2008 AUDI A4 AVANT warning

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&, WARNING (continued)
crashes and serious personal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires
replaced immediately.
• 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
low speed.
Glossary of tire and loading terminology
Accessory weight
means the combined weight (in excess of those standard items
which may be replaced) of automatic transmission, power steering,
power brakes, power windows, power seats, radio, and heater, to
the extent that these items are available as factory-installed equip­
ment (whether installed or not).
Aspect ratio means the ratio of the height to the width of the tire in percent.
Numb ers of 55 or lower indicate a low sidewall for improved
steering response and better overall handling on dry pavement.
Bead means the part of the tire that is made of steel wires, wrapped or
reinforced by ply cords and that is shaped to fit the rim.
Bead separation
means a breakdown of the bond between components in the bead.
Cord
means the strands forming the plies in the tire.
&, WARNING (continued)
• 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 failure and loss of vehicle control.
• If you notice unusual vibration or if the vehicle pulls to one side
when driving, always stop as soon as it is safe to do so and check
the wheels and tires for damage.
•
Cold tire inflation pressure
means the tire pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer
for a tire of a designated size that has not been driven for more than
a couple of miles (kilometers) at low speeds in the three hour period
before the tire pressure is measured or adjusted .
Curb weight
means the weight of a motor vehicle with standard equipment
including the maximum capacity of fuel, oil, and coolant, air condi­
tioning and additional weight of optional equipment.
Extra load tire
means a tire designed to operate at higher loads and at higher infla ­
tion pressures then the corresponding standard tire. Extra load tires
my be identified as "XL", "xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or
"RF" on the side ­
wall.
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR")
means the load-carrying capacity of a single axle system, measured
at the tire-ground interfaces .
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating ("GVWR")
means the maximum total loaded weight of the vehicle.

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S idewa ll
means t hat port ion of a tire between the tread and bead.
Speed ra ting means t he speed at which a tire is designed to be driven for
extended periods of time. The ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
to 186 mph (298
km/h) => page 306. You may not f ind this informa ­
tion on a ll tires because it is not required by law .
The speed rating letter code, whe re applicable, is mo lded on the tire
s idewal l and indicates the maximum perm issible road
speeds => &
in "Winter tires" on page 310.
Tire pr essu re m onitorin g sys tem *
means a system that detects when one or more of a vehicle's tires
are under inflated and i lluminates a low tire pressure warning te ll­
tale .
Tread
means that portion of a tire that comes into contact with the road.
Trea d sepa ration
mea ns pu lling away of the tread from the tire carcass.
Tr eadw ear indi cato rs ( TWI)
mea ns the projections with in the pr incipa l grooves designed to give
a visual indication of the degrees of wear of the tread . See
=> page 303, "T read Wear Indicator (TWI)" for m ore information on
measuring tire wear.
Uniform Tire Qualit y Grading
is a tire information system deve loped by the United States National
H ighway Traff ic Safety Admin istration (N HTSA) t hat is designed to
help buyers make relative comparisons among tires. The U TQG is
n ot a safety rating and not a guarantee that a tire will last for a
prescribed number of miles or perform in a certain way . It simply
gives ti re buyers additiona l info rmation to combine with other
considerations, such as price, brand loyalty and dea ler recommen -dations
. Under UTQG, tires are graded by the tire manufacturers in
t hree areas : treadwear, tract ion and tempera ture resista nce. The
U TQG information on the tires, molded into the sidewa lls .
U .S . D OT Tire Identification Number (TIN )
This is the tire's "seria l number" It begins with the letters "DOT" and
indicates that the tire meets a ll federa l standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it was manufactured,
and t he last four numbers represent the wee k and year of manufac ­
ture. For example,
DOT ... 2205 ...
means t hat the tire was produced in the 22t h week of 2005. The
other numbers are marketing codes that may or may not be used by
t he t ire manufacturer. This informat ion is used to c ontac t
consumers if a tire defect requires a reca ll.
