tires AUDI Q7 2010 Owner´s Manual

Driving and environment
------------------------------------------------'
- Lack of proper maintena nce as well as improper use of the
vehicle w ill imp air t he funct io n of t he emission con trol system and
could lead to damage.
<£> For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emiss ion Contro l System is operating properly, the
exhaust gas can have a sulfur-like exhaust gas sme ll under some
operat ing states. This depends on the s ulfur content of the fue l being
used. Using a differe nt brand of fuel may help, or filling the tank with
lead-free supe r grade gasoline. •
Applies to vehicles: w ith diesel eng ine
Diesel particulate filter
The d iese l part iculate filter fi lters nearly all of the soot particles out
of the exhaus t. T he filte r cleans i tself automa ticall y unde r no rm al
driving con dit io ns. If the f ilter cannot clea n itself (for example,
because yo u are on ly driving short dis tances), the f ilter becomes
clogged w it h soot and the symbo l for the diesel particulate fi lter
illuminates ~
page 35.
& WARNING
• Do not park your vehicle over flammable materials such as
grass or leaves because the high temperature of the diese l partic ­
ulate filter could start a fire .
• Do not apply an underbody protectant in the exhaust system
area or a fire could start .•
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Avoid damaging the vehicle
Whe
n you are driving on poor roads, or over curbs, steep ramps, etc.,
m ake ce rtain that low-lying p art s s uch as spoilers and e xhaust system
parts do not bottom out and get damaged.
Thi s is espec ia lly t rue for vehicles with low-s lung chassis (sports
chass is) * and f ully loaded vehicles. •
Operate your vehicle economically
and minimize pollution
General
Your personal style of driving will det ermine the economy
of your vehicle, as well as exhaust and noise levels.
Fuel economy, env ironmenta l im pact , and wea r on your e ng ine,
brakes and tires largely depend on t hree factors:
• your person al driv in g style
• operating conditions
• techni cal lim itations
If you anticipate what you need to do next and drive economically,
you can e asily cut you r fu el consum ptio n by 10- 15 pe rcen t. T his
sect io n w ill give you some tips on how you can help the environment
and yo ur po cketbook.
rn Tips
Th e consumption est ima tes as published by E NVIRO NMEN TAL
PROT ECTION AGENCY ( EPA) and Transport Canada may not corre­
spond to your act ual consumption on the roa d, which will vary
depend ing upon vehicle load and speed, road and weather co ndit ions,
trip length, etc.•
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

Driving off road
- Activate the ESP offroad mode=> page 252 as needed .
- Use the
hill descent control => page 253 when driving
down steep sections on hills.
Unpaved roads and offroad
Drive slowly on unfamiliar roads and unknown offroad sections, and
loo k out for unexpected obstacles (e .g. potho les, rocks, t ree st umps,
etc.).
T o prevent the vehicle from bo ttoming and avoid dam age to the
underbody, you should drive straight across severe bumps in the
gro und with on ly one s ide of the vehicle so tha t on ly two of your
wheels cross the bumps.
Drive brisk ly throug h sandy or marshy offroad sections and do not
stop, if at all poss ible.
Driving through water
Your vehicle ca n drive at maximum wal king speed thro ugh stand ing
water if the gro und is firm enough . The
maximum water depth is
1 9. 7 in o r 500 mm (ve hicles w it h out air spr ings) or 2 1.1 in or
535 mm (vehicles with Adaptive Air Suspension*, at high level 2).
Driving on a slope
If you ever find yourself not able to climb a slope, do not try to t urn
around, drive bac k dow n in
rever se . Ot herw ise, you run t he ris k of
tipping over .
If the vehicle threaten s to tip over when driving a cross a slope , you
must immediately steer downh ill in the direction of the slope .
Do not park your vehicle on steep slopes or gra des .
T o red uce the risk of tipp ing ove r, d rive on s lopes in t he di re ct io n of
the downward slope (fall line) -
not crosswise .
Driving on snow-covered ground
T he standard tires fitted to your vehicle are not snow ti res. So you
should mo unt wheels with snow t ires in good t ime where winter road
conditions prevail. Before driving on unp lowed stretches o f deep snow, install tire chains
. For tech nica l reasons, t ire chains may only
be ins talle d on the re a r wheels - never on the front whee ls.
