winter tires AUDI A7 2017 Owner´s Manual

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lead to greater tire wear and will affect driving
behav ior.
Do not drive on
winter tires year-round , as this
will consume up to 10% more fuel.
Eliminate unnecessary weight
Since every kilogram of extra weight increases
fuel consumption, a quick inspection of the lug­
gage compartment may be worth it to avoid un­
necessary weight.
When not being used, a roof rack should be re­ moved to decrease the wind resistance of the ve­
hicle. You will save approximately 12% of your
fuel when at speeds from 62-75 mph (100-120 km/h).
Save energy
The engine drives the generator, which generates
electricity; the fuel consumption also increases
with the demand for electricity. Therefore, switch
electrical equipment off when you no longer
need it. Examples of equipment that uses a lot of
energy are air blowers at a high setting, the rear
window defogger and seat heating*.
CD Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended after
starting. If warning lights should come on to
indicate improper operation, they would go
unheeded. Extended idling also produces
heat, which could result in overheating or
other damage to the vehicle or other proper­
ty .
CD Note
-Have your vehicle maintained properly and
in accordance with the service recommenda­
tions in your Warranty
& Maintenance book ­
let. Lack of proper maintenance as well as
improper use of the vehicle will impair the
function of the emission control system and
could lead to damage .
- Do not alter or remove any component of
the Emission Control System unless ap­
proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such as
heat shields, switches, ignition wires,
Driving
valves , which are designed to protect your
vehicle's Emission Control System and other
important vehicle components.
(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 vehicle
load and speed, road and weather conditions,
trip length, etc .
Steering
Manual steering wheel position adjustment
Applies to: vehicles with manual steering wheel adjustment
The steering wheel position is adjustable up and
down and forward and back.
Fig. 74 L eve r o n t he stee ring col umn
"'Pull the lever in the direction of the arrow
Q &_ .
"' Bring the steering wheel into the desired posi­
tion.
"' Push the lever against the steering column un­
til it is secure.
_& WARNING
~ -
Improper use of steering wheel adjustment
and improper seating position can cause seri ­
ous personal injury.
-Adjust the steering wheel column only when the vehicle is not moving to prevent loss of
vehicle control.
- Adjust the driver's seat or steering wheel so
that there is a minimum of 10 in (25 cm) between your chest and the steering wheel
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Assist Speed warning system
Applies to: vehicles with speed warning system
The speed warning system helps you to stay un­
der a specified maximum speed.
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 . (USA models)/ . (Canada models) indi­
cator light and a message appear in the instru­
ment cluster display at the same time. The./
• indicator light and the message turn off if the
speed falls back below the stored maximum
speed .
Setting a threshold is recommended if you would
like to be reminded when you reach a certain
maximum speed. Situations where you may want
to do so include driving in a country with a gener­
al speed limit or if there is a specified maximum
speed for winter tires.
Setting the warning threshold
The warning threshold is set in the Infotainment
system.
.. Select: the
ICARI function button > (Car)* Sys­
tems control button > Driver assistance >
Speed warning.
@ Tips
Regardless of the speed warning system, you
should always monitor your speed using the
speedometer and make sure you are following
the legal speed limit.
Assist
Cruise control system
Switching on
Applies to: vehicles with cruise control system
The cruise control system makes it possible to
drive at a constant speed starting at 20 mph (30
km/h) .
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Fig. 86 Operating leve r: cru ise cont rol system
.. To switch the cruise control on, pull the lever
into position @~ fig. 86.
.. Drive at the speed to be maintained .
.. To store the speed, press the button @.
Th e stored speed and the
[lljlfJ~il (USA models) /
l'I (Canada models) indicator light are displayed
in the instrument cluster.
T his information is also shown briefly in the
Head-up display* .
The speed is maintained by modifying engine
power or through an active brake intervention.
A WARNING
-Always pay attention to the traffic around
you when the cruise control system is in op­
eration . You are always responsible for your
speed and the distance between your vehi­
cle and other vehicles.
