tires AUDI RS7 SPORTBACK 2015 Owner's Guide

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
0:: <.J
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

Tires and wheels 249
safety and driving characteris- should ever be put in the tire •
tics when used correctly. Your under normal driving condi-• '
authorized Audi dealer will tions.
gladly provide you with more
A WARNING
information.
-Using incorrect or unmatch-
Tire ply composition and ed tires and / or wheels or
materials used improper tire and wheel
The number of plies indicates combinations can lead to
the number of layers of rubber- loss of control, collision and coated fabric in the tire. In gen- serious personal injury.
eral, the greater the number of -Always use tires, rims and
plies, the more weight a tire wheel bolts that meet the
can support. Tire manufactur- specifications of original
ers also must indicate the ma-
factory-installed tires or
terials in the tire, which include other combinations that
steel, nylon, polyester, and oth- have been specifically ap-
ers. proved by the vehicle manu-
Maximum Load Rating
facturer.
-Tires age even if they are
This number indicates the max- not being used and can fail
imum load in kilograms and suddenly, especially at high
pounds that can be carried by speeds. Tires that are more
the tire. than 6 years old can only be
Tire quality grading for used in an emergency and
treadwear, traction, and then with special care and
temperature resistance at lower speeds.
Tread wear, traction and tern- -Never mount used tires on
perature grades¢
page 251. your vehicle if you are not
Maximum Permissible
sure of their "previous histo-
Inflation Pressure ry." Old used tires may have
M been damaged even though N
0:: This number is the greatest <.J
the damage cannot be seen .... 'SI: ,....,
amount of air pressure that \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,

250 Tires and wheels
that can lead to sudden tire
failure and loss of vehicle
control.
-All four wheels must be fit­ ted with radial tires of the
same type, size (rolling cir­
cumference) and the same
tread pattern. Driving with
different tires reduces vehi­
cle handling and can lead to
a loss of control.
-If the replacement tire is
not the same as the tires
that are mounted on the ve­ hicle -for example with win­
ter tires -only use the re ­
placement tire for a short
period of time and drive
with extra care. Refit the
normal road wheel as soon
as safely possible.
-Never drive faster than the
maximum speed for which
the tires on your vehicle are rated because tires that are
driven faster than their rat ­
ed speed can fail suddenly.
-Overloading tires cause heat build-up, sudden tire fail­
ure, including a blowout
and sudden deflation and
loss of control. -Temperature
grades apply
to tires that are properly in­
flated and not over or un­ derinflated .
-For technical reasons it is not always possible to use
wheels from other vehicles -
in some cases not even
wheels from the same vehi­
cle model.
-If you install wheel trim
discs on the vehicle wheels,
make sure that the air flow
to the brakes is not blocked .
Reduced airflow to the
brakes can them to over ­
heat, increasing stopping
distances and causing a col­
lision.
-Run flat tires may only be used on vehicles that were
equipped with them at the
factory. The vehicle must
have a chassis designed for
run flat tires . Incorrect use
of run flat tires can lead to
vehicle damage or acci­
dents. Check with an au­
thorized Audi dealer or tire
specialist to see if your vehi­
cle can be equipped with
run flat tires. If run flat tires .,.

