AUDI Q7 2009 Owner´s Manual

________________________________________________ T_ i _r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ lllll
•
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread ribs.
L oad ra ting (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated to carry for a given
inflation pressure. You may not find this information on all tires
because it is not required by law.
M ax im um l oad ra tin g
means the load rating for a tire at the maximum permissib le infla­
tion pressure for that tire.
Ma ximum l oaded v ehi cle weigh t
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehic le capacity weight, and
(ct) Production options weight
M ax im um (p er mi ssibl e) infl ati on pr essur e
means the maximum cold inflation pressure to wh ich a tire may be
inflated. Also ca lled "maximum inflation pressure."
Normal occ upa nt wei ght
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the number of occupants
seated in the vehicle up to the to tal seating capacity of your vehicle.
O ccupant di stributi on
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle .
Outer di am eter
means the overall diameter of an inflated new tire.
O ve rall wi dth
means the linear distance between the exteriors of the sidewa lls of
an inflated tire, includ ing elevations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Pl y
means a layer of rubber -coated para lle l cords.
P rodu ction opt io ns wei ght
means the combined weight of those installed regular production
options weighing over 5 lbs . (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard
i t ems wh ich they replace, not previously considered in curb weigh t
or accessory weight, including heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof
rack, heavy duty battery, and specia l trim .
Radi al p ly tire
means a pneumatic tire in which the ply cords that extend to the
beads are laid at substantially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread .
Reco mm ended infl ati on pr essu re
see => page 348, "Cold tire inflation pressure".
Rein force d tir e
means a tire des ign to operate at higher loads and at higher infla­
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire. Reinforced
t ires may be identi fied as "XL", "x i", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the
sidewall.
R im
means a metal support for a tire or a tire and tube assembly upon
wh ich the t ire beads are seated.
Rim di amet er
means nominal diameter of the bead seat. If you change your whee l
size, you wi ll have to purchase new tires to match the new rim diam ­
eter .
Rim siz e de sig nation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim wid th
means nominal distance between rim flanges.
Vehicle care I t •

_L_T~ ir~e :..:s~ a~n~ d~ w~ h ~e~e~ l~ s '.,_ ______________________________________________ _
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the tread and bead.
Speed rating means the speed at which a tire is designed to be driven for
extended periods of time. The ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
to 186 mph (298 km/h)=>
page 360. You may not find this informa ­
tion on a ll tires because it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code, where applicable, is molded on the tire sidewa ll and indicates the maximum perm issible road speeds=>
&
in "Winter tires" on page 363.
Tire pressure monitoring system
means a system that detects when one or more of a vehicle 's tires
are under inflated and illuminates a low tire pressure warning te ll­
tale.
Tread
means that portion of a tire that comes into contact with the road.
Tread separation
means pu lling away of the tread from the tire carcass.
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the principa l grooves designed to give
a visual indication of the degrees of wear of the tread . See
=>
page 357, "Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)" for more information on
measuring tire wear.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire information system developed by the United States National
Highway Traffic Safety Adm inistration (NHTSA) that is designed to
help buyers make relative comparisons among tires. The UTQG is
not a safety rati ng and not a guarantee that a tire will last for a
prescribed number of miles (kilometers) or perform in a certain way.
It simply gives tire buyers additional informat ion to combine with
other considerations, such as price, brand loyalty and dealer recom-mendations. Under UTQG, tires are graded by the tire manufac­
t urers in three areas: treadwear, traction, and temperature resis­
tance . The UTQG information on the tires, molded into the
sidewalls.
U .S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN }
This is the tire's "seria l number" It begins with the letters "DOT" and
indicates that the tire meets a ll 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 manufac­
ture. For example,
DOT ... 2208 ...
means that the tire was produced in the 22th week of 2008 . T he
other numbers are marketing 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 reca ll.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and luggage load plus 150 lbs. (68 kilograms)
times the vehicle's tota l seating capacity as listed on the label
located either on the driver's side 8-pillar or on the inside of the fuel
filler flap.
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is determined by distrib­
uting 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 distrib­
uting to each axle its share of the curb weight, accessory weight,
and normal occupant weight (distributed in accordance with table
below =>
page 351) and dividing by two. _..

