service AUDI Q7 2012 Owner´s Manual

.. Lift the wiper blade off in the direction of
the arrow @.
Install ing wipe r blade
.. Place the new wiper b lade in the retainer on
the wiper a rm ©
r::!>fig. 68.
.. Swing the wipe r blade in the direction of
the arrow @against the wiper arm .
.. Squeeze the corrugation on the wiper until
you hear the bracket click in the wiper arm .
.,. Place the wiper arm back against the wind-
shield.
Clean your wiper blades regularly with a wind­
shie ld washer solution to prevent streaking. If
the blades are very dirty, for example with in­
sects, carefully clean the blades with a sponge
or a soft brush .
If the wiper blades begin to streak the wind­
shie ld, this could be caused by residue left on
the windshield by automatic car washes .
Fi ll the windshield washer container with a
specia l solution available at your authorized
Aud i dealer to remove the residue.
A WARNING
Be sure to inspect the condit ion of yo ur
w iper blades regularly. See yo ur author­
ized Aud i dea le r for r eplacement b lades .
(D Note
-The windshield wiper blades must only
be replaced whe n in the service position
r::!> page 66! Otherwise, yo u risk da mag-
i ng the pa int on the hood or the wind­
s h ield wiper motor.
- To he lp prevent damage to the wiper sys­
tem, a lways loosen blades which are fro­
z en to the windsh iel d befo re ope rat ing
wipe rs.
- To he lp prevent damage to w iper b lades,
do no t use g asoline, ke rose ne, pa int
t hi nner, or othe r so lven ts on or nea r th e
wipe r blades .
- To he lp prevent dam age to the wiper
arms or other components, do not at­
tempt to move the w ipers by hand .
Clear vision 6 7
@ Tips
Commercia l hot wa xes applied by auto­
matic car washes affect the cleana bility of
the windshield .
Changing the rear wiper blade
F ig . 6 9 Rear w indow w iper Detac hing the rear wiper
b lade
Removing the wiper bl ade
.. Fold the windshie ld w iper arm away from
the glass.
.. Grasp the upper end of the wiper a rm with
one hand and the metal clamp o n the wiper
b lade w it h the other
Q fig . 69.
.. Ho ld the wipe r arm in the direction of the
arrow @and pu ll th e wiper b lade out of the
holder on ly in the d irection of the arrow @.
Attaching the w iper blade
.,. Ad just the wiper b lade in the holder .
.. Ho ld the upper end of the wipe r arm wit h
one hand.
.. Press t he wiper b lade i nto the ho lder wi th
your other hand .
.. Fold the w iper arm back onto the wind­
shield.
A WARNING
- To avoid streaks, you should clean the
windshie ld w iper blades regu larly with
w indow cleaner. For heavy soiling, for ex­
ample, insects, the w iper blades can also
be cleaned w ith a sponge or a cloth.
- For safety reasons, the w indshield wipe r
blades should be replaced once or tw ice
a year.

Improperly worn safety belts
Incorrectly positioned safety belts can cause
severe injuries .
Wearing safety belts improperly can cause se­
rious injury or death. Safety belts can only
work when they are correctly positioned on the body . Improper seating positions reduce
the effectiveness of safety belts and will even increase the risk of injury and death by mov­
ing the safety belt to critical areas of the
body . Improper seating positions also in­
crease the risk of serious injury and death
when an airbag deploys and strikes an occu­
pant who is not in the correct seating posi­
tion . A driver is responsible for the safety of
all vehicle occupants and especially for chil­
dren . Therefore:
... Never permit anyone to assume an incorrect
sitting position in the vehicle while traveling
¢ ,& .
A WARNING
Improperly worn safety belts increase the
risk of serious personal injury and death
whenever a vehicle is being used.
- Always make sure that all vehicle occu­
pants are correctly restrained and stay in
a correct seating posit ion whenever the
vehicle is be ing used.
- Always read and heed all WARNINGS and
other important information
c:>page 173.
Safety belt preten­
sioners
How safety belt pretensioners work
In front, side and rear -end collisions above a
particular severity and in a rollover, safety
belts are tensioned automatically.
