tires AUDI Q7 2011 Owner´s Manual

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
Vehicle Weight Rating and the G ross Ax le We ig ht Rating a re listed on
t he sa fe ty co mplianc e stick er la bel lo ca ted on t he dr ive r's side B­
pillar. The tire press ure label on your Aud i lists the max imum
combine d weight of a ll of t he occ upants an d lugga ge or other cargo
that the veh icle can car ry . For the locat io n of the t ire pressure label
~ pa ge 32 2, fig . 241.
& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause los s of vehicle control , a crash or
other accident, serious personal injury, and even death.
• Carrying more weight than your vehicle wa s designed to carry
will prevent the vehicle from handling properly and increase the
risk of a loss of vehicle control.
• The b rakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not be
able to stop the vehicle within a safe distan ce.
• Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail suddenly
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
loaded trailer -does not make the vehicle heavier than the
vehicle 's Gro ss Vehicle Weight Rating.
& WARNING
• Incorrect tire pressures and /or underinflation can lead to a
serious or fatal accident.
• Incorrect tire pressures and /or underinflation cause increased
tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle.
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can also lead to
sudden tire failure , including a blowout and sudden deflation,
c ausing loss of vehicle control. •
Checking tire pressure
The c orrec t t ire pre ssur e fo r th e tires origina lly insta lled
o n yo ur veh icle is listed on th e tir e p res su re l abe l lo cat ed
on driv er's side 8-pi llar.
Th e recommended tire pressures are on the tire p ress ure labe l an d in
t he table~
page 322, "Cold tire infla tion pressure" .This means that
the pressure m ust be chec ked an d adj usted w hen the tire has not
bee n driven for more tha n a co uple of m iles (kil om ete rs) at low
speeds dur ing the prev io us three hours . A ir in the tires expan ds when
t he tire heats up as a res ult of in ter nal fric tion as it flexes in use. The
t ire pressure is higher w hen the tire has warmed up than whe n it is
" ld "
c o .
It is the inflation pressu re in a "cold" tire that counts. Therefore, yo u
should never let air out of a wa rm tire to match "Col d tire inflat ion
pressu re" recomme ndat ions~
pag e 322. The t ir e s would t hen be
unde rinflated and co uld fail sudden ly .
Th e tire p ress ure label on your Aud i list s th e recommended co ld t ire
inflation pressures at maximum capacity fo r the new, o rigina l equip­
ment tires tha t were on yo ur vehicle at the t ime it was man ufactu red.
For the location of the label~
page 322, fig. 241.
M ost tires lose a ir nat urally ove r time. They can a lso lose some a ir if
you drive over a potho le or hit a curb while pa rking.
It is usually not
possible to see whether the rad ia l tires used today are underinflated
jus t by loo king at them.
T herefore, be sure to check t ire pressures at least once a month and
always before going o n a long tri p. M ake sure to take the num be r of
peop le and the amount of luggage i nto account whe n ad justi ng tire
press ure for a t rip -even one tha t you would no t conside r to be
" lo ng." See~
pag e 326, "Tires and vehicle load lim its" for mo re
impo rtant i nformat ion.
Alw ays use an a ccu rat e t ire pres sure g auge whe n checki ng a nd
ad justing i nflat io n pressures. Check all of the tires and be sure not to
f o rge t the s pare tire. If the pre ssu re in any tir e is too h igh when the
t ir e is "co ld," let air out of t he tire slowly with t he edge of the ti re ..,_