Tires and wheels -_______________ _____.
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for various designated seating capacities
Designated seating capa city , num­
ber of o ccupants Vehicle normal load
, number of
occupants Occupant distribution in a normally
loaded vehicle
5/6*/7* 3
2 in front, 1 in second seat •
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire
pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle.
Fig. 291 Tire pressure
label: located either on
driver's side B-pillar or
inside the fuel filler flap
Tire pressure generally refers to the amount of air in a tire that it
needs it to do its job and safely carry the combined load of the entire
vehicle and its contents. Tire pressure is measured in kilopascals
(kPa), the international measuring unit and in pounds per square
inch (PSI). Tire pressure is based in part on the vehicle's design and
load limit -the greatest amount of weight that the vehicle can carry
safely and the tire size . The proper tire pressure is frequently
referred to as the "recommended cold tire inflation pressure ." Air in
the tires expands when the tire heats up because of internal friction
when 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. Therefore, you should never let air out of a
warm tire to match "cold tire inflation pressure " recommendations .
The tires would then be underinflated and could fail suddenly.
i
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TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION
TIRE SIZE COLO TIRE PRESSURE
FRONT -KPa, -PSI
REAR -KPa, - PSI
SPARE -KPa, - PSI
MANUAL FOR
INFORMATION SEE OWNER'S I
ADDITIONAL
Fig . 292 Tire pressure
label
Maintaining proper tire pressure is one of the most important
things you can do to help avoid sudden tire failure. Underinflated
tires are a major cause of sudden tire failure. Keeping tires at the
right pressure is also important for safe and responsive vehicle
handling, traction, braking and load carrying.
Tire pressures are
particularly important when the vehicle is being driven at higher
speeds, and then especially when heavily loaded even within the
permissible load -carrying capacities approved for your vehicle.
The recommended tire pressures for your Audi depend on the kind
of tires on your vehicle and the number of passengers and/or
amount of luggage you will be transporting.
On USA vehicles, the tire pressure label is located on the driver's
side B-pillar. On Canada vehicles, the tire pressure label is located
either on the driver's side 8 -pillar or inside the fuel filler flap . The tire
pressure label lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures _,,,
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

-Tires a nd wh eels rm __________________ _
for the vehicle at its maximum capacity weight and tires that were
on your veh ic le at the time it was manufactured.
If you w is h t o improve co mfort w hen opera ting the vehicle a t
n ormal lo ad (up t o 3 o ccupant s), you can a djust ti re pre ss ure s to
tho se s pecified for norm al v ehi cle load . B efore operating the vehi cle
at m aximum lo ad , y ou must i ncreas e the t ire p re ss ure s to tho se
s pe cifi ed for m axim um vehicle lo ad
=> & .
Bear in mind that the tire pressure monitoring system can only
monitor the tire pressures you have stored. The system does not
recognize the load condition of your vehic le.
The effectiveness of the tire pressure monitoring system will be impaired if you store normal load pressures but then operate the
vehic le at its maximum load=>&. See the
illustration=>
page 351, fig. 291 for the location of the label
either on driver's side B -p illar or inside the fuel fi ller flap (color of
the actual label and exact location on the vehicle will vary slight ly).
Note that the fol lowing tab le is accurate at the time of going to
press and is subject to change . In the event of discrepanc ies, the tire
pressure label (On USA vehic les, the tire pressure label is located on
the driver's s ide B-pillar . On Canada vehicles, the tire pressure label
is located either on the driver's side B-pillar or inside the fue l fi ller
fl ap) always takes precedence.
T he table below lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures
for the Audi model covered by your Owner's Literature at the
vehic le's capacity weight and the tire sizes installed on the respec ­
tive models as origina l equipment, or as a factory option.
En gin e
( displ ac e­
m ent in
liter) Tir
e desi gnatio n Tire pressure fr ont Tire pressur e re ar
normal load norm
al lo ad
full l oad conditi
on (up
full load
condition (up to c ondit ion t o 3 o ccu- co nditi on 3 occupants)
pant s)
II
PSI II kPA PSI kPA PSI II kPA PSI kPA
235/6 0 R18 10 7H XL All Sea son 35 240 44 300 35 240 49 340
255/55 R18 109H XL All S easo n 35 2
40 44
300 35 240 49 3
40
6 -cy lind er 2
65 /50 R19 11 OH XL All Seas on 35 240 44 300 35 240
49 340
3.6
275 /45 R20 11 OH XL All Se ason 35 240 44 300 35 240 49 340
and
8- cy linder 2
75/ 45 R20 11 0 Y XL Hig h Pe rfo rman ce
35 240 44
300 35 240 49 340
4
.2 295 /40 R20 11 0Y XL Hi gh P erform ance 36 44 300 35 240 49
340
2 75/40 R21 10 7V XL High Perf ormanc e 36 250 44 300 35 240 49 340
295 /3 5 R21 107 V XL High P erforman ce 36 250 4
4
300 35 240 49 340
X
L = re infor ced or extr a load tire . It ma y als o app ear as x i, EXTRA LOAD , or RF on the tire side wa ll.
The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is located on a label either on the driver's side B -pillar or inside the fue l filler flap.

