inflation pressure AUDI A7 2015 Owners Manual

M N <( (.J
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
A WARNING
To help prevent poisonous exhaust gas
from being drawn into the vehicle, always keep the rear lid closed while driving .
- Never transport objects larger than
those fitting completely into the luggage
area because the rear lid cannot be fully
closed.
- If you absolutely must drive with the rear
lid open, observe the following notes to
reduce the risk of poisoning:
- Close all windows,
- Close the power roof*,
- Open all air outlets in the instrument
panel,
- Switch off the air recirculation,
- Set the fresh air fan to the highest
speed.
A WARNING
Always make sure that the doors, all win­ dows, the power roof* and the rear lid are
securely closed and locked to reduce the
risk of injury when the vehicle is not being
used.
- After closing the rear lid, always make
sure that it is properly closed and locked.
- Never leave your vehicle unattended es­
pecially with the rear lid left open. A
child could crawl into the vehicle through
the luggage compartment and close the
rear lid becoming trapped and unable to
get out. Being trapped in a vehicle can
lead to serious personal injury.
- Never let children play in or around the
vehicle .
- Never let passengers ride in the luggage
compartment. Vehicle occupants must
always be properly restrained in one of
the vehicle's seating positions.
Gj) Tips
-Air circulation helps to reduce window fogging. Stale air escapes to the outside
through vents in the trim panel. Be sure
to keep these slots free and open .
-
Driving Safely 135
-The tire pressure must correspond to the
load. The tire pressure is shown on the
tire pressure label. The tire pressure la­
bel is located on the driver's side B-pillar.
The tire pressure label lists the recom­
mended cold tire inflation pressures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity
weight and the tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured. For recommended tire pressures for nor­
mal load conditions, please see chapter
~page 247.
Tie-downs
The luggage compartment is equipped with
four tie-downs to secure luggage and other
items.
Use the tie-downs to secure your cargo prop­
erly<>
page 134, Loading the luggage com­
partment.
In a collision, the laws of physics mean that
even smaller items that are loose in the vehi­
cle will become heavy missiles that can cause
serious injury. Items in the vehicle possess en­
ergy which vary with vehicle speed and the
weight of the item. Vehicle speed is the most
significant factor.
For example , in a frontal collision at a speed
of 30 mph (48 km/h), the forces acting on a 10-lb (4.5 kg) object are about 20 times the
normal weight of the item. This means that
the weight of the item would suddenly be about 200 lbs. (90 kg) . You can imagine the
injuries that a 200 lbs . (90 kg) item flying
freely through the passenger compartment
could cause in a collision like this.
A WARNING
Weak, damaged or improper straps used
to secure items to tie-downs can fail dur­
ing hard braking or in a collision and cause
serious personal injury.
-Always use suitable mounting straps and properly secure items to the tie-downs in
.
•
•

M N <( (.J
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
Bead
means the part of the tire that
is made of steel wires, wrapped
or reinforced by ply cords and
that is shaped to fit the rim .
Bead separation
means a breakdown of the bond
between components in the
bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the
plies in the tire.
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recom­
mended by the vehicle manu­
facturer for a tire of a designat­
ed size that has not been driven
for more than a couple of miles (kilometers) at low speeds in
the three hour period before
the tire pressure is measured or
adjusted.
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor
vehicle with standard equip­
ment including the maximum
capacity of fuel, oil, and cool­
ant, air conditioning and addi­
tional weight of optional equip­
ment.
Tires and wheels 243
Extra load tire
means a tire design to operate
at higher loads and at higher inflation pressures than the
corresponding standard tire .
Extra load tires may be identi­
fied as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA
LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR")
means the load-carrying capaci­
ty of a single axle system,
measured at the tire-ground in­
terfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR")
means the maximum total
loaded weight of the vehicle .
Groove
means the space between two
adjacent tread ribs.
Load rating (code)
means the maximum load that
a tire is rated to carry for a giv­
en inflation pressure. You may
not find this information on all
tires because it is not required by law.
•
•
'

244 Tires and whee ls
Ma ximum load r ating
means the load rating for a tire
at the maximum permissible in­
flation pressure for that tire.
Maximum lo ad ed vehicle
weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Ma ximum (permissible )
inflation pressure
means the maximum cold infla­
tion pressure to which a tire
may be inflated. Also called
"maximum inflation pressure."
Normal occupant weight
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms)
times the number of occupants seated in the vehicle up to the
total seating capac ity of your
vehicle.
Occupant di stribution
means distribution of occu­
pants in a vehicle .
Outer diameter
means the overall diameter of
an inflated new tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance be­
tween the ex teriors of the side­
walls of an inflated tire, includ ­
ing elevations due to labeling,
decorations, or protective bands or ribs .
Ply
means a layer of rubber -coated
parallel cords .
Production options weight
means the combined we ight of
those installed regular produc­
tion options weighing over 5
lbs . (2 .3 kg) in excess of those
standard items which they re­
place, no t previously consid­
ered in curb weight or accessory
weight, including heavy duty
brakes, ride leve lers, roof rack,
heavy duty bat tery, and special
trim.
Radial ply tire
means a pneumatic tire in
wh ich the p ly cords that extend
to the beads are laid at sub ­
stantially 90 degrees to the
centerline of the tread .

