winter tires AUDI Q7 2010 Owner´s Manual

Driver information display
Speed warning 1
You can use speed warning 1 to set the maximum speed whi le you are
dr iving. This setting will remain in effect until you turn off the igni­
tion , assuming that you have not changed or reset the setting.
Th e speed warning symbol
'8 (USA models) /8 (Canada models) in
the warning 1 display appears when you exceed the maximum speed .
It goes out when the speed falls below the stored maximum speed.
The speed warning symbol will also go out if the speed
exceeds the
stored maximum speed by more than about 2S mph (40 km/h) for at
least 10 seconds . The stored maximum speed is deleted .
Setting speed warning 1
=> page 36.
Speed warning 2
Storing warning 2 is recommended if you a/wayswantto be reminded
of a certa in speed , fo r example when you are traveling in a country
that has a general maximum speed limit, or if you do not want to
exceed a specified speed for winter tires.
The speed warning 2 symbol,
e (USA models)/ 8, (Canada models)
appears in the display when you exceed the stored speed limit. Unlike
warning 1, it will not go out unt il the vehicle speed drops below the
stored speed limit.
Setti ng speed warning 2
=> page 3 7.
[I] Tips
Even though your vehicle is eq uipped w ith a speed war ning system,
you should still watch the speedometer to make sure you are not
dr iving faster than the speed limit.•
Speed warning 1: setting a speed limit
Warning threshold 1 is set by the [ CHECK] button.
Storing the maximum speed
-Drive at the desired maximum speed.
Fig. 19 CHECK button
in the instrument
cluster
- Briefly press t he [CHECK] button :::;, fig. 19 .
Resetting the maximum speed
-Drive the vehicle at a speed of at least 3 mph (5 km/h)
- Press the
I CHECK ] button for more than 2 seconds.
The speed warning symbol 8 (USA models)/ 8 (Canada models) will
appear briefly in the display when you release the
I CH ECK] button to
ind icate that the maximum speed has been stored successfully .
The maximum speed remains stored until it is changed by pressing
the
I CHECK ] button again briefly or until it is deleted by a lengthy
push on the button. •

Intelligent technology
'-----------------------------------------------
0
Note
If t he re is an elect ro n ic malfunc tion, servotroni c will still funct io n
like a conventional power steering system, provid ing a constant
steer ing suppo rt force tha t is no longer proportiona te to the vehi cle
speed. This is most noticeable when t urning the steer ing wheel at low
speeds (for ex ample when p arki ng) , - m ore effo rt will be req uire d
than usua l.
• Be aw are of the d iffe ren t than usual steeri ng respo nse and adjust
your steering force accord ingly.
• Have t he pr oblem chec ked and set r igh t by a n Audi dea ler as soo n
as possib le .
[I) Tips
• When the engine is runni ng, neve r hold t he steering wheel turned
a ll the way to the r ig ht o r to t he left fo r longe r th an 1 5 seco nd s. The
powe r steering pump will over heat the hydraulic fluid if yo u keep
holding t he s teering w heel turne d all the w ay . This is likely to damage
the power steer ing system.
• If the powe r stee ring sys tem s ho uld fail entire ly, or if the engine
is not running (for examp le, while be ing towed), you will still be able
t o steer the vehicle. Howeve r,
considerably more effo rt will be
required to do so.
• If the powe r stee ring sys tem s ho uld have a leak, or is not func ­
tioning properly, contact your author ized Audi dealer immediately.
• Th e power s teeri ng system re quir es a specially fo rm ulated
hydraulic fluid. The power stee ring reservoir is the one located
f ar the st to the rea r on t he left side of the eng ine compa rtment
=> page 298 . The correct fluid level in the reservo ir is important for
pr op er f unctio ning o f the power steer ing.•
Dr"v ing witr your quattro®
--------
Wit h All Wheel Drive, all four wheels are d riven .
General information
With All Wheel Drive, power is dist ribu ted to all fo ur wheels. This
hap pens a utomat ically depending o n your dr iv ing style and t he road
conditions at the time. See also =>
page 254, "Electronic different ia l
lock (EDL)" .
Winter tires
When d riving in the win ter, your vehicle with A ll Whee l Dr ive has an
advantage, even w ith regula r tir es. In w inter road con ditions i t may
be advisable to mou nt wi nte r ti res (or all-seaso n tires) for improve d
dr iveability and b raking: these tires m ust be mounted on
all four
wheels .
See also=:> page 330, "W inter tires".
Tire chains
Whe re tire chains are ma nda to ry on certa in roa ds, th is no rma lly a lso
ap plies to vehicles with A ll Whee l Drive =:>
page 331, "Snow chains" .
Replacing wheels/tires
Vehicles wit h All W heel Dr ive must a lways have t ires of the same si ze .
Also avoid tires with different tread depths. For details see page
=> pa ge 32 6, "N ew tires and rep lacing tires and wheels".
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to road and traffic conditions . Do not
let the extra safety afforded by All Wheel Drive tempt you into
taking extra risks.
• Although the All Wheel Drive is very effective, always
remember that braking capacity is limited by tire traction. You
should therefore not drive at excessive speeds on icy or slippery
road surfaces.
• On wet road surfaces, be careful not to drive too fast because
the front wheel s could begin to slide on top of the water (aqua- ...