Veh icle capacity we ight
means the rated cargo and luggage load plus 150 lbs . (68 kilograms)
t imes t he vehicle's total seating capaci ty as listed on the la bel
located either on the driver's side 8 -pillar or on the inside of the fuel
fi ller flap .
Vehi cle max imum l oad on th e tir e
means that load on an ind ividual tire that is determ ined by distrib ­
uting to each axle its share of the maximum loaded vehicle weight
and d ividing by two.
V ehi cle norm al l oa d on th e tir e
means that load on an ind ividual tire that is determ ined by d istrib ­
uting to each axle its share of the curb weight, accessory weight,
and normal occupant weigh t (distributed in accorda nce w ith tab le
below=> page 297) and dividing by two . _.,

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The correct tire pressure for the spore wheel is located on a label
either on the driver's side B-pillar or inside the fuel filler flap.
Because technical changes may be made to vehicle equipment
during the model year, always compare the tire size designation on
the tire pressure label on your vehicle with the tires on your vehicle.
Make sure that the tire size information on the vehicle label is the
same as the size of the tires on the vehicle. This is especially impor­
tant if the vehicle belongs to someone else or you bought the
vehicle with different rims/tires or you bought the vehicle as a previ­
ously owned vehicle .
Remember, your safety and that of your passengers also depends
on making sure that load limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load
includes everybody and everything in and on the vehicle. These load
limits are technically referred to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating ("GVWR"l. The Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR"l is
the maximum load that can be applied at each of the vehicle's two
axles. The Gross Vehicle Weight Rating and the Gross Axle Weight
Rating are listed on the safety compliance sticker label located
either on the driver's side B-pillar or on the inside of the fuel filler
flap. The tire pressure label on your Audi lists the maximum
combined weight of all of the occupants and luggage or other cargo
that the vehicle can carry. For the location of the tire pressure label
=> page 297, fig. 217.
& WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of vehicle control, a crash or
other accident, serious personal injury, and even death.
• Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry
will prevent the vehicle from handling properly and increase the risk of a loss of vehicle control.
• The brakes on a vehicle that has been overloaded may not be
able to stop the vehicle within a safe distance.
• Tires on a vehicle that has been overloaded can fail suddenly
causing loss of control and a crash.
& WARNING (continued)
• Always make sure that the total load being transported -
including the weight of a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehicle heavier than the
vehicle's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating.
& WARNING
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can lead to a
serious or fatal accident.
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation cause increased
tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle.
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can also lead to
sudden tire failure, including a blowout and sudden deflation,
causing loss of vehicle control. •
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires originally installed
on your vehicle is listed on the tire pressure label located
either on driver's side B-pillar or inside the fuel filler flap.
The recommended tire pressures are on the tire pressure label and
in the
table=> page 297, "Cold tire inflation pressure". This means
that the pressure must be checked and adjusted when the tire has
not been driven for more than a couple of miles (kilometers) at low
speeds during the previous three hours. Air in the tires expands
when the tire heats up as a result of internal friction as it flexes in
use. The tire pressure is higher when the tire has warmed up than
when it is "cold."
It is the inflation pressure in a "cold" tire that counts. Therefore, you
should never let air out of a warm tire to match "Cold tire inflation
pressure"
recommendations=> page 297. The tires would then be
underinflated and could fail suddenly. .,._
Vehicle care

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The tire pressure label on your Audi lists the recommended cold tire
inf lation pressures for the new, original equipmen t tires that were
on your vehic le at the time it was manufactured . For the location of
the
labe l=> page 297, fig. 217 .
Most tires lose a ir natural ly over time. They can a lso lose some air if
you drive over a potho le or hit a curb wh ile parking. It is usually not
possible to see whether the radial t ires used today are under inflated
just by looking at them.
Therefore, be su re to check tire pressures at least once a month and
always before going on a long trip . Make sure to take the number of
people and the amount of luggage into account when adjusting tire
pressure for a trip -even one that you wou ld not cons ider to be
" long ."
See => page 301, "Tires and vehicle load limits" for more
important i nformation .
