AUDI S7 2016 Owners Manual
Page 241 of 294
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire information system devel
oped by the United States Nat ion
al Highway Traffic Safety Adminis
tration (NHTSA) that is designed
to help buyers make relative com
parisons among tires . The UTQG is
not a safety rating and not a guar
antee tha t a tire will last for a
prescribed number of miles (ki lo
meters) or perform in a certain
way. It simply gives tire buyers
additional information to com
bine with othe r considerations,
s u ch as price , brand loyalty and
dealer recommendations . Under
UT QG,
tir es a re grade d by the tire
manu factu rers in three areas :
treadwear, traction, and tempera
ture resistance. The UTQG infor mation on the tires, mo lded into
the sidewalls .
U.S. DOT Tire Identification
Number (TIN)
This is the tire's "serial number" .
It beg ins with the letters "DOT"
and indicates that the tire meets
all federal standa rds. The next
two numbers or letters indicate
the plant where it was manufac
tured, and the last four numbers
represent the wee k and year o f
manufacture . For example ,
Wheels
DOT ... 2214 ...
means that the tire was produced
in the 22nd week of 201 4. The
other numbers are ma rketing co
des that may or may not be used
by the tire manufact urer. Th is in
formation is used to contact con
sumers if a tire defect requ ires a
recall.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and lug
gage load plus 150 lbs. (68 kilo
grams) times the vehicle's des ig
na ted seating capacity.
Vehicle maximum load on the
tire
means that l oad on an ind iv idual
tire that is determined by distrib
ut ing to eac h ax le its share of t he
maximum loaded vehic le weight
and dividing by two.
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that load on an individual
tire that is determined by d istrib
uting to each ax le its share of the
curb weight , accessory weight,
and norma l occupant weigh t (dis
tributed in acco rdance with¢
ta
ble on page 245) and dividing by
two .
239
..
Page 242 of 294
Wheels
Occupant loading and distri
bution for veh icle normal load
for various designated seat ing
capacit ies
Refer to the tire inflation pressure
label
c:> page 243, fig . 198 for
the number of seating positions .
Refer to the table
c:> table on
page 245
for the number of peo
ple that correspond to the vehicle
normal load .
New tires or wheels
Audi recommends having all wo rk
on tires or wheels performed by
an authorized Audi dea ler or au
thorized repair fac ility. These fa
cilities have the proper knowledge
and are equipped with the re
quired tools and replacement
parts.
.,. New tires do not yet have the
optimum adhesion properties. Drive carefully and at moderate
speeds fo r the first 350 miles
(500 km) with new tires .
.,. Use tires of t he same constr uc
tion, size (rolling c ircumference)
and as close to the same tread pattern as possible on all four
wheels.
2 4 0
.,.Do not replace tires individ ually .
At least re place both t ires on the
same axle at the same time.
.,. A udi recommends that you use
Aud i O riginal equipment tires . If
you wo uld li ke to use different
tires, please note that the tires may perform d ifferently even if
they are the same s ize
c:> &. -
.,. If you would like to equip you r
vehic le with a tire/rim combina
tion that is different from what
was installed at the facto ry, con
sult w ith an authorized Aud i
dealer or authorized repair facili
ty be fore making a purchase
¢ .&_ .
The spare tire* is d ifferent from
the regular t ires installed on the
vehicle -for example, if winter
tires or wi de tires are installed -
then only use the spare tire* tem
porar ily in case of emergency and
drive carefully while it is in use . It
s h o u ld be replaced w ith a regular
tire as soon as poss ib le.
On
all wheel drive ve hic les, all
four wheels must be equipped
w ith tires that are the same brand
and have the same construction
and tread pattern so that the
drive system is not damaged by
Page 243 of 294
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 WARNING -
-Only use tire/rim combina
tions and suitable 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 tires from
the same vehicle model.
-Make sure that the tires you select have enough clearance
to the vehicle . Replacement
tires should not be chosen
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 6 years old when abso-
Wheels
lutely necessary and drive
carefully when doing so.
-Do not use run-flat tires on your vehicle . Using them when
not permitted can lead to ve
hicle damage or accidents.
-If you install wheel covers on
the vehicle, make sure they al low enough air circulation to
cool the brake system. If they
do not, this could increase the
risk of an accident.
