2009 AUDI S6 Owners Manual

________________________________________________ T_ i _r_e _s_ a_n_ d_ w_ h_ e_e _ l_s __ lftlll
•
Groove
means the space between two adjacent tread ribs.
L oad 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 318, "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 means the speed at which a tire is designed to be driven for
extended periods of time. The ratings range from 93 mph (150 km/h)
to 186 mph (298 km/h)=>
page 330. 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 333.
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 327, "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 ... 2208 ...
means that the tire was produced in the 22nd week of 2008. 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 on the driver's side 8-pillar.
Vehicle maximum load on the tire
means that load on an individual tire that is determined by distrib ­
uting to each ax le 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 distrib ­
uting to each axle its share of the curb weight, accessory we ight,
and normal occupant weight (distributed in accordance with table
below =>
page 327) and divid ing by two. ~

Tires and wheels -_______________ _____.
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. 247 Tire pressure
label: located on
driver's side B-pillar
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 s ize . The proper tire pressure is frequently
referred to as the "recommended cold tire inflation pressure ." Air in
the t ires 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
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• (SEATING CAPACITY :roTAL I :FRONT I :cENTER I : REAR I ) al
Thecombh,d""'91wclo«U,,..,.andco,-goshoulcl.......,""""' •1cg., -b.
TIRE AND LOADING INFORMATION
TIRE SIZE COLO TIRE PRESSURE
FRONT -KPa, -PSI
REAR -KPa, - PSI
SPARE -KPa, - PSI
MANUAL FOR
INFORMATION SEE OWNER'S I
ADDITIONAL
Fig. 248 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.
The tire pressure label is located on the driver's side B -pillar. The tire
pressure label lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures
for the vehicle at its maximum capacity weight and tires that were
•
on your vehicle at the time it was manufactured. _,,,
Vehicle care I I irechnical data

-Tires and wheels
PW-------------------
If you wish to improve comfo rt when operating the vehicle at
normal load (up to 3 occupants) , you can adjust tire pressures to
those spec ified for normal vehi cle load . Before operating the vehi cle
at maximum load, you must in crease the tire pressures to those
specified for ma ximum vehi cle load =>
&.
Bear in mind that the tire pressure monitoring system can on ly
m onito r the t ire pressures you have stored. The syste m does not
recognize the load condition of your vehic le .
The effect iveness of the tir e pr essure moni toring syste m will be
impaired if you store normal load pressures but then operate the
veh ic le a t its ma ximum load=>& . See the
illustrat ion=>
page 321, fig. 247 for the location of the label
on driver's sid e 8-pi llar (c olor of the actual label and exac t loca tion
on the veh ic le wi ll vary slight ly) .
N ote that the fol lowing tab le is accurate at the time of going to
press and is subject to cha nge . In the eve nt of d iscrepa nc ies, t he tire
pressure label is located on the driver's side 8 -pi llar always takes
p recedence .
T he tab le below lists the recommended cold tire inflation pressures
fo r th e A udi m odel co ve red by you r Owner 's Litera ture at the
vehic le's capacity weight and the tire sizes installed on the respec ­
t ive mode ls as o rigi nal equipment, o r as a fac to ry o ption.
Engine Tire designation Tire pressure front Tire pressure rear
(displace- normal load normal load
ment in condition (up to full load
condition (up full load
liter ) condition
condition
3 occupants) to 3 occupants)
PSI kPA
PSI kPA
PSI kPA PSI
kPA
6-cylinder
245/45 R17 99H XL All Season 35 240 38 260 32 220 39 270
3 .0
245/40 R18 97H XL All Season 38 41 280 35 240 290
245 /40 R18 97V XL High Performance
35 240
35 260 32 220 38 2 60
255 /35 R19 96V XL High Performance 39 270 44 300 33 230 45 3 10
6 -cylinder 245 /45 R17 99H XL All Season 33 230 36 250 3 0 210 36 250
3 .2
245/40 R18 97H XL All Season
36 250 39 270 33 230 39 270
245 /40 R18 97V XL High Performance 33 230 36 250 3 0 21 0 36 250
255 /35 R19 96V XL High Performance 39 270 44 300 33 230 45 310
8 -cylinder 245 /45 R17 99H XL All Season
36 250 39 270
33 230 39 270
4 .2
245/40 R18 97H XL All Season 39 270 42 290 35 2 40 42 2 90
245 /40 R18 97V XL High Performance 36 250 39 270 33 230 39 270
255 /35 R19 96V XL High Performan ce
39 270
44 300 33 230 45 310
XL= reinforce d or ex tra load tire . It may als o ap pear as xi, EXTRA LOAD, or RF o n the tire s ide wall.

