2018 AUDI Q7 winter tires

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::r ' engaged, for example when you notice that t he
next traffic light is red . This produces an engine
b raking effect, wh ich he lps to protect the brakes
and tires and reduces the emissions and f uel con­
sumpt ion to zero (fuel shut-off dur ing decelera­
tion) .
Shift efficientl y
Upshifting earlier is an effective way to save fue l.
Staying in a gear too long uses fue l unnecessari­
ly .
Press down on the acce lerator peda l slowly and
avoid "kick -down".
Avoid full acceleration
You sho uld rare ly t rave l at the maxim um vehicle
speed. High speeds cause a d isp roportiona tely
hi gh increase in fuel consump tion, emissions and
traffic noise . Driving more slowly saves f uel.
Reduce idling time
The Start/Stop system* he lps to reduce the id ling
time automatically. In vehicles wi thout the Sta rt/
Stop system*, it is efficient to switch the engine
off when stopped at ra ilroad crossings and long
red lights . Stopping the engine for
30 -40 sec­
onds already saves more fuel than the amount of
extra fuel needed to restart the eng ine.
I t takes a very long time in idle to wa rm the en­
gine up to operating temperature . Wear and
emissions are especially high in the warm -up
phase. Therefore, you should begin driving im­
mediately after starting the engine. Avoid high
RPMs while do ing th is .
Have maintenance perf ormed regularly
By having maintenance performed regu larly on
your ve hicle, you can he lp to reduce fuel con ­
sumpt ion before you even start to drive. The
maintenance condition of your vehicle not only
affects traffic safety and long-term value but a l­
so impacts fuel consumption . A poorly main­
tained engine can lead to fuel consumpt ion that
i s
1 0% hi gher tha n normal.
Driving
Avoid short trips
T he eng ine and exh aust cleaning system mus t
r each their optima l operat ing temperatu re to ef ­
fectively reduce consumption and emissions.
A cold engine uses a d isp roportionately high
amoun t of fue l. The engine re ac h es operat ing
temperat ure and cons umption norma lizes on ly
after approximate ly 2.5 mi les (4 km) .
Check the tire pressure
To save fuel, ma ke sure the t ires are always i n­
flated to t he correct pressure~
page 340. The
fuel consumpt io n can increase by
5% if the pres ­
s u re is on ly
0 .5 bar too low. Due to the increased
rolling resistance, low tire pressures wi ll also
l ead to greater tire wear and will affect driving
behavior.
Do not drive on winter tires year -round, as this
will consume up to
10% more fuel.
Eliminate unnecessary weight
S ince eve ry po und of ext ra weight increases f uel
co nsump tion , a quick inspect io n of the luggage
compartment may be worth it to avoid unneces ­
sary weight .
When not be ing used , a roof rac k sho uld be re­
moved to decrease the w ind resis tance of the ve ­
hicle . This will save you approximately
12% fu el
at speeds from
62 -75 mph (100 -120 km/h) .
Save energy
The eng ine d rives the generator, which generates
electric ity; the fuel consumpt io n also increases
wi th the dema nd for e lec tric ity . T he refore, sw itch
electrical eq uipment off when you no longer
need it . Examples of eq uipment that uses a lot of
energy are air blowers at a high setting, the rear
window defogger and seat heating* .
@ Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after
starting. If warning lights sho uld come on to
i ndicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also produces
heat, which could resu lt in overheating or
other damage to the veh icle or other proper ­
ty .
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::r ' Tongue weight
The maximum permitt ed tongue weight of the
trailer drawbar on the trailer hitch ball head may
not be exceeded .
If the tongue we ight is too low, this affects the
trailer's handling . For driv in g safety, we recom­
mend to always utilize the maximum permitted
tongue weight, but not exceed it. You can reach
it, for example , by distributing the cargo in the
trailer correctly.
You can determine the tongue weight, for exam­
ple, with a bathroom scale or a public weigh sta ­
tion .
The permitted tongue weight of your veh icle can
be found in the vehicle documentation or in
¢page 376.