The safety belts are equipped with safety belt
pretensioners . The system is activated by sen­
sors in front, side and rear-end collisions of
great severity and in a rollover. This tightens
the belt and takes up be lt sla ck
c:> .& in Service
Safety belts 177
and disposal of safety belt pretensioner on
page 178.
Taking up the slack helps to reduce
forward occupant movement dur ing a colli­
sion.
@ Note
Never let the belt remain over a rear seat­
back that has been fo lded forward.
(D Tips
The safety belt pretensioner can only be
activated once.
- In minor frontal and side collisions, in
rear-end collisions and in accidents in­
volving very little impact force, the safe­
ty belt pretensioner are not activated.
- When the safety belt pretensioners are
activated, a fine dust is re leased. This is
normal and is not caused by a fire in the
vehicle.
- The re levant safety requirements must
be observed when the vehicle or compo­
nents of the system are scrapped. An au­
thorized Audi dealer or qualified work­
shop is familiar w ith these regulations
and w ill be pleased to pass on the infor­
mation to you.
- Be sure to observe all safety, environ­
menta l and other regulations if the veh i­
cle or ind ividual parts of the system, par­
ticularly the safety belt or airbag, are to
be disposed. We recommend you have
your authorized Audi dealer perform this
service for you.
Service and disposal of safety belt
pretensioner
The safety belt pretens ioners are parts of the
safety belts on your Audi. Insta lling, remov­
ing, servic ing or repair ing of belt pretension­
ers can damage the safety belt system and
prevent it from working correctly in a colli­
s ion .
T he re are some important things you have to
know to make sure that the effectiveness of .,. •
•

178 Safety belts
the system will not be impaired and that dis­
carded components do not cause injury or pollute the environment .
.&_ WARNING
Improper care, servicing and repair proce­
dures can increase the risk of personal in­
jury and death by preventing a safety belt
pretensioner from activating when needed
or activating it unexpectedly:
- The belt pretensioner system can be acti­
vated only once . If belt pretensioners
have been activated, the system must be
replaced.
- Never repair, adjust, or change any parts
of the safety belt system.
- Safety belt systems including safety belt
pretensioners cannot be repaired. Spe­
cial procedures are required for removal,
installation and disposal of this system.
- For any work on the safety belt system,
we strongly recommend that you see
your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
technician who has an Audi approved re­
pair manual, training and special equip­
ment necessary.
@) For the sake of the environment
Undeployed airbag modules and preten­
sioners might be classified as Perchlorate
Material -special handling may apply, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/haza rdouswaste/per­
chlorate. When the vehicle or parts of the restraint system including airbag modules
safety belts with pretensioners are scrap­
ped, all applicable laws and regulations
must be observed . Your authorized Audi
dealer is familiar with these requirements
and we recommend that you have your
dealer perform this service for you.

194 Airbag system
-If the vehicle or the circuit interrupter
is scrapped, all applicable safety pre­
cautions must be followed.
@, For the sake of the envi ronment
Undeployed airbag modu les and preten­
sioners might be classified as Perchlorate
Material -special handling may app ly, see
www.dtsc.ca.gov/hazardouswaste/per­ chlorate. When the vehicle or parts of the
restraint system including airbag modules
and safety belts w ith p retens ioners are
scrapped, all applicable laws and regula­
tions must be observed. Your authori zed
Aud i dea ler is familiar wit h these requ ire­
ments and we recommend that you have
your dealer perfo rm this service for you.
Other things that can affect Advanced
Airbag performance
Changing the vehicle's suspension system can
change the way that the Advanced Airbag Sys­
tem pe rforms in a crash. For example, using
tire-r im combinations not app roved by Aud i,
lowe ring the vehicle, ch anging the stiffness of
the suspension, incl uding the springs, s uspen­
sion struts, shock absorbers etc. can change
the forces that are measured by the ai rbag
sensors and sent to the electronic control
un it. Some suspension changes can, for exam­
p le, increase the force levels measured by t he
sensors and make the airbag system deploy in
crashes in wh ich it would not dep loy if the
cha nges had not been made. Other k inds of
cha nges may reduce the force levels meas­
ure d by the sensors and preven t the a irbag
from deploying when it sho uld .