& WARNING
After driving through water , mud, slush, etc. , the brake s may be
slow to take effect because of wet brake rotors and pads.
Dry the
brake s first by braking carefully to re store the full braking effe ct.
0 Note
Vehicle components such as the engine, trans mission, s uspension or
electrical system can be severely damaged by dr iv ing through water.
W Tips
• Check the dept h of the water before dr iv in g through it.
• Do not stop the vehicle, dr ive in reverse or sw itch the e ngine off
when driving through water .
• Keep in m ind th at on coming vehicles m ay cre ate w aves t hat ra ise
the water level and make it too deep for your vehicle to drive through
safe ly .
• Avoid dr iving through sa lt water because it ca n cause corrosion .•

Trailer towing
~-----------------------------------------
& WARNING (cont inued)
• The Gro ss Vehicle Weight Rating for your Audi Q7 vehicle,
found on the safety compliance label on the driver's side B-pillar, must never be exceeded under any circumstances . Exceeding the
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of your vehicle is likely to damage
your vehicle, and such damage will not be covered by your Limited
New Vehicle Warranty. Exceeding the Gross Vehicle Weight
Rating will also change the performance and handling character­
istics of your vehicle, whi ch could cause a crash resulting in serious
injury or death.
• The Gro ss Vehicle Weight Rating for your Audi Q7 would be
exceeded if your vehicle is simultaneously equipped with
Panoramic sliding sunroof; third-row seating ; trailer towing
equipment (factory or dealer-installed ), and running boards
(dealer-installed) . UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES MAY ALL SUCH
ITEMS BE INSTALLED ON THE SAME VEHICLE .•
Operating instructions
M AX 6 .9"
MA X
175mm
Trailer towing weights
Fig. 221 Permitted
ball position of the
tra iler hit ch
With a factory -installed tra ile r hi tch, the maximum pe rmissib le
t ra iler weig ht is 6,615 lbs (3,000 kg). The maximum pe rmissib le
unbraked trailer we igh t is 1,650 lbs (750 kg) . With an
aftermarket
trail er hi tch, the m axi mum permissibl e traile r weig ht i s 5,5 12 lbs (2,500
kg) . These specifications app ly when driv ing on roads havi ng
an in cline o f less t han 12%.
Permissible tongue load
For best ve hicle handl ing un der t hese ch ange d co ndition s, adju st the
tra ile r l oad so that the tongue load is at the maxim um a llowab le or
sligh tly lower. You can get an app roxim atio n of the tongue load w it h
a bat hroom scale or you ca n measure the load at a t ruc king company
or we ighing st ation.
W it h a
factory-installed trailer h itch, the max imum pe rmissible load
on t he ba ll hitc h may not exceed 662 lbs (300 kg). W it h an
after­
market
tra ile r hi tc h, t he ma ximum pe rm issi ble loa d on the b all hi tch
may not exceed 551 lbs (250 kg). It is recommended to use the
maxim um permi ssible loa d.
Trailer load distribution
Be su re the load in t he tra ile r i s held se curely in p lace to p revent it
from shi fting forward, backwa rd or sideways.
Never allow a passenger to ride in a trailer=> & in "Dr ivin g in struc­
t ions" on
page 2 71.
Ball mount
The tra ile r hitch may on ly be used w ith suitable ball mount and ball
=> fi g. 221. I nstallat ion of the hi tch b all mus t be c arrie d out in acco r­
dance with the manufacturer's instructions . At the height d imension
of 1. 5 in (38 .5 mm) a toler ance of+/- 0.5 in ( 12. 7 mm ) is per miss ible
Engine cooling system
Towing a trailer makes t he eng ine work harder. It is impo rtant that
t he cooling system 's performan ce is up to the addi tional loa d. Mak e
sure that the coo ling system has enough fluid .
Tire pressure
When towing a trailer, inf late the tires ofyourvehicle to the cold tire
pre ssure listed unde r "Full lo ad" on t he tire pre ssu re lab el. Th e tire ...

Cleaning and protection Ill
---------------=---------=----
Under certain circumsta nces, weekly was hing may be necessary .
