2014 AUDI Q7 warning

284 Tires and wheels
All-wheel drive
Vehicles with quattro must always have tires
of the same size , construction and tread type.
For details see Qpage 228.
~ WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of con­
trol, a crash and serious persona l injury!
- Never drive a vehicle when the tread on
any tire is worn down to the wear indica­
tors.
- Worn tires are a safety hazard, they do
not grip well on wet roads and increase
your risk of "hydroplaning" and loss of
control.
- Always keep chemicals that can cause
tire damage , such as grease, oil, gasoline
and brake fluid away from tires .
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then with special care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mount used tires on your vehicle if
you a re not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in .
Fig. 253 Tir e specificat ion c odes on t he s idewall o f a
t ire
No. Description
@ Nominal width of tire in millimeters
® Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
© Radial
® Rim diameter code
® Load index and speed rating
(J) U.S. DOT tire identification number
® Audi Original tire
® Sever snow conditions
@ Tire ply composition and materials
used
@ Maximum load rat ing
@ Treadwear, traction and temperature
grades
@ Maximum permissible inflation pres-
sure
T he tires and rims are essential parts of the
vehicle 's design . The tires and rims approved
by Audi are spec ially matched to the charac­
teristics of the vehicle and can make a major .,..

286 Tires and wheels
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)1l
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)ll
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)ll
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)
1
l
Your veh icle is normally factory equipped with
tires, which possess excellent driving charac­
teristics and give yo ur Audi opt imum d riving
comfort . An electronic speed limiter
c::> page 28 will normally prevent your vehicle
from going faster than the tire speed rating
¢ &. .
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN)
and tire manufacture date
This is the tire's "serial number". It begins
with the letters "DOT" and indicates that the
tire meets all federal standards. 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.
For example, the numbers 2213 mean that
the tire was produced in the 22nd wee k of
2013. The other numbers are mar keting co­
des that may or may not be used by the tire
manufacturer . This information is used to con­
tact consumers if a tire defect requires a re­
call.
Audi Original tire
Tires with the identification "AO" or "RO" have
been specia lly matched with your Audi . We
recommend using only these tires because
they meet the highest standards regard ing
safety and driving character istics when used
correctly. Your authorized Audi dealer will
gladly provide you with more information.
Tire ply composit ion and materials used
The number of plies indicates the number of
l ayers of rubber-coated fabric in the tire. In
ll For tir es w it h a m ax im um spee d ca pabil ity ove r 149
mph (2 40 km/ h), ti re manufact urers somet imes use
the lett ers " ZR."
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
t ir e, which include steel, nylon, po lyester, and
others.
Maximum Load Rating
This number ind icates the maximum load in
kilograms and pounds that can be carried by
the tire.
Tire quality grading for treadwear,
traction , and temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and temperature grades
c::> page
287.
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
Th is number is the greatest amount of air
pressure that should ever be put in the tire
u nder normal driving conditions.
.&, WARNING ~ -
-Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/
or wheels or improper tire and wheel
comb inat ions can lead to loss of control,
coll is ion and serious personal injury.
-Always use t ires, rims and whee l bolts
that meet the specifications of original
factory- installed tires or other combina­
tions that have been specifically ap­
proved by the vehicle manufacturer.
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergen cy
and then with special care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mount used tires on your vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire fa ilure
and loss of vehicle control.

288 Tires and wheels
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, how­
ever, and may depart significantly from the norm due to variations in driving habits, serv­
ice practices and differences in road character­
istics and climate.
Traction
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 conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete . A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance ¢.&, .
Temperature
The tempera ture grades are A (the highest),
B, and
C, representing the tire's resistance to
the generation of heat and its ability to dissi ­
pate heat when tested under controlled condi­
tions on a specified indoor 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~.&, .
The grade
C corresponds to a level of perform ­
ance which all passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Stand­
ard No.
109. Grades Band A represent higher
levels of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the minimum required by law.
A WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning or peak traction
characteristics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is es­
tablished for a tire 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 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 or "snow" tires, those
with very deeply cut tread . These tires should
only be used in pairs and be installed on all
four wheels . Make sure you purchase snow
tires that are the same size and construction
type as the other tires on your vehicle .
Your vehicle is equipped with all-wheel drive,
this will improve traction during winter driv ­
ing, even with the standard tires. However, we
strongly recommend that you always equip all
four wheels on your vehicle with correctly fit­
ted winter tires or all-season tires, when win­
ter road conditions are expected. This also im­
proves the vehicle's braking performance and
reduces stopping distances.
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted
on all four wheels.
Ask your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop for permitted
winter tire sizes . Use
only radial winter tires.
Winter tires lose their effectiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of
O .15 7 inch
(4 mm).
Only drive with winter tires under winter con­
ditions. Summer tires 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 ti re, see notes on spare
wheel¢
page 284 .
Please always remember that winter tires may
have a lower speed rating than the tires origi-
nally installed on your vehicle at the time it .,.

