-~_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 257. 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 permissible road speeds.=>
&
in "Winter tires" on page 260
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 254, "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 22nd 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 2471 and dividing by two. .,_
________________________________________________ T_ i_ r _e _s _ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _ ........
Occupant loading and distribution for vehicle normal load for various designated seating capacities
Designated seating capacity, num
ber of occupants Vehicle normal load
, number of
occupants Occupant distribution in a normally
loaded vehicle
5 3
2 in front,
1 in back seat
Cold tire inflation pressure
Tire pressure affects the overall handling, performance and safety of a vehicle.
Fig. 180 Tire pressure
label: located either on
driver's side B-pillar or
inside the fuel filler flap
Tire pressure generally refers to the amount of air in a tire that it
needs it to do its job and safely carry the combined load of the entire
vehicle and its contents. Tire pressure is measured in kilopascals
(kPa), the international measuring unit and in pounds per square
inch (PSI). Tire pressure is based in part on the vehicle's design and
load limit -the greatest amount of weight that the vehicle can carry
safely and the tire size . The proper tire pressure is frequently
referred to as the "recommended cold tire inflation pressure ." Air in
the tires expands when the tire heats up because of internal friction
when 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 .
The tires would then be underinflated and could fail suddenly.
i
,,-,~ ---------------- ixl
• (SEATING CAPAC ITY :roTAL I :FRO NT I :cENTER I :REAR I ) al
Thecombh,d""'91wclo«U,,..,.andco,-goshoulcl.......,""""' •1cg., -b.
TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION
TIRE SIZE COLO TIRE PRESSURE
F RONT -KPa, -PSI
REAR -KPa, -PSI
SPARE -KPa, - PSI
MANUAL FOR
INFORMATION SEE OWNER'S I
ADDITIONAL
Fig. 181 Tire pressure
label
Maintaining proper tire pressure is one of the most important
things you can do to help avoid sudden tire failure. Underinflated
tires are a major cause of sudden tire failure. Keeping tires at the
right pressure is also important for safe and responsive vehicle
handling, traction, braking and load carrying.
Tire pressures are
particularly important when the vehicle is being driven at higher
speeds, and then especially when heavily loaded even within the
permissible load-carrying capacities approved for your vehicle.
The recommended tire pressures for your Audi depend on the kind
of tires on your vehicle and the number of passengers and/or
amount of luggage you will be transporting.
On USA vehicles, the tire pressure label is located on driver's side 8 -
pillar. On Canada vehicles, the tire pressure label is located either on
the driver's side 8 -pillar or inside the fuel filler flap . The tire pressure
•
label lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures for the _,,,
Vehicle care I I irechnical data
-~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
vehicle at its maximum capacity weight and tires that were on your
vehicle at the time it was manufactured.
If you wish to improve comfort when operating the vehicle at
normal load (up to 3 occupants), you can adjust tire pressures to
those specified for normal vehicle load. Before operating the vehicle at maximum load, you must increase the tire pressures to those
specified for maximum vehicle load
=> &.
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 vehicle.
The effectiveness of the tire pressure monitoring system* will be impaired if you store normal load pressures but then operate the
vehicle at its maximum load=>&. See
the illustrat ion=>
page 247, fig. 180 for the location of the label
either on driver's side B -pillar or inside the fuel filler flap (color of
the actual label and exact location on the vehicle will vary slightly).
Note that the following table is accurate at the time of going to
press and is subject to change . In the event of discrepancies, the tire
pressure label (on USA vehicles, the tire pressure label is loc ated on
driver's side B-pillar; on Canada vehicles, the tire pressure label is
loca ted either on the driver's side B-pillar or inside the fue l filler
flap.I always takes precedence.
The table below lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures
for the Audi model covered by your Owner's Literature at the
vehicle's capacity weight and the tire sizes installed on the respec
tive models as original equipment, or as a factory option.