The senso rs in the safety belt buckle fo r th e
d river and front passe nger sea t tell the elec­
tronic control module if the safety belt is
l atched or not. I f the safety belt is being used,
the front airbag will deploy at a slightly high­ er rate of vehicle deceleration than if the safe­
ty belt is not being used. Therefore, in a par­
ticular collision, it is poss ible that an airbag
will not deploy at a seating position where the safety belt is being used but will inflate at the position where t
he safety be lt is not being
used. It is important that nothing interfere
with the safety be lt b uckles so that the sen­
sors can send the correct information about
safety belt use to the electronic control un it.
A WARNING
=
Changi ng the veh icle's suspension includ-
i ng use of unapp roved tire-rim combina­
tions can change Advanced Airbag per­
fo rma nce and increase the r is k of seri ous
personal injury in a cra sh.
- N ever install suspension components
that do no t have the same pe rformance
chara cter istics as the compone nts o rigi­
na lly ins talled on your vehicle .
- Never use tire-rim combinations that
have not been approved by Audi.
A WARNING
= -
It ems stored between the safety be lt
bu ckle and the cente r console can cause
the sensors in the b uckle to send the
wrong information to the e lectronic con­
trol module and prevent the Advanced Air­ bag System from working prope rly.
- Always make sure that nothing can inter­
fere with the safety belt buckles and that they are not obstructed .
Side airbags
Description of side airbags
The airbag system can provide suppl emental
protection to properly restrained occupants.
F ig . 20 0 Side air bag locat ion in th e driver's seat

224 Intellig ent technol ogy
8_ WARNING
Although the ABS is very effective, always
remember that bra king capability is limit­
ed by t ire traction . Always adjust your dr iv­
ing spee d according to the road and t raffic
co nditions. Do no t let t he extra sa fety af­
forded by the ABS tempt you into ta king
extra risks. The ABS cannot overcome the
laws of physics.
@ Tips
- If ABS is not functioning prope rly, a
warning light will come on. See
¢page 18 .
-If a fault occurs in the ABS, the EDL is al­
so not functioning. This is indicated 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 ef­
fective b rak ing power and thus to achieve a
shorter stopp ing distance. If the driver
presses the brake pedal very quickly, the brake
assistant automatica lly boosts the braking
force to the maximum level, up to the point where the anti-lock brake function (ABS) inter­
venes to stop the wheels from locking. You
should then keep the brake pedal pressed un­
til the veh icle has braked to the required
speed . The brake assistant sw itches itself off
as soo n as you re lease the brake pedal.
Automatic full braking a ssist
This funct ion allows full brak ing in spite of
h igh brake pedal forces (e .g . when the brakes
a re severely stressed because the vehicle is
fully loaded) . The driver notices th is function
throug h a reduction of pedal force and in­
creased pedal trave l. When the brake peda l is
r e leased, fu ll braking assis t switc hes off again
automatically.
I f the re is an ABS fa il ur e, the brake ass ista nt
and automatic full b rak ing ass ist are not avai l­
ab le . The brake assistant wi
ll not be operative if
there is a ma lfunction in the ABS .
8_ WARNING
-Please remember that the accident risk a l-
ways increases if you drive too fast, espe­
cially in corners or on a slippery road, or if
you follow the veh icle ahead of you too
closely. Increased r isk of an accident can­
not 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 electron i­
cally adjusts power assistance to provide com­
fortab le and safe steering response exact ly
matched to the vehicle speed .
Power steer ing will not work if the engine is
off . As a result, the steering wheel will be hard
to turn .
The power steering fluid level is checked dur­
ing the scheduled maintenance services .
d) Note
If there is an electronic malfunction, ser­
votronic
will still function like a conven­
tiona l powe r steering system, providing a
constant steering support force that is no
l onger proportionate to the vehicle speed .
