oil temperature AUDI Q7 2013 Owner´s Manual

Instrument s and warning /indicator lights 11
too high, or the coolant level is too low
¢ page 32.
If the needle is well in the upper area of the
ga uge , the coolant temperature is too high.
Stop the vehicle , switch the eng ine off and
allow the engine to cool.
If the warning light
comes on again after driving a short distance,
contact an authorized dealer.
A WARNING
-Always observe the warning in
¢ page 255, Engine compartment, be ­
fore opening the hood and checking the
engine coolant level.
- Never open the engine hood if you see or
hear steam, or if you see engine coolant
dripping from the engine compartment.
You could burn yo urself. Let the engine
cool off first un til you can no longer see
or hear steam or coo lant escaping .
(D Note
- Mounting additional lights or accessories
i n front of the air inlets reduces the cool­
in g effect of the rad iato r. At high outside
temperatures or high engine load, the
engine could overheat.
- The front spoi ler has been designed to
properly distribute the cooling air when
the vehicle is moving. If the spoiler is
damaged, this cou ld red uce the cooling
effect and the engine could then over­
heat. Ask your authorized Aud i dealer for
assistance .
Tachometer (engine rev counter)
The tachometer indicates the engine RPM
(revolutions per minutes) .
The tachometer @¢ page 10, fig. 3 is the left
of the two large clock-type displays.
The engine turns at a speed
1,000 times the
single digit in the display, e.g . if the needle is
pointing at the "2" the engine is turning at
2,000 RPM. If
eng ine RPM drops below 1,500, you should
downshift to the next lower gear. The red area
at the end of the scale indicates maximum
permissible engine RPM after the break -in pe­
riod. Before reaching this area, move these­
lector lever to position "D (Drive)" or ease
your foot off the accelerator pedal.
Q) Note
The tachometer needle should not move
i nto the red range. If it does, then only for
a very short per iod of t i me. You could
damage your engine by driving at high
RPM .
@ For the sake of the environment
Upsh ifting early saves fuel and reduces en­
gine noise .
Digital clock with date display
Fig. 4 In st rum en t cluster : time and date
The date, time of day, and time and date for­
mat can be set in the MMI. You can learn more
about this in the MMI manual.
{!) Tips
- When open the driver door, the time,
date and odometer are displayed for an
add itional 30 seconds.
- You can also call up the display with the
!CHECK I button c:> page 12 while the ig­
nition is sw itched off.

106 On the road
Starting and stopping
the engine
Starting the engine
The engine can only be started with your orig­
inal Audi key.
Fig. 120 I gni tion key positio ns
Vehicles with gasoline engine:
.. Step on the brake .
.. Move the selector lever into P or N
¢ A.
.. Tu rn the ignition key to position @
9 fig. 120 -do not depress the gas pedal
when starting the engine.
Vehicles with diesel engine:
.. Step on the brake.
.. Move the selector lever into P or N
¢ &.
.. Turn the ignition key to position ©- the
glow plug indicator light
m illuminates
when the glow plug system is act ive .
.,. When the indicator light
I.I switches off,
turn the ignition key to pos it ion @ but do
not press the accelerator pedal.
.. Re lease the ignition key once the engine
sta rts. The starter must not continue run­
ning.
A cold engine may sound loud after it has
been started . This is due to the hydraulic
va lves building up oil pressure. This is normal
and is not a need for concern.
If the engine does not start immediately, stop
trying after 10 seconds and then try to restart
the engine about 30 seconds Later.
Glow plug system*
Diesel engines are equipped with a glow plug
system whose preheating t ime is controlled by the coo
lant and outs ide temperature . Start
the engine
immediately after the glow plug
indicator light
m sw itches off.
The glow plug indicator light will only illumi­
nate for approximate ly 1 second when the en­
gine is warm or the outside temperature is
higher than 46 °F (8 °C). That means you can
start the engine
immediately .
