warning AUDI Q7 2009 Owner´s Manual

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
make, there will be six to eight of them evenly placed around the
tire. Marks on the tire sidewall (for example "TWI" or other symbols)
indicate the positions of the tread wear indicators. Worn tires must
be replaced. Different figures may apply in other countries=>& .
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premature wear and can cause
sudden tire blow-out. For this reason, tire pressure must be checked
at least once a month =>
page 353.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves, heavy acceleration and hard braking
increase tire wear.
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your vehicle to have the same service life, we
recommend that the front and rear tires are rotated according to the
tire manufacturer's suggested tire rotation intervals. Please
remember the following:
• Tire rotation intervals may differ from the vehicle service inter­
vals outlined in your Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
• The longer one tire is used in one location on the vehicle , the
more it wears at certain points; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufacturer's suggested tire rotation intervals .
• Vehicles with front-wheel drive experience more tread wear on
the front wheels compared to all-wheel drive (quattro ®l.
• Please rotate tires as shown =>
page 357, fig. 294.
• Extra care must be taken when rotating direction-specific tires
=>
page 379.
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced. However, various situa­
tions during everyday driving can cause them to become unbal ­
anced, resulting in vibrations you can usually feel through the
steering wheel. Unbalanced
wheels must be rebalanced to avoid excessive wear on
steering, suspension and tires. A wheel must also be rebalanced
when a new tire is installed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment can cause excessive tire wear , impairing
the safety of the vehicle. If tires show excessive wear, have the
wheel alignment checked by an authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop.
All Wheel Drive
Vehicles with quattro® must always have tires of the same size,
construction and tread type. For details see=>
page 294.
& WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of control, a crash and serious
personal injury!
• Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire is worn down
to the wear indicators.
• Worn tires are a safety hazard, they do not grip well on wet
roads and increase your risk of "hydroplaning" and loss of control.
• Always keep chemicals that can cause tire damage, such as
grease, oil, gasoline and brake fluid away from tires .
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly,
especially at high speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at
lower speeds .
• Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history." Old used tires may have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control. •

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•
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN) and tire
manufacture date
This is the tire's "serial number". It begins with the letters "DOT"
and indicates that the tire meets all federal 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 manufac ­
ture . For example, the numbers 2208 mean that the tire was
produced in the 22th week of 2008. The other numbers are
marketing codes that may or may not be used by the tire manufac­
turer. This information is used to contact consumers if a tire defect
requires a recall.
Tire ply composition and materials used
The number of plies indicates the number of layers of rubber-coated
fabric in the tire. In general, the greater the number of plies, the
more weight a tire can support. Tire manufacturers also must indi­
cate the materials in the tire, which include steel, nylon, polyester,
and others.
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates the maximum load in kilograms and pounds
that can be carried by the tire.
Tire quality grading for treadwear, traction, and
temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and temperature grades~ page 363.
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
This number is the greatest amount of air pressure that should ever
be put in the tire under normal driving conditions.
Replacing tires or rims on vehicles equipped with tire
pressure monitoring system
The wheels on your vehicle are equipped with a sensor which
constantly monitors the air pressure inside the tire, and then trans ­
mits this information to the tire pressure monitoring system. If you
are going to replace the wheel rims on your vehicle, make sure the new rims also have these sensors
. The sensors must be compatible
with the tire pressure monitoring system on your vehicle.
If you install rims, which do not have the sensors, or have sensors
which are not compatible, then the tire pressure monitoring system
will not work properly. In this case, the tire pressure monitoring
system would not be able to monitor the tire pressure or warn you
if it is necessary.
• The battery inside of the tire pressure sensor has a limited
service life.
• Always drive with the valve stem caps securely mounted. We
recommend using factory installed valve stem caps. Ask your autho­
rized Audi dealer to replace lost valve stem caps .
The installation of replacement tires with steel cord body plies in
the tire sidewall may cause malfunction of the tire pressure moni­
toring system, and is not recommended (cord material information
in molded on the tire sidewall).
Always check your tire pressure monitoring system indicator after replacing one or more tires on your vehicle. If the tire pressure
monitoring system indicator flashes, or is on, your system is not
working properly. Your replacement tire might be incompatible with
your tire pressure monitoring system, or some component of the
tire pressure monitoring system may be damaged.
& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/ or wheels or improper
tire and wheel combinations can lead to loss of control, collision and serious personal injury.
• Always use tires, rims and wheel bolts that meet the specifica­
tions of original factory-installed tires or other combinations that
have been specifically approved by the vehicle manufacturer .
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly,
especially at high speeds. Tires that are more than 6 years old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at
lower speeds . .,.
Vehicle care
I t •

