traction AUDI Q7 2011 Owner´s Manual

_________________________________________ I_ n_ t_ e_ ll_,igent technology ,__E~-
fore-and-aft and lateral directions, the brake pressure and the
steering angle are all measured.
The direction in which the driver wishes to travel is determined with
the aid of the steering angle and vehicle speed and is continually
compared with the actual behavior of the vehicle. If the two do not
match, for example, when the vehicle starts hydroplaning on a wet
road, ESP will automatically brake the appropriate whee l to correct
the problem.
The vehicle is then stabi lized by the forces acting on the whee l during
braking. If the vehicle is
oversteering (rear tends to skid out of the
turn), the brakes are main ly applied on the wheel that is on the
outs ide of the curve. In the case of a vehicle that is
understeering
(tendency to slide out of the curve), the brakes are applied as needed
on the wheel that is on the inside of the curve or additionally on the
other wheels. An acoustic s ignal indicates when ESP brake application
cuts in=> &.
The system operates across the entire speed range in combination
with the ABS system ~
page 260 . If the Anti -Lock Brake System
(ABS) ma lfunctions, the ESP wi ll be out of action as well.
Activating
When you turn on the engine, ESP will automatically be activated and
wi ll perform a self-test. As soon as the test is comp leted, the system
is in normal operating mode .
Offroad mode
ESP should normally be operated in normal mode because this
ensures maximum vehicle stability. If necessary, you can activate the
ESP offroad mode by pressing the button=>
page 256, fig. 222 to
obtain maximum traction and braking ability when driving off paved
roads at low speeds. In ESP offroad mode, the indicator light illu­
minates and the message
ESP Offroad Caution! Limited driving
stability
appears briefly in the d isp lay.
The ESP offroad mode can be useful in the following exceptiona l situ­
ations when slip or a highly effe ctive different ial loc king funct ion is
desirable. Examples:
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
•
when driving w ith tire chains,
• when driving in deep snow or on loose ground,
• when driving on uneven surfaces with the wheels severely
unloaded (articulation), and
• when rocking the vehicle loose a fter it has become stuck.
When the unusual situation is past, you should sh ift back to the
normal ESP operating mode by pushing the button again. The
message
ESP/ ASR on then appears briefly in the display.
Hill descent control
The hill descent control is switched on in ESP offroad mode. When
slowly descending steep gradients on loose ground or when the axles
are art iculated, hill descent control provides assistance by automati­
cally applying the brakes to keep vehicle speed constant. The vehicle
is also rende red easier to steer by select ive distribution of braking
force. Hill descent control intervenes when:
• the accelerator pedal is not pressed,
• the vehicle is travelling less than 12 mph (20 km/h),
• a steep gradient is detected,
• wheel behavior indicates loose ground or conditions with poor
adhesion (e.g. also axle articulat ion).
Hill descent control operates both dr iving forward and in reverse.
Active hi ll descent control is deactivated by pressing the accelerator
pedal until the conditions for activation already listed are met aga in.
& WARNING
• The Electronic Stabilization Program is nevertheless subject to
the laws of physics . It is particularly important to pay attention to
this fact on wet and slippery roads. It is therefore important that
you always adapt your driving to the condition of the road and
traffic conditions. Do not allow the increased safety provided by
the Electronic Stabilization Program system to lull you into
accepting additional safety risks. ..
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

_________________________________________ I_ n_ t_ e_ ll_,igent technology ,__E~-
If an individual wheel begins to rotate too slowly in relation to vehicle
speed and tends to lock, the ABS automatically reduces brake pres­
sure to prevent that wheel from locking .
Thi s automatic adjustment process wi ll cause a
slight vibration of
the brake pedal and some noises to alert you that vehicle speed must
be adapted to existing road and traffic conditions.
_& WARNING
Although the ABS is very effective, always remember that braking
capability is limited by tire traction. Always adjust your driving
speed according to the road and traffic conditions. Do not let the
extra safety afforded by the ABS tempt you into taking extra risks.
The ABS cannot overcome the laws of physics .
(I) Tips
• If ABS is not funct ioning properly, a warning light will come on .
See ~
page 19.
• If a fault occurs in the ABS, the EDL is also not functioning. This is
ind icat ed by the ABS warning light. •
Brake assistant
The brake assistant is designed to achieve the optimum
braking effect.
The brake assistant helps to increase the effective braking power and
thus to achieve a shorter stopping distance.
If the driver presses the
brake peda l very qu ickly , the brake assistant automatically boosts the
braking force to the maximum level, up to the point where the anti­
lock brake function (ABS) intervenes to stop the whee ls from locking.
You should then keep the brake pedal pressed until the vehicle has
braked to the required speed. The brake assistant switches itself off
as soon as you release the brake pedal.
Controls and equip­ ment Safety first Vehicle operation
Automatic full braking
assist
This function allows full braking in spite of high brake pedal forces
(e .g . when the brakes are severely stressed because the veh icle is fully
loaded). The driver notices this function through a reduction of pedal
force and increased pedal travel. When the brake pedal is released,
full braking assist switches off again automatically.
If there is an ABS failure, the brak e assistant and automatic full
braking assist are not available.
Th e brake assistant will not be operative if there is a ma lfunction in
the ABS .
_& WARNING
Please remember that the accident risk always increases if you
drive too fast, especially in corners or on a slippery road, or if you
follow the vehicle ahead of you too closely. Increased risk of an
accident cannot be compensated for even by the brake assistant ,
so always maintain a safe speed.•
Servotronic® -advanced power
steering system
The power steering systems uses the power of the
running engine to allow precise steering with little effort.
The advanced Servotronic ® power steering system senses the road
speed and electronically adjusts power assistance to provide
comfortable and safe steering response exactly matched to the
vehicle speed .
Power steering will not work if the engine is off. As a result , the
steering wheel will be hard to turn .
Th e power steering fluid level is checked during the scheduled main­
tenance services.
Vehicle care Do-it-yourself service Technical data