A lways use an accurat e tire pressure gaug e when checking and
adjusting inflat ion pressures. Check a ll of the tires and be sure not
to forget the spare tire . If the pressure in any tire is too high when
the t ire is "cold," let air o ut of the t ire slowly with the edge of the tire
gauge and keep check ing the pressure until you reach the pressure
that is correct for the load (passengers and luggage) and kind of
driving you p lan to do .
I f the pressure in any tire is too low, note the difference between the
pressure in the co ld tire and the pressure you need and add the air
that you need to reach the correct pressure for the vehicle load
(passengers and luggage) fo r the t ires on your veh ic le as listed on
the on your vehicle and in this manual and the kind of driving you pl an to do .
Never exceed the m aximum inflation pressure li sted on the tire
s idewall for an y re ason .
Remem ber that the vehic le manufacturer, not t he tire manufacturer,
determines the correct tire pressure for the tires on your vehicle .
I t is important to check the tire pressure when the tires are cold.
• Read the required tire pressure from the t ire pressure label
located either on driver 's side B -pillar or inside the fuel fi ller flap . •
Turn the va lve stem cap counter -clockwise to remove it from the
t ire valve .
• Place the air pressure gauge on the valve.
• The tire pressures should only be checked and adjusted when
the tires are cold. The s lightly raised pressures of warm tires must
not be reduced.
• Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are carrying.
• Reinstal l the va lve stem cap on the valve .
When should I check the tire pressure?
The correct tire pressure is especially important at high spe eds . The
pressure should the refore be checked at least once a mo nth and
a lways before starting a journey. Do not forget to check the tire pres ­
sure for the spare whee l
=> page 317.
Wh en should I adjust th e tir e pre ssur es?
Adjust t he tire pressure to the load you are carry ing . After changing
a wheel
o r replacing whee ls you have to ad just the tire pressures on
a ll whee ls . In addition, on vehicles w ith tire pressure monito ring
system* you must then store the new tire pressures in the system
=> page 45.
& WARNING
Incorrect tire pre ssure s and /or underinflation can lead sudden tire
f ai lure , loss of control , collision , seri ous per sonal injury or even
death.
• When the w arning symbol
(l) appe ars in the in strument
clu ster , stop and inspect the tire s.
• Incorrect t ire pres sure and /or underinflat ion can cause
increa sed tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle and
s topping ability.
• Incorrect tire pres sures and /or underinflation can also lead to
s udden tire fa ilure , inc luding a blowout and sudden defl ation ,
cau sing los s of vehicle control .
~

11!1 Tires and wheels
in the vehicle or passengers who are heavier than the standard
we ig ht s assume d mean that less weig ht ca n be carr ied as luggage.
T he tire pressure labe l on your Audi also lists the max imum
combined weight of a ll of t he occupants and luggage or other cargo
t h at t he ve hicle ca n ca rry. For t he location of t he
labe l~ page 2 97,
fig. 217.
LJ}. WARNING
Overloading a vehicle can cause loss of vehicle control, a crash or
other accident , serious personal injury, and even death .
• Carrying more weight than your vehicle was designed to carry
will prevent the vehi cle from handling properly and in crease the
risk of the loss of vehicle control.
• The brakes on a vehi cle that has been overloaded may not be
able to stop the vehicle within a safe distance .
• Tires on a veh icle that has been overloaded can fail suddenly ,
including a blowout and sudden deflation , causing loss of control
and a cra sh .
• Always make sure that the total load being transported -
including the weight of a trailer hitch and the tongue weight of a
loaded trailer -does not make the vehicle heavier than the
vehi cle 's Gro ss Vehicle Weight Rating .•
Determining correct load limit
Use the example below to calculate the
total weight of the passengers and luggage or other things that you plan to
transport 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 OCCUPANTS AND CARGO SHOULD NEVER EXCEED XXX KG OR XXX
LBS " on your vehicle's placard (tire infla­
tion pressure
label) => page 297, fig. 217.
