2008 AUDI A4 AVANT Owners Manual

5. Determine the combined weight of luggage and cargo being loaded on the
vehicle. That weight may not safely
exceed the available cargo and luggage
load capacity calculated in Step 4.
6. If your vehicle will be towing a trailer, load from your trailer will be transferred
to your vehicle. Consult this manual to
determine how this reduces the avail­
able cargo and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
- Check the tire sidewall(::::>
page 305,
fig. 221) to determine the designated
load rating for a specific tire.•
Tires and wheels 1111
Tire service life
The service life of tires depends on a lot of different things
including proper installation and balancing, correct tire
pressure and driving style.
•,
.._ ____________ __,
Tread Wear Indicator {TWI)
Fig. 219 Tire tread:
tread wear indicators
(TWO
Fig . 220 Rotating tires
for more even wear
The origina l tires on your vehicle have 1 /16 inch (1.6 mm) high "wear
indicators"=> fig . 219 running across the tread . Depending on the .,.
Vehic le care irechnical data

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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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/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

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R ep laci ng tires a nd whee ls
T ires shou ld be replaced at least in pairs and not ind ividually (for
examp le bo th front tires or both rear tires together!.
On v ehicles with tire pressure monitoring system *, be sure to read
and heed the informat ion
=> page 307.
A lways buy rep lacement radia l tires that have the same sp ecifica­
t ions as the tires approved for your veh ic le by Aud i. Replacement
tires must always have the same load rating specification as the
orig ina l equipment or approved optional t ires listed in the table
=> page 297.
Audi -approved specification tires are specially matched to your
vehic le and its load limits, and can contribute to the important road­
holding, driving characteristics, and safety of the vehicle . The table
(=> page 297) lists specifications of the tires approved for the Audi
models covered by your Owner's Literature .
The tire pressure labe l located either on driver 's side 8 -pi llar or
inside the fuel fi ller
flap(=> page 297, fig. 218) lists the specifica ­
tions of the origina l equipment tires installed on your vehicle at the
time it was manufactured .
Federa l law requires tire manufacturers to place standardized infor ­
mation on the s idewall of all
tires => page 305, fig. 221 . This informa ­
tion identifies and describes the fundamental characteristics, the quality grade of the tire and a lso provides a tire identification
number for safety standard certification and in case of a recall.
Tir e specificat ions
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it easier to choose the
correct tires . Ra dial t ires have the tire specifications marked o n the
sidewall, for example :
P235 / 45 R 1 7 94 H
This contains the following informat ion:
P Indicates the tire is for passenger cars (where app licable)
2 35 No minal t ire wid th i n mm of the tire fro m sidewall edge to side ­
wall edge. In general, the larger the number, the wider the tire
45 Height/width ratio in percent (aspect ratio)
R Tire construction: Radial
17 Rim diameter code (in inches)
94 Load rat ing code
H Speed rating letter code
X L (or "xi", "EXTRA LOAD" or "RF") indicates that the t ire is a "Rein­
forced" or an "Extra Load" ti re
M +S (or "M/S") Ind icates that the tire has some mud and snow capa -
bility
The tires cou ld also have the information of direction of rotation
=> page 293.
Tire m anuf acturing date
The manufacturing date is a lso indicated on the tire sidewall
(possibly on ly on the
inner side of the wheel):
"DOT ... 2205 . ..
" means, for example, that the tire was produced in
the 22th week of 2005.
S peed r ating (le tt e r code )
The speed rating letter code on the whee ls indicates the maximum
permissible road
speeds => & in "W inter tires" on page 310 .
p up to 93 mph ( 150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R up to 106 mph (170 km/h)
s up to 110 mph (180 km/h)
T up to 118 mph (190 km/h)
u up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H up to 130 mph (210 km/
h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)3
l
z over 149 mph (240 km/h)31
3> For tires w ith a maximum speed capabi lity over 149 mph (240 km/h) , tire
manufacturers sometimes use the letters " ZR."

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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

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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