wheel AUDI A7 2013 Repair Manual

212 Trailertowing
If you move the selector lever of the auto­
mat ic transm ission to P before app lying
the park ing brake and before blocking the
wheels, you may have to use mo re force
later to move the lever out of the P posi­
tion .

Cleaning and protect ion
General information
Regular core preserves vehicle value.
Any automobile is exposed to industrial
fumes , corrosive road salt, etc. A well cared
for Audi can look like new many years after
purchase . Regu lar and correct care w ill con­
tr ibute to maintaining the beauty and value of
your Aud i.
F u rth ermor e, good c are may be a conditi on
for subs tantiati ng a w arrant y cla im sho uld
c orrosion d amag e or paint d efects oc cur.
Your authorized Audi dealer has a variety of
dedic ated veh icle-car e products and can ad ­
vise which ones to use for cleaning the exter i­
or and interior of your vehicle.
Whether you use products recommended by
Aud i or other commercially available clean ing
agents, please make sure you apply them cor­
rectly .
A WARNING
-Cleaning agents may be poisonous. Keep
them out of the reach of children.
- Heed all caut ion labels.
- Always read directions on the container
before using any product. Follow the di­
rect ions carefu lly.
- Most chemical cleaners are concentrated
and have to be diluted .
- Use spot removing fluids only in well
ventilated areas.
- Do not use gasoline, kerosene, d iesel
fuel, nail polish remover or other volatile
fluids. They may be toxic, flammab le or
haza rdous in other ways. Do not wash,
wax or dry the vehicle with the ign it ion
on or the engine running.
- Do not clean the undersides of chassis,
fenders, wheel covers, e tc. w ithout pro­
tecting your hands and arms. You may c u t yourself on sharp -edged metal parts .
Cleaning and protec tion 213
- Moisture and ice on brakes may impair
brak ing effic iency¢
page 199, General
information.
Test the brakes carefully
each time you wash the vehicle.
@) For the sake of the environment
Select on ly environmentally friend ly clean­
i ng products . Leftover cleaning products
should not d isposed of in the household
waste.
Care of exterior
Washing
Frequent washing protects the vehicle .
The best protection against environmental i n­
fluences is
frequent washing and waxing . How
often t his is required depends on:
- How much the veh icle is used
- Where the veh icle is parked (garage, in the
open under trees, etc.)
- The seasonal and weather conditions
- Environmental infl uences
T he longer b ird droppings, insects, tree resin,
road and indus tria l gr ime, ta r, soot, road salt
and other materials remain on the vehicle
body, the more lasting their destructive ef­
fects wi ll be . High temperatures caused by ex­
posure to intense sun light intens ify the corro­
s ive effect, particularly when humid ity is high
as well.
Under certain circumstances,
weekl y washing
may be necessary. Under other cond itions, a
monthly washing and waxing may be ade­
quate .
After the winter, the underside of the vehicle
should be thoroughly washed, preferab ly in a
professional car wash .
Vehicles with matte finish paint¢
page 215 .
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
¢page 213.
•
•

216 Cleaning and protec tio n
Apply the product using a micr ofib er cl oth. To
avoid damaging the paint surface, do not use
too m uch pressure.
R inse the vehicle t ho roughly with water . Clean
the vehicle sta rting at the top and working to­
ward the bottom using a
neutra l sh ampoo
and a soft mi crofiber cloth . Stop frequently to
rinse the cloth thoroughly.
C lean the wheels and sill panels last. Use a
clean
s pon ge on these areas .
R inse the vehicle tho roughly aga in and let it
a ir dry.
If there are any wa ter spo ts, they can
be removed using a
leather cloth .
Clean again with the spe cial clean er for matt e
finish paint
if ne cessary.
Removing stubborn d irt
B ird d ropping s or tree sap are best removed
with plenty of water and a m icrofiber cloth .
You should r inse
off ga soli ne res idue immedi­
ately with plenty of water.
