2014 AUDI RS7 SPORTBACK warning

238 Tires and wheels
symbols) indicate the positions of the tread
wear indicators. Worn tires must be replaced. Different figures may apply in other countries
c::> & .
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire p ressure causes premature wear
and can cause sudden tire blow-out. For this
reason, tire pressure must be checked at least
once a month
c::> page 234.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves, heavy acceleration
and hard braking increase tire wear.
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tir es on your vehicle to have the
same se rv ice life, we recommend that the
front and rear tires are rotated according to
the tire manufacturer's suggested tire rota­
tion intervals. Please remember the follow­
ing:
- T ire rotation inte rva ls may differ from the
vehicle serv ice intervals outlined in your
Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
- T he longer one tire is used in one location
on the vehicle, the more it wears at certa in
points; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufacturer's suggested
tire rotation intervals.
- Vehicles with front-wheel drive experience
more tread wear on the front whee ls com­
pared to all-whee l drive (quattro).
- Please rotate ti res as shown
c::> fig. 198.
-Extra care must be taken when rotating di-
rection-specific tires
c::> page 2 59.
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced .
Ho wever, various situations during everyday
driving can cause them to become unbal­
anced, resu lting in vibrations you can usually
feel through the steering wheel.
Unba lanced wheels must be rebalanced to
avoid excessive wea r on steering, suspension
and tires . A wheel must a lso be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed. Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect
wheel alignment can cause exces­
sive tire wear, impairing the safety of the vehi ­
cle. If tires show excessive wear, have the
wheel alignment checked by an a uthorized
Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
All-wheel drive
Vehicles with quattro must always have tires
of the same size, construction and tread type.
For details see
c::>page 195.
_8 WARNING
-Sudden tire fa ilure can lead to loss of con-
trol, a crash and serious personal injury!
- Never drive a vehicle when the tread on
any tire is worn down to the wear indica­
tors.
- Worn t ires 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, o il, gasoline
and brake fluid away from tires.
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fai l suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 yea rs
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith specia l care and at lower
speeds.
- Never mount used tires on your veh icle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." O ld used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire fai lure
and loss of vehicle control.

manufacturers also must indicate the materi­
als in the tire, which include steel, nylon, pol­
yester, and others.
M ax imum Load R atin g
This numbe r indicates the maximum load in
kilograms and pounds that can be carried by
the tire.
Tire qualit y gra ding for treadw ear,
t ract ion , and temp erature r esistanc e
Tread wear , traction and temperature g rades
¢ page 242.
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressur e
This number is the greatest amount of air
pressure that sho uld ever be put in the ti re
under normal driving conditions.
_& WARNING ,...__._
- Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/
or whee ls or improper tire and whee l
combinations can lead to loss of contro l,
co llision and serious persona l injury.
- Always use tires, rims and wheel bo lts
that meet the specifications of original
factory-installed tires or other combina­ t ions that have been spec ifically 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 emergency
and then with special care and at lower
speeds .
- Never mount used tires on your vehicle if
you are not su re of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used ti res may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to s udden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- All four wheels must be fitted with radia l
tires of the same type, size (rolling cir­ c u mference) and the same tread pattern.
Driving with different tires red uces veh i­
cle handling and can lead to a loss of
control.
Tire s an d wheel s 241
-If the replacement tire is not the same as
the t ires that are mounted on the veh icle
- for example with winter tires - only use
the replacement tire for a short per iod of
time and drive with extra care . Refit the
normal road whee l as soon as safely pos­
sible.
- Never drive faster than the max imum
speed for which the tires on you r vehicle
a re rated because tires that are dr iven
faster than thei r rated speed ca n fa il
suddenly .
- Ove rloading tires ca use heat build-up,
sudden tire fa ilure, including a blowou t
and sudden deflation and loss of cont ro l.
- Temperature grades apply to ti res that
are properly inflated and not over or un ­
derinf lated .
