________________________________________________ T_ i
_ r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ l'III
& W ARNING (continued )
• The driver is respon sible for the correct tire pre ssure s for all
tire s on the vehicle. The applicable pressure values are located on
a st icker on the driver 's side B-pillar or on the inside of the fuel
filler flap.
• Only when all tire s on the vehicle are filled to the correct pres
sure , the tire pressure monitoring system * can work correctly .
• The use of incorrect tire pressure values can lead to accidents
or other damage. Therefore it is essential that the driver observe
the specified tire pressure values for the tires and the correct pres
sures for the function of the tire pressure monitoring system*.
• Always inflate tires to the recommended and correct tire pres
sure before driving off.
• Driving with underinflated tires bend more , letting them get
too hot resulting in tread separation , sudden tire failure and loss
of control.
• Ex cessive speed and /overloading can cause heat build -up ,
sudden tire failure and loss of control .
• If the tire pressure is too low or too high, the tires will wear
prematurely and the vehicle will not handle well.
• If the tire is not flat and you do not have to change a wheel
immediately, drive at reduced speed to the nearest service station
to che ck the tire pressure and add air as required .
0 Note
Driving without valve stem caps can cause damage to the tire
valves. To preve nt th is, a lways make s ure th at f acto ry installed va lve
stem caps on al l whee ls are securely mounted on the va lve .
~ For the sake of the environment
Underinflated tires will a lso increase the fuel consumpt io n. •
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or weight t hat any vehic le and
any tire can carry . A ve hicle that i s ove rloa ded will not handle well
and is more d iff icu lt to stop . Overload ing can not only lead to loss
o f vehi cle control, but can also damag e impor tan t p arts o f the
vehic le and can lead to sudden tire failure, including a blowout and
sudde n defla tion that ca n cause the veh ic le to c ra sh .
Your sa fety a nd t hat o f your passe ngers a lso depe nds o n maki ng
s u re that load li mits are not exceeded. Vehic le load incl udes every
b ody and everythi ng i n and on t he vehicle . T he se l oa d limi ts are
technical ly referred to as the ve hic le's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVW R"l.
T he "GVWR" includes the wei ght of the basic vehic le, all factory
in sta lled acces so ries, a full t an k of f uel, o il, c oolant a nd oth e r flu ids
p lus max imum load . T he maximum load inc ludes th e number o f
p asse ngers tha t th e ve hicle i s intended t o carry ("seat ing ca paci ty")
with an assu med weight o f 150 l bs (68 kg) fo r each passe nger at a
designated seating position and the total weight of any luggage in
th e v ehic le. I f you tow a trai ler, the we ig ht o f the tra iler hitch a nd th e
tongue weight of the loaded trailer must be inc luded as part of the
ve hicle lo ad .
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is t he maximum load that
ca n b e app lie d at eac h of th e veh icle's two axle s.
T he G ross Ve hicle We ight Rati ng a nd th e G ross A xle Wei ght R ati ng
are listed on the safety comp liance stic ker label located either on
t he driver 's si de B-pi lla r o r on the in sid e of t he fue l fille r fl ap. You r
Aud i has 5 seating posit ions, 2 in the front and 3 in the rear for total
sea ting ca paci ty of 5. Each sea ting p osit ion has a safe ty b elt
=> page 176, "Saf ety be lts" .
The fact that there is an upper limit to your vehicle's Gro ss Vehicle
W eight Rat ing m eans that th e total weight o f whatever is b ein g
carried in the vehic le (including the weight of a traile r hitc h and the
ton gue we ight of the loaded tr aile r) is lim it e d. Th e m or e passe ng ers
~
Vehicle care
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.) ..
__________________________________________________ T_ ir_e _ s_ a_ n
_ d_ w_ h_ e_ e_ls _ __. 11111
/b, W ARNING (continued )
• Never mount u sed tires on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previou s history. " Old used ti res may ha ve been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failu re and loss of vehicle control.
•
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
N ew tires and wheels have to be bro ken i n.
12
9
Fig . 22 1 Tire spe cificati on code s on the sidewall of a tire
No .
0
@
®
©
©
Description
Passenger car tire (where applicable)
Nominal w idth o f tire in mi llime ters
Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
Radia l
Rim diameter code
© Load index and speed rating
0
©
©
@)
1ju.s. DOT tire identification number
Sever snow cond itions
Tire ply composition and materials used
Max imu m load rating
@ Treadwear, traction and temperature grades
@ Maximum permissible inflation pressure
The t ires and rims are ess ential parts of the ve hicle's design . T h e
tires and rims approved by Audi are specially matched to the char
ac ter is ti cs of th e vehicle and can mak e a major contribution to good
road holding and safe hand ling when in good condition and prop
erly i nflated
=> /b, .
We recommend that a ll work on tires and wheels be perfo rmed by
an au thorized Audi dealer . They a re familia r with recommended
procedures and have the necessary specia l tools and spare parts as
we ll as the proper facilities fo r dispo sing of the o ld tires.
