load capacity AUDI Q7 2014 Owner´s Manual

can cause the roof rack or the items at­
tached to it to fall off the roof onto the
road.
- Objects falling from the roof of a vehicle
can cause a crash and personal injury.
- Only mount the system between the
markings shown in<=>
page 85, fig. 95.
-The roof rack system must be installed
exactly according to the instructions pro­
vided.
(D Note
- Your vehicle warranty does not cover any damages to the vehicle caused by using
roof racks or mounting structures not
approved by Audi for your vehicle. The
same applies to damage resulting from i ncorrect roof rack installation.
- Always check the roof rack mountings
and hardware before each trip and dur­
ing a tr ip to make sure everything is se­
curely tightened. If necessary, retighten
the mount ings and check the entire sys­
tem from time to time.
- After mounting a roof rack system, or
when you transport objects on the roof
of your veh icle, the height of the vehicle
i s natura lly increased. Be careful when
driving under low bridges or in parking
garages for example. This could cause
damage to the load and even the vehicle
itself.
Roof rack mounting locations
Roof racks must be installed only at the loca­ tions marked on the roof rails.
i
-
Fig. 95 Roof ra ils: front and rear mounting locat ions
Seats and storage 85
Mount the front and rear cross bars between
the punched markings on the inside of the
roof ra ilings
¢ fig . 95. The markings are locat­
ed on the inside of the railings.
Loading the roof rack
Always distribute loads evenly. Make sure
anything on the roof rack is securely tied
down.
.,. Always distribute the loads on the roof rack
even ly .
.,. Always attach items to the roof rack securely
before you drive off.
The maximum permissible roof weight is
220
lb (100 kg).
The roof weight is made up of
the weight of the roof rack system and the
weight of the object being transported.
When using a roof rack system which has a
lower load carrying capacity, you must not use
up the total maximum permissible load carry­
ing capacity specified above. Instead, you
should load the roof rack system only to the maximum capacity specified by the manufac­
turer of the roof rack system .
& WARNING
Weak, damaged or imprope r straps used
to secure items to the roof rack can fail
during hard braking or in a collision and
cause serious personal injury.
- Make sure the roof rack is installed exact­
ly as specified above¢
page 85 .
-Always use suitable mount ing straps for
securing items to the roof rack to help
prevent items from shifting or flying for­
ward.
- Items on the roof rack must a lways be
securely mounted.
- The use of a roof rack can negatively af­
fect the way a veh icle hand les. Cargo
that is large, heavy, bulky, long or flat
will have a greater negative influence on
the vehicle's aerodynamics, center of grav ity and overall handling. Always
drive slowly, avoid sudden braki ng and .,.

86 Seats and storage
maneuvers when transporting cargo on
the roof of your vehicle.
- Never exceed the maximum permissible
load carrying capacity of the roof o f your
vehicle, the perm issib le axle weights and
the permiss ible total weight of your veh i­
cle
c:> page 313, Weights.
CD Note
Make sure that the opened rear lid does
not come in contact with the cargo on the
roof.
@) For the sake of the environment
As a resu lt of the increased wind resist­
ance created by a roof rack, your vehicle is
using fuel unnecessarily. So remove the
roof rack after using it .
Cupholder
Front cupholders
The cupholders ore located in the center arm­
rest.
Fig . 96 Ce nter a rmrest: Be verage holder
• Open the cover at the recess on the side
c:> fig . 96 .
A maxim um of two beverages can be accom­
modated in the cent er armrest . T he second
beverage holder is located under a cove r.
A WARNING
Spilled hot liquid can cause an accident
and personal injury .
-
-Never carry any beverage containers with
hot liquids, such as hot coffee or hot tea, in the vehicle while it is moving
. In case
of an acc ident, sudden braking or other
veh icle movement, hot liquid could spill,
causing scalding burns . Spilled hot liquid
can also cause an accident and personal
in ju ry .
- Use o nly soft cups in the cupholder . Hard
cups and glasses can cause injury in an
accident.
CD Note
Only drink conta iners with lids should be
carried in the cupholder. Liquid could spill
out and damage you r vehicle's electron ic
equipment or stain the upholstery, etc.
(upholder in the rear center armrest
The cupholder is located in the center con­
sole .