- For safety reasons, cruise control should not
be used in the city, in stop-and-go traffic, on
winding roads and when road conditions are poor (such as ice, fog, gravel, heavy ra in and
hydroplaning), because this inc reases the
risk of an accident.
- Switch the cruise control off temporarily
when dr iv ing in turning lanes, highway exits
-
or in construction zones . ~
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Winter tires
By using all wheel drive, your vehicle has good
forward motion with standard tires in winter con­
ditions . However, in winter we recommend using
winter or all season tires on all four wheels, be­
cause 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
¢ page 227, Snow chains.
Replacing tires
For vehicles w ith all whee l dr ive, only whee ls w ith
the same rolling circumference should be used .
Avoid using tires with different tread depths
¢ page 218, New tires or wheels.
Offroad vehicle?
Your Audi is not an offroad vehicle -there is not
enough ground clearance. For this reason, avoid
difficult terrain.
_& WARNING
-Also, in vehicles with a ll wheel drive, adapt
your dr iving style to the current road and
traff ic conditions. Do not let the increased
safety provided tempt you into taking risks,
because this increases the risk of an acci­
dent .
- The braking ability of your vehicle is limited
to the traction of the wheels . In this way, it
is not different from a two wheel dr ive vehi­
cle. Do not be tempted to accelerate to a
high speed when the road is slippery, be­
cause this increases the risk of an accident .
- Note that on wet streets, the front wheels
can "hydroplane" if driving at speeds that
are too high. Unlike front wheel drive
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.
Intelligent Technology
Rear spoiler
The extendable rear spoiler increases driving sta­
bility.
Fig. 141 Center console: button for the rear spoiler
T he rear spo iler retracts and extends. Var ious op­
erating modes (automatic o r manua l mode) can
be activated .
Automatic mode (normal operation)
-Extends automatically: when the vehicle speed
exceeds approx imately 80 mph (130 km/h) .
- Retracts automat ically: when the vehicle speed
drops below approx imately SO mph (80 km/h).
Manual mode
- Extending manually: briefly tap the button to
fully extend the rear spoiler.
- Retracting manually: when driving at speeds
below approximately 10 mph (20 km/h), press
and hold the button to retract the rear spoiler.
When at speeds between 10 mph (20 km/h)
and 80 mph (130 km/h), the rear spoiler will
completely retract when you tap the button.
Indicator lights
lfa /. Rear spoiler: System fault!
The rear spoiler may not have extended due to a
malfunction . This cou ld change the vehicle 's driv­
ing characteristics at high speeds. Do not drive
faster than 85 mph (140 km/h) . Drive to an au­
thorized Audi dealer or authorized Audi Service Facility immed iately to have the malfunction cor ­
rected . The color of the indicator light depends
on the vehicle speed .
125

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Wheels
Wheels and Tires
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.
.,.M ark 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.
(D Note
-Please note that summer and
winter tires are designed for
the conditions that are typical in those seasons. Audi recom­
mends using winter tires dur­
ing the winter months. Low
temperatures significantly de­ crease the elasticity of summ­
er tires, which affects traction
Wheels
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
tions. The surface of the rims
does not have sufficient corro­
sion protection for this and
could be permanently dam­ aged by road salt or similar
substances.
Tire designations
Fig. 190 T ir e designations on the side -
wall Ill>
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Wheels
(D Tires for passenger vehicles
(if applicable)
P indicates a tire for a passenger
vehicle. T indicates a tire desig­
nated for temporary use.
@ Nominal width
Nominal width of the tire be­
tween the sidewalls in millime­
ters. In general: the larger the
number, the wider the tire.
@ Aspect ratio
Height/width ratio expressed as a
percentage.
@ Tire construction
R indicates a radial tire.
® Rim diameter
Size of the rim diameter in inches.
@ Load index and speed rating
The load index indicates the tire's
load-carrying capacity.