This is most not iceable when turning the
stee ring wheel at low speeds (fo r example
when pa rking), - more effort w ill be re­
q uired than us ua l.
- Be aware o f the different than usual
steering response and adjust your steer ­
ing force accordingly.
- Have the problem checked and set r ight
by an Audi dealer as soon as possible .

It takes a long time for the engine to warm up
fu lly when it is running at idle. However , wear
and nox ious em issions are especially high
when the engine is warming up. So you should drive away as soon as you start the engine and
avoid running at high rpms while the engine is
still warming up .
(D Note
Do not leave engine idling unattended af­
ter starting . If warning lights should come
on to indicate improper operation, they
wou ld go unheeded. Extended idling also
p roduces heat, which cou ld resu lt i n over­
heating or other damage to the vehicle or
other property.
Regular maintenance
A badly tuned engine unnecessarily wastes a lot of fuel.
"' Have your vehicle serv iced at regular inter-
vals.
By having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
author ized Audi dealer helps to ensure that it
r uns p roper ly and economically. The condition
of your vehicle not only affects its safety and
ab ility to hold its value, it also affects
fuel
c on sumpt ion .
Ch eck your oil each tim e yo u fill your tank .
The amount of oil used is related to engine
load and speed .
It is normal for the oil consumption of a new
engine to reach its lowest v alue after a certain
mileage has been dr iven .
You must drive your vehicle about 3,000 miles (S,000 ki lometers) before you can properly
assess o il consumption .
This a lso applies to fuel consumption and en­
gin e output.
0 Note
- Have yo ur vehicle maintained properly
and in accordance wit h the service rec­
ommendations in your War ranty
& Main-
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 231
tenance book let. Lack of proper mainte­
nance as well as improper use of the ve ­
hicle will impair the function of the
em ission contro l system and could lead
to damage.
- Do not alter or remove any component of the Emission Control System unless ap­proved by the manufacturer.
- Do not alter or remove any device, such as heat shie lds, switches, ign ition w ires,
valves, which are designed to protect
your vehicle's Emission Control System and other important vehicle compo­
nents.
Fewer short trips
Fuel consumption will always be relatively
high on short trips .
"' Try to avoid driv ing short distances w ith a
cold engine .
The eng ine and cataly tic converter have to
reach their opt imal
op erat ing temperature t o
reduce fuel consumpt ion and nox ious em is­
s ions effect ively .
Just after starting, a co ld eng ine in a mid-s iz e
car only achieves a fuel economy of 6-8 miles
per gallon (30 -40 l/l00km). After about a
half a mile , fuel economy cl imbs to 12 mpg
(20 l/100 km) . After about
2.5 miles (4 km),
the engine is at i ts p rope r opera ting tempe ra­
tu re and f uel economy has reached a normal
l evel. So you can see that yo u should avo id
short trips whenever possible.
T he
out sid e t emperat ure is also cr itica l in th is
regard. Your car consumes more fue l in the
winter than in the summer.
•
•

-Blend must contain not more than 1S%
MTBE.
Seasonally adjusted gasoline
Many gasoline grades are blended to perform
espec ially we ll for winter or summer driving.
During seasonal change-over, we suggest that
you fill up at busy gas stat ions where the sea­
sonal adjustment is more likely to be made in
time .
(D Note
-Methanol fuels which do not meet these
requirements may cause corrosion and
damage to plastic and rubber compo­
nents in the fuel system.
- Do not use fue ls that fail to meet the
specified criter ia in this chapter.
- If you are unable to determine whether
or not a particular fue l blend meets the
specifications, ask your service station or
its fuel supp lier.
- Do not use fuel for which the contents
cannot be identified.
- Fuel system damage and performance
problems resulting from the use of fuels
different from those specified are not
the responsibility of Audi and are not
covered under the New Vehicle or the Emission Control System Warranties.
- If you experience a loss of fuel economy
or driveability and performance prob­ l ems due to the use of one of these fuel
blends, we recommend that you switch
to unblended fuel.