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•
Uniform tire quality grading
• Tread wear
• Traction AA A B C
• Temperature A B C
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire side wall
between tread shoulder and maximum section width=>
page 359,
fig. 295.
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA, Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal Safety Require ­
ments 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 .
For 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 condi­
tions of their use, however, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differ­
ences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, B and 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 => & .
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 dissi­
pate heat when tested under controlled conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel. Sustained high temperature can cause the material 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 performance which all passenger car tires must meet under 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 .
& WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead
braking traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning or peak traction characteristics.
& WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is established 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. •
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on snow and
ice. At temperatures below 45 °F (7 °C) we recommend
changing to winter tires.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments may require true
winter or "snow" tires, those with very deeply cut tread. These tires
should only be used in pairs and be installed on all four wheels .
Make sure you purchase snow tires that are the same size and
construction type as the other tires on your vehicle .
Your vehicle is equipped with all -wheel drive, this will improve trac­
tion during winter driving, even with the standard tires. However,
we strongly recommend that you always equip all four wheels on .,_
Vehicle care I t •

_L_T~i~r~e~s'.....a~n~d~w~h~e~e::.l!.:s ~---------------------------------------------
your vehicle with correctly fitted winter tires or a ll- season tires,
w hen winter ro ad condit ions are e xpected. T his also i mproves the
vehic le 's brak ing performance and reduces stopp ing distances.
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and snow .
Winter tires (s now ti res) mus t always be fitted on a ll four whe els .
Compatible tire pressure monitoring sensors must be installed on
all f our winte r tires fo r th e tir e pres su re m onitori ng sy stem to f unc ­
tion properly=>
page 367 .
Ask your authorize d Audi dealer or qualified worksho p for permitted
winter tire sizes. Use on ly rad ial winter t ires .
Winter tires lose their effectiveness when the tread is worn down to a depth of 0 .157 inc h (4 m m).
O nl y dr ive w ith w in ter tires unde r winter co nditio ns. Su mmer tires
handle bette r when there is no snow o r ice on the roads and the
t emp eratur e i s abo ve 45 °F (7 °C) .
If you have a f la t t ire, see not es on spar e wh eel=> page 359 .
Please a lways reme mber that winte r tir e s may have a l owe r speed
rat ing t han th e tire s orig inal ly in sta lled o n your v ehic le at t he ti me
it wa s manufactured . Please see=>
page 3 60, "S pee d rating (letter
co de) " f or a list ing o f the spe ed rating letter c odes and t he
maximum speed at which the ti res can be driven .
T h e sp eed rating lette r co de( ::::>
page 350) is on t he sid e w all of the
tire=>
page 3 59.
& WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits that may be lower than
your vehicle's maximum speed . Always know the maximum speed
before driving off . Never dr ive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific winter tires. This will cause damage to the tires
leading to an accident and serious personal injury to you and your
passengers .
& WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed for whi ch the winter tires
on your vehicle were designed can cause tire failure including a
blowout and sudden deflation , loss of control , crashes and serious
personal injuries. Have worn or damaged tires replaced immedi­
ately.
• Winter tires have maximum speed rating that may be lower
than your vehicle's maximum speed .
• Never drive faster than the speed for which the winter or other
tires installed on your vehicle are rated.
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and traffic conditions .
Never let the good acceleration of the winter tires and all -wheel
dr ive tempt you into taking extra risks . Always remember :
• When braking , an all -wheel drive vehicle handle s in the same
way as a front drive vehicle .
• Drive carefully and reduce your speed on icy and slippery roads,
even winter tires cannot help under black ice conditions .
~ For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather conditions permit . They are
q uieter, d o not wear as qu ick ly and re duce fue l c on sumption .•
Snow chains
S now c hains may be fitted on ly to t he rear w hee ls, and only to
certain tire sizes. Ask your autho rized A udi dea ler on which tire
s izes sn ow cha ins ca n be used .
T he snow chains must hav e low -prof ile links and must not be thicker
th an 0 .53 in ch (13 .5 mm), inc lu d in g the loc k. .,_