Und er other c ond it ions, a monthl y w ashi ng and waxing m ay be
adequate.
After the winter, the unders ide of the vehicle s hou ld be t horoughly
w ashe d, p refe rably in a pr ofess ional ca r was h.
& WARNING
Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~ page 274. •
Automatic car wash
The ve hicle ca n be w ashed in alm ost any mo dern auto­
matic car w ash .
Th e ve hicl e p aint is so du ra ble th at t he vehicle c an nor mally be
washed w itho ut problems in an automatic car wash . H owever, the
effe ct on the pai nt de pend s to a large ex ten t on t he desig n of t he
facili ty, th e fil ter ing of the was h water, t he type of wash and care
material, etc . If t he pa int has a du ll appea rance a fter going throu gh
t he ca r wash o r is sc ratched, bri ng this to the a tte ntion of the ope r­
ator immediately . If necessa ry, use a different car wash .
B efo re go ing throu gh a c ar wa sh, be sure to ta ke the us ual pr eca u­
t ions such as clos ing the windows and the Panoramic s lid in g su nroof.
Fa ctor y in stall ed a ntenn as mu st not be re moved .
If you have ins talled addit ional accessories on the vehicle -su ch as
spoilers, roof rack, etc . - it is best to ask the car wash ope rato r if these
sho uld be removed.
& WARNING
Please take note of the following points before going through an
automatic car wash with your vehicle , so that you can avoid
damage to your vehicle.
Safety first
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Compare the track of your vehicle with the distance between
the guide rails of the facility -there is a risk of damage to the
wheels and tires.
• Compare the height and width of your vehicle with the height
and width of the tunnel at the facility.
• Fold the exterior mirrors flat -there is a risk of damaging the
exterior mirrors . Power folding exterior mirrors* must not be
folded in or out by hand. Use the power function!
• Do not allow the wiper blade to fall onto the windshield after
the vehicle is dried · there is a risk of damaging the paint on the
hood .
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
~page 274. •
Washing the vehicle by hand
A lot of wat er is n eeded when washing a v ehicl e by hand.
- Before yo u sta rt wash ing , m ak e sure you have read and
u nd ers tood the WARN IN GS =>
& in "Gener al in forma­
t io n" o n page
274.
- F ir s t soa k all dried dir t until it is soft, t hen rinse i t off.
- A s you cle an yo ur vehi cle, sta rt with the roof and work y our
way down to the bottom , us ing a sponge , a sp onge glove
or a cle an bru sh .
- Rin se the sp ong e or the sp o ng e glo ve often, flu shing it
cl ean each t im e.
- U se s pecia l car shampoo on ly for v ery pe rsiste nt dirt .
- R inse the car thoroug hly wi th wate r.
- U se a ch a m ois le ath er to gently w ipe t he ex ter ior dry. •
Vehicle care Technical data

-~_C_ le_ a_n_ i_ n_ g=- a_ n_d__. p_ ro_ t_e _c_ t_ i_o _n ___________________________________________ _
Use a separate sponge for cleaning the w heels, door sills and ot her
reg ions exposed to road dirt. I n th is way, yo u w ill not scr atch the
paint w ith coarse part icles imbedded in the sponge the next t ime you
wash the car.
& WARNING
• Do not clean the under side of the chass is, fende rs, wheel
co ve rs, or other hard to reach parts without p rotecting your hands
and arm s. You m ay cut yourself on sharp -edged metal part s.
• Always read and heed all WARNINGS and other information
=;, page
274.
0 Note
• Never try to remove dirt, mud o r dust if the s urface of the vehicle
is dry . Never use a dry cloth or sponge, s ince this could scratch your
vehicle's paint or windows .
• Never was h your car in bright sunlight. Drops of water act as
m agnifying lenses and may dam age your p aint.
• When you wash yo ur car in the winter: if you rinse your vehicle w ith
a hose, be c are ful no t to aim the s tream of w ate r d ir ect ly at locks, or
at door or hatch openings - they can freeze shut.
• Never use s ponges des igned to remove inse cts, o r any ki tchen
sco uring sponges or similar prod ucts. They can damage your paint
fi ni sh .
• You shou ld remove debris (s uch as insects) from the head light
lenses o n a regu lar bas is, for examp le w hen refue ling your veh icle.