Engine
(displace
ment in
liter)
Tire designation Tire pressure front
Tire pressure rear
4-cylinder
2.0
205/55 R16 91 H All Season
225/45 R17 94H XL All Season
225/45 R17 94W High Performance
225/45 R17 94Y XL High Performance
225/40 R18 92H XL All Season
225/40 R18 92Y XL High Performance
Compact spare wheel T125/70 R18 normal load
condition (up to
3 occupants)
PSI
36 250
38 260
35 240
35 240
38 260
38 260
60 420
full load
condition
kPA
39 270
39 270
38 260
36 250
41 280
41 280
60 420
normal load
full load
condition (up
condition to 3 occupants)
kPA kPA
30 210
38 260
32 220 38 260
30 210
36 250
30 210
35 240
35 240 41 280
35 240 41 280
60 420
60 420
________________________________________________ T_ i _r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ lJlll
•
Engin e Tire designation Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear
(displace- normal load normal load
ment in full load
full load
liter ) c
ondit ion (up to
condition c
ondition (up
condition
3 occupants ) to 3 occupants)
PSI PSI kPA PSI kPA kPA
6-cylinder 225/45 R1 7 94H XL All Season 39 41 280 230 41 280
3 .2
225 /45 R17 94V XL High Performance
36 250 38 260 30 2
10
38 260
225 /40 R18 92H XL All Season
4 1 280 44 300 36 250 44 300
225 /40 R18 92V XL High Performance 41 280 44 3 0 0 36 250 44 30 0
Compact spare wheel T125 /70 R18
60 420
60 420
60 4
20
60 420
XL=
reinforced o r extra load tire . It may also appear a s xi , EXTRA LOAD, or RF on t he ti re s id ewa ll.
The correct tire pressure fo r t he spare wheel is located on a label
either on the driver's side B-pi llar or inside th e fuel filler flap .
Beca use technical change s may be ma de to vehicle equip ment
during the mode l year, always compare the tire size designat ion on
the tire p ressure label on your vehic le with the ti res on you r vehicle.
Make sure that the tire size informat ion on the veh icle labe l is the
same as the size of the tires on the vehicle . T his is especially impor
t ant if the veh icle belongs to someone else or you bough t the
vehic le with different rims/tires or you bought the vehicle as a previ
ousl y owne d ve hicle.
Remember , your safety and that of your passengers a lso depends
o n mak ing s ure tha t loa d limits are not exceeded . Vehicle load
includes everybody and everything in and on the vehic le. These load
limits are technical ly referred to as the vehicle's Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating ( "GVWR"). The Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR") is
the maximum load that can be applied at each of the vehicle's two
a xl es . T he Gross Vehic le W eight Rat ing and the Gross A xle Weight
Rating are listed on the safety compliance sticker labe l located
ei the r on the driver's s ide B -pi ll ar or on the i nside of the fuel fill er
flap . T he tire pressure labe l on your Audi lists the maximum
co mbined weig ht o f all of the occupants a nd luggage or oth er ca rgo that t
he ve hicle can carry . For the locatio n of the ti re p ressure la bel
=> page 247, fig. 180.
& 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 wa s designed to carry
will prevent the vehicle from handl ing properly and increase the
ri sk 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 vehi cle that has been overloaded can fail suddenly
cau sing 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 vehi cle heavier than the
vehicle 's Gross Vehicle Weight Rating. _,.
Vehicle care
I t •
Tires and wheels -
----------------
•
• The tire pressures should only b e chec ked and ad just ed wh en
t he tire s are co ld. The s lig ht ly rai se d pre ss u res of w arm tires mu st
not b e reduced .
• Adjust t he tire pressure to the lo ad you ar e carrying.
• Reinstal l the va lve stem cap on the va lve .
When should I check the tire pressure?
The correc t ti re p ress ure is es pec ially im portant a t high speeds. The
press ure s hou ld t here fore be checked at least once a mo nth and
a lways before starting a journey. Do not forget to check the tire pres
su re for t he spare whee l=>
page 2 71.
When should I adjust the tire pressures?
Ad just the tire pressure to the load you are carryin g. After c han ging
a whee l
or replacing whee ls you have to adj ust th e tire pre ssu re s on
a ll w he el s. In add itio n, you must the n initialize the new t ire pres
su res in the tire pressure monitoring system*=>
page 264.
& WARNING
Incorrect tire pressures and /or underinflation can lead sudden tire
failure , loss of control, collision, serious personal injury or even
death .
• When the warning symbol
l.J appears in the instrument
cluster , stop and inspect the tires .
• Incorrect tire pressure and /or underinflation can cause
increased tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle and
stopping ability .
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can also lead to
sudden tire failure , including a blowout and sudden deflation ,
causing loss of vehicle control .
• The driver is responsible for the correct tire pressures for all
tires on the vehicle. The applicable pressure values are located on a st icker on the dr iver 's side B -pillar or on the inside of the fuel
filler flap.
& WARNING (continued )
• Only when all tires 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.
• Excessive 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 check the tire pressure and add air as required .