Fig. 97 R ea r cen te r a rmre st: c upho ld er ext ended
• To open the cupholder, press on the symbo l
'i c:>fig . 97 .
• To close the cupho lder, press the corrugated
area @ and fold the cover down.
The holder @adjusts to the beve rage holder .
The cupholder is designed to ho ld no more
than two cups or cans.
A WARNING
-
Spilled hot liqu id can cause an accident
and personal injury .
-
-Never carry any beverage conta iners with
hot liquids, such as hot coffee or hot tea,
in the vehicle while it is moving. In case
of an acc ident, sudden braking or other
veh icle movement, hot liquid could spill,

to reduce the risk of inj ury when the vehi­
cle is not be ing used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es­
pecially with the rear lid left open . A
child could crawl into the vehicle through
the luggage compartment and close the
rear lid becoming trapped and unable to
get out . Be ing trapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious persona l injury .
- Never let children play in or around the vehicle .
- Never let passengers r ide in the luggage
compartment . Veh icle occupants must
always be properly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions.
(D Tips
- Air c irculation helps to reduce window
fogging . Sta le air escapes to the outside
th rough vents in the trim pane l. Be sure
to keep these slots free and open .
-The t ire pressure must correspond to the
load. The t ire pressure is shown on the
tire p ress ure label. The tire pressure la­
bel is located on the d river's s ide B-pi llar.
The t ire pressure label lists the recom­
mended cold tire inflat ion pressures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured .
For recommended t ire pressures for nor­
mal load conditions, please see chapter
c:> page277 .
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items .
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop­
erly
c:> page 1 70, Loading the luggage com­
partment.
In a coll is ion, the l aws of phys ics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi­
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
Dr iving S afel y 171
serious injury. Items in the veh icle possess en ­
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and th e
weight of the item . Vehicle speed is the most
s ignificant factor.
For example, in a fronta l collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a
10 -lb (5 kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item. This means th at
the weigh t of the item would suddenly be
about 200 lbs. (90 kg) . You can imagine the
i njur ies that a 200 lbs . (90 kg) item flying
freely th rough the passenger compartment
could cause in a co llision like this.
A WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur­
ing hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
-Always use s uitable mount ing straps and
properly secu re items to the tie-downs in
the l uggage compartment to he lp pre­
vent items from shift ing or f lying fo r­
ward as dangerous missiles.
- When the rear seat backrest is folded
down, a lways use suitable mounting
straps and properly secure items to the
tie-downs in the luggage compartment
to help p revent items from fly ing for­
ward as dangerous missiles into the pas­
senger compartment .
- Never attach a chi ld safety seat tether
strap to a t ie-down .
Reporting Safety
Defects
Applicable to U.S.A.
If yo u b elieve that your vehicle
ha s a defec t w hi ch could cau se
a c rash or co uld cause i njur y or
d ea th, you sh ould imm ediat ely
inform th e National Hi ghwa y
Tr affi c Sa fet y Admini strati on ..,.
•
•

224 Intelligent technology
Intelligent technology
Notice about data
recorded by vehicle
control modules
Your vehicle is not equipped with an Event Da­
ta Recorder (EDR), installed by some manu­
facturers fo r the express purpose of capturing
data for retrieval after an accident or crash
event . EDRs are sometimes ca lled "crash re­
corders".
Some state laws restrict the retr ieval or down­
loading of data stored by EDRs that were in­
stalled in a vehicle for the express purpose of
retrieving data after an accident or crash
event without the owner's consent.
A lthough your vehicle is not equipped with an
EDR, it is equipped with a number of electron­
ic control modules for various vehicle systems
such as, for examp le, engine function, emis­
sion control, as well as for the airbags and
safety belts .
These electronic contro l modules also record
vehicle-related data during normal vehicle op­
eration for diagnostic and repair purposes.
The recording capacity of the electronic con­
trol modules is limited to data (no sound is re­
corded) and only a small amount of data is ac­
tually recorded over a very limited period of
time and stored when a system fault or other
condition is sensed by a control unit. Some of
the data then stored may relate to vehicle
speed, direction, braking as we ll as restraint
system use and performance in the event of a
crash or other condition. Stored data can only
be read and downloaded with special equip­
ment.
