change wheel AUDI A7 2012 User Guide

236 Tires and wheels
change. In the event of discrepancies, the tire
pressure labe l is located on the driver's side B­
p ill ar a lways takes precedence.
The table below lis ts the recommended cold
tire inflation pressures for the Audi model covered
by your Owner's Literature at the vehi ­
cle's capacity weight and the tire sizes instal­
l ed on the respective models as orig inal
equipment, or as a factory option.
I Engine Tire designation
Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear I
(displace-
normal load full load normal load full load
ment in
li-condition condition condition condition
I
ter) PSI II kPA PSI JI kPA PSI II kPA PSI II kPA :
6-cylinder 235/55
Rl 7 99Y
3.0 High Performance 32
220
35 240 29 200
38 260
255/45 Rl8 99H '
32 220 35
240
29 200 38 260 All Season I
255/45 Rl8 99Y
32 220 35 240 29 200 38 260
High Performance
255/40 Rl9100H XL
35 240
38 260
30 2 10 41
280 All Season
255/40
Rl9100YXL
36 250 38 260 32 220 41 280
High Performance
265/35 R20 99Y XL '
36 250 38 260 32 220 41 280
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 spore wheel is
loc ated on a label on the driver's side B-pillar.
Because technical changes may be made to
vehicle equ ipment dur ing the model year, a l­
ways compare the tire size designation on the
tire pressure labe l on your vehicle w ith the
tires on your vehicle . Make sure that the tire
size information on the vehicle label is the
same as the size of the ti res on the vehicle.
This is especially important if the vehicle be­
longs 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 your pas­
sengers also depends on making sure that load limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and everything in and on the
vehicle . These load limits are technically refer­
red to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle We ight
Rating ("GVWR"). The Gross Ax le Weight Rat­
ing ("GAWR") is the maximum load that can be applied at each
of the vehicle's two ax les .
T he Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ing and the
Gross Axle Weight Rating are listed on the
safety compliance sticke r label located on the
driver's side B-pillar. The tire pressure labe l on
your Audi lists the maximum combined
weight of all of the occupants and luggage or
other cargo that the vehicle can carry . For the
location of the tire pressure label
¢fig. 176 .
A WARNING
-Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of ve-
hicle control, a crash or other accident, se­
r ious personal injury, and even death.
- Carrying more weight than your veh icle
was designed to carry will prevent the
vehicle from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of a loss of vehicle con­
trol.

238 Tire s and whee ls
Remember that the vehicle manufacturer, not
the tire manufacturer, determines the correct
tire pressure for the t ires on your vehicle.
I t is important to check the tire pressu re when
the tires are cold.
- Read the requ ired t ire pressure from the tire
pressure label. The tire pressure labe l is lo ­
cated on the drive r's side 8-p illar.
- T urn the valve stem cap counter-clockwise
to remove it from the tire valve.
- Place the air pressu re gauge on the valve.
- The tire pressures should only be checked
and adjusted when the tires are cold. The
sl ightly raised p ressures of warm tires must
not be reduced.
- Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying.
- Re install the va lve stem cap on the valve .
When should I check the ti re pres sure ?
The correct tire pressure is especially impor­
tant at high speeds. The pressure should
therefore be checked at least once a month
and always before start ing a jou rney. Do not
fo rget to check the tire pressure for the spare
wheel
<=? page 253.
When should I adju st the tire p re ss ure s?
Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carry ing . After changing a wheel
or replacing
wheels you have to adjust the tire pressures
on all wheels. In addition, you must then
sto re t he new ti re press ures in the t ire pres­
sure mon itor ing system* ~
page 249.
_8 WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinf la­
tion can lead sudden tire failure, loss of
contro l, collision, ser ious persona l injury
or even death.
- When the warning symbo l
RI] appears in
the instrument cluster, stop and inspect
the tires .
- Incorrect tire pressure and/or underinfla­
t ion can cause increased t ire wear and
can affect the handling of the veh icle and
stopp ing ability. -
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
f lation can a lso lead to s udden t ire fail­
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
flation, caus ing loss of veh icle control.
