2009 AUDI A4 CABRIOLET tires

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 271, fig. 207.
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 271, fig. 207.
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 I bs.)
Tires and wheels 1111111
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 279,
fig. 211) to determine the designated
load rating for a specific tire. •
Vehic le care

___ T_ i_ r_e _s_ a_ n_ d_ vv_ h_ e_ e _ ls _________________________________________________ _
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 .
(r------,')
l "------J)
Tread Wear Indicator ( TWll
ij
:c ., m
Fig. 209 Tire tre ad:
t read wear ind ica to rs
(TW IJ
Fig . 2 10 Rot ati ng tire s
for mo re even w ear
The orig inal tires on your vehic le have 1 /16 inch (1.6 mm) high "wear
indicators "~ fig. 209 running across the tread . Depending on the
make , there will be six to eight of them evenly p laced around the
tire . Marks on the tire sidewall (for example "TWI" or other symbo ls)
indicate the positions of the tread wear indicators . Worn tires must
be replaced. Dif ferent figures may apply in other countries~&.
Tire pre ssure
Incorrect tire pressure causes premature wear and can cause
sudden tire blow-out . For this reason , tire pressure mus t be checked
at least once a month~
page 274.
Driving style
Driving fast around curves, heavy acce leration and hard braking
increase tire wear .
Rotating t ires for more even wear
For all four tires on your vehicle to have the same service life, we
recommend that the front and rear tires are rota ted according to the
tire manufacturer's suggested tire rotation interva ls . Please
remember the following:
• Tire rotation interva ls may differ from the vehicle service inter­
vals out lined in your Warran ty
& M aintenance Booklet .
• The longer one tire is used in one locat ion on the vehicle, the
more it wears at certain po ints; therefore, we recommend that you
follow the tire manufacturer 's suggested t ire rotation intervals .
• Vehicles with front -wheel drive experience more tread wear on
the front wheels compared to al l-wheel drive (quattro®) .
• Please rotate tires as shown ~
page 278, fig. 210 .
• Extra care must b e taken wh en rotat ing dir ection -specific tires
~ page 298.
Wheel balan cing
The wheels on new vehicles are balanced. However, various situa­
tions during everyday dr iving can cause them to b ecome unbal ­
anced, resulti ng in vibra tions you can usually feel through the
ste ering whee l.
Unbalanced wheels must be rebalanced to avoid excessive wear on
steering , suspension and tires . A wheel must also be reba lanced
when a new tire is installed.
~

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In correct wheel alignment
Inc orrect wheel alignment can cause excessive tire wea r, impairing
the saf ety of the vehicle . If tires s how excessive wear , have the
whee l alig nment chec ked by an autho rized A udi deale r or q ualif ied
workshop .
All Wheel Drive
Vehicles with quattro ® must always have tires of the same si ze ,
cons tructi on and tread type . For details see => page 218 .
& 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 indi cators .
• E specially 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 tire s.
• 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 curve s, and in braking behavior.
• Worn t ires are a safety hazard , they do not grip well on wet
roads and increase your risk of "hydroplaning " and loss of control.
• Always keep chemicals that can cause tire damage , such a s
grease , oil , gasoline and brake flu id away from tires.
• Tires age even if they are not being used and can fail suddenly ,
espe cially 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
lowe r speeds.
• Never mount used tire s on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history ." Old u sed tires may have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire failure and los s of vehicle control. •
New tires and replacing tires and wheels
New tires and wheels ha ve to be bro ken in.
Fig. 211 Tire spe cification cod es on the sidewall of a tir e
No. Description
©
@
@
@
©
©
Passenger car tire (where applicable)
Nominal w id th of tire in mi llimeters
Ratio of height to width (aspect ratio)
Radia l
ii Rim diameter code
Load index an d sp eed ra ting
Vehic le care irechnical data

