winter tires AUDI A7 2013 Owners Manual

Messages in the instrument cluster
display
Applies to vehicles: with Start-Stop-System
Start-Stop syste m deacti vated: Please re­
start engine manually
This message appears when specific condi­
tions are not met dur ing a s top phase and the
Start -Stop-System w ill
not be able to restart
the eng ine.
If the Dor R selector lever posi­
tions were engaged, P will be selected auto­ mat ica lly. The engine must be started with
the
! START ENGINE STOP I button .
Start-Stop system: System fault! Function
unavailable
There is a malf unctio n in t he Star t-Stop-Sys­
tem . Dr ive the veh icle to an authorized repair
fac ility for servicing as soon as possible to cor­
rect the malfunction .
Speed warning system
Introduction
The speed warning system helps you to stay
under a specified maximum speed.
The speed warning system warns you if you
a re exceeding the max imum speed that you
have set. You w ill hear a warn ing tone when
your speed exceeds the stored va lue by ap­
p rox ima tely 3 mph (3 km/h) . An indicato r
l ight . (USA models)/ . (Canada mode ls) in
t he ins trumen t cluster display also turns on at
the same time. The indicator light
a;m
turns off when the speed decreases below the
stored maximum speed.
Setting a threshold is recommended if you
wou ld like to be reminded when you reach a
certain maximum speed . Situations where you
may want to do so include driving in a country
with a general speed limit or if there is a
specif ied max imum speed for winter tires.
(D Tips
Even tho ugh your vehicle is equipped with
a speed warning system, you should st ill
On the road 83
watch the speedometer to make sure you
are not driving faster than the speed limit.
Setting the threshold
You can set, chang e and delete the threshold
in the MMI.
.,. Select: I CAR I function button > (Car)* sys­
tems
control button > Driver assist > Speed
warning.
You can set any threshold between 20 mph
(30 km/h) and lS0 mph (240 km/h). Sett ings
can eac h be adjusted in increments of 6 mph
(10 km/h).
Cruise control
Switching on
Applies to vehicles: with cruise control
The cruise control system makes it possible to
drive at a constant speed starting at
20 mph
(30kmlh).
0
f
®t
0
Fig. 84 Contro l lever with set button
Fig. 85 Display: Selected speed
.,. Pull the lever to position © c::> fig. 84 to
sw itch the system on.
.,. Drive at the speed you w is h to set.
.,. Press button @ to set that speed.

-If the brake booster is not working, for
example when towing your vehicle, or
because the brake booster has somehow
been damaged, the brake pedal must be
pressed considerably harder to make up
for the lack of booster assistance.
Electro-mechanical
power assist
The electro-mechanical power assist helps
the driver when steering.
Power steering adapts electronically based o n
the vehicle speed.
Ind icator light s and messages
• Steering d efecti ve ! Stop the vehicl e
If this ind icator lig ht turns on and stays on
and this message appears, the power steering
may have fa iled.
Do
not continue driving. See yo ur authorized
Aud i dealer or other qualified repa ir facility
for assistance .
'y. ij Steering: System mal function! You m ay
c ont in ue drivi ng
If the indicator lig ht turns on and the mes­
sage appears, the steering may be more diffi­
cult to move or more sensitive than usual.
Drive s low ly to your author ized Audi dealer or
qua lified workshop to have the malfunction
corrected.
(D Tips
If the . or 'I aj indicato r light only stays
on for a sho rt time, you may contin ue driv­
ing .
Int ellig ent technolog y 201
Driving with your
quattro ®
Applies to vehicles : with all-wheel drive
With all-wheel drive, all four wheels are driv­
en .
General info rmation
With all Wheel Drive, power is distributed to
all four wheels. This happens automatically
depending on your driving style and the road
cond it ions at the time . See also ¢
page 196 .
With the sport different ia l*, power dist ribu­
tion to the rear wheels is variable and can be
adjus ted with A udi drive select*
¢ page 102.
Always read and follow safety precautions
¢ ,0. .
Winter tires
When dr iving in the winter, your vehicle with
all-wheel drive has an advantage, even w it h
regular tires. In winter ro ad conditions it may
be advisable to mount winter tires (or all -sea ­
son tires) for improved driveability and brak­
ing: these tires must be mo unted on
all fou r
whee ls.
See also ¢ page 261, Winter tires.
Tire chains
Where tire chains are mandatory on certain
roads, this norma lly also applies to veh icles
with all-wheel drive¢
page 262, Snow
chains.
Replacing wheels /tires
Vehicles with al l-wheel d rive must always
have tires of the same s ize. A lso avoid tires
with different tread depths . For detai ls see
page ¢
page 2 5 7, New tires and replacing
tires and wheels .
Off-Road driving?
You r A ud i does not have enough gro und clea r­
ance to be used as an off-road vehicle .
It is
therefore best to avoid rough tracks and un ­
even terra in as much as possib le . Also refer to
¢ page 205. ll>
•
•