- The driver is responsible for the correct
tire pressures for all tires on the veh icle.
The applicable pressure values are locat­ ed on a sticker on the dr iver's s ide 8-pil­
lar.
- Only when all tires on the vehicle are fil­ led to the correct pressure, the t ire pres­
sure mon itor ing* system can work cor­
rectly.
- The use of incorrect t ire pressure va lues
can lead to acc idents or other damage.
Therefore it is essential that the drive r
observe the spec ified tire pressure values
for the tires and the correct pressures for
the function of the ti re press ure monitor­
ing system*.
- Always inflate tires to the recommended
and correct tire press ure before driving
off.
- Driving with underinflated tires bend
more, letting them get too hot resulting
in tread separation, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
- Excessive speed and/overloading can cause heat build-up, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
- If the tire pressure is too low or too high,
the t ires will wear prematurely and the
veh icle w ill not handle well.
- If the tire is not flat and you do not have
to change a wheel immediately, drive at
reduced speed to the nearest service sta­
tion to check the t ire p ress ure and add
air as req uired .
Q) Note
Driving without valve stem caps can cause
damage to the tire valves. To prevent this,
always make sure that factory insta lled
valve stem caps o n all whee ls are sec urely
mounted on the valve.

250 Tires and wheels
When the malfunction indicator is illuminat­
ed, the system may not be able to detect or
signal low tire pressure as intended . TPMS
malfunctions may occur for a variety of rea­
sons, including the installation of replace­ ment or alternate tires or wheels on the vehi ­
cle that prevent the TPMS from funct ioning
properly . Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after replacing one or more t ires or
wheels on your veh icle to ensure that the re­
p lacement or a lternate tires and wheels allow
the TPMS to continue to function properly.
Tire pressure indicator appears
Applies to vehicles: with tire p ressure mo nitoring syste m
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too
low or if there is a system malfunction.
Fig. 181 Display : underinflatio n warning
Fig. 182 Display : Syste m mal functio n
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure moni­
toring system compares the tire tread circum­
ference and vibration characteristics of the in­
d ividual tires.
If the pressure decreases in one
or more tires, th is is indicated in the instru­
ment cluster with a warning symbol
'9] and a
message ¢
fig . 181.
The tire pressure monitoring system must be
reset via MMI each time the pressures are ad- justed
(e.g. when switching between partial
and full load pressure) or after changing or re­
placing a tire on your vehicle ¢
page 251. You
can find the recommended tire pressures for
your vehicle on the label on driver 's side B-pil­
lar ¢
page 235 .
Tire tread circumference and vibration charac­
teristics can change and cause a tire pressure
warning if:
- the tire pressure in one or more tires is too
low,
- the tire has structural damage,
- the tire pressure was changed, wheels rotat -
ed or replaced but the TPMS was not reset
¢page 251.
Warning symbols
'9] Loss of pressu re in at least one tir e ¢ & .
Check the tire or tires and replace or repa ir if
necessary. The indicator light
'9] in the instru­
ment cluster also illuminates
¢page 11.
Check/correct the pressures of all four tires
and reset TPMS via MMI.
••MIS, ( Ti re Pressure Monitoring System) Tire
pressure! System malfunction .
If IIMIS, appears after switching the ignition
on or while driving¢
fig. 182 and the indica­
tor light
'9] in the instrument cluster blinks
f or approximately one minute and then stays
on, there is a system malfunction . See your
authorized Audi dea ler as soon as possible .
A WARNING
--If the tire pressure indicator appears in
the instrument cluster display, one or more of your tires is significant ly under­
inflated. Reduce you r speed immediately
and avoid any hard steer ing or braking
maneuvers. Stop as soon as possible and
check the tires and their pressures. In­
flate the tire pressure to the proper pres­
sure as indicated on the vehicle's tire
pressure label¢
page 235. Driving on a
significantly under- inflated tire causes
the tire to overheat and can lead to tire
failure. Under-inflation also is likely to

impair the vehicle's handling and stop­
ping ability.
- The driver is responsible for maintaining
the correct tire pressures. You must
check the t ire pressures regularly.