M N
0:: <.J 'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
are used , they must be in­
stalled on all four wheels. Mixing tire types is not per­
mitted.
(D Note
-For technical reasons, it is not generally possible to
use the wheel rims from
other vehicles. This can hold
true for wheels of the same
vehicle type.
- If a replacement tire is dif­
ferent from the tires that
you have mounted on your
vehicle (for example winter
tires or wide profile tires),
then use the replacement
tire for a short period of
time only and drive with ex­
tra care. Replace the flat
tire with the tire matching
the others on your vehicle
as soon as possible.
- Never drive without the
valve stem cap. The valves
could get damaged .
@) For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accord­
ance with the local require­ ments.
Tires and wheels 251
Uniform tire quality grading
- Tread wea r
- Traction AA A B C
- Temperature AB C
Quality g rades ca n be foun d where applicab le
on the t ire s ide wall between t read sho ulder
and maximum section width
c> page 245,
fig. 199 .
For example : Tread wear 200, Traction AA,
Temperat ure A.
All passenge r ca r tir es must con form to Feder ­
a l Safety Requ irements in add ition to these
grades.
Tread wear
T he tread we ar g rade is a c omp arati ve r ati ng
based on the wea r rat e of the tire when tes te d
u nder con tro lled conditions o n a specifie d
government test course .
F o r ex ample, a tire gr aded 1S 0 wo uld wear
one a nd one h alf ( 11 /2 ) times as well on the
governmen t course as a ti re g raded 100 .
T he re la tive perfo rman ce of tires depe nds
up on the actu al c ondition s of the ir u se, how ­
ever, and m ay dep art s ignificantly from t he
no rm due to va ria tions i n driving ha bits, se rv ­
ice p ractices and differences in road c haracter­
istics and cl imate.
Traction
T he trac tio n gr ad es, from hig hest to lowes t,
a re AA, A, Ban d
C. Those g rades represe nt the
ti re 's ability to stop on wet pavement as
measured u nder cont rolled conditions on
specified government test surfaces of aspha lt
and concrete. A t ire mar ked C may have poor
traction performance
c> ,&. .
Temperature
The temperature gr ades are A (the highest),
B, and C, represent in g the tire's resistance to
the generation of heat and its ab ility to d issi­
pate heat when tested un der controlled condi­
tions on a specif ied indoo r labo rato ry test
whee l.
•
•

252 Tire s and wheel s
Sustained high temperature can cause the
materia l of the tire to degenerate and reduce
tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure<=>,& .
The grade C corresponds to a level of perform­
ance which a ll passenger car tires must meet
under the Federa l Motor Veh icle Safety Stand ­
ard No.
109. Grades Band A represent higher
levels of performance on the laboratory test
wheel than the m inimum required by law .
A WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this t ire is
based on stra ight-ahead braking traction
tests, and does not include acceleration,
corne ring, hydrop lan ing o r peak traction
character istics .
A WARNING ,.,._____
The temperature grade for this tire is es­
tablished for a tire that is p roperly inflated
and not overloaded. Excessive speed, un­
derinflation, or excessive loading, either
separate ly or in combination, can cause
heat buildup and possible tire fa ilure.
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve vehicle handling on
snow and ice. At temperatures below 45 °F
(7 °C) we recommend changing to winter
tires .
In some heavy snow areas, loca l governments
may require true winter or "snow" tires, those
with very deeply cut tread. These t ires should
only be used in pairs and be installed on all
four wheels. Make sure yo u purchase snow
tires that are the same size and const ruct ion
type as t he other tires on your ve hicle.
Your veh icle is equipped wit h all -wheel drive,
this will improve tract ion during w inter driv­
i ng, even with the standa rd tires. Howeve r, we
strongly recommend that you a lways equ ip a ll
four whee ls o n your ve hicle w ith correctly fit­
ted winte r ti res or all -season tires, when win ­
ter road conditions are expected. This a lso im- proves the vehicle's b
raking performance and
reduces stopping distances.
Summe r tires p rovide less gr ip on ice and
snow.
Winter tires (snow tires) must always be fitted on all four wheels .
Ask your authorized Audi dealer or qualified
workshop for perm itted
winter tire si zes. Use
o n ly rad ial winter t ires .
Winter tires lose their effectiveness when the
tread is worn down to a depth of
0 .157 inch
(4 mm).
Only drive w ith w inter t ires under winter con ­
ditions. Summer t ires handle better when
there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °() .
If you have a flat tire, see notes on replace­
ment wheel <=>
page 245.
Please a lways remember that winter tires may
have a lower speed rating than the tires origi ­
nally installed on your vehicle at the time it
was manufactured. Please see<=>
page 248,
Speed rating (letter code)
fo r a listing of the
speed rating lette r codes and the max imum
speed at which the tires can be d riven .
The speed rating letter code (<=>
page 231) is
on the side wall of the t ire
c> page 245.
A WARNING ,.___
W inter t ires have maximum speed lim its
that may be lower than yo ur vehicle's max­
i mum speed. Always know the max imum
speed before dr iv ing off. Never dr ive faster
than the speed permitted for yo ur specific
winter tires . This wi ll ca use damage to the
tires leading to an accident and ser ious
personal injury to you and your passen­
gers.
A WARNING
'----
Driving faster than the maximum speed
for which the winter tires on your vehicle were designed can cause t ire failure in­
cluding a blowout and sudden deflation,