Recommended inflation
pressure
see¢ page 243J Cold tire infla­
tion pressure.
Reinforced tire
means a tire design to operate
at higher loads and at higher
inflation pressures than the
corresponding standard tire. Reinforced tires may be identi­
fied as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA
LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a
tire or a tire and tube assembly
upon which the tire beads are
seated.
Rim diameter
means nominal diameter of the
bead seat. If you change your
wheel size, you will have to pur­ chase new tires to match the
new rim diameter.
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nominal distance be­
~ tween rim flanges.
<( (.J
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
Tires and wheels 245
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire be­
tween the tread and bead.
Speed rating (letter code)
means the speed at which a tire
is designed to be driven for ex­
tended periods of time. The rat­ ings range from 93 mph (150
km/h) to 186 mph (298 km/h)
¢ page 263. You may not find
this information on all tires be­ cause it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code,
where applicable, is molded on
the tire sidewall and indicates
the maximum permissible road speeds ¢
A in Winter tires on
page
267.
Tire pressure monitoring system
means a system that detects
when one or more of a vehicle's tires are underinflated and illu­
minates a low tire pressure
warning telltale.
Tread
means that portion of a tire
that comes into contact with
the road.
•
•
'

M N <( I.J "".
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
means that load on an individu­
al 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
mean s that load on an individu­
al tire that is determined by
Tires and wheels 247
distributing to each axle its
share of the curb weight, acces­
sory weight, and normal occu­
pant weight (distributed in ac­
cordance with table below
¢ page 247) and dividing by
two.
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for
various designated seating capacities
Designated seating Vehicle normal load, Occupant distribu-
capacity, number of number of occupants tion in a normally
occupants loaded vehicle
4 2 2 in front
5 3 2 in front, 1 in back
seat
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety
of a vehicle.
- Kl'A. . PSI
- KPA. .
PSI
- KPA. . PSI
; Fig. 200 Tire pressure label: located Fig. 201 Tire pressure label
.... l/1 .... on driver's side B-pillar

248 Tires and whee ls
Tire pressure generally refers to tant things you can do to help
the amount of a ir in a tire that avoid sudden tire failure. Un-
it needs it to do its job and derinflated tires are a major
safely carry the combined load cause of sudden tire failure .
of the entire vehicle and its con-
Keeping tires at the right pres-
tents . Tire pressure is measured sure is also important for safe
in kilopascals (kPa), the inter- and responsive vehic le han-
national measuring unit and in dling, traction, braking and
pounds pe r square inch (PSI). load carrying.
Tire pressu res
Ti re pressure is based in part on are particularly important
the vehicle's design and load when the vehicle is being driv-
limit -the greatest amount of en at h igher speeds, and then
weight that the vehicle can car-especially when hea vily loaded
ry safely and the tire size. The even within the permissible
proper tire pressure is frequent-load-carrying capacities ap-
ly referred to as the "recom-proved for your vehicle.
mended cold tire inflation pres-
The recommended tire pres-
sure." Air in the tires expands sures for your Audi depend on
when the tire heats up because the kind of tires on your vehicle
of internal friction when it flex- and the number of passengers
es in use. The ti re pressure is
and/or amount of luggage you
h igher when the tire has
will be transporting.
warmed up than when it is
The tire pressure labe l is locat-
"cold." It is the inflation p res-
ed on the driver's side 8-pillar.
sure in a "cold" tire that counts .
Therefore, you should never let The tire pressure label lists the
recommended cold tire infla-
air out of a warm tire to match
"cold tire inflation pressure" tion pressures for the vehicle at
its maximum capacity weight
recommendations . The tires
would then be underinflated and tires that were on your ve-
and cou ld fai l suddenly . hicle at the time it was manu-
f actured.
...
Maintaining proper tire pres-
sure is one of the most impor-

M N <( (.J
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
If you wish to improve comfort
when operating the vehicle at normal load (up to 2/3* occu­
pants), you can adjust tire
pressures to those specified
for normal vehicle load. Before
operating the vehicle at maxi­ mum load, you must increase
the tire pressures to those
specified for maximum vehicle load
c> .&. .
Bear in mind that the tire pres­
sure monitoring system can on­
ly monitor the tire pressures
you have stored. The system does not recognize the load
condition of your vehicle.
The effectiveness of the tire pressure monitoring system
will be impaired if you store normal load pressures but then
operate the vehicle at its maxi­
mum load
c> .&. .
Tires and wheels 249
See the illustration c> fig. 200
for the location of the label on
driver's side B-pillar (color of
the actual label and exact loca­
tion on the vehicle will vary slightly).
Note that the following table is
accurate at the time of going to
press and is subject to change.
In the event of discrepancies,
the tire pressure label is locat­ ed on the driver's side B-pillar
always takes precedence.
The table below lists the rec­ ommended cold tire inflation pressures for the Audi model
covered by your Owner's Litera­
ture at the vehicle's capacity
weight and the tire sizes instal­
led on the respective models as
original equipment , or as a fac-
tory option. ..,.
•
•
'

