2014 AUDI A7 warning

The speed rating letter code (c::> page 246) is
on the side wall of the tire
c::> page 254.
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
winter tires . This will cause damage to the
tires leading to an accident and serious
personal injury 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 immediately.
- Winter tires have maximum speed rating
that may be lower than your vehicle'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 risks . Al­
ways remember :
- When braking, an all-wheel drive vehicle
handles in the same way as a front drive
vehicle.
- Drive carefully and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
cannot help under black ice conditions.
@l For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather condi­
tions permit. They are quieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumption.
-
Tires and wheels
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted only to the front
wheels , and only to certain tire sizes. Ask your
authorized Audi dealer on which tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
If you are going to use snow chains, then you
must install them on the front wheels at
least.
The snow chains must have low-profile links
and must not be thicker than 0.4 inch
(10,S mm) , including the lock.
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs
before putting 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 Audi dealers.
A WARNING ,..__
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi­
cle or installing them incorrectly can in­
crease the risk of loss of control 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 specific snow chains .
- Always observe local regulations.
(D Note
- Remove snow chains before driving 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 wheel rim, can scratch or
damage it. Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered . Check
the position of the snow chains after
driving a few yards and correct if neces­
sary. Follow the instructions from the
snow chain manufacturer when doing so.
- If the Adaptive Air Suspension* should
malfunction, do not mount or use snow ..,.
259
•
•

260 Tire s and wheel s
chains because 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.
(D} Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory oncer­
tain roads, this normally also applies to
veh icles with all-wheel 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 installed r ims. If different rims
are fit­
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the right length and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used. This ensures that wheels are fitted
secure ly and that the brake system functions
correctly .
In certain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a different vehicle -even if it
is the same mode l
¢page 287.
_& WARNING
Imprope rly tig htened o r maintained whee l
bolts can be come loose ca using loss of
contro l, a co llision and serious persona l in­
jury.
- Always keep the wheel bol ts an d the
threads in the wheel hubs clea n so the
wheel bolts can tu rn easily and be prop­
er ly tightened .
- Never grease or oil the wheel bo lts and
the threads in the wheel h ubs. They can
become loose w hile driving if greased or
oiled, even if tightened to the specif ied
torque.
- Only use wheel bolts that belong to the rim being installed.
- Never use different whee ls bolts on your
vehicle.
- Always maintain the correct tighten ing
torq ue for the wheel bo lts to reduce the risk of a whee
l loss. If the tightening tor­
que of the wheel bolts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the vehi­
cle is mov ing. If the tighte ning torque is
too high, the wheel bolts a nd threads
can be damaged and the whee l can be­
come loose.
([) Note
The specified torque for the whee l bolts is
90 ft lb (120 Nm) with a tolerance of± 7,4
ft lb(± 10 Nm). Torque whee l bolts diago­
nally. Afte r changing a whee l, the torque
must be checked as soon as possible wi th a
torque wrench -pre ferably by an au thor­
ized Audi dealer or qualified workshop .
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect
ratio tires. These tires have been thoro ughly
tested and been se lected specifically for your
model for their superb performance, road fee l
and hand ling u nder a var iety of d riv ing condi ­
t ions . As k your author ized Audi dealer for
more details.
The low aspect ratio of these tires is ind icated
by a numeral of
55 or less in the tire's s ize
designation . The numeral rep resents the ratio
of the t ire's s idewa ll height in relation to its
t read width ex pressed in percentage. Conven­
t iona l tires have a he igh t/w idth rat io of 60 or
more.
The performanc e of low -a sp ec t-ratio tires i s
pa rticularly sensitive to improper inflation
pre ssure . It is therefore important that low
a spect ratio tires are inflated to the specified
pre ssure and that the inflation pressure i s
regularly checked and maintained. Tire pre s­
sures should be checked at least once a month and always befo re a long trip
¢ page 249, Checking tire pressure .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more
easily by impact w ith potholes, curbs, gull ies .,..