M N
0:: <.J 'SI: ,...., \!) ..,.,
,...., ..,., ,....,
loss of control, crashes and serious per­
sonal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediate ly.
- Winter tires have maximum speed rating
that may be lower than your vehicle's
maximum speed.
- Never drive faster than the speed for
which the winter or other tires installed
on your vehicle are rated.
A WARNING
Always adjust your driving to the road and
traffic conditions. Never let the good ac­
celeration of the winter tires and all-wheel
drive tempt you into taking extra risks. Al­
ways remember:
- When braking, an all-wheel drive vehicle
handles in the same way as a front drive
vehicle.
- Drive carefully and reduce your speed on
icy and slippery roads, even winter tires
cannot help under black ice conditions.
@) For the sake of the environment
Use summer tires when weather condi­
tions permit. They are quieter, do not wear
as quickly and reduce fuel consumption.
Snow chains
Snow chains may be fitted only to the front
wheels, and only to certain tire sizes. Ask your
authorized Audi dealer on which tire sizes
snow chains can be used.
If you are going to use snow chains, then you
must install them on the front wheels at
least.
The snow chains must have low-profile links
and must not be thicker than 0.4 inch (10,5 mm), including the lock.
Remove wheel center covers and trim discs
before putting snow chains on your vehicle
q(D _ For safety reasons cover caps must then
be fitted over the wheel bolts. These are avail­
able from authorized Audi dealers.
Tires and wheels 253
A WARNING
Using the wrong snow chains for your vehi­
cle or installing them incorrectly can in­
crease the risk of loss of control leading to
serious personal injury.
- Snow chains are available in different sizes . Always make sure to follow the in­
structions provided by the snow chain
manufacturer.
- When driving with snow chains never
drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific snow chains.
- Always observe local regulations.
([) Note
-Remove snow chains before driving on
roads not covered with snow to avoid
damaging tires and wearing the snow
chains down unnecessarily.
- Snow chains, which come into direct con­
tact with the wheel rim, can scratch or
damage it. Therefore, make sure that the
snow chains are suitably covered. Check
the position of the snow chains after
driving a few yards and correct if neces­
sary. Follow the instructions from the
snow chain manufacturer when doing so.
- If the Adaptive Air Suspension* should
malfunction, do not mount or use snow
chains because the vehicle will be ex­
tremely low. If you do drive with snow
chains on while the vehicle is at this lev­
el, the snow chains might severely dam­
age the wheelhouse and other parts of
the vehicle.
(D Tips
Where snow chains are mandatory oncer­
tain roads, this normally also applies to
vehicles with all-wheel drive.
•
•