Electronic Stabilization
Control (ESC)
Description
The Electronic Stabilization Control (ESC) rein­
forces driver safety. It reduces the risk of slip ­
p ing and improves driving stability. ESC de­
tects cr itical s ituations such as the vehicle oversteering and
understeering or the wheels
spinning . The vehicle is stabilized by applying
the brakes or reducing engine torque . Once
the ESC is active, the indicator light
G1 blinks
in the instrument cluster.
ESC includes the anti-lock brake system (ABS),
brake assist system, anti-slip regulation
(ASR), electronic differential lock (EDL) and
hill descent control.
Anti-lock brake system (ABS)
ABS prevents the whee ls from locking up
when braking. The vehicle can still be steered
even during hard braking. App ly steady pres­
sure to the brake pedal. Do not pump the ped­ al. A pulsing in the brake pedal indicates that
the system is helping you to brake the vehicle .
Brake assist system
The brake assist system can decrease braking
distance. It increases braking power when the
driver presses the brake pedal quickly in emer­
gency situations. You must press and hold the
brake pedal until the situation is over . In
vehicles with adaptive cruise control*, the
brake assist system is more sensitive if the
distance detected to the vehicle ahead is too
small.
Anti-slip regulation (ASR)
ASR reduces engine power when the drive
wheels begin to spin and adapts the force to
the road conditions. This makes it easier to
sta rt, accelerate and drive up hills.
Electronic differential lock (EDL)
The EDL brakes wheels that are spinning and
transfers the drive power to the other wheels .
This function is available up to about 60 mph
(100 km/h) .
In extreme cases, EDL automatically switches
off to help keep the brake on the braked wheel
from overheat ing. EDL will switch on again au­
tomat ically when conditions have returned to
normal.

274 T ire s and wheel s
-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
you are not sure of their "previous histo­
ry." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden t ire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- If you notice unusual vibration 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 designed for the cond itions that are
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means t he comb ined we ight (in excess of
those sta ndard items which may be rep laced)
of au toma tic tra nsmission, power steer ing,
power brakes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that th ese
items are availab le as factory -installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not) .
Aspect ratio
means t he ratio of the he ight to the w idth of
the tire in percent . Numbers of 55 or lower in ­
dicate a low sidewall for improved steering re­
sponse and better overall handling on dry pavement .
Bead
means the part of the ti re that is made of
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the
tire . typ
ica l in those seasons . Audi recommends
using winter tires during the winter
months . Low temperatures signif icant ly
decrease the e lasticity of summer tires,
which affects tract ion and brak ing ability.
If summer tires are used in very co ld tem­
peratures, cracks ca n form on the tread
bars, res ulting in permanent tire damage
that can cause loud driving no ise and un­
balan ced t ires. Audi is not responsible for
th is type of damage .
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire p ressu re recommended by t he
vehicle manufacturer fo r a tire of a des igna ted
s iz e that has not bee n driven for more than a
coup le of miles (k ilometers) at low speeds in
t h e three hour period before the tire pressure
is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
mea ns the we ight of a motor ve hicl e w ith
standard equipment including the max imum
capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi ­
tioning and additional weight of optiona l
equipment.
Extra load tire
me ans a t ire design to operate at higher loads
and at h igher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standard tire . Extra load tires may
be identified as "XL", "x l" , "EXTRA LOAD", or
"RF" on the sidewall.
Gross A xle Weight Rating ("GAWR ")
means the lo ad -c a rry ing c apac ity of a s ingle
axle system , measured a t the tire-ground in­
terfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR ")
mea ns the maximum total loaded we ight of
t h e ve hicl e. .,.

Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread
ribs.
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry for a given inflation pressure. You
may not find this information on all tires be­
cause it is no t req uired by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating for a t ire at the max i­
mum permissible inflation pressure for that
tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation pressure
to which a tire may be inflated. Also called "maximum inflation pressure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the
number of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the total seating capacity of your vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle.
Outer diameter
means the overa ll diamete r of an inflated new
tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteri­
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ ­
in g elevations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated parallel cords.