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 302. 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 258, "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 334, "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 335, "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 330, "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- ...

Tires and wheels Ill
----------------
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 331. 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 334.
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 328,
"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 ... 2210 ...
means that the tire was produced in the 22nd week of 2010. 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 322) and dividing by two. ..,_
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 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

lffll,.___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 d oes 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 330.
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 331, "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 3 21) is on the side w all of the
tire=>
page 330.
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 whi ch the winter tires
on your vehicle were designed can cause t ire failure including a
blowout and sudden deflation , lo ss of control , 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.
~

________________________________________________ T_i_re _ s_ a _ n_d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l_s __ ,n
• After any impact, immediately inspect your tires or have them
inspected by the nearest authorized Audi dealer. Replace a damaged
tire as soon as possible.
• Inspect your tires every 2,000 miles (3,000 km) for damage and
wear . Damage is not always easy to see . Damage can lead to loss of
air and underinflation, wh ich could eventually cause tire failure. If
you believe that a tire may have been damaged, replace the tire as
soon as possible.
• These tires may wear more quickly than others .
• Please also remember that, while these tires deliver responsive
handling, they may ride less comfortably and make more noise than
other choices.
Reduced performance in winter/cold season
conditions
All tires are designed for certain purposes. The low aspect ratio, ultra high performance tires originally installed on your vehicle are
intended for maximum dry and wet road performance and handling.
Th ey are not su itable for cold, snowy or icy weather conditions. If you
drive under those circumstances, you should equip your vehicle with
all -season or winter tires, which offer better traction under those
conditions. We suggest you use the recommended snow or all-season
tires specified for your vehicle, or their equiva lent.
Refer to~
page 334 for more detailed i nformat ion regard ing w inter
tires. •
Tire pressure monitoring system
General notes I)
Each tire, including the spare (if prov ided), should be checked
month ly when cold and inflated to the inflation pressure recom­
mended by the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard or tire
inf lation pressure label. (If your vehicle has tires of a different size
than the size ind icated o n the vehicle p lacard o r tire inflation pressure
Safety first
label, you should determine the proper tire inflation pressure for
t hose tires.)
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a t ire
pressure monitoring system ( TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pres ­
s ur e telltale when one or more of your tires is significantly under­
inflated. According ly, when the low tire pressure te lltale illuminates,
you should stop and check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure. Driving on a sign ificantly under- inflated
tire causes the tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure. Unde r­
inflation also reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and may
affect the vehicle's handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for proper t ire ma inte­
nance, and it is the driver's responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if unde r-inflation has not reached the level to trigge r
illumination of the TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been eq uipped with a TPMS mal function indi­
cator to indicate when the system is not operating properly . The
TPM S malfunction indicator is combined with the low tire pressure
telltale . When the system detects a ma lfunct ion, the telltale will
flash for approximately one minute and then remain continuously
illuminated . T his sequence will continue upon subsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indica tor is illum inated, the system may not
be able to detect or signal low tire pressure as intended. TPMS
ma lfunctions may occur fo r a variety of reasons, including the instal­
lat ion of replacement or alternate tires or wheels on the veh icle that
prevent the TPMS from functioning properly. Always check the TPMS
malfunction telltale after replac ing one or more tires or wheels on
your vehicle to ensure that the rep lacement or a lternate tires and
wheels allow the TPMS to continue to function properly .•
Vehicle care Technical data