- Under certain conditions (such as a spor­
ty driving style, w inter condit ions or un­
paved roads), the pressure monitor ind i­
cator may be de layed.
- Ask your authorized Audi dealer if run­
flat tires may be used on your veh icle.
Your vehicle registrat ion becomes invalid
if you use these tires when not permit­
ted. Damage to your veh icle or acc idents
cou ld also resu lt.
(0 Tips
- The t ire pressure monitoring system
stops working when there is an ESP/ABS malfunction.
- Using snow chains may result in a system malfunction .
- To ensure a proper TPMS function use
AUDI Origina l Tires wh ich are marked
with "AO" or "RO" on the tire sidewall.
¢page 242.
- The t ire pressure monitoring sys tem on
you r A udi was syntoni zed using tires w ith
the "AO" or "RO" identific ation. We rec­
omme nd using these tires.
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
Applies to vehicles: with tire pressure monito ring system
If the tire pressure is adjusted, wheels are ro­
tated or changed, the T PMS must be reset via
MMI .
"' Switc h on the igni tion.
"' Se lect in the M MI: !CAR !func tion button>
Car system s contro l button > Servi cing &
checks > Ti re pre ssure mon itoring > Store
tire press ures> Ye s, store now .
@ Tips
Before reset ting the TPMS, the current
pressures of all four tires must correspond
to the specified values. Adjust the t ire
Tire s an d wheel s 251
pressure and reset the pressure in the ti re
pressure monitoring system according to
the load you are car ry ing
c::!;> page 235 .
-Do not store the tire p ressu res if you are
driving with snow chains . Othe rwise, a
system malfunction may occur.
•
•

254 What do I do now?
-Never st ore the inflatable spare tire or
jack and tools in the passenger com­
partm ent.
- Always s tore a ll jacking equipment,
too ls, and the inflatable spare tire in
the luggage compartment.
- Tighten the knurled retaining screw for
the inflatable spare tire securely.
Changing a wheel
Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your
own and your passenger's safety when chang­
ing a wheel .
" After you experience a tire fa ilure, pull t he
ca r well away from moving traffic and try to
r each
level gro und before you stop c::> ,&. .
" All passengers sho uld leave the car and
move to a safe loca tion (fo r inst ance, behind
the g uardrail)
c::> ,&. .
" Engage the parking brake to prevent your
vehicle from ro lling unintentionally
c::> ,&. .
" Move selecto r lever to pos ition Pc::> ,&. .
" If you are tow ing a trailer, unh itch the tra il­
er from your veh icle .
" Take the
jack and the spare tire out of the
l uggage compartment
c::> page 252 ,
c::> page 253.
.&_ WARNING
You or your p assengers cou ld be injured
while changing a whee l if you do not fol ­
low t hese safety preca utions:
- If you have a fl at t ire, move a safe dis­
tance off the road . Tur n off the engine,
t ur n the emergency flas hers o n and use
other warning dev ices to alert other mo­
torists .
- Make su re that passengers wait in a safe
place away from the vehicle and well
away from the road and traff ic.
- To help p revent the veh icle from mov ing
sudden ly and possibly slipping off the
jack, always fully set the parking brake and block th e whee l diago na lly opposite
-
the wheel be ing changed . When one
front wheel is lifted off the ground, plac­ ing the Automatic Transmission in "P"
(Park) will
not prevent the vehicle from
mov ing .
- Before you change a wheel, be sure t he
ground is level and firm. If necessary, use a sturdy board under the jack .
- After insta lling the spare wheel, make
sure tha t you replace the fla t tire/wheel
i n its storage area prope rly and tighten
the knurled retain ing screw secu rely.
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel , follow these ­
quence described below step-by-step and in
exactly that order.
1. Remove the decorative wheel cover* . For
more details see also
c::> page 255, Deco­
rative wheel covers
or c::> page 255,
Wheels with wheel bolt caps.
2 . Loosen the wheel bolt s c::>page 255.
3. Loc ate the p roper moun ting poin t for th e
jac k an d align the jack be low that poin t
c::>page 256 .