Tires and wheels 275
Production options weight
means the combined weight of those installed
regular production options we ighing over 5
lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard items
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory weight, including
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof rack,
heavy duty battery, and spec ial tr im .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in which the ply cords
that extend to the beads are laid at substan­
tia lly 90 degrees to the center line of the
tread .
Recommended inflation pressure
see ¢ page 2 7 4, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire design to operate at higher loads
and at h igher inflation pressures than the cor­
re sp onding standard tire. Reinforced tires
may be identified as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD",
or "RF" on the sidewa ll.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a t ire and
tube assembly upon which the tire beads are
seated.
Rim diameter
means nom inal diameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wheel s ize, you will have to
purchase new tires to match the new rim di­
ameter.
Rim size designation
means r im diameter and width .
Rim width
means nominal distance between rim flanges .
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the
tread and bead.
•
•

2 76 Tires and wheels
Speed rating (letter code)
means t he speed at wh ic h a tir e is des igned to
be d riven for extended per io d s of t ime. The
ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h) to
186 mph (298 km/h)
¢ page 285. You may
not find this informat ion on all tires because
it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code, w here applica­
b le, is molded on the tire sidewa ll and indi­
cates the maxim um permissible road speeds
¢ &. in Winter tires on page 289.
Tire pres sure monitoring sy stem
means a sys tem that detects when one or
mo re of a vehicle's t ires are under inflated and
i l lum inates a low t ire p ress ure warn ing te ll­
tale.
Tread
means t hat port ion of a tire tha t comes into
con tact w it h t he road.
Tread separation
means pull ing away of the t read from the t ire
car cass.
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means t he p rojections withi n the pr inc ipal
g rooves desig ned to give a v isua l ind ication of
the deg rees of wear of the tre ad. See
¢
pag e 283, Tread W ear Indicator (TWI) for
mo re in format io n on measu ring tire we ar.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a ti re i nfo rmation system developed by the
United States Nat io nal Highway Traffic Safety
Admin istration (N HTSA) that is designed to
h e lp buye rs make re lative compa risons among
tires. The UTQG i s not a s afety r ating and not a
g ua ran tee t hat a tire will las t fo r a presc ribed
n umber of m iles (kilome ters) or pe rform in a
certain way. It s imply gives tire b uye rs addi­
tional information to combine with other con- s
iderations, such as p rice, b rand loya lty and
dealer recommendations. Un der UTQG, tires
are grade d by the t ire manufacturers in three
areas: treadwear, traction, and temperature
resistance. The UTQG informat ion on the tires,
molded into the sidewalls .
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN)
T his is the tire's "se ria l number" It begins
with the letters "DOT" and ind icates that the
t ire meets all federa l standards. The next two
numbers o r letters ind icate the plant where it
was ma nufactu red, and the last four numbers
represe nt th e week and year of ma nufact ure.
For exampl e,
DOT ... 2213 ...
means that the tire was produced in t he 22nd
wee k of 2013. The other numbers are market­
ing codes that may or may not be used by the
t ire manufacturer. This information is used to
contact consumers if a tire defect requires a
r ecall.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and luggage load plus
150 lbs. (68 k ilograms) times the vehicle's to­
ta l seating capacity as listed on the label lo­
cated on the driver's side B-p illa r.
Vehicle maximum lo ad on the tire
means that load on an individua l tire that is
determined by distributing to eac h ax le its
share of the maxim um loaded vehicle weight
and divid ing by two.
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that load o n an individua l t ir e that is
determined by distrib uting to eac h ax le its
share of the curb weight, accessory weight, and normal occ upant weig ht (d istr ibuted in
accordance with tab le below¢
page 2 77)
and divid ing by two .

Tires and wheels 277
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load fo r various d esignated seat ing
capaci tie s
Designated seating capacity , Vehicle normal load , number Occupant distribution in a nor-
number of occupants of occupants mally loaded vehicle
5/6*/7" 3 2 in front, 1 in second seat
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle.
I
JJ
0
Fig. 249 Tire pressure labe l: located on driver 's s ide B·
p ill ar
Tire pressure genera lly refers to the amount
of air in a tire that it needs it to do its job and
safely carry the combined load of the entire
vehicle and its contents . Tire pressure is
measured in kilopasca ls (kPa), the i nte rna­
tional measur ing unit and in pounds pe r
squa re i nch (PSI). Tire pressure is based in
part on the vehicle 's design and load limi t -
the greatest amount of weight that the vehi­ cle can carry safe ly and the t ire size . The prop­
er tire pressure is frequent ly referred to as the
"recommended cold tire inflation pressure."