A WARNING
-Never start or let the engine run in a con-
fined or enclosed area. Exhaust fumes
from the engine contain carbon monoxide,
a colorless and odorless gas . Carbon mon­
oxide can be fatal if inhaled.
- Never leave the engine idling unattend­
ed. An unattended veh icle w ith a runn ing
engine poses a danger of personal injury
or theft .
(D Note
- Avo id high engine speeds, fast accelera­
tion or heavy engine loads while the en­ gine is still cold. This could damage the
eng ine .
- Th e engine cannot be started by pushing
or towing the vehicle .
@ For the sake of the environment
To avoid unnecessary engine wear and to
reduce exhaust emissions, do not let your
vehicle stand and warm up. Be ready to
drive
off immediately after starting your
vehicle. Maintain moderate speed until the
engine is completely warm . Remember,
the engine performs best at operating
temperature.
· Stopping the engine
.,. Turn the ignition key to position @
¢page 106, fig . 120 .
A WARNING
-
-Never turn off the engine until the vehi-
cle has come to a complete stop.

-The brake booster and servotronic only
work when the engine is running. With
the ignition turned off, you have to apply
more force when steering or braking .
S ince you cannot steer and stop normal­
ly, this can lead to accidents and ser ious
injuries.
- The rad iator fan can continue to run for
up to 10 min utes even after you have
turned off the engine and removed the ign ition key. The radiator fan can also
turn on again if the engine coolant heats
up because of intense sunlight or heat
build -up in the engine compartment.
«I) Note
Do not stop the engine immed iate ly after
hard or extended dr iving. Keep the engine
running for approximately two minutes to
prevent excessive heat build-up .
Starting and stopping
the engine with
Convenience key
Starting the engine with the~
button
App lies to vehicles: with Convenie nce key
This bu tton swi tches on the ign ition and
starts the engine .
Fig. 121 Co nvenie nce k ey: ENG INE START b utton
The I S TAR T! button is provided w ith two -sta ge
o p era tion
¢ fig. 121.
Switching the ignition on
.. Press the !START I button once to the fir st
stage to switch on only the ign ition .
On th e road 107
Gasoline eng in e: St arting th e engine
.. Step on the brake.
.. Move the se lector lever to the P or N posi ­
tion ¢,&. .
.. Press the
r::1s=Tc:- A=RT =I button to th e seco nd
stage to start the engine .
Diesel en gine : Starting the engine
.. Step on the brake.
.. Mov e the selector lever to the P or N posi­
tion ¢,&. .
.. Press the
r::1s=TAc:-=R T=I button down to the fi rst
level to begin the preheating process . The
glow plug indica tor light
II illumina tes
when t he glow plug system is active .
.. When the indicator light
II switches off,
press the
I ST ART ! button down to the se c­
ond
level to star t the eng ine .
After a cold engine is started, there may be a br ief period of increased no ise because oil
pressure must first build up in the hydraulic
valve adjuste rs. This is norma l and not a cause
for concern .
If the engine does not start immediately, stop
trying after 10 seconds and then try to restart
the engine abou t 30 seconds later .
Glow plug system *
Di ese l engine s
are equ ipped with a glow plug
system whose preheating time is controlled
by the coolant and outs ide temperature . Start
the engine
immediately afte r the glow plug
indicator light
II sw itches off .
The glow plug indicator light will only illumi ­
nate fo r approximate ly 1 second when the en­
gine is warm or the outs ide temperature is
highe r than 46 °F (8 °C) . That means yo u can
start the eng ine
immediately .
WARNING
Never allow the engine to run in confined
spaces -danger of asphyxiation .
(D Note
-Avo id h igh engine rpm, full thrott le and
heavy engine loads until the eng ine has

Catalytic converter
Applies to vehicles: with gasoline engine
It is very important that your emission con­trol system (catalytic converter) is function­
ing properly to ensure that your vehicle is run­
ning in an environmentally sound manner .
... Always use lead-free gasoline¢ page 256,
Gasoline .
... Never run the tank down all the way to
empty .