The speed rating indicates the maximum permitted speed
¢ & in
Winter tires on page 22
7.
"EXTRA LOAD", "xl" or "RF" indi­
cates that the tire is reinforced or
is an Extra Load tire.
Speed rat- Maximum permitted speed
ing
p
up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (160 km/h)
212
Speed rat- Maximum permitted speed
Ing
R
up t o 106 mph (170 km/h)
s up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
T up to 1 18 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)al
z above 149 mph (240 km/h)al
w up to 168 mph (270 km/h)al
y up to 186 mph (300 km/h)al
a) For tires above 149 mph (240 km/h),
tire manufacturers sometimes use the
code "ZR".
(j) US DOT number (TIN) and
manufacture date
The manufacture date is listed on
the tire sidewall (it may only ap­
pear on the inner side of the tire):
DOT ... 2216 ...
means, for example, that the tire
was produced in the 22nd week of
the year 2016.
@ 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.

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® Mud and snow capability
"M/5" or "M+S" indicates the tire
is suitable for driving on mud and
snow. £ indicates a winter tire.
@Composition of the tire cord
and materials
The number of plies indicates the
number of rubberized fabric lay­
ers in the tire . In general: the
more layers, the more weight a
tire can carry. Tire manufacturers
must also specify the materials
used in the ti re . These inc lude
stee l, nylon, polyester and other
materials.
@ Maximum permitted load
This number indicates the maxi­
mum load in kilograms and
pounds that the tire can carry.
@ Un iform tire quality grade
standards for treadwear,
traction and temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and temper­
ature ranges¢
page 229 .
@ Running direction
The arrows indicate the running
direction of unidirectional tires.
You must always follow the speci­
fied running direction
¢page 248 .
~ Maximum permitted
inflation pressure
Wheels
T his number indicates the maxi­
mum pressure to which a tire can
be inflated under normal operat ­
ing conditions .
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 t ransmission, power steer ­
ing, power brakes, power win­
dows , powe r seats, radio, and
heater, to the extent tha t these
items are avai lab le as factory- in­
stalled equipment (whether in­
s t alled or not).
Aspect ratio
means the ratio of the height to
the w idth of the tire in percent.
Numbers of 55 or lower indicate a
low sidewall for improved steer­
ing response and better overall
handling on dry pavement .
Bead
means the part of the tire that is
made of steel wires, wrapped or
reinfo rced by ply cords and that is
shaped to fit the rim. ...
213

Wheels
Rim
means a metal support for a tire
or a tire and tube assembly upon
which the t ire beads are seated .
Rim diameter
means nominal diameter of the
bead seat . If you change your
wh eel size, you will have to p ur­
chase new tires to match the new
rim d iameter .
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and w idth.
Rim width
means nomina l distance between
r im flanges .
Sidewall
means that portion of a t ire be­
twee n the tread and bead .
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at which a t ire is
designed to be driven for extend­
ed periods of ti me. The ratings
range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
to 186 mph (298 km/h)
¢ table
on page 212 .
You may not find
this information on all tires be­
cause it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code,
wh ere applicable, is molded on
the tire sidewall and ind icates the
2 16
maximum permissible road
speeds
¢ A in Winter tires on
page 227 .
Tire pressure monitoring
system *
means a system that detects
when one or mo re of a vehicle's
tires a re underinflated and illumi ­
nates a low tire pressure war ning
telltale .
Tread
means that portion of a tire that
comes into contact wi th the road.
Tread separation
means pulling away of the tread
from the tire carcass .
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the project ions wi thin the
pr inc ipal grooves designed to g ive
a visua l indication of the degrees
of wear of the tread . See
¢ page 2 20, Treadwear indicator
for mo re information on meas ur­
ing tire wear.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
i s a tire informa tion system devel ­
oped by the Unite d States Nation ­
a l Highway Traffic Safety Admin­
istration (NHTSA) that is designed
to help buyers make re lative
..