A ir in the tires expands when the tire heats up
because of internal friction when it flexes in
use . The tire p ressu re is higher when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "cold ."
It is the
i nflat ion p ressure i n a "cold " tire that counts.
Therefo re, you shou ld neve r let air out of a
warm tire to ma tch "cold tire infla tion pres­
sure" recommendations. The t ires wo uld then
be underinflated and could fail suddenly .
M aintaining p roper t ire press ure is one of the
most impor tant things you can do to he lp
avoid sudden tire failure. Underinflated t ires
are a ma jo r cause of s udden tire failure . Keep·
ing tires at the right pressure is also impor­
tant for safe and responsive vehicle handling,
-tD
-
---------------------.. ,;
•(==.: I :::; I :,,. I)@ gi n. ............ .,_____, .... -.ito._.. ____ .... _ ...
&..p0idit,101111-~--.,...,....-- ..... ~ .... ..
-··-­.....
-
-Dlst<:OURS
- KPA.. a PSI
- KPA..
a PS I
- KPA.. a PSI
Fig. 2 50 Tire pressu re labe l
traction, braking and load carrying. Tire p res­
sures are particularly importa nt when the
vehicle is being dr iven at higher speeds, and
th en e spe cially when heav ily load ed even
with in the permissible load-carrying capaci­
ties approved for your veh icle.
The recommended tire pressures for your Audi
depend on the kind of tires on your ve hicle
and the n umbe r of passengers and/o r amount
of luggage you w ill be transporti ng.
The tire pressure label is located on the driv­
er's side B -pillar . The tire pressure labe l lists
the recommended cold t ire inflat io n pressures
for t he vehicle at its maxi mum capac ity
weight and tires that were on your veh icle at
t he time it was m anufactu red.
If you wish to improve comfort wh en operat­
ing the vehicle at normal load (up to 3 occu ­
pant s), you can adju st tire press ures to those
spe cified for n ormal vehi cle load . Before op­
erating the vehicle at maximum load , you
must increase the tire pre ssure s to those
specified for ma ximum vehicle load
¢ & .
Bear in mind that the tire pressure mon itor ing
system can only monitor the tire pressures
II>

278 Tires and wheels
you have stored. The system does not recog­
nize the load condition of your vehicle.
The effectiveness of the tire pressure monitor­
ing system w ill be impaired if yo u store nor­
mal load pressures but then operate the vehi ­
cle at its maximum load¢.&. .
See the illustration¢
fig. 249 for the location
of the label on driver's side 8-pillar (color of
the actua l label and exact location on the ve­
hicle wi ll vary slightly).
Note that the following table is accurate at
the time of going to press and is subject to
Model/ Tire designation
change. In the event of discrepancies, the tir e
pressure label located on the driver's side 8-
pillar always takes precedence.
T he table below lists the recommended cold
ti re inflation pressures for the Audi mode l
covered by your Owner's Literature at the vehi­
cle's capacity weight and the t ire sizes instal­
l ed on the respective models as original
equipment, or as a factory option.
Tire pressure
Engine normal load condition full load condition
front rear
front rear
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
255/55 Rl8 109H XL
35 240 35 240 44
300 49 340 All Season
265/50 Rl9 llOH XL
35 240
35 240
44
300 49 340 All Season
Q7: 275/45 R20 llOH XL
3 .0 liter
35 240
35 240 44
300 49 340 All Season
6-cylinder
275/45 R20 llOYXL
35 240 35 240 44 300 49 340 High Performance
295/35 R21 107V XL
36 250 35 240 44 300 49 340
High Performance
XL= reinforced or extra load tire. It may also appear as xl, EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire side-
wall.
The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is
located on a label on the driver's side 8-p illar .
Because technical changes may be made to
vehicle equipment dur ing the model year, al­
ways compare the tire size designation on the
tire pressure label on your vehicle w ith the
tires on your vehicle. Make sure that the tire
size info rmation on the vehicle label is the
same as the size of the tires on the vehicle.