... Never put too much motor oil in your en-
gine
¢ page 270, Adding engine oil~-
.,. Never try to push- or tow-start your veh icle.
The catalytic converter is an eff icient "clean­
up" device built into the exhaust system of
the vehicle. The catalytic converter burns
many of the poll utants in the exhaust gas be ­
fore they are released into the atmosphe re.
The exclusive use of unleaded fuel is cr it ically
i mportant for the life of the cata lytic convert­
e r and proper fu nctioning of the engine.
A WARNING ,~
- Do not park or operate the veh icle in
areas where the hot exhaust system may
come in contact with dry grass, brush,
fuel spill or other material which can
cause a fire.
- Do not apply additional undercoating or
rustproofing on or near the exhaust
man ifold, exhaust p ipes, catalytic con­
verter or heat shie lds . During driving, the
substance used for undercoating could
overheat and cause a fire.
{[) Note
-Be aware that just one tank fi lling with
le aded fuel will already seriously de­
grade the performance of the catalytic
conve rter .
- Do not exceed the correct engine oil level
¢ page 270.
-Do not drive until the fuel tank becomes
completely empty. The eng ine could mis­
fire . U nburned fuel could a lso get into
Dri vin g and en vironm ent 235
the exhaust system and this cou ld cause
the catalytic converter to overheat .
- Do not turn off the igni tion while the ve ­
hicle is moving.
- Do not con tinue to ope rate your veh icle
unde r these conditions, as othe rwise fuel
can reach the catalytic converter. This
co uld result in overheating o f the con­
verter, requir ing its replacement.
- To assure efficient operation of the Emis ­
sion Control System:
- H ave your vehicle maintained prope rly
and in accordance w ith the se rv ice rec­
ommendat ions in you r Warranty &
M aintenance boo klet.
- L ack of prope r maintenance as we ll as
improper use of the vehi cle w il l impair
the function of the em ission contro l
system and could lead to damage .
@ For the sake of the environment
Even when the Emiss ion Control System is
operat ing properly, the exha ust gas can
have a sul fur -li ke exhaust gas smell under
some operating states . This depends on
the sulfur content of the fuel being used .
Using a different brand of fue l may help,
or f illing the tank with lead-free super
grade gasoline .
Diesel particulate filter
Applies to vehicles : with diese l eng ine
The diesel part iculate filter filters nearly all of
the soot particles out of the exhaust . The fil­
ter cleans itself automat ica lly under normal
driv ing cond itions . If the filter ca nnot clean it­
self (for example, because you a re o nly dr iving
short distances), the fi lter becomes clogged
with soot and the
II symbo l for the diesel
particu late filter ill uminates ¢
page 3 7.
A WARNING
- Do not park your vehicle over flammab le
materia ls such as grass or leaves because
the high temperature of the diesel par-
ticulate f ilter could start a fire. ..,. •
•

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 sumption.
Ch eck your oil each time you 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 (5,000 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 237
tenance book let. Lack of p roper 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 impo rtant 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
operat 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 mi les
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),
t he 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 emperature is also cr itica l in th is
regard. Your car consumes more fue l in the
winter than in the s ummer.
•
•

258 Fuel supply and filling your fuel tank
Winter operation
At temperatures below 20° F (-7° C), Diesel
fuel No.
2 loses its fluidity due to wax separa­
tion, which may clog the fuel filter or tank fil­
ter and keep the engine from running .
To help the filter from being clogged by wax,
the fue l filter in your vehicle is automatically
preheated. Preheating the fuel filter makes
operation of your vehicle possible with Diesel
fuel No. 2 down to -10° F (-24° C).
If you expect temperatures below
5° F
(-15° C)
ask your fuel dealer whether their
Diese l fuel No.
2 is sufficiently winterized for
the prevailing and expected temperatures.
If not winterized or insufficiently winterized
Diesel fuel has already thickened to the extent
that the engine will not start, warm the vehi­
cle up by leaving it in a heated garage.