Gasoline additives
Applies to vehicles : wit h gasoli ne e ng in e
A majo r concern among many auto manufac­
ture rs is carbon deposit build-up caused by
the type of gasoline you use.
Although gasoline grades differ from one manufacturer to another , they have certain
things in common. All gasoline g rades contain
substances that can cause deposits to collect
on vital engine parts, such as fuel injectors
and intake valves. Although most gasoline
Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank 251
brands include additives to keep engine and
fuel systems clean, they are not equally effec­
tive .
Audi recommends using TOP TIER Detergent
Gasoline . For more information on TOP TIER
Detergent Gasoline, please go to the official
webs ite (www.toptiergas.com).
After an extended per iod of using inadeq uate
fuels, carbon deposit build-ups can rob your
engine of peak performance.
(D Note
Damage or malf unct ion due to poor fuel
quality is not covered by the Audi New Ve­
hicle Limited Warranty.
Diesel fuel
Applies to veh icles: w ith diesel engine
Always use ULSD (Ultra Low Sulfur Diesel) sul­
fur content 15 ppm or less.
The ULSD (U ltra Low Sulfur Diesel) meets the
ASTM-D-97S (grade 2).
Die sel fuel with a higher concentration than
ULSD-Die sel No. 2 ASTM D975 and Bio-die­
sel with a higher concentration than 5
% like
Bl 1 , B20 or B100 are strictly prohibited.
Service station fue l pumps are labeled with
the correct fuel information for easy recogni­
tion by the user. If the diesel fuel pump is not
labeled ask the station operator what fuel is
being dispensed before filling up your vehicle.
Serv ice stations offering Diesel fuel are gener ­
ally located on truck routes or major high­
ways . Directories of Diesel fuel stations are
usually available at Diese l fuel stations.
Some states in the USA require permits to
purchase Diesel fuel. Check with your State
Motor Vehicle Department .
Diesel fuel may not be available outside the
USA and Canada. Be sure to check before trav-
eling to other countries .
Ill-
•
•

262 Checking and filling
VW 502 00 (vehicles with gasoline engine) or
VW 507 00 (vehicles with diese l engine).
C hanging the engine oil
The engine oil and o il fil te r must be changed
according to the m ileage (ki lomete rs) and
time inte rva ls spe cified in your vehicle 's War­
ra nty
& Main ten ance booklet. Do not ex ceed
these in tervals - harmful depos its from ol d
engine o il can reduce engine performance an d
can lead to expensive engi ne re pairs.
C hanging the o il at th e recommen ded i nte r­
v al s is so very impor tant because t he lub ric at ­
ing p roperties o f oi l decrease gra dually du ring
norma l vehicle use . If you are not sure when
you have yo ur oil changed, ask yo ur aut ho r­
i z ed A udi Service Advisor.
Unde r some ci rc u ms tances the engine o il
should even be change d mo re frequently .
C hange o il more often if you drive mostly
short d istances, ope rate the vehicle in d usty
areas or mostly under stop-and-go traffic con­
d it ions, or when you use your veh icle w he re
tem peratures stay below freez ing poin t fo r
l ong periods .
Detergent addit ives i n the o il w ill make fresh
oil look dark after the eng ine has been run­
ni ng fo r a shor t time . This is no rma l and is not
a reason to change the o il mo re often tha n
r e co m men ded.
Damage or malfunctions due to lack of
maintenance
It is essential that yo u change your oil at the
recommended interva ls using only engine o il
that complies with Audi oi l standard
VW 502 00 (vehicles wi th gasoli ne e ngine) or
VW 507 00 (ve hicles with diese l engi ne) . Yo ur
Li m ite d N ew Vehicle Warranty does no t cove r
d am age or m alfu ncti ons due to f ailure to fol­
l ow recommended main tenance and use re­
q uir ements as set forth in the A udi Owne r's
M anual a nd Warra nty
& M aintenance book let.
Your dea ler will have to deny war ranty cover­
age un less yo u present to the dea le r proof in
the f orm of Service or Repa ir Orders that a ll scheduled mai
ntenance was perfo rme d in a
t imely man ne r.
