2015 AUDI Q7 tires

230 Driving and environment
Driving and
environment
The first 1,000 miles
(1,500 km) and
afterwards
New engine
The engine needs to be run-in during the first
1,000 miles (1,500 km).
For the fir st 600 miles (1,000
kilometers ):
.,. Do not use full throttle.
... Do not d rive at engine speeds that are more
than 2/3 of the max imum permitted RPM.
From 600 to 1,000 miles (1 ,000 to
1,500 kilomete rs):
.,. Speeds can gradually be increased to the
max imum pe rm iss ible road or eng ine speed .
During and after break-in per iod
... Do not rev the eng ine up to high speeds
when it is cold. Th is app lies whether the
transmission is in N (Neutra l) or in gear.
After the brea k-in period
... Do not exceed max imum engine speed un­
der any circumstances.
... Upshift into the next higher gear before
reaching the red area at the end of the tach­
ometer scale¢ page 10.
During the first few hours of driving, the en­
g ine's inter na l friction is higher than later
when all the moving parts have been broken
i n. How well this break- in process is done de­
pends to a conside rable extent on the way the
ve hicle is driven du ring the first 1,000 miles
(1, 500 kilome ters).
(D Note
E xtremely high engi ne speeds are auto­
mat ica lly r educed. However, these rpm
lim its are programmed for a n engine well
r u n- in, not a new eng ine.
{® For the sake of the environment
Do not drive with unnecessarily high en­
g ine speeds - upshifting ear ly saves fuel,
reduces no ise and protects the environ­
ment.
, New tires
If your vehicle is runni ng on new tires, drive
part icularly caref ul for the first 350 miles
(500 kilomete rs) afte r fitt ing.
A WARNING
N ew tires tend to be sl ippery and mus t al­
so be "b roken -in" . Be s ure to remember
this dur ing the fi rst 350 mi les (500 kilo ­
meters) . Brake gently . Avoid fo llow ing
closely behind other vehicles or other sit­
uations that m ight require sudden, hard
braking.
New brake pads
Remember that new brake pads do not have a
full bra king effect dur ing the fi rst 250 m iles
(400 kilomete rs) afte r they a re insta lled.
New brake pads have to be "burnished in" be­
fo re t hey have optima l grab¢
A .
During the break- in period, you should avoid
putting severe loads on the brakes. Severe
l oads include, for example, sudden hard brak­
i ng, in particular at very high speeds or, for
example, on mounta in passes .
A WARNING
New b rake pa ds don't have t he bes t stop­
pi ng power and mus t be "broke n-in " dur­
i ng the in iti al 1 00 to 150 mi les (150 to
20 0 kilometers) of no rma l city driving . You
can compensate for this by pressing the
br ake peda l mo re f irm ly . This also applies
l ater when new pads are installed.

232 Driving and en vironm ent
,8. WARNING
-Do not park your vehicle over flammable
materials such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel par­
t icu late filter could start a fire .
- Do not apply an underbody protectant in the exhaust system area or a fire could start.
Avoid damaging the vehicle
When you are driving on poor roads, or over
curbs, steep ramps, etc., make certain that
low-lying parts such as spoilers and exhaust
system parts do not bottom out and get dam­
aged.
This is especia lly true for vehicles with low­
slung chassis (sports chassis)* and fully load­
ed vehicles.
Shutting down vehicle
If you would like your vehicle to remain inop­
erative for a longer period of time, contact an
Audi or other specialized dealer . They can ad­
vise you on necessary precautions e.g . corro­
sion prevention, maintenance and storage. Pay attention to additional information con ­
cerning the battery. Refer to
c::> page 266 .
Operate your vehicle
economically and
minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will determine
the economy of your vehicle, as well as ex­
haust and noise levels .
Fuel economy, environmental impact, and
wear on your engine, brakes and tires largely
depend on three factors:
- your personal driving style
- operating conditions
- technical limitations
If you anticipate what you need to do next and
drive economically, you can easily cut your
fuel consumption by 10-15 percent . This sec­
tion will give you some tips on how you can help the environment and your pocketbook.
(D Tips
The consumption estimates as published by ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
(EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your actual consumption on the road, which will vary depending upon vehi­
cle load and speed, road and weather con­
dit ions, trip length, etc.
· Drive smoothly and keep a lookout
ahead
Vehicles use the most fuel when they ore ac­
celerating.
., Avo id unnecessary accelerating and brak ing .
Vehicles use the most fuel when they are ac ­
celerating . If you anticipate what is going to
happen next, you will need to brake less and,
thus, acce lerate less. Let the vehicle coast
whenever possible -for examp le when you see
that the next traffic light is red.
Avoid full throttle
Driving at moderate speeds saves fuel and
improves your mileage.
., Try and keep well below your car's maximum
speed.
Accelerating gently reduces fuel consump­
tion, engine wear, and does not disturb the environment.
Fuel consumption, exhaust emissions and en­
gine noise increase disproportionately at high
speeds. If you drive at approximately three
quarters of top speed, fuel consumption w ill
be reduced by one half. Never drive faster
than the posted speed limit and weather con­
ditions permit.