A WARNING
- Wash your ve hicle only when the ignition
is switched
off to reduce the risk of a
crash .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and othe r information
c:::> page 213.
([) Note
-Do not treat vehicle parts painted w ith
matte f inish paint us ing polish ing mate­
r ials or hard wax. These products could
cause damage to the appea rance or sur­
face that cannot be repaired.
- Never use p rotective wax.
It can destroy
the matte fin ish effect .
- Do not p lace any st ickers or magnetic
s igns on vehicle parts painted with
matte finish paint. The pa int could be
damaged when the st ickers or magnets
a re removed.
- To preven t pa int damage, do not wash
the veh icle in direct s unl igh t. -
To prevent damage to the pa int surface,
do not use insect remova l sponges,
rough kitchen sponges or sim ilar items .
- Yo u should remove debris (such as in­
sects) from the headlight lenses on a
regu lar basis, for example when refuel­
ing your vehicle. Only clean the head­
lights using a wet cloth or sponge, never
a dry one. Cleaning with soapy water is
recommended.
(D Tips
For more information on special cleaning
products designed for matte finish paint,
seeyourAud idea~~
Sensors and camera lenses
- Remove snow with a hand brush and remove
ice with a de -icing spray that does not con­
tain so lvents.
- Clean the senso rs (adaptive c ruise control*,
park ing system*) w ith a cleaning so lution
tha t does not contain so lvents and a soft
cloth .
- The camera lens or the area in front of the
camera lens is norma lly cleaned by the
windshield wipers (Audi active lane assist*)
or head light wipers (night vision system *).
If the lens or the area is exceptionally dirty,
clean the area with glass cleaner and a soft,
dry cloth .
(D Note
-If you wash your vehicle with a pressure
washer,
- make sure there is eno ugh distance to
sensors i n the fron t and rear bumper,
- do not clean the camera lenses and the
ar ea a round them with the p ress ure
washer.
- N ever use warm or hot wate r to remove
snow or i ce from the camera lens. This
cou ld cause the lens to crack.
- Never clean the camera lens wi th abra­
sive products.

218 Cleaning and protection
8_ WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
Q page 213 .
Touch-up paint
Minor paint damages should be touched up
immediately.
.. Use either a to uch -up paint stick or spray
paint to cover minor scratches and nicks .
Your Audi dea ler has touch-up paint for minor
scratches and stone chips. Scratches shou ld
be touched up soon after they occur to pre­
vent corrosion.
If a spot starts to rust, however, a simple
touch-up job will not be enough . The affected
surface must be sanded smooth and coated
with an anti-rust primer before the painted
finish can be restored.
The number for the origina l vehicle paint can
be found on the vehicle identification label
r::>
page 2 85.
A WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
Qpage 213.
Windows
Clear vision to all sides.
Clean all windows regularly to remove road
fi lm and car wash wax buildup.
.. Remove sno w from windows using a brush.
.. Use a plastic ice scraper to remove ice from
windows and mirrors .
.. Remove other residue on the windows with
a spray -on glass cleaner.
.. Wipe the windows dry with a clean p iece of
cloth or kitchen paper towel.
The best way to remove snow from windows
and mirrors is to use a brush . Use a non-abra­
sive
plastic ice scraper -better still, a spray
deicer - to remove
ice from windows and mir­
rors . Oil, grease or silicone residue can be removed
with
glass cleaner or silicone remover . How­
ever, wax res idue requires the use of a spec ial­
ly formulated so lvent. Please contact your
Audi dealer for adv ice on safe products for
wax removal.
Windows should also be cleaned on the inside at regu lar intervals.
Never dry windows with the same chamois
that you use to dry painted surfaces . Wax resi­
due on the chamois can impair v is ion through
the windows.
A WARNING
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other information
Q page 213 .