was manufactured. Please see ¢ page 285,
Speed rating (letter code)
for a listing of the
speed rat ing letter codes and the maximum
speed at wh ich the t ires can be driven .
The speed rating letter code (¢
page 2 76) is
on the side wall of the tire
c::> page 284.
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 inte r tires . This will cause damage to the
tires leading to an acc ident and serious
pe rsonal inj ury to you and yo ur passen­
gers .
A WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your vehicle
were designed can ca use tire fai lure 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
wh ich 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 winte r tires and all-whee l
drive tempt you into taking extra r is k s . A l­
ways remember:
- When bra king, an a ll-wheel drive vehicle
hand les in the same way as a front drive
vehicle.
- Drive carefu lly and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
cannot he lp under black ice conditions.
Tire s an d wheel s 289
'
@) For the sake of the env ironment
Use summer tires when weather condi­
tions permit. They are qu ieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumpt ion.
Snow chains
Snow cha ins may be fitted 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 cha ins on your vehicle
c::> Q) . For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bolts. These are ava il­
able from autho rized Aud i dealers.
A WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi­
cle or insta lling 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 o n
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 pos ition of the snow chains after
•
•

29 0 T ire s and wheel s
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 because the vehicle will be ex­
tremely low. If you do dr ive with snow
chains on while the vehicle is at this lev­
el, the snow chains might severely dam­
age the wheelhouse and other parts of
the veh icle.
(!) Tips
Where snow cha ins are mandatory oncer­
tain roads, this normally also applies to
veh icles with all-whee l dr ive.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque .
The design of wheel bolts is matched to the
factory installed r ims. If different rims are fit ­
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the r ight
l ength and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used. This ensures t hat wheels a re fitted
secure ly and that the brake system f unctions
correctly .
I n ce rtain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a different vehicle -even if it
is the same mode l
<=?page 318.
.&_ WARNING
Improperly tightened o r maintained wheel
bolts can become loose ca using loss of
contro l, a co llision and serious persona l in­
jury.
- Always keep the wheel 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 bo lts and
the threads in the wheel hubs. They can
become loose w hile driving if greased or
oiled, even if tightened to the specified
torque. -
On ly use wheel bolts that be long to the
rim being installed .
- Never use different wheels bolts on yo ur
veh icle.
- Always maintain the correct tightening
torque for the whee l bolts 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 tightening torque is
too high, the wheel bolts a nd threads
can be damaged and the whee l can be­
come loose.
(D Note
The specified torque for the wheel bolts is 120 ft lb ( 160 Nm) with a to le rance of
± 7,4 ft lb( ± 10 Nm) . T orque wheel bolts
diagonally. After changi ng a wheel, the
torque m ust be che cked as soon as possi­
ble with a to rque wrenc h - preferab ly by an
a uthorized Audi dea le r or q ualified work­
shop.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped w ith low aspect
ratio tires. These tires have been tho roughly
tested and been se lected specifically for your
model for their superb performance, road fee l
and hand ling under a variety of d riving condi­
tions . As k your au thor ized A udi dealer for
more de tails .
T he low aspect ratio of these t ires is ind icated
by a numera l of
55 or l ess in the tire's s ize
designation. The n umeral rep resen ts the ratio
of the tire's s idewa ll height in relation to its
tread width exp ressed in percentage . Conven ­
t iona l tires have a he ight/width ratio of 60 or
more.
The performan ce of l ow-a spect-r atio tire s is
particularl y sen sitive to imp roper inflation
pre ssure. It is therefo re important that low
a spect ratio tires are inflated to the specified
pressure and th at the inflation pressure is
regularly checked and mainta ined. Tire pres -
s u res should be checked at least onc e a ..,.