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 .•

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_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_re _ s_ a _ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ __
holding, driv ing characteristics, and safety of the vehicle. The table
( =>
page 318) lists specifications of the tires approved for the Audi
models covered by your Owner's Literature .
Th e tire pressure label located on the driver's side B-pillar
=> page 318, fig. 240 lists the specifications of the original equ ip­
ment tires insta lled on your vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
Federal law requires tire manufacturers to place standardized infor­
mation on the sidewall of all tires=>
page 326, fig. 243. This infor­
mation identifies and describes the fundamenta l characteristics, the
quality grade of the tir e and also provides a tire ident ification number
for safety standard certification and in case of a reca ll.
Tire specifications
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it easier to choose the correct
tires . Radial tires have the tire spec ifications marked on the s idewall,
for example:
P255 / 55 R 18 109 H XL
This contains the following information:
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars (where applicable)
255 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire from sidewall edge to side-
wall edge. In general, the larger the number, the wider the tire
55 Height/width ratio in percent (aspect ratio)
R Tire construction: Rad ial
18 Rim d iameter code ( in inches)
109 Load rating code
H Speed rating letter code
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" Indicates that the tire is a"Rein­
forced" or an "Extra Load" tire
M+S (or "M/5") Indicates that the t ire has some mud and snow capa­
bility
The tires could also have the info rmation of direction of rotation
=> page 314.
Safety first
Tire manufacturing date
The manufacturing date is a lso indicated on the tire sidewa ll
(poss ibly only on the
inner side of the wheel):
"DOT ... 2209 ... "means, for example, that the tire was produced in
t he 22nd week of 2009.
Speed rating (Letter code)
The speed rat ing letter code on the wheels ind icates the maximum
permissible road speeds =>
& in "Winter tires" on page 330.
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (1 70 km/h)
S up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
T up to 118 mph ( 190 km/h)
U up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
3>
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)3>
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)3
)
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)3>
Your vehicle is normally factory equ ipped with t ires, which possess
excellent driving characte ristics and give yo ur Audi opt imum dr iv in g
comfort. An electronic speed limiter=>
page 26will normally prevent
your vehicle from going faster than the tire speed rating
=> &.
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN) and tire
manufacture date
Th is is the tire's "ser ial number" . It begins w ith 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 manufacture .
For example, the numbers 2209 mean that the tire was produced in
~
3> F o r tires w ith a maximum speed capab ili ty over 149 mph (240 km/h), tire
manufact urers somet imes use the letters "ZR."
Vehicle care Technical data