0 Note
Driving without valve stem caps can cause damage to the tire
va lv es. To p revent this, a lways mak e su re that fac to ry insta lled va lve
stem caps on al l wheels a re sec urely mounted on the va lve .
Underinflated t ires wi ll a lso increase the fue l consumption. •
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or weight that any vehicle and
any tire can ca rry. A ve hicle tha t is ove rlo ade d wi ll not h and le w ell ..,
Vehicle care I t •
-Tires and wheels
P'tr:1-------------------
and is more difficult to stop. Overloading can not only lead to loss
of vehicle control, but can also damage important parts of the
vehicle and can lead to sudden tire failure, including a blowout and
sudden deflation that can cause the vehicle to crash.
Your safety and that of your passengers also depends on making
sure that load limits are not exceeded. Vehicle load includes every
body and everything in and on the vehicle. These load limits are
technically referred to as the vehicle's
Gross Vehicle Weight Rating
("GVWR").
The "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic vehicle, all factory
installed accessories, a full tank of fuel, oil, coolant and other fluids
plus maximum load. The maximum load includes the number of
passengers that the vehicle is intended to carry ("seating capacity")
with an assumed weight of 150 lbs (68 kg) for each passenger at a
designated seating position and the total weight of any luggage in
the vehicle. If you tow a trailer, the weight of the trailer hitch and the
tongue weight of the loaded trailer must be included as part of the
vehicle load.
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 label located either on
the driver's side B-pillar or on the inside of the fuel filler flap. Your
Audi has 5 seating positions, 2 in the front and 3 in the rear for total
seating capacity of 5. Each seating position has a safety belt
=>
page 137, "Safety belts".
The fact that there is an upper limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating means that the total weight of whatever is being
carried in the vehicle (including the weight of a trailer hitch and the
tongue weight of the loaded trailer) is limited. The more passengers
in the vehicle or passengers who are heavier than the standard
weights assumed mean that less weight can be carried as luggage.
The tire pressure label on your Audi also 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 label=>
page 247,
fig. 180.
& 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 the 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,
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 247, fig. 180.
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 247, fig. 180.
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 111111
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 255,
fig. 184) to determine the designated
load rating for a specific tire. •
Vehicle care I • •
__________________________________________ T_i_re _ p =----r_e _s _ s_ u_ r_e _ m_ o_n_ i_ t _o _r_ i_n -=g =-- s....: y:.... s_ te_ m_ * __ !II
•
All pressure warning indicators in the display will be canceled.
Fo llowing each intent ional change in specified pressures, tire pres
sures must be saved again .
After the pressures are saved, the tire pressure monitoring system
measures the current tire pressures and saves them as the new
specified pressures.
[ i] Tips
• The tire pressure is shown on the tire pressure label. The tire
pressure label is located either on the driver's side B -pillar or on the
inside of the fuel filler flap. The tire pressure label lists the recom
mended cold tire inflation pressures for the vehicle at its maximum
capacity weight and the tires that were on your vehicle at the time
it was manufactured. For recommended tire pressures for normal
load conditions, please see chapter~
page 247.
• The tire pressure monitoring system helps the driver monitor tire
pressures, but the driver is still responsible for maintaining the
correct tire pressure. •
Applies to vehicles: with tir e pressure monitor ing system
Wheel change
If a wheel is changed, the wheels that were exchanged
have to be reprogrammed.
- Turn on the ignition.
- Press the button=>
page 266, fig. 186 for approximately 5
seconds. You will hear a beep and the symbol in the
button flashes three times.
Programming is necessary:
• after the tires have been rotated on the vehicle, or the spare tire
is used, •
if tires with new wheel sensors are used.
All pressure warning indicators in the display will be canceled. The
system malfunction error message will not disappear until the
vehicle is underway. With pressing the button~
page 266, fig. 186,
the reprogramming of the new sensors and storing of actual pres
sures starts . This learning phase can take up to 10 minutes driving
time.
During the learning process the tire pressure monitoring system is
not available. •
Applies to vehic les: with tir e pr essure monitor ing system
Malfunctions *
A malfunction can have various causes.
Fig. 187 Display:
System malfunction
If the '-warning light in the instrument cluster flashes for approxi
mately one minute and then remains continuously illuminated and
additionally the
~ f ig. 187 symbol appears in the display, the
tire pressure monitoring system is not available . This can have
various causes.
• If the message appears at the end of the learning process, the
system cannot recognize the wheels installed on the vehicle . This
can be because one or more wheels without a wheel sensor were
installed. .,,_
Vehicle care I t •