292 Tires and wheels
TPMS malfunction indicato r is combined with
the low tire pressure telltale . When the sys­
tem detects a malfunct ion, the te lltale 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 exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminat­
ed, the system may not be able to detect or
signal low t ire pressure as intended. TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety of rea­
sons, includ ing the installat ion of replace­
ment or alt ernate tires or wheels on the vehi­
cle that prevent the TPMS from functioning
properly. Always check the TPMS 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.
Fig. 254 D isplay: underinflat ion wa rning
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni­
toring system compares the tire tread circum­
ference 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
[D] warning symbol and a
message ¢
fig. 254. The driver message in the
display goes out after S seconds. The driver
message can be displayed again by pressing
the
! CHECK I button . If only one tire is affect­
ed, the display will indicate its position . The tire pressure
monitoring must be reset via
MMI each time the pressures are adjusted (e.
g. when switching between partial and full
load pressure) or after changing or replacing a
tire on your vehicle¢
page 293. The TPMS in­
dicator on ly monitors the tire pressure that
you have prev iously stored . You can find the
re commended t ire pressures for your vehicle
on the label on driver's s ide B-pillar
¢page 277.
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 pressure was changed, wheels rotat-
ed or replaced but the TPMS was not reset
¢page 293.
Warning symbols
[D] Loss of pressure in at least one tire¢.&. .
Check the tire or tires and replace or repa ir if
necessary. The
[I] indicator light in the instru­
ment cluster also illuminates
¢page 14.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires
and reset TPMS via MMI.
@m (T ire Pressure Mon itor ing System) Tire
pressure: System malfunction!.
If ffiim appears afte r switching the ignition on
or whi le dr iving and the
[D] indicator light in
the instrument cluster blinks for approx i­
mately one minute and then stays on, there is
a system malfunct ion .
Attempt to store the correct tire pressure
¢
page 293. If the indicator light does not
turn off or if it turns on shortly thereafter, im­
med iate ly drive your vehicle to a n author ized
Audi dealer or authorized repair facility to
have the malfunction corrected.
.&_ WARNING
- If the tire pressure indicato r appears in
th e ins trum ent cluster display, one or
more of your tires is significantly under­
inflated . Reduce your speed immediately ..,_

2 94 What do I do now ?
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.
Fig. 255 Luggage compart men t: vehicle too l kit
The onboard tool kit includes:
- Hook for removing wheel covers*
- Plast ic hook to remove wheel bolt covers*
- Wheel bolt wrench
- Alignment pin for changing wheels
- Screwdriver with reversible blade
- 10 x 13 open ended wrench
- Towing eye
(D Tips
Some of the onboard items listed above
are provided on certa in models only or are
optional ext ras .
Jack and folding chocks
The jack and the folding chocks are located in
the luggage compartment under the cargo
floor cover.
Fig . 256 Luggage compartment veh icle jack and fo ld­
i ng chocks
-----........ -
Fig. 257 Open ing fold ing chocks
Veh icle jack
The jack is located under the tool kit
<=> fig . 256. Before storing the jack, make sure
it is wound back down as far as it will go.
Folding chock s
Two unassembled folding chocks are attached
to the foam section at the front with the jack
<=>fig. 256.
Release the two hook-and-loop fasteners, and
remove the two chocks. To use the chocks, you
first have to raise the support plate
<=> fig. 257 (!) and then insert the locking plate
with the two "tabs" into the elongated holes
in the base plate@<=>&. .
A WARNING
--The chock cannot fulfill its function and
may lose its stability if the "tabs" on the
suppo rt p late are not inse rted correctly
into the elongated holes in the base

plate. If this hap pens , the vehicle may
start to m ove whi le a whee l is being
changed.
- Never use the folding chocks if they are
damaged or i f they have not been assem­
bled correct ly.
A WARNING
Improper use of the vehicle jack can cause
ser ious personal injuries.
- Never use the jack supplied 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 .
- Us ing a bumper jack to raise the vehicle
will damage the bumper system. The
jack may slip, causing i njury.
- Never support your vehicle on cinder bloc ks, b ricks or other objects. Th ese
may not be able to support the load and
cou ld cause injury when they fail.
- Never start or run t he engine while the
vehicle is suppor ted by the jack.
- If you must wo rk under the vehicle, al­
ways use safety stand s spe cifically de­
signed for this purpose.
- Always make sure the inflatable spare
tir e a nd even a f lat t ire are se cured in
place and not loose, ot herwise they
cou ld fly forward, causing personal inj ury
to passengers in the veh icle in an acc i­
dent or 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 . 2 58 Spare wheel well: Sass box
What do I do now ? 295
Removing bass box
.,. Squee ze the locking tabs ~ fig . 258 (D of
the conne ctor .
.,. Disconnect the connector @and place the
lead to one side.
.,. Turn the large screw counter-clockwise .
.,. Carefully remove the bass box.
Installing bass bo x
.,. Carefully p lace the bass box in the wheel.
The inscription "F RO NT" on the bass box
must face forward .
.,. Reconnect the connector that was removed.
.,. Secure the bass box with the large screw .
Inflatable spare tire
The inflatable spare tire expands to its full di­
ameter when it is inflated.
Fig. 25 9 In flatable spare tir e w ith compressor
Removing inflatable spare tire
.,. Lift up the cargo floo r us ing the handle .
"' Turn the large screw
9 fig . 259 co unte r-
clockw ise.
"' Remove the bass box as required
¢ page 295 .
.,. Take out the in flatable spare tire .
.,. Always store the vehicle tool kit, the jack
and the replaced tire in the luggage com­
partment
9 page 170.
Stowing the inflatable spare t ire
"' Release the ai r by u nscrewing the valve
stem .
.,. Screw the valve stem back in afterwards .
.,. Wait a few hours before p lac ing the wheel in
the spare wheel we ll¢ ,& .
"' Install the bass box as required ¢
page 295 . ..,_