Wheels
for the number of seating posi­tions. Refer to the table¢
table
on page 223
for the number of
people that correspond to the ve­
hicle normal load.
New tires or wheels
Audi recommends having all work on tires or wheels performed by
an authorized Audi dealer or au­
thorized Audi Service Facility.
These facilities have the proper
knowledge and are equipped with
the required tools and replace­ ment parts.
... New tires do not yet have the
optimum gripping properties.
Drive carefully and at moderate
speeds for the first 350 miles
(500 km) with new tires .
... use tires of the same construc­
tion, size (rolling circumference)
and as close to the same tread pattern as possible on all four
wheels.
... use tires of the same construc­
tion, size (rolling circumference)
and the same tread pattern on
all four wheels.
... Do not replace tires individually.
At least replace both tires on the
same axle at the same time .
218
.,.Audi recommends that you use
Audi Original Tires. If you would like to use different tires, please
note that the tires may perform
differently even if they are the
same size
¢ &. -
... 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¢
& -
The spare tire* is different from
the regular tires installed on the
vehicle - for example, if winter
tires or wide tires are installed - so only use the spare tire* tempo ­
rarily in case of emergency and
drive carefully while it is in use . It
should be replaced with a regular
tire as soon as possible.
Applies to: vehicles with all wheel drive
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 ...

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and a special procedure. You must not repair or
disassemble them ¢.&. .
A WARNING
Wheel bolts that are tightened or repaired in­
correctly can become loose and result in loss
of vehicle control, which increases the risk of
an acc ident. For the correct tightening specifi ­
cation, see ¢
page 244, After changing a
wheel .
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hub clean and free of grease.
- Only use wheel bolts that fit the rim .
- Always have damaged r ims repa ired by an
authorized Audi dealer o r autho rized Aud i
Service Facility . Never repair or d isassemble
rims yourself, because this increases the risk
of an accident.
Winter tires
W inte r ti res s ignificantly improve the vehicle's
h andling when driving in win ter condit ions . Be­
cause of the ir constr uction (width, compound,
tread pattern), summer tires provide less trac­
tion on ice and snow .
... Use w inter t ires on all fo ur wheels .
... Only use winter t ires that are approve d for your
v ehicl e.
... Please note that the maximum permitted
speed may be lower with winter tires¢.&_ . An
authorized Aud i dealer or au thori zed Aud i Serv­
ice Fac ility can inform you about the maximum
permitted speed fo r your tires .
... Check the tire press ure after installing wheels
¢page 221.
The effectiveness of winter tires is reduced great­
l y when the tread is worn down to a depth of
0 .1 57 in ( 4 mm). The character ist ics of winter
tires a lso de crease great ly as the tire ages, re­
ga rdless of the remain ing tread.
WARNING
- Never drive faster than the maxim um per ­
mitted speed for your t ires. This cou ld cause
the tires to heat up too much. Th is increases
Wh eel s
the risk of an accident because it can cause
the t ire to burst.
- Always adapt your driving to the road and
traffic cond itions . Drive carefully and reduce
your speed on icy or slippery roads . Even
winter t ires can lose tract io n on black ice.
@ For the sake of the environment
Reinsta ll summer tires at the app ropr iate
time, beca use they prov ide better handling
when roads are free of snow and ice. Summer
tires cause less road no ise, tire wear and fue l
consumpt io n.
(D Tips
You can also use all season tires instead of
winter tires. Please note that in some coun­
tries where winter tires are required, on ly
winter tires w ith the
& symbo l may be per­
mitted .
Snow chains
Snow ch ains not o nly improve t he d riv in g in win ­
te r road condit ions, bu t also the braking .
... On ly install snow cha ins on the fron t wheels .
Th is applies a lso to vehicles with a ll w heel
drive * .
... Check and correct the se ating of the snow
chai ns after driving a few feet, if necessary . Fol ­
low th e instructions from the manufacturer.
... Note the maximum speed of 30 mph (SO km/
h). Note the local regula tions .