-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
0
©
@
U.S. DOT tire identification number
Sever snow conditions
Tire ply composition and materials used
Maximum load rating
Treadwear, traction and temperature grades Maximum permissible inflation pressure
The tires and rims are essential parts of the vehicle's design. The
tires and rims approved by Audi are specially matched to the char­ acteristics of the vehicle and can make a major contribution to good
road holding and safe handl ing when in good condition and prop ­
erly inflated =>& .
We recommend that al l work on tires and wheels be performed by
an authorized Audi dealer . They are familiar with recommended
procedures and have the necessary special too ls and spare parts as
we ll as the proper facilities for disposing of the o ld tires .
Authorized Audi dealers have the necessary information about tech ­
n ical requirements for insta lling o r changing tires and rims .
Repl ac ing t ires and wheels
Tires should be replaced at least in pairs and not individually (for
example both front tires or both rear tires together).
On vehicles with tire pressure moni toring system*, be sure to read
and heed the information=>
page 287.
Always buy replace ment radia l tires tha t have the same specifica ­
tions as the tires approved for your vehicle by Audi . Replacement
tires must always have the same load rating specification as the
original equipment or approved optional tires listed in the table
=>
page 271.
A udi -appr oved specificat ion tires a re specially matched t o your
vehic le and its load limits, and can contribute to the important road- holding, driving characteristics, and safety of the vehicle
. T he tab le
( =>
page 271) lists specifications of the tires approved for the Audi
models covered by your Owner's Literature.
The tire pressure label located either on driver's side B -pi llar or
insi de the fuel filler flap(=>
page 271, fig. 208) lists the specifica ­
tions of the original 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 sidewa ll of all tires=>
page 279, fig. 211. This informa ­
tion identifies and descr ibes the fundamenta l characteristics, the
quality grade of the tire and a lso prov ides a tire identification
number for safety standa rd certif ication and in case o f a recall.
Tire sp ecifi cations
Knowledge of tire specifications makes it easier to choose the
correct t ires. Rad ial tires have the tire specifications mar ked on the
sidewal l, for example:
P235 / 45 R 18 95 Y
This c onta ins the fo llowing informatio n:
P Indicates the tire is fo r passenger cars (where appl icab le)
2 3 5 Nominal tire width in mm of the tire from sidewall edge to s ide -
wa ll edge. In general, the larger the number, the wider the tire
45 Height/width ratio in percent (aspect ratio)
R Tire construction: Radial
18 Rim d iameter c ode (in inches)
95 Load rat ing code
V Speed rating letter code
X L (or "xi", "EXTRA LOAD" or "RF") indicates that the tire is a "Rein ­
forced" or an "Ex tra Load" ti re
M +S (or "M/S") Indicates that the tire has some mud and snow capa ­
bility
The ti res cou ld also have the information of direction of rotation
=>
page 267 .

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•
Tire manufacturing date
The manufacturing date is also indicated on the tire sidewall
(possibly on ly on the
inner side of the wheell:
"DOT ... 2209 ... " means, for example, that the tire was produced in
the 22th week of 2009.
Speed rating (letter code)
The speed rating letter code on the wheels indicates the maximum
permissible road speeds =:,
& in "Winter tires" on page 284.
P up to 93 mph (150 km/h)
Q up to 99 mph (158 km/h)
R upto 106mph(170km /h)
S upto110mph(180km/h)
T upto118mph(190km/h)
U up to 124 mph (200 km/h)
H upto130mph(210km/h)
V up to 149 mph (240 km/h)
31
Z over 149 mph (240 km/h)3
l
W up to 168 mph (270 km/h)31
Y up to 186 mph (298 km/h)3
l
Your vehicle is normally factory equipped with tires, which possess
excel lent driving characteristics and give your Audi opt imum
driving comfort. An electronic speed limiter=:,
page 28will normal ly
prevent your vehicle from going faster than the tire speed ratin g
=:>& .
U.S. DOT Tire Identification Number (TIN ) and tire
manufacture date
This is the tire's "serial number". It begins with the le tters "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-
31 For tires with a maximum speed capability over 149 mph (240 km/h), tire
m anufacturers so metimes use the letters "ZR."
ture. For example, the numbers 2209 mean that the tire was
produced in the 22th week of 2009. 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 carr ied by the tire .
Tire quality grading for treadwear, traction, and
temperature resistance
Tread wear, traction and temperature grades=:, page 283.
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 vehic le .
If you install rims, which do not have the sensors, or have sensors
which are not compatible, then the tire pressure monitoring
system* wil l not work properly. In this case, the tire pressure moni -.,_
Ve hic le care