Load distribution
Poor cargo load and distribution can negatively
i mpact ve hicle handl ing.
- Store objects preferably in the vehicle luggage
compartment . The vehicle shou ld always carry
the heaviest possible load and the trailer
shou ld have the lightest possible load.
- Distribute the load in the tra iler so that the
heavy objects are as close to the axle as possi­
ble.
- Secure objects from slid ing out of p lace.
- Utilize the maximum permitted tongue weight
if possible .
Tires
Set the tire pressure on your vehicle for a "full
load"; see the t ire pressure sticker¢
page 340.
If necessary, also adjust the tire pressure on the
trailer according to the manufacturer's recom­
mendation .
The tire pressure must be increased an addi tional
3 PS I (0 .2 bar) for towing loads over 6,600 lbs
(3,000 kg) .
W inter tires shou ld be mounted on the vehicle
and on the trailer during winter temperatures .
Trailer towing
Outside mirrors
If you cannot see the traffic behind the trailer
with the standard exterior mirrors, then you
must attach additional exterior mirrors. Adjust
them so you have a sufficient visibility behind
you.
Exterior lighting
Follow the legal regu lations rega rding the light ­
ing equipment on your trailer. Contact an author­
ized Audi dea ler or authorized Audi Service Facili­
ty for more information.
Before starting to drive , check all lighting eq uip­
ment on the hitched trailer.
T he headl ight range cont rol adj usts automat ica l­
ly to the light range of the headlights .
Safety chains
Make sure the safety chains are correctly applied
when pulling a trailer . The cha ins should hang
enough so that the trailer can drive around
curves . Howeve r, they must not touch the
ground.
Air suspension
Applies to: vehicles with air suspension
The air suspens ion must be at the standard vehi ­
cle he ight before you set the tongue weight on
the tra iler and hitch the trailer¢@ ,
¢page 130,
Raising/lowering the vehicle.
For vehicles with a factory-installed trailer hitch,
the a ir suspension trailer mode w ill automatically
switch on if you connect the trailer cable to the
socket.
For vehicles with a retrofitted trailer hitch, you
must sw itch on the a ir suspension trailer mode
manua lly . Select in the Infotainment system:
IMENU I button> Vehicle > left control button>
Vehicle settings > Air suspension: trailer. Switch
it off again after towing a trailer.
You can also sw itch off trailer mode manually
wh ile dr iving, for example, whe n using a bicycle
rack system. ..,.
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:E ' Assistance systems Speed warning system
Description
App lies to: vehicles with speed warning system
The speed warning system helps you to stay be­
low a specified maximum speed that can be set,
changed or deleted in the Infotainment system .
The speed warning system warns you if you are
exceeding the maximum speed that you have set .
A warning tone will sound as soon as your speed
exceeds the stored value slightly . The indicator
l ight also turns on in the instr ument cluster d is­
p lav
[0] (USA models)/ [81 (Ca nada models) and
a message. The indica tor l igh t
[0]/ [OJ and the
message turn off if the speed fa lls back be low
the stored maximum speed.
Sett ing a threshold is recommended if you would
like to be reminded when yo u reach a certa in
maximum speed . Situations where you may want
to do so include driving in a country with a gener ­
al speed lim it or if there is a specified maximum
speed for winter tires.
Setting the warning threshold
Select in the I nfotai nment system:
IMENU I but­
ton
> Ve hicle > le ft control button > Dri ver a ss is ­
tance
> Speed warning > Manual.
@ Tips
Regard less of the speed warning system, you
should always monitor yo ur speed using the
speedomete r and make sure you are following
the legal speed limit.
A ssi st a nce systems
Cruise control system
Switching on
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
The cruise con trol system makes it possible to
drive at a constant speed starting at 15 mph
(20 km/h) .
0
f
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Fig. 89 Op era ting leve r: cru ise co ntrol sys te m
.,. To switch t he system on, pull the lever into po-
sition
(D ¢ fig. 89 .
.,. Drive at the speed to be maintained.
.,. To store the speed, press the button @.