Tire wear/damage
Fig. 196 T ir e profi le : Treadwear indica
tor
Tire wear
Check the tires regularly for wear.
-Inflation pressure that is too low
or high can increase tire wear
considerably .
-Driving quickly through curves,
rapid acceleration and heavy
braking increase tire wear.
-Have an authorized Audi dealer or authorized repair facility
241
...
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Wheels
check the wheel alignment if
there is unusual wear.
- Have the wheels rebalanced if an
imbalance is causing noticeable
vibration in the steering wheel. If you do not, the tires and other
vehicle components could wear more quickly.
Treadwear indicator
The original tires on your vehicle have 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high
"wear indicators" ~fig.
196 run
ning across the tread . Marks on
the tire sidewall (for example
"TWI" or other symbols) indicate
the positions of the tread wear in
dicators.
The t ires have reached the mini
mum tread depth
l) when they
have worn down to the treadwear
indicators. Replace the tires with
new ones ¢&..
Wheel rotation
Rotating the wheels regularly is
recommended to ensure the tires
wear evenly. To rotate wheels, in
stall the wheels from the rear
axle on the front axle and vice ver
sa. This will allow the tires to
1> Obey any applicable regulatio ns in you r
country .
242
have approximately the same
length of service life.
For unidirectional tires, make sure
the tires are installed according to
the running direction indicated on
the tire sidewall¢
page 259.
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and rims can of
ten occur in locations that are hid
den . Unusual vibrations in the ve
hicle or pulling to one side may
indicate that there is tire damage.
Reduce your speed immediately .
Check the tires for damage. If no
damage is visible from the out
side, drive slowly and carefully to
the nearest authorized Audi deal
er or authorized repair facility to have the vehicle inspected.
&_ WARNING
Tread that has worn too low or
different tread depths on the
tires can reduce driving safety.
This can especially have a nega
tive effect on handling, on the risk aquaplaning when driving
through water, when driving
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"'
through curves and when braking, which increases the risk of
an accident.
Tire pressure
Fig. 197 Driver's side B-pillar : tire pres
sure label
"' -
-~-------------------,£
<l e::=.~: I =: I :,,. I)@ g: n,.,_,......._.___. ... _.,._.. _ __. .... _ ...
leooodl__._.,_,.d:.,~w._;.,.-~ •• ._
tM£. IIZl COLO tlllf fllllESSt.lW. PNfU Nl:4fN$IOM$ "IIISaoN OE$ PMEU$ A FROID
-AYIJff -KPA, a PSI
Fig. 198 Tire pressure label
The correct tire pressure for tires
mounted in the factory and for
the spare tire* is indicated on a la
bel. The label is locate d on the B
pillar
¢ fig. 197, ¢fig. 198.
Use the tire pressure specified for
a normal vehicle load when the
vehicle is partially loaded¢
table
on page
245. If driving the vehi-
3 cle when fully loaded, you must
~ ..... \D V
N \D .....
Wheels
increase the tire pressure to the
maximum specified pressure¢&,.
Checking/correcting tire
pressure
.,,.Check the tire pressure at least
once per month and also check it before every long drive .
.,,.Always check the tire pressure
when the tires are
cold. Do not
reduce the pressure if it increas
es when the tires are warm .
... Check the label ¢
fig. 198 for
the correct tire pressure based on vehicle load.
.,,.Correct the tire pressure if nec
essary.
... vehicles with Tire Pressure Moni
toring System*: store the modi
fied tire pressure in the Infotain
ment system
¢page 252.
.,,.Check the pressure in the emer
gency tire* /spare tire*. Always maintain the maximum temper
ature that is specified for the
tire .
_& WARNING
Always adapt the tire pressure
to your driving style and vehicle
load.
-Overloading can lead to loss of vehicle control and increase .,,.
243
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Wheels
the risk of an accident. Read and follow the important
safety precautions in
¢ page 245, Tires and vehicle
load limits .
-The tire must flex more if the
tire pressure is too low or if
the vehicle speed or load are
too high . This heats the tire up
too much. This increases the
risk of an accident because it
can cause the tire to burst and
result in loss of vehicle con
trol.
-Incorrect tire pressure increas es tire wear and has a negative
effect on driving and braking
Tire pressure table
Please note that the information
contained in the following table
was correct at the time of print ing, and the information is sub
ject to change. If there are differ
ences between this information
and the tire pressures specified
on the label on the driver's side Bpillar, always follow the specifica
tion on the B-pillar label
¢ page 243, fig. 197.