Never use a dry cloth or sponge to clean the headlights. On ly use wet
clot hs or sponges to preven t scr atches.
It is be st to use so apy water.
'00' For the sake of the environment
In the in terest of t he env ironme nt, the ve hicl e shoul d onl y be wa shed
in special wash bays. •
Washing your vehicle with a power washer
Cleaning the ex terior of your c ar with a high-pressure
po wer washer is safe as long as y ou obser ve a few sim ple
rules.
- Before using the power washer, make su re you have read
and unders tood the WA RNINGS=>
& in "General info r­
ma tion" on
page 2 74.
- Always fo llow t he operat ing inst ructions fo r the powe r
washer.
- Make sure t hat the jet o n the spray hose produces a "fa n
shaped spray".
- Do
not hold the spr ay nozz le too close t o soft ma ter ials .
When cle ani ng the vehicle wi th a p owe r w ashe r always follow the
operat ing instruct ions . T his applies part icu larly to the
operating
pressure
and the spraying distance. M ain tain a suffic ien t distan ce to
so ft mater ia ls such as rubber hoses and sound/vibration deaden ing
materials (particularly on the unde rside o f the engine hood). Do no t
use a jet wh ic h sprays water in a
direct stream or o ne that has a
rotating jet.
W ate r temperatu re s hou ld not ex ceed 140
°F (6 0 °().
& WARNING
Never wash tires with a jet that sprays water in a direct stream .
This could cause invisible damage to the tires and weaken them ,
even if the spray i s from a relatively long distance and for a short
time . Damaged and weakened tires can fail and c ause accidents
and personal injury .
~

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
Tires and wheels
Tires
General notes
Tires may be the least appreciated and most abused
parts of a motor vehicle.
T ir es may be the least apprec iated and most abused pa rts of a moto r
vehicle. Tires are, however, one of the most important parts of a
veh icle, parti cularly conside ring the comparative ly small patch of
rubber on eac h tire that assu res that all- important co ntact between
you , your ve hicle and the road .
Ma inta in ing t he correct t ire pressu re, making s ure that your veh icle
and i ts tires do not have to carry more weight than they can safely
hand le, avoid ing damage from road ha za rds and reg ula rly inspect ing
tires for damage incl ud ing c uts, s lashes irregular wea r and overall
condi tion are the mos t important th ings that you can do to help avoi d
sudden tire fa ilure includ ing t read separation and blowouts .
Avoiding damage
If you have to drive over a curb or sim ilar obstacle, drive very s lowly
and as close as poss ible at a right angle to the cu rb .
Always keep chemicals including grease, oil , gasoline and bra ke fl uid
o ff the t ires .
Inspect the ti res regularly for damage (cuts, crac ks o r bl ist ers, e tc .).
Remove any foreign bodies embed ded in the trea ds.
Storing tires
M ar k tires when yo u remove t hem to indica te the d irect ion of rota ­
tion . This ens ures yo u to be able to mo unt them co rrectly whe n you
re insta ll them.
Wh en r emoved, t he wheels or tires s hould be sto red in a c ool, dry and
preferably da rk p lace. Sto
re tires in a ver tica l pos it ion if they a re not mounted on rims, in a
hor izonta l position if they are mo unted on r ims.
New tires
N ew tires have to be bro ken in~ & .
Th e tread dep th of new tires may v ary, ac cor ding to t he type an d
make of t ire and the tread pattern.
Hidden damage
Dama ge to t ires and rims is often not readi ly visible . If yo u notice
unusu al v ib rat ion o r the veh icle pulls to one sid e, t his may i ndicate
that one of the tires has been damaged. The tires must be c hecke d
i m medi ately by an a uthor ized A udi deale r or quali fied w or ksh op .
Unidirectional tires
A u nidirectional tire can be identified by arrows on the sidewall, that
point in the d irect io n the tire is des igned to rotate. Yo u m ust follow
t he s peci fied dire ction of ro tation . T his is nece ssary so th at t hese
tires can develop the ir optimum c haracter istics regarding gr ip, road
noise, we ar and hy dropl aning res istance. For more informa tion
~page 344 .
