AUDI Q7 2015 Owner´s Manual

Tires and wheels 2 79
Tire pressure generally refers to tant things you can do to help •
the amount of air in a tire that avoid sudden tire failure. Un-• '
it needs it to do its job and derinflated tires are a major
safely carry the combined load cause of sudden tire failure. of the entire vehicle and its con- Keeping tires at the right pres-
tents. Tire pressure is measured sure is also important for safe
in kilopascals (kPa), the inter- and responsive vehicle han-
national measuring unit and in dling, traction, braking and
pounds per square inch (PSI). load carrying.
Tire pressures
Tire pressure is based in part on are particularly important
the vehicle's design and load when the vehicle is being driv-
limit - the greatest amount of en at higher speeds, and then
weight that the vehicle can car-especially when heavily loaded
ry safely and the tire size. The even within the permissible
proper tire pressure is frequent-load-carrying capacities ap-
ly referred to as the "recom-proved for your vehicle.
mended cold tire inflation pres-The recommended tire pres-
sure." Air in the tires expands sures for your Audi depend on
when the tire heats up because the kind of tires on your vehicle
of internal friction when it flex- and the number of passengers
es in use. The tire pressure is and/or amount of luggage you
higher when the tire has will be transporting.
warmed up than when it is The tire pressure label is locat-
"cold." It is the inflation pres-
ed on the driver's side B-pillar.
sure in a "cold" tire that counts.
Therefore, you should never let The tire pressure label lists the
recommended cold tire infla-
air out of a warm tire to match
"cold tire inflation pressure" tion pressures for the vehicle at
its maximum capacity weight
recommendations. The tires
would then be underinflated and tires that were on your ve-
and could fail suddenly. hicle at the time it was manu-
factured.
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Maintaining proper tire pres-...J
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sure is one of the most impor-1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,

280 Tires and wheels
If you wish to improve comfort See the illustration ¢ fig. 250
when operating the vehicle at for the location of the label on
normal load (up to 3 occu-driver's side B-pillar (color of
pants), you can adjust tire the actual label and exact loca-
pressures to those specified tion on the vehicle will vary
for normal vehicle load. Before slightly).
operating the vehicle at maxi-Note that the following table is
mum load, you must increase accurate at the time of going to
the tire pressures to those press and is subject to change .
specified for maximum vehicle In the event of discrepancies,
load¢&. the tire pressure label located
Bear in mind that the tire pres- on the driver's side B-pillar al-
sure monitoring system can on- ways takes precedence.
ly monitor the tire pressures
The table below lists the rec-
you have stored . The system
ommended cold tire inflation
does not recognize the load
pressures for the Audi model
condition of your vehicle. covered by your Owner's Litera-
The effectiveness of the tire ture at the vehicle's capacity
pressure monitoring system weight and the tire sizes instal-
will be impaired if you store led on the respective models as
normal load pressures but then original equipment, or as a fac-
operate the vehicle at its maxi-tory option.
...
mum load¢&.

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Tires and wheels 281
Model/ Tire designation Tire pressure
Engine normal load condition full load condition
front rear front rear
PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI kPA PSI
kPA
255/55 R18 109H XL
All Season
35 240
35 240 44
300 49 340
265/50 Rl9 llOH XL
All Season
35 240
35 240 44
300 49 340
Q7:
3.0 liter 275/45 R20 110H XL
All Season
35 240
35 240
44 300 49 340
6-cylinder
275/4S R20 llOY XL
High Performance
35 240 35 240 44 300 49 340
295/35 R21 107V XL 36 250 35 240
44
300 49 340
High Performance
XL~ reinforced or extra load tire. It may also appear as xl, EXTRA LOAD, or RF on the tire side-
wa .
The correct tire pressure for the
spare wheel is located on a la­
bel on the driver's side B-pillar.
Because technical changes may
be made to vehicle equipment
during the model year, always
compare the tire size designa­
tion on the tire pressure label on your vehicle with the tires on
your vehicle. Make sure that the tire size information on the ve­
hicle label is the same as the
size of the tires on the vehicle.
This is especially important if
the vehicle belongs to someone
else or you bought the vehicle
with different rims/tires or you
bought the vehicle as a previ­
ously owned vehicle. Remember, your safety and
that of your passengers also de­ pends on making sure that load
limits are not exceeded. Vehicle
load includes everybody and ev­
erything in and on the vehicle.
These load limits are technical- ly referred to as the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR"). The Gross Axle
Weight Rating ("GAWR") is the maximum load that can be ap­
plied at each of the vehicle's
two axles. The Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating and the Gross
Axle Weight Rating are listed on the safety compliance stick-
er label located on the driver's
side B-pillar. The tire pressure label on your Audi lists the
maximum combined weight of ""
•
•
'