-The windsh ield must not be treated w ith
water-repellent materials. They can in­ crease glare under poor v is ib ility condi­
tions such as wetness, darkness, or when
the sun is low on the hor izon. In addi­
tion, they can cause the windshield wip­
ers to chat ter.
(D Note
- Never use warm or hot water to remove
snow and ice from windows and mirrors.
Thi s could cause the glass to crack .
- To prevent damage to the wires of the
rear defogger, do not place any adhesive
st ick ers on the inside of the rear win dow
over the wires.
- To help prevent dirt from scratching the
w ind ow, always scrape in a forward di­
rection -pushing the scraper away from
you -never back and forth .
Cast (light) alloy wheels
Cast (light) alloy wheels require special care .
.. Wash the wheels with a sponge or hose
brush every other week.
.. For deep cleaning afterwards, use only a
dedicated
acid-free cast alloy wheel cleaner.
.. Rub a coat of
liquid wax onto the rims every
three month . Be sure to reach and treat all
parts of the rim.
...

To preserve the decorative appearance of the
cast a lloy whee ls , some specia l care is neces­
sary. In add it ion to road dirt and sa lt, brake
dust is also corros ive. If left on for too long,
brake dust can cause pitting.
Use only specia l
acid-free cleaners formulated
for a lloy rims. Safe products are available at
your Aud i dealer. Never leave the cleaner on
t he r ims longer than spec ified on the label. If
not rinsed off promptly, the acid conta ined in
some cleaners can attack the threads on the
wheel bo lts.
Never use abras ive or metal polishing clean­
ing agents . If the protective coat ing has been
chipped, e .g . by k icked up road d irt, touch it
up as soon as possib le.
.8, WARNING
- Moist ure and ice on brakes may affect
braking efficiency
r::!;> page 199, General
information .
Test the brakes caref ully
each time you wash the vehicle.
- Alw ays read and hee d all WARN INGS and
other information ¢
page 213 .
-
Body cavity sealing
The body cavity sealing does not need to be
checked.
All body cavities wh ich could be affected by
corrosion have been thoroughly p rotected at
the facto ry.
This sea ling does not require any inspection or
addit ional treatment . If any wax should seep
out of the cav ity w hen the ambient tempera­
ture is high, it can be removed wit h a plastic
scrape r and a su itab le solvent.
.8, WARNING
So lvents can be dangerous.
- Benzine is flammable and toxic.
If you
u se benzine for removing the wax, keep
sparks, flame and lighted c igarettes
away. Never dump benzine on t he
ground, into open streams or down sew­
age drains .
Cleaning and protec tion 219
- Be s ure to observe all safety and environ­
mental reg ulations . Follow all instruc­
tions on the container.
- Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
r::!;> page 213.
Chassis
Have the undercoating checked for damage
from time to time .
The lower body shell of your Aud i is also thor­
oughly protected against corrosion .
A ny damage to the unde rcoa ting caused by
road hazards sho uld be repaired prompt ly.
.8, WARNING ,.____
T oo much undercoating in the wrong p la­
ces can cause a fire.
- Do not app ly addition al u nder coati ng or
r u stp roof ing on or nea r the exhaust
manifold, exhaust pipes, catalytic con ­
verter or heat shields . While driving, the
substance used for undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
- Always read and heed a ll WARNINGS and
other information
r::!;> page 213.
Exhaust tail pipes
Road salt and other corrosive materials will
damage the material in the exhaust tail pipes
if they are not clea ned regular ly . Do not clea n
the tail pipes with w heel cleaner, pa int polish,
c hr ome polish or other ab ras ive clea ne rs.
C lean t he tail pipes with ca r c are products
that are suitable for stainless steel.
Your authorized Audi dea ler ca n provide clean­
ing products that have been tested and ap ­
proved for yo ur vehicle .
Care of interior
Infotainment components
The MMI/RSE* display may be cleaned w it h a
soft clot h and commercia lly-available "LCD
cleaner" . T he cloth should be coated lightly .,..
