wheel AUDI A7 2016 Repair Manual

Wheels
check the wheel alignment if
there is unusual wear.
- Have the wheels rebalanced if an
imbalance is causing noticeable
vibration in the steering wheel. If you do not, the tires and other
vehicle components could wear more quickly.
Treadwear indicator
The original tires on your vehicle have 1/16 inch (1.6 mm) high
"wear indicators" ~fig.
196 run­
ning across the tread . Marks on
the tire sidewall (for example
"TWI" or other symbols) indicate
the positions of the tread wear in­
dicators.
The t ires have reached the mini­
mum tread depth
l) when they
have worn down to the treadwear
indicators. Replace the tires with
new ones ¢&..
Wheel rotation
Rotating the wheels regularly is
recommended to ensure the tires
wear evenly. To rotate wheels, in­
stall the wheels from the rear
axle on the front axle and vice ver­
sa. This will allow the tires to
1> Obey any applicable regulatio ns in you r
country .
242
have approximately the same
length of service life.
For unidirectional tires, make sure
the tires are installed according to
the running direction indicated on
the tire sidewall¢
page 259.
Hidden damage
Damage to tires and rims can of­
ten occur in locations that are hid­
den . Unusual vibrations in the ve ­
hicle or pulling to one side may
indicate that there is tire damage.
Reduce your speed immediately .
Check the tires for damage. If no
damage is visible from the out­
side, drive slowly and carefully to
the nearest authorized Audi deal­
er or authorized repair facility to have the vehicle inspected.
&_ WARNING
Tread that has worn too low or
different tread depths on the
tires can reduce driving safety.
This can especially have a nega­
tive effect on handling, on the risk aquaplaning when driving
through water, when driving

"'
through curves and when brak­ing, which increases the risk of
an accident.
Tire pressure
Fig. 197 Driver's side B-pillar : tire pres­
sure label
"' -
-~-------------------,£
leooodl__._.,_,.d:.,~w._;.,.-~ •• ._
tM£. IIZl COLO tlllf fllllESSt.lW. PNfU Nl:4fN$IOM$ "IIISaoN OE$ PMEU$ A FROID
-AYIJff -KPA, a PSI
Fig. 198 Tire pressure label
The correct tire pressure for tires
mounted in the factory and for
the spare tire* is indicated on a la­
bel. The label is locate d on the B­
pillar
¢ fig. 197, ¢fig. 198.
Use the tire pressure specified for
a normal vehicle load when the
vehicle is partially loaded¢
table
on page
245. If driving the vehi-
3 cle when fully loaded, you must
~ ..... \D V
N \D .....
Wheels
increase the tire pressure to the
maximum specified pressure¢&,.
Checking/correcting tire
pressure
.,,.Check the tire pressure at least
once per month and also check it before every long drive .
.,,.Always check the tire pressure
when the tires are
cold. Do not
reduce the pressure if it increas­
es when the tires are warm .
... Check the label ¢
fig. 198 for
the correct tire pressure based on vehicle load.
.,,.Correct the tire pressure if nec­
essary.
... vehicles with Tire Pressure Moni­
toring System*: store the modi­
fied tire pressure in the Infotain­
ment system
¢page 252.
.,,.Check the pressure in the emer­
gency tire* /spare tire*. Always maintain the maximum temper­
ature that is specified for the
tire .
_& WARNING
Always adapt the tire pressure
to your driving style and vehicle
load.
-Overloading can lead to loss of vehicle control and increase .,,.
243