Tires a nd wh eels -
----------------
•
Because technical changes may be made to vehicle equipment
during the mode l year, always compa re the tire size designation on
the tire pressure label on your vehic le with the tires on your vehicle.
Make sure that the tire size information on the vehicle labe l is the
same as the size of the tires on the vehicle . This is especially impor­
tant if the vehicle belongs to someone else or you bought the
veh ic le with different rims/tires or you bought the vehicle as a previ ­
ously owned vehicle.
Remember, your safety and that of your passengers also depends
on making sure that load limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load
includes everybody and everything in and on the vehicle . These load
limits are technically referred to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating ("GVWR"l. The Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR"l is
the maximum load that can be applied at each o f the vehicle's two
ax les . The Gross Vehic le Weight Rating and the Gross Ax le Weight
Rating are l isted on the safety compl iance sticker labe l located
either on the driver's side 8 -pillar or on the inside of the fuel fi ller
flap. The ti re pressure labe l on your Audi lists the maximum
combined we ight of a ll of the occupants and luggage or other cargo
t hat the vehic le can carry. For the location of the tire pressure la bel
=>
page 357, fig . 291.
& WARNING
O verload ing a vehi cle can c ause loss of vehi cle co ntrol , a cra sh or
other a ccid ent , s eriou s per sonal injury , and even death.
• Carrying more weight than your vehicle wa s de signed to carry
w ill p revent the vehicle from h andling properly and incre ase the
ri sk of a l oss of vehi cle control .
• The brake s on a vehicle that ha s been o verloaded m ay not be
a ble to stop the vehicle with in a safe distance .
• Tires on a v ehi cle that ha s been o verlo aded can fail suddenl y
c au sin g loss o f control a nd a cra sh .
• Alwa ys ma ke sure that the total l oad being tr ansp o rted -
including th e wei ght of a trailer hit ch and the tongu e weight of a
& W AR N IN G (c ontinued )
loaded trailer -does not m ake the vehi cle heavier than the
v ehicle' s Gro ss Vehicle W eight Rating.
& WARNING
• Incor re ct t ire pre ssures a nd/o r underi nfl ation can le ad to a
s erious or fatal a ccident.
• Incorre ct t ire pre ssure s and/or u nderinfla tion ca use in crea sed
tire w ear and can affect th e handling of the vehicle.
• Incorre ct t ire p ressu res and /or underinfl ation c an als o lead to
s udden tire failure , including a blowout and sudden deflation ,
c au sin g lo ss of vehi cle co ntr ol. •
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires originally installed
o n your vehicle is listed on the tire pressure label located
either on driver's side 8 -pil/ar or inside the fuel filler flap .
The recommended tire pressures are on the tire pressure label and
in the table=>
page 351, "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 mi les (kilomete rs} at low
speeds during the previous three hours. Air in the tires expands
when the tire heats up as a result of internal fric tion as i t 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. Therefore, you
should never let air out of a warm tire to match "Co ld tire inflation
pressure" recommendations=>
page 351 . The tires wou ld then be
underinflated and could fail suddenly.
The tire pressure label on your Audi lists the recomme nded cold tire
inflation pressures at maximum capacity for the new, origina l equip -.,.
Vehicle care I t •