2. Determine the combined weight of the driver and passengers that will be riding
in your vehicle.
3. Subtract the combined weight of the driver and passengers from
"XXX" kilo ­
grams or
"XXX" pounds shown on the
sticker=> page 297 , fig. 217.
4. The resulting figure equals the available amount of cargo and luggage load capacity. For example, if the
" XXX"
amount equals 1400 lbs. and there will
be five 150 lbs. passengers in your
vehicle, the amount of available cargo
and luggage load capacity is 650 lbs. (1400 -750 (5
X 150) = 650 lbs.) ..

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make, there w ill be six to eight of t hem evenly p laced around the
tir e. M arks o n the tire s idewall ( for example "TWI " or oth er sy mb ols)
indicate th e positions of the tread wear indicators. Worn tires must
b e re placed . Di fferen t fig ure s m ay apply i n other
c ountr ies=> & .
Tire pressure
Incorr ect tir e p ress ure c auses prematu re wear a nd can ca use
sudden tir e blow -out . For th is r eason, tir e pressur e must b e check ed
at leas t once a month
=> pa ge 299 .
Dri ving style
Drivi ng fa st aro und curv es, heavy acce le ra ti on and ha rd bra kin g
increase tire wear .
Rotating tires for more even wear
For all four tires on your vehic le to have the same service life, we
r ecom mend t hat the front a nd rea r tires ar e rotate d accord ing to the
tire manufacturer 's suggested tire rotation interva ls. Please
r e m emb er t he fo llo wi ng :
• Ti re rotation interva ls m ay d iffer from th e vehic le servic e inter ­
vals outl ined in y our M aintenance and Warran ty Boo kle t.
• T he longer one tire is used in one location on the vehicle, the
mor e it wea rs a t ce rtain points ; the re fo re, we rec omm end that yo u
fo llow t he ti re manufactu rer's su ggested tir e rotat ion int ervals .
• Vehi cle s with front -wh eel d rive e xper ience mo re trea d wea r on
the front wheels compared to al l-wheel drive (quattro®l .
• Ple as e ro tat e ti res as
sh ow n=> page 303, fig. 220.
• Extra care must be taken when rotating direction -specific tires
=> pag e 32 4.
Wheel balancing
T he wheels on n ew vehic les are bala nced. However, various situa ­
tions during eve ryday driving can cause them to become unba l­
ance d, res ulting i n vi brat ions you ca n us ual ly f eel thro ugh t he
steering whee l. U
nba lanc ed wh eels must be rebalanced to avoid excessive wear on
s tee ring, s uspen sio n an d tir es. A w heel m ust also be reba la nced
when a new tire is install ed.
Incorrect wheel alignment
Incorrect whee l alignment can cause excessive tire wear, impairing
t he sa fety o f the vehicl e. If ti res sh ow ex cessiv e w ear, h av e the
whee l al ignm ent check ed by an autho riz ed Aud i d eal er or qualifi ed
w ork shop.
All Wheel Drive
Ve hicl es wi th qu attr o® must alw ays h ave t ires of t he sa me siz e,
construction and tread type . For deta ils
see=> page 242 .
& 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 indicators .
• Especially in wet and slick driving situations , a preferably large
profile depth of the tires is necessary , and an approximately
similar profile depth of the front and rear axle tires.
• The diminished driving safety , caused by too small of a tire
profile, is negatively perceivable especially in handling , in danger
of hydroplaning when driving through deep puddles and ponds,
when driving around curves , and in braking behavior.
• Worn tires are a safety hazard , they do not grip well on wet
roads and increase your risk of "hydroplaning" and loss of control.
• Always keep chem icals 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 .
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& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unmatched tires and / or wheels or improper
tire and wheel combinations can lead to loss of control , collision
and serious personal injury .
• Always u se tires , rims and wheel bolts that meet the specifica ­
tions of original factory -installed tires or other combinations that
have been specifically approved by the vehicle manufacturer.
• 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 emergen cy and then with special care and at
lower speed s.