Wheels
the risk of an accident. Read and follow the important
safety precautions in
¢ page 245, Tires and vehicle
load limits .
-The tire must flex more if the
tire pressure is too low or if
the vehicle speed or load are
too high . This heats the tire up
too much. This increases the
risk of an accident because it
can cause the tire to burst and
result in loss of vehicle con­
trol.
-Incorrect tire pressure increas­ es tire wear and has a negative
effect on driving and braking
Tire pressure table
Please note that the information
contained in the following table
was correct at the time of print­ ing, and the information is sub­
ject to change. If there are differ­
ences between this information
and the tire pressures specified
on the label on the driver's side B­pillar, always follow the specifica­
tion on the B-pillar label
¢ page 243, fig. 197.
244
behavior, which increases the
risk of an accident.
(D Note
Replace lost valve caps to re­
duce the risk of damage to the
tire valves.
@ For the sake of the environment
Tire pressure that is too low in­
creases fuel consumption.
(D Tips
Audi recommends using the
tire pressure specified for a nor­
mal load
¢ table on page 245
or for a full load when the vehi­
cle is partially loaded .
Make sure that the tire designa­
tion on your tire matches the des ­
ignation on the tire pressure label
and the tire pressure table.
The following table lists recom­ mended tire pressures in cold
tires according to the load and
the size of the tires installed. ...

M N <( (.J
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1
N \!) ,....,
Wheels
Model/ Tire designation Tire pressure
Engine Normal load Maximum load
(up to 2/3* people)a>
front
rear front rear
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA
A7: 235/55 Rl 7 99Y 3.0L High Performance
32 22 0 29 20 0 35 240
38 260
6 cylinders
255/45 Rl8 99H
All Season
3 2 220 2 9 200 3 5 2
40
38 260
255/45 Rl8 99Y
High Performance 32 220 29 2 00 35 240
38 260
255/40 Rl9 l00H XL
All Season
35 240
32 220 38 260 41
280
255/40 Rl9 l00YXL
36 High Performance 25 0 3 2 220 3 8 260 41 280
265/35 R20 99H XL
All Season
3 5 240
32 220
38 260
41 280
265/35 R20 99Y XL
High Performance
36 250 32 220 38 260 41 280
275/30 R21 98Y XL
High Performance
38 2 60 33 230 3 9 270 41 280
S7: 265/35 R20 99Y XL
4 .0L High Performance 4 1
280 35 240
44
300 44
300
8 cylinders
255/40 Rl9 l00YXL
High Performance
39 270 33 230 42
29 0 42
290
275/30 R21 98Y XL
High Performance 41 28 0
35 2
4 0 44 300 44 300
a) Vehicles with 4 seating positions: 2 p eop le in th e fron t, Vehicles with 5 seating posi­
tions:
2 pe ople in the fron t, 1 p erson i n the r ear
A WARNING
Please note the important safe­
ty precautions regarding tire pressure
¢ page 243 and load
limits
¢ page 245 .
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of
load or weight that any vehi cle
and any tire can carry. A vehicle that is overloaded will not handle
well and is more difficult to stop.
O verloading can not only lead to
loss of vehicle control, but can al­
so damage important part s of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden tire failure , including a blowout
and sudden deflation that can
c ause the vehicle to crash.
245

Wheels
Your safety and that of your pas­
sengers also depends on making
sure that load limits are not ex­
ceeded. Vehicle load includes ev­
erybody and everything in and on
the vehicle. These load limits are
technically referred to as the vehi­
cle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic vehicle, all factory in­
stalled accessories, a full tank of
fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids
plus maximum load . The maxi­
mum load includes the number of
passengers that the vehicle is in­
tended to carry ("seating capaci­
ty") with an assumed weight of 150 lbs. (68 kg) for each passen­
ger at a designated seating posi­
tion and the total weight of any
luggage in the vehicle. If you tow
a trai ler, the weight of the trailer
hitch and the tongue weight of
the loaded trailer must be includ­
ed as part of the vehicle load.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating
("GAWR") is the maximum load
that can be applied at each of the
vehicle's two axles.
The fact that there is an upper
limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehi -
246
cle Weight Rating means that the
total weight of whatever is being
carried in the vehicle (including
the weight of a trailer hitch and
the tongue weight of the loaded
trailer) is limited. The more pas­
sengers in the vehicle or passen­
gers who are heavier than the
standard weights assumed mean
that less weight can be carried as
luggage.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
are listed on the safety compli­
ance sticker label located on the
driver's side B-pillar
c::> page 243,
fig. 197.
&_ WARNING ~
Overloading a vehicle can cause
loss of vehicle control, a crash
or other accident, serious per­
sonal injury, and even death.
-Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry will prevent the vehicle
from handling properly and in­
crease the risk of the loss of
vehicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that
has been overloaded may not
be able to stop the vehicle
within a safe distance.