-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. .,..
•
•

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.
•
•

258 Tires and wheels
contribution to good road ho lding and safe
handling when in good condition and properly
inflated
¢ ,& .
We recommend that all work on tires and
wheels be performed by an authorized Audi
dealer. They are familiar with recommended
procedures and have the necessary spec ial
too ls and spare parts as well as the proper fa­
cilities for disposing of the old tires.
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary information about technical requ irements for
installing or changing tires and rims.
Replacing tires and wheels
Tires should be rep laced at least in pairs and
not individually (for example both front tires
or both rear tires together).
Be sure to read and heed the information to
the tire pressure monitoring system*
¢pa ge 264.
Always buy rep lacement radial tires that have
the same specifications as the tires approved
for your vehicle by Audi. Replacement t ires
must always have the same load rating speci­
fication as the original equipment or approved
optional tires listed in the table
c:> page 250.
Aud i-approved specification ti res are specially
matched to your vehicle and its load limits,
and can contribute to the important road hold­
ing, driving characteristics, and safety of the
vehicle. The table
(c:>page 250) lists specifica­
tions of the tires approved for the Audi mod­
els covered by your Owner's Literature .
The tire pressure label located on driver's side
B-pillar
(c:> fig. 197) lists the specifications of
the orig inal equipment tires installed on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
Federal law requires tire manufacturers to
place standardized information on the s ide­
wall of all tires
c:> fig. 200. This information
identifies and describes the fundamental
characterist ics, the quality grade of the tire
and also provides a tire ident ificat ion number
fo r safety standard certificat ion and in case of
a recall.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it eas­
ier to choose the correct tires. Radial ti res
have the tire specifications marked on the
sidewa ll, for examp le:
255/40 R 19 100 H XL
This conta ins the following information:
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars
(where app licable)
255 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire
from sidewall edge to sidewall edge. In general, the larger the number, the wider
the tire
40 Height/w idth ratio in percent (aspect ra-
t io)
R Tire construct ion: Radial
19 Rim diameter code (in inches)
100 Load rating code
H Speed rating letter code
XL (or "xl", "E XTRA LOAD" or "RF") Indica tes
that the tir e is a "Reinforced" or an "Ext ra
Load" t ire
M+S (or "M/5") Indicates that the tire has
some mud and snow capability
The tires could also have the information of
direction of rotat io n
¢ page 246.
Tire manufacturing date
The manufacturing date is also indicated on
the tire sidewall (possibly on ly on the
inner
side of the wheel):
"DOT ... 2212 ... " means, for example, the tire
was produced in the 22nd week of 2012.
Speed rating (letter code)
The speed rating letter code on the whee ls in ­
dicates the maximum permissible road speeds
c:> & in Winter tires on page 262.
p up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
s up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
T up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
u up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H up
to 130 mph (210 km/h)