254 Tire s and wheel s
Wheel bolts
Wheel bolts must always be tightened to the
correct torque .
The design of wheel bolts is matched to the
factory installed rims. If different rims are fit­
ted, the correct wheel bolts with the r ight
length and correctly shaped bolt heads must
be used. This ensures that wheels are fitted
secure ly and that the brake system funct ions
correctly .
In ce rtain circumstances, you may not use
wheel bolts from a different vehicle -even if it
i s the same mode l
~page 284.
_& WARNING
Improperly tig htened o r maintained whee l
bolts can become loose ca using loss of
contro l, a co llision and serious persona l in­
jury.
- Always keep the wheel bolts and the
threads in the wheel hubs clean so the
wheel bolts can turn easily and be prop­
erly t ightened.
- Never grease or oil the wheel bo lts and
the threads in the wheel hubs. They can
become loose while driving if greased or
oiled, even if tightened to the specif ied
torque.
- Only use wheel bolts that belong to the
rim being installed.
- Never use different wheels bolts on your
vehicle.
-Always maintain the correct tighten ing
torque for the wheel bo lts to reduce the
risk of a wheel loss. If the tightening tor­
que of the wheel bolts is too low, they
can loosen and come out when the veh i­
cle is moving. If the tightening torque is
too high, the whee l bolts and threads
can be damaged and the wheel can be­
come loose.
@ Note
The spec ified torque fo r the wheel bo lts is
90 ft lb (120 Nm) w ith a tolerance of± 7,4
ft lb(± 10 Nm). Torque wheel bo lts diago- nally
. After changing a whee l, the torque
must be checked as soon as possible with a
torque wrench -preferably by an author­
i zed Audi dealer or qualified workshop.
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Audi is factory-equ ipped w ith low aspect
ratio tires . These tires have been thoroughly
tested and been selected specifically fo r your
model for their superb perfo rmance, road fee l
and hand ling under a variety of d riving cond i­
tions . As k your au thor ized A udi dealer for
more details .
T he low aspect ratio of these tires is ind icated
by a numera l of
55 or less in the tire's s ize
designation. The numera l represen ts the ratio
of the tire's sidewall height in relation to its
tread width expressed in percentage . Conven­
tiona l tires have a height/width ratio of 60 or
more.
The perf orm ance of low- aspect-r atio tire s is
p ar ticu larly s ensitive to improper infl ati on
press ure . It is t here fore im portant that low
as pect rat io tires are infl ated to the spe cified
pre ssure and that the infl ation pressu re is
r e gularl y che ck e d and mainta in ed. Tire pre s­
su res should b e check ed at least onc e a
month and alwa ys bef ore a long trip
~page 237, Checking tire pressure.
What you can do to a void tire and rim
damage
Low aspect ratio tires can be damaged more
easily by impact w it h potholes, curbs, gull ies
o r r idges on the road, pa rticularly if the tire is
u nderinfla ted .
In order to minimize the occurrence of impact
damage to the tires of you r vehicle, we recom­
mend that you observe the follow ing p recau­
tions:
- Always ma inta in recommended inflation
pressures. Check your tire pressure eve ry
2,000 miles (3,000 km) and add air if neces­
sary .
- Dr ive carefully on roads with potholes, deep
gullies o r ridges. The impact from dr iv ing ..,.

M N
0:: <.J 'SI: ,...., \!) 1.1'1 ,...., 1.1'1 ,....,
thro ugh or over such obstacles can damage
your tires. Impact with a curb may a lso
cause damage to your tires .
- After any impact, immediately inspect your
tires or have them inspected by the nearest
authorized Audi dea ler. Replace a damaged
t ire as soon as possible.
- Inspect yo ur tires every 2,000 miles (3,000
km) for damage and wear . Damage is not al­
ways easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of
air and underinflation, wh ich could eventu­
ally cause tire fa ilure . If you be lieve that a
t ire may have been damaged, replace the
t ir e as soo n as possible.
- T hese tires may wear more quickly than oth­
ers .
- Please also remember that, while these tires deliver respons ive handling, they may ride
less comfortably and make mo re no ise than
othe r cho ices .
Reduced performance in winter /cold
season conditions
A ll t ires are des igned for certain pu rposes.
The low aspect ratio, ultra hig h pe rformance
tires orig inally installed o n your veh icle are in ­
tended for maximum dry and wet road per ­
formance and handling . They are not s uitable
for cold, snowy or icy weather conditions. If
you dr ive under those circumstances, you
should equip your vehicle with all-season or
winter tires, which offer better traction under
those cond itions . We suggest you use the rec­
ommended snow or all-season tires specified
fo r your ve hicle, or their equ ivalent.
Refer to¢
page 252 for mo re deta iled infor ­
mat io n regarding winter t ires .
Tire pressure
monitoring system
U) General notes
Each t ire, includ ing the spare (if provided),
should be checked month ly when cold and in­
flated to the inflation pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacture r o n the vehicle
p lacard or tire inflation pressure label. (If yo ur
Tire s an d wheel s 255
vehicle has tires of a different size than the
size indicated on the vehicle placard or tire in­
flat ion pressure labe l, you sho uld determine
the proper t ire inflation press ure for those
tires).
As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a tire pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) that illum inates a low tire
pressure telltale when one or more of your
ti res is s ignificant ly under-inflated. According­
ly, when the low tire pressure telltale illumi­
nates, you shou ld stop and check you r tires as
soon as possib le, and inflate them to the
proper pressu re. Driving on a sign ifican tly un­
der -infla ted ti re causes the tire to overhea t
and can lead to tire fai lure . Under-inflation al ­
so reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle 's hand ling and
stopp ing ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute
for proper tire maintenance, and it is the driv­ er's respons ibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not
reached the level to tr igger illuminat ion of t he
TPMS low tire pressu re tellta le.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a
TPMS malfunction indicator to ind icate when
the system is not operating properly. The
TPMS ma lfunction indicator is combined with
the low t ire pressure telltale . Whe n the sys­
tem detects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash fo r approximate ly one m inute and then
r em ain continuously illum ina ted . Thi s se­
quence will continue upon s ubsequent vehicle
start-ups as long as the malfunction exists .
When the malfunction indicato r is illum ina t­
ed, the sys tem may no t be ab le to detec t or
s ignal low tire pressure as in tended . TPMS
malfu nctions may occur for a var iety of rea ­
sons, incl uding the insta llation of rep lace­
ment or a lternate tires or wheels on the vehi­
cle that prevent the TPMS from functioning properly. Always check the TPMS malfunction
telltale after rep laci ng one or more tires or
whee ls on your vehicle to ensu re that the re­
placement o r alternate tires and wheels a llow
the TPMS to con tinue to funct ion p ro perly .
•
•