Tires and wheels -_____________ --=-=--=.:..:......:..::....:.=----Vf'II
gauge and keep chec king the press ure until you reach t he press ure
th at i s cor rect fo r t he lo ad ( pass en ge rs and l uggage) and kind of
dr iving you plan to do .
If the press ure i n any t ire is too low, note the difference betwee n th e
pressu re in t he cold tire a nd the pressure you need and add the air
that you need to reach the correct pressure for t he ve hicle load
( pass enge rs and lugg age) f or th e tires on yo ur vehicle as l ist ed on t he
on your vehicle and in this manua l and the kind of driving you p lan to
do.
Never exceed the maximum inflation pressure listed on the tire
sidewall for any reason.
Remember that the ve hicle m anufac tur er, no t the tire manufa cture r,
determines t he correct tire press ure for the t ires on your veh icle.
It is important to check the tire pressure when the t ires a re co ld .
• Read the requ ired t ire pr essure from t he t ire pr essure lab el. T he
tire pressure labe l is locate d on t he driver's side 8- pillar. Th e tire pres­
s u re labe l lists t he re com men ded col d tire inflat io n pr essures fo r the
vehicle at its maxim um capac ity we ight and the t ires t hat were on
yo ur vehicle at the t ime it was ma nufact ured. For r ecom mende d tire
pressures fo r norma l load cond it ions, please see chapter
=> page 322.
• Turn the valve stem cap co unter -clockw ise to remove it from the
t ire v alve.
• Place the air press ure gauge on the valve.
• The tire p ressures sho uld on ly be checked and adjusted wh en the
tires are cold. The slightly raised press ures of wa rm tires must not be
re du ced.
• Adjust the tire p ress ure to the loa d you are ca rry ing.
• Reinstall the valve stem cap o n the valve .
When should I check the tire pressure?
The correct tire press ure is especially important at high speeds. The
pressu re shoul d there fore be c hec ke d at least once a mo nth a nd
Safety first
always before start ing a journey . Do not forget to check t he t ire pres­
s u re for the spare w heel.
When should I adjust the tire pressures?
Adju st the tir e pre ssure to the load y ou ar e carry ing. A fter ch anging a
wheel
or replac ing wheels you have to adjust t he t ire p ressures on all
w heels. I n addition , you m ust th en s tore the new tire press ures i n the
t ir e pressu re monitoring system=>
page 339.
& WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can lead sudden tire
failure, loss of control, collision, serious pers onal injury or even
death.
• When the warning symbol appears in the instrument
cluster, stop and inspect the tires.
• Incorrect tire pressure and/or underinflation can cause
increased tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability.
• Incorrect tire pressure s and/or underinflation can also lead to
sudden tire failure, including a blowout and sudden deflation,
causing loss of vehicle control.
• The driver is responsible for the correct tire pressures for all
tires on the vehicle. The applicable pressure values are located on a sticker on the driver's side B-pillar.
• Only when all tires on the vehicle are filled to the correct pres­
sure, the tire pressure monitoring system 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 values for the tire s and the correct pres­
sures for the function of the tire pressure monitoring system.
• Always inflate tires to the recommended and correct tire pres-
sure before driving off. .,_
Vehicle care Technical data