This is especially important if the vehicle be­
l ongs to someone else or you bought the vehi­
cle with different rims/tires or you bought the
vehicle as a previously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of yo ur pas­
sengers also depends on making s ure that load
limits are not exceeded . Veh icle load in­
cludes everybody and eve ryth ing in and on the
vehicle. These load limits are techn ica lly refer­
red to as the veh icle's Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating ("GVWR"). The Gross Axle We ight Rat­
ing ("GAWR") is the maximum load that can
be applied at each of the vehicle's two ax les.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety comp liance sticker label located on the
driver's side 8-pillar . The tire pressure label on
your Audi lists the maximum combined
weight of all of the occupants and luggage or
other cargo that the veh icle can carry . For the
location of the tire pressure label¢
fig. 249. ..,_

& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve­
hicle control, a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and even death .
- Carrying more weight than yo ur vehicle
was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­ crease the risk of a loss of veh icle con­
trol.
- The brakes on a veh icle that has been
overloaded may not be able to stop the
vehicle within a safe distance .
- Tires on a vehicle that has been overload­
ed can fail suddenly causing loss of con­
tro l and a crash .
- Always make sure that the tota l load be­
ing transported -including the we ight of
a tra ile r hi tch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the veh i­
cle heav ier than the veh icle's Gross Vehi­
cl e Weight Rating.
& WARNING
- Incorre ct tire pressures and/or underin­
fla tion can lead to a serious o r fatal acci­
dent.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation cause increased tire wear and can
affect the handling of the vehicle .
- Incorre ct tire pressures and/or underin­
fla tion can also lead to sudden tire fa il­
ure, incl uding a blowo ut and sudden de­
flation, causing loss of vehicle control.
Checking tire pressure
-
The correct tire pressure for the tires original ­
ly installed on your vehicle is listed on the tire
pressure label located on driver's side 8-pil­ lar.
The recommended tire pressures are on the
tire pressure label and in the tab le
c:::> page 277, Cold tire inflation pressure .Th is
means that the pressure must be checked and
adjusted when the tire has not been driven for more than a couple of m iles (kilometers) at
low speeds during the p revious three hours .
Tires an d wheel s 2 79
Air in the tires expands when the tire heats up
as a result of internal friction as it flexes in
u se . The tire pressure is h igher when the tire
has warmed up than when it is "cold."
It is the inflation pressure in a "co ld" t ire that
counts . The refore, you should never let air o ut
of a warm tire to match "Cold t ire in flat ion
pressure" recommendat ions ¢
page 277 . The
tires wo uld then be underinf lated and could
fail suddenly .
The t ire pressure label on your Audi lists the
recommended co ld tire inflation pressures at
maximum capacity for the new, orig inal
equipment tires that were on your ve hicle at
the time it was ma nufactured . For the loca­
tion of the labe l
¢page 277, fig . 249 .
Most tires lose air naturally over t ime . They
can a lso lose some air if you drive over a pot ­
hole or hit a curb while park ing.
It is usually
not poss ible to see whethe r the rad ia l tires
u sed today are under inflated just by loo kin g
at them.
T herefo re, be su re to check t ire pressu res at
l east once a mo nth and a lways befo re go ing
o n a long tr ip. Ma ke s ure to ta ke t he number
of peop le and the amount of luggage in to ac­
count when ad justing tire pressu re for a trip -
even one that yo u wo uld not conside r to be
"long." See¢
page 281, Tires and vehicle
load limits
for more important information .
A lways use an acc ura te tire pressu re ga uge
when checking and adj usting inf lation pres ­
s ur es . Check a ll of the tires and be sure not to
forget the spare tire. If the pressure in any t ire
is too high when the tire is "cold," let a ir o ut
of the t ire s low ly w ith the edge of the tire
gauge and keep checking the pressure until
yo u reach the pressure that is correct for the
load (passengers and luggage) and k ind of
driv ing you plan to do.
If the pressure in any tire is too low, note the
difference between the pressure i n the cold
t ir e and the pressu re you need and add the air
t h at you need to reach the cor re ct pressure for
the ve hicle load (passengers and luggage) for
the tires on your vehi cle as listed on the on •
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