- F or technical reasons it is not always
possible to use whee ls from other
vehicles -in some cases not even whee ls
from the same veh icle mode l.
- If you install wheel trim discs on the ve ­
hicle wheels, make sure that the air flow
to the brakes is not b locked. Reduced air­
flow to the brakes can them to overheat, increas ing stopping d istances and caus­
ing a co llision.
- Run flat tires may only be used on
veh icles that were equipped with them
at the factory . The veh icle must have a
chassis designed for run flat tires . Incor­
rect use of ru n flat ti res can lead to vehi­
cle damage or accide nts. Che ck with an
author ized Audi dealer or tire spe cialist
to see if your vehicle can be eq uipped
with run flat tires . If run flat tires are
used, they must be installed on all four
wheels. Mixing tire types is not permit­
ted.
@ Note
- For technical reasons, it is not generally
possible to use the wheel rims from oth­
er veh icles. Th is can hold tr ue for wheels
of the same vehicle type. .,..
•
•

24 2 T ire s and wheel s
-If a replacement tire is different from
the tires that you have mounted on your
vehicle (for example winter tires or wide profile tires), then use the replacement
tire for a short period of time only and
drive w ith extra care. Replace the flat tire
with the tire matching the others on your
vehicle as soon as poss ible.
- Never dr ive without the valve stem cap .
The valves could get damaged.
@ For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old t ires in accordance with the
local requ irements.
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wear
- Traction AA A BC
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire side wa ll between tread shou lder
and max imum section width
¢ page 239,
fig. 199.
For example: Tread wear 200 , Traction AA,
Temperature A.
All passenge r car tires must confo rm to Feder ­
a l Safety Requirements in addition to these
grades .
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
u nder cont rolled conditions on a spec ified
government test course .
For example, a t ire graded 1S0 wou ld wear
one and one half (11/ 2) t imes as well on the
gove rnment course as a tire graded 100.
The relat ive perfo rmance of t ires depends
upon the a ctua l conditions of their use, how ­
ever, and may depart sign ifican tly from the
n orm due to var iat ions in dr iving habits, serv­
ice practices and differences in road cha racte r­
istics and climate .
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the
ti re's ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured under contro lled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of aspha lt
and concrete. A t ire marked C may have poor
traction performance ¢.&,. .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest),
B, and C, representing the tire's resistance to
the generation of heat and its ab ility to dissi­
pate heat when tested under controlled condi­
t ions on a specif ied indoo r laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained h igh temperature can cause the
mater ial of the tire to degenerate and reduce
t ire life, and excessive temperature ca n 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 h igher
levels of performance on the laborato ry test
whee l than the minimum requ ired by law.
_& WARNING
The t raction grade assigned to t his tire is
based on s traight-ahead braking trac tion
tests, and does not include accelerat ion,
cornering, hydroplaning or peak t raction
cha racte rist i cs.
A WARNING "--
The temperature grade for this tire is es-
tablished for a tire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded. Excess ive speed, un­
derinflation, or excess ive load ing, either
separately or in combinat ion, can cause
heat bui ldup and possib le tire failure.
-

Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice . At temperatures below 45 °F
(7 °C) we r ecommend changing to winter
tires.
In some heavy s now areas, local governments
may require true winter or "snow " tires, those
with ve ry deeply cut tread. These t ires shou ld
only be used in pa irs and be insta lled on all
fou r wheels. Ma ke sure yo u pu rchase snow
tires that are the same size and construction
type as the other tires on your vehicle .
Your veh icle is equipped w it h all-wheel drive,
this will improve tra ct io n du ring w inte r driv­
ing, even with the s tandard tires. However, we
strongly recommend that yo u always eq uip a ll
four whee ls on your vehicle with cor rectly fit­
ted w inter tires or all-se ason tires, when w in ­
te r r oad conditions are expected . This also im­
proves the vehicle's braking performance and
reduces stopping distances .