,.,.___T_ ir_e_ s _ a_ n _ d_ w_ h_e_ e_ ls _______________________________________________ _
& WARNING (conti nu ed )
• Driv ing with underinflated tire s bend more , letting them get
too hot re sulting in tread separation , sudden tire failure and lo ss
of control.
• Exce ssive speed and /overloading can cause heat build-up,
s udden tire failure and loss of control.
• If the tire pressure is too low or too high , the tires 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 tire pressure and add air as required .
0 Note
Driving without valve s tem caps can cause damage to the tire valves .
T o prevent this, a lways make sure that factory ins talled valve stem
caps on al l wheels are secure ly mounted on the valve .
<£> For the sake of the environment
Underinflated t ires will also inc rease t he f uel consumption .•
Tires and vehicle load limits
T here are lim its to the amo unt of load or weight that any veh icle and
any tire can carry . A veh icle that is overloade d will not handle well and
is more difficult to stop . Overload ing can not on ly lead to loss of
vehicle contro l, but can also damage important parts of the vehicle
and can le ad t o su dden t ire failure, including a b lowo ut and s udden
def lation that can ca use the vehicle to c rash .
Yo ur safety a nd t hat of your passengers also de pends o n mak ing s ure
that load limits are not exceeded . Vehicle load incl udes everybody
and everything in and on the vehicle . These loa d limits are technically
referred to as the ve hicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR") . The
"GVWR" includes the weight o f the basic vehicle, all factory
ins talled accessories, a f ull tank of f uel, oil, coolan t and other fl uids
plus maxim um load . The max imum load i ncludes the numbe r of
passenge rs that the vehicle is intended to carry ("seating capacity")
w ith an ass umed we ight of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each passenger at a
designate d seati ng position and the total weig ht of any luggage in
the vehicle. If yo u tow a trai le r, the weight of t he t railer hitch and the
tongue weight of the loaded trailer must be included as part of the
veh icle loa d.
The
Gross Axle We ight Rating ("GAWR") is the max imum load that
can be a pplied at each o f the ve hicle 's two axles .
Th e Gross Vehicle Weight Rat ing and the Gross Axle Weight Rat ing
are listed on the safety compliance sticker label located on the
dr iver 's side B-pillar. Your A udi has 5 seat ing pos it ions, 2 in the front
and 3 in the rear for tota l seat ing capacity of 5. On vehicles with six
sea ts*, yo ur vehicl e has two fron t seat s, two se a ts i n the se co nd row
seating and two seats in the t hird row seating. On ve hicles with seven
sea ts*, yo ur veh icle has two fron t se ats , th ree seats in the se cond row
seat ing and two seats in the third row seating. Eac h seating posit io n
has a seat belt=>
page 20 1, "Safety bel ts" .
Th e fact that there is an upper lim it to your veh icle 's Gross Vehicle
We ight Rating means that the total weight of whatever is being
c arried in t he veh icle ( inclu ding t he weight of a tra ile r hi tch and the
tongue weight of the loaded tra iler) is limited . The more passengers
in the vehi cle or passenge rs who are heavier th an the stan dard
we ights assumed mean that less we ight can be carried as luggage.
Th e tire pressure labe l on yo ur Audi a lso lis ts the max imum combined
we igh t of all of the occupants and luggage or o ther cargo that the
vehicle ca n carry. For t he locat ion of the label=>
page 322, fig. 241.
& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of vehicle control, a crash or
other accident, serious personal injury, and even death. ._

& WARNING (continued)
• Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry
will prevent the vehicle from handling properly and increase the risk of the loss of vehicle control.
• The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not be
able to stop the vehicle within a safe distance.
• Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail 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
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.
Safety first
Tires and wheels 11111
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 322,
fig. 241.
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 322, fig. 241.
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.) •
Vehicle care Technical data

-Tires and wheels
5. Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on the
v ehicle . That weight ma y not safel y
e xceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6 . If your v ehicl e will be towing a trailer,
load from your trailer will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult this manual to determine how this redu ces the a vailable
cargo and luggage load capacity of your
vehicle.
Check the tire sidewall( =>
page 330,
fig. 245) to determine the designated
load rating for a specific tire .•
Tire service life
The servi ce li fe of tires depends on a lot of different
t h ings inclu ding p roper installatio n and b alancing,
correct tire pr essur e and driving style.
~------------ ~
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
Fig. 24 3 Tire tre ad :
t rea d wea r ind ic at ors
(TWI)
Fig. 244 Rotat ing
t ires for more e ven
wear
T he origin al tir es on you r vehi cle h ave 1/16 in ch (1. 6 mm) high "wear
ind icators "~ fig . 243 ru nning across the t read . Depend ing on the
ma ke, there wi ll be six to eight of them eve nly placed around the t ire.
Marks o n the t ire sidewall (for e xample "T WI" or other symbols) indi­
cate the positions of the tread wear indicators. Worn tires must be
replace d. D ifferent fig ures may apply in othe r countr ies ~& . ._,.