It is normal that the engine noise leve l (die­
seling) is louder during the warm-up period in
winter. It is also norma l when whitish-blue
smoke comes out of the tailpipe after starting
and during warm-up . The amount of smoke
depends on the outs ide temperature.
Do not let your Diese l engine idle unnecessari ­
ly after a cold start. Driving off slowly will
shorten the warm-up period.
A WARNING
- Never use "starting assist fluids." They
may be potent ially explosive or cause a
"run-away" engine condition. This could
result in ser ious engine damage and per­
sonal injur y.
- Never use fuel line anti-freeze offered for
gasoline engines.
(D Note
- Your Diesel engine has been specifically designed to operate only on Ultra Low
Sulfur Diesel fuel. Therefore, never use
home heating oil or regular gasoline. The
properties of these fuels may cause seri­
ous damage to the fuel injection system
and to the engine. Using these fuels can
-
cause expensive engine repairs and will
also adversely affect your New Vehicle
Limited Warranty.
- If Diesel fuel sho uld get on any rubber
hose, it must be wiped off immediately.
Then wash the contaminated hose por­
tion with soap and warm water. Do not allow D iesel fuel to remain on connect­
ing hoses . They may develop leaks and
cause serious damage.
Fuel tank
Fuel filler neck
The fuel filler neck is located on the right rear
side panel behind the fuel filler flap.
If the power locking system shou ld fail, you
can still open the flap manua lly -for detailed
instructions see ¢
page 261.
You can find the fuel tank capacity of your ve­
hicle in
Technical Data ¢page 322 .
The label on the inside of the fuel filler flap
te lls you the correct fuel for your vehicle. For
more information about fuel specifications,
see ¢
page 256.
Your vehicle fuel tank has an on-board refuel­
ling vapo r recovery system. This feature helps
to prevent fue l vapors from escaping from the
tank and polluting the environment while you refuel your vehicle. In order to fi ll the tank
proper ly while protecting the environment,
please fo llow this refueling procedure careful­
ly.
A WARNING
-Under normal operating conditions, never
carry addit ional fuel conta iners in your car .
Gas canisters and other conta iners used to
transport fuel can be dangerous. Such con­
tainers, full or empty, may leak and could
cause a fire in a collision.
If you must
transport fuel to use for your lawn mower,
snow blower, etc., be very careful and al ­
ways observe loca l and state laws regard­
ing the use, transportation and storage of
such fuel containers. Make certain the ..,.

-Apply the parking brake.
- Move selector lever to "P" (Park).
- Always let the engine cool down. Hot
components will burn skin on contact.
- To reduce the risk of being burned, never
open the hood if you see or hear steam
or coolant escaping from the engine
compartment. Wa it until no steam or
coolant can be seen or heard before care­
fully opening the hood.
- Keep children away from the engine com­
partment .
- Never spill fluids on hot engine compo­
nents. They can cause a fire.
- Never touch the radiator fan. The auxili­
ary electric fan is temperature controlled
and can switch on suddenly.
- Never open the coolant reservoir cap
when the engine is still warm. The cool­
ant system is pressurized and hot cool­
ant could spray out .
- Protect your face, hands and arm from
steam or hot engine coolant by placing a
thick rag over the cap when you open the
coolant reservoir .
- Do not remove the engine cover under
any circumstances . This increases the
risk of burns.
- If work on the fuel system or the electri­
cal system is necessary:
- Always disconnect the battery .
- Never smoke or work near heaters or
open flames. Fluids in the engine com­
partment could start a fire.
- Keep an approved fire extinguisher im­
mediately available.
- To avoid electrical shock and personal in­
jury while the engine is running or being
started, never touch:
- Ignition cables
- Other components of the high voltage
electronic ignition system.
- If you must perform a check or repair
with the engine running:
Checking and filling 265
- First, fully apply the parking brake,
move selector lever to "P" (Park) .
