2016 AUDI A7 Owners Manual

-Tires on a vehicle that has
been overloaded can fail sud­
denly, including a blowout and
sudden deflation, causing loss
of control and a crash.
-Always make sure that the to ­
tal load being transported - including the weight of a trail­
er hitch and the tongue
weight of a loaded trailer -
does not make the vehicle heavier than the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
Determining correct load
limit
Use the example below to calcu­
late the total weight of the pas­
sengers and luggage or other
things that you plan to transport so that you can make sure that
your vehicle will not be overload­
ed.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCU­
PANTS AND CARGO SHOULD
NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX
LBS"on your vehicle's placard
(tire inflation pressure label)
¢ page 243, fig. 19 7.
Wheels
2. Determine the combined
weight of the driver and pas­
sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight
of the driver and passengers
from
"XXX" kilograms or "XXX"
pounds shown on the sticker
¢ page 243, fig . 197 .
4. The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For ex­
ample, if the
"XXX" amount
equals
1400 lbs. and there will
be five
150 lbs. passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage
load capacity is 650 lbs .
(1400-750 (5 X 150) = 650
lbs.)
5. Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely ex­ ceed the available cargo and
luggage load capacity calculat ­
ed in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your vehi­
cle. Consult this manual to de­
termine how this reduces the ..,
247

Wheels
av ailabl e cargo and luggag e
l oa d cap aci ty of your v ehi cle.
.,.Che ck th e tire sidew all
(¢ p ag e 233, fig. 1 9 5) to deter ­
mine the d esigna ted load ra ting
for a specifi c tire .
Wheel bolts and rims
Wheel bolts
Wheel bol ts m ust be clea n and loosen/t ighten
easi ly .
R ims
Rims with a bolted rim r ing* or w ith bolted wheel
covers * consist of mu ltiple piec es. These compo­
nents we re bo lted toget he r us ing special bolts
a nd a special pro cedure. You must no t repair or
d isassemble th em ¢.&. .
A WARNING
Whee l bolts t hat are tightened or repaired in­
co rrectly can become loose and resu lt in loss
o f vehicle control, which increases the risk of
an acc ident. For the correct tightening specifi­
cat ion, refer to
¢ page 2 56, After changing a
wheel .
-Always keep the wheel bolts and the threads
in the wheel hub clean and free of grease .
- Only use wheel bo lts that fit the r im .
- Always have damaged rims repa ired by an
autho rized Aud i dealer or authorized repair
facility. Never repair or disassemble rims
you rself, because this increases the risk of
an acciden t.
Winter tires
Winte r tires sign ificantly improve the ve hicle's
handling when d riving i n w inte r condit io ns. Be­
cause of the ir constr uction (wid th, compo und,
trea d patter n), s umme r tires p rov ide less tract ion
on ice and snow .
.,. Use w inte r tir es on all fou r wheels.
248
.,. On ly use winter tires that are approved fo r yo ur
vehicle.
.,. Please note that t he maxim um permitted
speed may be lower with winter tires ¢
_A .
Your authorized Audi dealer or authorized re­
pair faci lity can inform you about the maximum
perm itted speed for your ti res .
.,. Check the tire pressure afte r instal ling whee ls
¢ page 243.
The effect iveness of w inter t ires is red uced great ­
ly when the tread is worn down to a dep th of
0.1 57 i nch ( 4 mm). The cha racterist ics of winter
ti res a lso de crease grea tly as the t ire ages, re­
gardless of the remaining tre ad.
A WARNING
-
- Never drive faster than the max imum pe r­
m itted speed for your tires. This co uld cause
the t ires to heat up too much . This increases
the risk of an accident because it can cause
the t ire to burst.
- Always adapt your dr iving to the road and
traffic cond itions. D rive carefully and reduce
your speed on icy or slippe ry roads. Even
win ter t ires ca n lose traction on black ice.
@ For the sake of the environment
Reinstall summer tires at the appropriate
time, beca use they provide better handling
when roads are free of snow and ice . Summer
tires cause less road noise, tire wear and fuel
consum ptio n.
(D Tips
You can a lso use all season tires instead of
winter tires. Please note that in some coun ­
tries where w inter t ires a re requir ed, only win ­
ter tires w ith the£ symbol may b e permit­
ted.
' Snow chains
Snow chains improve traction in the snow .
.,. On ly install snow chai ns on the front w heels.
T his app lies also to vehicles with all wheel
dr ive*.

