ial w inter t ires.
Winter tires lose their effectiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of
0 .157 inch
(4 mm) .
Only drive w ith w inter t ires under w inter con­
dit ions. Summer t ires handle better when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °() .
If you have a flat tire, see notes on spare
whee l
¢page 291.
Please a lways remember that winter tires may
have a lowe r speed rating than the tires o rigi -
nally installed on your vehicle at the time it .,.
•
•

29 6 T ire s and whee ls
was manufactured . Please see q page 292,
Speed roting (letter code) for a listing of the
speed rating letter codes and the maximum
speed at which the tires can be driven.
The speed rating letter code( ¢
page 282) is
on the side wall of the tire
c::> page 291.
A WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower than your vehicle's max­
imum speed. Always know the maximum
speed before driving off . Never drive faster
than the speed permitted for your specific
w inter t ires. This will cause damage to the
tires leading to an accident and serious
personal inj ury to you and your passen­
gers.
A WARNING
=
Driving faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your vehicle
were designed can cause tire failure in­ cluding a blowout and sudden deflation,
loss of control, crashes and serious per­
sonal injuries. Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immed iately .
- Winter tires have maximum speed rat ing
that may be lower than your veh icle's
maximum speed .
- Never drive faster than the speed for
which the winter or other tires installed on your vehicle are rated.
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and
traffic conditions. Never let the good ac­
celeration of the winter tires and all-wheel
drive tempt you into taking extra r is ks. A l­
ways remember:
- When brak ing, an a ll-wheel d rive vehicle
hand les in the same way as
a front drive
vehicle.
- Drive caref ully and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
cannot he lp under black ice conditions.
{® Fo r the s ake of the en vironment
Use summer tires when weather condi­
tions permit. They are quieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumption.
Snow chains
Snow cha ins may be f itted only to the rear
wheels, and only to certain tire sizes . Ask your
authorized Aud i dealer on which tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
The snow chains must have low-prof ile links
and must not be th icker than 0.53 inch
(13 .5 mm), includ ing the lock .
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs
before putt ing snow chains on your vehicle
c::>@ . For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bolts. These are avail­
able from authorized Aud i dealers.
A WARNING
Using the wrong snow chai ns for your veh i­
cle or instal ling them incorrect ly can in­
crease the risk of loss of cont ro l leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different
sizes. Always make sure to follow the in ­
structions provided by the snow chain manufacturer.
- When driving with snow chains never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specif ic snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations .
(D Note
-Remove snow chains before dr iv ing on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into direct con ­
tact with the whee l rim, can scratch or
damage it . Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are s uitably covered. Check
the pos ition of the snow chains after

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
veh icles w ith all-whee l dr ive.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque .
The design of whee l bolts is matched to the
factory insta lled r ims. If different rims are fit­
t e d, 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 32 7.
& 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 297
-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 that 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 .,..
•
•

TPMS malfunction indicator is combined with
the low tire pressure tellta le . When the sys­
tem detects a malf unct ion, the te lltale will
flash for approximately one minute and then remain cont inuously illuminated. This se­
quence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunction ex ists .
When the malfunct ion indicator is illuminat­
ed, the system may not be able to detect or
sig nal low t ire pressure as intended . TPMS
malfunct ions may occur for a variety of rea­
sons, including the installat ion of rep lace­
ment or alternate tires o r whee ls on the veh i­
cle that prevent the TPMS from funct io ni ng
p roperly. Always check the TPM S malfunct ion
tellta le after replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle 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
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction.
Fi g. 25 6 Display: under inflat io n warn ing
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure mon i­
tori ng system compa res the t ire tread ci rcum­
fe rence and vibration characteristics of the in­
dividual tires. If the pressure decreases in one
or more tires, this is indicated in the instr u­
ment cluster with a
IE warning symbol and a
message
c:> fig . 256. The driver message in the
d isplay goes out after 5 seconds. The driver
message can be d isplayed again by pressing
the
! CHECK I button . If only one tire is affect ­
ed, the display will indicate its pos ition .
Tire s an d wheel s 2 99
The t ire pressure monitoring must be reset via
MMI each time the pressures are adjusted (e.
g. when switching between part ia l and full
l oad pressure) or after changing or replacing a
tire on your vehicle
c:> page 300. The TPMS in­
dicator on ly monitors the tire pressure that
you have prev iously stored . You can find the
recommended t ire pressures for you r vehicle
o n the label on driver's s ide 8-pillar
¢ page 284.
Tire tread circumference and vibration charac­
teristics can change and cause a tire pressure
warning if:
- the t ire pressure in one or more tires is too
low,
- the t ire has structural damage,
- the t ire press ure was changed, wheels rotat-
ed or replaced but the TPMS was not reset
¢page 300.
Warni ng symbo ls
IE Loss of pressure in at least one tire ¢ &..
Check the tire or tires and rep lace or repa ir if
necessary. The
Rt] i ndicator light in the instru­
ment cluster also illuminates¢
page 14.
Check/correct the p ressures of all four tires
and reset TPMS via MMI.
••NIB (T ire Pressure Monitoring System) Tir e
pressure: System malfunct ion!.
If llilW appears
after switching the ignition
on or while driving and the
IE indicator light
in the instrument cluster blinks for approxi­
mately one minute and then stays on, there is
a system malfunct ion.
Attempt to store the correct tire pressure
¢
page 300. If the indicator light does not
turn off or if it turns on shortly thereafter, im­ med iate ly dr ive your vehicle to an author ized
Audi dealer or authorized repair fac ility to
have the malfunct ion corrected.
_&, WARNING
- If the tire pressure ind icator appears in
the ins trument cluster display, one or
mo re of your t ires is significant ly under­
inflated . Reduce your speed immediately ..,
•
•

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 . 257 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 d o now ? 301
Jack and folding chocks
The jack and the folding chocks are located in
the luggage compartment under the cargo
floor cover.
F ig . 258 Luggage compar tme nt ve hicle jack and fold ·
i ng chocks
--------
F ig. 259 Opening fo ldi ng chocks
Vehi cle jack
The jack is located under the tool kit
¢ fig . 258. 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 . 258.
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 . 259 (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 fulfill 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

302 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
Audi on anothe r vehicle, particularly 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. 260 Spare wheel well: Bass box
Removing bass box
" Squee ze the locking tabs ¢ fig. 260 (!) 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 t he 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 61 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. 261 co unter-
clockwise.
" Remove the bass box as required
¢page 302.
" 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 171.
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 302 . ..,.

• 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
B-pillar ~page284,
fig . 252.
-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? 303
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 302, fig. 261.
• 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 an
outlet 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 284, fig. 252. 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 .
•
•