- Always use extreme caution to prevent
clothing, jewelry, or long hair from get­
ting caught in the radiator fan, V-belts
or other moving parts, or from contact­
ing hot parts . Tie back hair before
starting, and do not wear clothing that
will hang or droop into the engine.
- Minimize exposure to emission and
chemical hazards~&. .
A WARNING
California Proposition 65 Warning:
- Engine exhaust, some of its constituents,
and certain vehicle components contain
or emit chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and birth de­
fects and reproductive harm. In addition,
certain fluids contained in vehicles and
certain products of component wear con­
tain or emit chemicals known to the State of California to cause cancer and
birth defects or other reproductive harm.
- Battery posts, terminals and related ac­
cessories contain lead and lead com­
pounds, chemicals known to the State of
California to cause cancer and reproduc­
tive harms. Wash hands after handling.
Q) Note
When adding fluids, always make sure that
they are poured into the proper container
or filler opening, otherwise serious dam­
age to vehicle systems will occur .
@ For the sake of the environment
To detect leaks in time, inspect the vehicle
floor pan from underneath regularly . If
you see spots from oil or other vehicle flu­ ids, have your vehicle inspected by an au­
thorized Audi dealer. •
•

268 Checking and filling
VW 502 00 (vehicles with gasoline engine) or
VW 507 00 (vehicles with diesel engine).
Changing the engine oil
The engine oil and oil filter must be changed
according to the m ileage (ki lometers) and
time intervals specified in your vehicle 's War­
ranty
& Maintenance booklet. Do not exceed
these intervals -harmful deposits from old
engine oil can reduce engine performance and
can lead to expensive engine repairs.
Changing the oil at the recommended inter­
va ls is so very important because the lubricat ­
ing properties o f oi l decrease gradually during
normal vehicle use. If you are not sure when
you have your o il changed, ask your author­
i z ed Audi Service Advisor.
Under some ci rcumstances the engine oi l
should even be changed more frequently .
Change oi l more often if you drive mostly
short distances, operate the vehicle in dusty
areas or mostly under stop-and-go traffic con­
d itions, or when you use your vehicle w here
temperatures stay below freez ing point for
l ong periods .
Detergent additives in the o il w ill make fresh
oil look dark after the engine has been run­
ni ng for a short time . This is normal and is not
a reason to change the oil more often than
recommended.
Damage or malfunctions due to lack of
maintenance
It is essential that you change your oil at the recommended intervals using only engine oil
that complies with Audi oi l standard
VW 502 00 (vehicles with gasoli ne engine) or
VW 507 00 (veh icles with diese l engine) . Your
Limited New Vehicle Warranty does not cover
damage or malf unctio ns due to failure to fol­
lo w recommended maintenance and use re­
quirements as set forth in the A udi Owner's
Manual and Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
Your dea ler will have to deny warranty cover­
age unless you present to the dealer proof in
the form of Service or Repa ir Orders that all scheduled maintenance was
performed in a
timely manner.
Engine oil consumption
To provide effective lubrication and cooling for
internal engine parts, all internal combustion
engines use some o il. Oil consumption varies
from engine to engine and may change over
the life of the engine. Engines tend to use
more o il during the break-in period tha n they
do afterward, when oil consumption has sta­
bilized. Depending on the way the vehicle is
driven and the operating conditions, oil con­
s u mption can be up to 1 quart per 1,200
miles (1 liter per 2,000 km) . Consumption
may be higher within the first 3,000 m iles
(5,000 km) .
Under normal conditions, the rate of oil con­
sumption depends on oil quality as well as vis­
cosity, engine speed (rpm), outs ide tempera­
ture, road conditions, the amount of oil dilu­
t ion caused by condensed water or fue l resi­
due, and ox idat ion of the oil. Oil co nsumption
may increase with engine wear over time, un­
t il replacement of worn engine pa rts may be­
come necessary.
Because of all these variables, there is no
standard or "norma l" rate of oil consumption .
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. is 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-

2 70 Ch eck ing and filling
per 2,000 km). Consumption may be higher
within the first 3,000 mi les (5,000 km).