M N <( (.J
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N \!) ,....,
~ Check and correct the seating of the snow
chains if necessary after driving a few feet. Fol­
low the instructions from the manufacturer.
~ Note the maximum permitted speed when driv­
ing with snow chains. Do not exceed 30 mph
(SO km/h) .
Snow chains not only improve the driving in win­
ter road conditions, but also the braking.
Use of snow chains is only permitted with certain
rim/tire combinations due to technical reasons.
Check with an authorized Audi dealer or author­
i z ed repair facility to see if you may use snow
chains .
You must remove the chains when driving on roads that are free of snow. When roads are free
of snow, snow chains can impair handling and
damage the tires, and the chains will quickly be
destroyed.
A WARNING
Using incorrect snow chains or installing snow
chains incorrectly can result in loss of vehicle
control, which increases the risk of an acci­
dent.
- Snow chains can damage the rims/wheel
covers* if the chains come into direct con­
tact with them. Remove the wheel covers*
first. Use coated snow chains.
- Using snow chains that add more than 0 .4
inch (10.5 mm) of height can severely dam­
age the wheel housings and other vehicle
components.
- Do not install and use snow chains if there is
a malfunction in the adaptive air suspen­
sion*, because the vehicle height will be
very low. If you drive with snow chains any­
way, the wheel housings and other vehicle
components can be severely damaged.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect ra­
tio tires . These tires have been thoroughly tested
and been selected specifically for your model for
Wheels
their superb performance, road feel and handling
under a variety of driving conditions. Ask your au­
thorized Audi dealer for more details.
The low aspect ratio of these tires is indicated by
a numeral of
55 or less in the tire's size designa­
tion. The numeral represents the ratio of the
tire's sidewall height in relation to its tread width
expressed in percentage. Conventional tires have
a heigh t/width ratio of 60 or more.
The performance of low-aspect-ratio tires is par­
ticularly sensitive to improper inflation pres­
sure. It is therefore important that low aspect
ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure
and that the inflation pressure is regularly
checked and maintained. Tire pressures should be checked at least once a month and always
before a long trip
~ page 2 43.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more easi­
ly by impact with potholes, curbs , gullies or
ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is un­
deri nflated.
In order to minimize the occurrence of impact
damage to the tires of your vehicle, we recom­
mend that you observe the following precau­
tions:
- Always maintain recommended inflation pres­
sures. Check your tire pressure every 2,000
miles (3 ,000 km) and add air if necessary.
- Drive carefully on roads with potholes , deep
gullies or ridges. The impact from driving
through or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may also cause
damage to your tires.
- After any impact, immediately inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest au­
thorized Audi dealer. Replace a damaged tire as
soon as possible.
- Inspect your tires every 2,000 miles (3,000 km)
for damage and wear. Damage is not always
easy to see . Damage can lead to loss of air and
underinflation, which could eventu ally cause
tire failure . If you believe that a tire may have
been damaged, replace the tire as soon as pos -
sible . .,.
249

Wheels
-These tires may wear more quickly than others .
- Please also remember that, wh ile these ti res
deliver responsive handling, they may ride less
comfortably and make more noise than other
choices.
Reduced performance in winter/cold season
conditions
All tires are designed for certain purposes. The
low aspect ratio, ultra high performance tires
originally installed on your vehicle are intended
for maximum dry and wet road performance and handling. They are not suitable for cold, snowy or
icy weather conditions. If you drive under those
circumstances, you should equip your vehicle
with all-season or winter tires, which offer better
traction under those conditions. We suggest you
use the recommended snow or all-season tires
specified for your vehicle, or their equivalent.
Refer to ¢
page 248 for more detailed i nforma·
tion regarding winter tires .
Uniform tire quality grading
-Tread wear
- Traction AA A BC
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire side wall between tread shoulder and maximum section width¢
page 233, fig. 195 .
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA, Tern·
perature
A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal
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
under controlled conditions on a specified gov·
ernment test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one half (11/2) times as well on the govern·
ment course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon
the actual conditions of their use, however , and
may depart significantly from the norm due to
250
variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics 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 un­
der controlled conditions on specified govern ­
ment test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
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 ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled conditions on
a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the mate·
rial 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 un·
der the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
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 th is tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cor·
nering, hydroplaning or peak traction charac­
teristics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is estab­
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla·
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or
in combination, can cause heat buildup and
-
possible tire failure. ..,_