4. Raise the car with the jack c::> page 256.
5. Remove the wheel with the flat tire and
then insta ll
the spare c::> page 257.
6. Tig hte n all whee l bolts lightly .
7.
Lower the vehicle wi th the jack .
8 . Use the wheel bolt w rench and
firmly
t ig ht en al l w heel bo lts c::> page 25 5.
9. Re place the decora tive wheel cover* .
A WARNING
Always read and fo llow all WA RNINGS and
i nformat io n
c::> & in Raising the vehicle on
page 257
and c::> page 258 .
After changing a wheel
A wheel change is not complete withou t the
doing the following .
" Replace the too ls and the jac k in their prop-
er lo cat io n. .,.

256 What do I do now ?
Loo sening
.,. Slide the wheel wr ench onto the wheel bolt
as far as it will go .
.,. Take tight hold of the
end of the wrench
hand le and turn the wheel bolts
co unter ­
clock wise
about one single turn in the direc ­
t ion of arrow
c:;, fig. 188.
Tighten ing
.,. Slide the wheel wrench onto the whee l bolt
as far as it will go .
.,. Take tight hold of the
end of the wrench
hand le and turn each wheel bolt
clock wise
until it is seated.
_& WARNING
- Do not use force or hurry when changi ng
a whee l - you can cause the vehicle to slip
off the jack and cause ser ious persona l
injuries.
- Do not loosen the wheel bolts more than
one turn
before you raise the veh icle with
the jack. -You r isk an injury.
@ Tips
- Never use the hexagonal socket in the
handle of the screwdrive r to loosen or
tighten the wheel bo lts.
- If a wheel bolt is very tight, you may find
i t easier to loosen by ca refully p ush ing
down on the end of the wheel bolt
wrench w ith
one foot only. As yo u do so,
ho ld on to the car to keep your ba lance
and take care not to slip .
Raising the vehicle
The vehicle must be lifted with the jock first
before the wheel can be removed .
Fig . 1 89 C hang ing a whee l: moun ting po in ts for th e
j ack
Fi g. 1 90 Close -up: prope r posit io ni ng o f jack
.,. Engage the p ar king brak e to prevent your
veh icle from rolling unintentionally .
.,. Move the
select or lever to p osition P .
.,. Posit ion the jack below the door s ill under
the
mounting point that is closest to the
wheel to be changed
c:;, fig . 189.
.,. Extend the ja ck u nder the lifting point on
t he door s ill until its arm is pos it ioned di ­
rectly under the lifting point
c:;, &_ .
.,. Align the jack so that its arm @ c:;, fig. 190
engages in the designated lifting point in
the door s ill and the movable base @ lies
flat on the ground . The base @ must be
ver­
tical
under the lifting point @ .
.,. Wind the jack up further until the flat t ire
comes off the ground
c:;, ,& .
The jack must be installed only at the places
indicated
c:;, fig . 189 . There is exactly one loca ­
t ion for each wheel. The jack must not be
positioned at any other location
c:;, ,&. .
An
unstab le surface under the jack can cause
the vehicle to slip off the jack . Always provide
II>-

a firm base for the jack on the ground. If nec­
essary place a sturdy board or similar support
under the jack. On
hard, slippery surfaces
(such as tiles) use a rubber mat or sim ilar to
prevent the jack from slipping¢ .&.
A WARNING
-You or your passengers could be injured
wh ile chang ing a wheel if you do not fol­
low these safety precautions:
- Positioning the jack under the vehicle
at any other place than those indicated
above may damage the vehicle or may
result in personal injuries.
-A soft or unstab le surface under the
jack may cause the vehicle to slip off the jack. Always provide a firm base for
the jack on the ground. If necessary, use a sturdy board under the jack.
- On hard, slippery surface (such as tiles)
use a rubber mat or similar to prevent
the jack from slipping.
- To help prevent injury to yourself and
your passengers:
- Do not raise the vehicle until you are
sure the jack is securely engaged.
- Pa ssenge rs must not remain in the
ve­
hicle when it is jacked up.