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•
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs before putting snow
chains on you r veh icle =>
(D. For sa fety reasons c ove r cap s m ust
then be fitted over the wheel bo lts . These are avai lable from autho ­
r ized Aud i deale rs.
& WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehicle or in stalling them
incorrectly can increase the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
• Snow ch ains are available in different sizes . Always make sure
to follow the instructions provided by the snow chain manufac ­
turer .
• When driving with snow chains never drive faster than the
speed permitted for your specific snow chains .
• Always observe local regulations .
0 Note
• Remove sn ow chai ns b efore d rivin g on roads not cove red w ith
snow to avoid damaging tires and wearing the snow chains down
u n n ecessa r i ly.
• Snow chains , which come into d irect contact with t he whee l rim,
ca n scratc h or da mage it. T herefore, ma ke sur e tha t th e snow chains
are suitably covered. Check the position of the snow chains after
dr ivin g a few yards and co rrect if necessa ry . Fo llo w t he instructio ns
from the snow cha in manufacturer when doing so.
• If th e Adapt ive A ir Sus pens io n* shou ld malfunction, do no t
mount or use snow chains because the vehic le wi ll be extremely
lo w. I f yo u do dr ive w ith snow c hai ns o n wh ile t he ve hicle i s a t thi s
level, the snow cha ins might severely damage the wheelhouse and
ot her parts o f the vehicle .
[ i ] Tips
W here snow cha ins are man datory o n certa in roads, t his no rmall y
a lso a pplie s to vehic les with A ll Wheel Drive .•
Wheel bolts
W heel bolt s must alw ays b e tightened t o th e c orr ect
tor que.
The de sign of wheel bo lts is matc hed to the fac to ry instal led rims. If
different rims are fitted, the correct wheel bo lts with the right length
and correctly shaped bolt heads must be used . This ensures that
w hee ls are fitted securely and that t he b rake sys tem functions
co rrectly.
I n certain circums ta nces, you may not use w heel bo lts fr om a
different vehicle -even if it is the same model=>
page 403.
& WARNING
Improperly tightened or mainta ined wheel bolts can become loose
causing loss of control , a colli sion and serious per sonal injury .
• Always keep the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel hubs
clean so the wheel bolts can turn easily and be properly tightened.
• Never grease or oil the wheel bolts and the threads in the wheel
hubs. They can become loose while d riving if greased or oiled ,
even if tightened to the specified torque.
• Only use wheel bolts that belong to the rim being installed .
• Never use different wheels bolts on your vehicle.
• Always maintain the correct t ightening torque for the wheel
bolts to reduce the risk of a wheel lo ss.
If the tightening torque of
the wheel bolts is too low, they can loosen and come out when the
vehicle is moving . If the tightening torque is too high, the wheel
bolts and th reads can be damaged and the wheel can become
loose .
~
Vehicle care I t •

lllffll.___W_ h_ a_t _d_ o_ l _d _o_ n_ o_ vv_ ? ______________________________________________ _
What do I do now?
Jack, tools and inflatable spare tire
Jack and folding chocks
The jack and the folding chocks are located in the lug gage
comp artmen t under t he ca rgo floor co ver.
Vehicle jack
Fig . 296 Luggage
comp artment v ehi cle
jack and fold ing
c ho ck s.
Fig . 2 97 Opening
fold ing ch ocks
The jac k is located under the too l kit:::;, fig. 296 . B efore sto ring the
jack, ma ke su re it is wo und back down as fa r as it w il l go.
Folding chocks
Two unassembled fold ing chocks a re attached to the foam section
at the fron t w ith th e jack :::;, fig. 296 .
Release the two hook -and -loop fasteners, and remove the two
chocks . To use the chock s, you fi rst ha ve to raise the sup port pla te
:::;, fig. 297
G) and then insert the locking plate with the two "tabs"
into the e longated holes in the base plate@:::;,& .
& WARNING
• The chock cannot fulfil its fun ction and may lose its stability if
the "tabs " on the support plate are not inserted corre ctly into the
elongated holes in the base plate. If this happens , the vehicle may
sta rt to move while a wheel is being changed .
• Never u se the folding chocks if they are damaged or if they have
not been assembled co rre ctly .
& WARNING
Improper use of the vehi cle jack can cause serious pe rsonal inju­
rie s.
• Never use the jack supplied with your Audi on another vehicle,
particularly on a heavier one. The jack is only suitable for use on
the veh icle it came with .
• Using a bumper jack to raise the veh icle will damage the
bumper system . The jack may slip , caus ing injury .
• Never support your vehicle on cinder blocks , bricks or other
objects. These may not be able to support the load and could
cause injury when they fail.
• Never start or run the engine while the vehicle is supported by
the jack .
~