282 Tires and wheels
all of the occupants and lug­
gage or other cargo that the ve­
hicle can carry. For the location
of the tire pressure label
¢fig. 250.
A WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can
cause loss of vehicle control,
a crash or other accident, se­
rious personal injury, and
even death.
-Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed
to carry will prevent the ve­
hicle from handling properly
and increase the risk of a loss of vehicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may
not be able to stop the vehi­
cle within a safe distance.
-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 Gross Vehicle Weight Rat­
ing.
A WARNING -
-Incorrect tire pressures
and/or underinflation can
lead to a ser ious or fatal ac­
cident .
-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 fail­
ure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation, caus­ ing loss of vehicle control.
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the
tires originally installed on
your vehicle is listed on the tire
pressure label located on driv­
er's side 8-pillar.
The recommended tire pres­
sures are on the tire pressure
label and in the table
c;, page 2 78, Cold tire inflation
pressure.This
means that the
pressure must be checked and
adjusted when the tire has not .,.

Tires and wheels 283
been driven for more than a It is usually not possible to see •
couple of miles (kilometers) at whether the radial tires used • '
low speeds during the previous today are underinflated just by
three hours . Air in the tires ex- looking at them.
pands when the tire heats up as Therefore, be sure to check tire
a result of internal friction as it pressures at least once a month
flexes in use. The tire pressure and always before going on a
is higher when the tire has long trip. Make sure to take the
warmed up than when it is number of people and the
"cold." amount of luggage into ac-
It is the inflation pressure in a count when adjusting tire pres-
"cold" tire that counts. There- sure for a trip - even one that
fore, you should never let air you would not consider to be out of a warm tire to match "long. " See ¢
page 286 , Tires
"Cold tire inflation pressure" and vehicle load limits for more
recommendations ¢
page 2 78. important information.
The tires would then be under- Always use an accurate tire
inflated and could fail sudden- pressure gauge when checking
ly. and adjusting inflation pres-
The tire pressure label on your sures. Check all of the tires and
Audi lists the recommended be sure not to forget the spare cold tire inflation pressures at tire . If the pressure in any tire is
maximum capacity for the new, too high when the tire is "cold,"
original equipment tires that let air out of the tire slowly
were on your vehicle at the time with the edge of the tire gauge it was manufactured. For the and keep checking the pressure
location of the label until you reach the pressure
¢
page 278, fig. 250. that is correct for the load (pas-
Most tires lose air naturally sengers and luggage) and kind
over time. They can also lose of driving you plan to do
.
....
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hole or hit a curb while parking . .... \!) 1.1'1
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284 Tires and whee ls
If the pressure in any tire is too were on your vehicle at the
low, note the difference be- time it was manufactured . For
tween the pressure in the cold recommended tire pressures
tire and the pressure you need for normal load conditions, and add the air that you need to please see chapter
reach the correct pressure for
¢ page 278 .
the vehicle load (passengers
-Turn the valve stem cap coun-
and luggage) for the tires on ter-clockwise to remove it
your veh icle as listed on the on
from the tire valve.
your veh icle and in this manual
-Place the air pressure gauge
and the kind of driving you p lan
on the valve.
to do .
-The tire pressures should only
Never e xceed the maximum in -be checked and adjusted when
flation pressure listed on the the tires are cold . The slightly
ti re sidewall for any reason. raised pressures of warm tires
must not be reduced .
Remember that the vehicle
-Adjust the tire pressure to the
manufacturer, not the t ire man-
load you are carrying .
ufacturer, determines the car- -Reinstall the valve stem cap
rect t ire pressure for the tires
on the valve.
on your vehicle.
It is important to check the tire
When should I check the tire
pressure?
p ressure when the tires are
cold . The correct tire pressure is es-
-Read the required tire pres- pecially important at
high
speeds . The pressure should
sure from the tire pressure la- therefore be checked at least
bel. The tire pressure label is once a month and always be-
located on the driver's side B -
fore starting a journey . Do not
pi llar . The tire pressure label
forget to check the tire pres -
lists the recommended co ld
sure for the spare wheel.
..
tire inflation pressures for the
vehicle at its max imum capaci-
ty weight and the tires that

