ThePitts

Thanks for that.
When I took the car in, I explained my concern that it was probably just the tires and not the sensors. When they checked it out, they decided that a tire rotation (front to back) should do the trick. I asked if they did an alignment on the two front tires and they said it wasn't necessary. Go figure. I was also told that they would need to align the sensors if the back tires needed alignment. I like my dealership, but this seems like a lot of double talk.
I have about 40K on this set, so will see if the tires cup again and, if so, deal with it on the new set.
I had a lifetime alignment deal with NTB on my 2005 A8, but am a bit relucant to do the same with the 2013.
Anyone have experience with NTB on a 2013 A8? Am I being paranoid, or have others gone outside the dealership for alignments?

snagitseven

What year and tires do you have and how much tread is left? You said they were cupping. Are they wearing more on the inside or outside or truly cupping? If they have been wearing more on the insides it could indicate over inflation.With 40K miles on the set it's possible they are just wearing unevenly and will soon need to be replaced.

ThePitts

Sorry for the delay. The tires were on the car when I bought it last year, so I am assuming they are the originals. They are Pirelli PZERO NERO 265/40R20s all around. Front tires (now on the back) have 7/32; back tires (now on front) have 9/32. I think it is wear, not cupping, all of it is on the outer edges of both tires. Hopefully, they will last for some time yet. Hate replacing tires, but can't drive on something worn out either.
Anyone have experience with how long their Pirellis lasted?

Mrclopec

Snagit is correct in that if all of your sensors are currently working fine, a 4 wheel alignment that only makes small adjustments *shouldn't* affect anything. but if it does need to be done, it is a very involved process that requires setting up some specialized equipment. This procedure is performed at both dealerships and Indy shops in Europe quite often and has been for a long time so to people in European countires the procedure is kind of old hat. But here in the states, it is not something that is done very often (albeit it's starting to happen more often with the driver assistance systems starting to arrive standard on certain trim levels). Seeings it isn't done very often, there is usually only one or two techs at a dealer that have been trained to perform the calibration and they do it so infrequently that they have to re-teach themselves each time. The dealer determines what alignment (wether standard or standard with assistance system calibrations) that your vehicle needs when they input your vin into their computer. They have a very clear and documented procedure and are not allowed to stray from the factory procedure due to the potential liabilities if one of the assistance systems fails and results in accident or injury. So as a result, they will then quote you "book" time on what AofA has determined is an acceptable amount of time for the dealer to teach themselves how perform the service again and execute it correctly. I believe this service is booked around 7 hours. If they do it in less time, they don't always charge less. They will just tell you it took the full 7. In reality, a tech that is very savvy on the process, can usually knock all three calibrations out in about an hour not including the time needed for the alignment. It's such a common practice in Europe that a lot of Indy shops even have the calibration equipment which is VAG specific. I have yet to find an Indy shop here in California that has the ability to do this calibration as the equipment from snapon is around 10 grand.