262 Tires and wheels
remain continuously illuminated. This se­
quence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is ill uminat­
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 installat ion 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
tellta le after replacing one or more t ires or
wheels on your veh icle to ensure that the re­
placement or alternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly.
Tire pressure indicator appears
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monitoring system
The tire pressure indi cator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction.
Fig. 205 Display: underi nflatio n warn ing
Fig. 206 Display: System mal functio n
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni­
toring system compares the t ire tread circum­
ference and vibration characteris tics of the in­
dividual tires. If the pressure decreases in one
or more tires, this is indicated in the i nstru- ment
cluster with a warning symbol
RE and a
message
c:> fig. 205 .
The tire pressure monitoring system must be
reset via MMI each time the p ress ures are ad­
justed (e.g . when switching between partial
and full load pressure) or after changing or re­
plac ing a tire on your vehicle
c:> page 263 . The
TPMS indicator only monitors the tire pres­
sure that you have previously stored. You can
find the recommended tire pressures for your
vehicle on the Label on dr iver's side 8-pillar
<=:>page 247 .
Tire tread circumference and vibrat ion charac­
teristics can change and cause a tire pressure
wa rning if:
- the t ire 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 263.
Warning symbols
RE Lo ss of pressure in at least one tire c:> .&..
Check the tire or tires and replace or repair if
necessary. The indicator light
RE in the instru­
ment cluster also illuminates
c:> page 12 .
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires
and reset TPMS via MMI.
film (T ire Pressure Monitor ing System) Tire
pressure! System malfunction .
If film appears after switching the ignition on
or while dr iving
c:> fig. 206 and the indicator
light
[ti] in the instrument cluster blinks for
approximately one minute and then stays on,
there is a system malfunction .
Attempt to store the correct tire pressu re
<=:> page 263 . If the indicator light does not
turn off or if it turns on shortly thereafter, im­
mediately drive your vehicle to an author ized
Audi dealer or authorized repair facility to
have the malfunct ion corrected .

A WARNING 1= •
-If the tire pressure indicator appears in
the instrument cluster d isplay, one or
more of your tires is s ignificantly under­
inflated. Reduce your speed immediately
and avoid any hard steering 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 247. Driving on a
signif icantly 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 abi lity .
- The driver is responsible for ma inta ining
the cor rect t ire pressures. You must
check the t ire pressures regularly.
- Under certain cond itions (such as a spor­
ty driving style, w inter condit ions or un­
paved roads), the pressure monitor ind i­
c ator may be de layed.
- Ask your author ized Audi dealer if run­
flat tires may be used on your veh icle.
You r vehicle registrat ion becomes inva lid
i f you use these tires when not permit ­
ted. Damage to your vehicle o r acc idents
cou ld also resu lt.
@ Tips
- The t ire pressure monitoring system
stops working when there is an ES C/A BS
malfunction.
- Using snow chains may resul t in a system
malfunction.
- The t ire pressure moni toring sys tem on
you r A udi was developed using t ires with
the "AO" or "RO" identification on the
tire sidewall ¢
page 254. We recom­
mend using these t ires.
Tire s an d wheel s 263
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
Applies to veh icles : w ith tire p ress ure mo nito rin g syste m
If the tire pressure is adjusted, wheels are ro­
tated or changed, the TPMS must be reset via
MMI .
.,. Switch o n the ignition.
.,. Select in the MMI:
ICA RI function button >
(Car )* syste m s control button > Servicing &
ch eck s > Tire pr essure monitoring > Store
tire pre ssur es> Yes, stor e now .
(D Tips
Do not s to re the tire pressure if there are
snow cha ins on t he tire.
•
•

264 What do I do now?
What do I do now?
Emergency warning
triangle
App lies to vehicles: with emerge ncy warning triangle
The warning triangle is located on the inside
of the trunk lid .
-
"' M ~ 0 6
~ ~
Fig. 207 Tr unk lid: Warning triang le
.,. To open the cover , turn the locking mecha­
nism and pull the cover downward .
" m
.,. Remov e the warning triang le from its hold­
er.
The rear lid is only designed to hold the warn ­
ing triangle offered by the original accessories
program. If you would like to retrofit your ve­
hicle with a warning triangle, p lease contact
your authorized Audi dealer.
Vehicle tool kit
Vehicle tool kit and jack
The vehicle tool kit is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor cover.
Fig. 208 Lu ggage compartme nt: cargo floor cover
folded upward/spa re t ire
Fig. 209 Trunk lid: Veh icle tool kit
.,. Fold the floor to the seatback with the help
of the handle .
.,. Turn the handwheel counter-clockwise
~ fig. 208 and remove the spare t ire to
reach the vehicle tool kit.
The onboard tool k it includes:
- Hooks to remove the wheel covers*
- Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt covers*
- Wheel bolt wrench
-Alignment pin for changing wheels
- Screwdriver with reversible blade
- Towing loop
-Jack
Before storing the jack, make sure it is wound
back down as far as it will go.
A WARNING
Improper use of the vehicle jack can cause
serious pe rsonal injuries.
- Never use the screw driver hex head to
tighten wheel bolts, since the bolts can­
not attain the necessary tighten ing tor­
que if you use the hex head, potentially
causing an accident .
- The factory-supplied jack is intended on­
ly for your vehicle model. Under no cir­
cumstances sho uld it be used to
lift
heavy veh icles or other loads; you risk in­
juring yo urself.
- Never start the engine when the vehicle
is raised, which could cause an accident.
- Support the vehicle securely with appro­
p riate stands if work is to be performed
underneath the vehicle; otherwise, there
is a potential risk for injury. .,.