• Never mount used tires on your vehi cle 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 failure and loss of vehicle control.
• All four wheels must be fitted with radial tires of the same type ,
size (rolling circumference ) and the same tread pattern. Driving
with different tires reduces vehi cle handling and can lead to a loss
of control.
• If the spare t ire is not the same as the tires that are mounted
on the vehicle -for example with winter tires -only use the spare
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 ma ximum speed for wh ich the tires
on your vehicle are rated because tires that are driven faster than
their rated speed can fail suddenly .
• Overloading tire s cause heat build -up , sudden tire failure ,
including a blowout and sudden deflation and loss of control.
• Temperature grades apply to tires that are properly inflated and
not over or underinflated .
• For technical reasons it is not always possible to use wheel s
from other vehicles - in some cases not even wheels from the
same vehicle model.
& WARNING (continued )
• 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 overheat , increasing stopping distances
and causing a collision .
• 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 and a factory-installed tire pressure monitoring
s ystem that indicate s a loss of tire pressure . Incorrect use of run
flat tires can lead to vehicle damage or ac cidents . Check with an
authorized Audi dealer or tire specialist to see if your vehicle can
be equ ipped with run flat tires . If run flat tires are used , they must
be installed on all four wheels . Mixing tire types is not permitted.
0 Note
• For tec hnical r eas ons, it is no t gene rally possible to use the
whee l rims from other vehicles . ihis can hold true for wheels of the
same ve hicle type.
• I f the spare tire is different from the tires that you have mounted
on y our ve hicle (f or exampl e wi nter t ires or wide p ro fi le tir es), then
use the spa re tire fo r a short per iod of time on ly and d rive with extra
c a re . Rep lace the flat t ire wi th the ti re m atc h ing t he oth ers o n you r
vehic le as soon as possib le .
• If yo u should put diff eren t w heels a nd tires on yo ur vehi cle (e. g.
winter wheels and tires), you must be certa in that the wheels and
t ires a re co mpatibl e w ith the tire press ur e m onit orin g sys te m.
Otherwise the system will regist er a ma lfunction and a fau lt
mes sage wil l be d isp layed . Fo r mo re info rmation, contact yo ur Audi
dea ler .
0 Note
• When i nsta lling new ti res, be care fu l n ot to damage t he va lves o r
tire press ure mon itoring system* sensors . .,_

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• Never drive without the valve stem cap. The valves could get
damaged.
• If the sensors must be replaced, then the valve must also be
replaced at the same time.
For the sake of the environment
Dispose of old tires in accordance with the local requirements.•
Uniform tire quality grading
• Tread wear
• Traction AA A B C
• Temperature A B C
Quality grades can be found where applicable on the tire side wall
between tread shoulder and maximum section width
=> page 305,
fig. 221.
For example: Tread wear 200, Traction AA, Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Federal Safety Require­
ments in addition to these grades .
Tread wear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate
of the tire when tested under controlled conditions on a specified
government test course .
For example, a tire graded 150 would wear one and one half (1 1/2)
times as well on the government course as a tire graded 100.
The relative performance of tires depends upon the actual condi­
tions of their use, however , and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differ ­
ences in road characteristics and climate.
Traction
The traction grades, from highest to lowest, are AA, A, Band C.
Those grades represent the tire's ability to stop on wet pavement as measured under controlled conditions on specified government
test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have
poor traction performance
=> & .
Temperature
The temperature grades are A (the highest), B, and C, representing
the tire's resistance to the generation of heat and its ability to dissi­
pate heat when tested under controlled conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sustained high temperature can cause the material 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 performance which all
passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Safety Standard No. 109. Grades Band A represent higher levels of
performance on the laboratory test wheel than the minimum
required by law .
& WARNING
The traction grade assigned to this tire is based on straight-ahead
braking traction tests, and does not include acceleration,
cornering, hydroplaning or peak traction characteristics.
& WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is established for a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed, underinfla­
tion, or excessive loading, either separately or in combination, can
cause heat buildup and possible tire failure.
•
Vehicle care