M N <( I.J "". rl I.O
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_& WARNING
Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and not over or underinflat­
ed .
Tire pressure monitoring
system
CD General notes
Each tire, includ ing the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and inflat­
ed to the inflation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your veh icle has
tires of a different size than the size indicated on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure la­
be l, you shou ld determine the proper tire infla­
tion pressure for those tires).
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure tell­
tale when one or more of your tires is significant­ ly under -inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as poss ible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure. Driving on a signifi­ cantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to over­
heat and can lead to t ire failure. Under-inflation
also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle's handling and stop­
ping ability .
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver's re­
sponsib ility to ma inta in correct tire pressure,
even if under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illuminat ion of the TPMS low t ire pres­
sure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equ ipped with a TPMS
malfunction indicator to indicate when the sys­
tem is not operating properly. The TPMS mal­
function indicator is combined with the low tire
pressure telltale. When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will flash for approxi­
mately one minute and then remain continuously
illuminated . This sequence will cont inue upon
Wheels
subsequent vehicle start -ups as long as the mal­
function exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated ,
the system may not be able to detect or signal
low tire pressure as intended . TPMS malfunctions
may occur for a variety of reasons, including the
i nsta llation of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or
more t ires or wheels on your veh icle to ensure
that the replacement or alternate t ires and
whee ls allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
If the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
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 mo/function .
Fig. 199 Instrument cluster: indicator light with message
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monitor­
ing system compares the tire tread circumference
and vibration characteristics of the individual
tires . If the pressure changes in one or more
t ir es, this is indicated in the instrument cluster
display with an indicator light
HE and a message.
If only one tire is affected, the location of that
tire will be indicated.
T he tire pressures must be stored in the Infotain­
ment system again each time the pressures
change (switching between partial and full load
pressure) or after changing or rep lacing a tire on
your vehicle
¢ page 252. The ti re pressure moni­
toring system only monitors the tire pressure you have stored. Refer to the tire pressure label for ..,.
251

Wheels
the recommended tire pressure for your vehicle
¢ page 243, fig. 198.
Tire tread ci rcumfe rence and v ibration character­
istics can change and cause a tire pressure warn­
ing if:
- the tire pressure in one or more t ires is too low .
- the tire has structural damage .
- the tire was replaced or the tire pressure was
changed and it was not stored
¢ page 252.
-the spare tire* is installed .
Indicator lights
IE Loss of pressure in at least one tire¢.&. .
Check the tires and replace or repair if necessary.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires and
store the pressure again in the Infotainment sys­
tem
¢page 252 .
mm (Tire Pressure Monitoring System) Tire pres­
sure: System malfunction!. Ifffim
appears after
switching the ignition on or while driving and the
IE indicator light in the instrument cluster
blinks for approximately one minute and then
stays on, there is system malfunction . Try to
store the correct tire pressures¢ page 252. If
the indicator light does turn off or turns on again
after a short period of time, drive to your author­
ized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty immediately to have the malfunction correct­
ed .
A WARNING
- If the tire pressure indicator appears in the
display, reduce your speed immediately and
avoid any hard steering or braking maneu­
vers . Stop as soon as possible and check the
t ir es and their pressure .
- The driver is responsible for maintaining the correct tire pressure. You must check the
tire pressure regularly.
- Under certain conditions (such as a sporty
dr iving style, winter cond itions or unpaved
roads), the tire pressure monitoring system
indicator may be delayed.
- Do not use run-flat tires on your veh icle. Us­
ing them when not permitted can lead to
vehicle damage or accidents.
252
(D Tips
-The tire pressure monitoring system can al­
so stop working when there is an ESC mal­
function.
- Using snow chains may result in a system
malfunction.
- The tires with the identification "AO" or
"RO" ¢
page 240 have been matched with
your Audi tire pressure monitoring system.
We recommend that you use these tires.
Storing tire pressures
If the tire pressure changes or a tire is replaced,
it must be confirmed in the Infotainment sys­ tem.
... Make sure before storing that the tire pressures
of all four tires meet the specified values and
are adapted to the load¢
page 243 .
... Switch the ignition on .
... Select: the
I CARI function button > (Car)* Sys­
tems
control button > Servicing & checks > Tire
pressure monitoring
> Store tire pressures >
Yes, store now.
(D Tips
Do not store the tire pressures if snow chains
are instal led.