________________________________________________ T_i_re _ s_ a _ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ _
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure cau se s prema ture we ar and c an cau se sudden
ti re blow-o ut. Fo r this reaso n, tir e press ure must be ch ecked at l eas t
once a mo nth ;:::,
page 324 .
Driving style
Driv in g fast aro und curves, heavy a cce le ra ti on and hard bra kin g
increase tire wea r.
Rotating tires for more even wear
Fo r all fou r tir es on your ve hicle to have the same service life, we
re co mm end th at t he fron t and rear tire s ar e rotat ed acco rd ing t o the
tire ma nufact urer's s uggested tire rotation intervals. Please
remem be r th e fo llow ing:
• Tir e ro tat io n in terv als ma y differ from t he ve hicle serv ice in terv als
out lined in your Warranty
& Maintenance bo oklet .
• Th e long er o ne tire is used i n one location on t he veh icle, t he mo re
it wears at certa in po ints; t herefore, we recommend t hat you follow
th e tir e m an ufac ture r's sugges ted tire r ota tion in te rv a ls .
• Vehicles w ith fro nt-w hee l dr ive experience mo re tread wea r on the
fron t w heels compared to all-whe el driv e (qua ttro ®).
• P leas e ro tate tires as sh own ;:::, fig. 244.
• Extra care m ust be ta ken when rotat ing direction-specific tires
=:, p age 3 48 .
Wheel balancing
The w heels on new ve hicl es a re bala nced. However, v ario us sit uatio ns
dur ing everyday driving can cause them to become unba lanced,
re su lt ing in vibra tions yo u can usually fee l throug h the stee rin g
w hee l.
Unbalanced whee ls mus t be rebalanced to avoid excessive wear on
s t eer ing, suspension and t ir e s. A wheel must also b e rebalanced
w hen a new tire is installed.
Safety first
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrec t wheel a lignment can c ause excessive t ire wear, im pair ing
t he sa fety o f the ve hicle . If t ires s how exc essive wear, hav e the wheel
alignment checked by an author ized A udi dealer o r qualifie d wo rk ­
shop.
All Wheel Drive
Vehicles with quattro ® must a lways have tires of the same s ize,
constr uctio n an d trea d type . For details see ;:::,
page 262.
& 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 ind icators .
• 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
eventhoughthedamagecannotbeseenthatcanleadtosudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control. •
Vehicle care Technical data

___ T_ i_ r _e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e_ l_ s _______________________________________________ _
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in.
Fig. 245 Tir e speci fication co des o n the sidew all of a tire
No.
©
@
®
©
©
©
Des cript ion
Passenger car tire (where applicable)
Nominal width of t ire in mill imeters
Ra tio of height to width (aspect ratio)
Radial
Rim diameter code
Load index and speed rating
0
©
®
@
@
U.S . DOT tire identification number
A udi O rigi na l tire
Sever snow conditions
Tire ply composit io n and materials used
Maximum load rating
@ Treadwear, traction and temperature grades
@ Maximum permissible inflation pressure
The tires and r ims are esse ntial parts of the vehicle's des ign. The tires
and r ims approved by Audi are specially matched to the characteris­
tics of the vehicle and can make a major contribution to good road holding and safe hand ling when in good condition and properly
inflated
~ & .
We recommend that all work on tires and wheels be performed by an
author ized Aud i dea le r. They a re fam iliar with recommended proce­
dures and have the necessary special tools and spare parts as well as
the prope r facilit ies for d isposing of the old tires .
Author ized Aud i dea le rs have the necessary information about tech­
nical requireme nts for installing or changing tires and rims .
Replacing tires and wheels
Tires shou ld be rep laced at least in pairs and not individually (for
example both front tires or both rear t ires togethe r) .
Be sure to read and heed the information to the t ire pressure moni­
t oring system~
page 33 7.
Always buy replacement radial tires that have the same spec ificat ions
as the ti res approved fo r your vehicle by Aud i. Replacemen t tires mus t
always have the same load rating specif ication as the or iginal eq uip­
me nt or approved opt iona l tires listed i n the table ~
page 322.
Audi -app roved spe cifi cati on tires are spe cia lly mat ched to yo ur
vehicle and its load lim its, and can contr ibute to the important road-..,_

