AUDI RS7 SPORTBACK 2015 Owners Manual

Tires and wheels 239
-The tire pressures should only sudden tire failure, loss of •
be checked and adjusted when control, collision, serious per-• '
the tires are cold. The slightly
sonal injury or even death.
raised pressures of warm tires -When the warning symbol
must not be reduced.
[I] appears in the instru-
-Adjust the tire pressure to the ment cluster, stop and in-
load you are carrying. spect the tires.
-Reinstall the valve stem cap -Incorrect tire pressure and/
on the valve. or underinflation can cause
When should I check the tire increased tire wear and can
pressure? affect the handling of the
vehicle and stopping ability.
The correct tire pressure is es -
-Incorrect tire pressures
pecially important at high
and/or underinflation can
speeds. The pressure should
also lead to sudden tire fail-
therefore be checked at least
ure, including a blowout
once a month and always be-
and sudden deflation, caus-
fore start ing a journey.
ing loss of vehicle control.
When should I adjust the -The driver is responsible for
ti re pressures?
the correct tire pressures for
Adjust the tire pressure to the all tires on the vehicle. The
load you are carrying. After applicable pressure values
changing a wheel
or replacing are located on a sticker on
wheels you have to adjust the the driver's side B-pillar.
tire pressures on all wheels. In -Only when all tires on the
addition, you must then store vehicle are filled to the cor-
the new tire pressures in the rect pressure, the tire pres-
tire pressure monitoring sys- sure monitoring system can
tern¢
page 255. work correctly.
A WARNING -The use of incorrect tire
pressure values can lead to
M
Incorrect tire pressures and/ N
0::
accidents or other damage. <.J
or underinflation can lead 'SI: ....
Therefore it is essential that ~ \!) 1.1'1
.... 1.1'1 ....

240 Tires and wheels
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
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 secure­ly 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~

Tires and wheels 241
not exceeded. Vehicle load in- rear for total seating capacity •
eludes everybody and every- of 4. Each seating position has • '
thing in and on the vehicle. a safety belt¢ page 130, Safe-
These load limits are technical-ty belts.
ly referred to as the vehicle's
The fact that there is an upper
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating limit to your vehicle's Gross Ve-
("GVWR"). hicle Weight Rating means that
The "GVWR" includes the the total weight of whatever is
weight of the basic vehicle, all being carried in the vehicle is
factory installed accessories, a limited. The more passengers
full tank of fuel, oil, coolant in the vehicle or passengers and other fluids plus maximum who are heavier than the stand-
load . The maximum load in- ard weights assumed mean
eludes the number of passen- that less weight can be carried
gers that the vehicle is intend-as luggage.
ed to carry ("seating capacity") The tire pressure label on your
with an assumed weight of
Audi also lists the maximum
150 lbs (68 kg) for each pas- combined weight of all of the
senger at a designated seating occupants and luggage or other
position and the total weight of cargo that the vehicle can carry.
any luggage in the vehicle. For the location of the label
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating ¢ page 233, fig. 195.
("GAWR") is the maximum load
_& WARNING
that can be applied at each of ~ -
Overloading a vehicle can
the vehicle's two axles.
cause loss of vehicle control,
The Gross Vehicle Weight Rat- a crash or other accident, se-
ing and the Gross Axle Weight rious personal injury, and
Rating are listed on the safety even death.
compliance sticker label locat-
-Carrying more weight than
ed on the driver's side B-pillar. your vehicle was designed
M N
Your Audi has 4 seating posi- to carry will prevent the ve-0:: <.J 'SI:
tions, 2 in the front and 2 in the hicle from handling properly ~ .... \!) 1.1'1
.... 1.1'1 ....

242 Tires and wheels
and increase the risk of the
loss of vehicle control.
-The brakes on a vehicle that
has been overloaded may
not be able to stop the 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
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 WEIGHT OF OC- CUPANTS AND CARGO
SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX
KG OR XXX LBS" on your ve­
hicle's placard (tire inflation
pressure label)
~ page 233,
fig. 195.
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 233, fig. 195.
4. The resulting figure equals
the available amount of car­ go 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 being loaded on the vehicle.
That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo .,.