M N <( I.J "". rl I.O
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Emergency assistance
Warning triangle
A pp lies to vehicles: Wi th wa rning tri angl e
D
\,-------:----- 11
Fig. 200 Luggage co mpa rtment l id : wa rnin g t ria n gle
The warning triangle p laced in the vehicle at the
factory is located in the luggage compartment .
• To open the cover, turn the locking mechanism
and pull the cover downward .
• Remove the warn ing triangle from its holder .
The luggage compartmen t lid is only designed to
hold the warning triangle offered by the original
accessories program .
Vehicle tool kit
Vehicle tool kit and jack
The vehicle tool kit is located in the luggage
comportment under the cargo floor cover .
Fig. 201 Lugg age co mpartment : ca rgo f loo r cover folded
up ward/ spa r e ti re
Em erg en cy ass is tan ce
Fig. 202 Trun k lid: Vehicl e too l kit
• Fold the floor to the seatback with the help of
t he hand le.
• Tu rn the handwheel counter-clockwise
r=;, fig. 201 and remove the spare tire to reach
the vehicle tool kit.
T he onboard tool kit includes :
- Hooks to remove the wheel covers*
- Plastic hook to remove wheel bol t covers"
- Wheel bolt wrench
- Alignment pin for changing wheels
- Screwdriver with reversib le b lade
- Tow ing eye
- Jack
Before storing the jack , make sure it is wound
back down as far as it will go .
A WARNING
'"' -Im proper use of the vehicle jack can cause se­
rious pe rsonal injuries .
- Never use the screw driver hex head to
tighten wheel bolts, since the bolts cannot attain the necessary tightening torque if yo u
use the hex head, po ten tially causing an ac ­
cident.
- The fa ctory-supplied jack is intended only
for your ve hicle model. Unde r no circum­
stances shou ld it be used to lift heavy
vehicles or other loads; you risk injuring
yourse lf.
- Never start the engi ne when the vehicle is
raised, which could cause an accident.
- Support the vehicle securely with appropri­
ate stands if work is to be pe rformed under­
neath the vehicle; otherwise, there is a po ­
tential risk for injury.
253

Emerg enc y ass is tance
- 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.
(D Tips
- Some of the on board items listed above are
provided on certain models only or are op­
tiona l extras .
- Before you can raise your vehicle using the
jack, you must act ivate the jacking mode
c:> page257.
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 ti re
.,. Fo ld the floor to the seatback with the help of
the handle .
.,. Turn the large sc rew
c:> page 253, fig. 201 coun ­
te r-clockwise .
.,. Take out the spare tire .
.,. Always store the vehicle too l kit, the jack* and
the replaced tire in the luggage compartment
c:> page 132.
Using the spare tire (compact spare tir e)
The compact spare tire is only intended for emer­
gen cies until you can reach a repair shop. Rep lace
it as qu ickly as possible with a standard wheel
and tire .
There are some rest rictions on the use of the
compact spare t ire. The compact spare t ire has
been designed specifically for yo ur type of vehi­
cle.
It must not be swapped w ith a compact
spare tire from another type of vehicle.
Snow chains
F or technical reasons, the use of snow chains on
the compact spa re tire is
not permitted .
If you do have to drive w ith snow chains and a
front tire fails, mount the spare whee l w ith tire
instead of a rear t ire. Install the snow chains on
254
the rear t ire and use it to replace the defect ive
front tire.
A WARNING
- Never use the spare t ire if it is damaged or if
it is worn down to the tread wear indicators.
- 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 tempora­
ry and short-term use.
It should be replaced
as soon as poss ible with the normal wheel
and tire .
- After mount ing the compact spare t ire, the
tire pressure must be checked as soon as
possible . The tire pressure of the compact
spare tire must be 4 .2 bar; otherwise, you
r is k havi ng an accident.
- Do not dr ive faster than SO mph (80 km/h) .
You risk hav ing an accident .
-Avoid full -thrott le acceleration, heavy brak ­
ing, and fast cornering . You risk hav ing an
accident .
- Never d rive us ing more than one spare
w heel and ti re . You r isk having an accident .
- Normal summer or w inter t ires must not be
mou nted on the compact spare wheel rim.
- For technical reasons , the use of tire chains
on the spa re tire is not permitted .
If it is
necessary to dr ive with tire chains, the spa re
w heel must be mounted on the front a xle in
t he event of a fla t in a re ar tire. The newly
avail able front whee l m ust th en be insta lled
in place of the rear wheel with the flat tire.
Insta lling the tire c hain before mounting
the whee l and tire is recommended.
- Loose items in the passenger compartment can cause se rious personal injury d uring
hard b raking o r in an accident. Never store
the inflatable spare t ire or jack and tools in
the passenge r compartment.