260 Tires and wheels
-If the spare tire is not the same as the
tires that are mounted on the vehicle -
for example with winter tires - only use
the spare tire for a short period of time and drive with extra care. Refit the nor­
mal road wheel as soon as safely possi­
ble.
- Never drive faster than the maximum
speed for which the tires on your vehicle
are rated because tires that are driven
faster than their rated speed can fail
suddenly.
- Overloading tires cause heat build-up,
sudden tire failure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation and loss of control.
- Temperature grades apply to tires that
are properly inflated and not over or un­
derinflated.
- For technical reasons it is not always
possible to use wheels from other
vehicles -in some cases not even wheels
from the same vehicle model.
- If you install wheel trim discs on the ve­
hicle wheels, make sure that the air flow
to the brakes is not blocked. Reduced air­
flow to the brakes can them to overheat,
increasing stopping distances and caus­
ing a collision.
- Run flat tires may only be used on
vehicles that were equipped with them
at the factory. The vehicle must have a
chassis designed for run flat tires. Incor­
rect use of run flat tires can lead to vehi­
cle damage or accidents. Check with an
authorized Audi dealer or tire specialist
to see if your vehicle can be equipped
with run flat tires. If run flat tires are
used, they must be installed on all four
wheels. Mixing tire types is not permit­
ted.
- For technical reasons, it is not generally
possible to use the wheel rims from oth­
er vehicles. This can hold true for wheels
of the same vehicle type.
- If the spare tire is different from the
tires that you have mounted on your ve- hicle (for example winter tires or wide
profile tires), then use the spare tire for a
short period of time only and drive with
extra care. Replace
the flat tire with the
tire matching the others on your vehicle
as soon as possible.
- Never drive without the valve stem cap.
The valves could get damaged.
@ For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accordance with the
local requirements.
Uniform tire quality grading
-Tread wear
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable
on the tire side wall between tread shoulder
and maximum section width
~ fig. 200.
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA,
Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Feder­
al Safety Requirements in addition to these
grades .
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating
based on the wear rate of the tire when tested
under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course.
Fo r example, a tire graded 150 would wear
one and one half (1 1/2) times as well on the
government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends
upon the actual conditions of their use, how­
ever, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, serv­
ice practices and differences in road character­
istics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest,
are AA, A, Band
C. Those grades represent the
tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as ..,.

measured under controlled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of asphalt
and concrete. A tire marked C may have poor
traction performance
c::> & .
Temp erature
The temperature grades a re A (the highest),
B, and C , representing the tire's resistance to
the generation of heat and its ability to dissi­ pate heat when tested under controlled condi­
tions on a specified indoor laboratory test
wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the materia l of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire fa ilure
c::> & .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform­
ance which a ll passenger car tires must meet
under the Federal Motor Veh icle Safety Stand­
ard No.
109. Grades Band A represent higher
levels of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the m inimum required by law .
&, WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this t ire is
based on stra ight-ahead b raking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydrop laning or peak traction
character istics .
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is es­
tablished for a tire that is properly inflated
and not overloaded . Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
separate ly or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible tire fa ilure.
Winter tires
Win ter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice. At tempera tures below 45 °F
(7 °C) we recommend changing to winter
tires.
In some heavy snow areas, loca l governments
may require true winter or "snow" tires, those
with very deeply cut tread. These t ires should
Tire s an d wheel s 261
only be used in pairs and be installed on all
fo ur wheels. Make sure you purchase snow
tires that are the same size and construction
type as the other tires on your vehicle.
If your vehicle is eq uipped w ith all -whee l
drive*, this wi ll improve traction during winter
driv ing, even with the standard tires. Howev ­
er, we strongly recommend that you always equip all four wheels on your veh icle w ith cor­
rectly fitted winter tires or all -season t ires,
whe n w inter road cond it ions are expected.
T his also improves the veh icle's brak ing per­
fo rmance and reduces stoppi ng d istances.
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and
snow .
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted
on all four wheels.
Ask your authorized A udi dealer or qualified
workshop for permitted
wi nter ti re size s. Use
on ly rad ial winter t ires.
Winter tires lose their effectiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of
0 .1 57 inch
(4 mm).
Only drive w ith w inter tires under w inter con­
ditions. S umme r tires handle better when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45
°F (7 ° ().
If you have a flat tire, see no tes on spare
whee l c::> page 257.
Please a lways remember that winter tires may
have a lowe r speed ra ting than the tires o rig i­
nally installed on your veh icle at the time it
was man ufactured. P lease see
c::> pag e 258,
Speed rating (letter code) for a listing of the
speed rating letter codes and the max imum
speed at which the tires can be driven.
The speed rating le tter code
(c::> page 249) is
on the side wall of the tire
c::> page 257.
A WARNING
Winter t ires have maximum speed limits
that may be lower than yo ur vehicle's max­
imum speed. Always know the max imum
speed before dr iv ing off . Never dr ive faster
~
•
•

