-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
& 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 than 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"l
means the maximum total loaded weight of the vehicle.
Tires a nd wh eels -
----------------
•
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread ribs.
Load ra ting (code)
means the maximum load that a tire is rated to carry for a given
inflation pressure. You may not find this information on all tires
because it is not required by law.
M ax im um l oad ra tin g
means the load rating for a tire at the maximum permissib le infla
tion pressure for that tire.
Ma ximum l oaded v ehi cle weigh t
means the sum of:
(a) Curb weight
(b) Accessory weight
(c) Vehic le capacity weight, and
(ct) Production options weight
M ax im um (p er mi ssibl e) infl ati on pr essur e
means the maximum cold inflation pressure to wh ich a tire may be
inflated. Also ca lled "maximum inflation pressure."
Normal occ upa nt wei ght
means 150 lbs. (68 kilograms) times the number of occupants
seated in the vehicle up to the to tal seating capacity of your vehicle.
O ccupant di stributi on
means distribution of occupants in a vehicle .
Outer di am eter
means the overall diameter of an inflated new tire.
O ve rall wi dth
means the linear distance between the exteriors of the sidewa lls of
an inflated tire, includ ing elevations due to labeling, decorations, or
protective bands or ribs.
Pl y
means a layer of rubber -coated para lle l cords.
P rodu ction opt io ns wei ght
means the combined weight of those installed regular production
options weighing over 5 lbs . (2.3 kg) in excess of those standard
i t ems wh ich they replace, not previously considered in curb weigh t
or accessory weight, including heavy duty brakes, ride levelers, roof
rack, heavy duty battery, and specia l trim .
Radi al p ly tire
means a pneumatic tire in which the ply cords that extend to the
beads are laid at substantially 90 degrees to the centerline of the
tread .
Reco mm ended infl ati on pr essu re
see => page 314, "Cold tire inflation pressure".
Rein force d tir e
means a tire designed to operate at higher loads and at higher infla
tion pressures than the corresponding standard tire. Reinforced
t ires my be identified as "XL", "xi", "EXTRA LOAD", or "RF" on the
sidewall.
R im
means a metal support for a tire or a tire and tube assembly upon
wh ich the t ire beads are seated.
Rim di amet er
means nominal diameter of the bead seat. If you change your whee l
size, you wi ll have to purchase new tires to match the new rim diam
eter .
Rim siz e de sig nation
means rim diameter and width.
Rim wid th
means nominal distance between rim flanges.
Vehicle care I t •
-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
Sidewall
means that portion of a tire between the tread and bead.
Speed rating
extended periods of time. The ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
to 186 mph (298 km/h)=>
page 326. You may not find this informa
tion on a ll tires because it is not required by law.
The speed rating letter code, where applicable, is molded on the tire sidewa ll and indicates the maximum perm issible road speeds =>
&
in "Winter tires" on page 329.
Tire pressure monitoring system
means a system that detects when one or more of a vehicle 's tires
are under inflated and illuminates a low tire pressure warning te ll
tale.
Tread
means that portion of a tire that comes into contact with the road.
Tread separation
means pu lling away of the tread from the tire carcass.
Treadwear indicators (TWI)
means the projections within the principa l grooves designed to give
a visual indication of the degrees of wear of the tread . See
=>
page 323, "Tread Wear Indicator (TWI)" for more information on
measuring tire wear .
Uniform Tire Quality Grading
is a tire information system developed by the United States National
Highway Traffic Safety Adm inistration (NHTSA) that is designed to
help buyers make relative comparisons among tires. The UTQG is
not a safety rati ng and not a guarantee that a tire will last for a
prescribed number of miles or perform in a certain way . It simply
gives tire buyers additiona l information to comb ine with other
considerations, such as price, brand loyalty and dealer recommen- dations
. Under UTQG, tires are graded by the tire manufacturers in
t hree areas : treadwear, traction and temperature resistance. The
UTQG information on the tires, molded into the sidewalls.
U .S . DOT 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 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,
DOT ... 2207 ...
means that the tire was produced in the 22th week of 2007. The
other numbers are marketing codes that may or may not be used by
the tire manufacturer. This information is used to contac t
consumers if a tire defect requires a reca ll.
Vehicle capacity weight
means the rated cargo and luggage load plus 150 lbs . (68 kilograms)
t imes the vehicle's tota l seating capacity as listed on the label
located either on the driver's side 8-pillar or on the inside of the fuel
filler flap.
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is determined by distrib
uting to each axle its share of the maximum loaded vehicle weight
and dividing by two.
Vehicle normal load on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is determined by d istrib
uting to each axle its share of the curb weight, accessory weight,
and normal occupant weight (distributed in accordance with table
below=>
page 317) and dividing by two. .,_
-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
for the vehicle at its maximum capacity weight and tires that were
on your vehic le at the time it was manufactured.