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toring system* would not be able to monitor the tire pressure or
warn you if it is necessa ry.
• T he battery inside of the tire pressure sensor has a limited
service life.
• Always drive with the valve stem caps securely mounted. We
r ecommend us ing facto ry insta lled va lve stem caps. Ask you r autho ­
rized Audi dealer to replace lost va lve stem caps.
T he installation of rep lacement tires with steel cord body p lies in
t he tire sidewall may cause mal functi on of the tir e pressure mo ni­
toring system , and is not recommended (cord material information
in mo lded o n th e ti re sid ewa ll) .
Always check your tire pressure monitoring system * indicator after
r eplacing one or mo re ti res on your veh ic le . I f the ti re p ress ure
m onito ring syste m* ind icator flashes, or is o n, your s ystem is not
wo rking properly . Your replacement t ire might be incompatible with
yo ur tir e pressure mon ito ring system* , o r so me compo nen t of th e
tire p ressure monitoring system * may be damaged .
& WARNING
• Using incorrect or unmatched tires and I or wheels or improper
tire and wheel combinations can lead to loss of control , collision
and serious personal injury .
• Always use t ires , 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 fa il suddenly,
espe cially 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 speed s.
• Never mount used tire s on your vehicle if you are not sure of
their "previous history ." Old used tire s may have been damaged
even though the damage cannot be seen that can lead to sudden
tire f ailure and loss of vehicle control.
& W ARNING (continued )
• All four wheels mu st be fitted with radial tires of the same type,
size (rolling circumference ) and the same tread pattern. Driv ing
with different tires redu ces vehicle h andling and can lead to a loss
of control.
• If the spare tire is not the same as the tires that are mounted
on the vehicle - for e xample with winter tire s - only u se 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 maximum speed for which the tires
on your vehicle are rated because tires that are driven faster than
the ir rated speed can fail suddenly .
• Overloading tires 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 te chnical reasons it is not always possible to use wheels
from other vehicle s -in some cases not even wheels from the
same vehicle model.
• If you install wheel trim discs on the vehicle wheels, make sure
that the air flow to the brakes is not blocked. Redu ced airflow to
the brakes can them to overheat , increasing stopping distances
and causing a collision.
• Run flat tire s may only be used on vehicle s that were equipped
with them at the fa ctory . The vehicle must have a cha ssis designed
for run flat tires and a factory -installed tire pressure monitoring
s ystem that indicate s a loss of tire pressure . Incorre ct use of run
flat tires can lead to vehicle damage or accidents . Check with an
autho rized Audi dealer or t ire specialist to see if your vehicle can
be equipped with run flat tires .
If run flat tires are used , they mu st
be installed on all four wheels . Mixing tire types is not permitted. .,

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•
0 Not e
• For technical reasons, it is not genera lly possible to use the
wheel rims from other vehic les. This can hold true for wheels of the
same vehicle type.
• If the spare tire is different from the tires that you have mounted
on your vehicle (for example winter tires or wide profile t ires), then
use the spare tire for a short period of time only and drive with extra
care. Rep lace the flat tire with the tire matching the others on your
vehic le as soon as possible.
• If you should put different wheels and tires on your vehic le (e.g.
winter wheels and tires), you must be certain that the wheels and
tires are compatib le with the tire pressure monitoring system.
Otherwise the system will register a malfunction and a fault
message will be displayed . For more information, contact your Aud i
dea ler.
0 Note
• When insta lling new tires, be carefu l not to damage the valves or
t ire pressure monitoring system* senso rs.
• Never drive without the va lve stem cap. The va lves could get
damaged.
• If the sensors must be replaced, then the valve must also be
replaced at the same t ime.
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 Qua
lity grades can be found where applicable on the tire side wall
be tween tread shoulder and maximum section widt h =>
page 279,
fig. 21 1.
For example : Tread wear 200, Traction AA , Temperature A.
All passenger car tires must conform to Federa l Safety Require­
ments in addition to these grades.
Tre ad w ear
The tread wear grade is a comparative rating based on the wear rate
of the tire when tested under con trol led conditions on a specified
government test course.
F o r exam ple, a tire g raded 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 the ir use, however, and may depart significantly from the
norm due to variations in driving habits, service practices and differ ­
ences in road cha racteristics and c limate .
Tra ction
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
measu red under contro lled conditions on specified government
test surfaces of asphalt and concrete. A tire marked C may have
poor traction performance =>
/.1.
Temperatur e
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 contro lled conditions on a specified
indoor laboratory test wheel.
Sus tained high temperature can cause the material of the ti re to
degenerate and reduce tire life, and excessive temperature can lead
to sudden tire failure=>
/.1.
The grade C corresponds to a level of performance which all
passenger car tires must meet under the Federal Motor Vehicle
Vehic le care