Authori zed Audi d ea lers have the n ecessa ry in for mati on abo ut tec h-
nical requirements for instal ling or changing tires and rims . _...
Vehic le care Technical data
________________________________________________ T_ i
_ r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ l!III
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)3
)
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)3
l
Your vehicle is normally factory equipped tires, which possess
excellent driving characteristics and give your Audi optimum
driving comfort. An electronic speed
limiter => page 28will normally
prevent your vehicle from going faster than the tire speed rating
=> & .
U .S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN) and tire
manufacture date
This is the tire's "serial number". It begins with the letters "DOT"
and indicates that the tire meets all federal standards. The next two
numbers or letters indicate the plant where it was manufactured,
and the last four numbers represent the week and year of manufac
ture . For example, the numbers 2205 mean that the tire was
produced in the 22th week of 2005. The other numbers are
marketing codes that may or may not be used by the tire manufac
turer. This information is used to contact consumers if a tire defect
requires a recall.
Tire ply composition and materials used
The number of plies indicates the number of layers of rubber-coated
fabric in the tire. In general, the greater the number of plies, the
more weight a tire can support. Tire manufacturers also must indi
cate the materials in the tire, which include steel, nylon, polyester,
and others.
Maximum Load Rating
This number indicates the maximum load in kilograms and pounds
that can be carried by the tire.
Tire quality grading for treadwear, traction, and
temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and temperature grades=> page 309 . Maximum Permissible Inflation Pressure
This number is
the greatest amount of air pressure that should ever
be put in the tire under normal driving conditions.
Replacing tires or rims on vehicles equipped with tire
pressure monitoring system*
The wheels on your vehicle are equipped with a sensor which
constantly monitors the air pressure inside the tire, and then trans
mits this information to the tire pressure monitoring system*. If you
are going to replace the wheel rims on your vehicle, make sure the
new rims also have these sensors. The sensors must be compatible
with the tire pressure monitoring system* on your vehicle.
If you install rims, which do not have the sensors, or have sensors
which are not compatible, then the tire pressure monitoring
system * will not work properly. In this case, the tire pressure moni
toring system* would not be able to monitor the tire pressure or
warn you if it is necessary .
• The battery inside of the tire pressure sensor has a limited
service life.
• Always drive with the valve stem caps securely mounted. We
recommend using factory installed valve stem caps . Ask your autho
rized Audi dealer to replace lost valve stem caps.
The installation of replacement tires with steel cord body plies in
the tire sidewall may cause malfunction of the tire pressure moni
toring system, and is not recommended (cord material information
in molded on the tire sidewall).
Always check your tire pressure monitoring system* indicator after
replacing one or more tires on your vehicle. If the tire pressure
monitoring system * indicator flashes, or is on, your system is not
working properly. Your replacement tire might be incompatible with
your tire pressure monitoring system*, or some component of the
tire pressure monitoring system* may be damaged.
....
Vehicle care
___ T_ ir_e _ s_ a_ n
_ d_ w_ h_ e_ e_ls _________________________________________________ _
& 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 . .,_
__________________________________________________ T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e
_ e_l_s __ fflll
• 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
___ T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n
_ d_ w_ h_ e_ e_l_
s _________________________________________________ _
Winter tires
Winter tires can impr ove vehicle handling on snow and
ice. At temperatures below 45 °F (7 °C) we recommend
changing to winter tires.
I n some heavy snow areas, local governments may require true
winter or "snow" tires, those with very deeply cut tread . These tires
should only be used in pairs and be instal led on a ll four wheels .
Make sure you purchase snow tires that are the same s ize and
construction type as the other tires on your vehicle .
If your vehic le is equipped with al l-wheel drive*, this will improve
traction during winter driving, even with the standard tires.
H owever, we strongly recommend that you a lways equ ip al l four
whee ls on your vehic le with correct ly fitted winter tires or all-season
t ires, when winter road conditions are expec ted. This also improves
t he vehic le's braking performance and reduces stopping distances.
Summer tires provide less grip on ice and snow.
W inter tires (snow t ires) must a lways be fi tted on a ll four wheels .
If your vehicle is equipped with a tire pressure monitoring system* ,
compatible tire pressu re monitoring sensors must be instal led on
a ll f our winter t ires for the system to function
properly=> page 307.
Ask your authorized Audi dealer or qualified workshop for permitted
winter tire size s. Use only rad ial winter tires.
Winter tires lose their effect iveness when the tread is worn down to
a depth of 4 mm (0.157 inch).
Only drive with w inter tires under winter conditions. Summer tires
handle better when there is no snow or ice on the roads and the
t emperature is above 45 °F (7 °C).
If you have a flat tire, see notes on spare
wheel=> page 305 .
Please a lways remember that winter tires may have a lower speed
rating than the tires original ly instal led on your vehicle at the ti me
it was manufactured . Please see
=> page 306 , "Speed rating (letter code)" for a listing of the speed rating letter codes and the
maximum speed at which t he tires can be d riven .