& WARNING
New tires or tires that are old , worn or damaged cannot provide
maximum control and braking ability.
• New tires tend to be slippery and must be broken in. To reduce
the risk of losing control, a collision and serious personal injuries, drive with special care for the first 350 miles (560 km) .
• Driving with worn or damaged tires can lead to loss of control,
sudden tire failure , including a blowout and sudden deflation ,
crashes and serious personal injuries. Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately. .,_

Tires and wheels -________________ fWII
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Tires age even if they are not be ing used and can fail suddenly ,
e specially at high speeds . Tires that are more than 6 year s old can
only be used in an emergency and then with special care and at low
s peed .
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weigh t (in excess of those sta ndard items wh ich
may be replaced) of automatic transmission, power steer ing, power
bra kes, powe r win dows, power sea ts, radio, and heate r, to the exte nt
that these items are available as factory-insta lled equipment
(whet her i ns ta lled or no t).
Aspect ratio
means the r atio of t he he ight to t he widt h of the t ire in percent.
N umbers of 55 or lower indicate a low sidewa ll for improved steer ing
res ponse and bet ter over all h andling on dry p avemen t.
Bead
means the part of the t ire that is made of stee l wi res, w rapped or
re in forced by ply cords and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a brea kdown of the bond between components in the bead.
Cord
means the st rands forming the plies in the ti re.
Safety first
& W ARNING (co ntinued )
• Never mount u sed tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history ." Old u sed tires may have been damaged
eventhoughthedamagecannotbeseenthatcanleadtosudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
• If you notice unusual vibr ation or if the vehicle pulls to one side
when driving, always stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check
the wheels and tires for damage. •
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the t ire pressu re recom mended by the vehicle manufa ctu rer
for a tire of a desig nate d size that has not been driven for more than
a couple of m iles ( kilomete rs) a t low speeds in the t hree hour per io d
before the tire pressu re is measured or adjusted.
Curb weight
means the weight of a moto r vehicle wit h standard equipment
incl uding the max imum ca pac it y of fue l, o il, and coo lan t, air condi ­
tioning and additiona l weig ht of optional eq uipment.
Extra load tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loads and at higher inflat ion
pressures than t he co rresponding sta ndard t ire. Extra load tires may
be identif ied as "XL", "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewa ll.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ( "GAWR ")
means the loa d-carrying capac ity of a sing le ax le system, measure d at
the t ire-grou nd interfaces.
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR")
mea ns the maximum tota l loaded we ig ht of the vehicle .
Vehicle care Technical data

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
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 given infla­
tion pressure. You may not find this information on all tires because
it is not required by law.
Maximum load rating
means the load rating fo r a tir e at the maximum permissible inflation
pressure for that tire.
Maximum loaded vehicle weight
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehicle capacity weight, and
(d) Production options weight
Maximum (permissible) inflation pressure
means the maximum cold inflation 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 capacity of your vehicle.
Occupant distribution
means distr ibution of occupants in a vehicle .
Outer diameter
means the overall diameter of an inflated new tire.
Overall width
means the linear distance between the exteriors of the sidewalls of
an inflated tire, including elevations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Ply
means a layer of rubber -coated paralle l cords.
Production options weight
means the combined weight of those installed regular production
options weigh ing over 5 lbs. (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard
items which they replace, not previously considered in curb weight or
accessory weight, including heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof
rack, heavy duty battery, and special trim.
Radial ply 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 .
Recommended inflation pressure
see=> page 315, "Cold tire inflation pressure".
Reinforced tire
means a tire design to operate at higher loads and at higher inflation
pressures than the corresponding standard tire. Reinforced t ires may
be identified as "XL ", "x l", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the sidewall.
Rim
means a metal support for a tire or a tire and tube assembly upon
wh ich the tire beads are seated .
Rim diameter
means nominal diameter of the bead seat . If you change your wheel
size, you w ill have to purchase new tires to match the new rim diam­
eter .
Rim size designation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim width
means nom inal distance between rim flanges.

________________________________________________ T_i_re _ s_ a _ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ nn
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the tread and bead.
Speed rating (letter code)
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 32 7. You may not find this information on
all tires because it is not required by law .