•
•

224 Cleaning and protection
Engine compartment
Be especially careful when cleaning the en­
gine compartment.
Al way s switch o ff t he ign ition b efore clean ­
ing the engi ne
c:> &. .
Plenum p ane l
Remove leaves from the plenum pane l in front
of the windshield under the engine compart­
ment. This p revents the water drain holes
from becoming blocked, and it preven ts de­
bris from enter ing the veh icle inter ior through
the heating and venti lation ducts.
Cor rosion protecti on
The engine compartment and transmission
have been corrosion-protected at the factory.
Good anti -corrosion treatment is very impor ­
tant, particular ly in the winter. If the vehicle
is frequent ly driven on sa lt treated roads, the
entire engine compartment and plenum panel
should be thoroughly cleaned at the end of
winter and retreated to prevent salt damage .
At the same time, the underside of the vehicle
should be washed as well.
If the engine compartment is cleaned at any
time with grease removing solut ions
1>, or if
you have the engine washed, the anti-corro­
sion treatment is a lmost always removed as
well. It is therefore essential to have a long­
l asting co rrosion protection reapp lied to all
surfaces, seams, joints and components in the
engine compartment .
&_ WARNING
Be aware: The engine compartment of any
motor vehicle is a potentially hazardous
area.
- Before working in the engine compart­
ment, be sure to read the informat ion
c:> page 230.
- Before reaching into the front pane l, al­
ways switch off the ignition. Otherwise,
1l Use o nly the co rrect cle anin g so lu ti on s. Never use gas­
o lin e or d ie se l fuel.
the windshield wiper system could unin­
tentionally be switched on, possibly
causing personal injury from the moving
wiper linkage .
- Never reach into the area around or
touch the rad iator fan. The auxiliary fan
is temperature controlled and can sw itch
on suddenly- even when the ignition is
off.
- Do not wash, wax or dry the eng ine with
the engine running. Mov ing or hot parts
could injure you.
- Do not clean the underside of the chas­
sis, fenders, wheel covers, or other hard
to reach parts without protect ing your
hands and arms . You may cut yourself on
sharp-edged metal parts .
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other info rmation
c:> page 213.

24 6 T ire s and whee ls
Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle .
Tires may be the least appreciated and most
abused parts of a motor vehicle . Tires are,
however, one of the most important parts of a
vehicle, particularly considering the compara­
tive ly small patch of rubber on each tire that
assures that all -important contact between
you, your vehicle and the road.
Maintaining the correct tire pressure, making
sure that your vehicle and its tires do not have
to carry more weight than they can safe ly han­
d le, avoiding damage from road hazards and
reg ularly inspecting t ires for damage includ­
ing cuts, slashes irregu la r wear and overall
condition are the most important things that
you can do to he lp avoid sudden tire failure in­
cluding tread separation and blowouts.
A vo idin g dama ge
I f you have to drive over a curb or similar ob­
stacle, drive very slow ly and as close as possi ­
ble at a right angle to the curb.
A lways keep chem icals including grease, oil,
gasoline and b rake fluid off the tires.
Inspect the tires regularly for damage (cuts,
cracks or bl isters, etc.). Remove any foreign
bod ies embedded in the treads.
St orin g tire s
Mark tires when you remove them to indicate
the direction of rotation . Th is ensures you to
be ab le to mount them correctly when you re­
install them.
When removed, the wheels or tires should be
stored in a cool, dry and preferably dark place .
Store tires in a vertical position if they are not mounted on rims, in a horizontal position if
they are mounted on rims. N
ew tir es
New t ires have to be broken in¢&,. .
The tread depth of new t ires may vary, accord­
ing to the type and make of t ire and the tread
pattern .
Hidden damag e
Damage to tires and r ims is often not readily
vis ible . If you notice unusual vibrat ion or the
vehicle pulls to one s ide, th is may ind icate
that one of the t ires has been damaged . T he
t ir es must be checked immed iate ly by an au­
tho rized Aud i dea le r or q ualified wor kshop.