M N
0 ...J
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
Weight Rating will also change the per­
formance and handling characteristics of
your vehicle, which could cause a crash result ing in serious injury or death .
- The Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ing for your
vehicle would be exceeded if your vehicle is simultaneously equipped with Panor ­
amic sliding sunroof; th ird-row seating;
trailer towing equipment (factory or
dealer-installed), and running boards
(dea ler-installed) . UNDER NO CIRCUM­
STANCES MAY ALL SUCH ITEMS BE IN­
STALLED ON THE SAME VEHICLE.
Operating instructions
MAX 6.9"
MAX175mm
E
1/1 E 1/1 ... a)
m
Fig. 232 Perm itted ba ll posit ion of t he tra iler hitch
Trailer towing weights
W ith a factory-installed tra iler hitch, the
maximum permissible trailer we ight is 6,600
l bs (3,000 kg). The maximum permissible un­
braked trailer weight is 1,650 lbs (750 kg).
With an
aftermarket trailer hitch, the maxi­
mum permissible t railer we ight is 5,500 lbs
(2,500 kg). These specifications apply when
driving on roads having an incline of less than
12%.
Permissible tongue load
For best vehicle handling under these
changed cond itions, adjust the trailer load so
that the tongue load is at the maximum al­
l owable or slightly lower. You can get an ap­
prox imation of the tongue load with a bath­
room scale or you can measure the load at a
trucking company or weighing station .
With a
factory-installed tra iler hitch, the
maximum permissible load on the ball hitch
Trailer towing 239
may not exceed 660 lbs (300 kg). With an af­
termarket
trailer hitch, the maximum permis ­
s ib le load on the ba ll hitch may not exceed
550 lbs (250 kg).
It is recommended to use
the maximum permissible load.
Trailer load distribution
Be sure the load in the trailer is held secure ly
in place to prevent it from shifting forward,
backward or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer
¢.& in Driving instructions on page 240.
Ball mount
The trailer hitch may only be used w ith suita­
ble ball mount and ball ¢
fig. 232. Installa­
t ion of the hitch ball must be carried out in ac­
cordance with the manufacturer's instruc­
tions. At the height dimension of 1.5 in
(38.5 mm) a tolerance of+/- 0.5 in (12 . 7 mm)
is perm issib le.
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes the engine work hard­
er . It is important that the cooling system's
performance is up to the additional load .
Make sure that the cooling system has enough
fluid .
Tire pressure
When towing a tra iler, inflate the tires of your
vehicle to the cold tire pressure listed under
" Full load" on the tire pressure label. The tire
pressure label is located on the driver's side B­
pillar . Inf late trailer tires to trai ler and t ire
manufacturers' spec ificat ions .
Lights
The headlight settings sho uld be checked with
the trailer attached before driving
off . Check
to make sure both vehicle and trailer lights
are working properly .
Safety chains
Be sure trailer safety chains are properly con­
nected from the trailer to the hitch on the
ve­
hicle . Leave enough slack in the chains to per­
mit turning corners. When you install safety
Ill-
•
•