Tires and wheels Ill
----------------
holding, driving characteristics, and safety of the vehicle. The table
( =>
page 322) 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 322, fig. 242 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 330, fig. 245. 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 318.
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 ... 2210 ... "means, for example, that the tire was produced in
t he 22nd week of 2010.
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 334.
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 30 will 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 2210 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

-Tires and wheels PR:1-------------------
the 22nd week of 2010. 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 333.
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.
~

Tires and wheels -________________ fWII
& WARNING (co ntinued )
• Run flat t ires may onl y be u sed on vehicles that were equipped
with them at the factory. The vehicle must have a chassi s de signed
for run flat tires. Incorrect use of run flat tires can lead to vehicle
damage or accident s. Check with an authorized Audi dealer or tire
specialist to see if your vehicle can be equipped w ith run flat tires .
If run flat tires are u sed, they mu st be in stalled on all four wheel s.
Mixing t ire types is not permitted.
0 Note
• For techn ical reaso ns, it is not generally poss ible to use the wheel
r ims from o ther vehicles. This c an hold t rue for wheels o f th e s ame
vehicle type.
• If the sp are tire is different from the tires t hat yo u have mo unted
on your vehicle (for examp le w inter t ires or wide profile tires), then
use the spare t ire for a short per io d of t ime on ly and d rive wi th ex tra
care . Replace the flat t ire with the tire matching the others on your
vehicle as soon as possible.
• Never dr ive without the valve stem cap . The valves could get
d amaged .
~ For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old t ires in accordance wit h the loca l req uirements .•
Uniform tire quality grading
• Tr ead we ar
• Tract ion AA A B C
• Temperatu re A B C
Quality g rades can be found where app licab le on the tire side wa ll
be tween tread s hou lde r an d max imum se ct io n w idt h~
page 330,
fig. 245 .
Safety first For example:
Tread wear 200
, Tract ion AA , Temperat ure A.
All passenger car ti res must confo rm to Federa l Safety Requirements
in addition to these grades.
Tread wear
T he tread wear grade is a compa rative rat ing based on the wear rate
o f th e tire when tested under contro lled conditions o n a specifie d
government test cou rse .
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and one half (1 1/2)
ti mes a s we ll on t he governme nt co urse a s a tire graded 10 0 .
The relat ive pe rformance o f tires depe nds upon the actua l conditions
o f their use, however, and m ay depar t sig nificantly from the norm
due to variations in d riving hab its, se rvice practices and differences in
road characte rist ics and cl imate.
Traction
Th e traction grades , from highes t to lowe st, are AA, A, Band C. Those
grades repr esen t the t ire's ability to stop on wet pavemen t as
measu red under con trolled con dit io ns on s pecified government test
surfaces of asphalt and conc rete. A tire marked C may have poor t rac­
tion performance ~& .
Temperature
The tempera ture grades are A (the highest), B, an d C, represen ting
t he t ire's res ista nce to the gene ra tion of heat a nd its ab ility to d issi­
pa te heat when teste d unde r contro lled condi tions on a spec ified
indoor laboratory tes t wheel.
S ustained h igh temperature ca n cause the material of the tire to
degene rate and red uce tire li fe, and excessive tem per at ure c an lead
to sudden tire failure ~& .
Th e grade C cor responds to a leve l of perfo rmance which a ll
passenger car tires mus t meet under the Federal Motor Veh icle
Sa fety Standa rd No. 1 09 . G rades Band A represent higher levels of
performance o n the labo ra tory test w hee l than the minim um
req uired by law . .,_
Vehicle care Technical data