-Tires on a vehicle that has
been overloaded can fail sud­
denly, including a blowout and
sudden deflation, causing loss
of control and a crash.
-Always make sure that the to ­
tal load being transported - including the weight of a trail­
er hitch and the tongue
weight of a loaded trailer -
does not make the vehicle heavier than the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
Determining correct load
limit
Use the example below to calcu­
late the total weight of the pas­
sengers and luggage or other
things that you plan to transport so that you can make sure that
your vehicle will not be overload­
ed.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCU­
PANTS AND CARGO SHOULD
NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX
LBS"on your vehicle's placard
(tire inflation pressure label)
¢ page 243, fig. 19 7.
Wheels
2. Determine the combined
weight of the driver and pas­
sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight
of the driver and passengers
from
"XXX" kilograms or "XXX"
pounds shown on the sticker
¢ page 243, fig . 197 .
4. The resulting figure equals the
available amount of cargo and
luggage load capacity. For ex­
ample, if the
"XXX" amount
equals
1400 lbs. and there will
be five
150 lbs. passengers in
your vehicle, the amount of
available cargo and luggage
load capacity is 650 lbs .
(1400-750 (5 X 150) = 650
lbs.)
5. Determine the combined
weight of luggage and cargo
being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely ex­ ceed the available cargo and
luggage load capacity calculat ­
ed in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer
will be transferred to your vehi­
cle. Consult this manual to de­
termine how this reduces the ..,
247

Wheels
av ailabl e cargo and luggag e
l oa d cap aci ty of your v ehi cle.
.,.Che ck th e tire sidew all
(¢ p ag e 233, fig. 1 9 5) to deter ­
mine the d esigna ted load ra ting
for a specifi c tire .
Wheel bolts and rims
Wheel bolts
Wheel bol ts m ust be clea n and loosen/t ighten
easi ly .
R ims
Rims with a bolted rim r ing* or w ith bolted wheel
covers * consist of mu ltiple piec es. These compo­
nents we re bo lted toget he r us ing special bolts
a nd a special pro cedure. You must no t repair or
d isassemble th em ¢.&. .
A WARNING
Whee l bolts t hat are tightened or repaired in­
co rrectly can become loose and resu lt in loss
o f vehicle control, which increases the risk of
an acc ident. For the correct tightening specifi­
cat ion, refer to
¢ page 2 56, After changing a
wheel .
-Always keep the wheel bolts and the threads
in the wheel hub clean and free of grease .
- Only use wheel bo lts that fit the r im .
- Always have damaged rims repa ired by an
autho rized Aud i dealer or authorized repair
facility. Never repair or disassemble rims
you rself, because this increases the risk of
an acciden t.
Winter tires
Winte r tires sign ificantly improve the ve hicle's
handling when d riving i n w inte r condit io ns. Be­
cause of the ir constr uction (wid th, compo und,
trea d patter n), s umme r tires p rov ide less tract ion
on ice and snow .
.,. Use w inte r tir es on all fou r wheels.
248
.,. On ly use winter tires that are approved fo r yo ur
vehicle.
.,. Please note that t he maxim um permitted
speed may be lower with winter tires ¢
_A .
Your authorized Audi dealer or authorized re­
pair faci lity can inform you about the maximum
perm itted speed for your ti res .
.,. Check the tire pressure afte r instal ling whee ls
¢ page 243.
The effect iveness of w inter t ires is red uced great ­
ly when the tread is worn down to a dep th of
0.1 57 i nch ( 4 mm). The cha racterist ics of winter
ti res a lso de crease grea tly as the t ire ages, re­
gardless of the remaining tre ad.
A WARNING
-
- Never drive faster than the max imum pe r­
m itted speed for your tires. This co uld cause
the t ires to heat up too much . This increases
the risk of an accident because it can cause
the t ire to burst.
- Always adapt your dr iving to the road and
traffic cond itions. D rive carefully and reduce
your speed on icy or slippe ry roads. Even
win ter t ires ca n lose traction on black ice.
@ For the sake of the environment
Reinstall summer tires at the appropriate
time, beca use they provide better handling
when roads are free of snow and ice . Summer
tires cause less road noise, tire wear and fuel
consum ptio n.
(D Tips
You can a lso use all season tires instead of
winter tires. Please note that in some coun ­
tries where w inter t ires a re requir ed, only win ­
ter tires w ith the£ symbol may b e permit­
ted.
' Snow chains
Snow chains improve traction in the snow .
.,. On ly install snow chai ns on the front w heels.
T his app lies also to vehicles with all wheel
dr ive*.