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When should I adjust the
tire pressures?
Adjust 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 in the
tire pressure monitoring sys­
tem
c> page 303.
A WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and/
or underinflation can lead sudden tire failure, loss of
control, collision, serious per­
sonal injury or even death .
-When the warning symbol
II] appears in the instru­
ment cluster, stop and in­
spect 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 pressures
and/or underinflation can
also lead to sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation, caus­ ing loss of vehicle control.
Tires and wheels 285
-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 8-pillar.
-Only when all tires on the vehicle are filled to the cor­rect pressure, the tire pres­
sure 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 speci­
fied tire pressure values for
the tires and the correct
pressures for the function of
the tire pressure monitoring
system.
-Always inflate tires to the recommended and correct
tire pressure before driving
off.
-Driving with underinflated tires bend more, letting
them get too hot resulting
in tread separation, sudden
tire failure and loss of con­
trol.
-Excessive speed and/over­ loading can cause heat •
•
'

286 Tires and wheels
build-up, sudden 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 near­
est service station to check
the tire pressure and add air
as required.
(D Note
Driving without valve stem
caps can cause damage to
the tire valves. To prevent
this, always make sure that
factory installed valve stem caps on all wheels are secure­
ly mounted on the valve .
@ For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will also
increase the fuel consump­
tion .
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount
of load or weight that any vehi­
cle and any tire can carry. Ave­
hicle that is overloaded will not handle well and is more diffi­
cult to stop. Overloading can not only lead to loss of vehicle
control, but can also damage important parts of the vehicle
and can lead to sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowout and
sudden deflation that can cause
the vehicle to crash .
Your safety and that of your passengers also depends on
making sure that load limits are
not exceeded. Vehicle load in­
cludes everybody and every­
thing in and on the vehicle.
These load limits are technical­
ly referred to as the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR") .
The "GVWR " includes the
weight of the basic vehicle, all
factory installed accessories, a
full tank of fuel, oil, coolant
and other fluids plus maximum load. The maximum load in­
cludes the number of passen­
gers that the vehicle is intend ­
ed to carry ("seating capacity")
with an assumed weight of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each pas­
senger at a designated seating
position and the total weight of
any luggage in the vehicle. If ""

Tires and wheels 287
you tow a trailer, the weight of the total weight of whatever is •
the trailer hitch and the tongue being carried in the vehicle (in-• '
weight of the loaded trailer eluding the weight of a trailer must be included as part of the hitch and the tongue weight of
vehicle load. the loaded trailer) is limited.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating The more passengers in the ve- hicle or passengers who are
("GAWR") is the maximum load
that can be applied at each of heavier than the standard
weights assumed mean that
the vehicle's two axles.
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rat- less weight can be carried as
luggage
.
ing and the Gross Axle Weight
The tire pressure label on your
Rating are listed on the safety
Audi also lists the maximum
compliance sticker label locat-
ed on the driver's side B-pillar. combined weight of all of the
Your Audi has 5 seating posi- occupants and luggage or other
cargo that the vehicle can carry.
tions, 2 in the front and 3 in the
rear for total seating capacity For the location of the label
¢
page 278, fig. 250. of 5. On vehicles with six
seats* , your vehicle has two
A WARNING
-~
front seats, two seats in the
Overloading a vehicle can
second row seating and two cause loss of vehicle control,
seats in the third row seating. a crash or other accident, se-
On vehicles with seven seats*, rious personal injury, and
your vehicle has two front even death.
seats, three seats in the second -Carrying more weight than
row seating and two seats in your vehicle was designed
the third row seating . Each
to carry will prevent the ve-
seating position has a seat belt hicle from handling properly
¢ page 173, Safety belts . and increase the risk of the
The fact that there is an upper loss of vehicle control.
M N limit to your vehicle's Gross Ve-0 ...J
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hicle Weight Rating means that ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,

288 Tires and whee ls
- The brakes on a vehicle that
has been overloaded may
not be able to stop the vehi­
cle within a safe distance.
-Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail
suddenly, including a blow­
out 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 Rat­
ing.
Determining correct load
limit
Use the example below to cal­
culate the total weight of the
passengers and luggage or oth­
er things that you plan to trans­
port so that you can make sure
that your vehicle will not be
overloaded.
Steps for Determining Correct Load Limit
1 . Locate the statement "THE
COMBINED WEIGH T OF OC­
CUPANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX LBS"on your vehi­
cle's placard (tire inflation
pressure label)
~ page 2 78,
fig . 250 .
2. Determine the combined
weight of the driver and pas­
sengers that will be riding in
your vehicle .
3 . Subtract the combined
weight of the driver and pas­
sengers from
"XXX" kilo­
grams or
"XXX" pounds
shown on the sticker
~ page 278, fig. 250.
4. The resulting figure equals
the available amount of car­go and luggage load capaci­
ty. For example, if the
"XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs .
and there will be five 150 lbs. passengers in your vehi­
cle, the amount of available
cargo and luggage load ca­ pacity is 650 lbs. (1400 -750
(5
X 150) = 650 lbs.)
5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo .,..