Engine oil consumption
To prov ide effective l ubr ication and cooling for
i nter na l eng ine parts, a ll interna l combustion
engi nes use some o il. Oil consumption va ries
from eng ine to engi ne and may cha nge over
t h e life of the engine. Engines tend to use
more o il du ring t he b reak-in pe riod tha n they
do afterwa rd, w hen oil c onsum ption ha s sta­
b ilized. Dependi ng on the w ay the vehicle is
driven and the operati ng conditions, oil con ­
s u mption can be up to 1 q uart per 1, 200
miles (1 liter per 2,000 km) . Consumption
may be higher within the first 3,000 m iles
(5,000 km) .
Un der normal con ditions , the rate o f oi l con­
s u mption depen ds on o il quality as well as vis ­
cosity, engine spee d (rpm), outs ide tempera­
ture, road conditions, the amount of oil dil u­
t io n caused by condensed water or fue l resi ­
du e, and ox ida tion of the o il. Oil co nsu mp tion
may incr eas e with eng ine w ear ov er time, un ­
t il repl acemen t of w orn en gine p arts may be­
co me ne ce ssar y.
B eca use of all thes e var iables , there is no
sta nda rd o r "n orma l" ra te of o il cons umption .
We urge you to check the engine oil level at
regular intervals, preferably every time you
fill the fuel tank, and always before a long
trip.
The oil pressure warning light. i s not an
indicator of low engine oil level. If the warn ­
ing light does not go out after starting, or
flashes while driving (above 1500 rpm), a
buzzer will sound. It indicates that the oil
pressure is too low . Stop the engine immedi·
ately, check the engine oil level and add oil if
necessary. If the engine oil level is normal,
but the light continues to flash, do not keep
driving or let the engine idle, as damage may
occur .
II-

a reason to change the oil more often than recommended.
A WARNING
Stop! Before working in the engine com­
partme nt, always read and heed all WARN­
INGS
q & in Working in the engine com­
partment on page 258.
The engine com­
partme nt of any motor veh icle is a poten­
tially dangerous a rea and can cause ser i­
ous pe rsonal injury.
A WARNING
If you must change t he engine o il i n your
vehicle:
- Always wea r eye p rotection.
- To reduce the r isk of burns from hot en-
gine oil let the engine cool down to the
t ouch.
- When removing the oil drain plug with
yo ur finge rs, stay as far away as possible.
Always kee p your forea rm pa ra llel to the
ground to he lp prevent ho t oi l from r un­
ning down your arm.
- Drain the o il into a co nt ainer designed
f or this p urpose, one large enough to
hold at least the total amount of oil in
yo ur engine .
- T o reduce the r is k of po ison ing, never use
empty food or beverage containers that
might mis lead someone into dr inking
from them.
- Engine oil is poisono us. Keep it well out
of the reach of chi ldren.
- Cont in u ous contact with used engi ne oil
is harmful to your skin. Always protect
yo ur sk in by washing tho ro ughly with
soap and water.
(D Note
Never mix oi l ad dit ives with your engine
oil. These additives can damage your en ­
gine and adverse ly affect your Audi Limit­
ed New Vehicle Warranty.
-
Checkin g and fillin g 265
@) For the sake of the environment
-Before changing the oil, first make sure
you know where you can prope rly dispose
of the old o il.
- Always dispose of used oil p ro perly. Nev­
er dump it on garden soil, in wooded
areas, into streams or down sewage
dra ins.
- Recycle used o il by tak ing it to a used en ­
gine oil collection facility in your area, or
contact a service station.
- We strongly recommend that yo u have
your oil cha nged by an authorized Audi
dealer or a qualified wo rkshop with the
special tools a nd expert ise required, and
proper m eans of disposa l.
Engine cooling system
Coolant
The engine coolant performs two functions: it
keeps the engine from overheating and it pro­ tects the engine from freezing in the winter.
T he cooling sys tem is sealed and genera lly re­
quires little attention.
