Tyre Wear

[a8 tech]

camber angles are the problem and very very fine tolerance as the camber is constantly varing and the role of the vehicle is minimum then the tyres take the pain.Still driving style and suspension selection via mmi and tyre pressures still require drivers attention.Intresting thing about this thread is i deal q7 customers and have been involved with this thread from the start and only a small% SLATE THE Q7 and most are staying with audi as bmw and merc are a joke and i am not even going to mention the porsche as that ugly beast eats tyres for fun.Tractors are the future no tyre wear on them (joking dont get upset)

[Sportingmac]

Hi A8 tech - for the record I think this is one of the better Audi's I have owned - but I am not content with it's tyre eating habits and that is what we are all getting letting off steam about. Since Audi are offering goodwill gestures suggests that there is something in all our collective winges on the subject.

If you have the Audi specifications for wheel alignment - grateful if you would share that with us all - so we can check for ourselves at independent tyre dealers. Please include any suspension setting that have to be in place before the alignment check is done. I~ understand that the vehicle has to be lowered 55mm before checking - care to comment? And if it is true why this and not an average of the settings. Better still - what difference is there between each of teh suspension settings and what bearing does each have on the alignment and so the tyre wear?

You see - it is only knowledge we seek - not a cover up. I think we can all live with tyres if we know what to expect.

[a8 tech]

hello mac.Ross-Tech: VAG-COM: Suspension Level Control Calibration that may help but the exact adaption channels are part of a test plan on the dealer 5051.

[Quacker]

Originally Posted by a8 tech

camber angles are the problem and very very fine tolerance as the camber is constantly varing and the role of the vehicle is minimum then the tyres take the pain.Still driving style and suspension selection via mmi and tyre pressures still require drivers attention.Intresting thing about this thread is i deal q7 customers and have been involved with this thread from the start and only a small% SLATE THE Q7 and most are staying with audi as bmw and merc are a joke and i am not even going to mention the porsche as that ugly beast eats tyres for fun.Tractors are the future no tyre wear on them (joking dont get upset)

My family and I like the car very much. Bottom line is that tyre wear is unacceptable. Its only a car and I will have no hesitation disposing of it as I have done with countless others over the years. None have eaten tyres like this one although one or two others have been disposed of due to various issues including the 90 quattro which tramlined like no other. Maybe Audi don't pay their suspension engineers enough?
Brand loyalty? Don't be daft. Its a commodity product albeit one that has a mightily unacceptable appetite for tyres. That some owners find it acceptable says more about those owners than the car.
What will I replace it with? Don't know yet. It could be a V8 diesel Range Rover but more likely the seven seater Discovery. No doubt some will say that is a risky buy but I have had maybe ten of their products and have never had a problem that could not be sorted. Can Audi sort the tyre wear issue? I doubt if they care a damn.

Besides which, why did the factory quality control and dealer pdi's allow all those Q7's out with their suspension geometry all to hell? Mine had both front out in various planes and the toe out on one rear. I know this because the dealer provided print-outs of before and after. Even though everything has been as it should be according to Audi since new tyres were fitted, they have only lasted 11,000 miles. All four of them.
If Audi can't get their suspension and/or transmissions sorted and have no intension of rectifying them, surely every potential customer should know what sort of company they are dealing with? Only in the motor industry would this be found acceptable. They know that there will be another mug in through their door buying their product in 10 minutes. Well I'm a bigger mug than most, having been stung twice by a product with huge suspension problems. On the bright side, at least this one is nice to drive and everyone actually likes it very much. That doesn't mean they get emotionally attached to metal cans in our house though. Its a tool for a job and is difficient in a significant area.

[frizz]

Just a thought. As my tyre wear is okay(6mm depth @ 16,000m near the outer edge radial groove) and as my car has not had any adjustments since new, It would suggest that my settings are within Audi tolerance.
So would it not be possible for Audi to take the measurements of the castor/camber and tracking from a Q7 like mine and send out a bulletin to dealers to re-set the alignment to this on all cars suffering from tyre wear problems, or are Audi as bad as Landrover with their customer care?

[Sportingmac]

Good thought Frizz - maybe we should get you to ask your Audi teller for a check-up and print-out and post onto this forum - be very useful to quite a few people I am sure.

Also - is your mileage motorway or mixed? And tyre pressure setiings too? 6mm at the outer edge is a distant memory now at 10k.

[Quacker]

Originally Posted by frizz

Just a thought. As my tyre wear is okay(6mm depth @ 16,000m near the outer edge radial groove) and as my car has not had any adjustments since new, It would suggest that my settings are within Audi tolerance.
So would it not be possible for Audi to take the measurements of the castor/camber and tracking from a Q7 like mine and send out a bulletin to dealers to re-set the alignment to this on all cars suffering from tyre wear problems, or are Audi as bad as Landrover with their customer care?

So far Audi couldn't-care-less. Your experience does suggest that my tyre wear must be due to some kind of fault. I was thinking that the centre diff was too stiff when driven which causes my wear, because the alignment adjustments and the instruments and wear pattern appears to suggest correct alignment. Initially, with the first tyre set, it was obvious that the alignment was incorrect but since being adjusted when the new tyres were fitted, wear has been very even but still very rapid.
Just for information I'll repeat that I got 35,000 miles from Range Rover tyres and Toyota Land Cruiser Amazon [100 series] driven over the same roads in the same style. Audi=11,000 miles. I would be satisfied if I got anything over 20,000 miles from them but 11k! Come on!

[frizz]

Firstly Sportingmac, I think I would be better off taking my car to my local tyreweb who can do a full alignment check for 25 quid.
Travelling is mainly A roads and back lanes with plenty of corners and roundabouts. About 15% is motorway driving. I have Dunlop sportmax 295/35 R21's which I run at 44F 49R and generally leave the car in automatic.

[AudiQ7]

May I ask do you have any facts on the tyre wear / expected mileage of these other vehicles you quote or is it just conjecture on your part?

Other readers who have owned either range Rovers, X5's or Toyota Land Cruisers in this thread have said that none of these cars have issues?

Has anyone else been sent [FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']"Getting the best from your Audi Q7's Tyres" leaflet? My local Audi dealer sent it to me and a more patronising self sanctimonious piece of literature I have not seen in a long time.[/font]

[FONT='Calibri','sans-serif']I'm beginning to feel that this Q7 could be my first and last Audi, their customer service is terrible. Has anyone taken this matter to the motoring press, top gear or trading standards, if so what was their response?[/font]

[frizz]

Audi Q7.
I contacted Watchdog regarding my awful RRS. NO RESPONSE.
I also contacted Trading standards. VERY LITTLE HELP.
In general, car manufacturers an their "trained staff" offer very little in the way of customer care once the car has left the showroom and they've got your hard earned cash i'm afraid. The threat of litigation usually gets their attention.
My Landcruiser managed 35,000m ( great car, albeit a little more basic than the Q7).