technically referred to as the
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR"). The Gross
Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each of the vehicle's
two axles. The Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating and the Gross
Axle Weight Rating are listed on the safety compliance stick­
er label located on the driver's
side B-pillar. The tire pressure
label on your Audi lists the
maximum combined weight of
all of the occupants and lug­
gage or other cargo that the ve­
hicle can carry. For the location
of the tire pressure label
c> fig . 200.
A WARNING
-
Overloading a vehicle can
cause loss of vehicle control,
a crash or other accident, se­ rious personal injury, and
even death.
-Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the ve­hicle from handling properly
and increase the risk of a
~ loss of vehicle control. <(
~ -The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may
Tires and wheels 251
not be able to stop the vehi­
cle within a safe distance.
- Tires on a vehicle that has
been overloaded can fail
suddenly causing loss of control and a crash.
-Always make sure that the total load being transported
- including the weight of a
trailer hitch and the tongue
weight of a loaded trailer -
does not make the vehicle
heavier than the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rat­
ing.
A WARNING
-Incorrect tire pressures
and/or underinflation can
lead to a serious or fatal ac­
cident.
-Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation cause
increased tire wear and can
affect the handling of the
vehicle.
-Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can
also lead to sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation, caus­
ing loss of vehicle control.
•
•
'

252 Tires and wheels
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the
tires originally installed on
your vehicle is listed on the tire pressure label located on driv­
er's side 8-pillar.
The recommended tire pres­
sures are on the tire pressure
label and in the table
c::> page 247, Cold tire inflation
pressure. This means that the
pressure must be checked and
adjusted when the tire has not
been driven for more than a
couple of miles (kilometers) at
low speeds during the previous
three hours. Air in the tires ex­
pands when the tire heats up as
a result of internal friction as it
flexes in use . The tire pressure
is higher when the tire has
warmed up than when it is "cold."
It is the inflation pressure in a
"cold" tire that counts. There­
fore, you should never let air
out of a warm tire to match
"Cold tire inflation pressure"
recommendations
c:::> page 247 .
The tires would then be under­
inflated and could fail sudden ­
ly. The tire
pressure label on your
Audi lists the recommended
cold tire inflation pressures at maximum capacity for the new,
original equipment tires that
were on your vehicle at the time
it was manufactured. For the
location of the label
c::> page 247, fig. 200.
Most tires lose air naturally
over time. They can also lose
some air if you drive over a pot­ hole or hit a curb while parking.
It is usually not possible to see
whether the radial tires used
today are underinflated just by
looking at them.
Therefore, be sure to check tire
pressures at least once a month
and always before going on a long trip . Make sure to take the
number of people and the
amount of luggage into ac­ count when adjusting tire pres­
sure for a trip -even one that
you would not consider to be
"long." See
c:::> page 255, Tires
and vehicle load limits for more
important information .
Always use an accurate tire pressure gauge when checking
and adjusting inflation .,.

254 Tires and wheels
forget to check the tire pres-
ure, including a blowout
sure for the spare wheel
and sudden deflation, caus-
¢page 274. ing loss of vehicle control.
When should I adjust the -The driver is responsible for
tire pressures? the correct tire pressures for
Adjust the tire pressure to the all tires on the vehicle. The
applicable pressure values
load you are carrying. After
are located on a sticker on
changing a wheel
or replacing
the driver's side B-pillar.
wheels you have to adjust the
-Only when all tires on the
tire pressures on all wheels. In
vehicle are filled to the car-
addition, you must then store
rect pressure, the tire pres-
the new tire pressures in the
sure monitoring system can
tire pressure monitoring sys-
work correctly.
tern
¢ page 270.
-The use of incorrect tire
A WARNING
-pressure values can lead to
Incorrect tire pressures and/
accidents or other damage.
or underinflation can lead Therefore it is essential that
sudden tire failure, loss of the driver observe the speci-
control, collision, serious per- fied tire pressure values for
sonal injury or even death. the tires and the correct
-When the warning symbol pressures for the function of
[IJ appears in the instru-
the tire pressure monitoring
ment cluster, stop and in-
system.
spect the tires. -Always inflate tires to the
-Incorrect tire pressure and/ recommended and correct
or underinflation can cause tire pressure before driving
increased tire wear and can off.
affect the handling of the -Driving with underinflated
vehicle and stopping ability. tires bend more, letting
-Incorrect tire pressures them get too hot resulting
and/or underinflation can in tread separation, sudden
..
also lead to sudden tire fail-