M N
0 ...J
'SI: ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
Vehicl e ca re a nd cl eanin g 243
& WARNING
-Only wash the vehicle when the ignition
is off and follow the instructions from
the car wash operator to reduce the risk
of accidents.
- To reduce the risk of cuts, protect your­
self from sharp meta l components when
washing the underbody or the inside of
the wheel housings.
- After washing the vehicle, the braking ef­
fect may be delayed due to moisture on
the brake rotors or ice in the winter . The
brakes must be dried first with a few
careful brake applicat ions .
{[) Note
-If you wash the vehicle in an automatic
car wash, you must fold the exterior m ir­
rors in to reduce the r isk of damage to
the mirrors . Power folding exterior m ir­
ro rs* must only be folded in and out us­
i ng the power folding function.
- Compare the track of your vehicle w ith
the d istance between the gu ide ra ils of
the faci lity- there is a risk of damage to
the wheels and tires.
- Compare the height and width of you r
vehicle with the he ight and width of the
tunnel at the facility. -
To prevent paint damage, do not wash
the vehicle in direct sunlight.
- To reduce the r isk o f damage to the sur­
face, do not use insect removing spong­
es, kitchen sponges or similar items.
- Matte finish painted vehicle compo­
nents:
- To reduce the risk of damage to the
surface, do not use polishing agents or
ha rd wax .
- Never use car wash cycles that apply
protective wax.
It can destroy the
matte fin ish effect .
- Do not place any stickers o r magnet ic
signs on vehicle parts painted w ith
matte fin ish paint. The pai nt cou ld be
damaged when the stickers o r magnets
a re removed.
@ For the sake of the environment
Only wash the ve hicl e in facilities spe cially
designed for that purpose . This will red uce
the r is k of dirty water contam ina ted with
oil from entering the sewer system.
Cleaning and care information
When cle aning and caring for individua l vehi ­
cle components, refe r to the fo llowing tab les.
The information contained there is simply rec ­
ommendations. For questions or for compo -nents that are not listed,
re fer to an author­
ized Audi dealer or a qualified workshop . Also
follow the information fo und in¢.& .
Cle aning ex terio r
Component Situation Solution
Wipe r bla des
Dirty c:> page 69, Cleaning windshield wiper blades
H eadligh ts/ Dirty Soft sponge with a m ild soap solutiona >
tail lights
S ensors /
Dirty Sensors: soft cloth with a so lvent-free cleaning product
camera l enses Came ra lenses : soft cloth with an alcohol -free cleaning
solution
Snow/ice Hand brush/solvent-free de-icing spray
•
•

Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreci­
ated and most abused parts of
a motor vehicle .
Tires may be the least appreci­
ated and most abused parts of
a motor vehicle. Tires are, how­
ever, one of the most important
parts of a vehicle, particularly
considering the comparatively
small patch of rubber on each
tire that assures that all-impor­
tant contact between you, your
vehicle and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire
pressure, making sure that your
vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry more weight than they can safely handle, avoiding
damage from road hazards and
regularly inspecting tires for
damage including cuts, slashes
irregular wear and overall con­
dition are the most important
things that you can do to help avoid sudden tire failure includ­
ing tread separation and blow-
~ outs.
0 ...J
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,....,
"' ,....,
Tires and wheels 2 71
Avoiding damage
If you have to drive over a curb
or similar obstacle , drive very
slowly and as close as possible
at a right angle to the curb.
Always keep chemicals includ­ ing grease, oil, gasoline and
brake fluid off the tires.
Inspect the t ires regularly for
damage (cuts, cracks or blis­
ters, etc.). Remove any foreign bodies embedded in the treads.
Storing tires
Mark tires when you remove
them to indicate the direction
of rotation. This ensures you to be able to mount them correct­
ly when you reinstall them.
When removed, the wheels or
tires should be stored in a cool, dry and preferably dark place.
Store tires in a vertical position if they are not mounted on
rims, in a horizontal position if
they are mounted on rims.
New tires
New tires have to be broken in
¢ _&. .
The tread depth of new tires
may vary , according to the type .,.
•
•
'