If you w is h t o improve co mfort w hen opera ting the vehicle a t
n ormal lo ad (up t o 3 o ccupant s), you can a djust ti re pre ss ure s to
tho se s pecified for norm al v ehi cle load . B efore operating the vehi cle
at m aximum lo ad , y ou must i ncreas e the t ire p re ss ure s to tho se
s pe cifi ed for m axim um vehicle lo ad
=> & .
Bear in mind that the tire pressure monitoring system can only
monitor the tire pressures you have stored. The system does not
recognize the load condition of your vehic le.
The effectiveness of the tire pressure monitoring system will be impaired if you store normal load pressures but then operate the
vehic le at its maximum load=>&. See the
illustration=>
page 317, fig. 240 for the location of the label
either on driver's side B -p illar or inside the fuel fi ller flap (color of
the actual label and exact location on the vehicle will vary slight ly).
Note that the fol lowing tab le is accurate at the time of going to
press and is subject to change . In the event of discrepanc ies, the tire
pressure label (on USA vehicles, the tire pressure label is located on
the dr iver's side B-pi llar; on Canada vehicles, the tire pressure labe l
is located either on the driver's side B-pillar or inside the fue l fi ller
fl ap) always takes precedence.
T he table below lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures
for the Audi model covered by your Owner's Literature at the
vehic le's capacity weight and the tire sizes installed on the respec
tive models as origina l equipment, or as a factory option.
En gin e Tire des ig nation Tir e pr essur e fro nt Tir e p re ssur e rea r
( di spl ac e-
no rm al l oa d no rm al l oa d
m ent in
conditi on (up t o full lo
ad
condition (u p full lo
ad
lit er)
condition condition 3 occupants ) to 3 occ upant s)
PSI kPA kPA kPA
6-cylinder 225/5 5 R16 99H XL All Sea son 33 230 35 240
30 210
39 270
3.2
245 /45 R17 99H XL All Season 33 230 35 240 30 2 10 39 270
2 45 /40 R1 8 97 H XL All Season 36 250
38 260 33 230 42 290
245
/40 R18 97V XL Hi gh Performan ce 33 230 33 230 30 210
39 270
8
-c ylind er 245 /45 R17 99H XL All Sea son 36 250 36 250 32 220 41 280
4.2
245/40 R18 97 H XL All S eason 39 270 39 270 35 240 42 290
2
45 /40 R18 97V XL High Perf orma nce 35 240
36 250 32 220 39 270
X
L = reinforced or extra load t ire . It may also appea r as xi, EX TRA LOAD , or RF on the tire sidewall.
The correct t ire pressure for the
spare wheel is located on a label
either on the driver's side B-pillar or inside the fuel fil ler flap. Because technica
l changes may be made to vehicle equipment
during the mode l year, always compare the tire size designation on
the tire pressure label on your vehicle with the tires on your vehic le .
Make sure that the tire size information on the vehic le label is the _.,
________________________________________________ T_ i _r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ lftlll
•
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 technical ly referred to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating ("GVWR"l. The Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") 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 labe l located
either on the driver's side 8 -pillar or on the inside of the fuel fi ller
flap. The tire pressure labe l on your Audi lists the maximum
combined weight of a ll of the occupants and luggage or other cargo
that the vehic le can carry. For the location of the tire pressure label
~ page 317, fig . 240.
& WARNING
O verlo ading a vehicle can c ause los s of vehicle control , a crash or
o ther a ccident , seriou s pe rsonal inju ry, and e ven d eath .
• Carrying more weight than your v ehi cle wa s des igned to carr y
w ill p re v ent the veh icle fr om handli ng properly and in crea se the
ri sk of a lo ss of ve hicle control .
• The br ake s on a vehicle that h as been o verloa ded m ay not be
able to stop the veh icle with in a safe di sta nce .
• Tir es o n a veh icle th at ha s bee n ov erlo aded can fail sudd enl y
c au sin g loss of cont rol a nd a cra sh.
• Always mak e sure th at the total lo ad being tr ansported -
includin g the weight of a tra iler hit ch an d th e tongue weight of a
lo aded tr ailer -doe s not m ake the vehi cle he avier tha n the
v ehicle 's Gro ss V ehicle W eigh t Rating.
& WARNING
• Incorre ct t ire pre ssu re s a nd/o r unde rinflat ion can le ad to a
seriou s or fatal a ccident.
• Incorre ct t ire pr essure s and/or u nderi nflat ion cause in creased
tire wear and can affec t th e handling of the vehicl e.
• Inco rre ct t ire pr essur es and /or underinfl atio n ca n als o lead to
s udden tire failure , including a b lowout and sudden deflation ,
ca usin g lo ss of vehi cle co ntrol. •
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 317, "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 mi les (kilometers) at low
speeds during the previous three hours . Air in the tires expands
when the tire heats up as a result of internal fric tion 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 ou t of a warm tire to match "Co ld tire inflation
pressure" recommendations~
page 317. The tires wou ld then be
underinflated and could fa il suddenly .
The tire pressure label on your Audi lists the recommended cold tire
inflation pressures for the new, original equipment tires that were
on your vehic le at the time it was manufactu red. For the location of
the labe l~
page 317, fig . 240.