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
ment tires that were on your vehicle at the time it was manufac­
tured. For the location of the labe l =>
page 351, fig. 291 .
Most tires lose air natural ly over time. They can also lose some air if
you drive over a pothole 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 account when adjusting tire
pressure for a trip - even one that you wou ld not consider to be
"long." See=>
page 355, "Tires and vehicle load limits" for more
important informat ion .
Always use an accurate tire pressure gauge when checking and adjusting inflation pressures. Check a ll of the tires and be sure not
to forget the spare tire . If the pressure in any tire is too high when
the tire is "cold," let air out of the tire slowly with the edge of the tire
gauge and keep checking the pressure until you reach the pressure
that is correct for the load (passengers and luggage) and kind of
driving you p lan to do.
If the pressure in any tire is too low, note the difference between the
pressure in the cold t ire and the pressure you need and add the air
that you need to reach the correct pressure for the vehicle load
(passengers and luggage) for the tires on your vehic le as listed on
the on your vehicle and in this manual and the kind of driving you
plan to do .
Nev er e xceed th e m ax imum inf lation p ressu re li sted on the tir e
s id ew all for any re ason .
Remember that the veh icle manufacturer, not the tire manufacturer,
determines the correct tire pressure for the tires on your vehicle .
It is important to check the ti re pressure when the tires are cold.
• Read the required tire pressure from the tire pressure label. On
USA vehicles, the tire pressure label is located on the driver's side
B-pillar. On Canada vehicles, the tire pressure label is located either
on the driver's s ide 8 -pillar or inside the fue l fil ler flap . The tire pres -sure labe
l lists the recommended co ld tire inflation pressures for
t he vehicle at its maximum capaci ty weight and the tires that were
on your vehicle at the time it was manufactured. For recommended
tire p ressures for normal load conditions, please see chapter
=>
page 351 .
• Turn the va lve stem cap counter -clockwise to remove it from the
tire valve.
• Place the air pressure gauge on the valve.
• T he tire pressures should only be checked and adjusted when
the tires are cold . The s lightly raised pressures of war m tires must
not be reduced.
• Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are carrying .
• Reinstal l the valve stem cap on the valve.
Wh en sh o uld I ch eck th e tir e pr es su re?
The correct tire pressure is especially important at high speeds. The
pressure should therefore be checked at least once a month and
always before starti ng a journey . Do not forget to check the tire pres ­
sure for the spare wheel.
When should I adjust the tire pre ssures ?
Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are carrying . After changing
a whee l
or replacing whee ls you have to adjust the tire pressures on
all wheels. In addition, you must then initialize the new tire pres­
sures in the tire pressure monito ring system =>
page 42.
& WARNING
Incorrect tire pre ssure s and /or underinflation can lead sudden tire
fa ilure , loss o f control , colli sion , seriou s per so nal inj ury or e ven
death.
• When the warning symbo l
r appe ars in th e instr ument
clu ste r, sto p and in spect the tire s.

Tires and wheels -_____________ .:.....::...=..____:__:_:_:_=-=----
•
& WARNING (continu ed )
• Incorrect tire pressure and /or under inflation can cause
in creased tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability .
• Incorrect t ire pressures and /o r underinflat ion can also lead to
sudden tire failure, including a blowout and sudden deflation,
causing lo ss of vehicle control .
• The driver is respon sible for the correct tire pressures for all
tires on the vehicle. The applicable pre ssure values are located on
a sticker on the driver 's side 8-pillar or on the inside of the fuel
filler flap .
• Only when all tires on the vehicle are filled to the correct pres ­
sure , the tire pressure monitoring sy stem can work correctly .
• The use of incorrect tire pressure values can lead to accidents
or other damage . Therefore it is essential that the driver observe
the specified tire pressure value s for the tires and the correct pres ­
sures for the function of the tire pressure monitoring system.
• Always inflate tires to the re commended and correct tire pres ­
sure before driving off .
• Driving with underinflated tires bend more , letting them get
too hot resulting in tread separation , sudden tire failure and loss
of control.
• Ex cessive speed and /overloading can cause heat build-up ,
s udden tire failure and lo ss of control .
• If the tire pres sure is too low or too high , the t ires will wear
prematurely and the vehicle will not handle well .
• If the tire is not flat and you do not have to change a wheel
immediately , drive at reduced speed to the nearest service station
to check the t ire pressure and add air as required.
0 Note
Dr iving wi thout valve stem caps ca n cause damage to t he tire
valves. To prevent this, always make sure that factory instal led va lve
stem caps o n all wheels are sec urely mou nted on the va lve .
c£> For the sake of the environment
Underi nflate d tir es w ill a lso inc rease the fue l consu mptio n.•
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are li m its to the a mou nt o f load or weig ht th at any ve hic le and
any tire can carry . A vehicle that is overloaded wil l not handle wel l
and is more diff icu lt to stop . Overload ing ca n no t only lead to loss
of vehic le control, but can also damage important parts of the
ve hicle a nd can lead to sud den tire failu re, i nclu di ng a bl owou t and
sudden deflat ion that can cause the vehic le to crash.
Your safety an d that of your passengers also depends on ma kin g
su re tha t load l imits are not exceeded . Vehicle load includes eve ry ­
body and everything in and on the vehic le. These load limits are
t echnica lly re ferred to as the ve hicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR"l.
The "GVWR" in clu de s th e we ig ht of t he basi c ve hicle, all fac tory
insta lled accessories, a ful l tank of fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids
plus m aximu m load. The maxi mum l oad inc lude s the n umber of
passen gers that the vehicle is intended to carry !"seating capacity")
with an assumed weight of 150 lbs (68 kg) fo r each passenger at a
designated seating position and the total weight of any lugga ge in
the vehicle. If you tow a trailer, the weight of the trailer hitch and the
to ngue we ig ht of th e loaded tra iler must b e included as par t of th e
vehic le load.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is the m aximum loa d th at
can be applied at each of the vehicle's two ax les. _,,,
Vehicle care I t •