Summe r tires provide less grip on ice and
snow.
W inter t ires (snow t ires) must a lways be fitted
on all four whee ls .
Ask yo ur autho rized Aud i dea ler o r qualified
wo rkshop fo r permi tted
winter tire siz es . Use
on ly radia l winter tires.
W inte r tir es lose the ir effectiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of 0.15 7 inch
(4 mm) .
Only drive with wi nter tires under winter con­
d it ions . Summer tires hand le better when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F ( 7 °C).
I f you have a flat tire, see notes on replace­
men t wheel ¢
page 239.
Please always remember that w inter tires may
h ave a lower speed rating than the t ires origi­
n a lly installed on your veh icle at the t ime it
was manufactured. Plea se see ~
page 240,
Speed rating (letter code)
for a List ing of the
speed rat ing letter codes and t he maxim um
speed at w hic h the tir es can be driven.
Tire s an d wheel s 243
The speed rating letter code(¢ page 231) is
o n the side wall of the tire~
page 239 .
A WARNING
Winter t ires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower than your vehicle's max­
imum speed. Always know the max imum
speed before driv ing off . Never drive faster
than the speed permitted for yo ur specific
winter tires . This wi ll ca use damage to the
tires leadi ng to an accident and ser ious
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 fail ure in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation, loss of contro l, crashes and ser ious per­
sonal injuries. Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately .
- Wi nter tires have maximum speed rating
that may be lower than your vehicle 's
maximum speed .
- Never drive faster than the speed for
which the w inter or othe r tires installed
on you r vehicle a re rated .
A WARNING
Always a djust yo ur dr iv ing to the road and
traffic cond it ions . Never let the good ac­
celer atio n of the winter t ires and al l-wheel
d rive tempt yo u into ta king ext ra risks. Al­
ways remember:
- W hen braking, an all-wheel drive veh icle
handles in the same way as a front drive
vehicle .
- Drive c arefully and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even w inter t ires
cannot help under black ice conditions .
@ For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather condi­
tions permi t. T hey are qu iete r, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumpt ion .
•
•
-

24 4 T ire s and wheel s
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted on ly to the front
wheels, and only to certain tire sizes. Ask your
authorized Audi dealer on whic h tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
I f you are going to use snow chains , then you
must install them on the front wheels at
l east.
The snow chains must have low-profile links
and must not be thicker than 0.4 inch (10 ,5 mm), including the lock .
Remove wheel center covers and tr im discs
before putting snow cha ins on your vehicle
c:;, Q) _ For safety reasons cover caps must the n
be fitted over the whee l bolts. These are ava il­
ab le from authorized Audi dea lers.
A WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for yo ur vehi ­
cle or installing them incorrectly can in­
crease the risk of loss of control leading to
ser ious personal inj ury.
- Snow chains are ava ilable in different
sizes. Always make sure to follow the in­
struct ions provided by the snow chain
manufacturer .
- When driving w ith snow chains never
dr ive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow cha ins.
- Always observe local regulat ions .
([) Note
-Remove snow cha ins before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging t ires and wear ing the snow
chains down unnecessar ily.
- Snow chains, wh ich come into d irect con­
tact with the wheel rim, can scratch or
damage it . Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitab ly covered . Check
the position of the snow chains after
driving a few yards and correct if neces­
sa ry. Follow the i nstructions from the
snow cha in manufacture r when doing so.
- If the Adaptive Air Suspension* should
malfunction, do no t mo unt or use snow chains because the vehicle will be ex
­
treme ly low. If you do drive with snow
chains on while the vehicle is at this lev ­
el, the snow cha ins might severely dam­
age the whee lhouse and other parts of
the vehicle .
(D Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory on cer­
tain roads, th is normally a lso applies to
vehicles with all-wheel drive.
Wheel bolts
Wheel bol ts mus t alway s be tightened to the
correc t torque.