26 2 T ire s and wheel s
than the speed permitted for your specific
w inter t ires. This will cause damage to the
tires leading to an accident and serious
personal injury to you and your passen­
gers .
A WARNING
Driv ing faster than the maximum speed
for which the w inter t ires on your vehicle
we re designed can cause tire fai lu re in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflat ion,
loss of control, crashes and serious per­
sonal injuries. Have worn or damaged tires
rep laced immediate ly .
- Winter tires have maximum speed rat ing
that may be lower than your veh icle's
maximum speed.
- Never drive faster than the speed for
which the winter or other tires installed
on your vehicle are rated.
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and
traffic conditions. Never let the good ac­
celeration of the winter tires and all-whee l
drive tempt you into taking extra r isks. A l­
ways remember :
- When brak ing, an all-w heel drive vehicle
hand les in the same way as a front drive
vehicle .
- Drive carefu lly and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
cannot he lp under black ice condit ions .
@ For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather cond i­
tions permit . They are quieter, do not wea r
as quickly and reduce f ue l consumption .
Snow chains
-
Snow chains may be fitted on ly to the front
wheels, and only to certa in tire sizes. Ask yo ur
author ized Audi dealer on wh ic h tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
If you are going to use snow chains, then you
must i nstall them on the front whee ls at
l east.
T he snow chains mus t have low-p rofile links
and must not be th icker than 0 .4 inch
(10,5 mm) , includ ing the lock .
Remove whee l cen ter covers and t rim discs
before pu tting snow c hains on your veh icle
¢ (D . For safety reasons cover caps m ust then
be fitted over the wheel bo lts. These are avail­
able from autho rized Aud i dealers .
A WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your veh i­
cle or installing them incorrect ly can in­
crease the risk of loss of contro l leading to
se rious pe rsonal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different
sizes . Always make sure to follow the in­
structions p rov ided by t he snow chain
manufacturer.
- W hen driving with s now cha ins never
driv e faster than t he speed permitted for
your specifi c snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations.
(D Note
-Remove snow chains before dr iv ing on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down un necessa rily.
- Snow chains, which come i nto direct con­
t act with the whee l rim, can scratch or
damage it. Therefo re, make sure that the
snow chains are s uitably covered. Check
t he pos ition o f th e snow cha ins afte r
dr iv ing a few yards and correct if ne ces ­
sary. Follow the inst ructions from the
snow chain ma nufactu rer when do ing so .
- If the Adaptive Air Suspens ion * sho uld
ma lf u nction, do not mount or use snow
chains because the vehicle wi ll be ex­
treme ly low. If you do drive with snow
chains on while the vehicle is at this lev­
el, t he snow cha ins might seve rely dam­
age the whee lhouse and o ther parts of
the vehicle.