244
behavior, which increases the
risk of an accident.
(D Note
Replace lost valve caps to re
duce the risk of damage to the
tire valves.
@ For the sake of the environment
Tire pressure that is too low in
creases fuel consumption.
(D Tips
Audi recommends using the
tire pressure specified for a nor
mal load
¢ table on page 245
or for a full load when the vehi
cle is partially loaded .
Make sure that the tire designa
tion on your tire matches the des
ignation on the tire pressure label
and the tire pressure table.
The following table lists recom mended tire pressures in cold
tires according to the load and
the size of the tires installed. ...
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M N <( (.J
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1
N \!) ,....,
Wheels
Model/ Tire designation Tire pressure
Engine Normal load Maximum load
(up to 2/3* people)a>
front
rear front rear
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
A7: 235/55 Rl 7 99Y 3.0L High Performance
32 22 0 29 20 0 35 240
38 260
6 cylinders
255/45 Rl8 99H
All Season
3 2 220 2 9 200 3 5 2
40
38 260
255/45 Rl8 99Y
High Performance 32 220 29 2 00 35 240
38 260
255/40 Rl9 l00H XL
All Season
35 240
32 220 38 260 41
280
255/40 Rl9 l00YXL
36 High Performance 25 0 3 2 220 3 8 260 41 280
265/35 R20 99H XL
All Season
3 5 240
32 220
38 260
41 280
265/35 R20 99Y XL
High Performance
36 250 32 220 38 260 41 280
275/30 R21 98Y XL
High Performance
38 2 60 33 230 3 9 270 41 280
S7: 265/35 R20 99Y XL
4 .0L High Performance 4 1
280 35 240
44
300 44
300
8 cylinders
255/40 Rl9 l00YXL
High Performance
39 270 33 230 42
29 0 42
290
275/30 R21 98Y XL
High Performance 41 28 0
35 2
4 0 44 300 44 300
a) Vehicles with 4 seating positions: 2 p eop le in th e fron t, Vehicles with 5 seating posi
tions:
2 pe ople in the fron t, 1 p erson i n the r ear
A WARNING
Please note the important safe
ty precautions regarding tire pressure
¢ page 243 and load
limits
¢ page 245 .
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of
load or weight that any vehi cle
and any tire can carry. A vehicle that is overloaded will not handle
well and is more difficult to stop.
O verloading can not only lead to
loss of vehicle control, but can al
so damage important part s of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden tire failure , including a blowout
and sudden deflation that can
c ause the vehicle to crash.
245
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Wheels
Your safety and that of your pas
sengers also depends on making
sure that load limits are not ex
ceeded. Vehicle load includes ev
erybody and everything in and on
the vehicle. These load limits are
technically referred to as the vehi
cle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic vehicle, all factory in
stalled accessories, a full tank of
fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids
plus maximum load . The maxi
mum load includes the number of
passengers that the vehicle is in
tended to carry ("seating capaci
ty") with an assumed weight of 150 lbs. (68 kg) for each passen
ger at a designated seating posi
tion and the total weight of any
luggage in the vehicle. If you tow
a trai ler, the weight of the trailer
hitch and the tongue weight of
the loaded trailer must be includ
ed as part of the vehicle load.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating
("GAWR") is the maximum load
that can be applied at each of the
vehicle's two axles.
The fact that there is an upper
limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehi -
246
cle Weight Rating means that the
total weight of whatever is being
carried in the vehicle (including
the weight of a trailer hitch and
the tongue weight of the loaded
trailer) is limited. The more pas
sengers in the vehicle or passen
gers who are heavier than the
standard weights assumed mean
that less weight can be carried as
luggage.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
are listed on the safety compli
ance sticker label located on the
driver's side B-pillar
c::> page 243,
fig. 197.
&_ WARNING ~
Overloading a vehicle can cause
loss of vehicle control, a crash
or other accident, serious per
sonal injury, and even death.
-Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the vehicle
from handling properly and in
crease the risk of the loss of
vehicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that
has been overloaded may not
be able to stop the vehicle
within a safe distance.
Page 249 of 294
-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
Page 250 of 294
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*.