-Never use the jack s upplied with your
Audi on another vehicle, particularly on a
heavier one. The jack is only suitable for
use on the vehicle it came w ith.
@ Tips
- Some of the on board items listed above
are provided on certain mode ls only or
are optional extras.
- Before you can raise your vehicle using
the jack, you must activate the jack ing
mode
c:> page 268.
Space-saving spare tire (compact spare
tire)
The spare tire/wheel is located in the luggage
compartment under the cargo floor cover . It
is intended for short-term use only.
Taking out the sp are tire
... Fold the floor to the seatback with the help
of the handle.
... Turn the large screw~
page 264, fig . 208
counter-clockw ise .
.,. Take out the spare tire .
.,. Always store the vehicle too l kit, the jack*
and the replaced tire in the l uggage com­
partment
c::> page 136 .
Using the spare tire (compact spare tir e)
The compact spare tire is only intended for
emergenc ies until you can reach a repair shop.
Replace it as quick ly as poss ible with a stand­
ard wheel and t ire.
There are some restrict ions on the use of the
compact spare t ire. The compact spare t ire
h as been des igned specifically for you r type of
veh icle. It must not be swapped wi th a com­
pact spare tire from another type of vehicle .
Snow chains
For technica l reasons, the use of snow chains
on the compact spare tire is
not p ermitt ed .
If you do have to dr ive with snow chains and a
front tire fails, mount the spare wheel w ith
tire instead of a rear t ire . Install the snow
What do I do now? 265
chains on the rear tire and use it to rep lace
the defective front tire .
A WARNING
-Never use the spare t ire if it is damaged
or if it is worn down to the tread wear in­
dicators.
- If the spare tire is more than 6 years old,
use it only in an emergency and with ex­
treme caution and careful driv ing.
- The spare tire is intended only for tem­
porary and short-term use . It should be
replaced as soon as poss ible with the
normal wheel and tire .
- After mounting the compact spare t ire,
the t ire pressure must be checked as
soon as possible . The tire pressure of the
compact spare t ire must be 4. 2 bar; oth­
erwise, you risk having an a ccident.
- Do not dr ive faster than SO mph (80 km/
h). You ris k having an accident .
- Avoid full-throttle acceleration, heavy
brak ing, and fast cornering. You risk hav­
ing an accident .
- Never drive using more than one spare
wheel and ti re. You r is k having an acci­
dent.
- Normal summer or winter t ires must not
be mounted on the compact spare wheel
rim.
- For technical reasons, the use of tire
chains on the spa re tire is not permitted .
If i t is necessary to d rive with t ire chains,
the spare wheel must be mounted on the
front ax le in the event of a flat in a rear
tire. The newly available front whee l
must then be insta lled in place of the
rear wheel w ith the flat tire. Installing
the t ire cha in before mounting the whee l
and tire is recommended .
- Loose items in the passenger compart­
ment can cause serious personal injury
during hard brak ing or in an accident.
Never store the inflatable spare tire or
jack and tools in the passenger compart­ ment. •
•