Tires and wheels -
----------------
•
The correct tire pressure for the spare wheel is located on a label on
the driver's side 8 -pillar.
Because technical 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 vehicle.
Make sure that the tire size information on the vehicle label is the
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
vehic le 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 l imits are not exceeded. Vehicle load
includes everybody and everything in and on the vehicle . These load
limits are techn ically referred to as the vehicle's Gross Veh icle
Weight Rating ("GVWR"l. The Gross Axle Weight Rating ("GAWR"l 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 on
the driver's side 8-pillar. The tire pressure label on your Audi lists
the maximum comb ined weight of all of the occupants and luggage
or other cargo that the vehicle can carry. For the location of the tire
pressure label =>
page 327, fig. 247.
& 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 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 vehicle that has been overloaded can fail suddenly
causing loss of control and a crash.
& WARNING (continued)
• 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 .
& WARNING
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can lead to a
serious or fatal accident.
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation cause increased
tire wear and can affect the handling of the vehicle.
• Incorrect tire pressures and/or underinflation can also lead to
sudden tire failure, including a blowout and sudden deflation,
causing loss of vehicle control. •
Checking tire pressure
The correct tire pressure for the tires originally installed
on your vehicle is listed on the tire pressure label located
on driver's side 8-pillar.
The recommended tire pressures are on the tire pressure label and
in the table=>
page 327, "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 friction 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 out of a warm tire to match "Cold tire inf lation
pressure" recommendations=>
page 327. The tires wou ld then be
underinflated and could fail suddenly. .,_
Vehicle care I t •

--~_T_ ir_e_ s_ a_ n_d _ w_ h_ e_e _l_s _________________________________________________ _
The tire pressure label on your Audi lists the recommended cold tire
in flatio n press ures f or the new, original equipment tires that were
on your vehic le at the time it was manufactured. For the location of
the label =>
page 321, fig. 247.
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
possible to see whether the radial t ires used today are underinflated
just by looking at them.
Therefore, be sure to check tire pressures at least once a month and always before going on a long trip. Make sure to take the number of
people and the amount of luggage into account when adjusting tire
pressure for a trip - even one that you would not consider to be
"long." See =>
page 325, "Tires and vehicle load limits" for more
important information .
Always use an accurate tire pressure gauge when checking and adjusting inflation pressures. Check a ll of the tires and be sure not
to forget the spare tire . If the pressure in any tire is too high when
the tire is "cold," let air out of the tire s lowly with the edge of the tire
gauge and keep checking the pressure until you reach the pressure
that is correct for the load (passengers and luggage) and kind of
driving you p lan to do.
If the pressure in any tire is too low, note the difference between the
press ure in the cold t ire and the pressure you need and add the air
that you need to reach the correct pressure for the vehicle load
(passengers and luggage) for the tires on your vehicle as listed on
the on your vehicle and in this manual and the kind of driving you p lan to do .
Nev er e xce ed the m aximum i nflation pr essure listed on the tir e
s ide wall for any rea so n .
Remember that the veh ic le manufacturer, not the tire manufacturer,
determines the correct tire pressure for the tires on your vehicle .
It is important to check the tire pressure when the tires are cold.
• Read the required tire pressure from the tire pressure label. The
tire pressure label is located on the driver's side B -pillar. • T
urn the valve stem cap counter -clockwise to remove it from the
t ire valve .
• Place the air pressure gauge on the valve.
• T he tire pressures should only be checked and adjus ted when
the tires are cold. The s lightly raised pressures of warm tires must
not be reduced.
• Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are carrying.
• Reinstall the valve stem cap on the valve .
When should I check the tir e pre ssure?
The correct tire pressure is especially important at high speeds . T he
p ressure should therefore be checked at least once a month and
always before starting a journey. Do not forget to check the tire pres ­
sure for the spare whee l =>
page 343.
Wh en shoul d I adj us t th e tir e pre ssu res?
Adjust the tire pressure to the load you are ca rrying . Af ter changing
a wheel
o r replacing wheels you have to adjust the tire pressures on
a ll whee ls . In add ition, you must then store the new tire pressures
in the tire pressure monitoring system=>
page 338 .
& WARNING
Incor re ct t ire pre ssure s and /or und erinf latio n can le ad sudden t ire
failure , los s of control , collision , seriou s per son al injury or even
death .
• When the warning symbol
t appe ars in the in strumen t
c luste r, sto p a nd in spe ct the tire s.
• Incor rect tire pre ssure and /or underi nflati on can cause
i ncrea sed tire wear and can affe ct the h andl ing of the veh icle an d
s topping abil ity .
• Incorre ct t ire pres sur es a nd/or und erinflat ion c an a lso lead to
s udden tir e failure , including a blowout and sudden deflat ion ,
ca usin g lo ss of vehicle control . .,_