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& WARNING !continued)
• If you must work under the vehicle, always use safety stands
specifically designed for this purpose.
• Always make sure the inflatable spare tire and even a flat tire
are secured in place and not loose, otherwise they could fly
forward, causing personal injury to passengers in the vehicle in an
accident or sudden maneuver . •
Tools
The tool kit is located in the luggage compartment under
the cargo floor cover.
The onboard tool kit includes:
• Hook for removing wheel covers *
• Plastic hook to remove wheel bolt covers
• Wheel bolt wr ench
• Alignment p in for changing wheels
• Screwdriver with reversible blade
• 10
x 13 open ended wrench
• Towing eye
Fig . 298 Luggage
compartment : vehicle
tool kit
[ i] Tips
Some of the on board items listed above are provided on certain
models only or are optional extras .•
A pp lies to ve hicles: w ith bass box
R emoving bass box
Before the inflatable spare tire can be taken out, the bass
box must be removed.
Fig . 299 Spare wheel
well : Bass box
Removing bass box
- Squeeze the locking tabs~ fig. 299 G) of the connector.
- Disconnect the connector @ and place the lead to one
side.
- Turn the large screw counter-clockwise.
- Carefully remove the bass box.
Installing bass box
-Carefully place the bass box in the wheel. The inscription
" FRONT " on the bass box must face forward.
- Reconnect the connector that was removed.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service irechnical data

-What do I do novv? PV:f.,___ ______________ _
-Secu re th e bass b ox w it h t he larg e sc re w. •
Inflatable spare t ire
T he i nfla tab le sp are tir e ex pand s to its full di amet er wh en
it is inflated.
Removing inflatable spare tire
Fig . 300 Inflat able
spare t ire with
compres sor
Li ft up th e carg o floo r u sing the handl e.
- T urn t he l arg e scre w:::> fig. 300 coun ter-c loc kwi se.
Re move the bass bo x as req uir e d :::>
page 371.
- Take o ut th e inflatable s pare t ire.
Stowing the inflatable spare tire
Relea se th e air by un screwing the valve st em .
Sc re w the va lv e st em b ack in afte rwards.
Wait a few hours b efo re pl acin g the wh eel in th e sp are
w he el w ell :::>
& .
Install t he bass b ox as require d:::> page 371.
S ec ure the whe el wit h th e large s cre w. - Fo
ld the cargo floor bac k d own.
After using the inflatable spare wheel
The inflatab le spare ti re can be re-used as long as it is not damaged
an d is n ot worn d own to the tre ad wea r indi cato rs=> &.
When you l et the air out of the inflatabl e spare tir e, it do es not
a ss ume it s fo lded shape aga in for severa l hou rs . U ntil then, it
c annot be plac ed bac k in the sp are whe el well and s tow ed sec urel y.
& WARNING
• Never use the spare tire if it is damaged or if it is worn down to
the tread wear indicators.
• If the inflatable spare tire is more than 6 years old, use it only
in an emergency and with extreme caution and careful driving.
• The inflatable spare tire is intended only for temporary and
short-term use. It should be replaced as soon as possible with the
normal wheel and tire .
• Maximum inflation pressure for the inflatable spare tire is
50 PSI (3 .5 bar).
• Maximum permissible speed is 50 mph (80 km /h ).
• Avoid full -throttle acceleration , heavy braking, and fast
cornering .
• When the air is let out of the inflatable spare wheel , it does not
assume its folded shape for several hours . Until then , it cannot be
placed back in the spare wheel well and stowed securely .
• Never drive with more than one inflatable spare tire.
• For technical reasons , the use of tire chains on the inflatable
spare tire is not permitted . If it is necessary to drive with tire
chains, the inflatable spare wheel must be mounted on the front
axle in the event of a flat in a rear tire. The newly available front
wheel must then be installed in place of the rear wheel with the
flat tire . Installing the tire chain before mounting the wheel and
tire is recommended . .,.