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Safety Standard No. 109 . Grades Band A represent higher leve ls of
p er forma nce on th e laboratory test w hee l tha n the minim um
required by law .
& WARNING
The traction grade ass igned to this t ire is based on straight-ahead
braking traction tests , and does not include a cceleration ,
c ornering , hydroplaning or peak tra ction characterist ics .
& WARNING
The temperature grade for this tire is established fo r a tire that is
properly inflated and not overloaded. Excessive speed , underinfla­
tion, or exces sive loading , either separately or in combination , can
cause heat buildup and possible tire failure . •
Winter tires
Winter tires can improve veh icle ha ndl ing on sno w and
ic e. A t tem peratures belo w 45 °F (7
°C ) w e rec omm end
c ha ng ing to wint er tir e s.
In some heavy snow areas, local governments may require true
winte r or "snow" tire s, those wi th ve ry deeply cut tread. These tires
should only be used in pairs and be instal led on a ll four wheels .
M ake s ure you p urchase snow ti res that are the same size and
cons truct ion type as the o the r ti res on your v ehicle.
I f your vehic le is equipped with al l-wheel drive*, this will improve
t raction during w inter dr iving, even with the s tandard tires .
H owever, we strongly recommend that you a lways equ ip all four
whee ls on y our vehic le wi th correc tly fitted winte r tires or all-seas on
tires, when winter road conditions are expected. This also improves
th e ve hic le 's brak ing performance and red uces s to ppi ng d ista nce s.
Summer t ires p rov ide less gr ip o n ice and s now. Winter tires (snow tires) must a
lways be fitted on all four whee ls .
I f your veh icle is equipped with a ti re pre ssure monitoring system*,
compatible t ire pressure mon itoring sensors must be installed on
a ll four winte r tires for the system to function properly ~
page 281.
Ask your aut hori zed Audi dealer or quali fied wo rksho p for perm itte d
winter tire sizes . Use only radial winter tires.
Winter tires lose thei r effec tive nes s when the tread is wo rn down t o
a depth of 0.157 inch (4 mm).
On ly drive with winter tires unde r winter conditions. Summer tires
h andle be tter w hen th ere is no s now o r ice on t he roads a nd the
temperature is above 45 °F (7 °C) .
I f you have a flat tire, see n otes on s pa re whee l~
page 279.
Please a lways remember that w inte r tires may h ave a lowe r speed
rating than the tires original ly instal led on yo ur vehic le at the time
i t was manu fac tured. Please see~
page 281, "Speed rating (letter
code)" for a listing of the speed rating letter codes and the
m ax imum speed at wh ic h th e tir es ca n be d riven .
The speed rating letter code(~
page 270) is on the side wa ll of the
ti re ~
page 279.
& WARNING
Winter tires have maximum speed limits that may be lower than
your vehicle's maximum speed . Always know the maximum speed
before driving off . Never drive faster than the speed permitted for
your specific winter tires . This will cause damage to the tires
leading to an accident and serious personal injury to you and your
pa ssengers.
& WARNING
Driving faster than the maximum speed for whi ch the winter tires
on your vehicle were designed can cause tire failure including a
blowout and sudden deflation , los s of control , crashes and seriou s
~