- Make sure that passengers wait in a
safe place away from the vehicle and
well away from the road and traffic.
- Make sure jack position is correct , ad­
just as necessary and then continue to
raise the jack .
- Changes in temperature or load can af­
fect the height of the vehicle .
What do I do now? 257
Taking the wheel off /installing the spare
Follow these instructions step-by-step for
changing the wheel.
F ig . 191 Changing a wheel: u sin g the screwd river han­
dle (with the blade removed) to turn the bolts
Fig. 192 Changing a whee l: alignment pin inside the
top ho le
After you have loosened all wheel bolts and
raised the vehicle off the ground, remove and
replace the wheel as follows:
Removing the wheel
.., Use the hexagonal socket in the screwdriv­
er handle
to completely remove the top·
most wheel bolt and set it aside on a
clean
surface ¢fig. 191.
.., Screw the threaded end of the alignment
pin
from the tool kit hand-t ight into the
empty bolt hole
¢fig. 192 .
.., Then remove the other wheel bolts as de­
scribed above .
.., Take off the wheel leaving the alignment
pin in the bolt hole ¢(D.
Putting on the spare wheel
.., Lift the spare wheel and carefully slide it
over the alignment pin to guide it in place
¢(D.

258 What do I do no w?
• Use the hexagonal socket in the screwdriver
hand le to screw in and tighten all wheel
bolts
slightly .
• Remove the alignment pin and insert and
t ighten the remaining wheel bolt slightly
Like the rest .
• Turn the jack handle counter-clockw ise to
lower the vehicle unt il the jack is fully re­
leased .
• Use the whee l bolt wrench to t ighten al l
wheel bolts firmly¢
page 255 . Tighten
them
crosswise, from one bolt to the (ap­
proximate ly) opposite one, to keep the
whee l centered.
@ Note
When removing or installing the wheel,
the rim could hit the brake rotor and dam­
age the rotor. Work carefully and have a
second person help you.
@ Tips
Never use the hexagonal socket in the han­
dle of the screwdriver to loosen or tighten
the wheel bolts .
- Pull the reversible b lade from the screw­
driver before you use the hexagonal
socket in the handle to turn the whee l
bo lts.
- When mounting tires with
unid irectional
t re ad design
make sure the tread pat­
tern is pointed the right way
~ page 258.
- The wheel bolts should be clean and easy
to turn . Check for d irt and corrosion on
the mat ing surfaces of both the whee l
and the hub. Remove all dirt from these
s ur faces before remo unt ing the wheel.
Tires with unidirectional tread design
Tires with unidirectional tread design must be
mounted with their tread pattern pointed in the right direction .
Using a sp are t ire w ith a tre ad pattern
intended for use in a specific direction
When using a spare t ire with a tread patter n
intended for use in a spec ific d irection , please
note the following :
- The direct ion of rotation is marked by an ar­
row on the side of the ti re .
- If the spare tire has to be installed in the in­
correct direct ion, use the spare tire only
temporarily s ince the tire will not be able to
achieve its optim um performance cha racter­
is tic s wit h regard to aquap la ni ng, no ise and
wear .
- We recommend that you pay part icu la r at­
t en tion to th is fact d uring wet wea ther and
t ha t you adjust you r speed to match road
conditions .
- Replace the fl at tir e with a new o ne an d
have it insta lled on you r vehicle as soon as
possible to restore the handling advantages
of a u nidirectional tire .
Notes on wheel changing
Please read the information ¢ page 242, New
tires and replacing tires and wheels
if you a re
going to use a spare tire which is different
from the ti res on your vehicle .
After you change a tire:
- Check the tire pre ssure on the spare imme­
diately after install ation.
- Have th e whe el bolt tight ening torqu e
c hecked with a torque wrench as soon a s
possible by your author ized Audi dealer or
a qualified service stat ion.
- With steel and alloy wheel rims, the wheel
bolt s are cor re ctl y tightened at a torque of
90 ft lb (120 Nm ).
- If you noti ce that the wheel bolts are cor­
roded and diffi cult to turn while changing
a ti re , they should be replaced before you
check the t ightening torque. .,..