Tires and wheels -
----------------
•
& WARNING (continu ed )
• The driver is respon sible for the correct tire pres sures for all
tire s on the vehicle . The applicable pre ssure values are located on
a sticker on the driver 's side B-pillar .
• Only when all tires on the veh icle are filled to the correct pre s­
sure , the tire pressure monitoring system can work correctly .
• The use of incorre ct t ire pressure values can lead to a ccidents
or other damage. Therefore it is essential that the driver observe
the specified tire pressure values for the tires and the correct pre s­
sures for the function of the tire pressure monitor ing system.
• Always inflate tires to the recommended and corre ct 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 pre ssure 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
immed iately , drive at reduced speed to the nearest service stat ion
to check the tire pres sure and add air as required.
0 Note
Dr iving w ithout valve s tem caps can cause damage to the t ire
valves . To prevent this, a lways make sure that factory installed valve
stem caps on a ll whee ls are securely mounted o n the va lve.
For the sake of the environment
Unde rin fla ted tires will a lso increase the f uel c onsump tion .•
Tires and vehicle load limits
There are limits to the amount of load or weight that any vehic le and
any t ir e can carry. A veh icle that is overloaded w il l not handle wel l
and is more difficu lt to stop. Overloading can not only lead to loss
o f veh ic le control, but ca n also damage impor ta nt parts of the
vehic le and can lead to sudden tire failure, inc luding a blowout and
sudde n defla tion that can cause the vehic le to crash .
Your sa fety and that o f your passen gers also depends on mak ing
sure that load limits are not e xceeded. Vehicle load includes every ­
body and everythi ng in and on the 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") .
T he "GVWR" includes the weight of the basic vehic le, all factory
insta lled acces so ries, a ful l ta nk of fuel, oil, coolant an d othe r flui ds
p lus maximum load. The maximum load inc ludes the number o f
p asse ngers that the vehicle is inte nded t o carry ("sea ting capacity")
w ith an assu med we ight 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
t he vehicle. If you tow a trailer, the we ig ht o f the tra iler h itch an d th e
tongue weight of the loaded trailer must be included as part of the
ve hicle l oad.
The
Gross Axle Weight Rating !"GAWR") is t he maximum load that
can be applied a t each of the vehicle's two ax les.
The Gross Veh icle Weig ht Rating and t he G ross Axle Weig ht Rat ing
are listed on the safety comp liance sticker labe l located on the
d river 's s ide B -pi llar . Y o ur Au di h as 5 s eating positi ons, 2 i n the fro nt
and 3 in the rear for total seating capacity of 5 . Each seating position
has a safe ty bel t~
page 205, "Safe ty belts".
The fact that th ere is an upper limit to your vehicle's Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating means that the total weight of whatever is being
carried in the vehic le (includ ing the we ight of a trai ler hitch and the
tong ue weight of the loaded trai ler) is limited. The more passengers
i n the v ehicle or pass engers wh o are heavie r than t he sta nd ard
we ights assumed mean that less weight can be ca rried as luggage . .,_
Vehicle care I t •