The design of wheel bolts is matched to the
factory installed rims . If different r ims are fit­
ted, the correct wheel bol ts with the righ t
length and correct ly shaped bolt heads must
be used . T his ensures that wheels are fitted
securely and that the b rake system functions
co rrect ly.
In certa in circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a different veh icle -even if it
is the same model
c:;, page 275 .
A WARNING
Imp rope rly t ightened or ma inta ined wheel
bo lts can become loose c ausing loss of
control, a col lision and serio us pe rsonal i n­
jury .
- Always keep the wheel bo lts and the
threads in the wheel hubs clean so the
wheel bo lts can turn easily and be prop­
erly tightened.
- Never g rease or oil the wheel bolts and
the threads in t he wheel hubs . They can
become loose while driv ing if greased or
oiled, even if t ightened to the specified
torque.
- On ly use wheel bolts that belong 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 the

246 Tires and wheels
Refer to ¢page 243 for mo re detailed infor­
mation regarding winter tires .
Tire pressure
monitoring system
(D General notes
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
size indicated on the vehicle placard or tire in­
flation pressure label, you shou ld determine
the proper tire inflation pressure for those
tires).
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure monitor ing
system (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire
p ressure telltale when one or more of your
tires is significantly under-inflated. According­
ly, when the low tire pressure telltale illumi­
nates, you should stop and check your tires as
soon as possible, and inflate them to the proper pressure. Driving on a significantly un­
der-inflated tire causes the tire to overheat
and can lead to tire failure . Under -inflation al­
so reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle's handling and
stopping ab ility.
Please note that the TPMS is not a subst itute
for proper tire maintenance, and it is the driv­
e r's responsib ility to ma inta in correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not
reached the level to trigger illumination of the
TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your veh icle has also been equ ipped w ith a
TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate when
the system is not operating properly. The
TPMS malfunction indicator is combined with
the low tire pressure telltale . When the sys­
tem detects a malfunction, 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 illum inat­
ed, the system may not be ab le 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 functioning
properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after replacing one or more tires or
wheels on your vehicle to ensure that the re­
placement o r alternate ti res and wheels allow
the TPM S to cont inue to function properly.
Description
The tire pressure monitoring system monitors
the pressure in the four tires when driving.
The system uses sensors that measure the
temperature and pressure in the tires. Theda­
ta is sent from these sensors to the control
module by radio frequency.
The tire pressure monitoring system shows
the current pressures and temperatures of the
tires in the Infotainment system
¢page 247.
It also compares the current tire pressures
with the stored pressures and gives a warning in the driver information system if the tire
pressure is different from what is stored
¢ page 247.
The system does not detect if the stored tire
pressures match the recommended tire pres­
sures. You must resave the tire pressures
¢page 248:
- eve ry time the tire p ressu res change, for ex­
ample when the load in the vehicle changes,
- after replacing a t ire, or
- if wheels w ith new wheel sensors are used .
_&. WARNING
-The tire pressu re monitoring sys tem as­
sists the driver in monitoring tire pres­
sures. The driver is responsible for having
the tires inflated to the correct pressure. ..,.

-Do not change the tire pressure when the
temperature of the tire is high. This
could result in serious damage to the tire
and even cause the tire to burst, increas­
ing the risk of an accident.
- A tire with low pressure flexes more. This
heats the tire up too much . Th is could
cause the tread to separate and even
cause the tire to burst, increasing the
risk of an accident .
- The tire pressure monitoring system
does not warn about damage or defects
in the tire construct ion that could cause
the tire to burst, for examp le. Inspect
your ti res regularly.
@) For the sake of the environment
Low tire pressure increases fuel consump­
tion and tire wear.
(D Tips
-If tires are replaced, the sensors/valves
do not need to be removed or replaced.
Just replace the valve stem and, if neces­
sary, the valve and the wheel electronics.
If you have questions, see your author­
ized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop.
- Using the tire mobility kit can results in
an incorrect display or a malfunction in
the tire pressure monitoring system.