U se of snow cha ins is only permitted with certa in
rim/tire combinat ions due to technical reasons .
Check with an autho riz ed Audi dealer or author­
i z ed Audi Service Facility to see if you may use
snow c hains .
Yo u m ust remove the snow chains on roads with­
o ut snow . Otherw ise, you co uld impai r dr iving
ability and damage the t ires .
A WARNING ,_
Using incor rect snow chains or installing snow
cha ins incor rectly can resu lt in loss of veh icle
~
227

Wheels
co ntrol, w hich inc reases t he risk of an
accident .
(D Note
-Snow cha ins can damage the rims/whee l
covers * if the chains come into d irect con ­
tact with them. Remove the whee l cove rs *
first. Use coated snow chains.
- Usin g sn ow chains that a dd more than 0 .4
i nch (10.5 mm) of he ight can severely dam­
age the wheel ho usings and other vehicle
components .
- Do not install and use snow chains if there is
a malfunct ion in the adaptive air suspen­
s io n*, because the vehicle height wi ll be
very low . If yo u drive with snow chains any ­
way, the wheel ho usings a nd othe r vehicle
co mp onen ts ca n be severe ly da mage d.
(D Tips
When using snow cha ins, it may b e usef ul to
sw itch on spo rt mo de
~ pag e 12 1.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Aud i is f actory-equipped wi th low aspec t ra­
t io tires. The se tir es h ave bee n thor oughly te sted
and b een se lected s pecific ally fo r yo ur model fo r
their superb perfo rmance , road feel and hand ling
un der a va riety of driving conditions. As k yo ur au ­
thor ized Audi dealer for mo re details .
Th e low aspect ratio of these tires is indi cate d by
a nume ra l of
55 or less in t he tire's size desig na­
tion. The nume ra l r ep resents the rat io of t he
tire's sidewall he ight i n relat ion to its tread wi dth
expressed in pe rcentage. Conventional tires have
a heig ht/w idt h rat io o f 60 o r mo re.
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 221.
228
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more eas i­
l y by impact with potho les, curbs, gullies or
r idges on the road, particularly if the tire is un ­
der inflated.
In orde r to mi nimize the occurrence of impact
damage to the tires o f yo ur vehicle, we recom ­
mend that you observe the following preca u­
tions:
- Always maintain recommended inflation pres ­
sures. Check yo ur tire pressure every 2,000
m iles (3,000 km) and add a ir if necessary.
- Dr ive carefully on roa ds w it h potholes, deep
gullies o r ridges. The impact from dr iv ing
throug h or over such obstacles can damage
your t ires. Impac t with a curb may a lso ca use
damage to yo ur tir es.
- After a ny impact, immed iate ly inspect you r
tires or have them inspected by the nearest au ­
t horize d Aud i dealer . Replace a damage d tire as
soo n as poss ible .
- Inspec t your tir es ev ery 2,000 m iles (3,000 km)
for d amage and wear . Damage is no t always
easy to see . Da mage ca n lead to loss o f air and
un derinfla tion, w hich could eve ntually ca use
t ire f ailure. If yo u be lieve th at a tir e m ay h ave
been dam age d, rep la ce the tire as soon as pos ­
sible .
- These tire s may wea r mo re quick ly th an ot hers.
- Ple ase also remember th at , while t hese tires
delive r respo nsive h andli ng, they may rid e less
c omforta bly an d make mo re noise than o ther
choices .
Reduced performance in winter/cold season
conditions
A ll t ires are des igned for certain purposes . T he
l ow aspect ratio, ultra h igh performance tires
o rigina lly installed on your veh icle are inten ded
fo r max imum d ry and wet road per formance and
h andling . They a re not suitable fo r co ld, snowy or
i cy weather conditions . If yo u drive under those
c ir cums tances, you should eq uip yo ur vehicle
wi th all-season o r winter tires, which offer be tter
t ra ct io n und er th ose condi tions. We suggest yo u ..,.