Adding engine oil "1:::7':
0 N ;:;
"' "' a:>
F ig . 2 46 Eng ine com part men t: cove r on the eng ine o il
filler neck
Before you check anything in the engine com­
partment,
al way s read and h eed all W ARN ­
ING S
¢.&. in Working in the engine compart­
ment on page 264 .
.. Unscrew the cap 't::r. to the engine oil fill ing
hole¢
fig. 246, ¢ page 266, fig . 243.
.. Carefully top off with the appropriate o il in
0 .5 liter doses .
.. Check the oil level aga in after two minutes
¢ page 269.
.. Top off the oil again, if necessary.
.. Screw the cap back on the filling hole and
s li de the oil dipstick in as far as it will go.
& WARNING
Stop! Before working in the engine com­
partment, always read and heed a ll WARN­
INGS
¢ .& in Working in the engine com­
partment on page 264 .
The engine com­
partment of any motor ve hicle is a poten­
tially dangerous a rea and can cause ser i­
ous personal injury.
& WARNING
Spilled o il is a fi re hazard.
- The oil fille r cap must be prope rly se­
cured to prevent oil from being sprayed
on the hot engine and exhaust system
w hen the eng ine is r unning.
-
(D Note
- The oil leve l m ust not be above range 0
- danger of converter or engine damage !
Contact an authorized dealership to draw
off oil, if necessary.
- Audi does not recommend the use of oil
additives. They ma y damage the engine
and adversely aff ect your New Vehicle
Warranty .
~ For the sake of the environment
-Under no circumstances can the oil come
in contact with the sewage network or
the so il.
- Observe and follow legal regulations
when dispos ing of empty oil containers.
Changing the engine oil
Engine oil must be changed at intervals listed
in the Warranty
& Maintenance booklet.
The engine oi l and oil fi lter m ust be changed
accord ing to the mileage and time intervals
specified in your vehicle's Warranty
& Mainte­
nance booklet . Do not exceed these intervals -
harmful s ludge and deposits from old engine
o il can reduce engi ne pe rformance and can
lead to expens ive engine repa irs.
Chang ing oi l at regular intervals is so very im­
po rtant because t he lubricat ing propert ies of
o il decrease gradually du ring normal vehicle
use.
If you are not sure when to have the oi l
changed, ask your a uthorized Audi Servi ce Ad­
visor .
U nder some c ircumstances the engine oil
sho uld even be changed more often than
specified for normal use. Change o il more of ­
ten if you often dr ive short distances, ope rate
the ve hicle in dusty a reas or mostly under
stop-and-go t raff ic conditions, or when you
u se your vehicle where temperatures stay be­
low free zing point for long periods.
Detergent additives in the oil will make fresh
oi l look dark after the engine has been run-
ning for a short time . T hi s is normal and is not
IJ,,

A WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead to loss of con­
trol, a crash and serious personal injury!
- Never drive a vehicle when the tread on
any tire is worn down to the wear indica­
tors.
- 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 t ires.
- Tires age even if they are not be ing used
and can fail suddenly, especially at high
speeds . Tir es 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 histo ­
ry ." Old used tires may have been dam­
aged even though the damage cannot be
seen that can lead to sudden tire failure
and loss of vehicle control. Tires and wheels 291
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels have to be broken in
.
Fig. 255 Tir e specificat ion codes on t he s idewall o f a
tire
No. Description
CD Passenger car tire (where applicable)
@ Nominal width of tire in millimeters
® Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
© Radial
® Rim diameter code
® Load index and speed rat ing
(f) U.S. DOT tire identification number
® Audi Original tire
® Sever snow conditions
@ Tire ply composition and materials
used
@ Maximum load rating
@ Treadwear, traction and temperature
grades
@ Maximum permissible inflation pres-
sure
The tires and rims are essential parts of the
vehicle's design . The ti res and rims approved
by Audi are spec ially matched to the charac­
teristics of the vehicle and can make a major .,.
•