T he stored speed and the
@jltJ~i, (USA models) /
l'I (Canada models) ind icator lig ht appear in the
instrument cluster display . An additional indica­
tor appears in the head-up display*.
T he speed is mainta ined by modifyi ng engine
power or through an active brake intervention.
A WARNING
- Always pay attention to the traffic a round
you when the cruise control system is in op­
eration . You are always responsible for you r
speed and the distance be tween your ve hi­
cle and othe r vehicles .
- For safety reasons, cru ise cont rol should not
be used in the city, in stop -and-go t raff ic, on
winding roads a nd when road conditions a re
poor (su ch as ice, fog, g rave l, heavy ra in and
hy droplani ng), bec ause this in cr eases the
risk of an acciden t.
- S witch the cr uise con trol off tempor arily
when dr iv in g in turning lanes, highway exits
or in construction zones.
- P lease no te th at uncon sc iously "resting "
your foot on the accelerator ped al prevents
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::r ' The all-wheel drive system distributes the driving
power variably to the front and rear ax le . It works
together with se lective whee l torque contro l,
which activates when driving through curves
c:::;, page 142. With the sport differentia l", power
distribution to the rear wheels is variable and can be adjusted using the drive select
¢ page 128.
The all wheel drive concept is designed for high
engine power. Your vehicle is exceptionally pow­
erful and has excellent driving characteristics
both under normal driving condit ions and on
snow and ice . Always read and fo llow safety pre­
cautions
c:::;, /1),.. .
Winter tires
By us ing all wheel drive, your vehicle has good
forward motion with standard tires in w inter con ­
ditions . However, using winter or all season tires
on
all four wheels in the winter is recommended,
because this will improve the
braking effect.
Snow chains
If there are snow chain laws, snow chains must
also be used on vehicles with all wheel drive
c:::;, page 346, Snow chains .
Replacing tires
For vehicles with all wheel dr ive, only wheels w ith
the same rolling circumference should be used .
Avoid using tires w ith different tread depths
c:::;, page 33 7, New tires or wheels.
A WARNING
- Also, in vehicles with al l wheel drive, adapt
yo ur driv in g style to the current road and
traffic conditions. Do not let the increased
safety provided tempt you into taking risks,
because this increases the risk of an acci­
dent.
- T he braking ability of your vehicle is limited
to the traction of the wheels. In this way, it
is not different from a two whee l drive vehi ­
cle. Do not be tempted to accelerate to a
high speed when the road is slippery, be­
cause this increases the risk of a n accident.
- Note that on wet streets, the front wheels
can "hydroplane" if driving at speeds that
are too high. Unlike front wheel drive
Intelligent Technology
vehicles, the engine does not rev higher sud­
denly when the vehicle begins hydroplaning.
For this reason, adapt your speed to the
road conditions to reduce the risk of an acci­
dent.
Energy management
Your vehicle is equipped with an intelligent ener­
gy management system for distributing electrici­
ty. This significantly improves the start ing ability
and increases the vehicle battery life.
(D Tips
-If you dr ive short distances frequently, the
vehicle battery may not charge enough
w hile driving . As a result, convenience func­
tions for e lectr ical equipment may be tem­
porarily unavailable.
- The vehicle battery w ill gradually drain if
the vehicle is not driven for long periods of
time, or if electr ical eq uipm ent is used
when the engine is not running. To ensure
that the vehicle can still be started, the
electrical equipment wi ll be reduced or
switched off.
Notice about data
recorded by the Event
Data Recorder and
vehicle control modules
Event Data Recorder
This vehicle is equipped with an Event Data Re­
corder (EDR). The main purpose of an EDR is to
record, in certain crash or near crash-like situa­
t ions, such as an airbag deployment or hitt ing a
road obstacle, data that w ill ass ist in understand­
ing how a vehicle's systems performed. The EDR
is des igned to record data related to vehicle dy­
nam ics and safety systems for a short per iod of
time, typicall y 30 seconds or less. The EDR in this
vehicle is designed to record such data as:
- How various systems in your veh icle were oper­
ating;
- Whether or not the driver and passenger safety
be lts were buckled/fastened; .,.