Most tires lose air natural ly over time . They can a lso lose some air if
you drive over a pothole or hit a curb while parking. It is usually not ..,
Vehicle care I t •
Tires and wheels -________________ lf:HIIII
•
& WARNING (continu ed )
• Only when all tires on the veh icle are filled to the correct pres
s ure , the tire pre ssure monitoring sy stem can work correctly .
• The use of incorrect tire pressure values can lead to accidents
or other damage. Therefore it i s es sential that the driver observe
the specified tire pre ssure values for the tires and the correct pres
s ures for the function of the tire pressure monitoring system.
• Alway s inflate tires to the recommended and correct tire pres
sure before driving off .
• Driving with underinflated tires bend more , letting them get
too hot re sulting in tread separation , sudden ti re 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 stat ion
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 preven t this, a lways make su re t hat facto ry instal led
va lve
stem caps on a ll whee ls are securely mounted on the va lve .
'£> For the sake of the environment
Underinflated t ires will a lso increase the fuel consumption. •
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or weight that any vehicle and
any t ire can car ry. A vehicle that i s ove rlo aded wil l n ot hand le well and
is more difficu lt to stop . Overloading can not only lead to loss
o f ve h ic le control, but ca n also damage impor ta nt parts o f the
vehic le and can lead to sudden tire fa ilure, inc luding a blowout and
sudden defla tion that ca n cause the vehic le to cra sh .
Your sa fety and that o f your passe ngers also depe nds on mak ing
sure that load limits are not exceeded . Vehicle load includes every
b ody and everyth ing in and on t he veh ic le . T hese load lim its a re
technica lly referred to as the vehicle's
Gross Vehi cle We ight Rating
(" GVWR"l .
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic veh ic le, all factory
insta lled accesso rie s, a ful l tank of fuel , oil, coolant an d other fluids
p lus max imum load. T he ma xim um load inc ludes the number o f
passe ngers that the veh icle is intended to carry ("seat ing capacity")
w ith a n assu med we ight of 150 l bs (68 kg) fo r each passen ger at a
designated seating position and the total weight of any luggage in
the v ehicle. I f you tow a trailer, the we ig ht o f the tra ile r hi tch and t he
tongue weight of the loaded trailer must be includ ed as part of the
ve hicle l oad.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR"l is t he maximum load that
can be applied at each of the vehicle's two ax le s.
The Gross Ve hicle We ig ht Rat ing and t he G ross A xle Weig ht Rat ing
are listed on the safety comp liance stic ker label located either on
t he d rive r's side 8 -p illar or on th e inside of the fuel fil ler fla p. You r
Audi has 5 seating positions, 2 in the front and 3 in the rear for total
seating ca paci ty of 5 . Each seating p ositi on has a safe ty be lt
=> page 202, "Safety belts" .
The fact that there is an upper limit to your veh icle's Gross Vehicle
W eight Rating m eans tha t the to tal weight o f whateve r is bein g
carried in the vehicle (including the weight of a trailer hitch and the
to ngue we igh t of the l oad ed trai ler) is li mit ed . The m ore passe ng ers
in the vehicle or passengers who are heavie r than the standard
we ig ht s assum ed mean that les s we ight ca n be ca rri ed as luggage.
The tire pressure labe l on your Audi also lists the maximum
com bined we ig ht of a ll of t he occ upa nts and luggage or other ca rg o
~
Vehicle care I t •
IIJ!I Tires and wheels
that the vehicle can carry. For the location of the label~ page 31 7,
fi g. 240 .
& 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
ri sk of the loss of vehicle control.
• The brakes on a veh icle 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,
including a blowout and sudden deflation , causing loss of control
and a crash.
• 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. •
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 317 , fig. 240.
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 317, fig. 240.
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,,,
Tires and wheels -_______________ _____.
5. Determine the combined weight of
luggage and cargo being loaded on th e
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 determin e how this reduces the avail
able cargo and luggage load capacity of
your vehicle.
- Check the tire sidew all (~
page 325,
fig . 244) to determine the designated
load rating for a specific tire . •
Tire service life
The ser vic e life of ti res depends on a lo t o f different things
inclu ding p roper i nstallation and bal ancing, correc t tire
pressu re a nd drivi ng style .
Tread Wear Ind icator (TWll
Fig . 24 2 Tire tread:
tre ad we ar indi cato rs
(TWll
Fig . 2 4 3 Rot ating tire s
for mo re even wear
The or iginal tires on your vehicle have 1 /16 inch ( 1.6 mm) high " wea r
indicators"=> fig. 242 running across the tread. Depending on the
make, the re wil l be six to eight of them even ly p la ced a rou nd the
t ire . Marks on the tire sidewa ll (for example "TWI" or other symbols)
indicate the positions of the tread wear indicators. Worn tire s must
be r eplaced. Di fferen t fi gures may apply in other countries ::::>,& . .,_
Vehic le care I I Technical data