266 What do I do now?
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 o ,&.
... All passengers should leave the car and
move to a safe location (for instance, behind
the guardrail)
o A-
.. Engage the parking brake to prevent your
vehicle from rolling unintentionally
o ,&.
... Move selector lever to position Po ,& .
• If you are towing a trailer, unhitch the trailer
from your vehicle .
... Take the
jack and the spare tire out of the
luggage compartment
o page 264,
o page265.
A WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured
while changing a wheel if you 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 traffic.
- To help prevent the vehicle from moving
sudden ly and possibly slipping off the
jack, always fully set the parking brake
and block the wheel diagonally opposite
the wheel being changed . 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.
-
-Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack
and the replaced tire in the luggage com­
partment
opage 136.
@ Tips
Before changing the whee l, you must acti­
vate the jacking mode, so that the auto­
matic controls for the Adaptive Air Sus­
pension* do not make it more difficult to
lift the vehicle with the jack
o page 268 .
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow these­
quence described below step-by-step and in
exactly that order.
l. Activate the vehicle jack mode*
opage 268 .
2. Remove the decorative wheel cover* . For
more details see also
o page 267, Deco­
rative wheel covers
or o page 267,
Wheels with wheel bolt caps.
3. Loosen the wheel bolts o page 268.
4. Locate the proper mounting point for the
jack and align the jack below that point
opage 268.
5. Raise the car with the jack o page 268.
6. Remove the wheel with the flat tire and
then install
the spare opage 270.
7. Tighten all wheel bolts lightly .
8.
Lower the vehicle with the jack .
9 . Use the wheel bolt w rench and
firmly
tighten all wheel bolts o page 268.
10. Replace the decorative wheel cover*.
11. Deactivate the vehicle jack mode * in the
MMI:
I CARI function button > (Ca r)* sys­
tems
control button > Servicing & checks
> Air susp.: jack mode > Off.
The vehicle jack mode* switches off automati­
ca lly at speeds above 6 mph (10 km/h) .
A WARNING ,-
Always read and follow all WARNINGS and
in format ion
o .&. in Raising the vehicle on
page 269
and opage 271.

268 What do I do now ?
loosening and tightening the wheel
bolts
The wheel bolts must be loosened before rais­
ing the vehicle.
Fig. 212 Changing a wheel: loosening the whee l bo lts
loosening
.. Slide the
w heel wr ench onto the wheel bolt
as far as it will go .
.. Take tight hold of the
end of the wrench
handle and turn the wheel bolts co unte r­
clock w ise about one single turn in the direc­
t ion of arrow
c:> fig. 212 .
Tighten ing
.. Slide the wheel wrench onto the wheel bolt
as far as it will go.
.. Take tight hold of the
end of the wrench
handle and turn each wheel bolt
clock wise
until it is seated.
A WARNING
- Do not use force or hurry when changing
a whee l - you can cause the vehicle to slip
off the jack a nd cause serious persona l
injuries.
- Do not loosen the wheel bolts more than
one turn
before you raise the veh icle with
the jack. - You risk an injury.
@ Tips
- Never use the hexagonal socket in the
handle of the screwdriver to loosen o r
tighten the wheel bo lts.
- If a wheel bolt is very tight, you may fi nd
i t easier to loosen by ca refully p ushi ng
down on the end of the wheel bolt
wrench with
one foot only . As you do so, hold on to the car to keep your balance
and take care not to slip.
Raising the vehicle
The vehicle must be lifted with the jack first
before the wheel can be removed.
Fig. 213 Sill panels: markings
Fig. 2 14 Sill: pos ition ing t he ve hicle jack
.. Activate the vehicle jack mode* in the MMI:
!CARI function button> (Car) * syst ems con­
trol button>
Serv icing & ch eck s> Air su sp .:
ja ck mode > On .
.,. Engage the parki ng brake to prevent your
veh icle from rolling unintentionally .
.,. Move the
sele cto r lever to p osition P .
.. Find the mark ing (imprint) on the sill tha t is
nearest the whee l that will be changed
c:>fig. 213. Be hind the marking, there is a
lifting point on the sill for the vehicle jack.
.. Ve hicles with a si ll: remove the cover from
the sill before lift ing the veh icle w ith a vehi­
cle jack c:>
page 269 .
.,. Turn the ve hicl e ja ck located under the lift­
ing point on the sill to ra ise the jack until its
arm @c:>
fig. 214 is located under the des­
ignated plastic moun t c:>
£ c:> (D .
.. Align the jack so that its arm @c:>
fig. 214
engages in the designated lifting point in
the door sill and the movable base @ lies
IJJ>