256 Tire s and wheel s
Description
The tire pressure monitoring system monitors
th e pressure in the four tir es when driving .
The system uses sensors that measure the
temperature and pressure in the tires. Theda­
ta is sent from these sensors to the control
module by rad io frequency .
The tire pressure monitoring system shows
the current pressures and temperatures
of the
tires in the Infotainment system
c:> page 256 .
It also compares the current tire pressures
with the sto red press ures and gives a warn ing
in the dr iver information system if the t ire
p ressu re is different from what is sto red
<=:> page 257.
The system does not detect if the sto red ti re
p ressu res matc h the recommended tire pres­
sures . Yo u must resave the tire p ress ures
<=:> page 257:
- every time the tire pressures change, for ex­
amp le when the load in the veh icle changes,
- after replac ing a tire, or
- i f wheels with new wheel sensors are used .
.,&. WARNING
- The tire pressure mo nitor ing system as­
sists t he d rive r in monito ring t ire pres­
s ur es. The dr iver is responsible fo r having
the tires in flated t o the co rrec t press ure.
- Do not change t he tire pressu re when the
t empe rat ure of the ti re is high. This
cou ld resul t in ser io us damage to the ti re
and even cause t he tire to burst, increas ­
ing th e risk of an accident.
- A tire with low pressure flexes more . This
heats the tire up too much. This could
cause the tread to separate and even
cause the tire to burst, increasing the
risk
of a n accident.
- The tire pressure mon itor ing system
does not warn about damage or defects
in the tire construct ion that could ca use
the tire to b urst, for examp le . Inspect
yo ur t ires regularly .
{® For the sake of the environment
Low tire pressure increases fuel consump­
tion and tire wear .
(D Tips
- If tires are replaced, the senso rs/valves
do not need to be removed o r replaced.
Just replace the va lve stem and, if neces­
sary, the valve and the whee l electronics .
If you have questions, see your a uthor­
ized Aud i dea ler o r a qualified workshop .
- Us ing the tire mob ility kit can results in
an incorrect display or a ma lfunction in
t he tire pressure monito ring system .
Have the sensors replaced by an a uthor­
ized Aud i dea le r o r a qua lified workshop.
Display tire pressures/temperatures
Fi g. 2 00 In fotainme nt: t ire press ure moni tor ing sys ­
tem
Requ irement : the ignition must be sw itched
o n .
.,. Select: the
I CAR I funct io n button > Car sy s­
tem s
> Servicing & ch eck s > Tire pressure
monitoring
> Disp lay tire pr essures .
The current tire pressures are shown in green
and yellow numbers:
- green: the current tire press ure and the
specified tire pressure are approximately the
same .
-yellow : the current tire pressure is too low
compared to the specified tire pressu re.
The specified tire pressure is th e last tire pres -
s u re that was stored
c:> page 2 5 7 ..,