-~_T_ ir_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h _e_e_ l_ s _______________________________________________ _
The Gross Veh icl e We ight Rating and the Gross Axle Weight Rating
ar e l isted on th e safe ty comp lia nce st icker labe l located ei ther on
the driver's side 8 -p illar or on the inside of the fue l filler flap. Your
Audi has 5 seating positi ons, 2 in the fron t and 3 in the rea r for total
seating capacity of 5 . On vehicles with s ix seats*, your ve hicle has
two front seats, two seats in the second row seating an d two sea ts
i n t he t hir d row seating. On ve hic les w ith seven seats*, your ve hicle
has two front seats, three seats in the second row seating and two
seats in the th ir d row sea tin g. Eac h seat ing pos it ion has a seat belt
=>
page 231, " S afety belts".
T he fact that there is a n upper l imit to your ve hicle's Gro ss Vehic le
Weight Rating means that the total we ight of whatever is bein g
carried in the vehic le ( including the we ig ht of a t rai le r h itc h a nd the
t on gue wei ght o f the load ed trai ler) is lim ited. The more passen ge rs
in the ve hicle o r passe nger s w ho are heavier t han the s tanda rd
we ights assumed mea n th at l ess wei ght ca n be ca rri ed as lu gg age .
Th e tire pressure labe l on your Audi also lists the maximum
co mbi ned we igh t of all o f th e occ upa nts a nd luggage o r othe r ca rgo
that the vehicle can carry. For the location of the label=>
page 351,
fig . 291 .
LJ}. WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of vehicle control , a crash or
other accident , serious personal injury , and even death .
• Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry
will prevent the vehicle from handl ing properly and increase the
ri sk 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 suddenly ,
including a blowout and sudden deflation , 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
& WARNING (continued)
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 calculate the
total weight of the passengers and
luggage or other things that you plan to
transport so that you can make sure that
your vehicle will not be overloaded.
Steps for Determining Correct
Load Limit
1. Locate the statement "THE COMBINED WEIGHT OF OCCUPANTS AND CARGO SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX LBS"on your vehicle's placard (tire infla ­
tion pressure label)=>
page 351, fig. 291.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle.
~

3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from
"XXX" kilo­
grams or
"XXX" pounds shown on the
sticker=>
page 351, fig. 291.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, 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 exceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult this manual to determine how this reduces the avail­
able cargo and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
Tires and wheels -
-Check the tire sidewall (=> page 359,
fig. 295) to determine the designated
load rating for a specific ti re. •
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of different things
including proper installation and balancing, correct tire
pressure and driving style.
--
~-----------~
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
Fig. 293 Tire tread:
tread wear indicators
(TWI)
Fig. 294 Rotating tires
for more even wear
The original tires on your vehicle have 1 /16 inch (1.6 mm) high "wear
indicators" => fig. 293 running across the tread. Depending on the ._
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

-~_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. •