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
the 22nd week of 2009. The other numbers are marketing codes that
may or may not be use d b y the ti re manu facture r. T his in format ion is
used to contact consumers if a tire de fect requires a recall.
Audi Original tire
T ires with the ident ificat ion "AO" or "RO" have been specially
m atche d w ith your Audi. We recommend using on ly these t ire s
because t hey meet the hig hest standards regard ing safety a nd
dr iving charac teris tics when used corre ctly. Your aut horize d Aud i
dea ler w ill glad ly provide you wi th mor e informatio n.
Tire ply composition and materials used
T he number of p lies indicates the number of layers of rubber-coated
f abr ic in the tire. In ge ne ral, the greate r the numbe r of p lies, the
more weig ht a tire ca n support. Tire manufac turers also mus t indi­
c ate the materials in the t ire, which incl ude stee l, nylon, polyes ter,
and others .
Maximum Load Rating
This number ind icates the maximum load in k ilograms and pounds
t ha t can be carried by the tire .
Tire quality grading for treadwear, traction, and
temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and temperat ure grades~ page 329.
Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
Th is number is the greatest amount o f air press ure t hat should eve r
be pu t in the tire under no rm al driv in g c ond ition s.
& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unmatched tires and/ or wheels or improper
tire and wheel combinations can lead to loss of control , collis ion
and seriou s personal injury.
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Always use tires, rims and wheel bolts that meet the specifica­
tions of original factory-installed tires or other combinations that have been specifically app roved by the vehicle manufacturer.
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly,
especially at high speeds . Tires that a re 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
eventhoughthedamagecannotbeseenthatcanleadtosudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
• All four wheels must be fitted with radial tires of the same
type , size (rolling circumference) and the same tread pattern.
Driving with different tires reduces vehicle handling and can lead
to a loss of control.
• If the spare tire is not the same as the tires that are mounted
on the vehicle - for example with winter tires - only use the spare
tire for a short period of time and drive with extra care . Refit the
no rmal road wheel as soon as safely possible .
• Never drive faster than the maximum speed for which the tires
on your vehicle are rated because tires that are driven faster than
their rated speed can fail suddenly .
• Ove rloading tire s cause heat build-up, sudden tire failure,
including a blowout and sudden deflation and loss of control.
• Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated
and not over or underinflated.
• For technical rea sons it is not always possible to use wheels
from other vehicles- in some cases not even wheels from the same
vehicle model.
• If you install wheel trim discs on the veh icle wheels, make sure
that the air flow to the brakes is not blocked . Reduced airflow to
the brakes can them to overheat , increasing stopp ing distances
and causing a colli sion.
~