Unidirecti onal t ires
A un idirectional tire can be identified by ar­
rows on the sidewall, that po int in the direc­
t ion the t ire is designed to rotate. You must
fol low the specified direction of rotation . This
is necessary so that these tires can develop
their optimum characteristics regarding grip, road noise, wear and hydrop laning resistance.
For more information
¢ page 274.
A WARNING
-New tires or tires that are old, worn or
damaged cannot provide maximum con­
trol and braking ability .
-
-New tires tend to be slippery and must
be broken in . To reduce the risk of losing
control, a collision and ser ious personal
injuries, drive w ith special ca re for the
fi rst 350 m iles (560 km).
- Driving with worn or damaged tires can lead to loss of control, sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowou t and sudden de­
flation, c rashes and serious personal in­
juries . Have worn or damaged tires re­
p laced immediate ly .
- Tires age even if they are not being used
and can fai l sudden ly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years
old can only be used in an emergency
and then w ith special care and at low
speed.

-Never mount used tires on yo ur vehicle if
yo u 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 tire failure
and loss of vehicle control.
- If you notice unusual vibration or if the
vehicle pulls to one side when d riving, 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 summe r and wi nte r tires
are designed for the cond itions that are
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight means the comb ined weight (in excess of
those sta ndard items which may be rep laced)
of au toma tic transmission, power steer ing ,
power brakes, power windows, power seats,
radio, and heater, to the extent that these
items are availab le as factory-installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not) .
Aspect ratio
means the rat io o f the height 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 overa ll handling on dry
pavement .
Bead
means the part of the t ire t hat is made o f
steel wires, wrapped or reinforced by ply cords
and that is shaped to fit the r im.
Bead separation
means a b reakdown of the bond between
components in the bead .
Cord means the strands forming the plies in the
tire.
Tire s an d wheel s 24 7
typica l in those seasons . Aud i recommends
using winter tires during the winter
months . Low temperatures signif icant ly
dec rease the e lasticity of summer t ires,
which affects tract ion and brak ing ability.
If summer t ires are used i n very co ld tem ­
peratures, cracks ca n form o n the tread
bars , res ulting in perma nen t tire damage
that can cause loud driving noise and un­
bala nced ti re s. Audi i s not respon sible for
th is type of damage .
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the t ire p ress ure recommended by t he
vehicle manufacture r fo r a tire o f a des ignated
s ize t hat has not bee n driven for more than a
coup le o f miles (k ilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before the tire press ure
is m easured or adjusted.
Curb weight
me ans the we ight of a motor ve hicle with
st andard equipmen t incl ud ing the max imum
capacity of fuel, oi l, and coolant, air condi ­
tioning and additional weig ht of optiona l
equipment.
Extra load tire
means a t ire design to oper ate a t higher load s
and at higher inflation pressures than the cor­
responding standa rd tire . Extra load tires may
be identified as "XL", "x l", "EXTRA LOAD", o r
"RF" on the sidewal l.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR")
me ans the load-ca rry ing capac ity of a single
axle system , measured at the tire -ground in­
te rfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ( "GVWR ")
mea ns the maximum total loaded we ight of
the ve hicl e. .,..
•
•

248 Tires and wheels
Groove
means the sp ace between two ad jacent tread
ribs .
Load rating (code )
means the maximum load that a tire is rated
to carry fo r a g iven inflat ion pressu re. You
may not find this in fo rmat io n on all t ires be­
c a use i t is no t re quir ed 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 t he sum of:
(a) Curb weig ht
(b) Accessory weight
( c ) Vehicle c apa city we ight, and
(d) Prod uction opt ions we ight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means t he maximum co ld inflation pressure
to which a tire may be inflated . Also called
"maxim um infla tion p ressure ."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 k ilog rams) times the
n umber of occupants seated in the vehicle up
to the tota l seating capacity of yo ur vehicle .