"' N
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and luggage load capacity
calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing
a trailer, load from your trail­
er will be transferred to your
vehicle. Consult this manual
to determine how this re­ duces the available cargo
and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
.,.Check the tire sidewall
(c::> page 245, fig. 199) to de­
termine the designated load
rating for a specific tire.
Ti re service life
The service life of tires depends
on a lot of different things in ­
cluding proper installation and
balancing , correct tire pressure
and driving style.
Fig. 197 Ti re tread: tread wear indi­
cators (TWI)
Tires and wheels 243
Fig. 198 Rotating tires for more even
wear
Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)
The original tires on your vehi­
cle have
1/16 inch (1.6 mm)
high "wear indicators"
c:::> fig. 197 running across the
tread. Depending on the make,
there will be six to eight of
them evenly placed around the
tire. Marks on the tire sidewall (for example "TWI" or other
symbols) indicate the positions
of the tread wear indicators.
Worn tires must be replaced.
Different figures may apply in
other countries
c:::> & .
Tire pressure
Incorrect tire pressure causes
premature wear and can cause
sudden tire blow-out. For this
reason, tire pressure must be
checked at least once a month
c:::> page 237.

244 Tires and whee ls
Driving style -Extra care must be taken when
Driving fast around curves, rotating direction-specific
heavy acceleration and hard tires
¢
page 268.
braking increase tire wear. Wheel balancing
Rotating tires for more even
The wheels on new vehicles are
wear ba lanced. However, various sit-
For all four tires on your vehicle uations during everyday driving
to have the same service life, can cause them to become un-
we recommend that the front balanced, resulting in vibra-
and rear tires are rotated ac -tions you can usually feel
cording to the tire manufactur- through the steering wheel.
er's suggested tire rotation in- Unbalanced wheels must be re-
tervals . Please remember the
balanced to avoid excessive
following: wear on steering, suspension
-T ire rotation intervals may dif -and tires. A wheel must also be
fer from the vehicle service in· rebalanced when a new tire is
tervals outlined in your War- insta
lled .
ranty
& Maintenance booklet . Incorrect wheel alignment
-The longer one tire is used in
Incorrect wheel alignment can
one location on the vehic le,
cause excessive ti re wear, im-
the more it wears at certain
pairing the safety of the vehi-
points; t herefore, we recom-
cle . If tires show excessive
mend that you fo llow the tire
wear, have the wheel alignment
manufacturer's suggested tire
checked by an authorized Audi
rotation intervals.
dealer or qualified wo rkshop.
-Vehicles with front-wheel
dr ive experience more t read
All-wheel drive
wear on the front wheels com-
Vehicles with quattro must al -
pared to all-wheel drive (quat- ways have tires of the same
tro) .
size, construction and tread
-Please rotate tires as shown type. For details see
¢
fig . 198. ¢page 193. ...

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_&. WARNING
Sudden tire failure can lead
to loss of control, a crash and serious personal injury!
-Never drive a vehicle when the tread on any tire is worn down to the wear indica­
tors.
-
-Worn tires are a safety haz­ ard, they do not grip well on
wet roads and increase your risk of "hydroplaning" and
loss of control.
-Always keep chemicals that can cause tire damage, such
as grease, oil, gasoline and brake fluid away from tires.
-Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail
suddenly, especially at high
speeds. Tires that are more
than 6 years old can only be used in an emergency and
then with special care and at lower speeds.
-Never mount used tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of their "previous histo­ry." Old used tires may have
been damaged even though
the damage cannot be seen
that can lead to sudden tire
Tires and wheels 245
failure and loss of vehicle control.
New tires and replacing
tires and wheels
New tires and wheels hove to
be broken in.
Fig. 199 Tire specification codes on
the sidewall of a tire
No. Description
CD Passenger car tire (where
applicable)
0 Nominal width of tire in
millimeters
® Ratio of height to width
(aspect ratio)
© Radial
® Rim diameter code