264 Tire s and wheel s
In o rder to minimize the occurrence o f impact
damage to the tires of your vehicle, we recom­ mend that you observe the following precau­
tions :
- Always maintain recommended inflation
pressures. Check your tire pressure every
2,000 miles (3,000 km) and add a ir if neces­
sary.
- Drive carefu lly on roads with potholes, deep
gullies or ridges. The impact from driving
through or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may also cause damage to your tires.
- After any impact, immediately inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest
authorized Aud i dealer . Replace a damaged
t ire as soon as possible .
- In spect your t ires every 2,000 miles (3,000
km) for damage and wear . Damage is not al­
ways easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of
air and underinflation, wh ic h could event u­
ally cause t ire fail ure.
If yo u be lieve that a
ti re may have been damaged, replace the
tire as soon as possible.
- These tires may wea r more qui ck ly than oth­
ers.
- Please a lso remembe r that, whi le these t ires
deliver respons ive handling, they may ride
less comfortably and make more noise than
other choices.
R educed p erformance in winter /cold
sea son conditions
A ll tires are designed for certain purposes .
The low aspect ratio, ultra high performance
tires originally installed on your vehicle are in­
tended for max imum dry and wet road per­
f ormance and handling . They are not suitable
for cold, snowy or icy weather cond it ions.
If
you dr ive under those circumstances, you
should equip your vehicle with all-season or
winter tires, whi ch offe r better traction under
those cond it ions . We suggest you use the rec ­
ommended snow or a ll-season tires specifie d
for your vehicle, or their equiva lent .
Refe r to ~
page 261 for mo re deta iled infor­
ma tion r egarding w in ter ti res.
Tire pressure
monitoring system
ill General notes
Applies to veh icles: w ith tire pressure monito ring system
Each tire, incl uding the spare (if provided),
sho uld be checked monthly when co ld and in ­
flated to the inf lat ion pressure recommended
by the veh icle manufacturer on the veh icle
placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your
vehicle has tires of a d ifferent size than the
s ize indicated on the vehicle placard o r tire in­
flat io n pressu re label, you sho uld dete rmine
the p roper t ire infla tion p ressure fo r those
t ir es) .
As an added safety featu re, your ve hicle has
been equipped with a tire pressure mon itoring
system ( TPM S) that illum inates a low ti re
pressure te lltale whe n one or more o f you r
tires is signif icant ly under -inflated . Acco rding­
l y, when the low tire pressure te lltale i llumi­
nates, you shou ld stop and check your tires as
soon as possib le, and inflate them to the
proper pressure. Driving on a sign ificantly u n­
der- inflated t ire causes the tire to overheat
and can lead to tire fa ilure . Under -inflation al ­
so reduces fuel eff ic iency and tire tread life,
and may affe ct the vehicle 's hand ling and
stopp ing ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute
for proper tire ma intenance, and it is the d riv­
er's respo nsibility to maintain co rrect tire
pressure, even if under -inflation has not
reached the leve l to tr igger illuminat ion of the
T PMS low tire p ressu re tellta le .
You r vehicle has also been equipped with a
T PMS ma lf u nction indicator to ind icate when
the sys tem is not oper ating properly . T he
T PMS ma lfunction indicator is comb ined w ith
the low tire pressure te lltale. Whe n the sys­
tem detects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash for approximately one min ute and then
rema in con tinuously i llum inated . T hi s se­
quence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as t he malfunct ion exists . .,.

26 6 T ire s and whee ls
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
c> page 250. 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.
- T he driver is responsible for ma inta ining
the correct tire pressures. You must check the t ire pressures regular ly .
- Under certain cond itions (such as a spor­
ty driving style, winter condit ions or un­
paved roads), the pressure monitor indi­
cator may be de layed .
- Ask your author ized Audi dealer if r un­
flat tires may be used on your vehicle .
Your vehicle regist ration becomes invalid
if yo u use these tires when not permit­
ted. Damage to your veh icle or accidents
cou ld also result.
- The tire pressure monitoring system
stops working when there is an ESC/ABS
malfunction .
- Using snow chains may result in a system
malfunction.
- The tire pressure monitoring system on
your Audi was developed using tires with
the "AO" or "RO" identif ication on the
tire sidewall
c> page 257. We recom­
mend using these t ires.
Reset tire pressure monitoring system
App lies to vehicles: with tire pressure monito ring system
If the tire pressure is adjusted, wheels are ro­
tated or changed, the TPMS must be reset via
MMI.
., Switch on the ignition .
., Se lect in the MMI: !CAR !function button>
(C ar)* s ystems contro l butto n > Se rvicing &
checks > Tire pre ssure mon itoring > Store
tire pr essures> Ye s, store n ow .
(D Tips
Do not store the tire pressure if there are
snow cha ins on the tire .