The speed rating letter
code(=> page 2961 i s on the side wa ll of the
tire => page 305.
& WARNING
Winter tire s have maximum speed limits that may be lower than
your vehi cle's ma ximum speed . Al wa ys know the ma ximum speed
before driving off . Never drive fa ster th an the speed permitted for
y our s pecifi c w inter tire s. Thi s will cau se damage to the tire s
lead ing to an a ccident and seriou s per sonal injury to you and your
p ass engers.
& WARNING
Driving fa ster th an the m aximum speed for whi ch the winte r tire s
on your vehi cle were de signed c an cause tir e failure in cluding a
blowout and sudden deflat ion , lo ss of contr ol, c rashe s and seriou s
per sonal injuries . Have worn or damaged tires repl aced immedi
ately .
• Winter tires have ma ximum speed rating that may be lower
than your vehicle' s m axi mum speed .
• Never drive faster than the speed for which the winter or other
ti re s in sta lled on you r vehi cle are r ated .
& WARNING
Always adju st your driving to the ro ad and traff ic condit ions .
Never let the good acceleration of th e win ter tire s and all-wheel
dr ive tempt you into taking extra ri sks. Al ways rem ember :
• When braking, an all -wheel driv e vehicle handle s in th e same
w ay as a front dr ive veh icle .
• Drive ca refully and redu ce your speed on i cy and slippery r oads,
e ven w inter tires cannot h elp under bl ack ice condit ions .
...,
-
Tires and wheels
----------------
&, WARNING (continued )
• Only u se wheel bolts that belong to the rim being installed.
• Never use different wheels bolt s on your vehi cle .
• Alway s maintain the correct tightening torque for the wheel
bolts to reduce the risk of a wheel los s.
If the tightening torque of
the wheel bolts is too low , they can loosen and come out when the
vehi cle is moving. If the tightening torque is too high , the wheel
bolts and threads can be damaged and the wheel can become
loose .
0 Note
The specified torque for the wheel bolts is 90 ft lb (12 0 Nm) with a
tolerance of± 7,4 ft lb(± 10 Nm). Torque whee l bolts diagonally.
After changing a wheel, the torque must be c hecked as soon as
possible with a torque wrench -preferably by an authorized Audi
d ea ler or qua lifi ed works hop.•
Low aspect ratio tires
Your Aud i is factory -equipped with low aspect ratio tires . T hese tires
have been thorough ly tested and been selected specifical ly for your
mod el for t he ir superb perf or mance, r oad feel and ha ndling u nder
a variety of driving conditions . Ask your authorized Audi dealer for
mo re deta ils.
The low aspect ratio of these tires is indicated by a numeral of
55 or
less
i n the ti re's size designatio n. The numeral rep resents the ra tio
of the t ire's sidewa ll height in relation to its tread width expressed
in percentage . Conventiona l tires have a height/width ratio of 60 or
m ore.
The performan ce of low -aspe ct-ratio tires is part icularly sensitive to
improper inflation pressure . It is therefore important that low
aspe ct ratio tires are inflated to the specified pressure and that the
inflation pressure i s regularly checked and maintained. Tire pres- sures should be checked at least once a month and always before a
long
trip => page 299, "C heck ing tire pre ssure" .
What you can do to avoid tire and rim damage
Low as pect r ati o ti res can be da maged more easi ly by impact w ith
potho les, curbs, gullies or ridges on the road, particularly if the tire
i s u nde rinfl ated.
I n order to min imize the occurrence of impact damage to the t ires
of your vehic le, we recommend that you observe the fo llowing
precautions :
• Always maintain recommended inflation pressures . Check your
t ire pr essu re every 2,000 miles (3,000 k m) a nd add air if necessary .
• Drive careful ly on roads with potholes, deep gu llies or ridges.
T he im pac t from driving t hroug h or ov er suc h ob stacl es ca n
damage your tires. Impact with a curb may also cause damage to
yo ur tir es .
• After any impact, immediately inspect your tires or have them
inspec te d by the neares t au thori ze d Aud i dealer. Replac e a
damaged tire as soon as possible.
• I nspect you r ti res eve ry 2,0 00 m iles (3,000 km) for damage and
wear. Damage is not always easy to see. Damage can lead to loss of
a ir a nd und eri nfl ation, whic h cou ld eve ntual ly ca use tire fa ilur e. If
you be lieve that a tire may have been damaged, rep lace the tire as
s o on as p ossi ble.
• T hese tires may wear more quickly than others .
• P lease a lso remember that, whi le these tires de liver respons iv e
handling, they may ride less comfortably and make more noise t han
other choices.
Reduced performance in winter /cold season
c onditions
A ll tir es a re desig ned f or certai n purposes. The low a spect rati o,
u ltra hi gh pe rf ormance t ires or igin a lly ins tal led on your ve hicle are
intended for maximum dry and wet road performance and handling .
Th ey a re not su itab le fo r co ld, snowy or ic y weat her co nd it io ns. If
~