Page 197 of 306

VE
HICLE OPERATION------------------------
The external conditions
in which you drive also affect your fuel con
sumption.
The following conditions increase fuel con
sumption:
• Heavy traffic, especially in large cities
with many traffic lights.
• Stop-and-go driving, especially short dis
tances so that the engine never warms up
as it should.
• Driving in heavy, slow moving traffic in
low gear so that the engine speed is rela
tively high when compared to the distance
driven.
� Plan your trips ahaad of time. Or
� ganizs your trips to include sev
sral errands and to avoid heavy traf
fi c.
Of course, there are some conditions that
will affect fuel consumption that you can't
control.
For example, fuel consumption increases in
the winter or under difficult conditions (bad
roads, towing a trailer, etc.).
19 6 The
technical requirements
for optimum fuel consumption and eco
nomy were ''built" intoyourvehicle. Special
attention was paid to the environment. To
reta in and make use of these characteris
tics, please note the following points:
riJ Use only unleaded gasoline.
Leaded gasoline causes damage to the cat
alytic converter and other components of
the emission system.
t:Gh Have your vehicle serviced by an
� Audi Dealar at the specified in
tervals -see page 228 and your
Main tenance booklet.
Having your vehicle regularly serviced by an
Audi Dealer helps ensure that it runs prop
erly and economical ly, that it does not dis
turb the environment, and that it has a long
service life. t:Gh
Check
your tire pressure once a
W month.
Low tire pressure increases fuel consump
tion and tire wear, and impair s vehicle han
dling.
�W ARNING
Underinflation and overloading of
tires can lead to tire failure. Sud
den failur e on the road could cause
a serious or fata l accident. See
page 253 for inflation informa
tion.
� Do not carry unnecessary items
in the luggage compartment.
Particularly in city traffic where you must
often accelerate, weight influences fuel
consumption.
Page 254 of 306

lira
service life
The service life of your tires depends for the
most part on the following factors:
lire pressure
Requir ed cold tire inflation pressures are
listed on a sticker inside the fuel filler flap or
on the rear passenger's door pillar (right
side) -depending on the model.
�W ARNING
• Incorrect tire pressures can lead
to a serious or fatal accident:
• Incorrect tire pressures cause
increased tire wear and can affect
handling of the vehicle.
• Incorrect pressures can also
lead to sudden tire failure and
deflati on, causing loss of vehicle
contr ol.
c£' Low tire pressures increase fuel
consumption, which is detri
mental to the environment. Tire
pressures should be checked at least
once a month and always before a long trip.
Tire pressures are very important,
particularly when the vehicle is driv
en at higher speeds.
If you are going to be driving at higher
speeds (a lot of expressway driving), then it
is rec ommended to increase the tire pres
sure by 5 psi (0.3 bar).
Always check tire pressures when the tires
are cold. When the tires are warm, the pres
sure will be highe r. Do not reduce the
pressure of warm tires.
Don't forget to check the spare wheel. The
inflation pressure is marked on the tire side
wall.
Use an accurate tire pressure gauge when
checking inflation pressures. Never exceed
the maximum tire inflation pressure listed
on the tire sidewall. Cold tire inflation pres
sure means: the vehicle has been standing
for at least 3 hours or driven for less than
1 mile (1 km).
Do not forget to replace the valve stem caps
after checking tire pressure. VE
HICL E CA RE
Driving habits
Fast cornering, heavy acceleration and hard
braking all increase tire wear.
Wheel balancing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced.
When driving, however, various conditions
can cause a wheel to become unbalanced.
This may be noticed as vibrations in the
steering.
Since tire imbalance can cause wear on the
steeri ng, suspension and tires, you should
have your wheels re-balanced. A wheel
should always be balanced if a new tire has
been mounted or a tire was repaired.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect wheel alignment causes exces
sive and uneven tire wear, impairing the
safety ofth e veh ide. If you notice excessive
tire wear, contact your authorized Audi
Dealer.
253
Page 261 of 306

VEH
ICLE CARE
Winter tires
The tires for your vehicle were selected for
optimal performance under a variety of driv
ing conditions.
If your Audi is equipped with high perfor
mance tires (identified by code letter V, W
or Z on the tire flank) and you drive frequent
ly on ice or sno w, you should consider the
installation of all season or winter tires. Let
your authorized Audi Dealer advise and as
sist you.
For winter driving, the driveability of your
vehicle can be improved by installing radial
winter tires (M+S) with or without studs1l.
The all season tires with which your ve
hicle may have been equipped at the factory
are perform ance tires advertised by the tire
manufacturer as suitable for all weather use
or with special mud and snow (M+S) capa
bility.
Winter tires, sometimes also called snow
tires, are designed for maximum traction in
mud and snow.
,, Check with your local Motor Vehicle Bu
reau for possible restrictions.
260 When
installing winter tires, please
note the following:
• Only radial ply winter tires may be
installed. Ask your authorized Audi Dealer
for the recommended tire size.
• Winter tires must be mounted on all four
wheels.
• Because of the special design character
istics of radial ply M+S tires, they must be
inflated 3 psi above the cold tire inflation
pressures required for the regular radial ply
tires. However, never exceed the maximum
tire inflation pressure listed on the tire side
wall.
• Winter tires will not do their job if the
tread depth is less than 5/32 of an inch
(4 mm). �
WARNING
• Tires with badly wom treads
and studs are very dangerous.
Make sure they are replaced imme
diately.
• Never mix tires of different de
sign such as steel belted radials
with radial bias belted or bias ply
tires, etc. Mixing tire types will ad
versely affect road holding and
can lead to loss of vehicle control
and personal inlury.