272 Tires a nd whee ls
and make of tire and the tread
pattern.
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and rims is of­
ten not readily visible. If you notice unusua l vibration or the
vehicle pulls to one side, this may indicate that one of the
t ires has been damaged . The
tires must be checked immedi ­
ately by an authorized Audi
dealer or qualified workshop .
Unidirectional tires
A unidirectional tire can be
identified by arrows on the
sidewall, that point in the direc­
tion the tire is designed to ro­
tate. You must follow the speci­
fied direction of rotation . This is
necessary so that these tires
can develop their optimum
characteristics regarding grip,
road noise, wear and hydro­
planing resistance. For more in­
format ion
c:> page 311 .
&_ WAR NIN G
New tires or tires that are
old, worn or damaged cannot
provide maximum control
and braking ability. -
New tires tend to be slip­
pery and must be broken in .
To reduce the risk of losing
control, a collision and seri­
ous personal injuries, drive
with special care for the
first 350 miles (560 km).
-Driv ing with worn or dam­
aged tires can lead to loss of
control, sudden tire fa ilure,
including a blowout and
sudden deflation, crashes
and serious personal inju­
ries. Have worn or damaged
tires replaced immediately.
-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 low speed .
-Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not
sure of their "previous histo­ry." Old used tires may have
been damaged even though
the damage cannot be seen
that can lead to sudden tire
failure and loss of vehic le
control.

M N
0 ...J
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
-If you notice unusual vibra­
tion or if the vehicle pulls to one side when driving, al­
ways stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check the
wheels and tires for dam­ age.
(D Note
-Please note that summer
and winter tires are de­
signed for the conditions
that are typical in those sea­
sons. Audi recommends us­ing winter tires during the
winter months. Low tem­ peratures significantly de­
crease the elasticity of
summer tires, which affects
traction and braking ability.
Tires and wheels 273
If summer tires are used in
very cold temperatures, cracks can form on the tread
bars, resulting in perma­
nent tire damage that can
cause loud driving noise and unbalanced tires. Audi is not
responsible for this type of
damage.
-Burnished, polished or chromed rims must not be used in winter road condi­
tions. The surface of the
rims does not have suffi­
cient corrosion protection
for this and could be perma­
nently damaged by road salt
or similar substances.
•
•
'
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weight (in
excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of auto­ matic transmission, power
steering, power brakes, power
windows, power seats, radio, and heater, to the extent that
these items are available as fac­
tory-installed equipment (whether installed or not).
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the height to
the width of the tire in percent. Numbers of 55 or lower indi­
cate a low sidewall for im­
proved steering response and
better overall handling on dry
pavement.

274 Tir es a nd whee ls
Bead Extra load tire
means the part of the tire that means a tire design to operate
is made of steel wires, wrapped at higher loads and at higher
or reinforced by p ly cords and inflation pressures than the
that is shaped to fit the rim . corresponding standard tire .
Bead separation Extra load tires may be identi-
fied as "XL", "xl", " EXTRA
means a breakdown of the bond LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
between components in the
bead .
Gross A xle Weight Rating
(" GAWR ")
Cord
means the load-carrying capaci-
means the strands forming the ty of a single axle system,
p lies in the tire .
measured at the tire-ground in-
Cold tire inflation pressure terfaces.
means the tire pressure recom-
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
mended by the vehicle manu-( "GVWR ")
facturer for a t ire of a designat-
means the maximum total
ed size that has not been driven loaded weight of the vehicle.
for more than a couple of miles
Groove
(kilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before means the space between two
the tire pressure is measured or adjacent tread ribs.
adjusted.
Load rating (code )
Curb weight
means the max imum load that
means the weight of a motor a tire
is rated to carry for a giv-
vehicle with standard equip -en inflation pressure
. You may
ment including the maximum not find th
is information on all
capacity of fuel, oil, and cool- tires because it is not required
ant, air condit ioning and addi- by law.
...
tional weight of optional equip-
ment.