___ T_ ir_e_ s _ a_ n _ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
in. WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead
braking traction test s, and do es not include acceleration ,
cornering, hydroplaning or peak tra ction chara cteristics .
in. WARNING
The temperature grade fo r this tire is established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded. Ex cessive speed, underinfla ­
tion, or excessive load ing, either separately or in comb inat ion, can
c ause heat buildup and po ssible tire failure. •
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve v ehicl e handling on snow and
ice . At temper atures below 45 °F (7 °C) we recommend
ch anging to w inter tires.
In some heavy snow areas, loca l governme nts may requ ire true
w inter o r "snow" tires, those with very deep ly c ut trea d. These tires
sho uld only be used in pa irs and be installed on all four whee ls. Make
sure you p urchase snow tires that are the same size and construct ion
type as the ot her t ires on your ve hicle.
Your vehicle is equipped with a ll-wheel drive, th is will improve trac­
tion dur ing wi nter dr iv ing, even w it h the standar d tires. Howeve r, we
strong ly recommend that you always eq uip a ll four wheels on yo ur
veh icle with correctly fitte d winter t ires or all-season ti res, when
w inte r road conditio ns are exp ect ed. This also imp roves th e veh icle's
bra king perfo rmance an d red uces stopping distances.
S um mer tir es p rovide le ss grip on ice and snow .
Winter tires (snow tires) m ust always be fitted on all four wheels.
Ask your aut horized Audi dealer or q ualified workshop for permitted
winter tire sizes . Use only ra dial w inter tires. W
inter tires lose the ir effectiveness when the tread is wor n down to
a dep th o f 0. 157 inch ( 4 mm).
On ly drive w ith w inter t ires under w inter cond it io ns. S umme r tires
han dle better when the re is no snow or ice on the roads and the
tempe ra ture is a bove 45 °F (7 °C).
If you have a flat tire, see notes on spare wheel=> page
326.
Please always remember that winter tires may have a lower speed
rat ing than the tires originally installed on yo ur veh icle at t he time it
was man ufact ured . Please see=> page
327, "Speed rating (letter
c ode)" for a list ing of t he speed ra ting le tte r c odes and the maxi mum
speed at which the tires can be driven .
Th e spee d rat ing let ter code( => page
317) is on the side w all of the
tire=> page
326.
in. WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits that may be lower than
your vehicle 's maximum speed . Always know the maximum speed
before dr iving off. Never drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specifi c winter tires . This will caus e damage to the tires
lead ing to an accident and serious personal injury to you and your
pa ssengers.
in. WARNING
Driving fa ster than the maximum speed for which the winter tires
on your vehicle were designed can cause t ire failure including a
blowout and sudden deflation , loss of c ontrol , crash es and seriou s
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.
~

Tires and wheels Ill
----------------
& WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and traffic condit ions.
Never let the good a cceleration of the winter tires and all-wheel
drive t empt you into tak ing e xtra ri sks. Always rememb er:
• When braking , an all-wheel drive vehicle handle s in the same
way as a front drive vehicl e.
• Drive carefully and reduce your speed on icy and slippery road s,
even winter tires cannot help under black ice condit ions.
c£> For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather co ndit ions permit. They are qu ieter,
do not wea r as qu ickly and r educe fuel consumpt ion. •
Snow chains
Snow c hains m ay be fi tted on ly to the rear w heels, and only to cer tain
tire sizes . Ask your authorized Audi dea ler on wh ich tire sizes snow
c hains can be used .
Th e snow chains must have low-profile links and m ust not be thicker
than 0.53 inch ( 13 .S mm), including the lock .
Remove wheel ce nter covers and trim discs before put ting snow
chains on your vehicle~
0. For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fi tted over t he wheel bolts . T hese a re av ail able fro m auth o rized
Audi dealers.
& WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehicle or installing them
in correctly can increa se the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
Safety first
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Snow chains are available in different sizes . Always make sure
to follow the instruction s provided by the snow chain manufac­
turer.
• When driving with snow cha ins never drive fa ster than the
speed permitted for your specific snow chains .
• Always observe local regulat ions.
0 Note
• Remove snow chains before driving on roads not covered wit h
snow to avoid damaging t ires and wear ing the snow chains down
unnecessar i Ly .
• Snow chains, whi ch come into direc t contac t wi th the w heel rim,
can scratch o r damage it. Therefore, make s ure that the snow chai ns
are sui tably covered. Chec k the pos ition of the snow chains after
dr iv ing a few yards and correct if necessary . Follow the instruct ions
from the snow chain ma nufact urer when do ing so.
• If the Adaptive Air Suspension* should malfunct io n, do not mount
or use snow chai ns because the ve hicle w ill be extreme ly low. If you
do d rive with snow chains on while the vehicle is at this level, the
snow c hains m ight severe ly damage the whee lhouse and other parts
of t he ve hicle .
[ i ] Tips
Whe re snow c ha in s are mandatory on ce rtain roads, t his norm ally
also app lies to vehicles with All Whee l Dr ive. •
Vehicle care Technical data