Have the sensors replaced by an author­
ized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop.
Display tire pressures/temperatures
Fig. 200 Infotai nm en t: t ire pres sur e mo nito rin g sys ­
tem
Tires and wheels 247
Requirement: the ignition must be switched
on .
'" Select: the
I CAR I function button > Car sys­
tem s
> Servicing & checks > Tire pressure
monitoring
> Di sp lay tire pressures.
The current tire pressures are shown in green
and yellow numbers:
-green: the current tire pressure and the
specified tire pressure are approximately the
same.
-yellow: the current tire pressure is too low
compared to the specified tire pressure.
The specified tire pressure is the last tire pres­
sure that was stored
c::> page 248
Note that the tire pressure also depends on
the temper ature of the tire . Every 50 °F
(10
°() increase in tire temperature results in
the tire pressure increas ing by approximately
0.1 bar . The tire pressure increases as the en­
gine becomes warmer while driving .
.&_ WARNING
Read and follow the important informa­
tion and notes
c::> page 246 .
© Tips
The t ire pressure or temperature are not
displayed in adaptat ion mode. Dashes--,-­
are shown in place of the pressure and
temperature.
ill Tire pressure loss
Fig. 201 Disp lay: in dic ator light w ith a message
-

248 Tires and wheels
If the [fJ] indicator light turns on, the pressure
in at least one tire is too low or new sensors
were not adapted:
[f!l indicator lights turns on after turning
the ignition on
The tire pressure is too low compared to the
specified pressure.
.,. Check and store the tire pressure(s) the next
time it is possible¢
page 248.
[f!l indicator light turns on while driving
Wheels with new sensors were not adapted or
the tire pressure has reached a critical level
compared to the spec ified pressure.
.,. Avoid unnecessary steering and braking ma­
neuvers .
.,. Adapt your driving style to the situation .
.,. Stop as soon as possible and check the
ti re(s).
.,. If it is possible to continue driving, see an
authorized Audi dealer or a qualified work­
shop immediately and have your tire(s) re­
paired or replaced.
A WARNING
Read and follow the important informa­
tion and notes
~page 246.
Storing new tire pressures
-
Correctly stored tire pressure specifications
are necessary for reliable tire pressure moni­
toring.
.,. Check the tire pressures in all wheels.
.,. If necessary, correct the tire pressure ac­
cording to the specifications on the sticker
on the side of the driver's door . Only correct
the pressure in tires whose temperature is
approximately the same as the ambient
temperature. If the temperature of the tire
is higher than ambient temperature, the tire
pressure must be increased approximately
0.2 bar above the value on the sticker.
.,. Switch on the ignition.
.,. Select :
I CARI function button > Car systems
> Tire pressure monitoring > Store tire pressures.
After storing,
the tire pressure
monitoring system measures the current
tire pressures and stores them as the new
specified pressures.
,. If the changed tire pressures are not dis­
played in the Infotainment system, drive the
veh icle for approx imately 10 minutes so
that the sensor signal from the wheels is re­
ceived aga in .
During this adaptation phase,--,--is displayed
for the pressure and temperature and the tire
pressure monitoring system is only partially
available.
It only provides a warning if one or
more tire pressures is be low the min imum
permitted spec ified pressure . If this is the
case, the
[fJ] indicator light appears with a
message.
A WARNING
Read and follow the important informa­
tion and notes¢
page 246.
Malfunctions
Fig. 202 Display : indicator light with a message
-
If the tire pressure monitoring system is not
available,
the m indicator light appears in
the driver information system. The
[fJ] indica­
tor light also blinks for approximately one mi­
nutes each time the ignition is switched on.
The tire pressure monitoring system cannot be selected in the Infotainment system. The
malfunction could be caused by the following
examples:
- If the message appears at the end of the
adaptation phase, the system cannot detect
the wheels installed on the vehicle. This may
resu lt from one or more wheels being ..,.