Occupant distribution
means dist ribution o f occ upants in a veh icle.
Outer diameter
means t he overa ll diamete r of a n inflated new
tire.
Overall w idth
means the linea r distance between the exter i­
ors of the sidewalls of an inflated tire, includ ­
ing e levations due to labeli ng, decorations, or
p rotectiv e bands o r ribs .
Ply
means a layer of rubber-coated para llel cords.
Production options weight
me ans the com bine d we igh t of tho se ins tall ed
regular prod uction opt ions we ighing over 5
lb s. (2 .3 kg) in excess of those stan da rd item s
which they replace, not previously considered
in curb weight or accessory we ight, including
heavy duty brakes, ride levelers , roof rack ,
heavy duty battery, and special tr im .
Radial ply tire
means a pneumat ic tire in wh ich the ply cords
t h at exte nd t o the beads are laid at substa n­
t ia lly 90 deg rees to the center line of the
tread .
Recommended inflation pressure
see<=> page 247, Cold tire inflation pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a t ire des ign to operat e at h igher loads
and a t higher in flation pressures than t he cor­
re spondi ng s tand ard tire. Reinfor ce d tires
may be iden tifie d as "X L" "xl" "E X TRA LOAD"
' ' '
or "RF " on the sidewa ll.
Rim
means a metal s upport for a ti re or a tire and
tube assembly upon whi ch t he tire beads are
sea ted.
Rim diameter
means nom inal d iameter of the bead seat. If
you change your wh eel s ize, you wi ll have to
purchase new ti res to match the new r im di­
ameter.
Rim size designation
means r im diameter and width .
Rim width
means nominal d istance between rim fla nges .
Sidewall
means tha t po rtion of a tire betwee n the
t read and be ad.

Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at wh ich a tire is des igned to
be driven for extended periods of t ime . The
ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h) to
186 mph (298 km/h)
¢page 258. You may
not find this information on all tires because
it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code, where applica­ ble, is molded on the tire sidewall and indi­
cates the maximum permissible road speeds
¢ &. in Winter tires on page 262.
Tire pressure monitoring system*
means a system that detects when one or
more of a vehicle's tires are underinflated and
illuminates a low tire pressure warn ing te ll­
tale .
Tread
means that port ion of a tire that comes into
contact with the road.
Tread separation
means pulling away of the tread from the tire
carcass .
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the pr incipal
grooves designed to give a visual ind ication of
the degrees of wear of the tread. See
¢
page 256, Tread Wear Indicator (TWI) for
mo re inf ormat ion on measuring tire wear.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire information system developed by the
United States National Highway Traffic Safety
Admin istration (N HTSA) that is designed to
help buyers make relative comparisons among
tires . Th e U TQG is not a safety rating and not a
g ua ran tee that a tir e will last for a prescribed
number of mi les (kilometers) or perform in a
certain way. It simply gives tire buyers addi ­
tional information to combine with other con-
Tires and wheels 249
siderations, such as price, brand loyalty and
dealer recommendations. Under UTQG, tires
are graded 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)
This is the tire's "serial number". It begins
with the letters "DOT" and indicates that the
tire meets all federa l standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it
was manufactured, and the last four numbers
represent the week and year of manufacture.
For example,
DOT ... 2212 ...
means that the tire was produced in the 22nd
week of 2012. The other numbers are market­
ing codes that may or may not be used by the
tire manufacturer. This information is used to
contact consumers if a tire defect requires a
recall.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and luggage load plus
150 lbs. (68 k ilograms) times the vehicle's to­
tal seating capacity as listed on the label lo­
cated on the driver's side B -pillar .
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is
determined by distributing to each axle its
share of the maximum loaded vehicle weight
and dividing by two.
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is
determined by distributing to each ax le its
share of the curb weight, accessory weight,
and normal occupant weight (distr ibuted in
accordance with table below¢
page 250)
and dividing by two.
•
•