M N <( (.J
'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1
N \!) ,....,
~ Check and correct the seating of the snow
chains if necessary after driving a few feet. Fol­
low the instructions from the manufacturer.
~ Note the maximum permitted speed when driv­
ing with snow chains. Do not exceed 30 mph
(SO km/h) .
Snow chains not only improve the driving in win­
ter road conditions, but also the braking.
Use of snow chains is only permitted with certain
rim/tire combinations due to technical reasons.
Check with an authorized Audi dealer or author­
i z ed repair facility to see if you may use snow
chains .
You must remove the chains when driving on roads that are free of snow. When roads are free
of snow, snow chains can impair handling and
damage the tires, and the chains will quickly be
destroyed.
A WARNING
Using incorrect snow chains or installing snow
chains incorrectly can result in loss of vehicle
control, which increases the risk of an acci­
dent.
- Snow chains can damage the rims/wheel
covers* if the chains come into direct con­
tact with them. Remove the wheel covers*
first. Use coated snow chains.
- Using snow chains that add more than 0 .4
inch (10.5 mm) of height can severely dam­
age the wheel housings and other vehicle
components.
- Do not install and use snow chains if there is
a malfunction in the adaptive air suspen­
sion*, because the vehicle height will be
very low. If you drive with snow chains any­
way, the wheel housings and other vehicle
components can be severely damaged.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equipped with low aspect ra­
tio tires . These tires have been thoroughly tested
and been selected specifically for your model for
Wheels
their superb performance, road feel and handling
under a variety of driving conditions. Ask your au­
thorized Audi dealer for more details.
The low aspect ratio of these tires is indicated by
a numeral of
55 or less in the tire's size designa­
tion. The numeral represents the ratio of the
tire's sidewall height in relation to its tread width
expressed in percentage. Conventional tires have
a heigh t/width ratio of 60 or more.
The performance of low-aspect-ratio tires is par­
ticularly sensitive to improper inflation pres­
sure. It is therefore important that low aspect
ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure
and that the inflation pressure is regularly
checked and maintained. Tire pressures should be checked at least once a month and always
before a long trip
~ page 2 43.
What you can do to avoid tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more easi­
ly by impact with potholes, curbs , gullies or
ridges on the road, particularly if the tire is un­
deri nflated.
In order to minimize the occurrence of impact
damage to the tires of your vehicle, we recom­
mend that you observe the following precau­
tions:
- Always maintain recommended inflation pres­
sures. Check your tire pressure every 2,000
miles (3 ,000 km) and add air if necessary.
- Drive carefully 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 au­
thorized Audi dealer. Replace a damaged tire as
soon as possible.
- Inspect your tires every 2,000 miles (3,000 km)
for damage and wear. Damage is not always
easy to see . Damage can lead to loss of air and
underinflation, which could eventu ally cause
tire failure . If you believe that a tire may have
been damaged, replace the tire as soon as pos -
sible . .,.
249