The speed rating letter code, where applicable, is molded on the tire
sidewall and indicates the max imum permissible road speeds=>
& in
"Winter tires" on
page 330.
Tire pressure monitoring system
means a system that detects when one or more of a vehicle's tires are
underinflated and illuminates a low tire pressure warning telltale.
Tread
means that portion of a tire that comes into contact with the road.
Tread separation
means pulling away of the tread from the tire carcass .
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the principal grooves designed to give a
visual indication of the degrees of wear of the tread. See=>
page 324,
"Tread Wear Ind icator (TWI)" for more information on measuring
tire wear.
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tir e information system developed by the United States National
Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that is designed to
help buyers make relative comparisons among tires. The UTQG is not
a safety rating and not a guarantee that a tire will last for a prescribed
number of miles (kilometers) or perform in a certain way. It simp ly
gives tire buyers additional information to combine with other
considerations, such as price, brand loyalty and dealer recommenda­
tions. Under UTQG, tires are graded by the tire manufacturers in three
Safety first
areas: treadwear, traction, and temperature resistance . The UTQG
information on the tires, molded into the sidewalls.
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN)
This is the tire's "serial number" It begins with the letters "DO T" and
indicates that the tire meets all federal standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it was manufac tured, and
the last four numbers represent the week and year of manufacture.
For example,
DOT ... 2209 ...
means that the tire was produced in the 22nd week of 2009 . The
other numbers are ma rket ing codes that may or may not be used by
the tire manufacturer . Th is information is used to contact consumers
if a tire defect requires a recall.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and luggage load plus 150 lbs. (68 kilograms)
times the vehicle's total seating capacity as listed on the label located
on the driver's side B-pillar.
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
means that load on an individua l 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 individua l tire that is de term ined by distrib­
uting to each axle its share of the curb weight, accessory weight, and
normal occ upant weight (distr ibuted in accordance with table below
=> page 318) and dividing by two. ..,_
Vehicle care Technical data

___ T_ i_ r _e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e_ l_ s _______________________________________________ _
Occ up ant loading and distribution for vehi cle normal load for various d esignated seating capacit ies
Designated seating capacity, num- Vehicle normal load, number of Occupant distribution in a nor­
mally loaded vehicle
ber of occupants occupants
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. 239 Tire pre ssure
la bel: loc ate d on
d river 's si de B ·pillar
Tire pressure generally refers to the amount of air in a t ire 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 inte rnational measur ing un it and in pounds per square i nch
(PSI). Tire press ure is based in part on t he vehicle 's design and load
limit -the greatest amount of weight tha t the vehicle can carry safe ly
and the t ire si ze. The proper tire pressure is frequently referred to as
the "recommended cold t ire inflation pressure. " Air in t he tires
expands when the tire heats up because of internal friction when it
flexes in use . The tire p ress ure is highe r when the t ire has wa rmed up
than when it is "cold." It is the inflation pressure in a "cold" tire that c o unts . Therefo re, you should never let air ou t of a wa rm tire to
match "cold tire inflation pressure " recommendations . The t ires
wou ld then be underin flated and could fail suddenly .
SIZf COlD fflE PRESSUAf DIME NSION'S MfSSK)N DE$ l"NEV$ A fFIOiD
- KPA , . PSI
- KPA,. PSI
- KPA,. PSI
Fig. 240 Tir e pre ssure
label
Maintaining proper tire pressure is one of the most important things
you can do to he lp avoid sudden tire failure . Underinflated tires are a
ma jo r cause of sudden tire failure . Keep ing t ires at the right pressure
is a lso important fo r safe and responsive vehicle handling, t ract ion,
braking and load carrying.
Tire p ressures are particularl y important
when the vehicle i s being driven at higher speed s, and then e spe ­
cially when h eavily loaded even with in the permissible load­
carrying capacitie s approved for your v ehicle .
The recommended tire pressures for your Audi depend on the kind o f
t ires on you r vehicle and the number o f passengers and/or amo unt of
luggage you will be transport ing .
The tire pressure label is located on the driver 's side 8-pillar . T he tire
pressure labe l lists the recommended cold t ire inflation p ressures for
the vehicle at its maximum capacity weig ht and tires that were on
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your vehicle at the time it was m anufactured. .,