T he cooli ng system has bee n filled a t the fac­
t ory with a permanent coolant which does not
need to be c hanged . The coo lant cons ists of a
mixture of water and the manufacturer's gly ­
col-based coo lant additive G l3 antifreeze
with anticorrosion additives (50% for USA
models; 60% for Canadian mode ls). This m ix­
ture both assures the necessary frost protec­
tion and protects meta l compone nts in t he
engine's cool ing system from corros io n and
sca ling.
It also raises the boiling point of the
c oolant.
Do not reduce the concentration of the cool ­
ant in the s ummer by adding p lai n water .
The
proportion of coolant additive must be at
lea st 50 % but not more than 60 %
to main ­
tai n antifree ze pro te ct io n a nd coo ling eff icien­
cy .
If the coo lant fros t protection is too low,
the coo lant co uld freeze and damage the vehi-
cle heating and engine cooling system. .,..
•
•

pressure label lists the recommended cold
tire i nflatio n pressures for the vehicle at its
maximum capacity we ight a nd the tires that
were on your vehicle at the time it was man ­
ufactured . For recommended t ire pressures
for normal load condit ions, please see chap ­
ter ~
page 2 78 .
-Turn the valve stem cap counter-clockwise
to remove it from the tire valve .
- Place the air pressure gauge on the valve.
- The tire pressures should only be checked
and adjusted when the tires are cold . The
s light ly raised pressures of warm tires must
not be reduced .
- Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying.
- Re insta ll the va lve stem cap on the valve .
When should I check the tire pressure ?
The correct tire pressure is especially impor ­
tant at high speeds . The pressure sho uld
therefo re be checked at least once a month
and a lways before start ing a journey. Do not
forget to check the tire pressure for the spare
wheel.
When should I adju st the tire pre ssures?
Ad just the tire pressure to the load you are
carrying. After changing a wheel
or replacing
wheels you have to adjust the tire pressures
on all wheels. In addition, you must then
store the new tire pressures i n the t ire pres­
sure mon itor ing system
~ page 294.
A WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/or unde rinfla­
tion ca n lead sudden tire failure, loss of
cont ro l, col lision, ser ious persona l inju ry
or even death.
- Whe n the wa rning symbo l
RI] appears in
the instrument cl uster, s top an d inspect
the tires.
- Incorre ct tire pressure and/or unde rinfla­
t ion can cause inc reased t ire wear and
can affect the handling o f the veh icle and
stopp ing ability.
- Incorrect tire pressures and/or underin­
flation can also lead to sud den tire fa il-
Tires an d wheel s 281
ure, including a blowout and sudden de­
flation, ca using loss of veh icle contro l.
- The driver is responsib le for the correct
tire pressures for all tires on the veh icle.
The applicable pressure values are locat­
ed on a sticker o n the dr iver's s ide B-pil­
lar .
- Onl y when all tires on the vehicle are fil­
led to the correct pressure, the t ire pres­
sure mon itor ing system can work cor­
rectly .
- The use of incorrect tire pressure va lues
can lead to acc idents or other damage .
Therefore it is ess ential that th e drive r
observe t he spec ified t ire p ress ure val ues
for the tires and the cor rect pressures for
the func tion of the t i re p ress ure moni to r­
ing system.
- Always in flate tires to the recommen ded
a nd correct t ire p ress ure be fore dr iv ing
off .
- D riving with unde rinf lated tires bend
mo re, letting them get too hot resulting
in tread separation, s udden tire failure
and loss of control.
- Excessive speed and/overloading can
cause heat b uild- up, sudden tire failure
and loss of control.
- If the tire pressure is too low or too high,
the t ires will wear prematurely and the
veh icle w ill not handle well.
- If the tire is not flat and you do not have
to change a wheel immediately, d rive at
red uced speed to the nearest service sta­
tion to check the t ire press ure and add
air as requ ired .
(D Note
Driving w ithout valve stem caps can cause
damage to the tire valves. To prevent this,
a lways make sure that factory installed
valve s tem caps o n all whee ls are sec urely
mounted o n the valve .
@ For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will also increase the
fuel consumpt ion.
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