147

Wheels
Wheels
Wheels and T ires
General information
~check your tires regularly for
damage (punctures, cuts, cracks
and bulges). Remove foreign ob ­
jects from the tire tread.
~ If driving over curbs or similar
obstacles, drive slowly and ap­ proach the curb at an angle.
~Have faulty tires or rims re­
placed immediately.
~ Protect your tires from oil,
grease and fuel.
~ Mark tires before removing
them so that the same running
direction can be maintained if
they are reinstalled.
~Lay tires flat when storing and
store them in a cool, dry location
with as little exposure to light as
possible.
_&. WARNING -
-Never drive faster than the maximum permitted speed
for your tires. This could cause
the tires to heat up too much.
This increases the risk of an
accident because it can cause
the tire to burst .
-Always adapt your driving to the road and traffic condi-
330
tions . Drive carefully and re­
duce your speed on icy or slip­
pery roads . Even winter tires
can lose traction on black ice.
(@ Note
-Please note that summer and
winter tires are designed for
the conditions that are typical
i n those seasons . Aud i recom­
mends using winter tires dur­
ing the winter months . Low
temperatures significantly de­
crease the elasticity of summ­
er tires, which affects traction
and braking ability. If summer
tires are used in very cold
temperatures, cracks can form
on the tread bars, resulting in
permanent tire damage that
can cause loud driving noise
and unbalanced tires.
-Burnished, polished or chromed rims must not be used in winter driving condi­
t ions. The surface of the r ims
does not have sufficient corro­
sion protection for this and
could be permanently dam ­
aged by road salt or similar
substances.

Wheel s
0 US DOT number (TIN) and
manufacture date
T he manufacture date is listed on
the tire sidewall (it may only ap­
pear on the inner side of the tire) :
DOT ... 2217 ...
means, for example, that the tire
was produced in the 22nd week of
the year 2017.
@ Audi Original Tires
Audi Original equipment tires
with the designation "AO" have
been specially matched to your
Audi. When used correctly, these
tires meet the highest standards
for safety and handling. An au ­
thorized Audi dealer or author­
ized Audi Service Facility will be
able to provide you with more in­
formation.
® Mud and snow capability
"M/5" or "M+S" indicates the tire
has properties ma king it suitable
to drive in mud or snow.
& indi­
cates a winter t ire .
@) Compos ition of the tire cord
and materials
T he number of plies indicates the
number of rubberized fabric lay­
ers in the tire . In general: the
more layers, the more weight a
332
tire can carry. Tire manufacturers must also specify the materials
used in the tire . These include
steel , nylon, po lyester and other
materials .
@ Maximum permitted load
This number indicates the max i­
mum load in kilograms and
pounds that the tire can carry.
@ Uniform tire quality grade
standards for treadwear,
tr action and temper ature
resistance
Treadwear, traction and tempera­
ture ranges ¢
page 346.
@ Running direction
The arrows indicate the running
direction of unidirectional tires.
You must always follow the speci­
fied running direction
¢ page 362 .
@Maximum permitted
inflation pressure
This number indicates the maxi­
mum pressure to which a tire can
be inflated under normal operat­
ing condit ions .

Wheels
differently even if they are the
same size
i=:> &. -
.,,. If you would like to equip your
vehicle with a tire/rim combina­
tion that is different from what
was installed at the factory, con­
sult with an authorized Audi
dealer or authorized Audi Service
Facility before making a pur­
chase
i=:> ,&. .
Because the spare tire* is differ­
ent from the regular tires instal­
led on the vehicle (such as winter
tires or wide tires), only use the
spare tire* temporarily in case of
emergency and drive carefully
while it is in use . It should be re­
placed with a regular tire as soon
as possible.
All four wheels must be equipped
with tires that are the same brand
and have the same construction
and tread pattern so that the
drive system is not damaged by
different tire speeds . For this rea­
son, in case of emergency, only
use a spare tire* that is the same
circumference as the regular
tires.