246 Tires and whee ls
No . Desc ription
® Load index and s peed rat-
ing
(J) U.S . DOT tire identifica-
tion number
® Audi Original tire
® Sever snow conditions
@ Tire ply composition and materials used
@ Maximum load rating
@ Treadwear, traction and
temperature grades
@ Maximum permissible in-
flation pressure
The tires and rims are essential parts of the vehicle's design .
The tires and rims approved by
Audi are specially matched to
the characteristics of the vehi­
cle and can make a major con­
tribution to good road holding and safe handling when in good
condition and properly inflated
c::> ,&. .
We recommend that all work
on tires and wheels be per­
formed by an authorized Audi dealer. They are familiar with
recommended p rocedures and
have the necessary special too ls
and spare parts as well as the proper facilities for disposing of
the old ti res.
Autho rized Audi dealers have
the necessary information
about technical requirements
for installing or changing tires
and rims .
Replacing tires and wheels
Tires sho uld be replaced at
least in pairs and not individu ­
ally (for example both front
tires or both rear tires togeth­
er).
B e sure to read and heed the in ­
formation to the tire pressure
monitoring system
c::> page 255.
Always buy replacement radial
tires that have the same specifi­
cations as the tires approved
for your vehicle by Audi. Re­
placement tires must always
have the same load rating spec­
ification as the original equip­
ment or approved optional tires
listed in the table
c::>page 233.
Audi -app roved spec ificat io n
tires are specially matched to
your vehicle and its load limits ,
and can contribute to the im- portant roadholding, driving .,.

Tires and wheels 24 7
characteristics, and safety of This contains the following in-•
the vehicle. The table formation: • '
(¢ page 233) lists specifica-p Indicates the tire is for pas-
tions of the tires approved for senger cars (where applica-
the Audi models covered by ble)
your Owner's Literature .
275 Nominal tire width in mm
The tire pressure label located of the tire from sidewall
on driver's side B-pillar edge to sidewall edge. In
( ¢
page 233~ fig. 196) lists the
general, the larger the num-
specifications of the original ber, the wider the tire
equipment tires installed on
35 Height/width ratio in per-
your vehicle at the time it was cent (aspect ratio)
manufactured.
R Tire construction: Radial
Federal law requires tire manu-
20 Rim diameter code (in in-
facturers to place standardized ches)
information on the sidewall of
102 Load rating code
all tires ¢
fig. 199. This infor-Y Speed rating letter code
mation identifies and describes
XL (or "xl", "EXTRA LOAD" or
the fundamental characteris- "RF
") Indicates that the tire
tics, the quality grade of the is a "Reinforced" or an "Extra
tire and also provides a tire Load" tire
identification number for safety
M+S (or "M/5") Indicates that
standard certification and in the tire has some mud and
case of a recall. snow capability
Tire specifications The tires could also have the in-
Knowledge of tire specifications formation of direction of rota-
tion
c:::> page 22 7.
makes it easier to choose the
correct tires . Radial tires have
Tire manufacturing date
the tire specifications marked
The manufacturing date is also
M on the sidewall, for example: indicated on the tire sidewall N
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275/35 R 20 102 Y XL (possibly only on the inner side 'SI: ,...., \!)
of the wheel): 1.1'1 .... ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,

248 Tires and wheels
"DOT ... 2214 ... " means, for ex-
ample, the tire was produced in
the 22nd week of 2014.
Speed rating (letter code)
The speed rating letter code on
the wheels indicates the maxi-
mum permissible road speeds
c:> .&. in Winter tires on
page 252.
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
s up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
T up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
u up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240
km/h)1
)
z over 149 mph (240 km/h) l)
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)1
)
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)1
)
Your vehicle is normally factory
equipped with tires, which pos-
sess excellent driving character-
istics and give your Audi opti-
mum driving comfort.
l) For tires with a maximum speed ca­
pability over 149 mph (240 km/h) ,
tire manufacturers sometimes use
the letters "ZR."
U.S. DOT Tire Identification
Number (TIN) and tire
manufacture date
This is the tire's "serial num-
ber". It begins with the letters
"DOT" and indicates that the
tire meets all federal stand- ards. The next two numbers or letters indicate the plant where
it was manufactured, and the
last four numbers represent the
week and year of manufacture. For example, the numbers
2214 mean the tire was pro-
duced in the 22nd week of
2014. The other numbers are
marketing codes that may or
may not be used by the tire
manufacturer. This information
is used to contact consumers if
a tire defect requires a recall.
Audi Original tire
T ires with the identification
"AO" or "RO" have been special- ly matched with your Audi. We
recommend using only these
tires because they meet the highest standards regarding