Wheels
-These tires may wear more quickly than others .
- Please also remember that, wh ile these ti res
deliver responsive handling, they may ride less
comfortably and make more noise than other
choices.
Reduced performance in winter/cold season
conditions
All tires are designed for certain purposes. The
low aspect ratio, ultra high performance tires
originally installed on your vehicle are intended
for maximum dry and wet road performance and handling. They are not suitable for cold, snowy or
icy weather conditions. If you drive under those
circumstances, you should equip your vehicle
with all-season or winter tires, which offer better
traction under those conditions. We suggest you
use the recommended snow or all-season tires
specified for your vehicle, or their equivalent.
Refer to ¢
page 248 for more detailed i nforma·
tion regarding winter tires .
Uniform tire quality grading
-Tread wear
- Traction AA A BC
- Temperature ABC
Quality grades can be found where applicable on
the tire side wall between tread shoulder and maximum section width¢
page 233, fig. 195 .
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA, Tern·
perature
A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal
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 gov·
ernment test course.
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one
and one half (11/2) times as well on the govern·
ment course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon
the actual conditions of their use, however , and
may depart significantly from the norm due to
250
variations in driving habits, service practices and
differences in road characteristics 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 un­
der controlled conditions on specified govern ­
ment test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire
marked C may have poor traction performance
¢ _& .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B,
and C, representing the tire 's resistance to the
generation of heat and its ability to dissipate
heat when tested under controlled conditions on
a specified indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the mate·
rial of the tire to degenerate and reduce tire life,
and excessive temperature can lead to sudden
tire failure ¢& .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform·
ance which all passenger car tires must meet un·
der the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard
No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher levels
of performance on the laboratory test wheel than
the minimum required by law.
A WARNING
-
The traction grade assigned to th is tire is
based on straight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration, cor·
nering, hydroplaning or peak traction charac­
teristics.
A WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is estab­
lished for a tire that is properly inflated and
not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla·
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or
in combination, can cause heat buildup and
-
possible tire failure. ..,_

M N <( I.J "". rl I.O
"' N I.O rl
_& WARNING
Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and not over or underinflat­
ed .
Tire pressure monitoring
system
CD General notes
Each tire, includ ing the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and inflat­
ed to the inflation pressure recommended by the
vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your veh icle has
tires of a different size than the size indicated on
the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure la­
be l, you shou ld determine the proper tire infla­
tion pressure for those tires).
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure tell­
tale when one or more of your tires is significant­ ly under -inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire
pressure telltale illuminates, you should stop and
check your tires as soon as poss ible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure. Driving on a signifi­ cantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to over­
heat and can lead to t ire failure. Under-inflation
also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle's handling and stop­
ping ability .
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for
proper tire maintenance, and it is the driver's re­
sponsib ility to ma inta in correct tire pressure,
even if under-inflation has not reached the level
to trigger illuminat ion of the TPMS low t ire pres­
sure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equ ipped with a TPMS
malfunction indicator to indicate when the sys­
tem is not operating properly. The TPMS mal­
function indicator is combined with the low tire
pressure telltale. When the system detects a
malfunction, the telltale will flash for approxi­
mately one minute and then remain continuously
illuminated . This sequence will cont inue upon
Wheels
subsequent vehicle start -ups as long as the mal­
function exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated ,
the system may not be able to detect or signal
low tire pressure as intended . TPMS malfunctions
may occur for a variety of reasons, including the
i nsta llation of replacement or alternate tires or
wheels on the vehicle that prevent the TPMS
from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or
more t ires or wheels on your veh icle to ensure
that the replacement or alternate t ires and
whee ls allow the TPMS to continue to function
properly.
If the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
indicator appears
The tire pressure indicator in the instrument
cluster informs you if the tire pressure is too low
or if there is a system mo/function .
Fig. 199 Instrument cluster: indicator light with message
Using the ABS sensors, the tire pressure monitor­
ing system compares the tire tread circumference
and vibration characteristics of the individual
tires . If the pressure changes in one or more
t ir es, this is indicated in the instrument cluster
display with an indicator light
HE and a message.
If only one tire is affected, the location of that
tire will be indicated.
T he tire pressures must be stored in the Infotain­
ment system again each time the pressures
change (switching between partial and full load
pressure) or after changing or rep lacing a tire on
your vehicle
¢ page 252. The ti re pressure moni­
toring system only monitors the tire pressure you have stored. Refer to the tire pressure label for ..,.
251