A WAR NING ~ -
-Do not use steel rims that are
17 inches or larger. Other-
338
wise, damage to the vehicle
and an accident could result .
-Only use tire/rim combina­
tions and su itable wheel bolts
that have been approved by
Audi . Otherwise, damage to
the vehicle and an accident could result.
-For technical reasons, it is not
possible to use tires from oth­
er vehicles -in some cases,
you cannot even use ti res from
the same vehicle model.
-Make sure that the tires you
select have enough clearance
to the vehicle . Replacement
tires should not be c hosen
simply based on the nominal
size, because tires with a dif ­
ferent construction can differ
greatly even if they are the
same size. If there is not
enough clearance, the tires or
the vehicle can be damaged and this can reduce driving
safety and increase the risk of
an accident .
-Only use tires that are more
than six years old when abso ­
lutely necessary and drive
carefully when doing so.
- Run-flat tires* may only be
used on vehicles that were
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::r ' be five 150 lb s. pa ssenge rs in
y o ur vehi cle, th e am ount of
ava ilable cargo a nd lu ggage
l oa d cap acity is 650 lb s.
(1400-750 (5
X 150) = 650
lb s.)
5 . Determine th e combined
w eight of lu gga ge and cargo
bein g load ed on the vehicle .
Th at w eight m ay not sa fel y
ex ­
ceed th e av ail able car go and
lu ggage l oad capa city ca lc ul at­
e d in St ep 4 .
6 . If your vehicle will b e to wing a
tr ail e r, load from your tr ailer
will b e tran sferr ed to your
v e­
hi cle . C on sul t thi s manual t o
dete rmin e how this re du ces
th e av ailabl e c argo and lug­
ga ge load cap acity o f your vehi­
c le.
.,. Che ck th e tir e s idewall
(c:::> p ag e 33 1, fig. 269) to det er­
min e the de signated load r ating
for a specific tire.
Wheel bolts and rims
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must be clean and loosen/t ighten
eas ily .
Rims
Rims w ith a bolted rim ring* o r with bolted wheel
cove rs* consis t of multip le pieces. These compo­
nents were bolted together using specia l bolts
Wheels
and a spec ia l proced ure. Yo u must not repair or
disass emb le them <::>
.&..
A WARNING
--
Wheel bo lts that are tightened or repaired in­
correct ly can become loose and resu lt in loss
of vehicle contro l, wh ich increases the risk of
an accident . For the cor rect tighten ing specifi­
cation, see <::>
page 362, Finishing .
-Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel h ub clean and free of
g rease .
- Only use wheel bolts that fit the rim .
- Always have damaged rims repaired by an
author ized Audi dealer or author ized Audi
Serv ice Facility . Never repair or disassemb le
rims yo urself, because th is increases the r isk
of an acc ident.
Winter tires
Winter tires sign ifican tly imp rove the vehi cle's
handling when dr iv ing in winter conditions . B e­
ca use of their const ruct ion (w idth, compou nd,
tread pattern), summer tires provide less trac ­
tion on ice and snow .
.,. Use winter tires on all four wheels.
.,. On ly use winter tires that a re app roved fo r yo ur
ve hicle.
.,. Please not e that th e maximum permitted
speed may be lower with winter ti res
c:> &. in
General information on page 330 .
An author­
ized Aud i dealer or authori zed Aud i Serv ice Fa­
cility can inform you about t he maximum per ­
m itted speed for your tires .
.,. Check the tire p ressure afte r insta lling wheels
<::> page 340 .
The effectiveness of w inter tires is reduced great­
ly when t he tread is wo rn down to a depth of
0.16 in (4 mm). The cha racter istics of w inte r
t ir es also decrease g reatly as the t ire ages, re ­
gard less o f th e rem aining t read.
@ For the sake of the environment
Reinstall summer tires at the app ropr iate
time , beca use they prov ide bette r handling
when roa ds are free o f snow and ice. Summer ..,.
345