What do I do now? -
---------------~.;______
•
& WARNING (continued)
• Loose items in the passenger compartment can cause serious
personal injury during hard braking or in an accident .
- Never store the inflatable spare tire or jack and tools in the
passenger compartment.
- Always store all jacking equipment, tools, and the inflatable
spare tire in the luggage compartment.
- Tighten the knurled retaining screw for the inflatable spare
tire securely.
0 Note
• Th e inflatable spare tire has been developed specifically for this
vehicle model. It must not be exchanged or used for other vehicle
models. Similarly, inflatable tires from other vehicle models must
not be used.
• Normal summer or winter tires must not be installed on the
inflatable tire rim.•
Changing a wheel
Before changing a wheel
Observe the following precautions for your own and your
passenger's safety when changing a wheel.
-After you experience a tire failure, pull the car well away
from moving traffic and try to reach
level ground before
you stop => & .
- All passengers should
leave the car and move to a safe
location (for instance, behind the guardrail)=> &.
- Engage the
parking brake to prevent your vehicle from
rolling unintentionally=> &. -
Move
selector lever to position P =:> & .
- If you are towing a trailer: unhitch the trailer from your
vehicle.
- Block the diagonally opposite wheel with the folding
chocks or other objects.
- Take the
jack and the inflatable spare tire out of the
luggage compartment=>
page 370.
& WARNING
You or your passengers could be injured while changing a wheel if
you do not follow these safety precautions:
• If you have a flat tire, move a safe distance off the road. Turn off
the engine, turn the emergency flashers on and use other warning
devices to alert other motorists.
• Make sure that passengers wait in a safe place away from the
vehicle and well away from the road and traffic.
• To help prevent the vehicle from moving suddenly and possibly
slipping off the jack , always fully set the parking brake and block
the wheel diagonally opposite the wheel being changed with the
folding chocks or other objects. When one front wheel is lifted off
the ground, placing the Automatic Transmission in "P" (Park) will
not prevent the vehicle from moving.
• Before you change a wheel, be sure the ground is level and firm .
If necessary, use a sturdy board under the jack.
• After installing the inflatable spare tire, make sure that you
replace the flat tire/wheel in its storage area properly and tighten
the knurled retaining screw securely. •
Do-it -yourself service

lll'Jl,___W_ h_ a_ t_ d_o_ l_ d_ o _ n_ o_w _ ? ____________________________________________ _
Changing a wheel
When you change a wheel, follow the sequence described
below step-by-step and in exactly that order.
1. Activate the vehicle jack mode (only vehicles with Adap­
tive Air Suspension) ~
page 210.
2. Remove the decorative wheel cover*. For more details
see also~
page 375, "Decorative wheel covers" or
~ page 375, "Wheels with wheel bolt caps".
3. Loosen the wheel bolts ~ page 376.
4. Locate the proper mounting point for the jack and align
the jack below that point~
page 376.
5. Lift the car with the jack~ page 376.
6. Remove the wheel with the flat tire and then install the
inflatable spare tire =>
page 378.
7. Tighten all wheel bolts lightly.
8.
Lower the vehicle with the jack.
9. Use the wheel bolt wrench and
firmly tighten all wheel
bolts
~ page 376.
10. Replace the decorative wheel cover*.
11. Deactivate the vehicle jack mode (only vehicles with
Adaptive Air Suspension)=>
page 210.
& WARNING
Always read and follow all WARNINGS and information => & in
"Raising the vehicle" on
page 376 and => page 379. •
After changing a wheel
A wheel change is not complete without the doing the
following.
- Store and secure the wheel you replaced in the spare
wheel well.
- Replace the tools and the jack in their proper location.
- As soon as possible, have the
tightening torques on all
wheel bolts checked with a torque wrench. The correct
tightening torque is 120 ft lb (160 Nm).
- Have t he flat tire
replaced as soon as possible.
[ i] Tips
• I f you notice that the wheel bolts are corroded and difficult to
turn while changing a tire, they should be replaced before you check
the tightening torque .
• Drive at reduced speed until you have the tightening torques
checked .•